Author: Mike Cortez
In the world of business, effective communication is an undeniably critical skill. It can determine the amount of success in your career, whether it may be an email directed toward colleague regarding a business matter in need of resolution or a proposal attempting to persuade a potential key client. In either situation, the audience tends to associate the quality of your writing to your capabilities and thinking process.
For this reason, revision is one of the most critical stages in the writing process, and with the completion of the first draft modification follows. In this phase, you verify your message allows the reader to fully comprehend the purpose of your communication. Revising a document for maximum comprehension consists of evaluating the content, organization, style, tone, readability, and finally editing.
First, evaluating content simply means to go back and analyze the information, confirming your central idea and key points are covered. The information must also be reviewed for accuracy and must be relevant to the matter at hand. Additionally, is it important to verify that there is enough information to satisfy the reader’s needs, providing a good balance of background and detailed information.
Secondly, assessing organization follows, which confirms all points are covered in the most logical order. To be more specific, you want to verify if rearranging the sequence of the message could be beneficial to the reader. Furthermore, make sure your most important ideas are located in the most predominate areas.
After reviewing the content and organization, it is important to examine the style and tone of the message. As for style, you want to make sure it is written in an interesting manner, captivating and retaining the reader’s interest throughout the piece. As with all workplace communications, the tone should reflect that of a friendly, knowledgeable business professional.
By analyzing the document you are able to identify problem area that can be revised, at this point you are ready for editing. Your goal here is to rewrite and reorganize the first draft to make it more interesting, flow properly, and ultimately, to be as effective as possible. This can include a variety of techniques, such as breaking up long sentences, remove unnecessary words, and revising the introduction and conclusion portions, which is what have the most impact on the reader.
In conclusion, revision literally means to "see again," to look at something from a fresh, critical perspective. It is an ongoing process of rethinking the paper: reconsidering your arguments, reviewing your evidence, refining your purpose, reorganizing your presentation and reviving an ineffective style. As stated, your ultimate goal is to enhance your clarity, effectiveness, and overall reader comprehension.
Reference: William Zinsser- UNC Professor
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