How I learned to improve my professional writing skills in 3 steps

A stick man hanging from a pencil over a piece of paper.

For a very long time, I believed the poor quality of my writing was due to a lack of talent, not skill.

My nickname at work could have easily been TL;DR — "too long, don't read".

I was viewed by colleagues as an ineffective communicator — always presenting too much information, lacking precision and impact. I struggled to be understood.

With a patient and supportive attitude, I learned a number of key skills and along with a commitment to regular practice, I transcended those limitations.

Give me 6 minutes and I'll show you how I improved my professional writing skills and how you can as well!

Step 1: Awareness

What language skill did you develop first?

Was it reading and writing, or listening and speaking?

Listening and speaking are naturally occurring behaviors as old as humanity, over 200,000 years old.
Reading and writing are human inventions, only 5,500 years old.

A woman on stage with a microphone. She says, 'Hmm.'

So why is this important?

How does this help you be a better writer at work?

It's irrefutable evidence that you're born with no natural ability or talent to read or write.
Writing is a skill, that can only be developed through patient, consistent, and focused practice.

Step 2: Planning

The first skill that changed everything for me was planning.

Dave Grohl says, 'It's all in here.'

Most of my life, I avoided planning for anything. It felt like a waste of time. I'd "wing it", see what happens, and go with the flow.

Over time, I realized my results consistently failed to match my expectations.

It was the advice of my manager, a highly successful and respected executive, that opened my eyes to the life-changing potential of planning.

As my planning skills improved, so did my professional writing skills — significantly!

"Writing is 80% planning, 20% writing."

— Eugene Yan, Senior Applied Scientist at Amazon, What I Did Not Learn About Writing In School

Always start with a plan ...

Develop a clear understanding of your target audience — the "who" you'll be writing for.
Clarify the desired outcome you want to achieve with your target audience — the "why" of your writing.
Create a high-level outline of key points you want to share with your target audience — the "what" of your writing.
Consider how you'll distribute your writing (e.g., email, presentation, report, social media, text) and how it will influence the structure of your writing — the "how" of it all.

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Step 3: Practice

Now you' re ready to write!

Zen meme - woman centring & calming herself

Keep your writing simple — less is more!

Below are some impactful tips, along with examples, that show you how.

1. Be Brief and Clear

Captures the audience's attention, creating a more meaningful and memorable impression.

Not Concise:

Do not try to anticipate in advance those events that will completely revolutionize society.

Concise:

Don't try to anticipate revolutionary events.

2. Cut the "Fluff"

Using too many words will lessen the impact of a statement, undercutting its value.

Fluffy:

In the event that going out for the purpose of eating with them cannot be avoided, it is necessary that we first go to the ATM, in light of the fact that I am out of cash.

Not Fluffy:

If we must eat out, I'll need cash from an ATM.

3. Choose Simple Words

Words matter! You'll only have seconds to capture (and continue to keep) anyone's attention so you risk losing your audience with overly complicated words.

Don't Use: "as a means of"

Ride a bike as a means of travel around town.

Use: "to"

Ride a bike to travel around town.

Take Action

A young woman at her desk. She says, 'I've always been great, but this time, I really want to be outstanding. Let's do this!'

Think of professional writing skills development as a highly rewarding challenge!

Practice is the critical success factor. It takes clear intention, patience, and persistent effort to build new habits. My strongest advice: find ways to practice, practice, and practice some more.

The payoff:

You'll communicate more effectively and impactfully with colleagues, managers, executives, and customers.
You'll be a more confident and capable professional ideally situated for continuous professional growth.

Key points to keep in mind:

Writing is a skill, not a natural ability or talent. A sound approach and continuous practice are essential for your continuous development.

Always start with a plan to be an effective communicator.

Less is more! Be brief, clear, and direct. Strive to use simple words over complex.

Check out the links below for helpful resources to support your writing skills development.

Helpful resources:

Centre For Journaling: offering daily writing exercises you can follow
Good with Words: free University of Michigan course, focusing on writing & editing
Also, check out these Bytes on professional writing:
What's the difference between business and informal writing?
How do I write effective business emails?
3 steps to getting the right tone in your writing
5 steps to writing an eye catching press release