I had just finished presenting a Clear Writing seminar to a group of colleagues from a procurement company. One of the participants told me that she loved the Clear Writing approach to business communication. She wished everyone would write with simplicity and clarity in mind, but said it’s the youngest employees who seem to have the most difficulty with the concept.
I’d heard this before. There’s a simple reason for it, too.
In English class, we’re taught to write a proper essay. A standard approach and format is suggested. And typically, we’re required to write a minimum of 250 words. Or 500 words. Or maybe even 1000 words.
So what happens when we’re writing that 500-word essay and run out of things to say at the 380-word mark? We fill the essay with fluff, padding it with extra wording, duplication and excess. After all, if we don’t reach the 500-word minimum, marks will be deducted.
As a high school student and then a university English major, I remember this situation well. When I entered the business world, I still believed that quantity equalled quality. I still believed that I needed to use large words to sound professional. And I still believed I had to write more to impress.
Wouldn’t it be great to turn English 101 on its head? Instead of writing a minimum of 500 words, students would be challenged to prove their point in 500 words or less. 250 words or less. Or, for the greatest challenge of all – 50 words or less!
And as a teacher, if a student could convince me in 5 words or less … there’d be an A+ on that paper.