Writing can be conceptualized as writer-centred or reader-centred. Things like diaries, reflections, and journals are primarily writer-centred, in that they are written for the benefit of the writer. Your schoolwork may also be somewhat writer-centred, in that often your goal is to “show what you know” and thereby “get a good grade.” For example, when writing a paragraph response to an exam question, you might try to include everything you can think of about the topic in order to get maximum points, even if some of the idea you include are not totally relevant. The reader obviously  already knows all this, so you are not writing to inform them; you are writing to show what you know, and they are reading to assess your knowledge.

Technical communications require that you shift this mindset and write for the benefit of your reader—or design the content and structure of your communication to benefit your “user.” Clearly you also have your own purpose in writing, but you must align this with the reader’s purpose in reading. In this situation, you will not bombard the reader with everything you know about a subject;  instead, you will carefully select only the information that you think the reader wants or needs to know. This mindset should be informed by an understanding of your audience. Use these guidelines and ask yourself the following questions:

Who is my target audience? Are they internal or external readers? Upstream, downstream or lateral from me? Do I have multiple potential readers?

What is their perspectives on the topic, on me, and on the document I will write? What are they expecting to do with the document? Is it meant to help them make a decision? Understand a policy or procedure? What is the document meant to accomplish? Why has it been requested? What is my role and relationship to my readers? What does the reader need to know? Already know? What does my reader NOT need to have explained?

What is my goal or purpose in writing to these readers? What am I trying to communicate? What do I want them to do as a result of reading this document? What information do I need to give them, and in what format, to get them to do this? How can I plan the content to meet my readers’ needs?

What is my reader’s goal? Why does this audience want or need to read this document?

Achieving a clear understanding of your audience is crucial to communicating effectively.

Professional Tone

“Tone” refers to the attitude that a document conveys towards the topic and/or the reader. You have likely read something that sounded angry, or optimistic, or humorous, or cynical, or enthusiastic. These words characterize the tone. Technical communication tends to avoid displaying an obvious emotion, and instead strives for a neutral and objective tone.

Tone is created through word choice (diction), word order (syntax), sentence construction, and perspective. Consider a piece of academic writing that you may have read. It likely created a formal tone through its use of specialized terminology, sophisticated vocabulary, complex sentence structures, and third person voice. This style suits the genre because it is directed at experts and scholars in the field, and seeks to convey complex information densely and objectively, with an emphasis on reason, logic, and evidence.

Now consider a piece of business writing that you may have read. The tone may be sightly less formal but probably not quite colloquial. The language is direct and plain, and the sentences are shorter and more straightforward. It may make use of the second person (“you”) to build connection with the reader, but likely avoids slang. This style suits business writing because it is directed at colleagues, management, or clients who are seeking information clearly and quickly and who may need to take action on it.

Writing Constructively

Striking the appropriate tone involves understanding your purpose, context, and audience. It also involves an understanding that workplaces are often hierarchical, and that cooperation and collaboration are required. Therefore, it is important to consider how you want your reader to feel, and what may make your reader feel that way. Your goal is to write constructively, which means to use positive phrasing to convey your message to your reader. Table 2.1.1 illustrates the differences between destructive/negative and constructive/positive feelings the reader may experience as a result of the tone used in a document.

Considering how your reader may feel after reading your document is an important part of revision. Did your tone come across like you hoped it would? Could it be misconstrued? Often this is where peer reviewing can be helpful. Asking a colleague to review your document before sending it to its intended audience is a common professional practice, as we can sometimes miss things in our own writing.

Sometimes, you will need to communicate information that is unpleasant, such as delivering bad news or rejecting a request. Communicating constructively is even more important in these situations. Regardless of message, how can you ensure you are communicating constructively?

Adopt an adult-to-adult approach: that is to say, avoid talking down to your reader in a patronizing tone, and likewise avoid sounding petulant or unwilling to take responsibility. Aim to communicate respectfully, responsibly, confidently, and cooperatively — as one responsible adult to another.

Be courteous:  focus on the reader as much as possible. Use “you” unless it results in blaming (one effective use of passive verbs is to avoid assigning blame; for example, “mistakes were made”). Use typically accepted forms of courtesy and politeness. Use gender-neutral phrasing and plural forms, unless you are referring to a specific person and you know their gender.

Focus on the positive:  emphasize what you can do rather than what you can’t. Try to avoid negative wording and phrasing whenever possible (no, not, never, none, cannot, etc.). Focus on what can be done or improved.

Be genuine:  apologize if you have made a mistake. Take responsibility, be accountable, and promise to do better. Be authentic in your expression. Avoid sounding like marketing material. Make reasonable claims that can be backed with evidence.

Consider the following perspectives: