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The gap between knowing and doing is greater than knowing and not knowing. – Ken and Margie Blanchard

Do what you know how to do in your life
This gap is real in much of what we do. We know how to stretch our muscles before doing sports. We know how to buckle up prior to start a car. We know how to wash our hands before eating. We know to eat healthy food and exercise every day. We know that doing these things prevents injuries and promotes a long and vital life. Yet often we don’t.

Do what you know how to do in your writing
This gap is also real when business professionals write. We know that clear writing is clear thinking, framed for the reader. To persuade our readers, we know to list the key ideas and supporting facts before writing the draft. We learned how to outline ideas and write a paragraph in elementary school. But 99% of business professionals, from corporate presidents to interns, don’t. They all know how to do it, they just don’t do it.

The Rambling Rose Process
Instead, most people use what the Rambling Rose writing process can. They write while thinking about the content. For writers, the process generally looks like this, as:

• sit down and hit the eraser
• read them
• rewrite it
• read them
• rewrite it
• close with “If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me.”
• send it in the hope that the reader will discover it

Result of the process units

In everything we do, the process we use determines the result. For example, well-trained motorcyclists know that when they look at an object on the road, they are more likely to hit it, because a motorcycle goes where the rider is looking. The same experience of process-impulses-result is true in writing. When people write the way they think, there are predictable results for the writer, the drafter, and the reader.

Result for the writer

People often procrastinate, so they hit the eraser while they’re thinking about it. Rambling Rose provokes an endless chain of emails: the
TAG you are he Syndrome: where busy people send emails hoping something will get done. The problem is that our documents are difficult to read and easily misunderstood.

Draft result
Drafts written with the Rambling Rose writing process look the same. They typically start with background information, bury purpose in the hardest-to-find place, hide lists of key points, and lack transitions that tie ideas together into a compelling and memorable message.

Result for the reader
Inadvertently and unintentionally, the game Rambling Rose plays is “Let the readers find out.” The reader must quickly find the answers to three compelling questions:

1. How does this affect me? What do you want me to do?
2. What are your key points?
3. What is the urgency?

An example of Rambling Rose

You can see these results in almost all emails of 100 words or more. You can see these results for draft and reader in this example.

Theme: SNA and big data training

As we get closer to the scheduled time to install SNA and Big Data capabilities on our CP2000, I have been examining the need for training in these areas. We can send a person from Seattle to an SNA class organized by a training company like the American Banking Institute. The cost of these classes is around $1,000 plus another $1,000 for travel and expenses. We could not have formal training in SNA or big data. In other words, he would be hands-on and learn as he went. We could take John Dorn to Seattle for about 3 days. He could cover the basics of SNA, big data, and even banknetting. This would require us to pay for your travel and travel expenses, which could be as high as $1,000, depending on whether or not you were staying for a weekend. Bringing John here for class is for the best from my point of view. I recommend that we proceed. I’ve already discussed the idea with Jane and I’m fine with it. I have budgeted for an SNA class for this year. With her approval, I will proceed with the arrangements.

A rewrite using a model of write to get things done

Theme: SNA Big Data Training Approval Request

Please approve bringing John Dorn to Seattle in the last quarter of this year. I would teach the concepts of SNA and Bulk Data to our technical staff. I’ve already discussed the idea with Jane and I’m fine with it.

Here are three options we considered to meet our immediate training needs:

• Send someone to a training class hosted by the American Banking Institute. The total cost would be about $2,000.
• Have no formal training. He would be hands-on and learn as he went.
• Bring John Dorn here. The total cost would be around $2,500. I have this amount budgeted for this training.

I would appreciate receiving your approval before Friday. This will give enough time to effectively plan our training sessions.

Bridge the Gap Between Knowing and Doing: Do What You Know

In your personal life, remember to do those things that you know will prevent unnecessary injury and promote a long and vital life. And in your writing, remember to do those things that you know will produce an easy-to-read document that gets things done.