How do I convince my team that good writing matters?

You know it does. But how do you convince your team that good writing matters? You’ve seen how bad writing can confuse, delay, damage trust – or just waste time.” But how do you help other people care?

Not everyone thinks of themselves as a “writer.” Some see it as someone else’s job. Others see it as fiddly, fussy, or just not worth the effort.

If you’re trying to shift a writing culture – even quietly, even in your own team – here’s a bank of reasons that might help. You won’t need them all. Just find the ones that resonate with your colleagues, your setting, your reality.

🧡 Because it’s part of public service
“People have the right to understand what we’re doing with their money, their data, and their lives.”
We don’t write just for each other. We write board papers, reports, decisions – things the public could read. And that means they should be able to. That’s part of what it means to be a public servant.

🧡 Because it makes things fairer
“If you only write for insiders, you exclude the very people we’re here to serve.”
Clarity is an equality issue. You don’t have to simplify everything – but you do have to make it accessible. Especially to those who already have communication difficulties or face other barriers. 

🧡 Because it’s kind
“Everyone is overloaded these days; just give your reader a break!”
People sometime assume that board and committee members are superhuman and can absorb anything and everything – but they are human(!) and can sometimes feel overloaded and exhausted, making them very grateful for an easy-read paper or emaill. 

🧡 Because it earns trust
“Clear writing signals competence. Obscure writing signals defensiveness – or worse, confusion.”
People trust what they understand. Whether you’re briefing a colleague or publishing a public report, the tone and clarity of your writing shape how seriously people take you. If the writing is muddled, they assume the thinking is too.

🧡 Because it protects us
“When things go wrong, the writing gets quoted – in complaints, reports, or even court.”
Writing is permanent. It gets pulled into evidence. It shapes the paper trail. If we’re not clear, we leave room for misinterpretation – or worse, misrepresentation. Good writing is part of due diligence.

🧡 Because it reflects your judgement
“Writing isn’t just how we share ideas. It’s how we show our thinking.”
Whether you’re writing a report, a business case or an options appraisal, your writing is the way others see your judgement, your logic, and your grasp of detail. Even internal writing gets shared and scrutinised.

🧡 Because it saves time
“Every unclear sentence leads to another email. Every vague report leads to another meeting.”
People often see better writing as “extra work” – and for the writer it can be. But for the reader, it reduces duplication, cuts clarification loops, and shortens decision cycles. It’s not a nice-to-have – it’s a time-saving tool. One way to think about it is that there is only one of you – but there are many readers – so it’s better for you to pick up the extra work!

🧡 Because it’s how people get noticed
“If you want to be trusted with more, make your thinking easier to follow.”
Promotions, secondments, influence – they often come down to visibility and trust. If you write clearly, others can act on your work. That makes you easier to rely on. Good writing isn’t about being eloquent – it’s about being effective.

🧡 Because it brings teams together
“Writing well doesn’t mean sounding the same. But it does mean pulling in the same direction.”
Shared language builds shared understanding. Whether it’s a briefing note, a strategy paper or a consultation document, clear, collaborative writing helps teams move forward – not argue over interpretations.

🧡 Because it models respect
“People feel the tone of a document – even if they can’t name it.”
A defensive or muddled board paper. A cold letter. A blunt refusal. People notice. Writing that is clear, thoughtful and respectful creates better working relationships – inside and outside the organisation.

🧡 Because it’s how democracy works
“We govern in public. That means our documents should be intelligible to the public.”
Most people won’t read every report or decision paper. But that’s not the point. The point is that they should be able to. If your organisation can’t explain itself clearly, it’s not truly accountable.

Where to start
You don’t have to change the world in one go. Try one of these:

• Rewrite a process note that causes confusion – and quietly show how it works better.
• Offer to help redraft a shared document – and track how fast it gets approved.
• Create a short list of your team’s “banned words” (e.g. utilise, leverage, impactful).
• Share a clear before/after example with the note: “This saved us two days of back-and-forth.”
• Or just ask, gently: “What do you think this actually means?”

You’re not asking people to become world-class writers; you’re asking them to take clarity seriously. Because that’s what the work deserves . . .