Page 43 - How to write effective business English your guide to excellent professional communication by Fiona Talbot

32 How to Write Effective Business English

● ● Generation Y, or Millennials – born between 1981 and 1997
● ● Generation Z, or Post-Millennials – born after 1997
This mix brings different communication perspectives – and suc-
cessful organizations know how to create a winning fusion of their
styles. Interestingly, millennials and post-millennials – who I prefer
to call ‘upcoming generations’ – are estimated to become 75 per
cent of the workforce by 2030. They come into the workplace
knowing they have a voice and, understandably, they expect it to
be heard.
So what advice can I give all generations about how to write
effectively in business today? Well, in terms of business writing,
until fairly recently, new entrants to the workplace were expected
to mirror the writing style of their seniors. Young graduates would
write to clients ‘We await your instructions at your earliest con-
venience’ and the like. Though it wasn’t their natural language,
they complied with convention and deferred to their managers.
How times have changed! Of course, every person is different,
but the broad trends show that upcoming generations are unlikely
to be attracted in the first place to an organization that doesn’t use
the accessible language they’re familiar with. They also prefer to
work for someone they trust, which they’ll glean via the values
they see communicated.
They noticeably communicate all the time, not so much by
phone calls or meetings but yes, by written words – in instant mes-
saging or e-mails. Being kept in the loop comes naturally to them
and is a key skill that their bosses from previous generations desire,
but don’t always manage.
In turn, upcoming generations must learn how to write success-
fully with preceding ones at work, as well as for multigenerational
client bases, to secure buy-in to messages and persuade – especially
where the preceding generations hold greater influence, experience
and purchasing power. The majority of communication around us
today is actually noise. Older managers can complain that younger
generations don’t always get to the point. The latter can complain