Learning-to-Write
I spent my entire career in the information technology business, starting as a computer programmer, which meant I spent most of my time interacting with other technologists and dealing with very technical issues. But as I move into management the time came that I needed to effectively communicate with non-technical users, in particular executive level administrators. Fortunately that job was made easier because I had learned how to write.
I was able to apply my writing skills in many ways. My writings included strategic planning documents, professional papers for industry journals, book chapters, position papers for industry associations, and thought-provoking papers on emerging technologies. And after I retired from Boston College I was able to translate my writing experience into a lucrative business of both authoring executive white papers and teaching others how to create effective white papers. (More on this topic later)
The bottom line is learning to write and being willing to write is a very important skill; one that is likely to provide you with a professional job advantage while helping you increase your knowledge base. More than likely you already have the skills but don't know how to apply them or don't fully understand the importance. You need to learn.
I was able to apply my writing skills in many ways. My writings included strategic planning documents, professional papers for industry journals, book chapters, position papers for industry associations, and thought-provoking papers on emerging technologies. And after I retired from Boston College I was able to translate my writing experience into a lucrative business of both authoring executive white papers and teaching others how to create effective white papers. (More on this topic later)
The bottom line is learning to write and being willing to write is a very important skill; one that is likely to provide you with a professional job advantage while helping you increase your knowledge base. More than likely you already have the skills but don't know how to apply them or don't fully understand the importance. You need to learn.
Writing-to-Acquire Skill
In elementary and high school I had acquired the requisite grammar skills but I really didn't now how to compose. By the time I reached college I would go into panic mode every time that I had to write a book report, term paper or an English composition. That changed my Sophomore year at Boston College when I enrolled in Professor Daniel McCue's Rhetoric class. Professor McCue not only instilled in me an understanding of structure and rules but also taught me how to be creative. Pretty soon every paper, while different in subject matter, was like the last in form, and each succeeding paper was easier to compose. More importantly, I was over the hump. I was confident and writing had gone from a chore to a pleasure.
In my professional career I often encountered co-workers that hadn't mastered the art of writing. In many cases they had a good idea of what they wanted to say and were able to express themselves verbally, but they were unable to organize their ideas and thoughts in written form. As a result in committees I often volunteered, or was asked, to be the author of documents, reports and position papers. Of course being the author also help to ensure that my point of view was treated fairly. After a while I had a developed a reputation as a "good writer." In reality I wasn't that skilled; I simply understood how to write and I was in my comfort zone. Some people also think I am a good dancer, but I am not that either, But writing is like dancing; it is something that anyone can do. You just need to be willing to give it a try and then practice to get better. It is totally up to you.
In my professional career I often encountered co-workers that hadn't mastered the art of writing. In many cases they had a good idea of what they wanted to say and were able to express themselves verbally, but they were unable to organize their ideas and thoughts in written form. As a result in committees I often volunteered, or was asked, to be the author of documents, reports and position papers. Of course being the author also help to ensure that my point of view was treated fairly. After a while I had a developed a reputation as a "good writer." In reality I wasn't that skilled; I simply understood how to write and I was in my comfort zone. Some people also think I am a good dancer, but I am not that either, But writing is like dancing; it is something that anyone can do. You just need to be willing to give it a try and then practice to get better. It is totally up to you.
Thinking-to-Write
Many colleagues profess that they don't write because they don't have enough time, That is probably true if they approach the task as one linear process, In practice I have found that writing is best done in bursts and in three stages: collection, marination and sculpting.
Whenever I have been faced with business problem or have set out on the exploration of a new idea, I have found that an essential first step is to right everything down; just create a blob that is a collection your words and ideas in text form without concern for the final product. The large blob of raw material in text form forces you to both think comprehensively and to test every premise. It also provides time for your ideas to sit and marinate, giving you something to think about in quiet times when you don't have a pen in hand or your not sitting at a keyboard.
Thinking is really the hard work. Writing is easy if you have done the thinking. If you have done the thinking (and writing), you will formulate comprehensive, fully-formed ideas and solutions.
When I was younger, I was daily, lunch-time runner, and later on my exercise became reduced to daily walks. My jogs or walks provided me with quiet thinking time to contemplate existing ideas or conceive new ones. For others their quiet, thinking time may be alone in a car while commuting to work. In any case when I returned to the office each day after exercising, my first order of business was to take a few minutes and capture my thoughts by adding them to the blob. It might be just a couple sentences or comments but it was important not to lose the contemplation. Over time the collection of thoughts and ideas in text form (the blob) stimulated further learning and provided a solid base. The composition of the document then became a case of paring done the blob in much the same manner that a sculptor starts with a chunk of raw marble.
Whenever I have been faced with business problem or have set out on the exploration of a new idea, I have found that an essential first step is to right everything down; just create a blob that is a collection your words and ideas in text form without concern for the final product. The large blob of raw material in text form forces you to both think comprehensively and to test every premise. It also provides time for your ideas to sit and marinate, giving you something to think about in quiet times when you don't have a pen in hand or your not sitting at a keyboard.
Thinking is really the hard work. Writing is easy if you have done the thinking. If you have done the thinking (and writing), you will formulate comprehensive, fully-formed ideas and solutions.
When I was younger, I was daily, lunch-time runner, and later on my exercise became reduced to daily walks. My jogs or walks provided me with quiet thinking time to contemplate existing ideas or conceive new ones. For others their quiet, thinking time may be alone in a car while commuting to work. In any case when I returned to the office each day after exercising, my first order of business was to take a few minutes and capture my thoughts by adding them to the blob. It might be just a couple sentences or comments but it was important not to lose the contemplation. Over time the collection of thoughts and ideas in text form (the blob) stimulated further learning and provided a solid base. The composition of the document then became a case of paring done the blob in much the same manner that a sculptor starts with a chunk of raw marble.
Writing-to-Learn
The audience will determine the effectiveness of any writing but every author needs to ask the question, "What did I learn from what I wrote?"
Early in my career as a computer programmer I was trained in the importance of attention to detail. There couldn't be any mistakes (bugs); everything needed to be thoroughly tested; and everything needed to perform perfectly. To achieve that same level of perfection in writing requires you to do research, to seek evidence and references, and to explore topics where your knowledge is fuzzy. The resulting by-product is self-education. If you do the job correctly, you should be able to step back and discover what you have learned when you read what you have written.
This concept of writing-to-learn has served me well. It was the principle technique that I employed over and over again to help me visualize the future, to formulate strategic initiatives, to guide my decision-making and, most importantly, to communicate my ideas.
Early in my career as a computer programmer I was trained in the importance of attention to detail. There couldn't be any mistakes (bugs); everything needed to be thoroughly tested; and everything needed to perform perfectly. To achieve that same level of perfection in writing requires you to do research, to seek evidence and references, and to explore topics where your knowledge is fuzzy. The resulting by-product is self-education. If you do the job correctly, you should be able to step back and discover what you have learned when you read what you have written.
This concept of writing-to-learn has served me well. It was the principle technique that I employed over and over again to help me visualize the future, to formulate strategic initiatives, to guide my decision-making and, most importantly, to communicate my ideas.