5 reasons to level up your writing skills for workplace communication

As human beings, communication is essential to our existence within a social setting. The manner in which you use words to convey our thoughts, opinions, ideas and needs to others influences how you’re perceived. Communicating effectively with your friends, family and acquaintances goes a long way in helping to further relationships, your personal development and overall well-being as an individual.

Likewise, clear workplace communication is vital in every industry. Since a fair share of workplace communication involves writing in various forms, being proficient at it will enable you to provide information clearly to your co-workers. Also, If someone at work is unable to articulate their ideas effectively, it’s likely that other employees will find it difficult to collaborate with them. Also, with remote and hybrid work becoming more prominent, the mechanics of workplace communication is changing drastically. Here are specific reasons why you should make an effort to improve your writing skills to become more efficient in a professional environment.

1. Helps to establish credibility

While it is important that your internal communication is properly written, it’s just as important to focus on external communication. If you’re someone at the company who has to deal regularly with clients, it is quite likely that a significant portion of the correspondence usually happens over emails. If the content of your messages is hard to understand, contains spelling errors, or is poorly written, it could put clients off from using your company all together.

For example, think of yourself as being a member of  a not-for-profit organization whose mission is human services. You sent out an email update that is riddled with grammatical errors and typos. Current and potential clients who receive it may judge your organization as being incompetent and lacking in professionalism that the sector demands. Hence, It’s important to understand that your workplace communication skills, including your written communication, are some of the primary ways to engage and get clients to take notice of your company.

2. Increases the chance of creating a good impression

Whether you’re writing a proposal, giving a presentation, or communicating with your team, the way you write reflects who you are and how you work. Creating a professional and positive business presence is important in all types of practice. Good writing skills ensure that you are able to portray your thoughts, opinions, and ideas in a clear, concise, and professional way. Therefore, fluency in workplace communication will make your co-workers, managers and even company leaders perceive you as someone who is intelligent, articulate and passionate. This can lead to a better professional reputation, solid work partnerships and faster progression in the workplace.

3. Enables you to provide accurate reviews and feedback

When you’re at a mid to upper-tier position in a company, providing feedback and reviewing others’ work is usually part of the job. Maintaining clarity and precision in what you communicate is of great importance in this regard. When your subordinates have invested sufficient time and effort into completing various tasks, they appreciate clear and to-the-point responses. This is because the quality of the information shared through your feedback often impacts the quality of their work. When the feedback or review is meandering or imprecise, it could potentially create confusion that results in the work getting delayed. Having good writing skills will enable you to be more accurate and keep the workplace communication clear and consistent on your end.

4. Better negotiation during workplace communication

In day-to-day life, having the ability to negotiate well in various scenarios can often save you a lot of time, effort and money. This applies to anything from getting a better deal on a purchase to splitting house chores with your roommate. Essentially, what words you use and how you use them can help to make or break your case, when there is a conflict of interest or a conundrum.

Similarly, negotiations are part and parcel of workplace communication. Whether it is an email campaign, a picnic or an office decision, negotiation is critical for any group project. It is essentially a skill and art, which involves practical tips and methodologies along with psychological insight to succeed professionally. When it comes to negotiating, writing is more advantageous than speaking due to the convenience of being able to put more thought into your words. Hence with good writing skills, you can pick and choose every word to make your arguments sound more convincing and air-tight. This will help you successfully navigate multiple situations and be more impactful at the workplace.

5. More efficiency in asynchronous communication

When you’re working under a remote or hybrid model, the frequency of asynchronous communication is much higher. For companies with globally distributed teams in different time zones, real-time workplace communication such as a virtual meeting is not always practical. As a result, most of the communication happens over direct messages, emails,  group chats, etc. This is where the ability to be clear, concise and expressive in your writing comes to play. If you know how to write with an above average level of proficiency, being able to provide accurate updates, briefs, feedback and the like gets a lot easier.

To sum up, a significant number of people are impressed by someone who exhibits flair and style in their writing. Hence, demonstrating competency in this capacity could potentially influence your professional image and progress within a company.

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