Writing Instructions That Reduce Confusion

Found this 1980 ad about writing clearly. 65 years later, it's still the best writing advice I've ever seen: 1) Know exactly what you want to say before you start Most people start writing and figure it out as they go. That's why most writing sucks. Thompson says outline first, write second. Revolutionary concept, apparently. 2) Start where your readers are, not where you are Don't assume people know what you know. Meet them at their level of understanding, then bring them along. Most "experts" write for other experts and wonder why nobody gets it. 3) Use familiar word combinations Thompson's example: A scientist wrote "The biota exhibited a one hundred percent mortality response." Translation: "All the fish died." Stop trying to sound smart. Start trying to be clear. 4) Arrange your points logically Put the most important stuff first. Then the next most important. Then the least important. Seems obvious, but most people do it backwards. 5) Use "first-degree" words Thompson says some words bring immediate images to mind. Others need to be "translated" through first-degree words before you see them. "Precipitation" => "Rain" "Utilize" => "Use" "Facilitate" => "Help" 6) Cut the jargon Thompson warns against words and phrases "known only to people with specific knowledge or interests." If your mom wouldn't understand it, rewrite it. 7) Think like your reader, not like yourself Thompson asks: "Do they detract from clarity?" Most writers ask: "Do I sound professional?" Wrong question. TAKEAWAY: This ad is from 1960. The internet didn't exist. Social media wasn't even a concept. But the principles of clear communication haven't changed. Most people still can't write clearly because they're trying to impress instead of express.

Squishy words are the death of clarity. “They’ll take care of it.” “We’ll circle back when it’s ready.” “That should be fine.” These phrases are super common. But they are full of shortcut words that create confusion the moment people leave the room. Let’s take a closer look: ------------------------- “They’ll take care of it.” Who exactly is they? A single person? An entire team? And what does take care of mean—send an email, overhaul the process, or just promise to “look into it”? What is it in the first place? “We’ll circle back when it’s ready.” Who is included in we? Who is handling the follow-up? And what does ready mean—finished, reviewed, approved, or simply not embarrassing? “She owns the process.” Which process? Does own mean accountable for the result, or just updating a spreadsheet? Does ownership extend to outcomes, or just paperwork? And who the heck is “she”? “We need to help them out.” Who exactly is we—the whole department, or just the person in the room who nodded? Who are them? And what does help mean—staffing, budget, coaching, or moral support? “That should be fine.” What is that? What does should imply—certainty or a guess? And what is the standard for fine? Fine for one team, or for the customer, or for the CFO? Individually, these shortcut words feel efficient. But add them up and you’ve got a recipe for finger-pointing and wasted time. Everyone leaves the meeting thinking they’re aligned, when in reality each member of the group is walking out with a different interpretation. Confusion ensues and execution suffers. How to Fix It --------------- → Interrogate pronouns. Words like we, they, it, and that deserve a follow-up question. Replace them with names, teams, or specific deliverables. → Swap vague verbs. Instead of own, say is accountable for delivering X. Instead of help, say provide Y by Z date. → Define “done.” Do not accept ready or fine without asking: “What does ready look like? How will we know it is fine?” → Restate commitments. End meetings with plain-language confirmation: “Marketing delivers the campaign brief to Sales by Friday. Sales provides feedback by Monday.” If people cannot repeat it back with confidence, clarity is missing. Execution thrives on clarity. Everyday shortcut words are clarity killers. Because “we will help them own it when it is ready and that should be fine” is not clarity. #clarity #communication #execution

Like a broken record You say it once, twice, three times they nod and nothing gets done. That’s because most leaders give instructions their people can’t picture. To follow through, employees need three things, spelled out in plain English: 1. What’s my job? 2. What does “done right” look like? 3. Why does it matter? If you skip those, they’ll nod politely and forget it. If you nail them, they’ll actually own it. Here’s how to make it stick: 1️⃣ Start with the role ↳ Talk directly to who you mean: “As the project manager…” If they don’t hear their role, they won’t hear the rest. 2️⃣ Show their struggle ↳ Call out the exact frustrations they face. It proves you get their world. 3️⃣ Describe their day ↳ Spell out the mess they’re in—missed info, delays, confusion. They’ll know you see what they see. 4️⃣ Draw the finish line ↳ Be clear about what winning looks like. Not a task list—an outcome they can picture. 5️⃣ Keep it in plain words ↳ No jargon. If they wouldn’t say it at lunch, don’t say it to them. 6️⃣ Make it doable ↳ Say it so they think: “That’s clear. I know exactly what to do next.” That’s how you turn instructions into ownership. Direction into buy-in. Employees into believers. And when they start repeating your words back like they’re their own. That’s when you know you’ve won.

Say what you actually mean in your SOPs. Here’s what your auditor is thinking when they review a procedure: “Do these instructions tell me exactly what will happen every single time… or are they relying on the operator’s best guess?” Most SOPs collapse under the weight of that question because they’re packed with subjective language. If you use language like "uniform" or "until mixed", set objective limits for what that actually means for the operator. If you want predictable outcomes, you have to eliminate as much subjectivity as possible from your written procedures. Here are 3 steps to eliminate subjectivity from your SOPs: 1. Replace vague verbs with measurable, objective actions. Cut words like inspect, ensure, verify, and check unless you define how the action occurs. Use specifics: “Measure torque to 18–22 in-lb,” “Visually inspect per ANSI Z1.4 using (form #) Defect Acceptance Criteria.” 2. Define acceptance criteria. Terms like “clean,” “uniform,” “properly labeled,” and “intact” mean different things to different people. Give the target ranges, parameters, tolerances, and/or visual standards that remove interpretation. 3. Make the sequence as error-proof as possible. Number the steps. Add photos. Be specific. Remove optional language. If three operators can read it three different ways, you don’t have a suggestion document, not an SOP. Auditors don’t care how pretty the document looks. Well, most don't care how pretty the document looks. They care whether the instructions eliminate subjectivity and produce the same result every time. If you want fewer deviations, fewer surprises, and a more consistent quality system, start with this: Say exactly what you mean. Then write your SOPs so no one has to guess. If you want a quick confidential review of an SOP you wrote, redact it, and send it over.

𝐒𝐭𝐞𝐚𝐥 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬: 𝐦𝐲 𝐞𝐱𝐚𝐜𝐭 𝐞𝐦𝐚𝐢𝐥 𝐭𝐞𝐦𝐩𝐥𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐜𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐫 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐮𝐧𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧. I didn’t realize how many problems were coming from “okay” emails until I started working on fast-moving projects. Delays, confusion, back-and-forth, most of it wasn’t complexity. It was unclear communication. So I started using a simple structure that works almost every time. Here’s the template: 📍Start with context (1–2 lines): Why are you writing this email? “Following up on our discussion on X…” “Sharing an update on Y…” This aligns the reader instantly. 📍State the purpose clearly What do you want from this email? “Objective: Finalize vendor selection for Phase 1.” No guessing. No ambiguity. 📍Add key points (3–5 bullets max) Only what matters. • Current status • Key issue/blocker • Relevant data/decision point If it’s longer, it’s not clear enough. 📍Call out the action required This is where most emails fail. “Action required: Please confirm Option A or B by EOD Friday.” Be specific on who, what, and by when. 📍Close with clarity, not politeness fluff Avoid: “Let me know your thoughts.” Instead: “Once confirmed, we will proceed with implementation.” This one change reduced back-and-forth significantly for me. Because most communication problems aren’t about intelligence. They’re about structure. People don’t need more information. They need clarity on what matters and what to do next. Before sending your next email, ask yourself: Can someone read this in 30 seconds and know exactly what to do? If not, rewrite it. #Communication #Productivity #WorkplaceSkills #Consulting #ProfessionalGrowth #CareerTips #EmailWriting

Clear, concise #documentation isn't just a preference anymore (especially in the age of LLM parsing), it's a necessity. As technical writers, our goal should be to help users accomplish their tasks as quickly and efficiently as possible, not to showcase our vocabulary or complex writing abilities. All writing is a means to an end but for technical writing, function trumps form. Simple sentence structures, clear headings, and straightforward instructions help reduce confusion/info overload for readers who are often trying to solve immediate problems. When we eliminate unnecessary jargon, break down complex ideas into digestible chunks, and focus on direct, active voice, we create documentation that actually serves its purpose. Remember: The best #technicalwriting is the kind that gets out of the user's way and lets them get back to their work with a bit more know-how and knowledge than they had before. #TechnicalWriting #Documentation #TechComm #UX #ContentStrategy #Tech

✍️ Golden Rules For UX Writing. With practical guidelines on how to avoid confusion and help people understand better ↓ ✅ Always write with respect, for people as smart as you. ✅ Write mobile-first: short, plain language, bite-sized chunks. ✅ Decide what to say, then find the shortest way to say it. 🚫 Avoid long buttons: use 2–4 words, max. 25 characters. 🚫 Avoid long links: at least 8 chars, max. 8 words (55 chars). ✅ Use sentence case by default, Title Case only for headings. ✅ Use progress anchors for long forms: “Next: Payment details”. 🚫 Don’t use placeholders as replacement for labels or hints. 🚫 Don’t hide critical details or guidelines behind a tooltip. 🚫 Don’t hide frequently used filters/nav behind a button. ✅ Front-load keywords in headings and text summary. ✅ Make people hunt for destructive buttons to avoid mistakes. ✅ Leave room for translation. Expect your text to grow by 40%. 🚫 Avoid more than 20 words/sentence, 50 words/paragraph. 🚫 Never mix 2+ type treatments (color, bold, indents, italic). Good writing is an incredible opportunity. Not only to help people get work done faster and with confidence, but also to build a strong and lasting relationships. To be charming when users get started. To help without a fuss when things go wrong. To show respect and sincerity, but also understanding and care when it’s needed. One little technique that has helped me is to imagine a real person speaking to the customer before I choose words to communicate something to them. I think about how they speak — from voice and tone to speed and intonation. How casual or formal they are dressed. What their personality is. And, most importantly, what traits, values, beliefs and principles they uphold. A product then needs to match that personality, and adapt tone based on user’s context. Once we have it, we write down all the questions users might have. We re-arrange them in order of importance and severity. We decide what to say, and find the shortest way to say it. And then we test, by reading out a piece of content loud. And if it doesn’t sound right, it doesn’t read right either. ✤ Content Design in Design Systems Atlassian: https://lnkd.in/eGpzQqm4 Amplitude: https://lnkd.in/eaB85T7n 👍 DHL: https://lnkd.in/eF494fkT 👍 Duolingo: https://lnkd.in/egCSX9At Girlguiding: https://lnkd.in/eZ8zMyC3 👍 Gov.uk: https://lnkd.in/ekRadXad Intuit: https://lnkd.in/eGyBUrZ2 👍 JSTOR: https://lnkd.in/eAnyrtcu 👍 MetLife: https://lnkd.in/evVE8sqf Progressive’s: https://lnkd.in/evx_8bzY 👍 Shopify: https://lnkd.in/eAKgEHNW Skrill: https://lnkd.in/e2HGTq4q 👍 Zendesk: https://lnkd.in/euxijT5m 👍 Wise: https://lnkd.in/eWk-Mvf9 ✤ Books – Strategic Writing for UX, by Torrey Podmajersky – Content Design, by Sarah Winters – Nicely Said, by Nicole Fenton, Kate Kiefer Lee – Everybody Writes, by Ann Handley – Conversational Design by Erika Hall – Writing Is Designing, by Michael Metts, Andy Welfle ✏️ [continues in the comments ↓ ] #ux #writing