Stop talking, start writing: how to solve problems with a pen (and a plan)

Executives spend an average of 23 hours a week in meetings. 

17% of senior managers think their meetings are unproductive and inefficient.

65% reported that meetings stop them from completing their own work. 

Unproductive meetings cost businesses up to $37 billion annually.

But what’s that got to do with writing? 

Quite a lot. Often, the fastest way forward is to stop talking, and start writing.

Why writing beats meetings

Psychologists have long shown the benefits of writing through a problem.

In the 1980s, social psychologist James Pennebaker discovered that writing regularly about your thoughts and feelings reduces stress and anxiety. He also found that it boosts confidence, improves physical health, and enhances problem-solving.

The same principle applies at work.

Writing a problem down gets it out of your head and onto the page, where it becomes more concrete — and manageable.

Writing is your power tool

A clear, well-written document is one of the most powerful tools you have for solving problems and getting results. It can:

• Bring clarity: Writing forces you to articulate ideas in a way that talking can’t. You have to get to the point, define the problem, and outline a solution.

• Create alignment: When a team shares a clear, written plan, everyone understands what’s happening next.

• Save time and money: Clear writing reduces the need for endless follow-up meetings and re-explanations. Ineffective communications puts $75 million at risk, for every $135m spent on a project. (Project Management Institute, 2013.)

When you’re stuck in a cycle of unproductive meetings...

Write about it. You’ll often move the project forward faster than another meeting ever could.

Try one (or all) of these quick techniques:

1. Explain it to a child. Ditch jargon and use simple language to get to the heart of the issue.

2. Give yourself a word limit. Start with 100 words. Then cut to 50. Then 20. Then, if you can, 10.

3. Make a comparison. Use a metaphor or simile to reframe the problem. Instead of “bottleneck,” try: “It’s like driving with the handbrake on.”

Once you’ve clearly articulated the problem, you’ll be in a better position to find a solution. 

That “make a comparison” trick is especially powerful — it forces you to look at the issue from a new angle, which can spark more creative answers.

You’re thinking, “I know all this already.”

You probably do.

Most people know that writing through a problem helps. But in the push and pull of busy working lives, it’s easy to forget — and book another meeting instead.

Next time you reach for the “Invite” button, pause. 

Open a blank doc. 

Write down what you’re trying to solve.

Chances are, you’ll write your way to the answer.