The most effective approach to addressing dystopia within a large organization is to establish a writing culture. This is equally true for organizations who are small but desire to scale one day.
By codifying ideas through words, we effectively codify our thinking. If you are a builder then you should take writing seriously.
Engaging in the act of writing about any subject matter will necessitate critical thinking, regardless of your prior knowledge on the topic. This process serves as a valuable tool for identifying product gaps and identifying potential opportunities. It is important to note that writing about a subject does not replace the need for thorough research, analysis, and client interviews. However, once you have gathered sufficient information, the next logical step is to systematically document and synthesize your knowledge.
Writing is an excellent technique for learning about unfamiliar places. By processing information and then writing about it, you engage in critical thinking and recollection. The more you recall, the stronger your neurons become, as the saying goes, “neurons that fire together, wire together.”
You might dismiss the notion on the importance of writing, but how can you build something if you can’t express it concisely or make decisions on the next steps? How can you mitigate risks if you don’t understand the items that are out of scope?
Are you not convinced yet because you have the sharpest memory?
Fine. Even if you can store all up there, you’ve introduced a lack of redundancy in your organization. There is no fail-safe in case you decide to leave. Let’s consider a common practice of keeping a spare house key in a hidden location somewhere on your property. This avoids a single point of failure, ensuring that you can still enter your home.
Redundancy, a crucial aspect of systems thinking, involves adding additional instances of critical components to a system. This redundancy ensures that if another part of the system fails, the extra components can seamlessly take over, maintaining the system’s functionality.
Documentation is the critical component that takes over in the event of a single point of failure.
Are you still not convinced because redundancy is overbearing and slow things down?
Sure. If you are an idea seller, how long did it take you to persuade the other side? I bet it sure wasn't quick and effortless. Did it require several meetings? I have been involved in projects that spanned several months due to inconsistencies in the details. The more abstract the concept is, the more time and effort it takes to convey its value. I could have ditched roadshows if I had dedicated more time to developing detailed documentation that would resonate with my engineering and design teams. This approach would have accelerated the execution process rather than hindering it. Writing solves context problem. Speed is the byproduct of writing.
Writing culture fosters and scales organizational knowledge. By publishing work and making it accessible to the entire organization, you facilitate knowledge sharing among colleagues. This promotes a self-serve mentality, where individuals can access a single source of information and gather evidence without the need for repeated re-writing through email exchanges.
A writing culture promotes a more objective approach to decision-making by prioritizing facts over political considerations. The utilization of decision logs, customer insights, and scope-based items enables the implementation of actions based on verifiable evidence rather than subjective opinions.
Writing culture is the most effective way to create an organization’s flywheel, especially in the era of artificial intelligence. Abundance will necessitate curation, but you can’t curate without thinking, and you can’t think without writing.
Writing culture emphasizes nuance over generality, deliberation over impulse, comprehension over aesthetics, clarity over vagueness, and rigor over hierarchy.
Be a builder who writes because...
Writing culture is a collaborative culture.
Writing culture is a learning culture.
Writing culture is a thinking culture.
Writing culture is a winning culture!