When a major tech company announced its “workforce optimization initiative” last year, employees had to wade through three paragraphs of corporate language before understanding the simple truth: Layoffs were coming.

This kind of obscure writing, which writer George Orwell critiqued in his landmark 1946 essay, “Politics and the English Language” leads to costly misunderstandings, missed opportunities, and lost productivity in businesses. Perhaps more importantly, using euphemisms, corporate-speak, and vague language can lead both employees and customers to distrust your words.

Orwell, known for novels such as “1984” and “Animal Farm,” analyzed in his essay how language was being used to hide uncomfortable realities from the public. His insights resonate powerfully today when political language still obscures truth. For example, “alternative facts” replace “lies,” and “election integrity measures” can mask voting restrictions. In business, where ”workforce optimization” softens the impact of layoffs and “revenue enhancement” replaces “price increase.” When language becomes corrupted, Orwell argued, clear thinking becomes impossible, a warning that matters especially in business communication. From earnings reports to internal memos, corporate communication often prioritizes style over substance, and vagueness over clarity.

If you have read a corporate report recently, you probably know what kind of writing Orwell was describing. The same problems he identified in political writing plague business communication: overused metaphors, pretentious language, excessive jargon, and writing that conceals rather than reveals meaning.

Dying Metaphors

Metaphors compare one thing to another to make a point. A fresh metaphor works because it creates a vivid mental picture that illuminates meaning. But when a metaphor is used thousands of times, it loses this power and becomes mere jargon. “Low-hanging fruit” has become a tired shorthand for quick wins. “Moving the needle” rarely makes anyone visualize an actual gauge anymore. Other deadened business metaphors include “raise the bar,” and “hit the ground running.” All signal lazy writing.

Pretentious Diction

Too many business writers labor under the false impression that using lots of long words makes them seem smarter and more professional. The opposite is true. Using “facilitate a discussion” instead of “lead a meeting,” “has the capability to” instead of ”can,” or “prior to the commencement of” instead of “before” makes your writing seem hard to read. Peppering your emails with unnecessarily complex phrases makes your readers skip over your message or dismiss it as too demanding to read. Writing clearly and succinctly gives others the sense that you are capable and bright.

Meaningless Words

Anyone who has worked in a corporation sees meaningless words every day. “Proceed with the implementation” replaces “begin”; “notwithstanding the foregoing” replaces “however.” “Downsizing” replaces “layoffs.” These obfuscations slow readers down and confuse them through their vagueness.

These habits are so common that one wonders how people feel they benefit from using them. Perhaps they fear that others will be upset by their message — but readers will be more upset when they have to wade through vague verbiage to figure out what you mean. It’s helpful to turn to Orwell for wisdom. “What is above all needed,” he writes, “is to let the meaning choose the word, and not the other way about.”

His six rules for writers were:

1. Never use a metaphor, simile, or other figure of speech that you are used to seeing in print. In other words, avoid clichéd expressions like “think outside the box.”
2. Never use a long word when a short one will do. “Use” works better than “utilize.”
3. If it is possible to cut a word out, always cut it out. Instead of “at this point in time” write “now.”
4. Never use the passive voice where you can use the active. Write: “The team missed the deadline” rather than “The deadline was missed by the team.”
5. Never use a foreign phrase, a scientific word, or a jargon word if you can think of an everyday English equivalent. Replace “vis-a-vis” with “regarding,” “raison d’être” with “purpose,” or “quantum leap” with “big change.”
6. Break any of these rules sooner than say anything outright barbarous.

Orwell warned that murky political language was designed to hide the truth. The same applies to business writing. When we strip away the fog of jargon and pretense and say what we mean, our words gain an air of authenticity and vigor —and our messages are clear.

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According to the U.S. Department of Labor, employers rate “soft skills” such as communication as essential to success. A recent article in Harvard Business Review indicates that the need for soft skills goes straight to the top. The authors’ research showed that C-suite job descriptions that required strength in soft skills increased by almost 30 percent between 2005 and 2017. In fact, the research indicated that boards considered communication skills equal to or more important than financial or operational prowess. Clearly, businesses have faced the hard reality that speaking, writing, and listening are make-or-break attributes for success in any field. 

Some people consider writing a soft skill–one that is nice to have but not a necessity. This assumption can cost a person a sale, a promotion, or a job, because in reality, being a good writer is more important today than ever before. According to the National Association of Colleges and Employers, 73.4 percent of employers want a candidate with strong written communication skills. People who write well are more likely to get hired, promoted, and succeed.

Among the so-called soft skills, writing skills hold outsize influence, because someone wrote everything that is read–and a lot of reading goes on in every businessperson’s day. Whether it is an investment prospectus, a project report, a white paper, a board letter, or a simple email, written documents require a level of skill and attention that employers often struggle to find.

Because being a good writer is so important, you can catapult ahead in your career by doubling down on developing your written communication skills. Here are three ways that being a good writer will make you more successful in 2023. 

1. You will be more confident. 

Just as knowing you have the right outfit on gives you more confidence to enter a crowded room, knowing that you can express yourself effectively on paper gives you the self-possession to stand out at work. Feeling secure that your words have captured your meaning along with your nuance enables you to present your ideas with confidence. 

2. You will have better relationships with colleagues and customers. 

We all know the person whose messages we dread to read. Maybe they indulge in a habitually snarky tone; maybe they take 50 words to deliver a five-word point; maybe they write with so many errors in spelling, grammar, and punctuation that we are hard-pressed to know what the heck they’re talking about. In all these cases, the individuals sabotage their relationships by the way they write. 

As a good writer, you do the opposite. You maintain a pleasant tone, get to the point, and proofread before you send. These are simple habits, but they benefit you in a thousand ways. Let’s face it: When you write well, people are happier to hear from you. 

3. You will be more competent. 

Clear messages get things done. As Amazon’s Jeff Bezos tells his staff, succinct messages lead to success. If your writing is concise and to the point, you continually move work processes forward. Your firm-wide missives show your staff how they fit into the bigger picture and inspire them to follow your lead. Your emails invigorate readers and tell them what they need to know to take the next step in your projects. When you express yourself clearly and authentically, your readers are more apt to accept what you say.

Yes, speaking is also important; however, the spoken word vanishes as soon as it is uttered, while writing endures forever–to inform, inspire, and engage. That is why, in 2023, you will do well to double down on developing this fundamental competency.

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