Business Writing: How to Communicate at Work
In the corporate world, time is money. Bad business writing forces people to mentally decode what you are trying to say, wasting hours of company time. Good business writing is invisible; it transports the exact necessary information from your brain into your colleague's brain instantly.
1. The BLUF Principle
BLUF stands for "Bottom Line Up Front." Originally a military communication protocol, it is the golden rule of business writing.
Do not bury your main request or conclusion at the end of a long narrative email. People have short attention spans. The very first sentence of your message should state exactly why you are writing and what you need.
❌ Bad: "Hi team, over the last few weeks we've been seeing a dip in our server response times..." (Narrative rambling)
✅ Good: "Hi team, please approve the attached invoice for a server upgrade so we can fix the latency issues we have been experiencing." (BLUF)
2. Master the Subject Line
If your subject line is "Checking in" or "Question," your email will be ignored. Your subject line should be a mini-BLUF. Provide enough context so the recipient knows whether they need to open it immediately or later.
- Informational:
[INFO] Q3 Sales numbers are finalized - Action Required:
[ACTION NEEDED by Friday] Review new HR policy
3. Formatting for Skimming
Use our online notepad to draft and format important company-wide memos before hitting send in your email client. Never send an email that is just one giant block of text.
- Use bullet points to list action items.
- Use bolding on names if you are giving specific people tasks (e.g., "@Sarah to follow up with the design agency").
- Keep paragraphs strictly to 2-3 sentences.
4. Professional Tone
A professional tone does not mean using five-dollar vocabulary words like "synergy" or "paradigm shift." It means being concise, respectful, and objective.
Avoid using passive voice. Instead of saying "Mistakes were made," say "Our team made a mistake." Taking accountability through direct active voice builds massive respect in a corporate environment.