To be good at writing you must read a lot

A common piece of advice for aspiring creative writers is to read as much as you can.

I think we can apply that to accountants who want to improve their writing skills.

They should read finance reports and documents written by others, inside and outside their organisation, but I would add a qualification ...

When reading finance reports do it with a sense of curiosity. If you read something that seems to be very effective, ask yourself how it differs from your work. Is the use of language or structure different? Or is the layout of the words and figures done in a way that is especially clear? Or perhaps there has been good use made of graphical features like colours and fonts?

By the same token, I suggest you do the same when you read something that is not very effective. Indeed, perhaps you should be just as keen to learn from what does not work as from what works.

I am always on the lookout for examples of good finance reporting writing so if you have any please post a link in the comments below.