Understanding Writing Skills in 2025
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Why the ability to write well is quietly becoming one of the most strategic differentiators in the Canadian workplace.
In 2025, clear and thoughtful writing has become a quiet superpower in Canadian workplaces. Whether it’s a persuasive email, a team update, or a funding proposal, how we write now shapes how we lead, align, and build trust.
Generative AI can produce more content, faster — but ironically, that’s made good writing rarer and more valuable. According to BestWriting.com’s 2024 industry stats, 73% of professionals say poor writing wastes their time, and 87% of executives call strong writing essential for leadership.
Yet the skill gap persists. From the public sector to private industry, too many teams treat writing as an afterthought — rather than a tool for thinking, decision-making, and influence.
Three Writing Skills Dimensions That Matter Today
The below dimensions are reshaping what it means to write well in today’s world. Professionals who invest in these skills are not only better communicators, but they are also more effective collaborators, strategists, and leaders.
1. The Human Edge in AI-Augmented Writing
Generative AI tools are becoming ubiquitous, offering drafts, summaries, and tone adjustments in seconds. But there’s a catch:
When we outsource too much, we lose the very skills that make our communication credible.
A University of Toronto study found that overreliance on tools like ChatGPT leads to cognitive disengagement and reduced writing ability over time. The solution isn’t to stop using AI. It’s to pair it with deliberate human oversight: editing for judgment, revising for nuance, and owning the voice behind the message.
Try this: For any AI-assisted writing task, add a “human lens” pass. Before hitting send or share, ask: Does this reflect my intent? My standards? Would I say this out loud in a room of peers?
Explore further: Writing in Plain Language is a practical workshop that helps you refine your writing by removing complexity, clarifying purpose, and building habits of thoughtful drafting and revision. These are essential skills when balancing efficiency with human voice in AI-supported environments.
2. The Neuroscience of Writing: Engaging the Reader’s Brain
Neuroscience research reveals that effective business writing can stimulate the brain’s reward circuits, making communication more engaging and memorable. In his Harvard Business Review article, Bill Birchard identifies eight elements that contribute to impactful writing (see image). These elements resonate on a deeper, neurological level, leading to improved understanding and influence in business communications.
Try this: Before hitting send on your next email, proposal, or report, run a 3-pass check using the 3S Rule drawn from Birchard’s research-backed writing principles:
- Simplicity – Strip away jargon, dense phrases, and corporate filler. Could a 12th grader follow your logic? If not, simplify.
- Specificity – Replace vague language with concrete detail. Instead of “we offer flexible options,” try “you can choose between option A, option B, option C.”
- Stimulation – Add one vivid verb, metaphor, or sensory image that makes the message stick. Ask: What will the reader see, feel, or remember?
3. When Writing Costs More Than Time
A case study from Technical Writing Essentials found that poor workplace communication costs American businesses nearly $4 billion annually. The culprits? Poorly worded emails, unclear instructions, and confusing documentation. Everyday writing that fails to connect. When professionals write without structure, clarity, or awareness of audience, it creates rework, conflict, and avoidable mistakes.
Try this: Pick one recurring document or message. Rewrite it for clarity. See if it reduces questions or speeds up next steps. You don’t have to fix everything all at once. Just start with one.
Explore Further: Business Writing for Impact and Influence is an engaging workshop where participants learn to structure their messages for maximum clarity, adapt tone to their audience, and write with purpose across different formats, including emails, reports, and shared documents.
Further Insights for the Curious Professional
When we approach writing as a thinking practice, we elevate its impact beyond communication. These resources offer deeper insight into how writing intersects with leadership, strategy, and performance.
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Why It’s Worth Exploring |
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A must-read for any professional who communicates in writing. Practical, witty, and built for the digital age. It’s especially useful for those balancing tone and clarity across chat, email, and formal writing. | |
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A sharp, no-nonsense guide for professionals tired of bloated, unclear business writing. Bernoff shows how to write with precision and power. This book is especially useful for emails, updates, and executive briefs. |
Discover How We Can Help
Want to explore how your team can write with more clarity, influence, and impact? Visit our full Writing Skills workshop library to find the right fit — or contact us and let us find the right solution for you.