The reason I now write (again)

I have only recently come to appreciate the value of writing. Do not get me wrong of course I have always seen the value of writing things down, whether that is an email, a note, or in an exam. I also very much enjoy reading the writing that other people have done and can absorb myself into an enjoyable book whether that be fiction or non-fiction.

What I mean by the value of writing is the ability it gives you to clarify and refine your own thoughts. To give you a bit of context I have been working in learning and development for several years. In most of my roles I have been either working from training developed by someone else which I have then made modifications to, or as has mostly been the case in recent years, I am developing training courses that I knew I would be the only one delivering. My notes therefore could sometimes be little more than prompts and key points.

Lately however, I have had the interesting challenge of developing training that can also be delivered by other people, some of whom may not speak English as a first language and therefore the training may need to be translated from English into other languages. This means I can no longer get away with brief and haphazard notes. I must write in a way that can be comprehended well by others. This has forced me to really look in depth at the work I produce. If I am struggling to write the material down clearly then this means I will also probably struggle to say it clearly and certainly someone else will find it difficult to use and deliver.

Below are a few points where clear writing has really made a difference for me, and I believe are applicable for any role which requires clear communication:

1.??????Noticing errors more easily: If there is an error then having it written down exactly how you want to say and deliver it means you will see it more easily. Being in the flow of training, a presentation or a sales pitch is not the best time to realise you have overlooked something.

2.??????Redrafting: if you write notes out in full, redrafts can be more precise and changes more easily kept track of.

3.??????More realistic timing: I have always struggled with timing in my training. I tend to run over, and I have found that writing notes in full has put me in control of timing as my rehearsals are a lot more exact.

?4.??????Clarity: A big challenge for me (as many people who know me well will agree) is that I talk just a bit (or a lot) too much. Writing everything down lets you see exactly what you plan to say, practice it more precisely and edit to make it clearer. If the material does not read clearly then the likelihood is when you say it there will be a lack of clarity also.

5.??????Keeping track of your progress: If you have everything written down in detail it is much easier to keep track of your progress with a project than when you have more sparse guidelines.

?6.??????It can help with your delivery: My preferred style of spoken delivery for many years has been the unscripted approach; it is a method I have become quite comfortable with over the years. However, it is one method among many and much as I will keep using the unscripted approach, adding some versatility can be valuable. Writing out in full and in detail lets me practice more easily the pauses and the tone and to gauge how particular words sound. It allows for a precise approach when needed., but you can still improvise when that works best; it just gives you a stronger base to deliver from.

It has been enjoyable rediscovering a skill that most of us first learn to do when we are children, refine as adolescents then can fall out of a habit of doing when we are older. My next step is to now make use of writing in other parts of my life. What skills have you rediscovered that help you in day-to-day life?