I’m reading through a packet of materials outlining the requirements for our local 2nd grade and I come across these two things they must be able to do to pass.

1. Writes with a clear sense of audience

2. Writes for varied audience

And it made me sit back and think about this important skill. While we learn how to do it very early on we often forget about it in our professional interactions. Especially when we communicate in the voice of an organization to a group we don’t really know on an individual basis. We get caught up in the message and how it represents the organization and not enough about who is listening. 

But it’s such an essential skill, one that we are required to know to pass the 2nd grade. So next time your putting together external communications sit back for a minute to think a little bit about your audience, who are they, can you picture an individual that represents them… then make sure your speaking as you would if you were talking directly with that person.