Write Better At Work

“How to” is not enough; leaders need “know that” and “know to”

by

You might expect someone who scores well on a management test to be an excellent manager. However, a recent study found that managers who know principles and procedures often fail to put that knowledge into practice.

Lead researcher Timothy Baldwin and his colleagues identified three types of knowledge:

  • principles (know that)
  • ability to do something (know how)
  • recognizing when and where to use a skill (know to)

Tests can measure the first two types of knowledge (know that and know how). However, they are not as effective at assessing knowing to, which “means having access to one’s knowledge in the moment—knowing to do something when it is needed.”

Based on the study, how-to writers need to do more than explain basic principles and processes. They also need to provide cues that help readers recognize when to apply knowledge.

For example, one principle of email etiquette is that you should exchange no more than three rounds of emails. If you haven’t resolved the issue after three rounds, call or visit face-to-face instead of sending another email. But what if an exchange starts to turn hostile?

Don’t wait for the third round; instead, call or talk in person immediately. Only someone who knows to ignore the rule when exchanges turn hostile can defuse conflict before it escalates.

As you write how-to materials, keep know-that and know-to in mind. Give readers cues about when and where t0 use what they know. Explain the rationale for recommendations so readers can recognize opportunities to apply them. By building know-than and know-to into your how-to training, you’ll develop leaders who can put their knowledge into practice.

Notes: Catherine Lombardozzi describes a 2011 study by Baldwin, Pierce, Joines, and Farouk in “Shocking Evidence of Managers’ Knowing-Doing Gap” in T+D (July 2012): http://www.astd.org/Publications/Magazines/TD/TD-Archive/2012/07/Shocking-Evidence-of-Managers-Knowing-Doing-Gap.aspx

Writing advice for Halloween: Think skeletal when you write

by

The best way to create polished writing, paradoxically, is to write a terrible first draft.

Anne LaMott begins with what she calls a “shitty first draft.” Her goal is to get something—anything—down. By drafting freely, she creates momentum. She then goes with the flow, trusting she can shape the piece later.

Carolyn Kaufman agrees that writers should “Always Write Terrible First Drafts.” However, she thinks of the first draft as building a skeleton. Her first draft lays out the bare bones of a piece. Each successive draft adds a layer to fleskeletonsh out the framework: plot twists; character development; “the stuff,” she says, “that makes your story (forgive me for using this word) meaty.” She adds the finishing touches, such as skin and hair, only after the skeleton is fully fleshed out.

Her strategy, like LaMott’s, separates drafting and polishing. Either method can silence your inner critic and create flow. Some writers may revel in the freedom of letting a “shitty first draft” sprawl it may. If you crave a little more structure, try Kaufman’s skeletal approach:
http://querytracker.blogspot.com/2012/10/always-write-terrible-first-drafts.html

Image by Mikael Häggström https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File%3AHuman_skeleton_front_-_no_labels.svgFile:svg

To plan or not to plan: Rachel Aaron on how her first book “found its own way”

by

One of the great debates among writers is whether an outline is an essential planning strategy or a counterproductive shackle.

There’s no question that having some kind of plan improves the depth and quality of the finished work. But that plan doesn’t have to be an outline.

In an informal study, composition teacher Rory Stephens found that about 50 percent of writers found it helpful to make an outline. However, some writers do their drafting n their heads. For these think-writers, as Stephens calls them, an outline may be redundant.

Even writers who find outlines helpful may not need to make a formal plan. For a short piece, a key idea with a few bullet points may be enough. If your organization has a typical format for a progress report, all you need to do is follow the format.

Rachel Aaron, author of The Spirit Thief, is one of the adventurous types who makes up her own format. Her description of how she developed the concept for her series about the charming thief Eli Monpress is a good example of think-writing by letting an idea find its own path.

Monpress began as “a character concept” from a Dungeons and Dragons player who conceived a thief who wanted to increase the bounty on his head. The other characters crystallized around Eli. The wizard Miranda was originally a rival thief, but Aaron “realized this woman was way too duty bound to ever steal anything.” So she became “the cop to Eli’s robber.”

Once the characters were in place, the novel “evolved naturally. After all, I had a thief and a cop, now I needed a crime, and what better crime than kidnapping a king? But, since nothing can ever go smoothly, the king had to have a dastardly brother waiting in the wings. Once I figured those bits out, the novel found its own way.”

This kind of flexibility requires a willingness to believe that disparate ideas will eventually come together into a coherent whole. Those who can sustain this belief leave themselves open to possibilities. They can quickly recognize and adapt to new ideas.

Those who write by outlining can also take advantage of possibilities. As a general rule, outliners should stick to their plan—unless an idea that’s obviously better comes to mind. If inspiration strikes, it’s usually best to go with the momentum and capture the idea. You can always check your new organization by making an outline based on your draft (called a “reverse outline”). That gives you the best of both worlds: focus and flexibility.

For an explanation of reverse outlining, see this post to Rachael Cayley’s Exploration of Style blog:  http://explorationsofstyle.com/2011/02/09/reverse-outlines/

Notes

Several studies by Ronald T. Kellogg explore the benefits and drawbacks of outlining.

Rory D. Stevens wrote “Variations in Composing Style,” Journal of Advanced Composition, II(1-2), which is available at http://www.
jacweb.org/Archived_volumes/pdf_files/JAC2_Stephens.pdf

Quotations from Rachel Aaron are from “Interview” in The Spirit Thief (Orbit, 2010). Aaron posted a more detailed description of how she plots at http://thisblogisaploy.blogspot.com/2011/09/how-i-plot-novel-in-5-steps.html

For a self-scoring quiz on whether your brain tends to organize by outlining or by random association, see /quizzes/are-you-a-web-or-step-thinker/

 

Do you think like Mr. Spock or Dr. McCoy? And why does that matter when you write?

by

Much of the advice about writing and productivity seems to assume that our brains work in 1-2-3 order. Many people’s brains do. If they watch StarTrek, Mr. Spock is their favorite character. If they like to cook, their spice cupboards are alphabetized. When they give directions, they start with the first step and proceed to the end in perfect sequential order.

These logical folk will tell you that the way to write is to begin with a plan and follow the plan. That’s excellent advice—for them.

People who think like Dr. McCoy need a different approach. As an exasperated Spock frequently observes, McCoy is not a logical thinker. However, his patients benefit from the doctor’s intuitive leaps into unknown territory. When an alien Horta becomes his patient, McCoy famously complains that he doesn’t know how to treat a silicone-based life form: “I’m a doctor, not a bricklayer.” Yet a bricklayer of sorts is exactly what he needs to be. McCoy’s brain agilely associates bricklayers, trowels, mortar, and medicine to invent a new treatment that saves the Horta.

Intuitive thinkers advise writers to make mind maps, freewrite, or find other ways to capture random associations.

Which approach is better? That depends on how your brain works. Writing researchers have found that making an outline can help some writers put ideas into words more easily. Outlines can also improve the depth and organization of the final draft. However, outlines can be a waste of time for writers who develop ideas in their heads. And some writers may use both types of logic, first jotting down random associations and then organizing them into an outline.

As one of my students put it, “The best way to plan is to do what your brain wants to do naturally.”

What kind of thinker are you? Take a quick self-scoring quiz to find out at /quizzes/are-you-a-web-or-step-thinker/

The results are nonscientific, but you’ll get an idea of which type of thinking—logical or intuitive—will work best for you when you plan your writing.

Notes:

McCoy’s complaint, “I’m a doctor, not a bricklayer,” is from The Devil in the Dark (1967).

For examples of mind maps, see the Gallery on Tony Buzan’s site: http://www.thinkbuzan.com/us/support/mindmapgallery

For a demonstration of mind mapping and an explanation of associational logic, see Tony Buzan’s 6-minute video, Maximize the Power of Your Brain: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MlabrWv25qQ

Freewriting is a technique that gets thoughts flowing freely. Writers decide how long to write (usually 5 to 15 minutes) and then write continuously without stopping to revise or make corrections. The key is to write without stopping, even if the only thought that comes to mind is I can’t think of what to write next, I can’t think of what to write next…. Peter Elbow developed the technique; Julia Cameron and Natalie Goldberg are among its advocates.

Writing researchers who have studied the effectiveness of outlining include R Kellogg (2008), “Training Writing Skills: A Cognitive Development Perspective, Journal of Writing Research, 1(1), 1-26, and Torrance, Thomas, and Robinson (2000), “Individual Differences in Undergraduate Essay-Writing Strategies: A Longitudinal Study,” Higher Education, 39:2, 181-200, DOI: 10.1023/A:1003990432398.