Stop wasting time and money on poor writing skills

“Doing business today requires writing in plain language. Poor writing results in costs you cannot afford to pay.” – Michael Egan

Regardless of your country, language, industry or document, the reader expects to receive a document that is clear, concise and easy to understand. A document that is void of pompous text. If not, as described by UpWrite Press in an article, “The Cost of Poor Writing: A $6.6 Million-Dollar Inefficiency” and echoed by William H. DuBay, President of Impact Information, “…valuable time and money have been wasted for both the writer and reader.”

Unfortunately, most managers have no idea how much time and money are spent due to poor writing skills. Poor writing increases the company’s risks and liability; yet, it’s an avoidable expense when employees are trained to use effective writing techniques. Of three business entities: government, corporate and academia, each is impacted by the writing skills of its staff. And each entity has realized the need for better written communication skills.

Government

In a multi-language world, where state and federal agencies are required to communicate with a global community, eliminating bureaucratese, officialese and legalese becomes a necessity. As presented on the PLAIN website (www.plainlanguagenetwork.org/Government), many governments around the world have enacted policies requiring plain language.

In America, The Plain Writing Act of 2010 was passed under the Obama Administration (http://abcnews.go.com/WN/obama-signs-law-understand/story?id=11902841).

Australian and Canadian governments have adopted similar laws on plain language and began to realize benefits derived from making documents more comprehensive and better constructed.

Corporate

In the private sector, writing is an essential job skill ― the primary basis upon which an employee’s work and intellect are judged in the workplace. It equips employees with communication skills needed to lead and participate effectively in their work environment. As summarized in the landmark report by the National Commission on Writing, “In today’s workplace writing is a ‘threshold skill’ for hiring and promotion among salaried (i.e., professional) employees. Survey results indicate that writing is a ticket to professional opportunity, while poorly written job applications are a figurative kiss of death.”

In “Communication Skills Training News,” Communicaid shares that poor writing costs UK PLC (Public Limited Company) millions of pounds each year in lost revenue, investment in remedial training and damage to its corporate image. Therefore, businesses are using resources to put an end to obfuscatory and incomprehensible documents.

Academia

Findings by the Commission on Writing in America’s Schools and Colleges showed that “more than 50 percent of first-year college students are unable to produce papers relatively free of language errors.” Another study conducted by ACT (American College Testing) indicated that one fifth of all high school English instructors are not teaching their students the basic mechanics of writing.

Articles in USA Today, New York Times, Washington Post and Wall Street Journal further emphasize the need for students to have better writing skills before entering the workforce as employers started to complain. Why? Because unclear, garbled, poorly written documents (emails included) waste time, money and productivity. In short, poor writing of new, young hires as well as older employees hinders an organization from reaching its goals.

If you are looking for practical solutions to achieve desired results using effective writing tips, tools and techniques, then the free eBook “Write Like A Pro” written by Dr. Marcia Riley is the right choice for you. Get in gear now!