Write Work Documents Readers Can Quickly Understand and Act On

## Before Writing, Decide Who Will Read It and What They Must Do Before drafting, identify: - who will use the document; - what they already know; - what they need to learn or decide; - what action, if any, they should take; and - what constraints or risks may affect their use of the information. Write for the least-informed intended reader who still needs to act correctly. If several audiences have different needs, separate their paths or clearly label the sections that apply to each one. ## Put the Main Answer First, in the Order Readers Will Ask Put the purpose and most important message near the beginning. Arrange the rest in the order a reader is likely to ask questions, not in the order the writer discovered the information. Use this sequence when it fits: 1. State why the document matters. 2. Give the decision, requirement, or main answer. 3. Explain what the reader must know or do. 4. Add supporting detail, exceptions, and references. Include information because it helps the reader understand or act. Move background material that only a few readers need into a clearly labeled later section. ## Split Long Text into Sections with Headings That Predict the Content Divide long material into short, focused sections. Give each section a heading that predicts its content or answers a likely reader question. Use no more than three heading levels unless the document genuinely needs a deeper hierarchy. Parallel sections should use parallel wording and comparable levels of detail. A heading should not promise content that the section does not deliver. Open a dense section with a brief orienting sentence when the reader needs context before the details. ## Name Who Is Responsible for Each Action Prefer sentences that name the responsible actor and the action directly. - Use active voice when responsibility matters. - Use passive voice when the actor is unknown, irrelevant, or intentionally secondary. - Keep the actor close to the action. - State conditions before or next to the instruction they limit. Do not use passive wording to hide an unresolved owner. If responsibility is shared, name the roles and distinguish their actions. ## Use Familiar Words and Call the Same Thing by the Same Name Use the simplest accurate word. Prefer familiar language over jargon, inflated phrases, or unexplained abbreviations. Keep a technical term when it is necessary for precision or when readers must recognize it elsewhere. Define it at first use, then use the same term consistently. Do not switch among near-synonyms if the change could imply a different meaning. Break long noun clusters into phrases that reveal the relationships among the ideas. ## Show Clearly Whether an Action Is Required or Only Recommended Express actions as verbs instead of burying them in abstract nouns. Prefer direct verb forms and present tense when they accurately describe the rule, process, or current state. Choose obligation words deliberately: - use **must** for a requirement; - use **may** for permission; - use **should** for a recommendation; and - use **will** for a predicted or promised future action. Do not rely on an ambiguous modal when readers need to know whether an action is required, optional, recommended, or expected. ## Cut Repeated Words and Keep One Idea per Sentence Delete words that repeat an idea, add ceremony without meaning, or state what the reader can already infer. Prefer one precise term over paired terms that mean nearly the same thing. Keep sentences focused on one main idea. Split a sentence when its conditions, exceptions, and actions compete for attention. Place modifiers beside the words they modify, and keep each condition close to the outcome it controls. Use positive phrasing when it is clearer than a negative construction. Retain a negative form when it expresses the rule more accurately or prevents a dangerous misunderstanding. ## Use Lists and Tables So the Document Reads Quickly Use visual structure to reveal meaning: - bullets for items with no required sequence; - numbers for steps or ranked items; - tables for repeated comparisons; - whitespace to separate ideas; and - restrained emphasis for genuinely important distinctions. Keep fonts, spacing, labels, and alignment consistent. Avoid decoration that competes with the message. Choose a layout that remains understandable when copied, resized, printed, or viewed on a narrow screen. Change a legacy format when it prevents readers from finding or using the information, unless a binding requirement prevents the change. ## Before Sending, Reread as the Reader and Check Names and Numbers Before delivery, read the document once as if you did not write it. Confirm that the intended reader can: 1. identify the purpose quickly; 2. find the relevant section; 3. understand the required action or decision; 4. distinguish rules from recommendations and examples; and 5. recognize conditions, exceptions, owners, and deadlines. Then check names, numbers, links, labels, subject lines, and formatting for accuracy and consistency. Remove any sentence that creates a question the document should have answered.