If you are working remotely, you might have noticed that you are writing more these days – sometimes a LOT more. Whether it is Slack messages, WhatsApp, or good old-fashioned e-mail, those fingers and thumbs are getting much more of a workout than they used to be.

Some people love the opportunity to focus on writing, but it is definitely challenging for others. Here are a few things to consider, regardless of how good you think you are at writing.

• Just because you are communicating asynchronously doesn’t mean you always have to use written words. Voice and video messages can be a welcome alternative sometimes.
• When you write, consider research that shows readers often perceive written communications more negatively than the sender intended. So (particularly for internal communication) try to adopt a more friendly tone than initially feels natural. No one hears the tone of your voice when you write, so you either need to inject that tone into your words, or even use emojis to help 🤔.
• Strive to get the right balance between the friendly tone we described above and using fewer words. Almost any written communication could benefit by being cut down by at least 30%, and taking the time to do that usually increases both understanding and impact. Remember the quote from Blaise Pascal (NOT Mark Twain) “If I had more time, I would have written a shorter letter”
• Don’t be afraid of using tools like Grammarly, ProWriting Aid or ChatGPT to help you. Even professional writers use them, so there is no reason that you shouldn’t. That said, don’t take their recommendations verbatim. They still make mistakes you might need to correct.