One of my professional associates – the CEO of a growing accounting firm – once told me that formal accounting skills are just half of the picture he considers when hiring new staff.
The other half? A combination of being well organised, a team player and a good communicator.
This should come as no surprise. Good communication helps get things done. It’s the tool you need to demonstrate options, explain benefits, sell initiatives and ultimately drive actions.
When people on your team lack a decent skillset in written communication, the result is often inaction and wasted time. That might mean multiple extra emails back-and-forth, trying to explain what was really meant. Or frantic calls to reiterate that project’s anticipated returns, which got buried in all the data.
Obviously, the solution is not for leaders to micromanage or rewrite their team’s materials. But how to point your people in the right direction?
If you’ve encountered recurring issues with your team’s writing, here’s how to define these and shape a better approach for their essential writing skills.
Skill #1: Getting to the point
Unclear angle? Information overload? Focusing on the wrong details? These are issues you can’t afford, whether it’s for an email response, business proposal or project update.
Every sector is rife with complexity. But professionals must know how to communicate their key points clearly, without digressing into excessive detail or using verbose language.
Solution: Teach your people to write their conclusions first, then the supporting details (not the other way around). The Minto Pyramid principle is a useful tool to help do this.
Skill #2: Correct grammar and punctuation
In most cases, poor grammar doesn’t obscure meaning – it just makes a writer look unprofessional or sloppy. But sometimes, grammar does change the meaning of a sentence. Consider this example from Strunk and White’s classic Elements of Style:
Being in a dilapidated condition, I was able to buy the house cheap.
Through an error called a dangling modifier, the sentence implies the author is dilapidated, not the house. Imagine the trouble caused if such confusion arose in a business contract or proposal.
Solution: You can fix simple mistakes like these using artificial intelligence (AI) editing tools such as Copilot, or by consulting a style guide such as the Australian Government Style Manual. More in-depth issues might involve workplace training.
Skill #3: Well-organised material
Professional writing should be logically structured with clear information groupings, and effective use of headings and lists that make the content skimmable. This is especially important for longer reports and emails.
Connect all key points in your sentences and paragraphs using linking words, helping the reader to follow the narrative of an argument.
Solution: To an extent, good templates can help standardise your team’s approach, ensuring that a document is complete and has the right level of detail. But templates won’t do all your work. If the writing is still going off-tangent, give your team training in how to structure documents.
Skill #4: Strong persuasive skills
No matter how junior, every professional needs to learn how to write persuasively. Putting forward great ideas skilfully is both a career-booster and a confidence-builder.
You’ll need to be aware of the possible approaches to take, depending on the task. For example, in a business presentation your audience is already primed to be persuaded. You only need the right facts to address any objections or demonstrate value.
By contrast, an internal comms project might have to build reader engagement over several strategically timed messages, starting by introducing the idea and ending with the next steps.
Solution: Learn how to frame a ‘what’s in it for the reader’ message when writing persuasive documents, and be sure to back up arguments with a mix of relevant data, examples and clear calls to action.
Skill #5: Confident approach to reporting
Business reports are important because they formalise the way a business activity is analysed and shared. Your team must have the skills to distil complex information into concise summaries for busy executives or clients, often accompanied by clear data and graphics.
Common examples of poor reporting craft include misjudging audience needs, providing too much irrelevant content, and not getting to the point.
Solution: Turn your organisation’s best reports into learning resources, and ensure the team is clear on what makes them stand out. Offer training if the skill needs to be developed team-wide.
Skill #6: On-point email etiquette
We’ve all cringed at emails that get the tone wrong, whether being too blunt, overly apologetic or filled with emojis and slang.
Professionals need to adjust tone depending on a situation, whether they’re making an offer or responding to a problem. They also need to adjust tone to suit different stakeholders, and know how to deliver sensitive messages such as bad news or criticism.
Finally, emails need to be well structured. The purpose should be evident from the subject line and opening sentence, and the email should end with a clear call to action.
Solution: If it’s a basic tone-related issue, start by making the person aware of the problem and remind them of company style. If the problem is in the way they handle sensitive situations, start with a refresher of your company’s values and customer service policies.
Skill #7: Meticulous presentation skills
Spelling errors, punctuation mistakes, weird line-breaks and other presentation flaws can undermine a team’s professionalism. They can arise if a team member isn’t aware of what best-practice looks like, the work was too rushed, or their grammar simply needs work. .
Many communication apps don’t have built-in spelling and grammar checkers, so it’s critical to have a system for checking the details before hitting that ‘send’ or ‘publish’ button.
Solution: Often, a team simply needs to factor in the extra time to proofread before an important piece work goes out. Provide checklists and resources, such as style guides, so they know what to look for.
Good communication is critical to career progress. Professionals should continually improve their writing by seeking constructive feedback from peers and mentors, and exploring new ways to learn. Present-day learning options come in multiple formats, whether it’s lunchtime learning sessions, self-paced digital courses, useful reference books or just having a workplace mentor.
Invest in the 7 essential writing skills introduced here, and you’ll see noticeable results in your team’s writing impact.
