Bring Your Business Writing to the Next Level

Many jobs involve writing, and people who can write simply and clearly on the job are a real asset to their companies. But so many people get by using the skills they were taught in high school. Learning some structured writing techniques can bring your business writing to the next level and help you increase your value to your company.

My Experience with Structured Writing

As an experienced technical writer, I am comfortable using whatever techniques and style guides are used by the organization I’m supporting. These tools ensure that everyone in the organization produces writing that is consistent in style and format.About 10 years ago, I was introduced to the Information Mapping Method™, which is a structured writing system taught by a company called Information Mapping Inc. This method encourages careful analysis of the information to be presented and the use of seven principles to write and organize information in a way that enhances its readability and usability. You can learn more about Information Mapping at www.infomap.com.

Structured Writing Principles YOU Can Use

Information Mapping is overkill for the average businessperson, but I think three of this method’s principles can be easily implemented by anyone:

1. Chunking – Communicate using short blocks of information. Short blocks of text are easier to read and remember than long ones. Replace long paragraphs with smaller paragraphs, lists, and tables. Simplify run-on sentences. Remember that less is more when it comes to business writing! People are busy at work, and you can help them by keeping your communications as short as possible.
2. Relevance – Focus on your reader’s needs, and analyze your text line-by-line. Have you talked about the same topic in three different places? Gather related information together, and look for opportunities to delete repeated information. Communicating about one topic at a time aids comprehension. Is there information that your reader will not use? Delete it!
3. Labeling – Once you’ve broken your information into short “chunks,” label each chunk of text with a title or heading. Avoid generic headings like “Part 1” and “Summary,” and use headings that really tell your readers what is contained in the chunk. Headings prepare your readers for the upcoming content, which enhances their ability to understand it. If the document is scanned instead of read (we all do this!), the headings provide an outline of the information.

Give it a try!

You can use these techniques to write new documents, or to revise existing documents. You can even use these techniques to deconstruct complicated material you’re reading so that you can understand it better. These principles can be applied to all types of communications, including documents, email messages, verbal presentations, web sites, and more. At DefinedLogic, I use these principles when I write functional requirements for web sites.

These are simple techniques that you probably weren’t taught in high school. Some people do them intuitively, but if you don’t, try applying them the next time you write an email, draft a document, or prepare a presentation.