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Are you so time-poor that you're debating whether you should even read this?
If ridiculous deadlines knot your gut and give you tunnel vision causing you to miss even basic errors, this is for you. But even if you're an adrenaline junkie, needing the pressure to perform, it'll help you, too, because it's all about process.
Clear, familiar processes are lifesavers when you're under pressure and not thinking straight. So, as pilots practice emergency drills until they're second nature, try to internalise the process below - print it, look at it daily, use it often - so that when you're under the pump you'll do it automatically.
- Objective: Clarify what you want to achieve. "Begin with the end in mind" (Stephen Covey).
- Readers: Stand in their shoes. If you were them, what would interest you about this? Why would you want to do what you're asking? Why wouldn't you, and how could you overcome that?" More: "Know Thy Readers"
- Dump: Do a brain dump. Quickly jot down your points as bullets, in any order.
- Signpost: Next, highlight your major points and write snappy subheads above them. Signposting your structure like this makes text highly readable. More: "Subheads - A GPS for Your Reader"
- Restructure: Is your message informational or persuasive? If informational, move the "big news" to the top. If persuasive, try motivating them with the consequences of doing or not doing what you're asking. We call this FBI in our courses (Features - Benefits - Implications). More: "Video: Six Steps to Persuasion"
- Proofread: Never trust yourself. Hidden errors are guaranteed - the only question is how big or embarrassing they are. Biggest key: reread with fresh eyes - yours (after putting it aside for a while) or someone else's. More: "Exterminating Errors"
"That's too much - I said I was busy!"
Did you skip what I said earlier? (You're under pressure, after all!) The key is to internalise the process so you do it automatically. Any new knowledge seems daunting and slow to apply at first, until it becomes subconscious. Chunk it down: Try applying a few tips at a time.
Got a different take on it? How do you handle deadline pressure? Do your stressed-out buddies a favour and share it on our blog! |
