Peter Drucker, the father of modern management theory, wrote, "There can be no communication if it is conceived as going from the 'I' to the 'Thou.' Communication works only from one member of 'us' to another."
This week, as you begin each piece of writing, ask yourself, "To what community do my reader and I both belong?" If you can define this community at the very beginning of your writing process, all kinds of other decisions will fall into place for you.
Difficult pieces of writing will suddenly become easier if instead of focusing on the antagonisms or differences between you and your readers, you focus on the community you're both part of. Even if you're angry at your reader or have a complaint about your reader's performance, you'll find that you can frame your message in the context of what you both want to happen—larger market share, say, or a better work environment.
Interesting point, when starting any piece of writing whether a sales pitch or a novel it is essential to understand who you are writing for, as you say after that everything else should fall into place.
Posted by: Danielle Ingram | 17 June 2009 at 03:54 AM
Kenneth-
I love this post. I call this "writing with the reader in mind". Unfortunately, there are many writers with wonderful things to say, but the message is lost because they were not considerate of their readers. Great advice!
Here is the flip side lesson: Read with the Writer in Mind. Enjoy! http://tinyurl.com/lmvou2
Posted by: Angela Maiers | 12 August 2009 at 06:30 PM