Fearful About Improving Your Writing Skills?

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You are in your annual review meeting and your boss says, “Great work this year! You are certainly adding value to our company. However, I do want to discuss something you can improve in the coming year.”

Your beaming smile falls into a serious listening face, “Absolutely, I want to improve.”

“I’d like you to work on your WRITTEN COMMUNICATION. You have noticed that sometimes, I’ve corrected your emails and reports. The impression you are giving to our clients in your written communication doesn’t represent the value you can give them with your service. Will you work on this?”

“Yes, of course.”

You feel like you are standing on the edge of a great chasm, looking down, wanting to get to the other side but there is no bridge in sight. Who will catch you if you fall?

Yes, you have known that your writing in English needs work. You are confident about your service and the contribution you make to your clients’ lives, but your communication needs to improve.

You know this, but you are hesitant and nervous.

An avalanche of questions fall into your brain.

How do you improve your writing?

You have been speaking it as a second language for so long and people understand you. Why don’t your thoughts translate to writing?

If you were to take a writing course, how much time would you need to improve?

What will it mean if you do not improve?

Can I tell you something?

I have had clients come to me because they have had this exact conversation. They know that if they do not improve, they will have the same conversation with their boss the following year ….. or worst.

But if they do improve……

Close your eyes and imagine the possibilities if you improved your writing.

What will your boss say next year? “Superb work this year! You are such a valuable asset to this company.”

You may even be able to negotiate an increase in salary!

What will your clients say? “I so appreciate your help. You have made such a difference in our lives.”

More importantly, what will your clients say to your boss? I will leave that to your imagination.

To answer your questions:

Writing is a different skill to speaking. In speaking you learn skills like listening, pronunciation and linking. Similarly, writing also requires a set of skills that need to be learnt.

To learn these skills requires time and practice. If you want to learn to write, you need to write. I have talked to people who think that they can write by filling in blanks on worksheets. It does not work. You need to write and you need feedback on your writing. The feedback is essential for you to know where the mistakes are and where you need to improve.

If you can find 20 - 40 minutes a day for 5 days a week to work on your writing, you can make a vast improvement in 10 weeks.

There is hope!

Do not be motivated out of fear. Take a leap of faith in hope.

If you want to not only imagine the possibilities but to see them in reality, book a free 30 minute strategy session with me to discuss how I can help you improve your writing.