New research: Write more clearly and become a super communicator

How many times have you read an email or project brief and thought, “Wait, what did that say?” or worse, stopped reading partway through and moved on to the next task?

Ineffective written communication is all too common across teams and organizations, and its impact is substantial. More than a third of the workforce loses 40-plus hours each year to unclear written communication. That’s an entire week of work! Poor writing has the potential to create confusion and misalignment, slow decision-making, and lead to costly misunderstandings.

In distributed environments where collaboration happens across time zones, written communication is a key tool teams use to stay aligned and make progress together. Few would argue against the importance of clear communication, especially in an age of information overload and organizational complexity. But many talented knowledge workers haven’t been taught the skills needed to write clearly and concisely. Enter Smart Brevity.

I lead the Teamwork Lab at Atlassian, a group of behavioral scientists that designs best practices for the modern team. We conducted an experiment to teach Atlassians clear and impactful writing using Smart Brevity, a communication method developed by former Politico journalists and rooted in cognitive science. We looked at the clarity of participants’ writing before and after the training, as well as the broader impact of their improved communication skills.

The results showed that everyone, regardless of their role, benefits from clearer writing.

How to write more clearly with Smart Brevity

Smart Brevity helps cut through the noise. It makes communication clearer and more effective by teaching people how to “write less to say more.”

Let’s review the core principles of the Smart Brevity method:

1. Grab attention: Start with the most important detail. Summarize it in one strong sentence.
2. Keep it simple: Use straightforward language and tight sentences.
3. Write like a human: Avoid jargon. Write as if you’re speaking to a colleague over coffee.
4. Know your audience: Write for your audience and address their specific needs.
5. Stay scannable: Use short paragraphs, bolding, numbered lists (like this one!), and bullet points to make your message easy to scan.
6. Enough is enough: Use as few words as possible to get your message across.

Watch Axios Co-Founder Jim VandeHei’s TED Talk to learn more about the Smart Brevity philosophy, or read the book Smart Brevity: The Power of Saying More With Less.

Two methods for teaching Smart Brevity: AI and Slack

For the experiment, Teamwork Lab researchers used two methods to teach Atlassians how to improve their writing using Smart Brevity.

Method 1: AI chatbot (Smarty B): Participants interacted with a Rovo AI chatbot trained in Smart Brevity principles. We call it Smarty B. They received best practices for interacting with AI and sample questions to guide their learning.

Method 2: Slack micro-lessons: Participants received daily Smart Brevity lessons via Slack DMs, integrating learning into their daily workflow.

A cohort of 349 Atlassians participated in the experiment, with 103 of them completing both the pre- and post-training surveys. Our researchers compared participants’ scores on Smart Brevity adoption, writing quality, and more.

Writing clarity and efficiency surged post-intervention

The experiment was a hit with Atlassians: 93% of participants felt confident they were writing more clearly and effectively since incorporating the Smart Brevity method, and 86% of participants planned to continue using Smart Brevity in their communications.

Adopting the Smart Brevity approach made communication more efficient for Atlassians. After the training, 46% of participants received fewer clarifying questions – a huge time saver for themselves and their teammates. The method also helped employees work faster: 49% of participants reported that they completed tasks more quickly than usual.

Atlassians trained via AI were 7% more likely to see improvements

Our data shows that both training methods (Slack and Rovo AI) were successful in encouraging Smart Brevity adoption. However, those who learned by engaging with the Smarty B Rovo chatbot were 7% more likely to see improvements in the clarity of their writing.

Among the participants who learned via AI, 76% reported that they enjoyed using AI to learn a new skill, and 80% have begun to incorporate that new skill into their workflow. Of these participants, 97% feel they’re writing with more clarity.

Ready to save time and cut through the noise?

When it comes down to it, you don’t need generative AI or any other fancy tools to write more clearly. Whether you’re composing an email, Slack message, or presentation, simply review Smart Brevity’s guiding principles (outlined above) before you write your next message.

Next, make sure your message includes Smart Brevity’s Core 4 components:

1. Start with a bold headline: You need six or fewer words that will grab your reader’s attention.
2. Write a strong first sentence: Add a memorable and direct opening sentence – your tl;dr. Tell your reader something they need to know.
3. Give context: Headings like “What’s new,” “Why this matters,” or “The bottom line” guide readers to a concise explanation of why your fact, idea, or thought matters. 💡
4. Give your readers the chance to learn more: Ending with “Go deeper” or “What’s next” signals that there’s more context to uncover, if they so choose. Add links to relevant articles, pages, or documents when relevant.

After integrating the Smart Brevity philosophy and Core 4 into your writing, notice if you feel more clear, confident, and impactful in your communication. Chances are, you’ll cut through the noise and ensure your messages are truly heard and understood.