A second question to ask is “Who is the audience?” Perhaps the writing will be of a
sensitive nature to in-house legal counsel, or to the user who is not an engineer or who is
not a college or high-school graduate, or to a technical professional who must make a
change in material or physical feature.
A third question to ask is “What is the goal of the written document?” It might be to
help the user, who has seventh-grade reading skills, to understand how to safely utilize a
product. It might be to place an attorney on notice that serious repercussions might be
about to occur, or to convince senior management to fund a project, or to convey technical
information or direction to a colleague or staff.
Once these three initial questions have been asked and answered, the tone and content
of the writing can become much clearer. The writing can be direct, courteous, and sincere,
can provide the appropriate emphasis, and can be written at a level that is appropriate for
the audience. Emphasis can be in the form of word treatment (i.e., bolding, underlining,
capitalization, and italicization) or word-smithing. It is important to avoid discriminatory
language, obfuscation or embellishment of the issue, and overemphasis (e.g., yelling—
CAPS in e-mails) when not indicated or necessary. It is important to identify the issue, to
detail what is expected, and to stress the benefits to the reader. If you are confident in your
viewpoint, it is helpful to stress that confidence.
Never forget that the document might appear where you least expect it. It might be read
and interpreted by someone to whom you did not direct it. If, on second reading (a habit
that all should embrace before sending a document), specific information included in the
writing does not contribute to the goal of the document, it should be considered for deletion
or revision until all that is left does contribute to the goal. If it is recognized that a
document is particularly significant or sensitive, a “second opinion” might be worthwhile;
sometimes this second opinion might even come from the primary audience to whom the
document is addressed.
Remember that written documents might not replace the need for interpersonal discussions,
meetings, or additional presentation vehicles (e.g., slides, videos, and training sessions).
It is also important to be fully familiar with your organization’s position on
company documents. Documents prepared for business purposes might be defined as
business products, wholly owned by the business, and you might not be permitted to use
or maintain these documents, even within your office. Many organizations have document-
retention policies, and it is important to be familiar with them.