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
- Can I run writing training myself instead of hiring an external trainer?
- 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?
Check back here as we add more answers, or join the mailing list to be the first to know when new pieces go live.