Thread: Business Writing 101
Learning to write at work is one of the best things you can do for your career, and this is a step-by-step guide for doing it well.
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Learning to write at work is one of the best things you can do for your career, and this is a step-by-step guide for doing it well.
🧵
Why is business writing important?
1) Writing improves your judgment by clarifying your thinking.
2) Writing is democratic. It's one of the most effective ways to gain influence and share ideas, regardless of status.
Here are 12 writing strategies (co-written with @zebriez):
1) Writing improves your judgment by clarifying your thinking.
2) Writing is democratic. It's one of the most effective ways to gain influence and share ideas, regardless of status.
Here are 12 writing strategies (co-written with @zebriez):
1/ Take notes in meetings
In most companies, note-taking is a low-status job.
But note-takers have tons of influence. They define the narrative, set the agenda, and influence the next action items.
Tip: Share decisions, next action items, and add your personal take.
In most companies, note-taking is a low-status job.
But note-takers have tons of influence. They define the narrative, set the agenda, and influence the next action items.
Tip: Share decisions, next action items, and add your personal take.
2/ Writing is the antidote to distortion
My friend @zebriez, who inspired all these ideas, says: "Not even a simple message can survive a game of telephone."
The spoken word has no copy & paste function.
But writing does — and that's why it helps a company march in lockstep.
My friend @zebriez, who inspired all these ideas, says: "Not even a simple message can survive a game of telephone."
The spoken word has no copy & paste function.
But writing does — and that's why it helps a company march in lockstep.
3/ Start a company newsletter
The bigger a company, the harder it is to understand what's going on.
Where is the industry heading? How is the company changing? What are the big roadblocks?
By writing, you raise the company's intelligence and set a common vision.
The bigger a company, the harder it is to understand what's going on.
Where is the industry heading? How is the company changing? What are the big roadblocks?
By writing, you raise the company's intelligence and set a common vision.
4/ Write-up your decisions
Don't just summarize your decisions. Summarize your thought process too.
Doing so will help new hires understand how your company thinks.
Explicitly stating your principles reduces politics, increases alignment, and creates a culture of speed.
Don't just summarize your decisions. Summarize your thought process too.
Doing so will help new hires understand how your company thinks.
Explicitly stating your principles reduces politics, increases alignment, and creates a culture of speed.
5/ Become a magnet
Good writing gets shared.
When you share your ideas, you shatter corporate silos and attract like-minded people. People who you'd never otherwise meet reach out to you.
Together, you can shape the vision and see it to fruition.
Good writing gets shared.
When you share your ideas, you shatter corporate silos and attract like-minded people. People who you'd never otherwise meet reach out to you.
Together, you can shape the vision and see it to fruition.
6/ Write to the C-Suite
Distilling your perspective into a written document is among the best ways to reach executives.
Every good executive wants to hear from people in the heart of the action.
Don't wait for an invitation.
Write your ideas and just email them to the CEO.
Distilling your perspective into a written document is among the best ways to reach executives.
Every good executive wants to hear from people in the heart of the action.
Don't wait for an invitation.
Write your ideas and just email them to the CEO.
7/ Don't hoard knowledge. Share it.
Bill Gates said it best: "The old saying 'Knowledge is Power' sometimes makes people hoard knowledge.
They believe that knowledge hoarding makes them indispensable.
Power comes not from knowledge kept but from knowledge shared.”
Bill Gates said it best: "The old saying 'Knowledge is Power' sometimes makes people hoard knowledge.
They believe that knowledge hoarding makes them indispensable.
Power comes not from knowledge kept but from knowledge shared.”
8/ Write a weekly review
As a company grows, it's hard for executives to see what's happening inside their own company.
Every Friday, send a short email to your boss with these three sections:
1) What's going well?
2) What am I struggling with?
3) What are my open questions?
As a company grows, it's hard for executives to see what's happening inside their own company.
Every Friday, send a short email to your boss with these three sections:
1) What's going well?
2) What am I struggling with?
3) What are my open questions?
9/ When it's important, write long-form
Amazonians famously write six-page memos before big meetings.
The best ones are a team effort. They're written and rewritten.
Yes, writing takes time.
But good writing is leverage because an excellent memo can land on the CEO's desk.
Amazonians famously write six-page memos before big meetings.
The best ones are a team effort. They're written and rewritten.
Yes, writing takes time.
But good writing is leverage because an excellent memo can land on the CEO's desk.
10/ Turn notes into polished writing
Putting ideas on paper reduces company politics.
Without the written word, you have to depend on flimsy memories, 1:1 updates, and need to be in the room to get things done.
But words on a page don't care where you live.
Putting ideas on paper reduces company politics.
Without the written word, you have to depend on flimsy memories, 1:1 updates, and need to be in the room to get things done.
But words on a page don't care where you live.
11/ Share snippets
Talk about what your team is working on and struggling with.
Invite ideas by sharing your open questions.
Start with the 5:15 format, created by Patagonia founder Yvon Chouinard, who said these should take less than 5 minutes to read and 15 minutes to write.
Talk about what your team is working on and struggling with.
Invite ideas by sharing your open questions.
Start with the 5:15 format, created by Patagonia founder Yvon Chouinard, who said these should take less than 5 minutes to read and 15 minutes to write.
12/ Make your writing fun
Business writing doesn't need to be boring.
Inject it with life and energy and sometimes... humor.
Demonstrate professionalism with sharp editing, good ideas, and clear thinking instead of big words.
Follow me to improve your writing: @david_perell
Business writing doesn't need to be boring.
Inject it with life and energy and sometimes... humor.
Demonstrate professionalism with sharp editing, good ideas, and clear thinking instead of big words.
Follow me to improve your writing: @david_perell
What should you do now?
One recommendation: If you're serious about business writing, do yourself a favor and read this guide from @zebriez.
She spent ~5 years at Stripe, and this article is a collection of the best things she learned there.
koolaidfactory.com/writing-in-pub…
One recommendation: If you're serious about business writing, do yourself a favor and read this guide from @zebriez.
She spent ~5 years at Stripe, and this article is a collection of the best things she learned there.
koolaidfactory.com/writing-in-pub…
My three favorite recommendations:
1) Red Pens: Designate a group of editors for internal writing.
2) Give feedback: Help your coworkers understand themselves. Be direct. Be specific. Don't be generic.
3) FAQs: If you get asked the same question three times, write your answer.
1) Red Pens: Designate a group of editors for internal writing.
2) Give feedback: Help your coworkers understand themselves. Be direct. Be specific. Don't be generic.
3) FAQs: If you get asked the same question three times, write your answer.
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