Writer training to lift document performance

• Cut writing, reading and review time
• Get directly to the heart of a matter; fix fuzzy thinking
• Better engage your audience and help them to act on your ideas

Building the writing skills of your people will lift the overall effectiveness of your organisation.

Think-write’s courses teach how to craft plain language documents. Documents that

• provide relevant information for readers

• are easy for readers to find the information they need

• are easy for readers to understand information

• are easy for readers to use the information to do something useful.

All public servants and managers need to write well

Good writing is not just a communication skill. It is a professional advantage.

Your people will learn to write documents that are clear, concise, and effective – documents that convey information quickly and clearly to people both outside and within the organisation.

Documents are critical assets that must work well

We write to share thinking and ideas, instructions and requests. Effective documents deliver information with a minimum of fuss. There are real, tangible benefits of writing in plain language.

Think-write’s plain language training:
a practitioner sharing insights, not a professor laying down the law.

The course is practical, engaging, and focused on real workplace communication – emails, reports, briefs, procedures, updates, responses, and the like. We focus on the thinking needed to write well more than merely putting words and sentences together (although we talk about that too).

Our training courses are based on sound plain language principles.

Plain language writing is a skill that can be learnt

The need for plain language writer training

Our plain language training helps participants to develop skills that will help them write a range of documents: documents that are more effective and more efficient.

• More effective – documents more easily read, understood and more likely acted on by the audience.
• More efficient – documents written and read in less time. Less back and forth between authors and reviewers.

Thinking well and writing well are closely connected.

The ability to organise ideas effectively and communicate them clearly, concisely and persuasively has significant career benefits for individuals. It also enhances the effectiveness and reputation of your organisation.

Participants will:

• Realise the strength of a user centred mindset.
• Recognise the relationship between writing well and thinking well.
• Appreciate the importance of defining purpose, audience and message before writing.
• Know how to generate and structure content.
• Grasp the power of ‘point first’ structure.
• Use five simple plain language techniques to craft messages.
• Understand how to refine, review and test documents.

What previous participants say about Writing well at work.

Training courses based on extensive practical plain language writing experience

See Think-write’s experience.

Since 1996, we’ve provided plain language (plain English) writing and training services to government, business and community organisations including: