Why Writing is Still the Most Important Business Skill

Since I can remember, I’ve loved putting words and phrases together. I remember watching word-based game shows as early as age 5; I’ve always been way more into Wheel of Fortune than Love Connection. I can remember studying semicolons in third grade (I read ahead…can you blame me?) and learning where to put commas in return addresses in fourth grade. I also remember getting mad at myself for making a mistake on a quiz about alphabetizing proper nouns in second grade. It's no surprise, then, that I went to journalism school and became a strategic communications agency owner.

I’m certainly biased, but I believe in the power of words. I also think that being able to express yourself and persuade others to take certain actions are the two most essential skills that anyone must have to be a success in business. Writing is synonymous with both.

Here are some reasons I believe writing is the most important skill you’ll ever acquire:

• Clear messages matter more than ever. There are more media channels today than there have ever been, and more demands on the average person’s time than ever before. No matter who you’re trying to communicate with, or what you’re trying to tell them about, the noise of our everyday world is deafening. You simply won’t get them to understand you unless you have a clear message and can articulate it well. The simpler and more concise, the better. This is a skill the greatest of writers are still working on, believe me. It doesn’t matter what size business you are: if you can’t reach people and make them understand you, you have no chance.

• It’s the foundation upon which all other communications skills are built. Trying to present to your colleagues? Do a keynote speech to a thousand conference attendees? Ask your boss for a raise? Close that next big deal? You’d better know how to put words and phrases together in ways that help you achieve success, not hinder or prevent it.

• Your personality shines through. I can read one page of anyone’s writing and immediately get a pretty good read on who they are. I can see what they value, how curious and empathetic they are, how much they respect me and others and even how driven or determined they are to achieve what they want. It’s like the ultimate mirror.

• Your reputation depends on it. Put it this way: what’s the quickest way to get someone to think you’re not capable or ready for something? I’d say that misspelling words, missing commas or getting other seemingly simple/basic things wrong would do the trick. In our world, we have to get the basics and the little things right absolutely every single time. When we can’t even do the basics, there’s no way we can credibly ask anyone to hire us – much less entrust us with their most business-critical activities and responsibilities.

Just like the best athletes constantly train their bodies and hone their skills, good writers find ways to practice all the time. They experiment with words, phrases and formats. They also read a lot. In that vein, still to this day, I read at least one newspaper cover to cover each day and at least 1-2 “classic” novels for the first time each year. It’s about being in the know…but it’s more about seeing great writing and trying to pick up new tricks and techniques.

It all starts and ends with being able to write. Period.