For Penfluencers
Welcome, Penfluencer!
You’re a public sector administrator working to improve writing culture in the public sector – leading the writing revolution from inside the machine.
Whether you’re mentoring, designing new templates, or pushing back against jargon and bad grammar – you believe good writing changes things.
You’re not just writing. You’re shaping culture. You’re raising professional standards in the pursuit of excellent public service – even if you’re not at the top of the org chart. You’re here because you want to make a difference. And sometimes, that’s exhausting.
This page is here to help. It’s a landing space for the big questions Penfluencers often ask – plus tools, real-world examples, and practical resources for nudging change from within. Sign up to the newsletter or pop back here whenever suits – I’ll be adding new FAQ answers regularly.
🧡 Making the case for change
- How do I convince my team that good writing matters?
- What’s the best way to start improving templates and tone guides without annoying people?
- How can I persuade senior leaders to back a writing improvement initiative?
- What small wins can I focus on first to build momentum?
🧡 Leading change without friction
- How do I give helpful feedback on very senior colleagues’ writing?
- How can I give feedback on peers’ or team members’ writing without sounding controlling or critical?
- What resistance might I face when trying to raise writing standards – and how do I handle it?
- Who should own writing quality in an organisation?
- What’s the biggest mistake people make when trying to change writing culture?
🧡 Building writing skills and capacity in your organisation
- NEW: Can I run writing training myself instead of hiring an external trainer?
- NEW: What can a one-off writing skills course actually achieve – and what are its limits?
- If we source an external trainer, what should we look for?
🧡 Writing in a new era
- How can I use AI to improve writing quality without undermining human judgment and nuance?
- What pitfalls should I watch for when introducing AI tools to my team’s writing processes?
- What if people just ignore this work – like no one cares about this?
🧡 Measuring and sustaining progress
- How do I measure whether our documents are actually getting clearer?
- What’s the best way to hold the line on clarity and standards when everything else is changing?
Page last updated: Tuesday 2 September 2025
Check back here as we add more answers, or join the mailing list to be the first to know when new pieces go live.