The pandemic has given a big push to all forms of digital communication. A workplace dominated by time on screens may seem bound to favor newer, faster and more visual ways of transmitting information. But an old form of communication — writing — is also flourishing (蓬勃).
The value of writing is highly valued in management thinking. “The discipline of writing something down is the first step towards making it happen, ” said Lee Iacocca, a giant of the American car industry. Jeff Bezos banned slides from meetings of senior Amazon executives (主管) back in 2004, in favor of well-structured memos (备忘录).
The move to remote working has strengthened the value of writing. When tasks are being handed off to colleagues in other locations, comprehensive documentation is crucial. When new employees start work on something, they want the back story. When old hands depart an organization, they should leave knowledge behind.
Software developers have already worked out the value of the written words. A research programme from Google into the ingredients of successful technology projects found that teams with high quality documentation deliver software faster and more reliably. Gitlab, a code hosting platform whose workforce is wholly remote, describes its secret of success as “textual communication”.
The deep thought and the discipline required by writing are helpful in other contexts, too. “Brain writing“ is a brain storming technique, used by Slack among others, in which participants are given time to put down their ideas before discussion begins.
Writing is not always the best way to communicate in the workplace. Video is more memorable; a phone call is quicker; even PowerPoint has its place. But for the structured thought it demands, and the ease with which it can be shared and edited, the written words are made for remote work and will flourish in the post-pandemic workplace.
【小题1】Why are Lee Iacocca and Jeff Bezos mentioned in paragraph 2?| A．To support an idea. |
| B．To introduce a topic. |
| C．To draw a conclusion. |
| D．To make a comment. |
| A．The tasks are handed over quickly by telephone. |
| B．An expert colleague gives an experience-sharing lecture. |
| C．The new comer broadens his company knowledge through the Internet. |
| D．A code hosting platform succeeds mainly by textual communication. |
| A．Doubtful. |
| B．Objective. |
| C．Grateful. |
| D．Humorous. |
| A．A phone call or a letter? Think twice |
| B．Video conference will fade away in new situations |
| C．Writing will flourish in the post-pandemic workplace |
| D．Digital information or written messages? It depends |
