The art of getting it write [Management]

For the engineering manager, the art of successful business communication is so important that the IET has just published a book on the subject. In this edited extract, its author, business consultant Patrick Forsyth, argues that clarity of writing is everything.business writing need not be difficult. It is a skill that can be developed with study and practice. Some effort may be involved, and certainly practice helps, but it could be worse. Somerset Maugham is quoted as saying "There are three rules for writing the novel. Unfortunately, no one knows what they are." Good usinBusiness writing does not depend so much on creativity, though this is involved, and it is subject to certain rules. Rules, of course, are made to be broken. But they do act as useful guidelines and can therefore be a he.