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It's not really about 'writing skills', it's 'communication skills'. 'Writing' usually implies the ability to be creatively articulate, for example, like writi
by jariel 6y ago
It's not really about 'writing skills', it's 'communication skills'.
'Writing' usually implies the ability to be creatively articulate, for example, like writing a long form news article. People can be great writers and poor communicators.
For coherent team communications you even don't need proper grammar - what you need the ability to be clear, succinct, appropriate, provide context, timely etc..
It's not about 'writing' so much as it is 'social' and 'structured' communicating.
People with strong sensibility for others in a social context will know what needs to be said and not.
For example, some people, when reading something ambiguous in an e-mail, will take it the wrong way. Some will not. Some will know when not to write something and when to.
Again, this is not a 'writing skill' per sey more like communication.
- k__ 6y ago"you need the ability to be clear, succinct, appropriate, timely etc.." These are the basics of technical writing. But to be fair, technical writers are also called technical communicators.
- jariel 6y agoThat's true - but the article is not about technical writing, nor is technical writing the key to smooth communication for remote workers. (Obviously it might help though.) Many great writers are far too verbose and indirect to be great examples of how to succinctly communicate. Again, the term 'writing' is totally misapplied. Most people have sufficient writing skills, the issue is content which is where most of us are lacking.
- a-dub 6y ago100% this. grammar, punctuation and all the like are nice to haves. (and can be good social signaling) but the real skill is the ability to communicate complex ideas completely in a way that is easy for others to understand.
- theshrike79 6y agoI hate long form writing with a passion. I barely got my decree because I hated writing that trite crap they call a thesis so much. On the other hand I consider myself a good communicator, I can type a succinct email with a clear structure, I can create a damn fine Wiki page with indexes and all and I also communicate pretty well over text-based chats (started with IRC in the 90's). Still, I couldn't write a 10 page report to save my life (still have one due for a course, been putting it off for 6 months now...)
- jariel 6y ago"I hate long form writing with a passion. I barely got my decree" - HN Classic. Yes, I think there is such a thing as 'Engineering Speak' - organizing thoughts in structured and coherent way - it requires thinking a little bit differently though. I'm not impressed by most API documentation, it's just so terrible it makes me wonder about the people in tech.