With today’s technology, we write all the time, and our words last forever. Nothing can reveal your communication weaknesses more clearly than poorly written letters, reports, emails, and so on. In a survey, more than half of respondents said they would not hire someone who can’t communicate in writing.

The major advantages of written communication are that we are more accurate and honest when we deliver news over email. It allows people to absorb the news without immediate responses, and it provides a record of what was said. Written communication is appropriate when detailed instructions are required.