Writing for Understanding
Help others
connect with
writing
your
effectively
Writing is a form of asynchronous communication, meaning that it doesn’t happen in the moment, which gives us the opportunity to collaborate on more flexible terms and avoid scheduling unnecessary meetings. Some common types of written communications at Clio include short-form conversational writing through Slack chats, and long-form informational writing through Gmail messages, Confluence pages, and Google Drive documents. DxD collaboration can be more productive when your written communications are clear and easy to understand for your target audience.
Understand your
desired outcome
Information overload is all too common in our DxD environment. Before you start typing away, assess what level of information is truly necessary to your audience. Are you leading with context or adding extra noise? Whether you write to inform or to request something from someone else, different objectives and audience groups will influence your communication approach.
What do I want to
get out of my written communication?
How’s my content
applicable and important
to my reader?
Ask yourself...
Make your content easy to scan
It’s important to help your reader understand what matters most in your written communication. Be sure to create a logical flow and visual presentation of your message.
Am I starting with the most important information first?
Is my message easy to skim for relevancy and read for detail?
Keep it simple
and concise
Nobody wants to spend their limited time and energy deciphering convoluted messages. Consider how you can make it effortless for your reader to review your writing and take action.
Is my writing easy to understand with minimal friction?
Can my reader quickly identify if my content is relevant to them and what they need to do with it?
Be clear
and specific
Collaborating effectively starts with giving others the right context. Consider how you can provide the information necessary to minimize confusion and redundant follow-ups.
Does my reader have enough information to respond and/or take
action effectively?
How can I minimize
the amount of follow-up from my written communication?
Consider your audience's
point of view
A message sent to everyone often appeals to no one. To avoid potential misunderstandings, consider how your reader receives and perceives your written communication. Firstly, choose the right place. There are many channels to reach your audience at Clio, but how do you know which to choose?
Am I writing to a reader that I already have a strong rapport with, or am I reaching out to them for the very first time?
Am I sending my message at the right time and place?
Slack
When you want to share large-scale news and/or have ongoing conversations with a specific individual or group.
Confluence
When you want to publish and distribute company-wide and/or department-specific policies, standard operating procedures, and workflow resources.
Gmail
When you want to communicate with contacts outside of Clio and/or formalize large-scale announcements internally.
Google Drive
When you want to centralize access to long-form documents and/or multimedia files.
