: How can I improve my written communication skills the soonest? All. The biggest area I am working right now is to improve my written communications skills. It’s a tough skill to learn but

Great advice here, I would add a couple of things I learned that really helped me in a course I took recently:

Since most people will read email on a smartphone a good portion of the time. Don't write any more than can fit on one phone screen. If you have to write more, do an attachment, and don't copy long threads, just a word or two in the subject to remind them. Important info doesn't get read or seen.
if they are over 45 use at least 14 pt font.
Limit an email to one point or two. If you have more then write a couple. have mercy on the person you are writing to.
and don't put anything in writing you don't want someone, or anyone to see. In this day and age, anything we put in writing on line can and will end up in front of the wrong eyes. Be safe.

the course was on skillfeed.com by the way and it was great, short, and cheap, especially if on skill feed already. it is called something like "Get more done writing effective emails."

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You can try a Business Writing textbook, looking through the most promising sections.

One example is Collins English for Business: Writing by Nick Brieger.

This brand new self-study book is the ideal way for business people to refine and perfect their written English. It is aimed particularly at executives who communicate in written English frequently or work in foreign or multinational companies.

Twenty 4-page units featuring key areas, such as Getting the Right Tone, Linking Ideas, Writing Quickly and Simply, Dealing with Difficult Issues and Editing the Language.

Collins English for Business is a new series of self-study skills books which focus on the language you really need to do business in English – wherever you are in the world. Each title includes tips on how to communicate effectively and how to communicate inter-culturally.

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Try to use bullet list form. As you have said people don't have the time to sit through and read long emails. If you are having trouble being concise use bullet lists and limit each bullet to a particular topic or point you want to make.

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You have several choices, and which one you use depends on the length of the document to be written, the subject matter, and your personal preferences. All sections here are examples of the technique they describe.

Outlining

The outline of this answer would look like this:

Introduction - mention options
Outlining - explain, give example
Infodump - vomit it all onto the page, organize, edit
[x]-paragraph essay
Combinations, summary

You would then go back and use this as a guide to write the sections. (Keen eyes will notice I didn't stick to this: I decided after writing all this out that section 3 worked better after section 4, since it relies on having more experience with writing. But it was a good place to start.)

The [x]-paragraph essay

We learned this in high school (possibly earlier), and it's a great way to get used to writing in an organized way. It forces you to think about what you want to say, but it can be a bit of a straitjacket. The first one we were taught was the three-paragraph essay.

The first paragraph is where you write the basic idea, very much a generalization of the ideas you want to get across. You're also framing the rest of the essay, creating a lens through which the reader will see all subsequent text. Note that you're reading this with foreknowledge that it's a technique taught to children, since I mentioned that in the above paragraph. Decades after leaving school, I still find the technique useful for smaller pieces. Even if I usually don't stick to a set number of paragraphs.

The three-paragraph essay scales well to the five-paragraph essay, and beyond. I wrote this section as a three-paragraph essay, but that middle paragraph really wants to be two paragraphs - but it's a good place to start. Thinking about writing in this way can discipline you well.

Write like a madman, but sort it out later

While writing an outline can help for some people, and having a paragraph structure in mind works for some stuff, these don't work for everybody or at all times.

When the outline approach isn't working--it rarely does for me with anything less than a few thousand words--an infodump may be what you need.

Type out everything you want to say. Don't worry about structure yet, just write out all the points you want to make. Then, read it over and decide what the main points are you want to say. Write a introduction and/or conclusion, as appropriate, then organize the rest of it into the "middle" of the piece. Summarize, proofread, and you're done.

This may not seem like much of a writing technique. What you're doing here is giving yourself permission to freewrite on a topic, with the knowledge that you'll organize it all later. Great for short projects or more creative work.

Summary

You'll probably find yourself picking and choosing from these techniques, and possibly others as well. My favorite technique is the infodump combined with some quick outlining, although I pay careful attention to paragraph length and structure along the way.

In the end, try different tools, use the ones that work, and let them influence your thinking. Eventually, you'll do much of this without thinking about it. Using disciplines like these trains your brain.

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I find working backwards helps. I start by writing out the main points I want to get across. No detail, just something short and simple. "I need Document X from you. I need Graphic Y from you."

Then fill out more details under each.

I need Document X from you.
It should be in draft form
I need it by Wednesday at noon.
Ensure you cc: Person 1, Person 2, Person 3

Repeat for each point. From there you should be able to structure it into paragraphs, or if it suits you better, phrase it nicely but keep it in bullet points.

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Welcome user614.

You're asking a good question, and if I may restate it: How do I write an effective business e-mail?

Like most writing questions, it comes to how you think about the task. And this is the key, to think before you write.

Why are you writing? What exactly do you want?

To whom are you writing? What do you know about them, their expectations, needs?

Is there a timeframe for action? Is there a consequence for missing the timeframe?

What are your main points? Reduce these to the least number possible and state each as simply as possible.

Draft an outline and then fill it in as necessary.

Be polite. Be simple. Be honest. Be accurate.

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