When we write something, an email, a blog post like this one or even something as complex as an entire book we should ask ourselves, 'What do we want the reader to do with this information?'.
Once you have worked out what you want them to do ... tell them. For example, I want to know what tricks communicators have got in their toolbox to encourage technocrats to use plain english and active sentence construction?
I have frequently come across sentences and, in fact, entire paragraphs that mean nothing. They are composed of a melange of long and complex words twisted together in a slow dance of death to produce a dense and unfathomable soporific. OK, induge me a little here. Sometimes I wax lyrical, but my point is that in most documents, simple and straghtforward is best.
If we don't know what action or attitude we want to elicit, then our words are wasted. I'd love to read some examples of the worst and best you have seen.
Let me start:
'The management of logistics is the responsibility of XXX', is clearer when written, 'XXX is to manage logistics'.
Once you have worked out what you want them to do ... tell them. For example, I want to know what tricks communicators have got in their toolbox to encourage technocrats to use plain english and active sentence construction?
I have frequently come across sentences and, in fact, entire paragraphs that mean nothing. They are composed of a melange of long and complex words twisted together in a slow dance of death to produce a dense and unfathomable soporific. OK, induge me a little here. Sometimes I wax lyrical, but my point is that in most documents, simple and straghtforward is best.
If we don't know what action or attitude we want to elicit, then our words are wasted. I'd love to read some examples of the worst and best you have seen.
Let me start:
'The management of logistics is the responsibility of XXX', is clearer when written, 'XXX is to manage logistics'.
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