Behavior of the Week: Write Effectively

Writing for pleasure was discussed earlier as an important habit for professional success. It not only stimulates the imagination, it provides practice in translating ideas into words. 

Francis Bacon, quoted above, was an English philosopher, scientist, and statesman. He is often credited with establishing the importance of empiricism, emphasized how finding the facts was key to understanding. 

To bring his quotation into a modern leadership context, consider a hypothetical problem-solving situation.  The leader reads reports, emails, and other communication to understand the problem. In meetings, he or she confers with others, the goal being to sharpen the team’s understanding of the problem and alternative solutions. Finally, with as much precision as possible, the “exact” man or woman writes down the solution, using their own words.

In the OPM framework, a leader “recognizes or uses correct English grammar, punctuation, and spelling; communicates information in a succinct and organized manner; produces written information, which may include technical material, that is appropriate for the intended audience.”

Most leaders have to write one or more things each day. Why not start practicing this today? You may be surprised what comes out. Good luck!