Communication in the Workplace: 10 Ways to Improve Your Writing
- Mar 20, 2023
- 6 min read
Updated: 4 days ago
by Stephanie Bickel
Think about how much of your work happens in writing.
Emails. Teams and Slack messages. Presentations. Project updates. Proposals. Follow-ups after meetings.
For many leaders, people may read their words more often than they hear them speak.
That makes writing an important part of how you communicate as a leader.
I have seen very smart people bury a great idea in a six-paragraph email. I have seen simple requests create unnecessary back-and-forth because no one was quite sure what was being asked. And I have seen leaders spend far too much time writing an email that could have been much simpler.
You do not need to be a great writer. You need to help people quickly understand what you are saying, why it matters, and what you need from them.
Here are ten ways to improve your written communication at work.
1. Know what you want from the reader
Before you start writing, ask yourself one question:
What do I want this person to know, think, or do after reading this?
Maybe you need a decision. Maybe you are recommending a change. Maybe you need someone to complete something by Friday. Maybe you simply need to make sure everyone has the same information.
Know the purpose before you start writing.
It is much easier to get to the point when you know what the point is.
2. Put the important information first
One of the most common writing mistakes I see is too much setup.
We explain the history. Then the meeting that happened last week. Then what someone else said. Then we finally get to the reason for the email.
Start with what matters most.
If you need approval, say what you need approved.
If you are recommending a change, give the recommendation.
If there is a problem, tell the reader what happened and what you propose doing about it.
You can provide the background after that.
Do not make a busy person read three paragraphs to figure out why you emailed them.
3. Make it clear, concise, and compelling
At Speak by Design, we talk often about communication being clear, concise, and compelling. That applies to writing, too.
Clear: Can the reader understand your point the first time?
Concise: Have you included what they need without giving them everything you know?
Compelling: Have you made it clear why they should care?
Concise does not mean short for the sake of being short. Some messages need context.
The goal is to give the reader what they need without making them work to find it.
4. Write for the person reading it
You probably should not send the same version of an update to your CEO, your project team, and your client.
They need different things from you.
Your CEO may want the recommendation, the business impact, and the decision that needs to be made.
Your project team may need responsibilities, deadlines, and details.
Your client may need to understand what happened, what it means for them, and what happens next.
Before you hit send, look at your message from the reader's perspective.
What does this person actually need from me?
Then write for that person.
5. Be specific
Vague writing creates more work for everyone.
Consider this:
“We should probably address this soon.”
What does soon mean? Today? Friday? Next month? Who is addressing it?
Now compare it with:
“I recommend we make a decision by Friday so the team can begin implementation Monday.”
Now I know what you recommend, when you need the decision, and why the timing matters.
Look for words like soon, later, some, several, and maybe.
Sometimes they are appropriate. Other times, they are hiding information your reader needs.
6. Make it clear who is doing what
This is especially important when you are writing about responsibilities and next steps.
Instead of:
“The proposal will be reviewed before Friday.”
Write:
“The leadership team will review the proposal before Friday.”
Who owns the next step should be obvious.
This sounds simple, but it can prevent an enormous amount of confusion, especially when several people or teams are involved.
7. Make your message easy to scan
Think about how you read email during a busy day.
You probably do not carefully read every word of every message. Neither does everyone else.
Help your reader.
Use short paragraphs. Add bullets when you have several items. Use a heading when a longer message covers multiple topics.
For an update, you might organize the information around:
Where we are
What has changed
What I need from you
What happens next
You are not trying to make the email beautiful. You are making the information easy to find.
8. Cut the extra words
This is one of the easiest ways to strengthen your writing.
We often add words because we are trying to sound polite or professional.
For example:
“I just wanted to reach out to see if you might possibly have some time available to discuss…”
You can simply ask:
“Do you have 20 minutes this week to discuss…”
You can still be warm. You can still say please and thank you. You can still sound like yourself.
Just get to the point.
Before sending an important email, read it once and see what you can remove. There is almost always something.
9. Pay attention to tone
You know what you meant when you wrote the message.
Your reader only has the words on the screen.
They cannot hear your voice or see your expression. A sentence that sounds perfectly reasonable in your head may come across as abrupt, frustrated, defensive, or uncertain.
This matters even more when the topic is sensitive.
Read an important message aloud before sending it. You will often hear something you did not notice when you were reading silently.
And sometimes, stop writing the email.
If you have rewritten a sensitive paragraph five times trying to make sure it will not be misunderstood, that may be your signal to pick up the phone or schedule a conversation.
Not every communication problem should be solved in writing.
10. Tell people what happens next
Do not end an important message and leave the reader wondering what they are supposed to do with it.
Ask for what you need.
“Please send your feedback by 3:00 p.m. Thursday.”
“Can you approve Option B by Friday?”
“Please review slides 12–16 before Tuesday's meeting.”
“No action is needed. I wanted you to have this before our conversation tomorrow.”
That last one matters, too.
Sometimes people do not need to do anything. Tell them that.
Clear next steps reduce unnecessary emails, follow-ups, and confusion.
Before You Hit Send
For an important email or written communication, take 30 seconds and ask:
Is my main point obvious?
Did I put the most important information first?
Does this person need all of the information I included?
Have I been specific?
Is it clear who owns each next step?
Can I remove anything?
Does the tone sound like I intend it to sound?
Does the reader know what happens next?
You do not need to obsess over every email you send. Most messages do not require that much attention.
But when the communication matters, your writing matters.
Your Writing Is Part of Your Leadership Communication
People form impressions of us through our communication all day long.
They notice whether we can explain an idea clearly. Whether we can make a recommendation. Whether our emails create clarity or confusion. Whether they know what we need from them.
That is why improving your writing is not simply about grammar.
It is about becoming easier to understand and easier to work with.
The next time you write an important email, do not try to sound impressive. Make it easy for the other person to understand your message and know what to do next.
That is strong workplace communication.
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Continue Improving Your Communication in the Workplace
Your voice is only one part of becoming a more impactful communicator. The strongest leaders know how to use their voice, structure their message, tell compelling stories, and communicate with confidence in high-stakes moments.
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