11 Reasons why Upskilling Business Writing is Important.
American Technology Executive and former CEO of National Semiconductor and Apple Computer, Gil Amelio said: “Developing excellent COMMUNICATION skills is absolutely essential to effective leadership. The leader must be able to share knowledge and ideas to transmit a sense of urgency and enthusiasm to others. If a leader can’t get a message across clearly and motivate others to act on it, then having a message doesn’t even matter.”
We agree but would like to add that communication is the cornerstone of any employee’s (not only leaders) and company’s success! No matter what job, at what level or industry you work in, writing as a form of business communication is a standard requirement. Bad communication and terrible business writing have caused businesses to fail, negatively affected revenue and profit, and triggered a lot of misunderstandings and conflict. The opposite is also true. If employees have the appropriate business writing etiquette and sufficient business writing skills, it can be an extremely powerful communication tool ultimately lifting the company to new heights.
Organisations have had to adapt to remote working, literally overnight because of COVID and lockdown. Email and therefore business writing is now regarded as the number one business tool used to communicate. Management saw a huge need for upskilling their employees in the art of business writing and email etiquette. It has become one of the most vital and must-have skills for employees in any industry and on any level, especially during 2020/2021.
While working remotely, internally, or externally, written communication remains the most effective and efficient way to communicate. Think about how much writing you do daily for work. It can include email, blog articles or website copy, letters, reports, company brochures, presentation slides, research reports, strategies, sales materials, social media updates, and even business WhatsApps.
Here is why upskilling your staff in proper business writing is so important:
- Writing forces us to formulate the message clearer. When business writing is done correctly, things like concise messages, absence of jargon and clear objectives can be formulated accurately.
- It is much more to the point, and time efficient than having to sit through an entire meeting of waffling.
- An email or written communication is convenient because people can read it at a suitable time and refer to the document or email back to clarify if need be.
- Written communication can either be kept in physical format or as an electronic file, which means that the “meeting”, report, feedback etc. is on record.
- Business writing allows for ideas to marinate or to formulate. It gives you the opportunity to think about what you want to say and write it over and over until it is how you want it, before sending it out.
- It helps you organise your own thoughts, so you are more strategic and structured on how you want to go forward. It makes setting up your to-do list easier.
- Proper business writing takes out the emotion and clearly states business issues professionally without being sarcastic or placing blame, for example.
- Precise and acceptable business writing portrays an employee as a professional and indicates leadership qualities. This automatically showcases the company in a respectable light.
- Good business writers are perceived as intelligent and increases their own, and the organisation’s, credibility.
- It boosts any employee’s professional confidence and self-image at the office.
- Good business writing can make you a good influencer and a versatile employee.
Remote work will be the future for most teams which is why companies should foster and invest in developing their writing skills, not only to make them more productive and focused but also to promote effective business communication.
The Mindspa Institute have a few short courses that can assist and can be done either face-to-face or via our online platforms. These courses include Effective Business Writing Skills; Business Report Writing Skills, and Email Etiquette.
Effective Business Writing Skills:
The Effective Business Writing Skills training course focusses on how to create business documents that say what you mean and achieve the results you want. This training not only covers the basics of how to improve your writing skills but also how to achieve the right result from your written correspondence. The purpose of this training course is to provide people with the skills to communicate accurately and effectively to their readers in business English. The training course focuses on using correct language and grammar as well as pointing out common language mistakes that are often made and deals with electronic and non-electronic written communication.
Business writing should be precise and succinct rather than creative; it stresses specificity and accuracy. Writing in a business environment requires writing with a unique purpose because you must assume that your audience has limited time in which to read it and is likely just to skim the document. Your readers have an interest in what you say insofar as it affects their working world. They want to know the “bottom line”: the point you are making about a situation or problem and how they should respond.
Delegates will be requested to bring copies of recent E-Mails, Business Reports and Letters to the Training Session for these to be discussed, evaluated and if needed improved upon based on the Learnings from this training.
The course will address frequently asked questions such as:
- What is business writing?
- How can I write more effectively?
- Do you understand your audience?
- What is proper e-mail etiquette?
- How can I explain my ideas clearly in writing?
- How can I improve my writing style?
Business Report Writing
This training course is aimed at employees who have to use business and report writing skills to communicate their business ideas accurately and effectively to their readers. The training focuses on basic skills like planning, layout of and writing a business report. The course also focuses on using correct language and grammar as well as pointing out common language mistakes that are often made.
The course will address frequently asked questions such as:
- What are the different types of reports?
- How do I make the right decisions before I even start?
- What information should I focus on?
- What should every report contain?
- How do I ensure readability of my report?
Email Etiquette
In this age of fast changing technology, email is the preferred and often most efficient form of business communication. Yet many organisations overlook the etiquette framework that should be in place when using this very important business communications tool.
Email is used for more than 80% of our business communication and yet this is not a taught skill. This often leads to employees doing what they think is the right way, and often doing what others are doing because they think it is the correct way of doing it. Fact is, this should be an area of focus for your organization as it directly impacts on your organizational image and brand.
If your employees are still using phrases like, ‘Please find attached’ or, ‘Document attached for your perusal’ and salutations like Kind, Warm, or Best Regards, then they need to attend this course.
The course will address frequently asked questions such as:
- What is Email Etiquette?
- What are the Do’s and Don’ts?
- How do I structure an email?
- How can I use email as an effective business tool?