Effective Writing

Presenter: Dr James Hanson

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Duration: 2 Days | Price: $2,200

Course Aim

The Effective Writing course equips participants to use argument mapping as a practical planning technique for writing clear, concise, compelling and convincing workplace documents. Argument mapping helps writers clarify their thinking before they write, structure complex information logically, and focus on the essential message busy readers need to understand.

Participants learn how to inform and persuade readers in complex workplace environments such as governments and corporations, where documents often need to explain technical issues, address contestability, and support decisions with sound reasoning and credible evidence. The course focuses on writing clearly and concisely about complex topics, writing persuasively when views may be contested, and writing strategically when the stakes are high.

By the end of the course, participants will be able to use argument mapping to plan and write documents that are easy to understand, focused on what matters most, aligned with audience priorities and organisational goals, and, where necessary, persuasive and strategically compelling.

Course Outline

Day 1 – Writing Clearly & Concisely: Understanding the needs of busy readers | Clear thinking and clear writing | Argument mapping: a technique for clear thinking | Argument mapping exercises | Using argument mapping to focus on your document’s essential content | Structuring your document for clarity | Exercise: writing clearly and concisely | Inductive reasoning – how to use evidence effectively | HMAS Sydney case study

Day 2 – Writing Persuasively & Strategically: Building persuasive arguments with deductive reasoning | Identifying and rectifying the weak links in an explanation | Anticipating and addressing counterarguments | Thinking strategically with propositional reasoning | Building compelling strategic arguments | Space Shuttle Challenger case study: bringing it all together | Major integrative exercise on effective writing

Your Presenter

Since 2009, Dr James Hansonhas advised public officials and consultants advocating improvements in government policy, operations and technology. He holds an MBA in strategic management and an MA in Economics from Yale University, as well as an EdD in adult learning and professional education from the University of Sydney. From 2004 to 2022, he taught persuasive communication, strategic management, organisational behaviour, decision making and leadership at the Australian Defence Force Academy in Canberra. In 2009, he was awarded an Australian Learning & Teaching Council citation for his innovative course designs, based on research in the learning sciences. His main expertise is in using graphical techniques to develop the strategic thinking, high-order reasoning and communication skills of managers and professionals.

Frequently Asked Questions

Who is this course designed for? This course is designed for professionals who need to write clear, concise and persuasive workplace documents, especially in government, Defence, corporate, consulting or technical environments where issues are complex and readers are busy.

What will I learn in the Effective Writing course? You will learn how to use argument mapping to clarify your thinking, structure complex information, focus on the essential message, support key claims with sound reasoning and evidence, and write documents that are easier for readers to understand and act on.

Do I need any prior experience with argument mapping? No. The course introduces argument mapping as a practical planning technique and shows you how to apply it to workplace writing. No prior experience with argument mapping or formal logic is required.

How does argument mapping improve writing? Argument mapping helps writers identify the main claim, supporting reasons, evidence and possible weaknesses in an argument before drafting. This makes it easier to write documents that are logically structured, concise, credible and persuasive.

Is the course focused on grammar and style? The course includes principles for readable sentences and clear language, but its main focus is on the thinking and structure behind effective writing. Participants learn how to plan stronger arguments before refining the words on the page.

What kinds of documents will this course help me write? The course is useful for briefs, reports, proposals, submissions, recommendations, executive summaries, emails and other workplace documents where the writer needs to explain complex issues, justify advice or persuade readers to support a decision.

Testimonials - Effective Writing

“Really enjoyed James’ teaching style.”
“The content was broken up in a way that maintained focus and had a logical progression.”
“The evidence-based section of the course was super useful.”
“The basic concepts were good.”
“Linking back to Defence with case studies such as HMAS Sydney, the Challenger, and acquisition of RAAF equipment helped show applicability to Defence.”
“Talking through the theory fundamentals and techniques was a major strength.”
“Argument mapping was a major strength.”

Course Brochure

Download the course brochure.

Course Material

The following resources will be provided to attendees of this course:

An electronic copy of the presenter’s 120-page booklet on Effective Writing.
A PDF copy of the 30-page Exhibits & Exercises document used for the course.

Supplementary Material

You may be interested in the following supplementary material:

What is Argument Mapping? A short introduction to argument mapping as a planning technique for clear thinking, clear structure and persuasive workplace writing.
Why Busy Readers Need Clear Structure. A brief explanation of why workplace documents should lead with the main message, organise detail logically and reduce the reader's effort.
Audience Analysis Checklist. A practical checklist for planning a document around the reader's priorities, knowledge, evidence needs and likely objections.
Using Evidence Strategically. A short guide to using evidence where it strengthens the argument, rather than adding data simply because it is available.
Writing Clearly About Complex Topics. A concise resource on readability, sentence structure, familiar words, logical order and keeping technical detail useful.
Effective Writing Case Studies. A brief look at how the course uses HMAS Sydney and Space Shuttle Challenger to practise reasoning, evidence and argument structure.