Embracing simplicity in business writing

The elephant in the room is growing old

I always felt dissatisfied with the style of most business writing—including my own, at times. In the pharmaceutical industry, as in many other professional areas, jargon and clichés are common, and I often found myself using hopelessly unoriginal phrases like “the elephant in the room”. 

This course taught me how to write clear explanations without relying on corporate clichés. Now, if I consider using an analogy or metaphor, I reflect on what I really want to say and try to be creative and concrete in my choices. The course has also given me the confidence to write in clearer, shorter sentences, even when addressing specialists. I have applied this technique both to internal documents and external pieces such as press releases.

Aim for “cognitive ease”

When communicating complex ideas, using simpler sentences can help readers and listeners grasp your point with less mental effort. Establishing this sense of “cognitive ease” is crucial if you want your message to be understood. 

A version of this principle applies to presentations. My organisation recently held an event where our senior managers presented to a diverse audience including finance professionals, medical experts and industry analysts. After reviewing the initial slide deck I had a few questions, such as: “What is the point of this presentation? What do you mean by this?” The deck was crammed with text so I asked them, “Are you expecting the audience to read the presentation, or listen to you present it?” I advised them on how we could improve the slides and avoid overburdening the audience. When writing and presenting, it is essential to be concise.

Plan first, then write

Having completed a doctorate, I had to unlearn the habits of writing for academia. While there are similarities between communicating in academic and business settings, you have to think about your tone and audience more in the latter. 

One thing from the course that I always keep in mind is the importance of being clear about the purpose, audience and message of my document. Now, when I start a piece of writing I ask myself, “What do I want to achieve?” From there, I use the steps outlined in the course to consider the arguments I want to make and where they might fit into the document. This approach has improved my drafting of longer pieces, as well as the overall quality of my business writing.