In a world where much of our communication is text-based at some point in transmission, writing is increasingly valuable. More than any other professional skill, striving to become a better writer (and communicator) has driven the most growth in my career. Writing is a skill that complements nearly every professional discipline.
When I encounter a skilled writer in the professional wild, it’s like spotting a bald eagle in the city. I’m delighted, particularly when they can write or edit in ways I cannot.
Good writers strive for relevance, brevity, and style, in that order. In the workplace, they want to save you time or effort. While writing well isn’t essential to becoming a leader or high earner, it’s a force multiplier for thought and influence. Even at entry-level positions, it can be an asset to a company’s culture. By knowing how to parse and convey the right information, a good writer can relieve and prevent a slew of headaches. They can herd disjointed efforts, give direction to projects, sell ideas, solidify shared purpose, document processes, and foster knowledge sharing.
Many of the best writers I’ve met were not writers by trade. Several were designers, two were lawyers, one a pharmacist, one a salesperson. These people often worked beyond their job titles and were frequently called in to help untangle sensitive projects. They were universal adapters, effective generalists who could work across departments.
Writing is far from an isolated skill. Rather, it’s a non-linear process of gathering, curating, organizing, creating, and refining ideas and information. Like a factory in which the assembly line loops back on itself until you decide the newest assembly, that one last iteration, is good enough.
If this feels like an unsexy, fluorescently lit description of the writing process, it’s because writing is seldom glamorous. It’s easy to overestimate (and romanticize) the role of creativity in the writing process. People who love the idea of writing but don’t write enough often do so because they romanticize the role of creativity while undervaluing the ass-in-chair, pen-to-paper aspect of the craft. Creativity is often a byproduct of the other steps.
Put another way, most people looking for a painter don’t want an oil painting for their mantel — they just want someone to paint their house. The same is true for writers. Writing is a desirable, well-rewarded skill. But purely creative writing? You have to be phenomenal to make it desirable.
Editing is also a skill, perhaps a separate discipline. Editing is the process of making the written word correct, clear, concise, and compelling, in that order (don’t gag on that alliteration). Together with reading (the antidote to writer’s block), writing and editing allow us to be far more intelligent, perceptive, and expressive than we are often physically capable of.
Writing is an ability around which other abilities can rapidly accrete, spreading benefits into unexpected corners of your life.