How to use your time efficiently when writing - tips on business writing

Business Horizons, Nov-Dec, 1990 by Larry R. Smeltzer, Jeanette W. Gilsdorf

I have all the data pulled together. Now it's just a matter of finding time to get everything down on paper. I have a pretty good idea where I want to go with it. The report probably won't be longer than ten pages once I get it together.... But where am I going to get the time to do it?"

This question has been asked time and time again. Every manager has experienced the frustration of trying to write a complex report or proposal in a limited amount of time. The boss always seems to want it right now! But meetings, conferences, and continual interruptions force the manager to take work home to get it done. At home, of course, the guilt wells up when the children need more time, the house needs cleaning, or the dripping faucet needs repair.

All of these forces cause stress. In turn, the stress makes it even more difficult to complete the task. The outcome is, often, a poorly written report. An effective strategy for managing time in your management writing, however, can alleviate this problem. The following list of guidelines can help save time in your writing.

GET STARTED

This doesn't seem like a profound principle; however, many managers find this the most difficult step. Starting a report is something like starting an exercise program. It really isn't all that painful once you get into the flow of it. The worry about writing may hurt more than the writing itself.

Suggestion.- It is not always necessary to begin at the beginning. Many writers find the introductory section the most difficult. Those who do should write some later part of the report first. Experienced writers often begin with the body of the report (with some subsection of it, actually), and write the introduction after completing a draft of the body. A side benefit of writing the introduction later is that frequently, as a report develops, the introduction requires major revisions. "Retrofitting" a completed introduction wastes time.

Some writers begin with the segment that appears to be the easiest to write. Completing a draft of one section develops momentum and encourages a writer to

move on with another part.

Suggestion: Don't wait until every last piece of data is available be fore you begin writing. It is not uncommon for managers to spend so much time on data collection and analysis that they don't have sufficient time for writing. In their book In Search of Excellence, Peters and Waterman use the phrase "Analysis Paralysis." In the writing context, managers sometimes so over-involve themselves with gathering data that they don't know where to start writing-so they never do. Once they initiate the writing process, they may in fact uncover a need for further analysis. Even if they do, they still have a net gain: The data need is a constant either way, but now they have overcome their inertia and generated some momentum for the writing process.

YOUR DRAFT DOESN'T HAVE TO BE PERFECT

Probably the surest way to delay completion is to insist that every sentence be perfect before proceeding to the next one. When the writer worries about every potential grammatical error or punctuation problem, the flow of thought is destroyed. Few writers can concentrate on the content of the topic while worrying about the minute details of correct usage. It's a rare financial manager, for instance, who can focus on the latest financial ratios critical to the report while also thinking about pronoun agreement, precise word choice, and sequence of tense.

A manager sitting at the desk surrounded by wads of crumpled paper is a sad sight. So is the manager gazing at a writing tablet containing four completed sentences-and a dozen or so others crossed out because they were not perfect. Working this way wastes time and feeds frustration.

Suggestion: Write the initial draft quickly and then edit it. Think of the writing process as two separate thought processes. The first is to organize and record the contents of your thoughts. This is an intellectual challenge because it requires assimilating data and organizing it to best meet your objectives. The second process is the revision required to ensure clear writing and the accurate communication of your thoughts. Both of these processes are complex and both require maximum attention. Only a few very gifted people can satisfactorily accomplish both processes concurrently.

The report may require one, two, or many editing passes. An analogy may be made to refinishing the top of a wood table. First the table is stripped of the old finish. Doing this quick, rough job makes the table look better already. The next step is to clean up the table and begin to smooth, finish, and polish it. How many times should it be polished? It may be necessary to polish it several times if a museum-quality product is desired. If the table is going to be a piece of utility furniture for the basement, though, polishing it once or twice will serve. The same is true of a report. Each time the report is edited the product will be improved, but not all reports need the same degree of editing.