Let’s talk about why good writing skills are so important and how to make them transactional while working remotely.
An effective and productive team relies on written communication.
Writing is the most common method of communication among remote teams. As compared to phone or video-conferencing, this option is more efficient since written communication allows for searchability and traceability.
Consider how well you can brief others in a remote setting.
If someone is passing off tasks to colleagues elsewhere or is working on a project asynchronously, meaning at their convenience, comprehensive documentation is necessary.
Programmers can benefit from good writing (and we don’t mean coding!)
According to a study by Google that analyzed the ingredients of successful technology projects, documentation quality enables teams to deliver software faster and more reliably.
Writing helps you think more clearly.
Basically in order to think clearly, you need clear writing.
Developing excellent writing skills enhances diplomacy.
By writing well, you can be understood by almost everyone and can even smooth tensions between remote colleagues.
Write well and you’ll generate more ideas.
Essentially, good writers are skilled readers who enjoy observing, asking questions and learning as much as possible about the subject they write about. Almost every skilled writer shares these characteristics.
Now let’s look at a few top rules that you should always follow when you are writing, even when it is a brief answer to a colleague.
- Write the Way You Speak
- Be Clear in Your Writing
- Keep Your Writing Concise
- Open With Your Key Point
- Use Care When Writing
In other words, no matter what job you have to accomplish, even discussing ideas with your colleagues, remember that “The discipline of writing it down is the first step toward making it happen”. For more tips on improving your writing skills check out the full version of the article.