Why I’m learning how to write

The truth is that communication makes collaboration possible. When we collaborate, we can stir positive change in the world. Therefore, knowing how to communicate well can be a superpower.

One way I’ve found to improve my communication skills is to write better. Learning how to write is helping me to communicate better because I have the time to organize my thoughts without feeling anxious about it — there’s no one staring at me — , and when it comes the time to talk, I have ideas flowing more naturally. So, if we want our readers or listeners to understand us, we have to organize our ideas in a sequential order that makes sense.

With complex subjects, this is harder because ideas can be intricately connected. Therefore, when we arrange them we have to be very careful. If we move too fast with many new ideas we may confuse our readers. If we move too slowly, it becomes boring. The key seems to be in balancing old ideas — ones that the reader is familiar with — with new ideas.

So, when we know our audience, we can anticipate what they already know and mix that with fresh ideas. This way, we have a more interesting text that the reader will engage more, collaborate with, and help change the status quo for the better.