HKS Communications Program Workshop 2.25.

15
Alejandro Alves
Writing for the Boss, in Agreement or Not: Staff Writing to Effectively Shape and Present Positions

What exactly is this workshop?

I start with the assumption that all of us would like to improve the craft of writing. Too much of today’s
political writing is about platitudes, partisanship and gridlock. This workshop is not about learning to
imitate that style.

This is about staff writing on behalf of the boss – in my case, on behalf of an elected official – and
writing to help accomplish goals. It is not about pursuing the boss’ reelection as a singular goal. That is
one among many goals, but effecting the policy changes for which the boss advocates is my priority.

You won’t always agree with the boss, but this is not about how to write for someone whose ideology is
substantially in conflict with your own. In that situation, the only advice I give is to get out. Writing
well in policy and politics – in any field, probably – does require some degree of trust, understanding
and faith in the principles of the person on whose behalf you write.

What this is about, then, is having a process and strategy that does not depend on full agreement on
every issue, but that pursues the broader goals that are important both to you and to the boss.

I prefer to frame this work within a familiar structure for general nonfiction writing, and to discuss
what unique or additional considerations apply at each phase of the writing process – summarized
here as (1) pre-writing (2) first draft (3) revising (4) editing.

Pre-writing
Pre-writing is the preparation phase – the time to develop your concept, organize your thoughts, collect
your supporting data, and prepare an outline before you put meat on the bones. As you go through this
process, some things the staffer should keep in mind:

Write to the intent, not to the policy: First, be clear about the intent. Writing in this field is not just
about writing well, nor is it simply about presenting an argument. Have a purpose for writing,
beyond simple “awareness.” Keep in mind that purpose and timing go hand in hand.

Consistency is important, and harder than it sounds: Consistency isn’t just a matter of appearances.
The boss has made commitments, formed allegiances, and set expectations that are important. Stay
organized, and before each project be sure to review his past writing and vote history on the subject.

Be a media consumer on your subject area: Take time to read what other elected officials,
government leaders, journalists and think tanks are saying about your issue. You may be looking to
stake out a niche or pursue an underdeveloped idea, or you may simply want to promote an idea that
is already there. Either way, read before you write.
HKS Communications Program Workshop 2.25.15
Alejandro Alves
Writing for the Boss, in Agreement or Not: Staff Writing to Effectively Shape and Present Positions

If it’s a position you disagree with, work twice as hard to understand it: This is easy to say, hard to
execute. The temptation is to spend the least amount of time on the subjects you find least
compelling. Talk it through with the boss as thoroughly as time will allow, and get the nuanced
understanding that will help you do justice to the subject.

First Draft
The shortest part of the process – get a first draft jotted down. Of the four phases this one, perhaps
counter to intuition, should change the least when you are writing on behalf of the boss. A few
considerations, and notes on pitfalls to resist:

Write in your own voice: Isn’t this a workshop about writing in the boss’ voice? Yes, but the adoption
of his tone will happen later. You will write more easily and most effectively in your own voice and
your own reasoning.

Seriously, your own voice: This is worth mentioning twice, if only as a public service to all of us. Do
not try to sound the way you think a politician should sound – few forms of writing are less worthy
of imitation. If you need a model for good prose, find it in good nonfiction, in good journalism, and
in the writing that you actually enjoy reading.

But have some rules: Specific content, phrases, and tone may change from issue to issue; but learn the
things that are constants in the boss’ style and observe those on your first pass through. This may
help get some decisions out of the way immediately. It does not mean you abandon your own voice,
it only means you must include or exclude certain things.

Write long: On a first draft, ignore your word limit. Include everything that seems relevant to the intent
of the piece, everything that seems worth explaining. If you make a decision during your first draft
based solely on word count, you risk losing something important before you really understand how it
might fit into the final product.

But keep the goal in mind, don’t get lost in the policy: If I say to include everything “relevant,”
understand this to mean relevant to the goal, not to the policy. A particular danger of writing in
disagreement is excessive scrutiny of the policy details. You will want to turn it over, examine it
until you are comfortable with every angle. Don’t.

Abandon the other side’s talking points: If you have to write a position with which you disagree, the
last thing you want is to rely on canned talking points. You don’t believe them yourself – invariably
you will not employ them convincingly. Resist the temptation for shortcuts. Develop the argument
that sounds most compelling to you.
HKS Communications Program Workshop 2.25.15
Alejandro Alves
Writing for the Boss, in Agreement or Not: Staff Writing to Effectively Shape and Present Positions

Revising
The revision phase, similar but distinct from final editing, is about reorganizing your argument, filling
gaps, cleaning up and cutting down to an appropriate length, and making other adjustments of substance
and content that will get you to a final version. As a staff ‘ghost’ writer this is where you will do the
work to adopt the boss’ tone and personality:

Adopting the boss’ voice goes beyond syntax; it’s about personality: Now comes the time to ask
“would the boss say it that way?” But answering that question means understanding something
about his personality, not just his speech patterns. Does he tend to speak directly, or in analogy?
Does he speak about broad policy details, or about how this affects his kids and his neighbors?
What other dimensions of personality shape voice?

‘Voice’ is not a static entity: As you consider the above questions about personality, keep in mind that
a person’s voice can vary greatly depending on the subject. Gauge how the boss has really reacted
to the issue at hand, not just politically, but also intellectually and emotionally. His genuine reaction
will shape how his genuine voice would sound.

Set parameters for your review and revision process: The driving question during revisions for most
forms of writing is “what did I want to say, and did I say it clearly?” You will need others unique to
the boss’ political landscape and his strategy. Have a standing list of questions to ask during your
revision process for every project. Some might include:

If you’re really unsure, write it your own way: The boss will review, edit and approve the final
document, so leave something to edit. If you’re unsure about a certain turn of phrase but you believe
it is well written, stand by it and let the boss decide. If you think the piece has more edge than the
boss would like, but you believe it should be that way, let that be your suggestion and let him decide
to scale it back.

Editing
Some notes on word choice: Write often enough on related subjects, in a world fueled by generic
talking points, and you will find yourself repeatedly calling on the same words. Look for overuse
and repetition, then find a thesaurus, or cut redundant sentences. Also, please help me eliminate the
following words forever – “Critical,” “Unprecedented,” “Historic,” “The American Public.”
HKS Communications Program Workshop 2.25.15
Alejandro Alves
Writing for the Boss, in Agreement or Not: Staff Writing to Effectively Shape and Present Positions

Read your final product from different perspectives: Read it from the supporter’s perspective – have
you done justice to the issue? Will they know how to help? Then read it from an opposition perspective
– have you addressed their most common counterarguments? Have you left any easy target to attack?

Then read it from the media perspective: Which phrase will they quote? Will it convey your
message? Can it be taken out of context? Have you left out anything critical?

But don’t be too hard on yourself: You will never please everyone. Have a clear understanding of
whose support or opposition truly matters with regard to your boss’ goals. Don’t water down your
writing for the sake of trying to avoid conflict – you will eventually end up with entirely neutral and
meaningless words.

Some Loose Ends

Some additional thoughts and tips that are outside of the writing process:

Writing for the boss isn’t just about reflecting his ideas (although…it might be): Most officials
worth working for are not looking for their yes-man. They expect advice and feedback from us.
View your role in the full context of being a communicator and an advisor. Grappling with an idea
in writing is a great way to shape a position, not simply a way to record it. That said, some are more
open to feedback than others, so know your boundaries.

Keep the communications work and the policy work together: Some offices have a dedicated writer,
entirely apart from the policy advisors. Avoid that, if you have the choice. The surest way to
shallow writing is to start from a shallow understanding of the subject matter, so let the person who
knows an issue best do the writing about it.

Standardize your fluff: It’s inevitable – you will spend time on writing that is not exactly saturated
with meaningful content. Boilerplate exists for a reason, so decide when you’ll use it and then stick
to it. Not every written project needs to be fresh.

Know where your material came from: Sometimes you face questions about what you put in writing.
Don’t let the boss be caught flatfooted without a reference for a fact or statistic you’ve used. Citing
someone else’s talking point doesn’t count, so find the source, annotate it, and keep that handy.

Keep track of useful bits: Keeping a scratchpad of ideas isn’t just for fiction writers. You’ll get a sense
for what subjects he wants to write about frequently. You should hold on to certain facts, figures,
stories and names related to those subjects. They will come in handy if you need to write quickly.