By Dana P Skopal, PhD

Writing and reading are like tools – essential devices we need for communicating in the business and regulatory world. Our blogs this year have covered a range of communication issues that we have come across in our research and consulting work. Have you seen these issues in your workplace?

Though writing has been a central theme of the blogs, when speaking with managers recently one key point to emerge was the lack of clear arguments in the documents they had to read. The level of information and arguments are especially important if risk is involved. The issue then becomes how do you structure your argument and present it in a clear logical way for your reader.

Writing an argument or case for anything requires planning. Perhaps it is now time to reflect on your own writing. How do your plan, draft, write and edit? Or do you just write?

First, planning or knowledge need to in the mix. Do you plan with dot points or notes, even a mind map? Or do you just sit and write as you work through the material that you want to tell your reader?  Both are writing processes, but depending on how you edit, your main message may get lost. Usually your readers do not want to go through the same process of analysing the information; they just want you to argue/present your case clearly.
Secondly, persuasive arguments or evidence are the key. How do you check the strength of your arguments? We write to record information and often to persuade the reader to act or make a decision. One argument may possibly convince your boss, but not his boss. You may often need several arguments/reasons for recommending a course of action. However, the arguments cannot be buried in your descriptive information, as that seems to be a sure way of losing your reader.

Planning, persuading and writing are all intertwined. Our next series of blogs will look at these interconnections.

Copyright © Opal Affinity Pty Ltd 2015