Experts often describe graduates’ written work as clunky and long-winded, lacking clarity. The excessive back-and-forth on what to edit, change or remove between graduates and their senior colleagues wastes valuable company time.
This poor writing not only confuses peers but can also perplex clients. In fact, ineffective business writing leads readers to only engage with about 20% of the material they receive, potentially costing businesses clients. However, solutions exist. Graduates and other employees are adaptable and valuable assets who can improve their writing skills, ultimately benefiting the entire company.
Are your graduates ‘very’ or ‘somewhat’ unprepared for work?
40% of 1200 business leaders, from an Online Degree Ranking Service survey, believe graduates are ‘very’ or ‘somewhat’ unprepared for work, with the biggest liability to be communication skills. Their ‘academic’ writing just isn’t efficient, with text being unclear, repetitive, off message and not to the point. Steven Wasserman, corporate finance, accounting, and investor relations CFO stated in a Forbes article “university courses cover creative, research and paper writing which are valuable but ineffective in a business setting.”
Improving business writing saves company time – time is money.
Since only 20% of poor writing gets read, it is essential for employers to ensure that a graduate can plan, draft and edit their writing with ease. Better writing ensures more clients read your emails, reports and sales information – remembering and recalling your message easily!
It’s vital that your graduates communicate clearly, concisely, persuasively and fast!
By investing in written communication training, an organisation ensures that their graduates will save time when writing and their manager will save time when reviewing what they’ve written.
“There is a greater need for employers to provide training on basic professional and working skills.” The Guardian
Having the whole team trained to the same writing standard ensures the message remains focused on the reader, boosting the document’s effectiveness.
Testimonial: A Graduate’s Perspective
I’m Luke, a graduate that’s just starting out. I joined Indigo straight out of university. Writing Dynamics™ was the first workshop I attended, on my first day! It helped my over-complicated, bulky and baffling writing to become clearer and more concise. And from day 3 (it’s a 2 day workshop), I’ve started using the tools and techniques that I’ve learnt, in fact I planned (take a look at my Writing Dynamics™ Cluster), drafted and edited this article with it!
Get your documents seen, read and remembered! The Writing Dynamics™ workshop provides graduates with a systematic approach to business writing, making them assets to any organisation. It:
- Teaches a systematic approach – the workshop offers a structured, step-by-step process that simplifies the writing process, making it easier for graduates to learn and apply effective writing techniques.
- Breaks unhealthy habits – it helps graduates ‘unlearn’ ineffective writing habits, replacing them with practices that promote clarity and professionalism.
- Enhances efficiency – graduates learn to write more efficiently, saving time and reducing the need for extensive revisions, which is crucial in a fast-paced business environment.
- Boosts their professional development – by improving their writing skills, graduates enhance their overall professional skill set, lifting their morale and making them more valuable employees.
- Provides award-winning expertise – the workshop has been developed by award-winning writers, ensuring that participants receive top-quality instruction and insights.
- Gives the organisation immediate impact – graduates can apply what they learn immediately, improving their communication with peers, managers and clients – leading to better job performance and career advancement.
- Boosts their confidence – as graduates become more proficient in business writing, their confidence grows, enabling them to take on more challenging tasks and responsibilities within the organisation.
Writing Dynamics™ workshops are available online and face-to-face throughout the year:
- Public workshops are open to all, or
- by arranging for one of our trainers to train your graduates through our in-house training option.
With over 20 years of experience at bettering companies, we are excited to help and collaborate with you to get the best out of your team.
Take a look at the workshop outline: https://www.indigobusiness.co.uk/Workshop/writing-dynamics , or contact me to find out more at lukep@indigobusiness.co.uk, +44 (0)20 3836 8651
Sources:
https://www.theguardian.com/business/2023/may/02/covid-era-graduates-teamwork-deloitte-pwc
More about Luke
Luke Ptak is a Client Account Manager for Indigo Business Services, a UK based training and development company operating internationally. Indigo is a Distributor for Edward de Bono Limited; and exclusive UK Distributor for MDC Training and the Think on Your Feet® suite of training solutions.
A Financial Economics graduate from Kingston University and former basketball player, his dynamic experience as an athlete, combined with his financial acumen, fresh insights and strategic thinking means he brings versatility and dedication when ensuring clients deliver the right solution to their people.
