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How to Write More Effectively: The Skill Most Professionals Never Properly Learn
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Three months ago, I watched a senior manager - someone earning well over $150K - send an email to the entire company announcing "irregardless of weather conditions." I nearly spilled my flat white. This bloke had been promoted four times in six years, yet couldn't distinguish between "weather" and "whether."
Here's the uncomfortable truth: most professionals write like they're still cramming for their Year 12 English exam. They throw around buzzwords like "synergise" and "ideate" whilst completely butchering basic grammar. And somehow, they're shocked when their emails get ignored or their proposals get rejected.
The Real Cost of Poor Writing
I've been training workplace communication for seventeen years now, and I can tell you that poor writing skills cost Australian businesses millions annually. Not in some abstract, hard-to-measure way either. Real money. Lost contracts, confused customers, and frustrated teams.
Take procurement processes, for instance. I worked with a construction company in Perth where their project manager lost a $2.3 million contract because his proposal was riddled with unclear sentences and mixed metaphors. The client told me later they couldn't trust a company that couldn't communicate clearly to manage their complex build.
But here's what really gets me fired up: we're not talking about Shakespearean prose here. We're talking about basic clarity. The ability to write a sentence that means what you think it means.
Why Most Writing Training Fails Spectacularly
Most communication training courses focus on the wrong things entirely. They obsess over semicolons and passive voice whilst ignoring the elephant in the room: most people don't know why they're writing in the first place.
I see this constantly in my workshops. Someone will ask about the difference between "who" and "whom" - a question that affects maybe 0.3% of business writing - whilst their emails routinely confuse action items with background information.
Here's my controversial take: perfect grammar is less important than clear thinking. I'd rather read a technically imperfect email that gets straight to the point than a grammatically flawless novel that buries the key message in paragraph four.
That said, there are some non-negotiables. Your writing needs to be professional enough that people take you seriously. There's a big difference between casual clarity and looking like you've never seen a spell-checker.
The Three Pillars of Effective Business Writing
1. Know Your Point Before You Start
This sounds obvious, but I reckon 73% of business emails are written by people who discover their main point halfway through typing. They start with "I hope this email finds you well" (please stop doing this) and meander through three paragraphs before mentioning why they're writing.
Try this instead: write your main point in one sentence before you write anything else. Then build around it. If you can't summarise your message in one clear sentence, you're not ready to write yet.
2. Structure Like You're Building a House
Foundation first, then walls, then roof. In writing terms: context, details, action required. Most people do this backwards, starting with technical details before explaining why anyone should care.
Here's a structure that works:
- What's happening and why it matters
- Key details in order of importance
- What you need from the reader
- When you need it
Simple. Boring. Effective.
3. Edit Like Your Job Depends On It
Because sometimes it does. I learned this the hard way early in my career when I sent a proposal with "pubic sector experience" instead of "public sector experience." The client's response was... memorable.
But editing isn't just about typos. It's about cutting unnecessary words, clarifying confusing sentences, and making sure your tone matches your intention. Read everything out loud. If it sounds awkward when spoken, it probably reads awkwardly too.
The Australian Advantage (and Disadvantage)
We Aussies have a natural advantage in business writing: we're generally more direct than our international colleagues. We don't dance around the point the way some cultures do. But we also have a tendency to be too casual in formal situations.
I've seen emails to major clients that start with "G'day mate" and end with "Cheers." While our directness is usually appreciated, there's a time and place for everything. Know your audience.
The best Australian business writers I know combine our natural directness with appropriate formality. They get to the point quickly but do it professionally. Think Tim Cahill's approach to football - direct, effective, but with proper technique.
Common Mistakes That Make You Look Amateur
The Wall of Text: Paragraphs that go on forever. Break them up. White space is your friend.
Overuse of Exclamation Points: You're not writing marketing copy for a used car dealership. One per email, maximum.
Copying Everyone: Stop hitting "Reply All" unless everyone actually needs to see your response. Your colleagues' inboxes are not your personal broadcasting service.
Business Speak Overload: "Going forward, we'll leverage our core competencies to optimise synergies." This means nothing. Say what you mean.
The Buried Lead: Journalists put the most important information first. You should too.
Technology Isn't the Enemy (Usually)
I used to be one of those trainers who ranted about how technology was ruining writing skills. Then I actually started paying attention to what young employees were producing, and realised something important: they're often better at concise, clear communication than their older colleagues.
Yes, they sometimes write "ur" instead of "your" in inappropriate contexts. But they also get to the point faster and waste fewer words on unnecessary pleasantries. There's something to learn from that.
The key is knowing when to switch between modes. Slack messages can be casual and abbreviated. Client proposals need proper sentences and structure. It's not rocket science, but it does require conscious thought.
Making Writing a Competitive Advantage
Here's what most people don't realise: in a world where everyone's inbox is overflowing, clear writing is a competitive advantage. The person who can communicate clearly and concisely stands out.
I've seen careers accelerated by nothing more than the ability to write emails that people actually want to read. Conversely, I've watched talented professionals get overlooked because their writing made them appear less capable than they actually were.
Effective communication training isn't just about writing better emails - though that's certainly part of it. It's about developing the thinking skills that make clear communication possible in the first place.
The Reality Check Nobody Wants to Hear
Your writing probably isn't as good as you think it is. Neither was mine when I started out. I cringe when I read some of my early training materials - so much unnecessary jargon and overcomplication.
But here's the thing: it's a skill like any other. You can improve with practice and feedback. The problem is that most professionals never get honest feedback about their writing. Their colleagues are too polite to point out problems, and their managers are often just as bad at writing as they are.
Find someone whose writing you respect and ask them to review your important communications. Be prepared for some uncomfortable truths, but also be ready to improve dramatically once you start addressing the issues.
The Investment That Pays for Itself
I know what you're thinking: "Who has time for writing training when there's actual work to do?" But consider this: how much time do you waste each week clarifying emails that weren't clear the first time? How many opportunities have you missed because your written communication didn't represent your capabilities accurately?
Professional development training in writing skills typically pays for itself within months through improved efficiency and better outcomes. It's one of the few training investments where the ROI is usually immediate and measurable.
The companies that recognise this - like Canva here in Sydney, or Atlassian - tend to have noticeably better internal communication and faster decision-making processes. It's not coincidence.
Where Most People Go Wrong (Including Me)
For years, I thought good business writing meant sounding important and using impressive vocabulary. I was dead wrong. The best business writing sounds like a conversation with someone you respect - professional but not stuffy, clear but not simplistic.
I still see this mistake constantly in my workshops. People think they need to write differently for work than they do in real life. They adopt this weird, formal voice that doesn't sound like them at all. The result is writing that feels artificial and often unclear.
Your authentic voice, adjusted for context and audience, is almost always more effective than trying to sound like someone else. Trust yourself, but trust yourself to be clear and purposeful.
The Bottom Line
Effective writing isn't about impressing people with your vocabulary or following every grammar rule perfectly. It's about respect - for your reader's time, for your own ideas, and for the work you're trying to accomplish together.
In an economy increasingly built on information and relationships, clear communication isn't just helpful - it's essential. The professionals who recognise this early will have a significant advantage over those who continue to treat writing as an afterthought.
Start paying attention to your writing today. Not tomorrow, not next week. Today. Your future self will thank you, and so will everyone who has to read your emails.