Rule #1: Help the reader (audience, viewer, etc.)

Rule #1 is intended to address the problem of readers having to struggle to understand what the writer is trying to say. Often this confusion happens because the writer assumes knowledge or experience on the part of his or her readers that they don’t have. Sometimes it’s a function of an unconscious “if I know this, everyone knows this” kind of feeling.

The truth is, everyone doesn’t know everything you do. While some knowledge is universal, each of us is also in possession of our own unique combination of knowledge and experience and expertise. Put yourself in your readers place ~ would you understand what you’re saying? Would you care? If the first isn’t true, the second certainly won’t be. If the reader is confused, he or she will become frustrated and stop reading. If the reader stops reading, the document fails to accomplish the purpose for which it was called into being, and you’ve wasted the reader’s time as well as your own.

The solution to this problem, and the way to be sure you always adhere to Rule #1, lies in taking into consideration the two elements that influence and determine the success or failure of every piece of communication you create.

The 2 Main Drivers: Literally all communications are driven by Audience and Purpose.

Purpose: all writing starts with desire, a purpose to be achieved ~ be it a memo, a report, a webpage, or just a note you leave for your housemate to please put Guilden’s Spicy Brown Mustard on the list of items to pick up at the grocery store. If you really want the Spicy Brown, and you just say “mustard,” you’re apt to be disappointed when he or she comes home with the groceries.

“But,” you protest, “EVERYone knows I prefer Spicy Brown to plain mustard!” Do they? And if they do, are you certain they care enough to remember that? If you’re not specific, and your housemate comes home with plain mustard, whose fault is it? I think you probably know the answer ~ all you have to do is pretend you’re the housemate who got the note and then got yelled at because you didn’t buy the Spicy Brown. What would you say? “Well, if wanted me to get . . . etc. etc.” You know you would. And why shouldn’t your housemate ~ and your reader ~ say the same? Ultimately, your failure to be specific and assumption of knowledge and interest on the part of the reader caused a breakdown in communications leading to a failure to achieve your intended purpose: you didn’t get your Spicy Brown. That small disappointment can be magnified 100 fold or more by failure to help the reader/audience understand what you are saying in a workplace context.

Audience: The details are different, and usually more important, but the concept of saying what you mean clearly and specifically remains the same in all communications, and becomes especially important in some cases. For an excellent example of that skim through this article on CareerBuilder.com: Sloppy Writing at Work Has Dire Consequences.

The good news is, it’s not hard to remember: Audience and Purpose. To whom are you “speaking” and what do you want to accomplish? What do you know about your audience’s needs and expectations? How should you present the information so it is most effective for that audience in accomplishing your purpose.

Audience and Purpose: if you start your writing projects by identifying those two and having a clear picture in your mind of the one and what you want them to do to help you accomplish the other, you will have no trouble adhering to Rule # 1 and will easily and routinely produce clear, informative, engaging, and effective communications.

For clear, practical advice on grammar and style, you can find the complete text of Strunk & White ~ The Elements of Style at: http://www.bartleby.com/141/

Note: I just had one of those awful things we warn you about happen: I was creating this handout when my browser shut down without warning or apparent reason. Fortunately, I had typed the handout up in Word and was copy/pasting, then modifying for format and whatnot. An example of taking my own advice (for a change) and avoiding a very frustrating and costly (in time) experience. Don't let the same happen to you!