FAST, the 6 Cs, and plain language

FAST — four choices before drafting

Olds's checklist for any workplace document is FAST: Format — memo, email, letter, report (the channel decision of L8.1, and the conventions that come with it); Audience — who reads it and what they know (L8.1 again); Style — formal or casual, technical or plain, long or short sentences; Tone — the attitude the words carry toward the reader and the subject: respectful, neutral, urgent, warm. Run it on Lakeshore's memo: Format memo, header and headed sections, the matrix attached; Audience Priya and a forwarded bank manager, neither an analyst; Style formal but plain — no "weighted total" without a gloss, short sentences, the numbers in dollars a year; Tone objective and respectful — this is her business and her money, and the memo advises, it does not instruct.

The 6 Cs — the sentence-level check

Smith's six qualities of professional style, in his order: clear, concise, coherent, correct, courteous, convincing. Each is a question to ask of a sentence, and the worked example takes four sentences one C at a time.

"There has been a change in the budget for repairs." — Not clear: the reader cannot act on "a change". → The repair budget has been cut by 10 %, to $34,000.

"At this point in time we are of the opinion that it would be advisable to consider leasing." — Not concise: eleven words doing the work of two. → We recommend leasing. Concise does not mean terse; it means no word that does no work. "We recommend leasing because it is the lowest annual cost" is longer and still concise.

"Repairs cost $38,000. The lease includes maintenance. On-time delivery fell to 84 %." — Not coherent: three true sentences with no relation stated. → Repairs cost $38,000 last year and on-time delivery fell to 84 %; a lease with maintenance included removes both problems.

"Mistakes were made in the delivery schedule." — Not correct in the sense the reader needs, and not plain: the passive hides who made them. → The press's breakdowns put six school-board deliveries behind schedule in October. The actor named, the number given.

Courteous is the tone check — you failed to send the figures becomes the figures have not yet reached us; could you send them by Friday? — and convincing is the evidence check: every claim carries its reason or its number, and no assurance stands in for either (L7.2).

Plain language — five principles

Olds's five, which overlap the Cs and give them teeth: active voice (the actor first — the vendor missed the response time, not the response time was missed); common words (use not utilise, start not commence); positive tone (say what will happen, not only what will not — the press will be installed by 15 January rather than the press will not be delayed); write for the reader (what they need, in their terms); short words and sentences (one idea per sentence; twenty words is long). The passive is the one to watch: mistakes were made is the sentence that hides responsibility, and a marker reads it as evasion.

Edit four more

"It is anticipated that utilisation of the new equipment will commence subsequent to training." → The operators will start using the new press after training. (common words, active, short.)

"The situation regarding the accounts is concerning." → Two of the three key accounts have said they will move if delivery does not improve by spring. (clear.)

"Don't hesitate to reach out should any queries arise." → If you have questions, call me. (concise, common words.)

"The quote was not received on time." → The vendor sent the quote four days late. (active — the actor named.)

Name the six cold

Clear, concise, coherent, correct, courteous, convincing. And the five: active voice, common words, positive tone, write for the reader, short sentences.