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Invisible Barriers in Everyday Writing
- clearlanguage
- 3 days ago
- 2 min read
It could be an email, a routine notice sent out to clients, or an answer to a direct chat in a work messaging portal. We send messages every day, but sometimes invisible barriers in our writing make it harder for readers to find, understand, and use our message.
There are some questions we should ask to make sure that we aren’t making things harder for those reading our message.
Is my purpose for writing clear? (Have a clear purpose)
You can have organized, relatable text. Clear headings. Bullets and images to enhance your message. But if your reader doesn’t know what you want them to do with what they read, all of your efforts could be for nothing.
When you write, it is important to know your reason for writing. Are you trying to inform? Persuade? Get a specific response? Keeping this in mind will help keep you on task as you write. You will be able to include what’s important and take out what’s not.
Does my reader know what I’m talking about? (Eliminate the Curse of Knowledge)
The curse of knowledge happens when you assume your readers know things that they don’t. So, you leave out background information, key details, or other facts that will help readers better understand what you’re writing about.
When you write, make sure that you remember your audience. Use language they will understand: Define acronyms. Cut out jargon. Use simple phrasing. If you’re referencing specific items, make sure they have enough information to understand what you’re referring to.
Is my writing too dense? (Remove any walls of text)
Sometimes, even in your effort to be clear, you can unknowingly erect dense walls of text. Seeing these walls of text can overwhelm readers before they attempt to read what’s written. Long paragraphs containing lots of information may make it hard for readers to know where to start or if they want to start at all.
It’s important to break information into short, concise paragraphs that stick to one idea. When it can help, use bullets or lists to emphasize key ideas. Formatting your writing in this way will make your message more accessible for your readers.
Is there a clear next step? (Create ways to follow up)
You may have provided a clear message, but make sure you give your reader a clear way to act on your message.
If someone has to submit an item, give them a clear process and any important deadlines they should follow. Make sure webpages or links that you refer to are identified and active. In case a person has a question, provide an email address or phone number for them to follow up.
Providing clear ways for readers to respond to your message makes sure that your message is not just received, but brings positive results.
Conclusion
Every day we send messages. Before you hit send, take a moment to ask yourself the questions above. Doing so can help eliminate unnecessary barriers for your readers, keep your message clear, and help you achieve the result you intended.
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