If your reader doesn't do what you want or expect then it's your fault

GB

15 Jan 2024 — 1 min read

That's my key takeaway from listening to this [this episode](https://lnkd.in/exVV_6w2) of the Fixable podcast. The podcast features [Todd Rogers](https://scholar.harvard.edu/todd_rogers/home), a professor at Harvard's Kennedy School of Government, who is a co-author of Writing for Busy Readers: Communicate More Effectively in the Real World. During the conversation with the podcast hosts, Todd explained six research-backed principles for effective writing that are in the book. These are: - Use fewer words Lower the reading level Use formatting judiciously Make the purpose clear for skimmers Emphasise value for readers Make responding as easy as possible. I am not spelling them out any more here because I think you should listen to the podcast. It is definitely worth 30 minutes of your time. <img src="https://articulateaccountant.micro.blog/uploads/2024/3574bf9111.jpg" width="581" height="600" alt>

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If your reader doesn't do what you want or expect then it's your fault

GB

Read more

Do your numbers help your readers or confuse them?

Quick win: One sentence that saves everyone time

Get the first page right

A new name — same focus on writing that works