June 24, 2011
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Writing for Business
I’ve been bogged down with a report. It had to go through 2 rewrites. I hope to submit it tomorrow. My managers gave me tons of feedback. If you can imagine getting a paper back with tons of red markings only this was delivered over the phone. The first feedback session was in person. It was honest feedback and I thought it made the report tighter and a lot more focused. But wow… I thought I was an ok writer until my manager took my paper apart. He told me he used to edit papers before and had 3 mentors who would pick apart his reports. At the end of our call I was very quiet and he asked if I was ok. I mumbled “there’s always something new to learn”. But that’s business and you can’t let your ego get in the way. I know that report will eventually find its way to someone senior exec and if they can’t understand it, it’ll just look bad on everyone.
It was tough rewriting it. I moped and sulked the first day. It took a bit too much time to get over it before I could move on. It’s frustrating. I wanted to tell them that I had hoped to be a writer someday. I’m sure they would have given me a puzzled look.
Writing for business is where precision and conciseness counts. It’s less descriptive and more quantitative. I can’t simply write “We missed our revenue target”. How much did we miss it by? When I follow up with the reason, I need to articulate how much did each of these reasons contribute. I also learned something new in how execs read these things. I have to frame my thoughts very clearly so they can’t interpret it any other way. I can’t worry if I hurt the feelings of others or stomp on their turf. Although I have to be careful otherwise I could limit my career growth.
It’s after 1 AM. Maybe I can get some sleep in the next hour or two. I have to be at work in 7 hours.
Comments (15)
I’m looking forward to this world of business
When I start working years ago, I was totally frustrated by a extreme nit-picking perfectionist boss. It was not fun at all with revisions after revisions! I was almost in tears! Hang in there! Hug!!
It’s true that writing for business purposes can be tricky. My prof at uni always drilled us to be specific in our writing; my teacher in high school suggested that we go through of the written text with a “comb” and take out all unnecessary words. I try to apply these two advices.
yeah, it can be discouraging. one thing i learned in the business world, is that it doesn’t always matter what you write or say, it all comes down to the numbers. they also don’t have the time to read every single word you wrote and to listen to every single word you said. they just want to know the facts. plain and simple.
Well Matt, don’t get discouraged. I guess everyone here has gone through similar situations like yours. Can you ask your peers/coworkers to proof read your work? That’s what I did before presenting my work to my superior. Good luck!
That is the hazard of writing, being nit picked for editing.
You are definitely a good writer. Writing about business is a greater challenge me thinks.
you are right, writing for Biz is really different, but I’m sure you will handle it well!
Yeah, very different writing style. You’ll get a hang of it in no time Matty!
feedback is always tough for me to take. but in the long run, honest feedback is really what pushes and challenges me the most. it also takes more effort on the other person’s part to teach you instead of just making the changes themselves. your manager(s) must believe in you and see potential in you… so be flattered by his investment in you. i hear ya. i always take things hard and take a little longer to process things.
@BenelliMan - there’s a lot of good things and I think it outweighs some of the negative stuff like office politics.
@stevew918 - wow… yeah, when I sent the report – I was told it was an example of what not to do and got a lot more criticisms for it.
@beowulf222 - the level of precision & conciseness is just mind boggling. I feel so dumb because what used to work for me before isn’t working with this audience.
@rudyhou - so true… thanks.
@CurryPuffy - yeah, I got someone to check my work. He thought it was ok but my management is very demanding. I’ll try not to be discouraged. Thanks for the advice Gary.
@Mal_P - they have sharp pens and words. *ouch*
@ZSA_MD - I felt so dumb after they told me the report was very bad.
@agmhkg - well, I take some of these criticisms personally which I shouldn’t.
@yang1815 - I thought I got the hang of it but this mgm’t team is very demanding.
@caki730 - true – and I was also thinking of some of the really tough and I think unfair treatment you got from that doctor. I’m glad you’re toughing it out.
I’m know for having a G.O.D. complex in my office. “Grammar Obsessive Disorder”. I’m never without a red pen!
@CareyGLY - these weren’t just GOD folks, they went after everything.
@ElusiveWords - Tough love I suppose :-/
Hang in there Matty!
Nothing is scarier to a writer than the red pen; it soars like a sword into the depths of our souls… it sings, our heads ring, we lose our minds and everything…