5-minute workbook to help you write better at work

Consider this: the average tech professional spends at least 10 hours writing. If you're making $100K/year, that's $28,000 worth of your time. Yet most of us never learned how to do it efficiently.

Whether you're a designer, engineer, product manager, or analyst, your daily reality looks like this:

• Drafting updates [that get ignored] in Slack

• Writing project documentation

• Crafting LinkedIn posts

• Prompting ChatGPT countless times because your first prompt was too vague

The most common struggles I hear:

"I know what I want to say, but I freeze when I start typing" – you're probably trying to write and edit simultaneously.

"My ideas are solid, but they sound boring when written" – you're writing for an imaginary "professional" audience instead of a real human being.

"I'm not a writer – I didn't sign up for this!" – you don't need to become a copywriter. You need to learn how to express your thoughts clearly.

The five principles that change everything

These are the principles that made me a better writer. I believe they can also transform how you approach everything you write.

1. Become a student of your own attention

Pay attention as you read today. Which emails do you finish? Which Slack messages earn an instant reply? Which posts make you stop scrolling? The content that captures you is your best textbook.

The takeaway: reverse-engineer the structure of content that grabs you.

2. Hunt down the engagement killers

Notice the exact moment you abandon an article or post. It’s usually when you see:

• Walls of text (your brain says “too much work”)

• Corporate jargon (“let’s align on key synergies”)

• Vague language (“various stakeholders,” “multiple factors”)

Now notice what keeps you reading:

• White space (your brain says “this looks easy”)

• Conversational tone (“here’s what I learned”)

• Specific details (“3 bugs fixed, 2 remaining”)

The takeaway: learn to spot these killers in your own work and eliminate them.

3. Pass the <Would I Stop Scrolling?> test

Before you hit publish, be brutally honest with yourself:

• Would this hook make me stop scrolling?

• Would I really read this to the end?

• Would I bother to like, comment, or share it?

The takeaway: if the answer to any of these is "no," you're just adding yet another piece of content nobody needs. Rethink and rewrite.

4. Write like you talk

You explain complex ideas clearly in meetings. You’re articulate over coffee with your colleagues. Why does your writing suddenly sound like a corporate lawyer wrote it? Your natural voice is your most powerful tool.

The takeaway: write your first draft as if you're explaining your point to a smart colleague who's in a hurry.

5. Optimize for immediate impact

You have three seconds to earn your reader's attention. Make them count. Your writing must deliver value from the very first line.

Every piece should have:

• A hook that promises value

• One clear takeaway the reader can use

• An ending that encourages a response

The takeaway: force yourself to deliver value instantly. Start with phrases like “Here’s how to…”, “I learned a hard lesson…”, or “Most people don’t realize…”., and try your best to be helpful and specific.

How to get unstuck with writing?

Build your content backlog

Keep a running note on your phone with:

• Things that frustrated you at work this week

• Solutions you discovered by accident

• Questions colleagues keep asking you

• Industry takes that make you want to respond

• "I wish someone had told me..." moments

When you feel strongly about something, that's your cue to write. Emotion creates engaging content.

Mine your everyday conversations

Your best content is already happening, you're just not capturing it.

If you find yourself explaining the same thing multiple times in casual chats, Slack threads, or coffee breaks, that's content gold. These conversations prove:

• The topic resonates with people

• You already know how to explain it clearly

• There's genuine interest and need

Start noticing when colleagues say "That's really helpful" or "I never thought of it that way." Write ideas from such conversations down immediately. If it's worth discussing with three people, it's worth sharing with thousands online.

The <Write Raw, Edit Later> method

If there's one quick takeaway I want you to remember, it's this: trying to write and edit simultaneously is your biggest mistake. Your brain can't create and critique at the same time. Here's what works:

Step 1: Write raw (or dictate)

• Open a blank doc and just dump everything out

• Use voice-to-text if typing feels too formal

• Don't fix typos, don't worry about structure

• Set a timer for 5 minutes and don't stop until it rings

• Write like you're explaining it to a friend over coffee

Step 2: Then edit (it will literally take you 5 minutes!)

1. Check that main point is clear upfront

2. Break up sentences over 25 words

3. Replace jargon with plain language

4. Verify call-to-action is specific

5. Spell-check and format review

Many people say they don't have time to write, but it literally takes less than 30 minutes to draft and polish a 300-word message:

• Raw brain dump: 10 minutes

• Quick edit: 5 minutes

• Total time: 15 minutes for a v1 of a clear, effective message

Here's something counterintuitive from my own experience: My LinkedIn posts written in 10-15 minutes or less consistently perform just as well (often better) than fully crafted articles that took hours. Why? Because quick posts capture authentic energy and genuine insights. They feel real, not manufactured.

The posts that go viral aren't the ones where I tried to sound smart, they're those where I shared a real frustration, a genuine "aha" moment, or a quick tip that just helped me that morning.

The bottom line

Here's what this is actually about: respect.

Every unclear message disrespects someone's time. Every vague request disrespects their workload.

But let's flip it around:

Every clear email says "I value your time." Every efficient message says "I thought this through." Every engaging post says "I have something worth sharing."

You already communicate clearly every day in meetings, in conversations with your colleagues, in your head. Writing is just capturing that clarity before it disappears.

The professionals who "write well" aren't more talented. They just stopped overthinking and started using systems.

Now you have the system.

Use it:

• Think of one thing that frustrated you at work this week

• Set a 10-minute timer

• Start with "Most people don't realize..." or "Here's what nobody tells you about..."

• Brain dump your experience/solution

• Edit for 5 minutes

• Add "What's your take?" at the end

• Post it

You probably won't go viral on attempt #1. But here's what matters: you're actually writing. Not thinking about writing. Not planning to write. Writing.

Then practice. The system only works if you use it. Start with one post this week. Then two next week. Within a month, you'll wonder why writing ever felt hard.