My dream is for every word written in healthcare to be strategically crafted so it actually makes a difference.
No one has time to digest content that is too long, inaccessible or unfocused. If we’re honest, no one has time to write it either. But organisations keep on publishing lots of words about intangible things that most people don’t want to read.
Here’s how it happens: the person doing the writing starts from their perspective.
That’s it.
They say: ‘Here’s what we know/think/did.’ If you’re lucky, they also say ‘Here’s what we want you to do about it.’ But they don’t know much about who *you* are, so the whole thing’s a bit one-sided.
People who work with me are often surprised that we approach things from the opposite end. Together we’ll ask: ‘What’s the problem we want to fix?’ and ‘Who do we need to get on board?’ Then we’ll dig up everything we can about those people, until we understand exactly what to say to them, and how to say it.
Using this approach feels great, because it actually comes up with the goods. If you’re expecting a catch – more time or budget, let’s say – well, there isn’t one. That’s because investing in that little bit of thinking upfront saves hours of agonising rewrites further down the line.
In fact, when you’re working with this kind of clarity, the words practically write themselves.
I’m Eleanor, a strategic communications consultant. I help health leaders, experts and communicators find the words that make people sit up and listen.