How a writing course made me a better business communicator
Paul Watts, an adviser to industry on cyber-security, describes how Economist Education’s business-writing course improved his communication skills
Paul Watts has worked in information technology for nearly thirty years. He spent most of them in senior roles such as chief information security officer (CISO) and has worked in several high-profile organisations across financial services, retail and other sectors. Paul is now distinguished analyst at Information Security Forum, a member-owned industry association, where he advises company boards and other business stakeholders. He enrolled in our business-writing course in 2023 to polish the skills he needs both in his current role and to pursue his long-term career goals. Here is his story.
Why did I enrol in Economist Education’s business-writing course? Years of dealing with non-technical stakeholders have shown me the importance of communicating in a way that is relatable and jargon-free, as well as engaging, informative and inspiring. This is particularly true when you’re trying to convey important but dry information, or seeking investment! However, technology professionals don't have a great record of doing this. It’s easy to fall into the trap of writing with assumed knowledge, which can frustrate the reader and reduce the impact of your writing. Moreover, in my current role I need to write material in a variety of formats for a diverse audience.
With that in mind, I went looking for a course that would help me hone my writing and storytelling skills and reflect on my own areas of weakness. I wanted to complete it at my own pace, but with the support of peers and with chances to engage with tutors and subject-matter experts. Economist Education’s course and its method of delivery offered all this, and gave me a perfect way to learn, share and develop my skills.
Also, during the six weeks of the course, participants work on a writing project. I was able to turn mine into an online opinion piece, drawing on what I’d learnt in the course—from how to visualise data to support an argument to using metaphors and storytelling to make a compelling case.
Overall I found the course insightful, inspiring, challenging—and thoroughly enjoyable, too. In fact, the Information Security Forum has been so impressed that we are in the process of making the course a part of the training we offer to our researchers.
If you’re interested in exploring Economist Education’s business-writing course, click here.
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Business writing and storytelling
The course explores the psychology, craft and purpose of writing with a focus on the choices writers must make—from words, phrases and metaphors to the sentences and paragraphs that make up creative expression.
