Re: Help - my consultants cannot write!

[Steve Schwarzman <steve -at- writersbookmall -dot- com>]

There are plenty of brilliant people in the world who can't write well.
Andrew's business problem may be one that - for some of his consultants -
can be solved by training or incentives, but for others who may be brilliant
security analysts, it may be that no training or financial incentive program
will help these employees become better writers.

One of the popular business books out there for a while now makes the case,
pretty convincingly I think, that sometimes the best results are not found
in trying to improve people's weaknesses, but instead in letting them focus
more on their strengths and finding ways, including with other staffers with
complementary strengths, to keep the overall group functioning at a high
level.

In other words, think about what you do best. Now think about what you do
worst. If you spend your time trying (probably for the umpteenth time) to
improve that worst skill of yours, in most cases, you're probably not going
to improve all that much, and meantime, you haven't been doing what you do
best - a big opportunity loss. Division of labor often (though admittedly
not always) is a good thing.

So, back to Andrew. I'd say try the courses, templates, etc. that people
have suggested. They'll help for some of the team. And then hire an editor
to fix the writing for the consultants who aren't helped by that stuff, as
long as it's worth it from a business perspective. I wouldn't can a great
security consultant if it still makes profitable sense to have someone tidy
up their writing behind them.

Steve Schwarzman
-- 
*Technical Writing Management: A Practical
Guide*<http://www.amazon.com/Technical-Writing-Management-Practical-Guide/dp/1456534181?&tag=writersbookmall-20>
Now available at
Amazon<http://www.amazon.com/Technical-Writing-Management-Practical-Guide/dp/1456534181?&tag=writersbookmall-20>in
softcover and Kindle editions
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