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If you think the efficacy of the written word has diminished, you should have a rethink because in our new world of remote work, it is more vital than ever. Or why do you think most remote workers do not spend hours upon hours on phone calls or video conferences? It’s simply because this ancient mode of communication—writing—is doing just great. As remote work becomes more common, onsite communication between employees has been supplanted by information being relayed via emails, Slack messages, chats, comment threads, and other kinds of written digital communication.
Today, written communication is incredibly useful since it allows you to search and find previous conversations. But that’s not all there is to it. Let me let you in on 6 importance of writing in the remote workforce.
6 IMPORTANCE OF WRITING TO REMOTE WORK
- You Relate Your Thoughts Clearly
The ability to write well and the ability to think clearly are inextricably linked. Think about it. When you speak, sometimes, you don’t put much thought into it but when you write, you’ll need to think well and organize your thought process before you can. We all tend to speak in a linear manner, whereas writing allows for expression of ideas more dynamically due to the capacity to alter thoughts as they evolve.
You really can succeed at everything, including your remote job, if you have solid analytical skills, which are founded on good writing skills.
- You Do Better At Your Job
Did you know programmers can benefit from good writing? And no, I don’t even mean coding. Software developers especially have realized the power of the written word. Quality documentation allows teams to produce software faster and more reliably, according to a Next Gear Solutions study that looked at the ingredients of successful technology projects.
Everyone writes in their daily jobs, from marketers to programmers to managers to designers to customer service teams. When you land a remote job, you’d want to know about the history of the company, their goals and the modalities as to what your work would look like. All that can not be communicated without the written word. Remember, that job ad was in written communication, wasn’t it? Comprehensive written documentation is required if there would be a delegation of duty in a remote job.
- You Develop Diplomatic Skills
There are a ton of things that cause tension in a workplace, from meeting deadlines to analyzing KPIs. This tension can have an even greater influence on you when you work remotely since you take that energy into your workspace.
Writing can help avert major breakdowns and inspire faster recovery in instances like these. Misunderstandings and misinterpretations cause many confrontations, but knowing how to choose the proper words and communicate your unique tone can make all the difference.
- You Hone Leadership Skills
If you can write well, it shows you understand why things happen and can balance logic and emotion when necessary. You understand your credibility and may use it to connect with and persuade your coworkers. You also know when to turn to a different medium of presenting your point, whether it’s through calls, charts, or other graphics, thanks to superb writing. And because new ideas are generated by connecting previously collected data, the more information and sources you have access to, the more likely you are to generate fresh ideas. But let’s talk about that in the next point.
- You Generate New Ideas
Selling new ideas and projects is a constant struggle even in the remote workforce. But write well, and you’ll come up with more ideas.
Good writers are essentially talented readers who like watching, questioning, and learning as much as they can about the subject they write about. Existing knowledge is connected to generating new ideas. If you are aware of diverse sources and can connect the dots, you are more likely to come up with new ideas. People that are the most creative take in a lot of knowledge and know exactly how to put it all together. This is something you should remember throughout your remote work and beyond.
- You Attain Healthy Work Relationship
Have you ever struggled to complete a task because directions or procedures were not well communicated? A misconception, after all, can be harmful. Being productive when your staff is distributed across multiple time zones is really tough. As a result, effective communication becomes a critical component of remote team success.
The most popular way of communication among remote teams is writing. This approach is more efficient than phone or video conferencing because your brain can only process so much data. Not only does writing down a recap of a conversation and sharing it with other stakeholders generate an artifact that can be recalled later, but it also establishes a clear expectation in a manner that a physical chat does not. For one, you will be able to recall what was stated to you at any given time. Without writing, there would be no choice after a phone or video conferencing session (unless you intentionally recorded the talk – which would be a lot of work to do every time).
Written notes are generally easier to scan and allow for revisions. As tedious as writing everything down may seem, it’s just as frustrating to show up to a meeting and forget what was stated the last time.
BOTTOM LINE
So yeah, writing might not always be the ideal method of communication. A video call could be way faster. However, writing is made for remote work because of the disciplined thought it requires and the simplicity with which it can be shared and modified. Writing appears to be on its way to becoming the next transactional skill for remote employees who want to flourish in remote employment.
You just watch and see.
Or what are your thoughts? The comment section is always open for you to air them.
