WRITTEN COMMUNICATION SKILLS

WRITTEN COMMUNICATION SKILLS

Writing makes a person perfect. It is an important part of communication skills in the hands of budding managers and leaders. Since writing is a deliberate and intended expression of one‟s thoughts and feelings, its quality is usually better than oral communication which can be immediate, quick response and faster than written communication. Although an ancient wisdom suggests that one should think before speaking, the quality of choice of words, phrases and sentences is not as good as it is in written communication.
Writing is a skill that can be acquired. Perfecting the art of writing, however, requires a lot of hard work. It is a skill that can distinguishes a person from the group. A successful executive, while sharing the reasons for his quick promotions in the first five years‟ of his career admitted that it was largely because he could write better than others. The verbal edge is the winning edge - a competitive edge over rivals.
There is a famous saying, “reading makes a full man, conference a ready man and writing an exact man”. It must be understood that whatever is written or said is the real self of the persons doing so. A good writer feels from the heart and then writes.

Written communication is a very critical recipe for success of managers and leaders. Following famous statement also underpins the importance of writing skills:

“Beneath the rule of men entirely great,
The pen is mightier than the sword!”

Written communication has the following unique features:

(1) Creativity

Written communication is the product of a well thought out process: It is not a spontaneous response as is the case with oral communication. Message written in the form of letters (and even emails) are deliberate and creative.

(2) Delayed response

Since crafting a written communication takes some time, the response to the sender is not as prompt as it is for the oral communication.

(3) Limited cycles of exchange

In oral communication whether face-to-face or otherwise, in a short span of time, it can complete several cycles of communication and all doubts get cleared quickly. In written communication, ideally responses should be complete and clear in the first instance but in case, some clarification is needed, one has to make do with one or two cycles of communication only.

(4) Feedback from the receiver

There may be considerable time lag in receiving the response from the receiver. A fax message (telex of old days), may be answered quickly, possibly within a few hours. If it is a letter, receiver may take a day before it is read and responded, if at all. Similarly, a written report (including soft copy sent on line) may be read in a few days. Thus time lag is longer. In many cases, it may not happen at all. Lack of feedback / response can arise from lack of concern, forgetfulness or even contempt!