How to Write More Effectively at Work: The Email Revolution That's Actually Making Us Worse Communicators

Connect with us: SB Nation | Medium | Doodle or Die | Pexels | Coderwall

Here's the thing that nobody wants to admit about workplace writing: we're absolutely terrible at it, and it's getting worse every year. Last month, I received an email from a senior manager that was so convoluted I had to read it three times just to figure out if they were asking me a question or giving me an instruction. The subject line was "RE: RE: FW: Quick thing" and the body contained four different requests buried in a wall of text that would make Tolstoy weep.

We've somehow convinced ourselves that being "professional" means using as many words as possible to say absolutely nothing.

The Great Australian Email Disaster

I've been training people in business communication for nearly two decades, and I can tell you this with absolute certainty: Australian workplaces are drowning in bad writing. Not just poor grammar (though that's definitely part of it), but fundamentally unclear communication that wastes everyone's time and creates more confusion than clarity.

The problem isn't that people can't write. Most of us managed to get through school, university, or trade qualifications. The problem is that somewhere along the way, we decided that workplace writing needed to sound like a robot having a stroke.

Take this gem I received last week: "As per our previous conversation regarding the aforementioned matter, I would like to take this opportunity to reach out and touch base with you in relation to the upcoming deliverables that we discussed during our recent ideation session."

Translation: "Here's the stuff we talked about."

But here's where I'm going to say something that might annoy you: this isn't entirely the fault of the people doing the writing. It's systemic. We've created workplace cultures where being direct is somehow seen as rude, where brevity is mistaken for being dismissive, and where everyone's terrified of sounding "unprofessional."

Why Everyone's Writing Like They're Applying for a Government Grant

The root cause? Fear. Pure, simple fear.

Fear of being misunderstood. Fear of seeming too casual. Fear of not sounding important enough. Fear of leaving something out. So instead of writing clear, direct sentences, we hedge everything with disclaimers, wrap simple requests in corporate jargon, and bury our actual point somewhere in the third paragraph.

I worked with a mining company in Perth last year where the average internal email was 347 words long. Three hundred and forty-seven words! To communicate things like "The meeting's moved to Thursday" or "Please send me the updated budget."

When I pointed this out to the team, their defence was that they needed to "provide context" and "be thorough." But when we actually analysed the emails, 73% of the content was filler that added no value whatsoever.

Here's what really happens when you write like this:

1. People stop reading your emails properly
2. Important information gets buried
3. You waste everyone's time
4. Nothing actually gets communicated effectively

The Three-Sentence Rule That Changed Everything

About five years ago, I started experimenting with what I call the "three-sentence rule" for most workplace communication. And before you roll your eyes and tell me it's too simplistic, hear me out.

Most workplace emails, memos, and reports can be structured like this:

• Sentence 1: What you want or what happened
• Sentence 2: Why it matters or what needs to happen next
• Sentence 3: When/how/who (if relevant)

That's it.

Example: "The quarterly budget needs to be revised because our software costs have increased by 15%. Please send me your updated departmental figures by Friday so I can compile the final report."

Versus the corporate version: "I hope this email finds you well. I wanted to reach out regarding some budgetary considerations that have come to my attention. It has become apparent that there may be some discrepancies in our current quarterly projections, specifically in relation to our software expenditure, which appears to have experienced an unexpected increase. In light of this development, I believe it would be prudent to revisit our current allocations to ensure accuracy moving forward. If possible, could you please provide your revised departmental figures at your earliest convenience, as this will enable me to compile a comprehensive report for management review."

See the difference?

The first version takes 15 seconds to read and understand. The second version makes me want to throw my laptop out the window.

But What About Being Professional?

This is where I lose some people. There's this bizarre idea that professional communication means drowning your message in unnecessary words.

Professional communication is actually the opposite. It's:

• Clear
• Respectful
• Efficient
• Action-oriented

You know what's unprofessional? Making someone read 200 words to extract 20 words of actual information. That's disrespectful of their time.

I remember working with a construction company in Brisbane where the site supervisor was notorious for his direct communication style. Other managers complained that his emails were "too blunt" because he'd write things like: "Concrete delivery delayed until Tuesday. Reschedule electrical work accordingly."

But you know what? His projects ran on time, his teams knew exactly what was expected, and there was never any confusion about priorities. Meanwhile, the "professional" managers were sending novel-length emails that nobody actually read.

The Tools You Actually Need

Effective communication training isn't rocket science, but it does require unlearning some bad habits. Here's what actually works:

Start with your conclusion. Don't make people hunt for your point. If you're asking for something, ask for it in the first sentence. If you're providing information, lead with the most important bit.

Use active voice. Instead of "The report was completed by the team," write "The team completed the report." It's shorter, clearer, and more engaging.

Cut the apologetic language. Stop starting emails with "Sorry to bother you" or "I hope I'm not interrupting." You're doing your job. Own it.

Embrace bullet points. Lists are your friend. They break up text, make information scannable, and force you to be concise.

Where Most Training Gets It Wrong

Here's my controversial opinion: most workplace writing courses are completely useless. They focus on grammar rules and formal structure instead of teaching people how to actually communicate.

I've seen business writing courses that spend three hours teaching people the difference between "who" and "whom" but never address the fact that their emails are incomprehensible walls of text.

Grammar matters, sure. But clarity matters more.

The best writers I know in business aren't necessarily the ones with perfect punctuation. They're the ones who can explain complex ideas simply, who can motivate action with their words, and who respect their reader's time.

The Australian Advantage We're Wasting

Australians actually have a natural advantage when it comes to workplace communication. We're generally more direct than our American counterparts, less formal than the British, and we have a cultural appreciation for cutting through the BS.

But somehow, when we sit down to write a work email, we transform into corporate zombies spouting meaningless jargon.

I worked with a team in Adelaide where the culture was refreshingly straightforward in person, but their written communication was absolutely painful. In meetings, they'd say things like "That won't work" or "We need more budget." But in emails, those same thoughts became "Upon careful consideration, it may be prudent to explore alternative approaches" and "Perhaps we should revisit our resource allocation strategies."

Why? Because someone, somewhere along the line, told them that's how you're supposed to write at work.

The Real Cost of Bad Writing

Poor workplace communication isn't just annoying – it's expensive. Really expensive.

Think about it: if everyone in your organisation spends an extra 10 minutes per day trying to decode unclear emails, that's nearly an hour per week. Multiply that by your workforce, and you're looking at significant productivity losses.

But the hidden costs are even worse. Missed deadlines because instructions weren't clear. Duplicated work because requirements weren't specific. Projects going off track because stakeholders misunderstood the brief.

I consulted with a manufacturing company in Melbourne where a single unclear email about safety protocols led to a two-day production shutdown. The email was so ambiguous that different departments interpreted it completely differently, and when they tried to clarify, the follow-up emails just made things worse.

The cost? Over $150,000 in lost production.

All because someone couldn't write a clear sentence.

What Good Writing Actually Looks Like

Good workplace writing feels effortless to read. It flows naturally, gets to the point quickly, and leaves no room for misinterpretation.

Here's an example of what I mean:

Instead of: "We would like to take this opportunity to invite all team members to participate in our upcoming professional development initiative, which has been designed to enhance our collective capabilities in the area of customer service excellence."

Write: "Join us for customer service training next Thursday, 2-4 PM in Conference Room B."

The second version tells you everything you need to know in 12 words. The first version uses 31 words to say less.

But here's the thing – and this might surprise you – sometimes longer is better. If you're explaining a complex process, providing important context, or trying to persuade someone, you might need more words. The key is making sure every word earns its place.

The Technology Trap

Email was supposed to make workplace communication faster and more efficient. Instead, it's made us lazy and verbose. We fire off messages without thinking, copy too many people, and assume that "sending an email" equals "communicating effectively."

Slack, Teams, and other messaging platforms were supposed to fix this. Instead, they've just created new ways to be unclear, plus the added bonus of real-time confusion.

I love technology, don't get me wrong. But we've let these tools shape our communication habits instead of the other way around. We write differently in emails than we do in texts, and differently in Slack than we do in emails, and none of it makes sense.

The medium shouldn't dictate the message. Clear communication principles work regardless of whether you're writing on paper, in an email, or carved into stone.

The Simple Changes That Make Everything Better

Want to immediately improve your workplace writing? Here are the changes that actually make a difference:

Read it out loud. If it sounds awkward when spoken, it's probably awkward to read. Most good writing has a natural rhythm that you can hear.

Use shorter sentences. Not every sentence needs to be short, but if you've written three lines without a full stop, you've probably gone too far.

Be specific. Instead of "soon," say "by Friday." Instead of "issues," say "the printer is broken." Vague language creates confusion.

End with action. Tell people what you want them to do, by when, and how. Don't make them guess.

Cut ruthlessly. After you write something, go back and delete at least 20% of the words. You'll be amazed how much fluff you can eliminate without losing meaning.

Why This Matters More Than You Think

Effective writing isn't just about getting things done (although it definitely helps with that). It's about respect. When you write clearly, you're showing respect for your reader's time and intelligence.

When you bury your point in unnecessary words, hedge everything with disclaimers, and make people work to understand you, you're essentially saying "My time is more valuable than yours."

And in today's workplace, where everyone's overwhelmed and attention spans are shrinking, that's not just ineffective – it's career suicide.

The people who get promoted, who lead successful projects, who build strong professional relationships? They're usually the ones who can communicate clearly and persuasively in writing.

The Bottom Line (Finally)

Here's what I've learned after twenty years of watching people struggle with workplace writing: most problems aren't about grammar or vocabulary. They're about confidence and clarity of thought.

When you know what you want to say and you're confident in your message, the words flow naturally. When you're uncertain or trying to sound impressive, that's when you end up with incomprehensible corporate speak.

The best advice I can give you? Write like you're talking to a colleague you respect. Be direct, be helpful, and be human. Save the fancy language for your university essays.

Your readers will thank you, your projects will run smoother, and you might even enjoy writing again.

Trust me on this one.