On technical writing — values of the written word
Succinct, straight to the point, and flourishing with technical jargons, technical writing seems to serve for professional purposes only — no matter in forms of emails, journal papers, or project manuals. Shortened acronyms are communicated efficiently within teams, technical jargons are a language of a professional clique, and unembellished passages serve their purpose to be plainspoken and direct. Yet, can technical writing serve more than purely a work setting, outside our professional realm? How can it be communicated and shared with individuals outside the circle, for learning or just a glimpse of the dynamics within?
Recently, I read an article on the Economist, “Remote work and the importance of writing”, on how the written word still flourishes in the post-pandemic workplace. As working from home becomes the norm in multiple professions — tech, finance, and education; we’ve quickly adapted to Zoom meetings, “asynchronously” working on a group project, and more flexible schedules. When sharing information, videos are the most visually stimulative, phone calls the most efficient, and Zoom meetings the most collaborative. Yet, multiple strengths of the written word flourish in the post pandemic era. Firstly, the logical thought process needed for structured passages call for rigorous thinking and disciplined implementation. Secondly, it is the most easily edited, read, and shared form of communication (in comparison with videos, meetings). Thirdly, it reduces content to the most essential elements, as shorter passages retain the best focus, in professional writing. As Andrew Bosworth said, “Discussion expands the space of possibilities while writing reduces it to its most essential components.”
For me, writing played a huge role on the job in this year of work. Morning market commentaries — multiple short passages on the overnight credit market, macro-economic/ geopolitical news updates, and notable headlines of bond issuers are condensed in an email sent out daily. Team communication takes place in a shared chatroom (when working remotely), where written communications are succinct, clear, and timely. The frequent client interactions — no matter through emails, chatrooms, or phone calls, also call for the brevity, structure, and clear discussion points.
We could treat each type of writing as good practice, as creative writing, literary expressions, and technical writing share mutual pillars. The pursuits of a lucid theme, logical structure, and expressiveness of thoughts backed with data, personal experience, or historical evidence are common pillars. For the writer, in the process of crafting an article, the cumulation, structuring, to expression of information is halfway through the learning journey.
If we are lucky enough to be in a professional realm that intrigues with its latest developments, if domain knowledge or experience itself might be appreciated when shared (the non-confidential part of course)– why not write a word or two, as part of the reflective journey? In the end of the day, we devote a lot of energy and thought to our professions, and a few words of afterthoughts help clarify why we went there in the first place, the significance of our experiences, and where this leads to the future.
