A different take on confident writing

I've just stumbled across a piece on the meaning of confidence at 'Talking Story with Say Leadership'.  It's part of the exploration of the Hawaiian concept of "Ho‘omau" which they are focusing on for the month of May (I've just sneaked in before we hit June!).

What struck me was the emphasis on confidence...

not from the standpoint of you having it, but of you giving it to others.

This is a principle that can be applied in many areas of business and life, but would have a powerful effect on your writing.  Try shifting your attention away from your own writing confidence (which may be less than you would like) towards instilling confidence in your reader.  All of the core writing skills will play a part here: an authentic voice; using plain, simple language; being clear about your own purpose and values.  But you could also reflect on your assumptions and beliefs about your readers - by holding on to a positive belief that they will choose the best path to move forward, your writing will imply confidence in them.  And in doing so:

you’ve taken another step forward yourself toward building trust between you.

I've taken these lines from Rosa Say's piece on Ho'omau which she's considered in relation to management and leadership issues - so the attempt to apply them to writing is my own.  I'd love to hear more from any of you who are familiar with these values (it looks like powerful stuff), particularly how we can use them to good effect through the written word. 

Comments

[Rosa Say]

Aloha Joanna, so good to meet you - in both your blogs :-) thank you for sending me this trackback.

Love the connection you've made here between confidence, writing and ho'omau, for writing gives both writer and reader such self-attuned willpower. We have much to learn from each other, and I am thrilled you've opened this door for us!

[Joanna Young]

Rosa, thanks so much for the feedback. I can see so many potential connections with your work too - I am looking forward to exploring them in the context of writing and coaching - who knows where the journey will lead!

Joanna