Professional gains in developing the ability to write: an anatomical discourse.

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In an earlier article on modern studentship, on the same platform, I explained the meaning of anatomy. The word is usually associated with the bodily structure of humans, animals, and other living organisms, as revealed by dissection and the separation of parts. Here, the word will be used to arrive at a similar meaning but change the context to refer to a ‘student’ as the object of my focus. On the dissection table, in a different perspective, is a modern student, pursuing higher professional education. Before I proceed further, let me explain what is ‘writing’.

Writing is the act of composing text for penning or publishing. However, talking about developing it as an art assumes a different significance. In my view, it is the ability to put one’s thoughts in an expression that can be read and understood in the manner that it was intended to be understood. Consider for example, ‘eating’: To a person on the go, eating may be just about business as usual, and therefore a meal served would be either good, just about, or bad. However, to a connoisseur of culinary choices, the same meal could be a symphony of flavours unleashed onto the tongue melting away over and around the taste buds to create an unparalleled spectacle. If you look at the two expressions cited above, both refer to a meal. The same meal perhaps, but the difference lies in the purpose and the audience (consumer).? Likewise, writing (the art) is defined by its purpose and by its audience. It is defined by ‘why one is writing and for whom it is being written’. This brings into perspective the term ‘articulation’ which has Latin origins broadly meaning small divisions and small connections. So, good writing is a creative use of articulation where the elements of ‘divisions and connections’ are the words and the grammar of the language used in writing.

Having defined the backdrop of this discourse, I will discuss why students pursuing professional education must develop the ability to write. And what can be the best way to do so? ?Write articles and not just write, they must choose to publish their works in professional forums like LinkedIn and other forums for review by a variety of audiences in the professional spectrum. In the subsequent paragraphs, I will dissect the discourse to arrive at pointers that can help young professionals grow by navigating the course of authorship. Take a look at how writing helps:

Writing makes you think: ?????? Ah! The very thought of writing brings out the dormant traits of a creator in you. The first thing that comes to your mind as you decide to start writing is what to write about. So, you decide upon a topic. That one event is the beginning of your writing effort. The raw data starts appearing in front of you as pieces of thought which may or may not be in a logical sequence. They are just pieces of thought information that you may later connect and create something meaningful. As a potential writer, you must understand the difference between the Subject and the Topic. The subject is the broader canvas over which the entire picture is going to be painted. The topic is that speck on the canvas which is going to be the focus of your attention while you write the story. Thus, in a mother and baby relationship, the subject is the mother the topic is the baby. With this, the conceptualisation of a model has happened. The first stages of your imagination start taking seed at this point. Here what becomes important to be understood is that the choice of topic is extremely relevant from the point of view of your creativity. For whom are you writing and for what? Who is your likely audience? Who will read your writing? It, in simpler words, means that you have also chosen an audience while being creative about thinking about a topic. So, you have put two things together now; you have identified an audience and a piece of writing. The audience in this case understands the subject or is one who has some idea and you may want to explain your stance on your topic to this particular audience. It must be understood very clearly by a writer that there is a need for some research on the audience aspect. Sometimes you may be writing it for a general audience which means anyone could read your creation. Therefore, writing can be thematic, it can be general, or can be specific depending on your objectives.

Develop curiosity:?????? Having decided to write about a particular subject or a topic you may want to know more about it. More than you possibly know in your current stage unless you are a subject expert. So, you dwell more on the sources of information that can bring about value addition to what you have with you. This is the result of an inherent curiosity that develops as you exercise your abilities. ?The quality of your findings will depend upon the depth of your curiosity. In the words of philanthropist and researcher Stephen Grand, Ph.D., “Lively minds are by definition curious,” “Cats frequently get themselves stuck up in trees, jammed in trash cans, or peppered with hedgehog quills—all in the name of curiosity.” “Curiosity and intelligence are directly linked… Cats are smart, so, they are curious, and because they are curious, they are always learning” (wiki). If you have seen a kitten, you would realise that it tries to paw anything that it finds amusing or anything that it finds interesting. The purpose behind this behaviour is a desire to know about it. And that is what makes the cat understand the environment within which she is operating. So, your curiosity would help you develop a better understanding of the environment that you are playing in and that is going to improve the quality of the material that you are going to produce.

Improves awareness and critical thinking: ?? Your curiosity encourages you to take the plunge into more and wider sources of knowledge, of information. As a result, you either meet people speak to people, or read for yourself. Reading, in addition to enhancing your comprehension also helps in developing an awareness of a lot of issues on related but different subjects. That improvement of awareness may be in a sphere that was not intended to have happened at the time when you began your endeavour. Reading, in addition to helping out in improving your awareness also helps in making you think. It helps you to think about the whys and the hows of various things that you have learned. The impact is that there is a wide spectrum of development that takes place within your cognitive faculty. It triggers the innovative streak in you. It may be appreciated, that organisations globally are looking at potential hires with an entrepreneurial mindset. This behaviour is a combination of two traits. The risk-taking and the creative. The risk-taking mindset evaluates the success rate of an idea based on its innovative potential, its newness, and originality. All these attributes develop in a person who is constantly exploring the learning landscape.

Helps develop vocabulary: ??? ????????????? When you start reading about any subject or about anything that may be new to you there is a lot of learning that takes place. It may be in the form of new concepts, opinions, and words that you were probably not aware of earlier. You may learn new pronunciations and new ways to use words. Eventually, over a period this practice improves your vocabulary. Vocabulary is, you know a kind of Arsenal in the mind of an author. What do you do with an arsenal? You use it to defend and to protect. Likewise, you use your vocabulary to defend your argument or your point of view. You do that by articulation and by understanding the value of semantics in the use of language. A calibrated use of polished vocabulary during a presentation can make the difference between a ‘clinched deal’ or a ‘lost opportunity’. ?An average educated adult may have up to 20,000 words in their vocabulary. What a colossal waste would it be if unused? Writing with the use of some great vocabulary can help in articulating your point of view better during presentations or professional talks.

?Connect and network:???????????? At this point, we need to reflect upon the initial purpose of our endeavour, i.e. writing. Why we are writing? We are writing because we have a certain audience in mind, we have a certain context in which content has been created. We need to share this content with the audience. It could be for professional reasons or otherwise. When we are a part of a socio-professional system there are people from different walks of life, different experiences, different expectations, and different views about their environment. It makes a lot of sense to remain interconnected. Such interconnections are referred to as social and or professional networking. The larger purpose behind this networking is to provide a platform for members of the network to engage with each other and to share insights that may add value in some form or the other. These interconnections help in establishing credibility and a foothold across a larger canvas of people who may subscribe to the views of the network. Such networks often assist people to align for business purposes and learn about other cultures, geographies, business trends, and growth areas. So, if you write well, you are read better. The ovations, the applause, the reposts and re-shares shore up your confidence and value in your as well in the audience’s eyes. Your network acts as an enabler in gaining a literary stature and improved social standing.

When you compare the above gains, to the disadvantages of writing, I see only minor deviations. It takes your time, effort, and thoughts all bundled together. The upside is that these are not disadvantages. They are the collateral gains that come bundled as a Return on Investment (RoI) in the quest for a better personality. Writing improves cognitive potential and the ability to contribute intelligently in a discussion. It helps to see alternative and opposing Points of View (PoV) rationally. It augments the human factor in you.

At the end of this discourse, If, you seem to be developing the ability into a fine art form, do I see potential bosses lining up to hire you? The answer is yess! The expression is not a spelling mistake. Someone significant taught me this. It’s a ‘Yes’ with an attitude.

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?The author is a Naval veteran, failed entrepreneur, an opinionator on contemporary issues, and an Adjunct Professor at the School of Commerce & Management Studies, Dayanand Sagar University, Bengaluru.