Ever since I was a little kid I've always fancied myself a writer. When my dad asked me to help him write his speech when I was about 9 or 10, I was very chuffed and proud of myself for being able to write a passable speech. Fast forward to sophomore year of University -- I figured why not get my writing chops up so I enrolled in an elective class called Business Writing. It was the most soul-sucking experience of my academic life.
For one, the course taught us to take all our personality out of the writing, and essentially present the most desiccated version of our message. Now, after being in the corporate world for over 17 years, I can tell you that the most compelling writing is not the driest version, but instead the most authentic version in the most efficient way possible.
Back in P&G, writing -- next to leadership -- was the most important skill to master. I don't remember all of the lessons that were taught but what I do remember -- and what I apply every day -- is the technique of T.O.W.E.L.S. Sounds silly, right? This is an old principle, from what I've been told. But it has helped me in nearly every single piece of writing that I've had to do -- from 5-minute emails that follow up next steps to strategic one-pagers that recommend crisis mitigation plans. So let's jump in:
T is for think -- A lot of people think that writing begins on your blank page. It doesn't. It begins when you think thoroughly about what your message is going to be, and more specifically, what is the key takeaway that you want people to have. So, have a good think -- give it a day or two and play with a couple of ideas in your head before getting down to the nitty-gritty of the page.
O is for outline -- Pretty straightforward, outline the structure of whatever you are writing -- typically its background, rationale, recommendation, supporting points, help needed, and next steps. Everything else is gravy. For me outlining also serves the double purpose of making me feel less intimidated about whatever I am supposed to be writing because having outlines makes things seem manageable. Like they say, how do you eat an elephant? One bite at a time.
W is for write -- This is where you fill in your outline and flesh out your thoughts. As much as possible don't edit yourself, allow your thoughts to run freely. Don't judge yourself yet. My favorite part about this is, this is when you let your gut to take over for the time being.
E is for edit -- This is where you judge -- apart from editing for correctness and format, try to edit for brevity. Unlike in our grade school lives, no one in the business world will appreciate your verbosity when you can communicate something succinctly. For great and easily actionable tips try reviewing Strunk and White's Elements of Style.
L is for leave -- This is an often neglected step in the writing process and is critical especially when you did the first four steps in the heat of emotion. Leaving your writing enables you to gain objectivity and rationality -- important considerations the more important whatever your writing is. For me, overnight is usually enough time to leave. But in a pinch, walk away from your keyboard, grab a cup of coffee or take a walk around the block will be enough, then you can come back to it.
S is for send -- You know that feeling when you send off a high-stakes email and then for the next 5 minutes or so you cross your fingers and hold your breath with the fervent hope that it hadn't set off any explosions? That (the feeling as well as the explosion) rarely happens if you did the first five steps prior to this step. The day and time that you send something are sometimes just as important as WHAT you send. If you are sending out something that requires an action of some sort, it's good to send it early in the week around mid-morning so that people have had time to settle down on their desks, grab some coffee, and settle into work for the day. If it's something that shares some great news, I find that Friday afternoons are great times to send these messages -- it really sets someone up for a great mood for the weekend.
So there you have it, a funny acronym to helpfully get you through your writing doldrums and something that has helped me in my job for over a decade. Now I'm going to leave maybe post this tomorrow.
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