How to Upskill Your Workforce’s Written Communication

Are you concerned that your workforce’s writing skills are not up to par? If so, you’re not alone. A recent study by the American Management Association found that nearly 60% of managers believe their employees need improvement when it comes to writing.

The good news is that there are plenty of ways to help your team improve their writing skills. Here are ten of the best.

Play word games as a team

One way to help your team improve their writing skills is to have them play word games together. This is a great way to expand their vocabulary and help them think creatively. There are many great word games available online, or you could even make up your own. This is a fun and interactive way to help your team improve their writing skills.

Games like Scrabble are a great way to encourage friendly competition and help people expand their vocabulary. If you find that people are struggling to come up with winning combinations (especially if you have people on your team whose first language is not English), consider using a website like Unscramblex to help unjumble letters and score more points.

Use social media

Twitter can be a great way to improve your team’s writing skills. By following industry leaders and influencers, your team can learn new ways to communicate effectively in writing. Twitter is also a great platform for sharing resources and articles on writing tips.

What’s more, doing this also gives your team better insight into how to communicate effectively on social media. This is particularly important for any marketing and PR people on your team.

Create a company-wide style guide

One way to ensure that everyone in your company is writing in a consistent style is to create a company-wide style guide. This document should outline the preferred style for things like punctuation, grammar, and tone of voice. Having this guide will make it easier for people to write in a way that is consistent with your company’s branding.

Offer writing courses and workshops

If you really want to help your team improve their writing skills, you can offer writing courses and workshops. There are many online courses available, or you could even hire a professional writer to come in and teach a workshop. This is a great way to give your team the chance to learn new writing techniques and tips.

Encourage people to read more

One of the best ways to improve your writing skills is to simply read more. This will help expand your vocabulary and give you a better understanding of grammar and style. Encourage your team to read more by providing them with access to books, magazines, and online articles. You could even start a company-wide book club and offer subsidies for book expenditures every month.

Give feedback on writing samples

If you want to help your team improve their writing, one of the best things you can do is give them feedback on their work. When you’re reviewing a report or email, take the time to point out what works well and offer suggestions on how to make improvements. This will help your team members learn from their mistakes and become better writers.

Have people write more

One of the best ways to improve your writing skills is simply to write more. The more you write, the better you\’ll become at it. Encourage your team members to find opportunities to write, whether it’s through blogging, creating reports, or sending emails. The more they practice, the better they’ll become at writing.

A great way to get people to write more is to determine which of your weekly face-to-face meetings could be replaced by a group chat. You, as the leader/manager need to take the reins on the chat to make sure that it doesn’t become a YouTube live comment section, but if you ask specific questions to specific team members and ask them to explain or elaborate on their answers, you’re giving them an opportunity to practice their writing skills in a safe environment.

Use mind maps

Mind maps are a great tool for brainstorming and organizing thoughts. They can also be helpful for planning out writing projects. Encourage your team to use mind maps when they’re starting a new writing project. This will help them organize their thoughts and come up with a clear plan for what they want to write.

Have people proofread their work

One way to ensure that your team’s writing is error-free is to have them proofread their work before they send it out. This doesn’t mean that you need to have a team of proof-reader’s, but you should encourage your employees to take the time to review their work before they hit send. This will help them catch any errors and ensure that their writing is polished.

Use editing tools

There are many great editing tools available online, such as grammar checkers and style guides. These tools can be helpful for catching errors and ensuring that your team’s writing is consistent. Encourage your team to make use of these tools when they’re editing their work. You might even consider paying for something like Grammarly pro or the Hemingway App so that your team has access to more sophisticated editing tools.

Conclusion

These are just a few of the many ways you can help your team improve their writing skills. By taking the time to invest in your team’s development, you’ll help them become better writers and improve the quality of your company’s written communications.