As part of their daily operations, businesses engage in writing. Given the important role that writing plays in shaping operations, it is important for firms to ensure that their writing is in line with principles of proper writing. Some of the issues that firms need to avoid in business writing include lengthy pieces, the use of imprecise language, jargon and poor organization (Bernoff, 2016). It is vital for firms to ensure that their writing is accurate, in compliance with writing guidelines and responsive to the situation and needs of the audience.
In 2014, Microsoft’s Stephen Elop penned a memo that addressed the firm’s employees. In the memo, he detailed changes that the company would be making following the acquisition of Nokia’s mobile division (“Stephen Elop’s Email”, 2014). This memo is a reflection of poor business writing. One of the glaring errors that Elop committed was beginning the memo with the salutation ‘Hello there.’ Given that the memo was formal, one would expect a corresponding formal salutation. Proper business writing guidelines spell out that individuals should always consider the situation for which the writing is needed.
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Apart from the misplaced salutation, Elop also failed to maintain simplicity in his writing. While individuals are discouraged from being too simplistic in their writing, they are reminded to stay clear of unnecessary complexities. This is a matter that Elop clearly did not understand. Instead of delving right into the issue that the memo sought to address, he goes into a long and unnecessary discussion about Microsoft’s operations and objectives. The purpose of the memo was to inform the employees that the company would be implementing layoffs. This is mentioned in the seventh paragraph. Effective business writing must be simple, clear and straight to the point.
Another weakness in Elop’s email is the fact that it is not the proper medium for communicating the company’s plans to let go of some of its employees. Since layoff is a sensitive matter, it is wise for a firm to adopt a more personal medium to communicate with its employees. It is likely that upon the release of the memo, panic gripped Microsoft’s employees as they worried about their job security. Elop’s memo highlights the need for firms to adopt clear and simple language. It is also important for companies to use the proper medium to communicate.
References
Bernoff, J. (2016). Bad Writing is Destroying your Company’s Productivity. Retrieved 6th September 2017 from https://hbr.org/2016/09/bad-writing-is-destroying-your-companys-productivity
Stephen Elop’s Email to Employees. (2014). Retrieved 6th September 2017 from https://news.microsoft.com/2014/07/17/stephen-elops-email-to-employees/
