Pro Tip: How to write for clarity

Writing for clarity is something everyone believes they are doing. And yet, we often find examples of content that is dense, poorly organized, and difficult to understand. We see these examples in complex, technical communications but also in newsletters, press releases, and normal employee communications. No matter what you are communicating, if it’s worth saying it needs to be clearly written.

Here are some steps that can help you improve writing for clarity:

Step 1: Write the darn thing.

Start your draft by collecting and compiling all of the information you need for communication. Put it into one document.

Yes, it will be long. It will be clunky. It may have ugly charts and probably some redundant sections.

That’s okay.

This step is simply about pulling together all the required, essential information into one document. Check your notes to make sure you have all your key messages, contacts, and the ‘why’ behind any change or decision.

Step 2: Read and reorganize.

You’ve got all the essential information written down, now think about how it needs to be sequenced.

Reorganizing the content will likely eliminate some redundant sections. It will also help you think through what information needs to be shared first, second, third, etc. Many people only scan messages so put your most important information, such as a critical task to complete, at the start of your message or at a section break.

Step 3: Give it a quick edit.

‘Quick’ is key here. This shouldn’t take you more than 15 minutes. Read your newly organized draft and strike any parts that are unnecessary because of the new sequencing.

Put your first iteration of headers and formatting. They don’t need to be perfect, they just need to be something to work from!

Step 4: Give it a rest.

Take a break and move on to another project. Yes, really. Your mind needs to look and think about new topics. As you do, you may find yourself rethinking how you sequenced or wrote certain sections. Inspiration comes from all sorts of places and giving yourself a break to think and process other ideas may lead to your best insight.

Try to give yourself at least a solid 30 minutes to become truly immersed in another topic. If you can wait until the next day to return to our project, even better!

Step 5: Give it a hard edit.

You’ve taken a break, you’ve thought about other work, and now you are ready to revisit your draft. Give you communication a hard edit. Look at the document formatting, content sequencing, and structure of your sentences.

Are there words that can more succinctly summarize what you are saying? Great. Swap them.

Is there a format that improves readability of a chart? Great. Use it.

By this point, you should be familiar enough with the content to know what is essential and what is fluff. Get rid of the fluff.

Step 6: Read, review and share.

Your document should be in pretty good shape at this point. Give it a final read and review your changes. If the work is clear and concise, you are ready to share with others.