Having been raised in the Ogilvy school of thinking in advertising since the 80's, my lineage is kept alive to this day through regular correspondences with Ken Brady, my ex-boss, mentor & trainer. Ken was reporting directly to David as Head of Training for Ogilvy offices worldwide for over 20 years.
Everything I know, fear or is proud about writing has been documented in the article, which was published as a post on my LinkedIn profile in May 2023.
The Writing Business. The Business of Writing - by Peter Gan
The most daunting professional skill of all time is and will be the skill of writing.
Business writing to be precise.
It is also the most feared.
It is what separates the winners and the also-rans.
Perhaps this is why the pen is really mightier than the sword.
It is difficult enough to be proficient in the language of business- English, what more the challenge of writing to communicate clearly especially when your livelihood depends on it.
Because of fear, most people just wing it, ignore it, or simply skip it to avoid it by dictating a half-baked verbal brief. Thereby living only half an existence avoiding the fullness of life.
But those who step up, face up to the challenge, are the ones who truly live their lives to the fullest. These are the ones who excel not only in their careers but also in life.
In the business world or in any field, writing clearly, concisely and accurately is the only evidence of clear intentions to achieve anything. The alternative is a verbal brief, which is “not worth the paper it's written on.” It’s basically a cop out. A zero sum game because no one can be expected to remember a verbal brief unless it’s a recording. Still, nothing beats a well written brief. It wields power and commands respect.
Due to our outdated system of education, most of our young don't know how. Even if they think they know, it's probably outdated and archaic, worse broken.
Whether you are in business or not, you would need to communicate clearly, precisely and effectively to get ahead. Verbally or in writing.
I was practically thrust into the business world, fresh after dropping out of college.
Business writing paralysed me even though my English was above average.
My fear was #2- Confidence. I was trying to impress with my above average English comprehension but I knew wasn’t ready to write beautiful prose to match my ego. I tried nonetheless and I was miserable. Constructing a simple letter took hours if not days. It took me a long time to remove the “I” from my writing to focus on the message.
That finally got me unstuck.
Here are a few practical truths that got me to write better and to really enjoy the task even more;
Writing for Everyone.
#1. It’s about communication. Not writing.
If you can communicate in the most basic form, you can write. So write the way you would talk.
If you can put a sentence together in speech you can put sentences on paper.
#2. Clarity not confidence.
Write to communicate not to impress. It's about what is important not who.
It's about allowing the message to emerge not the writer.
#3. Brevity not length.
Writing is really short and sweet.
The best reports, letters, memos, briefs are the shortest and yet the most comprehensive.
Being brief makes you choose your words and sentences more carefully to convey your message more effectively.
#4. Substance not style.
Substance beats style any day.
Writing with intention and purpose will get you to the core of the message without wasting time with unnecessary words and phrases.
#5. Personal not Professional.
The best writing is mostly done out of personal commitment to excellence and authenticity.
If the person communicating the message is fully committed to her/his writing, the result will be outstanding.
Or you can take up a course in business writing. It’s a thriving business I am told.
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