Working Words
By Natalie Canavor and Claire Meirowitz
The CW Bulletin editors are delighted to introduce
this new column, “Working Words,” which will appear
every other month, alternating with “Visually Speaking.”
Writing and editing pros Natalie Canavor and Claire Meirowitz,
both board members of IABC/Long Island, will address results-oriented
writing and editing techniques, as well as specific challenges
like writing successful press releases, online content and
scripts.
Good Writing & Editing: Are They Dying Arts?
And, Should We Care?
The answer to both questions: "YES!"
Like us, you may be dismayed by the growing quantity of poor
writing that bombards us. We see it everywhere, in publications,
web sites, newspapers and corporate materials—writing
that is not just full of grammatical mistakes and misused
words, but is also poorly thought-out, unclear and contains
downright confusing language.
Here's an example from a recent annual report that scores
high on the cringe-meter:
The company is maniacally focused on ensuring that all
of its software meets stringent benchmarks and product criteria
for best-in-class ease of use, simple installation and overall
ease of ownership to ensure that mission-critical networks
are safeguarded and protected not only by redundancy but also
by the most innovative technology available today.
Here's an example from the world of education:
 Our
school's cross-graded, individualized learning program is
to enhance the concept of an open-ended learning structure
with emphasis on a continuum of academically enriched learning
using the identified intellectually gifted child as the agent
of his own learning. Major emphasis is on cross-graded, multi-ethnic
learning with the main objective being to learn respect for
the uniqueness of a person.
Try rewriting these gems. To see how we would do it, check
the end of this column.
Writing like this might be laughable, but poor communication—written,
oral and on the web—is pretty serious business. In health
care, it's been estimated that 44,000 patients die each year
from human errors made during hospital stays—mainly
due to miscommunication of some sort. In aviation, crashes
have been attributed to poor communications, and we could
go on and on.
Perhaps the communications you create are not that critical,
but they are vital to the health of your organization, whether
you produce annual reports, promotional materials, newsletters,
press releases, or even letters, memos and e-mail messages.
If your newsletter tells readers that "the suit wreaks
of desperation," or that "the procedure is minimally
evasive," will your audience understand the message?
What will readers make of the information that "the insurgence
of technology has dramatically affected our communities"?
(As Dave Barry would say, we're not making this up. These
are recently published examples.)
Here are some theories on why the quality of written communications
is deteriorating.
Time: Most organizational communicators
are extremely challenged by multiple roles, conflicting priorities
and the need to field emergencies. At the same time, resources
and staff have dwindled.
Value: Management rarely appreciates
the time-consuming nature of publication work and often appears
not to value quality writing. Verbal and PR skills are often
more highly regarded.
Multi-roles: These days, communication
jobs demand skills like graphic design, web site management
and relationship building. Good writing may be taken for granted,
but it's seldom a priority in hiring or evaluating performance.
High aspirations: We've learned
that to gain a place at the management table, we must be seen
as strategists. Nitty-gritty technical work—like writing
and producing publications—should be under-the-table,
invisible functions. There's a lot of truth in this. But one
of the results when there are only chiefs or aspiring chiefs
is…poor writing.
So why does it matter?
 Actually,
we think the stakes are very high. Poorly written communications
risk our organization's or our client's image and credibility.
It means we fail to effectively explain our products, values
and messages, and to communicate our point of view in adverse
circumstances. We may lose the competitive advantage and opportunities
to connect with customers and staff.
We also sacrifice business efficiency. It's been estimated
that 70 percent of workplace errors are due to miscommunication,
both written and spoken. In any economy—booming or lagging—that
translates to a loss in the bottom line.
These results apply personally as well. When we supply ineffective
writing and muddy wording, we damage our own professional
image. An absence of complaints, by the way, doesn't justify
these insufficiencies. Most people don't notice the quality
of the writing they see; they simply react positively, negatively
or not at all. They may not read the piece, or may skim it;
they may fail to understand the message, or find it unpersuasive.
What to do?
If you're confident that your company's communications are
clear and compelling, terrific! But if you agree that some
of the materials your department or organization produces
could be better, here are a few suggestions. Admittedly, ideas
can be easy to propose but difficult to implement, and we
don't claim to offer a quick fix.
Take a stand. Decide that yes, good writing
is essential to your company's mission.
Look at the whole picture. Agree that it's
worth monitoring not only your department's output, but also
the major communications produced by other parts of the company.
Evaluate. Review your department's processes
and staff. Do you have skilled writers and editors on hand?
Do they have the time to do first-rate work? Is there a clear
standard for good writing and editing, and high value attached
to it? Have you created a style guide and insisted that it
be used?
Consider alternatives. If the realistic
answers after evaluation are "no," you should consider
alternatives. If the staff is short-handed or you're a one-person
band, it's probably true that your limited time may best be
devoted to tactics, relationship building and the like. But
consider supplementing your resources by using freelance writers
and/or editors.
Spread the word. Yes, literally: Train people
in your organization, from secretaries to managers, to write
more effectively through ongoing workshops or one-shot sessions.
You can give these yourself, promoting the perception of your
professionalism, or hire a good presenter whom you personally
introduce, so as to maintain ownership. Just be diplomatic
when suggesting people need help with their writing!
Demonstrate value. Look for opportunities
to demonstrate the value of powerful communication. For example,
analyze how well a major project worked in a bottom-line sense,
and figure out ways to make this known to the people who count.
Talk about the value of strong writing when you promote your
department's services, so you can begin reframing the way
it is regarded.
Offer support. Consider offering a support
service for other departments, like sales or marketing. You
may already be doing this for major communication projects.
But your office could assist with sample letters for important
use or other day-to-day writing challenges. This will showcase
your expertise, demonstrate the impact that good persuasive
writing can have and upgrade materials that may have a significant
impact on customers or the community.
By now, you've thrown up your hands and screamed, "But
there's no budget for any of this! These ideas would put a
terrible strain on my super-stressed office!"
Our answer: When you've made your case to the higher-ups,
and when your product is in demand and you can show real bottom-line
business results, you may be amazed at the way additional
resources can magically come your way.
Here's a rewritten version of Example 1:
By using the most innovative technology available today,
we can assure you that our software meets stringent standards
to protect your critical business networks. We've also designed
our product so that it's easy for you to install, use and
maintain.
About Example 2:
This has been in our bad-sample file for a few years, and
we still don't have the least idea of what it means. Therefore,
we can't rewrite it, but if you can, send us your version
and we'll share it with our readers.
Future columns will focus on specific writing challenges
and issues. Let us know what you'd like to read about. As
independent entrepreneurs, we'd also like to explore the interface
between organizational communicators and freelance services,
so tell us about your interests in this area, too.
Natalie Canavor and Claire Meirowitz are members of IABC-Long
Island (New York).
Natalie Canavor is a principal of the Digital Dynamix
Group, a new-media production company, and a freelance journalist.
She was formerly a national magazine editor and director of
communications for a major educational agency. E-mail her
at ncanavor@optonline.net.
Claire Meirowitz, owner of Professional Editing Services,
copy edits, proofreads and rewrites from her home office,
specializing in information technology. She has 20+ years'
experience in university public relations and publishing.
E-mail her at claire-m@att.net.
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