18/06/2021
So the last few days, I had quite a few conversations with ex-colleagues, and coincidentally one of the common topics was about how we had to write quite a bit while in the Public Service.
We spend alot of time writing - papers, submissions, briefs, reports, meeting notes, emails, you name it. And alot of attention is placed on how we write and the quality of the documents we produce. I vividly remembered how my first paper came back from my supervisor covered in a sea of red. And of how my bosses consistently emphasize how we have to write accurately, correctly, and succinctly. A lot of effort@ is spent on drafting, editing, revising, scrutinizing and perfecting each submission. I have to say that moving through my 11 years in Service, I’ve honed my writing skills extensively through all the nitpicking from my various bosses.
But why am I writing this now that I’ve exited the Service. Well, back to the last few days’ conversations, I was sharing that my writing quality has definitely diminished, to the extent it’s probably what we termed as “scolding quality” - that means you’ll probably get scolded by your bosses for “the quality of your work”.
I hardly write much in my current role, at least not for external consumption, and that means anyone other than myself. Even emails are far and few inbetween, and anything communication that cannot be automated, is accomplished by a form with guiding questions. In our day to day tasks, I favour face to face or verbal communications, since it’s simpler, more personal, and more intimate.
Nevertheless, I do enjoy writing my thoughts and that is one of the reasons why I enjoy writing on my channel. Furthermore, it helps maintain my skill level so that it does not diminish further. For my audience, all I request is your continued support of this endeavour of mine, and do give a like if what i write touches your heartstring.
