A love letter to the written word in business
During a warm summer night in southern Italy, it can be hard to fall asleep. It is quiet outside. The occasional car, cicadas having their lively conversations. Most of all, no sign of wind flowing through the curtains.
As a young boy, you might decide that the best you can do is to just move on with your life. Who cares if it is night time! You recall that your grandpa gave you a collection of small books bound in leather: same shape, different colours. The names on the covers are nothing you can relate to but the night is still long and you should keep quiet. You grab the green one. It really smells like aged leather! On the cover, matt golden letters spell “Molière”. It sounds French but you know the text is actually in Italian. Anyway, time to get back into your bed.
The moon is shining bright so you don’t need extra lightning. As soon as you open the book, the sharp smell of old pages hits your nose at the same time you read the first sentence.
------------
Video and audio are accessible and extremely effective in bringing people closer and creating connections. I enjoy them myself everyday. My family and friends around the world are much closer to my everyday life than they would have been 20 years ago. Our company was able to seamlessly transition from office to hybrid while keeping our culture based on building meaningful relationships and work together everyday.
So, why this text about the written word? Most of the time I see it relegated to simply tracking objectives, short form communication (mails and chats) or strictly regulated, stale, long form documents. I know that there is much more to it and I’d like to inspire you and spark some interest.
Writing makes you a better thinker
Writing is an excellent tool for developing and consolidating thinking. It slows you down and promotes a soft focus. I find this combination helpful in unravelling my mental ball of yarn. Connections and dependencies materialize and are easy to wire and rewire. Essential concepts can be identified and developed. Further readings of your drafts give you a chance to restructure, identify gaps and consider the meaning of each sentence. The act of writing leaves you with a clearer mind and an enhanced ability to express your thoughts in any other format.
Personal suggestion: Give a try to the old pen and paper once in a while before you move to any electronic format.
Writing is scalable and efficient
Communication will always require interpretation. Meetings and discussions have an important place in our work life. However, they will definitely be outperformed by writing when conveying information on complex topics, getting feedback from many stakeholders and building long term knowledge. A written document allows everyone to contribute and give feedback at their own pace. Of course this requires a document that is felt as relevant, well composed and alive. At Pilloxa we condense our values, critical goals and top priorities on a single A4, filled in weekly and updated every quarter. A boost to clarity, transparency, accountability and alignment thanks to a single short written document.
Writing is an act of love to the reader (you, in this specific case)
It takes much more time writing a clear, compelling and informative text than it takes to read it. The writer puts in the work for the reader to enjoy a message as ready as possible to be understood. The depth and clarity I get from philosophy books is still unmatched and I couldn’t see any other format that could have given me the chance to connect and grasp those abstract ideas. This is still true in business, especially when it comes to creating clarity and alignment. For example, at Pilloxa we publish a written monthly report for communicating the core developments and creating a common context. This means that if you are a shareholder or an employee at Pilloxa it takes you only 5 minutes to access the most important reflections and updates.
------------
You feel a bit tired and sleepy. However, there is no clock in sight and it is summer. Nothing planned for tomorrow. You turn the next page and get back to the setting: the velvety clothes, the sturdy faces, the dance of the light on the facades of the palace. Actually, there is also some stronger light on the same page you are reading. Morning! That’s unexpected. Better try to sleep now before the city wakes up and drags you in the new day with the sound of merchants and farmers coming back from the fields.
It is still hot outside but it matters much less now. You close your eyes and get back to the crimson velvet and the bright facades.