How Business Writing Has Changed
Joy Neuhold
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Times, they are a-changing. When I first started my career over 25 years ago, we were writing more memos. We were still using fax machines and floppy disks.
Today, it’s a completely different landscape. Technology has jumped leaps and bounds, and this means the way we communicate has evolved in order to keep up. Even newer professionals have felt the whiplash of quick changes over the past 5 years.
Let’s talk about some of those changes and how they impact the way we communicate at work.
This article explores how business writing has adapted to remote and hybrid work, the changes in tone, and the impact of small screens on reading and writing.
Changes in How We Work
With the rise of remote and hybrid work, traditional business communication formats have given way to quicker, more efficient methods.
Memos and letters have largely been replaced by emails and messages. This shift reflects a move towards more flexible, fast-paced work environments where communication needs to be immediate and accessible.
Let’s consider just a few statistics:
Memos, in particular, have largely fallen out of favor, often reserved for formal or disciplinary purposes. They've earned a reputation for being aggressive or signaling bad news - think performance issues or company-wide policy changes. While they used to be more neutral and a tool for sharing information, memos today often come across as impersonal or even confrontational.
How We Speak: Tone Matters More Than Ever
The tone of business writing has evolved dramatically, leaning more toward conversational language. As workplaces become more casual, there's now room for friendly, approachable communication - even in professional settings.
Take emojis, for example. They've found their way into business communication more than ever before, something I never would have predicted a few years ago.
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But as with anything, balance is key. While it's great to be relatable and empathetic, professionalism still matters. This is especially true in remote or hybrid environments, where you miss out on the non-verbal cues and personal connections that in-person interactions provide. Striking the right tone ensures your message is clear, respectful, and effective, no matter what you're writing.
How We Read: Clarity and Brevity for Small Screens
These days, most of us check our emails and messages on our phones. Small screens have changed how we read and how much attention we're willing to give. Long paragraphs? Dense blocks of text? They just don't work anymore.
Think about the last time you got a loooooong email. Did you actually read every word? Or did you start scrolling...and scrolling...and scrolling, trying to figure out what the sender was even trying to say? It's frustrating - and easy to miss important details.
When messages are too long, we skim. And when we skim, we risk confusion and miscommunication. That's why modern business writing is all about getting to the point. Bullet points, short sentences, and straightforward language make it easy for readers to understand, even if they're on the go.
Or, for the sake of brevity, on small screens, less is more.
How We Learn About Business Writing with The Great Canadian Training & Consulting Company
As business writing evolves, how we learn it must keep pace. That’s why we’ve updated our Business Writing That Works course to meet the needs of today’s workplace.
In this course, you’ll learn:
Learn more and register for our next public class today!