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The Workplace Communication Gap That No One is Talking about

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The Workplace Communication Gap That No One is Talking about

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It takes a progressive and forward-looking leader to spot this trend toward organizations needing to adapt to more real-time feedback processes. The good news is that there are resources available to help steer you and manage the shift. Josh Bersin, the Deloitte analyst, maps the trend and core players in his recent Forbes article: "Quantified Self: Meet Quantified Employee." The bad news is that our organizational feedback processes are entrenched by habit and woven into the fabric of core business processes. You have to be courageous to try something new.

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The San Francisco-based Slack has quickly become the darling of the tech industry. In just over a year, the company has amassed $180 million in venture capital funding from a handful of Sand Hill Road titans including participation by Andreessen Horowitz, Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers, Google Ventures and Accel Partners. Valued at $1.12 billion, in nine months, Slack became one of the fastest start-ups to reach the $1 billion club joining companies like YouTube, Groupon and Yammer.

What it says is organizations are spending billions of dollars on communication tools for their employees. It's a huge bet on collaboration and efficient communication as a means to productivity and economic output. In the knowledge economy, peer-to-peer communications are raw materials that, when harnessed in a meaningful way, lead to real returns. It's common sense to bet that more efficient communications inside companies will make our gains bigger and come faster.

It may be common sense, but it's not the right bet.

There's a below the waterline issue in our modern organizations that no one is talking about and that communication tools like Slack, Yammer, Jive and soon to launch Facebook for the enterprise are not addressing: bottom-up feedback and top-down understanding.

Despite all the talk about the great flattening that has been happening in our modern organizations, traditional power structures still exist -- employees still have bosses. There is a disconnect between them and individual contributors that is driving a wedge in our companies and making them increasingly untenable. Just look at research by Bain & Company: Not only are the majority of us disengaged at work, engagement drops significantly with each organizational layer away from the CEO. The least engaged workers are front-line workers -- those who interact directly with customers.

What's missing is a transparent dialogue between leaders and employees about what's most important to us as individual workers and collectively to our organizations and a conversation around the inevitable competing priorities. Our current methods for sourcing feedback -- annual engagement surveys and survey technologies like SurveyMonkey -- feel more like research tools designed to dissect, deconstruct and test a series of assumptions rather than a way to empathetically understand what people really think and leverage their engagement to move our organizations forward. Additionally, because of the design, build, deploy, analyze and report-out cycles required of our current feedback processes, leaders are slow to take action -- it takes 3-6 months on average to move from data collection to action planning on a typical annual employee survey. There is no wonder why more than half of companies don't even get to developing action plans and organizational trust is eroding rapidly.

Feedback is critical to the success of any organization. Employees hold the keys to the next big breakthrough and solutions to what ails our organizations. Leadership has broad market context, relationships and the anointed power to move mountains. If only we could connect and align the two in a constructive way more regularly.

Nowhere is this need to increase the frequency of bottom-up feedback and top down understanding more visceral than in organizations experiencing high degrees of change. Rapidly growing companies like Glassdoor, Docusign and Hailo in the UK are perfect examples. Their headcounts are expanding at a clip of 30-50% year-over-year. These types of companies are used to having everyone under the same roof. In the past, leaders could get a pulse on their employees' engagement and feedback just by walking around. Now, communication needs to be intentional. The ground is shifting so quickly they can't afford to wait until the end of the year to surface and address employee ideas and concerns.

Similarly, larger organizations will increasingly assume risk if they ignore the trend towards getting more rapid feedback. Companies that are shedding headcount, reshuffling leadership, undergoing mergers or acquisitions, launching new products and services, rebranding or experiencing stiff competition from emerging players particularly need to check-in with employees more regularly than once every other year. These days, organizations fitting at least one of these scenarios is the norm and not the exception.

It takes a progressive and forward-looking leader to spot this trend toward organizations needing to adapt to more real-time feedback processes. The good news is that there are resources available to help steer you and manage the shift. Josh Bersin, the Deloitte analyst, maps the trend and core players in his recent Forbes article: "Quantified Self: Meet Quantified Employee." The bad news is that our organizational feedback processes are entrenched by habit and woven into the fabric of core business processes. You have to be courageous to try something new.

The risk to modern companies who don't adapt to the real-time feedback trend is great. After all, in the modern knowledge economy, employee engagement is the new capital that keeps the economic engine chugging along. If you don't know how your employees feel today, it is critical that you find out. More than that, you need to ask them what they think. Employees want to be more than just employees. They want to be respected for their unique perspectives and experiences, feel connected emotionally to the purpose of their organizations and know how their contributions are driving their businesses forward. You can't foster this type of culture by checking in once or twice per year.

So, next time you think about doing things the same old way, put yourself in your employees' shoes. What would they want?

A more authentic voice.

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The Workplace Communication Gap that No One is Talking About

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The San Francisco-based Slack has quickly become the darling of the tech industry. In just over a year, the company has amassed $180 million in venture capital funding from a handful of Sand Hill Road titans including participation by Andreessen Horowitz, Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers, Google Ventures and Accel Partners.

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No one is a perfect communicator. Throughout our lives, we all develop little habits and patterns. Some of these habits are helpful, while some create challenges when working with others. We don't usually intend to cloud our objectives or make others feel like they weren't heard. In most cases, it's just these little habits that get in the way of solid teamwork and accountability.

Here are 8 simple tips that will solve most communication issues in the workplace.
1. Have One Conversation at a Time
Multitasking may be fine for some, but people rarely want your divided attention. If too many things are going on, you're likely to miss important details that might make the difference between success and failure. Whether you are having a conversation in person or on the phone, give the other person focused time. You'll make them feel important and worthy. Plus your conversations will actually be shorter, allowing you to go back and add that important mustache to your Instagram photo.
2. Look People in the Eye
Many people feel odd about looking intensely into others' eyes. I personally find myself naturally focusing on lips in conversations, which can help in a noisy environment. But I have worked hard the last few years to consciously make eye contact. Studies show that doing this conveys truth and honor. It's still a bit awkward. A few people even divert their eyes when I do it. But with most people I feel a stronger connection and find that it's easier to read emotions.
3. Ask Two Questions
Important conversations are generally for the purpose of transferring information and gaining clarity. If people simply blurt out facts and orders, the information transfer or clarification may not occur. Make it a point in every meaningful conversation to identify a couple of provocative, relevant questions and ask them before you finish talking. The process will make you think harder about what is being said and will ensure both parties were fully engaged.
4. Write Things Down
I don't understand why people pride themselves on being able to keep stuff in their heads. I like to use my brain space for creative and progressive thinking, not my to-do list. Lord knows we have enough tools to write things down. Please, please, please send a follow up email, or use Evernote, or text yourself, or dare I say it ... use pen and paper. However you do it, record takeaways from the conversation so you don't have to have it again. Oh, and I do find the act of actually writing with pen and paper helps me remember better.
5. Read and Respond to the Entire Email
I find people who only read the first line of their email incredibly frustrating. This forces their colleagues to send additional emails just to get issues addressed. Nobody saves any time this way. It just creates angst and extra work. Slow down, read the whole email, and respond to all items. When sending emails, keep them short and to the point or you deserve to be ignored. Use numbered lists and bullet points to make your ideas clear and simple to address. If you have tons to discuss, pick up the phone.
6. Create a Response Schedule
Setting a routine for communication can help both with your productivity and with managing expectations of the people with whom you interact. It's frustrating to spend time chasing other, not knowing when you will get a response. I solve this problem with a simple rule of thumb. Generally, when available, I respond to texts within 20 minutes, phone messages within an hour, and e-mails within 24 hours. You can set your own appropriate timeframe, but once you have a schedule you can better manage your time. You can also let people know what to expect. Those who work with you regularly will soon recognize and respect your habits.
7. Assume Best Intentions
With the increase in texting and short e-mails, it's often hard to know the intended tone of communication. I regularly hear people complain about someone's attitude from a perfectly innocuous email. People end up reading in the emotion that supports their own point of view. If any animosity exists between the parties, the perceived tone goes south, fast. With any short communication, always start with the assumption that the intentions are good on the other side. If there's any doubt, pick up the phone and give them a chance to insult you directly--just so you can be sure.
8. Close the Loop
For detailed communicators like me, I need confirmation to know that a conversation is finished. If I send you an email or text giving you requested information, I have no way of knowing that you received it and it was acceptable unless you tell me. If I don't hear from you, I worry that the email went to spam, or you weren't satisfied. My brain will keep wondering and I will start following up with more texts or emails, which waste your time and fill your inbox. Solve the problem for both of us by replying with a simple "Got it" or "Thanks." You can even set this up in your mail program as a signature to save keystrokes. Not doing this is the electronic equivalent of rudely walking away from a conversation while we are still talking.
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8 Ways to Improve Your Communication Right Now

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No one is a perfect communicator. Throughout our lives, we all develop little habits and patterns. Some of these habits are helpful, while some create challenges when working with others. We don't usually intend to cloud our objectives or make others feel like they weren't heard.

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This is a very effective site. It gives 10 very important tips for communicating in the workplace. Handling conflicts,  cultural differences, trusting employees, and making it fun are all areas that this site covers. These tips can be applied to any type of job which is very helpful.
The site goes into each tip in great detail.

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Communication is something we do reflexively -- like breathing. We talk to our spouses, kids and friends without giving much thought to how we're doing it.

It might seem easy, but communicating effectively actually takes quite a bit of finesse. Choosing the right words, listening with our minds instead of just our ears, and getting our message across are skills that we all need to work on.

At home and in social settings, miscommunication can lead to arguments. In the workplace, the repercussions can be far more serious. Poor productivity, unmotivated employees -- even lawsuits -- can result from communication breakdowns at the office.

To improve communication within your team and throughout your entire company, you need to implement a few easy but important changes to your corporate philosophy and practice.

In this article, you'll learn some of the tips management experts use to improve communication. You'll also see how changing your communication strategy can lead to real improvements in employee motivation, productivity and profitability.

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10 Tips for Effective Workplace Communication

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Communication is as easy as breathing, but doing so with coworkers can be tricky. Someone could misconstrue a friendly e-mail, micromanage employees to death or even commit a cultural faux pas. Luckily, we'll show you how to avoid these missteps.

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The importance of this article is to educate people as my self the concepts and importance of how writing in the workplace has to be professional because it can give out many different meaning and understanding. There are many different key elements when it comes to writing in the workplace such as knowing your audience, it is more professional to not be wordy just precise and straight to the point and not confuse people with vague words. Second element is punctuation and grammatical errors because you don't want to send bad grammar to a wide range of audience making the business look unprofessional. Effective use of passive voice makes things more professional when there are errors and someone has to read off the paper to an audience. There are many other very important elements I did not address but these are the main elements that are important to know when working in the workplace, This article is very helpful reason being is that it educates people on how to keep you professional job by communicating professionally when writing for the company and making the name of the company more enriched.

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by Claire E. White
The Internet Writing Journal, August 1997

Effective writing in the workplace is an essential skill. The rules are basically the same for any type of writing, however there are some special issues which arise in the business context. Knowing the elements of good business writing can make or break a career. This article addresses some of these basic elements.

Know Your Audience

The key to effective business writing is knowing your audience. Before you sit down to compose your letter, memo or report, think about the recipient of your document. What are you trying to say to this person? Organization is crucial. Outlines are an invaluable aid to writing a lengthy report or memo. Remember, time is in short supply for most business professionals. By organizing your thoughts beforehand, you can determine what exactly you are trying to say. Decide what details must be included in the report or memo. Look for graphic elements to add to your presentation, especially if your report contains many boring statistics. Statistics and research bolster your conclusions, especially if they are presented in a visually appealing manner. With the advent of modern word processing programs such as Microsoft Word and Corel WordPerfect, it is easy to include spread sheets, graphs and colorful clip art to your report, thereby making your work memorable and convincing.

After you have decided what the message is that you are trying to convey, work on saying it in concise language. Be brief, whenever possible. Avoid wordiness and unnecessary large words. Strive for clarity in your writing and avoid vagueness (unless there is good reason to be vague). For example:

Wordy - It is the responsibility of the recruiting committee to ensure that the goals of the hiring task force have been implemented.
Precise - Our recruiting committee must meet the hiring goals of the hiring task force.

Wordy - The hurricane had the effect of a destructive force on the manufacturing plant.
Precise - The hurricane destroyed the manufacturing plant.

Avoid using vague words when a more precise word will do. Take a tip from the journalists. Tell the audience what you are going to say, say it using action verbs, then sum up what it is you have said -- and say it in as few words as possible.

Punctuation and Grammatical Errors

Nothing can kill your credibility in a business setting faster than to have grammatical and/or punctuation errors, especially in a formal report. Many errors are due simply to insufficient proofreading of the document. Corporate lawyers routinely have a secretary read aloud to another person a very long document, while the second person checks for errors in copy. Obviously, you will not always have time for this procedure. However, before you issue a formal report, especially one that will be seen by upper management or will go outside the firm, you must have someone else proofread your document. The reason is simple; you cannot proofread your own work with 100% accuracy. Occasionally, the human mind will be too efficient and simply will supply the missing word in a sentence so that you will never notice that it is gone, or will transpose letters to their correct order. It is always easier to find errors in someone else's work.

Some errors stem not from lack of proofreading, but from simple grammatical mistakes. The most common mistakes include misuse of apostrophes, splitting of infinitives (although this rule has been revoked by many style manuals, it still drives some people to distraction to see a split infinitive except in creative writing or dialogue), using contractions in formal writing, misuse of commas, incomplete sentences, ending a sentence with a preposition, verbs not agreeing with subjects and pronouns not agreeing with their antecedents.

Invest in some good reference books, including a good grammar book and a good style book, such as The Chicago Manual of Style. Use them.

Effective Use of Passive Voice

"Sometimes the passive voice can be a useful tool for avoiding placing blame for an error or for intentionally making a sentence vague. Effective use of passive voice in business writing is an art."

How many times have we heard the admonition, "Don't use passive voice! Punch up your writing with active voice!"? In general, you should use active voice whenever possible in your writing. Well, like every other rule in the English language, there is an exception to this one. Sometimes the passive voice can be a useful tool for avoiding placing blame for an error or for making a sentence intentionally vague. Effective use of passive voice in business writing is an art.

Sometimes you will be called upon to write a memo or other report describing a corporate disaster that occurred because someone made a mistake. Passive voice can be used to describe the mistake without directly placing blame, especially if the recipient of the memo happens to be a) your superior in the company; and b) the person who made the error which led to the disaster. In this situation it would be tactless, to say the least, to use active voice boldly to describe how your boss erred -- not to mention the deleterious effect it could have upon your career. Tactful honesty is a skill greatly admired in corporate America. Use it when needed, but use it sparingly.

For example, instead of the memo saying: "Because J. Smith forgot to include the correct budget projections with the bid, we lost the client," try "The correct budget was inadvertently left out of the client packet, which led to the loss of the client." The second sentence is vague. It is unclear who left out the crucial enclosure. Your boss knows very well who is at fault, and will appreciate your not blaring the obvious to the entire company. Of course, this does leave the door open for you to be blamed for the catastrophe. Careful wording of who had responsibility for the client pitch will alleviate this problem. Passive voice, in general, should be avoided in business writing. However, there are times when judicious use of passive voice can increase the tact and diplomacy of your writing.

Gender-Neutral Writing

"[C]ommunication is best achieved by writing in the preferred style of the recipient of your document -- especially if the recipient has anything to do with your chances of promotion."

This is a difficult topic for the business professional. Under the traditional rules, the word "he" included both the female and male genders when referring to an individual's actions. "Everyone should open his report to page 1" was understood to refer to both the women and the men in the room. In today's society, most women take offense at this reference. For a time, writers used "she" in their writing, sometimes alternating with "he". This is confusing to the reader to say the least, and is offensive to many men. The best way to deal with this problem is to eliminate the pronoun altogether whenever possible: "Everyone should open the report to page 1."

Some business writers have suggested pluralizing the pronoun as a solution to the problem. "Everyone should open their report to page 1." This is common in spoken English, but is grammatically incorrect. The theory is that it is better to be grammatically incorrect than to risk offending half of the population. Actually, "their" has been used for several hundred years to refer to a singular antecedent of indeterminate gender by famous authors including Jane Austen, C.S. Lewis, Charles Dickens and William Shakespeare. Some scholars advocate the use of neologisms such as "hir" (a combination of his and her). The issue is a hot one in some academic circles. Unless your boss holds a doctorate in English however, it is unlikely that he or she is aware of this controversy and simply will think that you cannot distinguish between singular and plural pronouns. Therefore, steer clear of "their" in this context. With the exception of certain industries, most corporations are formal places and grammatical errors will be seen simply as that -- not as an example of your tactfulness regarding a gender issue. If you must, use "he or she", which is correct, if somewhat annoying when used many times in the same article. "Everyone should open his or her report to page 1."

When you do not know the gender of the person you are addressing in correspondence, the old rule was to write, "Dear Sirs". This is no longer acceptable. Write "Dear Sir or Madam", or better yet, use the title of the unkown addressee. "Dear Editor", for example. If you know only the initial and last name of the addressee, address the letter as "Dear J. Smith".

Recent Trends in Business Writing

Many recent articles describe a relaxation of formality in America's workplace, in everything from dress to writing styles. These articles urge professionals and workers to use simple words in company correspondence and to dispense with formality. While it is true that formality in the workplace has relaxed somewhat in the past ten years, a word of caution is in order. First, many of these articles are not written by business professionals. Although some industries have relaxed formality in dress and in writing styles, many have not -- especially those in the financial, banking and legal worlds. The region of the country in which your company is located must also be considered. For example, attire which might be considered appropriate in a computer design firm in Silicon Valley might not be at all appropriate in a large bank in Chicago or New York. The same rule applies to writing styles.

The best approach is to obtain writing samples written by the CEO and other top officers of your company. Are they formal in style? Informal? The tone of a company is set by the person or persons at the top of the company. You should tailor your writing style to match this style, just as you would tailor your dress to the style of the company for which you work. Some firms pride themselves on the fact that their employees do not wear suits - computer companies and companies in the graphic arts often follow this creed. Others, such as those in the financial services industry, pride themselves on the fact that they have not relaxed any formality requirements even though the world around them has changed. The best rule is to follow the style of your company's upper-echelon leaders. If they use a formal style for inter-office memos, you should too. If they subscribe to the new rules of simple, more direct business writing, then you should as well. If in doubt, always use the more formal approach in a memo or letter, especially when writing to your superior officers in a corporation. Remember, writing in the workplace is not the same as writing for a scholarly journal or writing for a newspaper or magazine, although the goal is the same. The goal is communication, and communication is best achieved by writing in the preferred style of the recipient of your document -- especially if the recipient has anything to do with your chances of promotion.

Formality, however, does not mean wordiness. Formality means not using contractions, addressing people by their titles, and avoiding slang. Even when writing in a more formal style, you should strive to avoid excess verbiage. Aim for concise sentences which get your point across quickly to save the reader time. Time is one of a business person's most precious resources. Get to the point of your memo or letter immediately, and your readers will thank you.
Conclusion

The myriad rules for punctuation and style can, at times, confuse even the most educated person. The situation is exacerbated by the changing times in which we live with all the issues relating to gender and the coining of new words and phrases to describe new technology. When dealing with marketing or advertising issues, often the best course for a business is to call in a professional writer from outside the firm. After all, no one is an expert in everything. With the trend towards instant and global communications via computer, a company's written communications and marketing literature impacts a larger audience than it ever has before. Shouldn't those communications be written by someone whose expertise is words? If you get in over your head, call in a professional writer -- you'll be glad you did.

** Claire E. White is an attorney with over ten years' experience in major law firms. She is a former instructor at the University of California at Irvine Extension and is a frequent lecturer and writer on legal and business topics including computer law, corporate law, the Internet and effective business communications.

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by Claire E. White The Internet Writing Journal, August 1997 Effective writing in the workplace is an essential skill. The rules are basically the same for any type of writing, however there are some special issues which arise in the business context. Knowing the elements of good business writing can make or break a career.

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This article has a lot to offer. It talks about how to communicate in a more effective way at the workplace. It states ideas like being more precise and to the point with questions or instructions or anything that needs to be addressed in the workplace. I believe that anybody can find this article helpful. If people are having trouble with communication in the workplace they just have to learn to become more clear and precise in the communication and not be so vague. Also, you can’t be afraid to open your colleagues to your opinions on things like products, in my opinion. I feel as though if employees are as open with what they believe in that communication will be more effective.

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The title of Karen Friedman's latest book isn't exactly subtle. Shut Up And Say Something: Business Communication Strategies to Overcome Challenges and Influence Listeners lays out her no-nonsense philosophy about how to best get your point across, drawn from her 36 years of experience as a professional communicator. As a TV news reporter, she worked at local stations in cities from Milwaukee to Huntsville, Ala. For the last 16 years, she's headed up Karen Friedman Enterprises, a communication coaching firm in Philadelphia.

How does she apply her ideas in the workplace? Her No. 1 rule, gleaned from two decades in the TV news trenches: "It is absolutely critical to be as direct, to the point and concise as possible," she says, in a lively, forceful voice with a Philadelphia tinge. Vagueness is all too common in the workplace, she observes, and you easily remedy it by following the newscaster's drill of spelling out who, what, where, when and why.
In Pictures: How To Communicate Effectively At Work
"Bosses often say, 'Can you have that report to me? It's really important, and I'd really like to have it,'" Friedman says. A more effective way to deliver that message: "Can you please get that report to me? I'd like it on my desk by 5 p.m. Friday."

Another strategy Friedman draws from newscasting: Hit the headline first. Too many of us are just plain long-winded, she says. "People don't need to know everything we know," she explains. "Think about what the single most important point is that you need to make, the central idea. If your computer died or the fire alarm went off, what would be the one thing they needed to hear?"

Your attitude while talking is also important. "It's not just your words that convey a message," Friedman says. "It's all of you." If you slouch, jam your hands into your pockets, shuffle your feet and avoid eye contact, people will get the impression you don't want to communicate with them. Pry your eyes and thumbs away from your electronic devices, she admonishes. "Pretend that your colleague is your adorable five-year-old who you would drop everything for if she walked into the office," she suggests.

Remember that the world doesn't revolve around you. For Friedman, this was a tough lesson to learn, coming from the ego-driven world of television. If you open yourself to other opinions and perspectives, you'll find it much easier to get your own message across. "Take a poll at your next meeting," she suggests. "Draw the other people out."

Do ask open-ended questions. They can buy time, clarify where another person is coming from and prevent misinterpretation. For instance: "I'm not sure I understand what you're saying, so could you give me an example?"

Friedman is also fond of the bromide that if you can't say something nice, you shouldn't say anything at all. "Don't talk about other people. That identifies you as a gossip and someone who can't be trusted," she advises. You may think you're being entertaining or engendering closeness, but "you meet the same people on the way up as on the way down."

Another Friedman rule: No bull. If you have bad news to deliver, lay it out plainly. It's difficult to talk about layoffs and belt tightening, but if you're in a situation where you have to convey that sort of information, your employees and colleagues likely already know something is up. It is far better to be straight with them than not to communicate at all, even if you can't give them the answers they'd like.

Always deliver bad news in person. It may seem easier to convey negative information via e-mail, but imagine how you'd feel if you learned electronically that your best work friend had been sacked, vs. hearing it from another human being.

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see photosThinkstockClick for full photo gallery: How to Communicate Effectively at Work The title of Karen Friedman's latest book isn't exactly subtle. Shut Up And Say Something: Business Communication Strategies to Overcome Challenges and Influence Listeners lays out her no-nonsense philosophy about how to best get your point across, drawn from [...]

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A short simple article that gives some great information on how to handle employees. This article is written from the bosses perspective. How to communicate effectively with employees and how to settle disputes.

The article offers 10 separate tips on how employers can make the work place a more inviting place. For instance the first suggestion was make the workplace fun. Just because the job that is being done at your particular workplace is difficult and serious does not mean

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Communication is something we do reflexively -- like breathing. We talk to our spouses, kids and friends without giving much thought to how we're doing it.

It might seem easy, but communicating effectively actually takes quite a bit of finesse. Choosing the right words, listening with our minds instead of just our ears, and getting our message across are skills that we all need to work on.

At home and in social settings, miscommunication can lead to arguments. In the workplace, the repercussions can be far more serious. Poor productivity, unmotivated employees -- even lawsuits -- can result from communication breakdowns at the office.

To improve communication within your team and throughout your entire company, you need to implement a few easy but important changes to your corporate philosophy and practice.

In this article, you'll learn some of the tips management experts use to improve communication. You'll also see how changing your communication strategy can lead to real improvements in employee motivation, productivity and profitability.

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10 Tips for Effective Workplace Communication

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Communication is as easy as breathing, but doing so with coworkers can be tricky. Someone could misconstrue a friendly e-mail, micromanage employees to death or even commit a cultural faux pas. Luckily, we'll show you how to avoid these missteps.

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In the article “The Importance of Good Writing Skills in the Workplace” Renee talks about the difference between a fifth graders writing and a professionals writing.  Now in the professional work force writing is a communication.  It includes emails, notes, texts, and even tweets.  Most time in the work force is spend communicating with one person or groups of people at a time, so it is essential to obtain a great vocabulary and credibility.  The people with good writing characteristics seem more credible then those with a fifth graders writing skills.  Also better writers tend to have better grades in their classes and are considered to be higher up in companies then those without professional writing.

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The Importance of Good Writing Skills in the Workplace

While many job ads often make mention of oral and written communication skills, employees and employers alike sometimes neglect the importance of good writing in the workplace. When a worker writes well, she demonstrates courtesy, attention to detail and intelligence. In addition, employees who have good written communication skills benefit their company by ensuring quality communications with clients, prospects and other outside interests

Making a Good First Impression

There is an old cliché about never getting a second chance to make a good first impression. This is true even when the first impression is via the written word. When an email, letter, text message or social media post is well written, well organized and grammatically correct, the reader will form a good opinion of the writer.

On the other hand, misspellings, poorly organized thoughts and grammatical errors make the writer appear unintelligent and unprofessional. At the application or interview stage, this could cost a worker a job offer or result in a salary offer that is lower than what it might have been otherwise. In a business context, bad writing in external communications may reflect poorly on the company. Coworkers may also take notice of poor writing habits, which could affect how they perceive the writer's competence.

Good Writing Demonstrates Courtesy

Good business writing demonstrates that the writer values the reader's time. When a writer is able to organize his thoughts and concerns and present them in a way that is easily read and understood, the reader benefits.

On the other hand, poor writing forces the reader to spend time and energy trying to understand what is being communicated. In many cases, the reader may have to ask the writer clarifying questions. Writing clearly shows that the writer respects the reader's time and doesn't want to waste it.

The Importance of Clear Communication

Good business decisions depend on clear communication. This is true whether the communications are internal or external. It is far easier to coordinate internal projects and share ideas when all coworkers understand the ideas that are being put forth, as well as processes for completing the project. When employees understand what they can expect of each other, morale often improves.

Similarly, workers will have far better relationships with people outside the company when their communications are easy to comprehend. Coordinating meetings, setting goals and negotiating agreements becomes far more straightforward when both parties are able to write clearly.

Ways to Improve Business Writing

Individuals who are concerned about their business writing have several options for improving their skills. Here are a few to consider:

Take extra time: In many cases, a person can improve their writing by taking extra time to compose messages and then to proofread them. Workers should not treat business communications as chores to be completed as quickly as possible, but as projects in their own right. When possible, it's advisable to write important letters and emails at least a few hours before they are to be sent out to allow the writer to take a break from the piece and then review it with fresh eyes.

Use a grammar checker: Word processing software usually includes a grammar checker, but there are standalone programs that can often provide more robust proofreading and feedback for even greater clarity.

Ask for feedback: After writing a particularly important letter or email, it might be a good idea for an employee to ask his manager or a colleague to look over the piece and give feedback.

Get tutoring or take a class: There are many options for improving one's writing skills through educational programs. Community colleges and adult education programs offer courses in business writing, and many of these courses can be taken online.

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The Importance of Good Writing Skills in the Workplace

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While many job ads often make mention of oral and written communication skills, employees and employers alike sometimes neglect the importance of good writing in the workplace. When a worker writes well, she demonstrates courtesy, attention to detail and intelligence.

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This site is an excellent source for ENGL 125 students. It covers many aspects of workplace writing, such as memos, letters, and reports. At the same time, the site provides good advice on understanding audience, purpose, scope, and organization--all important considerations when writing for customers, coworkers, and clients. In addition, practical information on style, tone, and grammar make this source a top resource for the business world.

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The Purdue OWL: Professional, Technical Writing

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These OWL resources will help you conduct research and compose documents for the workplace, such as memoranda and business letters. This section also includes resources for writing report and scientific abstracts.