The principles we teach are international best practice

Are you familiar with the International Organization for Standardization? They create best practices for all sorts of procedures around the world. In 2023, they released the first Plain Language Standard which presents nearly a decade of research into how people read and what's most effective in international workplaces. What is included in the standard is exactly what we teach :)

Let's begin!

Exercise—assess the clarity and usability of this email

You’re a busy decision maker who has received this email from one of your staff asking you to make a decision. Consider how effective it is and how the structure contributes.

Have you ever written a document like this?

If you feel somewhat sheepish looking at this and think, “I’ve written emails like that,” let us know in the comments below. You'll see you're not the only one!

Many of us have, and there's a precise reason why. If you haven't already, take our Core Skill 1. Understand what goes wrong with writing course. The absence of structure isn't a lack of skill or intelligence. It's helpful to know the source of this style of writing, so you can be aware of it and learn to change it.

Key takeaways

• Professional documents get important work done easily and efficiently.
• Adding structure makes content more readable and therefore usable.