# One Thinks Higher of Me Because I Wrote This By:: [[Brian Heath]] 2023-12-08 Whenever I advocate for people to write more in business, I get a fair amount of pushback or pleasantries with a lack of follow-through. There is a stigma associated with writing, especially within business. Writing takes time and effort, so it is already behind the eight ball. In work cultures that already advocate for overworking, asking someone to do another challenging thing, like writing, seems unreasonable. Additionally, most people are not naturally great at writing, so it takes practice to become good. Finally, most people do not take the time to read written things, especially if they are organizational documents. Thus, a perfect storm emerges where writing is demoted as a tool for artists, academics, and those with too much time. Paradoxically, these same people flock to the writings of self-help and business gurus. On many occasions, someone has asked my opinion on a business subject, and instead of answering them directly, I send them a link to one of my blog posts. Upon reading it, they suddenly seem more interested in what I say. I'm now an expert in their eyes because I took 20 minutes to write something down and post it on the internet. This is no remarkable feat, as anybody could do it. Furthermore, my opinions are the same ones I gave them countless times verbally. Writing it down and reading it somehow transforms the message from amateur to professional. This is only one power of writing. The other is improving and evolving one's thoughts and experiences. Ask a business leader to describe their strategy and record the response. Then, ask the leader to write the strategy in a narrative. Which one will be more coherent? Which will be the most productive in identifying gaps and generating future improvements? It will be the written narrative. The spoken word has its place in inspiration, trust, and belonging, but how many speeches are remembered 10 minutes after it is over? One remembers the feeling but not the content. Well-written documents are capable of conveying feeling and content. However, within business, writing might be the only place where coherent content will likely exist. Everyone secretly craves it, or else no one would buy the guru's books and attend inspirational keynotes. Taking time to write is an act of self-actualization on the path to solidarity and progress. One can choose to dismiss writing, but the mere act of reading this likely means one thinks that I'm an expert. Does one wish to hear and be heard? Give writing a try. #### Related Items [[Writing]] [[Thinking]] [[Business]] [[Organization]] [[Self-Actualization]] [[Self-Improvement]] [[Progress]] [[Expertise]]