In a busy business life, writing anything can be a chore. There are surely more important things to be done: people to meet, decisions to be made, action to be taken. Yet all of these things and more can be dependent on written communication. A letter or memo may set up a meeting; a report may present a case and prompt a decision; a proposal may act persuasively to make sure certain action is taken or a particular option is selected. But reading business papers can be a chore also, and they will not achieve their purpose unless they are read and understood and do their job well enough to prompt the reader to action. Business writing must earn a reading. You are probably both a reader and a writer of business documents. Consider writing with your reader's hat on for a moment. Do you read everything that crosses your desk? Do you read every word of the things you do read? Do you read everything from the first word through in sequence, or do you dip into things? Almost certainly, the answers make it clear that not all writing is treated equally. Some documents are more likely to be read than others. Of course, some subjects demand your attention. Who ignores a personal note from the managing director? But the fact that some things have to be read does not make their reading any easier or more pleasurable. Good writing, which means, not least, something that is easy to read and under stand, will always be likely to get more attention than sloppy writing. Yet we all know that prevailing standards in this area are by no means universally good. Why is this? Maybe it is education or lack of it. Often school assists little with the kind of writing we find ourselves having to do once we are in an organization. Maybe it is lack of feedback perhaps managers are too tolerant of what is put in front of them. If more of it were rejected and had to be rewritten, then more attention might be brought to bear on the task.

Inspec keywords: social sciences; organisational aspects; business communication

Other keywords: business life; business writing; written word; written communication

Subjects: Organisational aspects