- Yes, you need some raw material to work with but get in the game because that’s where the magic happens – weigh in on policies, papers or topics that interest you. Volunteer. Remember, bodies at rest tend to stay at rest.
- You were born to change the world – write to make a meaningful difference to those around you.
- Reap the blessings of bureaucracy – precision, consistency, predictability – but resist notoriously stodgy government writing. Kennedy didn’t say he had a vision for a ‘highly competitive and productive space program’. He said: ‘We’re going to put a man on the moon.’
- Don’t take vast amounts of time to produce your best work – use an editor to produce at a speed and scale like never before. The more you edit, the more clearly you will communicate and the more you will stand out. On the other hand, don’t try to get it right first time. Even the most talented writers spend time reworking content.
- Tackle a problem no-one else wants. Perhaps there’s a policy that’s been going from hand to hand for weeks. Or papers to be summarised for your website. Offer to be that person. You will raise your visibility and change the way your managers see you – now they know you are a problem solver, a go-getter, you take initiative and think creatively. Those attributes don’t go unnoticed.
5 ways to make an impact
18 May 2021/
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