Effective revision isn’t just about reading your draft over and over again. Without a strategy, it’s easy to miss structural issues, lose sight of your main message, or burn out trying to look for every possible improvement. By using targeted revising methods, you can approach your draft purposefully—whether you’re tightening structure, clarifying ideas, or improving the overall flow. These strategies help make the revision process both easier and more effective.

You don’t need to use all of the techniques we’ll discuss. Try one or combine a few to discover what works best for your writing style and goals.

Table of contents

Revising techniques

1. Reverse outlining

2. Reading aloud

3. Highlighter method

4. Cut and rearrange

Revising checklist

Revising techniques FAQs

Revising techniques

Revision can quickly become overwhelming if you’re just rereading your draft without direction. It’s easy to get caught making minor tweaks while missing bigger issues—like paragraph structure, logical flow, conciseness, or uneven tone.

That’s where focused revising techniques can help. Trying even one of these approaches can shift how you see your draft, helping you spot what’s working, what’s not, and how to refine it more effectively.

1 Reverse outlining

Reverse outlining is a powerful way to evaluate the structure and logic of your draft after it’s written. To use it, go through your draft one paragraph at a time and write down the main idea of each paragraph—either in the margin or on a separate sheet.

This technique creates a simplified outline of your draft as it currently stands, allowing you to see how your ideas are organized and whether they build toward your main point logically and coherently. It also helps you spot paragraphs that are off topic, repetitive, or out of order.

To reverse outline:

• Write a brief summary or key point for each paragraph in the margin or on a separate sheet to create a simplified outline.
• Review the outline and ask: Does each paragraph support my main argument? Are the ideas presented in a logical order?
• Look for paragraphs that seem off topic, out of order, or repetitive.

Reverse outlining can help you identify gaps in logic, redundant content, or opportunities to strengthen transitions and overall flow.

2 Reading aloud

Reading your work aloud—or using a text-to-speech tool—is one of the most effective ways to catch confusing phrasing, awkward sentence structure, and tone issues.

When you read silently, your brain often fills in missing words or smooths over clunky transitions without you noticing. But hearing your writing forces you to slow down and process each word as your reader would. If you stumble over a sentence, run out of breath, or pause unexpectedly, it’s often a sign that something needs to be clarified or simplified.

What to look for:

• Do you stumble over any sentences or phrases? That may indicate they’re too long, convoluted, or unclear.
• Do your transitions feel abrupt or jarring?
• Does the tone match your audience and purpose?

3 Highlighter method

The highlighter method is a visual revision technique that uses color coding to help you analyze how well your draft is organized and whether each part serves its purpose.

By assigning different colors to elements like topic sentences, supporting evidence, and analysis, you can quickly scan your draft to see if your paragraphs are complete, balanced, and logically structured. This makes it easier to spot missing components, uneven emphasis, or sections that need more development.

To use it:

• Assign colors to different elements:
  • Blue = topic sentences
  • Yellow = supporting evidence
  • Green = analysis or commentary
  • Pink = transitions
• Highlight each element throughout your draft.

Then, step back and look for patterns:

• Are any paragraphs missing topic sentences?
• Do you have too much evidence and not enough explanation?
• Are transitions evenly spread out, or are they missing in key places?

This method helps you quickly identify gaps, redundancies, or structural imbalances and can be especially helpful in essays or reports where logical progression is especially important.

4 Cut-and-rearrange method

Sometimes, the best way to see your writing anew is to physically change its form. The cut-and-rearrange method is a hands-on revision technique that helps evaluate your writing’s organization by breaking your draft into parts and refashioning them into experimental structures. It shows how each piece functions individually and together. Rearranging may reveal that background info belongs earlier, an example fits better as a lead-in, or your conclusion should come sooner.

How to do it:

• Use index cards, sticky notes, or digital slides to represent each paragraph or section.
• Move them around freely. Ask: Would this example make more sense earlier? Is the conclusion premature?
• Consider removing or combining repetitive sections for a tighter flow.

This technique makes it easier to rethink how your ideas are organized and whether they’re unfolding in the most logical sequence.

Revising checklist

Once you’ve applied one or more of the techniques above, use this final checklist to ensure your draft is clear, well-structured, and ready for editing or proofreading:

• Is each paragraph focused on one clear idea?
• Is the overall structure logical and easy to follow?
• Do topic sentences and transitions guide the reader smoothly?
• Have I supported my main points with examples or evidence?
• Have I removed any off-topic or repetitive content?
• Are confusing or awkward sentences reworded for clarity?
• Does the tone fit the audience and purpose?
• Have I varied sentence structure for rhythm and flow?
• Did I read it aloud or use a tool to catch hidden issues?
• Have I taken a break before doing a final read-through?

Revising techniques FAQs

What is revising?

Revising is the stage of the writing process where you refine your writing. This stage focuses on improving the content, structure, and clarity of your writing.

What are the benefits of revising?

While the rough draft stage is all about getting your ideas down, no matter how messy, revising gives you the opportunity to strengthen your message, sharpen your tone, and organize your thoughts more effectively. It is where your writing takes shape and your ideas become more focused and impactful.

How is revising different from editing and proofreading?

Revising addresses the big picture—like reorganizing ideas, clarifying arguments, or adding evidence. Editing improves sentence flow and word choice, while proofreading focuses on grammar, spelling, and punctuation. Each step sharpens your work in different ways.

How many times should you revise your writing?

There’s no set number—revision is complete when your writing clearly communicates your message. Most writers benefit from at least two rounds: one for big-picture structure and one for sentence-level clarity. The revision checklist can help you know when you’re ready to stop.

Which revising technique is best for beginners?

Reverse outlining is a great starting point because it helps you understand your writing’s structure and identify major issues. From there, reading aloud can help you catch awkward or unclear sentences.

The post 4 Proven Techniques for Revising Your Writing appeared first on Grammarly Blog.

Revising your writing can seem overwhelming, but approaching it in clear, manageable steps makes the process more effective and less stressful. Revision comes before editing or proofreading. While those later stages focus on fixing grammar, punctuation, and typos, revision is where you tackle the big picture: your structure, clarity, and the flow of ideas.

Think of revision as your opportunity to transform a rough draft into clear, compelling writing. It’s when you take a step back and ask: Is my message coming through clearly? Does every part support it? Will readers understand and stay engaged?

By tackling revision before you worry about surface-level changes, you can ensure your writing has a strong foundation. Once that’s in place, you can begin polishing your sentences and catching mechanical errors through editing and proofreading.

Here are four practical steps to help you revise with purpose and confidence.

Table of contents

Steps for revising your writing

Step 1: Take a break

Step 2: Review the big picture

Step 3: Check the flow of ideas

Step 4: Get peer feedback

Example of how to revise a paragraph

Revising FAQs

Steps for revising your writing

Turning a rough draft into clear, compelling writing starts with a solid revision strategy. Here’s how to tackle your draft with purpose and revise more effectively, one step at a time.

Step 1: Take a break

When you finish a draft, your mind is still closely tied to what you just wrote. This makes it harder to see issues objectively. That’s why the first step to effective revision is taking a break. Even a short pause can give you enough distance to return with a clearer head and a fresh perspective. If you’re working on a short piece, 20 minutes might be enough. For longer or more complex pieces, taking a day or more away from your writing can provide the mental reset you need to see it with fresh eyes.

Use your break intentionally. Do something unrelated to writing—go for a walk, read, or switch to a completely different task. These active breaks help reset your perspective. When you return, aim to read your draft as your audience would. Pay attention to anything that feels unclear or off topic. Set a goal for your next read-through—maybe it’s evaluating your structure or clarity. And don’t ignore your first reactions; they’re often the most honest and useful.

Step 1 checklist:

• Take a timed break: Taking 20 minutes for short drafts or a full day for longer pieces helps reset your focus.
• Engage in something unrelated: Walk, read, or switch tasks to give your brain a genuine rest.
• Return with a reader’s mindset: See your work as your audience would, spotting what’s unclear or distracting.
• Set a focus for your next pass: Decide in advance what you’ll be looking for, like structure or clarity.
• Capture first impressions: Jot down immediate thoughts when you return—they’re often your most honest reactions.

Step 2: Review the big picture

Once you’re ready to dive back into your draft, start by zooming out to look at the big picture. The goal of this step is to clarify your main message and ensure your structure supports it. Ask yourself: What is the one idea I want readers to take away from this piece? Can I summarize it in one sentence? If not, your draft might lack focus.

To evaluate structure, try a technique called reverse outlining. Summarize the main idea of each paragraph in a few words. This helps you spot tangents, redundant ideas, or parts that don’t support your thesis. Trim or combine content as needed. If you’re revising something like a school assignment, take a moment to reread the prompt or rubric and make sure your draft fully meets those requirements.

Step 2 checklist:

• Clarify your core message: Ask yourself if you can summarize your main idea in one clear sentence.
• Assess overall structure: Check if the introduction sets the foundation of your topic, the body develops your points logically, and the conclusion reinforces your message.
• Use reverse outlining: Summarize each paragraph’s main idea in a few words to evaluate flow and alignment with your thesis.
• Trim or combine where needed: Cut tangents or repetitive ideas that don’t directly support your main point.
• Revisit the prompt or goal: Check that your draft meets all the assignment expectations. For self-directed projects, ensure your draft aligns with your original purpose and intended outcomes.
• Ask big-picture questions: Have you defined your audience, supported key ideas with evidence, and considered whether a different structure could improve clarity?

Step 3: Check the flow of ideas

After ensuring your draft has a strong message and structure, it’s time to focus on how smoothly your ideas progress. This step is about ensuring that each paragraph logically leads to the next. Start by checking the overall layout of your piece: Does it have a clear beginning, middle, and end? Then zoom in on each paragraph. Highlight topic sentences and read through them in order to see whether the logic of your argument or narrative builds naturally.

One of the best ways to evaluate flow is to read your draft aloud. You’ll catch awkward phrasing, unclear transitions, or jarring shifts in topic that might otherwise go unnoticed. To guide your reader more effectively, insert or fine-tune the placement of transition phrases such as “in addition,” “however,” or “as a result.” These signal relationships between ideas and help the reader maintain forward momentum.

Consider using a text-to-speech tool or an AI assistant to listen to your writing. Hearing your words from another voice can offer a fresh perspective and help you pinpoint areas that need smoothing out.

Step 3 checklist:

• Review topic sentences: Examine the opening sentence of each paragraph to ensure it clearly conveys the main idea and supports the logical progression of your piece.
• Read aloud for coherence: Reading your draft out loud can reveal awkward transitions, abrupt shifts, or confusing phrasing.
• Check paragraph connections: Make sure each paragraph leads logically to the next—look for gaps in reasoning or abrupt topic changes.
• Use effective transitions: Add or revise transition words and phrases to guide the reader smoothly from one idea to the next (e.g., “in addition,” “however,” “as a result”).
• Review overall flow: Confirm your draft has a clear beginning, middle, and end, with ideas building logically toward your conclusion.
• Ask flow-focused questions: Do ideas unfold in a logical order? Does each section support the progression of your argument or narrative?

Step 4: Get peer feedback

Once you’ve revised for structure and flow, it’s time to bring in outside perspectives. Peer feedback is valuable because it reveals spots in your draft you’ve missed—things that might seem clear to you but confuse your readers. Choose someone you trust, whether it’s a peer, mentor, writing center tutor, or even Grammarly.

Be specific in your request: Ask your reviewer to focus on things like clarity, tone, organization, or coherence. You can even provide a short checklist to guide their feedback. Keep in mind that not all feedback needs to be implemented. Look for patterns in what people notice. If multiple reviewers point to the same problem, it likely needs attention. Use the suggestions that align with your goals and trust your judgment.

Step 4 checklist:

• Choose the right reviewer: Ask a peer, mentor, writing center tutor, or Grammarly for helpful feedback.
• Be specific in your request: Guide your reviewer by asking for input on things like clarity, tone, organization, or coherence.
• Use a feedback checklist: Ask reviewers to consider questions like: Is the message clear? Is the tone appropriate? Does the structure support the main point?
• Look for patterns in feedback: Focus on repeated comments or consistent issues rather than one-off suggestions.
• Reflect before revising: Decide which feedback aligns with your goals and purpose—use it to sharpen your writing, not derail it.
• Be open but discerning: Not every suggestion needs to be accepted; trust your judgment while staying receptive to helpful input.

Example of how to revise a paragraph

Here’s a before-and-after example of how to revise a paragraph for clarity and focus, with a brief explanation of why the changes were made. First, let’s start with an example paragraph from a rough draft. The core idea is there, but it’s not quite ready yet.

Original paragraph

Social media is bad in a lot of ways, and people spend too much time on it. It affects productivity and also makes people anxious. I read that scrolling a lot can impact sleep, too, which is bad for health. Everyone is using social media these days, even though it’s not always a good thing. There are also studies about how it can be addictive, especially for teenagers.

Revised paragraph

While social media connects people and provides entertainment, excessive use can have negative effects. Research shows it can lower productivity, increase anxiety, and interfere with sleep—particularly among teenagers. Despite growing awareness of these issues, many people continue to use social media in ways that may harm their well-being.

What changed and why?

1 Refined the topic sentence

The original began with a vague generalization (“bad in a lot of ways”) and lacked balance. The revised version opens with a more nuanced statement that sets up the paragraph’s focus.

2 Improved clarity and specificity

Instead of “I read that scrolling a lot can impact sleep,” the revised version presents the idea more formally and clearly (“interfere with sleep”).

3 Removed redundancy and weak phrasing

Phrases like “it’s not always a good thing” were vague and repetitive. The revision avoids filler and strengthens the tone.

4 Enhanced flow between ideas

The ideas were restructured so that the paragraph builds logically: presenting the problem, summarizing research, and ending with a concluding thought.

5 Sharpened word choice and conciseness

Phrases such as “which is bad for health” were replaced with more precise alternatives that convey the same idea more effectively.

Notice that the changes focus on ensuring the paragraph better communicates its core message. Elements like tone and word choice play a major role in how your audience reacts to your writing.

Revising FAQs

What is revising?

Revising is the stage of the writing process where you improve your draft’s overall clarity, structure, and content. Unlike editing, which focuses on grammar and punctuation, revising looks at the bigger picture—ensuring your ideas are well-organized, clearly expressed, and effectively support your main message.

How is revising different from editing or proofreading?

Revising focuses on the big picture of your writing. It’s the stage where you improve the overall structure, clarify your ideas, and ensure your content flows logically from start to finish. Revision often involves reordering paragraphs, rewriting sentences for clarity, or cutting content that doesn’t support your main message.

Editing comes after revising and deals with sentence-level improvements—refining word choice, tone, and style to make your writing smoother and more precise.

Proofreading is the final step. It involves checking for surface-level errors like typos, grammar mistakes, punctuation issues, and formatting inconsistencies.

In short:

• Revise to strengthen your content and structure.
• Edit to polish your language.
• Proofread to catch small errors before you hit publish or submit.

Why is revising important?

Few writers produce a perfect first draft. Revising helps you identify what’s working and what isn’t—whether that’s an unclear argument, disorganized structure, or weak transitions. It lets you shape your ideas more clearly and ensure your message resonates with your audience.

How do you revise your writing?

Start by taking a break to reset your perspective. Then review the big picture for focus and organization, check the flow of ideas from paragraph to paragraph, and, finally, ask for feedback from a peer or tool. Use a checklist to guide your review and focus on both structural issues and sentence-level clarity.

What should you revise first—structure or wording?

Always start with structure. Revising individual sentences before confirming your content and organization is like decorating a house before building the walls. Focus first on your thesis, paragraph order, and clarity of ideas. Once those are solid, then fine-tune your wording and grammar.

How do you know when you’re done revising?

You’re likely finished revising when your writing clearly communicates your intended message, flows logically from one point to the next, and reads smoothly aloud. A checklist can help ensure you’ve covered all major areas, and feedback from others can confirm that your writing makes sense to someone unfamiliar with your draft.

The post How to Revise Effectively: A Step-by-Step Guide to Revising Your Writing appeared first on Grammarly Blog.

For the past decade, a zero-interest rate period encouraged industry-wide investment in SaaS spending. After 2022, when rates started to rise again, companies around the world examined their budgets and tech stacks more closely.

Nearly 90% of companies now consider it a goal to cut vendor spend, but many companies also want to keep pace with generative AI. Budgets are constrained, but there’s a desire to invest in the future—if those investments can be proven wise. This is harder than you might think. Our research shows 88% of the workweek is spent communicating with others across multiple channels, but no one has yet shown how LLMs, which should disrupt the communication ecosystem, produce a direct impact.

There are surveys available that indicate the value of new tools, but few vendors have the ability to measure the effects of the tools they offer. At best, companies can measure how users use their tools once and if they adopt them. Grammarly, however, is uniquely positioned to prove the causal effects of AI.

Grammarly has the widespread presence (across applications) and the adoption (across different types of users) to provide a true baseline. We built a version of the product that can be deployed during business trials to create a credible counterfactual that is then used to compare the impact of Grammarly over the course of the trial period. We call this version “silent” because it has no features and provides no assistance. It gives us information about the baseline communications of a team (e.g., quantity and quality) in the absence of Grammarly’s features.

This goes beyond mere A/B testing because it means we can actually build randomized control trials that quantify the causal effects, allowing us to trace the effects of Grammarly to realized business outcomes without noise from other inputs.

As a result of this research, we built the capacity to perform randomized control trials that help our customers study the with-and-without effects of adopting Grammarly, allowing them to measure and predict returns before they invest. In this article, we’ll walk through what we discovered.

Grammarly improves communication

Our research proved that using Grammarly improves communication accuracy and compliance with teams’ writing guidelines or standards.

In one study, we monitored an experimental sample of more than 450 professional workers to see the effects of using Grammarly’s AI assistant, an intelligent tool to identify and improve areas of opportunity regarding communication correctness, clarity, tone, and guideline compliance. We found that users with access to Grammarly’s AI writing assistance saw a 20% (statistically significant) reduction in errors, which translates to an average of 30 to 70 fewer errors per user per day, depending on the tool in which they are writing.

A 20% reduction is significant, but we found that this was the floor, not the ceiling. Even when workers use Grammarly’s assistant in tools with native spell-checking features, we still found a significant impact, and in contexts like long-form business memos, we discovered that an error reduction of 80% or more is even possible. In email communication, Grammarly reduced errors by 36%; in support communication, Grammarly reduced errors by 28%; and in CRMs, Grammarly reduced errors by 40%.

Not all errors, however, are just spelling and grammar. We also studied how Grammarly can improve compliance, and we found that when admins set up Grammarly with writing style preferences, compliance with company guidelines rose by 30% to 65%.

Grammarly helps professionals get more things done

Many different types of users use Grammarly, and those users can use Grammarly across a wide range of applications, some of which have native spell-check features and some don’t.

Given that baseline, we determined that giving workers access to Grammarly meant they spent 71% fewer minutes idling while composing emails (which we define as time not actively working on the email, i.e., writing, pasting, or editing text). Instead, they were able to stay focused, write more emails, and get more done.

These effects have the potential to be even more dramatic across tools without native spell-checking features, such as CRMs and developer tools. For teams writing on CRMs, for example, we showed that Grammarly caused an average 40% increase in output when we measured in words-per-minute terms.

A common method of assessing the value of SaaS tools is to survey employees about the amount of time they saved using them. This helps company leaders understand the benefits perceived by the employees, but usually begs a question from employers: “What are people doing with the time they save?”

With Grammarly, we know the time gets reinvested in the business. Teammates maintain the same total working hours irrespective of whether they have Grammarly. Teammates with Grammarly, however, can redistribute their time toward different tasks and work more efficiently. Over time and across teams, teammates worked more effectively thanks to Grammarly.

Grammarly usage translates into improved business outcomes

We found that using Grammarly translates into concrete business outcomes, showing that the improved communication and productivity described above lead to demonstrable business value.

We also like to rely on our own team members’ activities to experiment and learn about our product usage. In this section, we focused on an internal version of the experiment, which we ran to see how losing access to Grammarly would affect select teams.

Through this internal research, we found that our Customer Care team experienced a 20% drop in Customer Satisfaction (CSAT) scores when they lost access to Grammarly’s features. Newer team members experienced the worst impact, and longer-tenured members were dissatisfied with the changed experience and had to work harder to fill the gap.

Outside research also shows that higher CSAT scores are associated with higher retention rates. Research from Metrobi published earlier this year, for example, found, “Companies that maintain high CSAT scores report 35% higher customer retention rates and 28% more sales from repeat customers.”

An improvement in communication can therefore lead to a healthier business.

We have a lot of evidence that improved communication translates to improved business outcomes, and the overall success of this program shows that these experiments work and that business outcomes can be predicted and proven.

With this research, we’re able to show that Grammarly reduces errors across applications and users, as well as improving writing quality and compliance. We prove that Grammarly is more than a perk for select employees, but is, rather, a must-have tool for the business-wide communication ecosystem.

For example, one customer trialed Grammarly across 100 users for a planned deal of 600 seats, and shifted to a company-wide implementation after seeing the positive results of this research on their team.

Next steps

This research already has strong traction inside the company. Our sales teams frequently conversed with prospective customers about ROI. It was easy for them to show customers that Grammarly is useful, but it was sometimes hard to show that it provides much more value than relying on spell-checking tools native to software like Google Docs and Gmail.

As with many SaaS tools, the Grammarly buyer tends to be separated from the end user, so the value the end users might feel can be hard to see for the buyer, who might not use the tool as much.

With this research, we can provide a mechanism for demonstrating value that goes beyond what many SaaS tools and even AI tools can offer. The costs of doing business are rising, and we can show that Grammarly is a worthy investment. Grammarly is a multiplier for the value companies get from other business tools that involve communication, and not only for those companies that communicate directly with external customers.

In the future, we plan to scale our capacity to perform this research work to learn more about how AI changes work and how Grammarly can provide and prove value for our customers.

If you’re interested in improving how the world communicates and finding innovative ways to measure the effects of AI on work and student productivity, come work with us. Check out our jobs page to learn more.

The post The Causal Effects of AI at Work appeared first on Grammarly Blog.

Writing a book can be exhilarating, but it can also be overwhelming. Whether you’re crafting a novel, a memoir, or a nonfiction book, starting with a clear outline can set you up for success. Think of it as a roadmap: It gives you direction, keeps you organized, and helps you maintain momentum through the writing process.

In this guide, we’ll walk you through everything you need to know about outlining a book. You’ll learn why outlines matter, explore different outlining styles and methods, and get a simple, step-by-step process to create your own outline.

Table of contents

Benefits of outlining your book

Do I need an outline?

Types of outlines

Outlining methods

How to outline your book

Tips for writing a strong book outline

Conclusion

Book outline FAQs

Benefits of outlining your book

Outlining is an important step in the writing process. For some writers, it might feel like unnecessary extra work, but it can actually make the writing process much smoother. A well-structured outline gives you a clear path forward so you can focus on your creative expression.

Provides structure

• Organizes your ideas in a logical, easy-to-follow sequence
• Ensures your story or argument flows smoothly from beginning to end
• Helps identify gaps or weak points in your overall narrative early on

Helps you focus

• Keeps your writing aligned with your main themes and goals
• Prevents you from including irrelevant detail or veering off topic
• Makes it easier to maintain consistency in tone, pacing, and voice

Saves time

• Speeds up writing with a clear plan for what comes next
• Reduces the need for major changes during revisions
• Helps you schedule your writing more efficiently

Prevents writer’s block

• Provides a clear next step when you’re unsure what to write next
• Allows you to skip around to outlined sections if you get stuck
• Offers a visual indication of your progress

Do I need an outline?

Every writer approaches their craft differently. Some are meticulous planners, mapping out every component of their story, characters, setting, and theme before writing. These writers are sometimes called plotters—writers who plot out their writing. At the other end of the spectrum are the pantsers—writers who don’t plan their writing, preferring to discover the story as they write it. They “fly by the seat of their pants.”

Very few writers are entirely plotters or pantsers. Most fall somewhere in between. As you develop your writing skills, you’ll figure out the balance that works for you. Maybe you prefer writing only a detailed synopsis of your book before writing. Alternately, you may find that a detailed outline of your characters, plot, and themes works best for you.

Book outlining types

Effective outlines for your book can come in a variety of forms. The two most common outline types are linear and visual outlines. Experiment to figure out which works best for you.

• Linear outline: A sequential, hierarchical method of organizing your narrative using headings and subheadings. Often this takes the form of a bulleted or alphanumeric list.
• Visual outline: A method of organizing your narrative using images, icons, and lines to indicate relationships. Frequently, writers use a technique called mind mapping to build visual outlines.

Book outlining methods

There are a number of different outlining methods writers use for structuring their books. Each has strengths for different writing styles, genres, and story structures. Here are a few of the most popular.

The snowflake method

Developed by author Randy Ingermanson, this method starts with a one-sentence summary of your book. From there, you expand that idea into a paragraph, then into detailed character descriptions, scenes, and storylines.

It’s great for writers crafting complex plots or character-driven narratives.

The 3-act structure

The three-act structure is one of the most common story structures. It divides your narrative into three distinct sections:

1. Setup: Introduces characters and the setting
2. Confrontation: Develops a conflict and sets the stakes
3. Resolution: Resolves the conflict and concludes the story

This method is a basic but effective strategy for building tension and making sure your narrative has a strong arc and satisfying conclusion.

The hero’s journey

Popularized by writer and scholar Joseph Campbell, the hero’s journey outlines a 12-step journey of transformation. Common in mythology, fantasy, and adventure stories, it follows a protagonist who overcomes trials and emerges changed.

The hero’s journey is ideal for quest-driven narratives or stories focused on a character’s growth.

The synopsis method

The synopsis method involves writing a short summary of your entire book before you begin drafting. This summary typically includes major plot points, character arcs, key themes, and the ending, all condensed into one to three pages.

It’s best for writers who find linear outlining challenging but still want a plan for their book.

How to outline your book in 7 steps

Before you begin your outline, decide on the outlining type and method or methods you’ll employ. You may want to experiment to determine which combination works best for you.

1  Define your book’s purpose

What are you trying to achieve with your book? For instance, you can inform, entertain, inspire, or persuade. Your purpose will help guide your voice, tone, and structure.

2  Identify your audience

Who are you writing for? What do they already know? What do they expect to learn or experience from your book? Getting specific about your audience helps you make sure your writing speaks directly to them.

3  Create your central idea or thesis

Summarize your book’s core idea in one or two sentences. For fiction, this might include your main character and their challenge. For nonfiction, it should outline the key argument or insight. Refer to this regularly to keep your outline aligned with this central idea.

4  Craft your story, character, or topic arc

For fiction, chart how your protagonist grows or changes. In nonfiction, think about how your topic unfolds and builds. This arc gives your book a compelling through line that keeps readers engaged.

5  Build your book’s structure

Using your chosen method, lay out the big-picture framework of your book. Focus on major beats like plot points, key scenes, or conflicts. Don’t include the fine details just yet. As you add more specifics, this framework will give you something to build on.

6  Add high-level details

Begin fleshing out each section with more context: scenes, character dynamics, emotions, examples, or facts. These elements will bring depth and continuity to your outline and help you visualize where your narrative is going.

7  Organize and refine your outline

Arrange your content into chapters or logical sections. Ensure a smooth flow and clear transitions from one section to the next. Aim for a structure that naturally builds toward a satisfying conclusion.

Tips for writing a strong book outline

Use these tips to get even more out of your book outlining process.

• Stay flexible: Whether you’re more of a plotter or a pantser, remember that your outline is a guide, not a recipe. Adjust and refine it as your ideas and writing evolve.
• Use tools to help: Tools like Scrivener and Milanote are built to help you organize and revise your ideas. Grammarly can generate a first-draft outline based on your ideas or notes if you need help getting started.
• Get feedback: Share your outline with a trusted friend or mentor. Outside perspectives can help you spot opportunities for improvement or unlock new ideas.

Conclusion

Outlining is one of the most powerful tools a writer can use to bring clarity, direction, and structure to a book. Even if you consider yourself a pantser, a little preplanning can make the writing process smoother and more productive.

Take the time to explore different methods, mix and match techniques, and customize your approach to suit your unique writing style. Remember: Your outline isn’t set in stone—it’s a flexible roadmap that helps you move forward with confidence.

Book outline FAQs

What is the best method for outlining a novel?

There’s no single best method. The snowflake method is great for detailed planners, while the three-act structure suits plot-driven writers. Try a few approaches to see what works best for you.

Can I outline a nonfiction book the same way as a novel?

Not exactly. Nonfiction outlines focus more on organizing information, while fiction outlines emphasize narrative flow and character development.

How long should a book outline be?

It should last as long as necessary. It should give you enough structure to stay on track while still leaving room for creativity.

Do I need to follow my outline exactly?

No. Think of your outline as a flexible guide. If your story or argument evolves, your outline can evolve with it.

What’s the easiest outlining tool for first-time authors?

Grammarly is user-friendly and great for beginners. Its AI can help you brainstorm, outline, draft, and revise your writing. It’s your writing partner through every stage of your writing process.

The post How to Outline a Book in 7 Steps appeared first on Grammarly Blog.

The challenge: Navigating AI’s impact on education

Grammarly Authorship: A student-first approach

• Clear categorization: Authorship distinguishes between human-written content, AI-generated content, modified content, and pasted material.
• Analytical insights: Reports clearly display writing categories through intuitive, color-coded breakdowns.
• Authoring playback: This feature visually demonstrates each step of a student’s writing process, fostering trust and deeper engagement.

Recognition from EdTech Breakthrough

“Grammarly Authorship gives students an easy way to show how they wrote their paper, including if and how they interacted with AI tools. While other AI detection tools leave students in the dark with no insight into the results or defense against false positives, Authorship provides deeper insights that foster two-way transparency in the writing process between educators and students. Grammarly makes it easy to improve your writing, track sources, and generate citations so your work stands out as credible, original, and impactful.”

Real-world impact: Empowering students and educators

“Authorship has tremendous potential for higher education as we try to navigate the challenges and opportunities of AI,” said Nathan Fayard, Assistant Professor of English at Indiana Wesleyan University. “Not only does Authorship help ensure students are actually doing their work, but it can also protect students from false-positives on AI detectors, giving them a way to document where the different parts of their work came from.”

• Explore how one professor at the University of Florida modernized traditional writing assignments with Grammarly Authorship.
• Learn how Rowan-Cabarrus Community College leveraged Grammarly Authorship to reduce academic integrity violations from 27 to 1.

Looking ahead: Our continued commitment

Join us

The post Grammarly Authorship wins 2025 EdTech Breakthrough Award appeared first on Grammarly Blog.

Starting a piece of writing can feel overwhelming, especially when you’re staring at a blank page. That’s where the rough draft comes in—it’s your chance to dive in, explore your ideas, and shape your thoughts into something tangible. A rough draft isn’t about perfection; it’s about progress. It gives you the freedom to experiment with structure, test your argument, and let your creativity lead the way.

In this guide, you’ll learn why a rough draft is important, the key components of a rough draft, and tips to make your rough draft writing process easier.

Table of contents

Why is a rough draft important?

How to write a rough draft in 5 steps

Step 1: Transition from your outline

Step 2: Write your introduction

Step 3: Develop body paragraphs

Step 4: Push through the roadblocks

Step 5: Write your conclusion

Tips for writing an effective rough draft

What to avoid

How AI is changing the drafting process

Rough draft FAQs

Why is a rough draft important?

A rough draft is a critical step in the writing process. It’s your chance to write freely without worrying about anyone else seeing it. You can experiment, make mistakes, and follow ideas wherever they lead. This freedom allows you to discover your message, organize your thoughts, and build momentum.

Here are the primary benefits of a rough draft:

Builds momentum

• Experiment freely: It’s a low-pressure space to try out different styles, structures, or tones.
• Focus on content over correctness: You can concentrate on ideas before worrying about grammar or formatting.
• Improve time management: An intentional rough draft stage separates idea development from polishing, helping to keep you focused. This makes the entire writing process faster and more manageable.

Strengthens your ideas

• Clarify your argument: A rough draft helps you refine your thesis, supporting points, and overall message.
• Identify gaps: Moving from your outline to writing often helps you spot where more information, research, or clarification is needed to make your point.
• Catch major issues early on: Problems with content flow, logic, or development are more evident as you work through your rough draft.

Prepare for revisions

• See the full context: A rough draft lets you step back and evaluate how well your ideas connect and support your goals before refining.
• Get better feedback: A rough draft gives others something concrete to react to, making their input more useful and specific.
• Make editing less overwhelming: With a complete draft in hand, you can focus on improving one section at a time instead of rewriting from scratch when you receive feedback.

How to ​write a rough draft in 5 flexible steps

Writing a rough draft can be intimidating, but it should be seen as a creative phase rather than a final product. Your goal is to get ideas on the page in a loose form without worrying about grammar or transitions. Focus on developing your content and building momentum. Here are five simple steps to help you.

Think of these steps as a toolkit rather than a checklist. Write in whichever order works best for you.

Step 1: Transition from your outline

If you’ve already outlined your piece, you have a roadmap. Now, you just need to fill it in.

Start by choosing any section—introduction, body, or even conclusion—that feels easiest to tackle. You don’t have to write in order. Use your outline points to guide your paragraphs, but don’t feel locked in. If a new idea comes to mind, follow it. You can revise the outline later.

Example:

Outline point: “Main benefit of meditation = stress relief”

Draft: “One of the biggest benefits of meditation is its ability to reduce stress. Even just a few minutes a day can calm the nervous system and help you feel more [something].”

Step 2: Write your introduction

Many writers find the introduction the hardest part, so don’t stress if it takes a few tries. The goal is to introduce your topic, offer a little background, and clearly state your thesis or purpose.

Start with a hook—a compelling fact, question, or statement—that draws the reader in. Then, provide any context needed to understand your topic. Finally, present your thesis: the main argument or message of your piece.

If you find yourself stuck, you can leave the introduction for last. Writing an introduction after you have the rest of your draft is often much easier.

Example:

“Why do we always feel busier than we are? That’s the question I started asking after reading three different productivity books in one week. This piece explores how our obsession with being busy affects how we work—and how we live.”

Step 3: Develop body paragraphs

The body of your draft is where you expand on your main points. Each paragraph should center on one idea, introduced by a topic sentence. From there, use evidence, examples, or explanations to support your point.

Here’s a simple structure to follow for each paragraph:

• Topic sentence: What is the point?
• Support: What facts, logic, or examples prove it?
• Analysis: Why does this matter?
• Transition: How does this connect to the next idea?

Example:

Step 4: Push through the roadblocks

This is where many writers get stuck. Maybe you’re not sure how to connect your ideas, or everything you’ve written suddenly feels off. That’s completely normal.

The key is to keep moving forward. Don’t aim for perfect—just aim to finish. If you feel stuck, try these strategies:

• Use placeholders: Drop in quick notes like “[insert example here]” or “[transition needed]” so you don’t lose momentum.
• Set small goals: Try a word count target (like 200 words) or a time-based sprint (15–25 minutes).
• Don’t reread or edit: Resist the urge to fix things as you go. Trust that revision will come later.
• Write through doubt: Even if your ideas feel clunky or uncertain, getting them down is better than getting them “right.”

Step 5: Write your conclusion

When you’re ready to wrap up, revisit your thesis and summarize the key points you’ve made. A good conclusion reinforces your argument without simply repeating everything you’ve said.

You might also leave the reader with a final thought, call to action, or question that encourages further reflection. Whatever approach you take, aim to end on a strong, thoughtful note.

[tip] Focus on clearly tying your ideas together and leaving the reader with something to think about—you can refine the tone or wording during revision. [/tip]

Tips for writing an effective rough draft

Here are a few tips to help make your drafting process smoother:

• Write now, edit later: Resist the urge to fix typos or rephrase every sentence. Save that energy for revision.
• Be okay with messy: The draft doesn’t need to look good. It just needs to exist.
• Use notes: Jot down reminders about sources, quotes, or ideas to follow up on.
• Take breaks: Step away when you feel stuck—rest can spark new insights.
• Track your progress: Celebrate small wins, like finishing a paragraph or hitting a word count goal.
• Have a trusted peer review it: Share your rough draft with someone who can offer constructive feedback. Fresh eyes can help you spot gaps, unclear sections, or ideas worth expanding.

What to avoid

• Overediting early on: Resist the urge to perfect sentences during the rough draft phase.
• Ignoring structure: Stick to your outline to maintain organization.
• Neglecting transitions: Ensure each paragraph connects smoothly to the next.​
• Forgetting your audience: Keep your reader in mind as you write—your tone, examples, and focus should all serve their needs.
• Skipping placeholders: Skipping a detail to keep your momentum is a great practice. But don’t forget to come back and expand on those items.
• Writing without breaks: Drafting takes focus. Step away when you need to so you can recharge and come back with a fresh perspective.

How AI is changing the drafting process

Drafting used to mean wrestling with a blank page, slowly building ideas sentence by sentence. Today, AI writing tools can jump-start that process by generating full drafts, outlines, or even starter sentences based on your input. The benefit? You get past the blank page faster and can focus on shaping your message.

But it’s still your job to revise, refine, and make it your own—AI is a starting point, not the finish line. It might miss nuance, include generic phrasing, or reflect surface-level understanding of your topic. That’s why treating AI as a starting point, not a shortcut to a final draft, is essential. The best results come when you use AI to generate ideas and rough content, then revise it with your voice, insights, and purpose in mind.

That’s where Grammarly’s AI comes in—it’s built to support writers through every stage of the writing process, especially the messy middle of writing a rough draft. And because Grammarly works where you write, you can work on your draft without breaking focus or switching between tools.

Here’s how Grammarly supports your drafting process:

• Jump-start your rough draft: Use Grammarly’s AI prompts to turn an idea or outline into a starting draft. Whether you need a hook, paragraph, or full response, Grammarly helps you generate content faster.

• Stay in flow as you write: Grammarly offers suggestions for clarity and tone in real time, helping you revise rough sentences without breaking your stride.

• Write without fear of unintentional copying: Grammarly’s built-in plagiarism checker helps you avoid accidental borrowing and maintain originality.

Make your rough draft writing less rough

A rough draft isn’t the final version of your writing—it’s the beginning of it. By getting your ideas down without pressure, you create the foundation for stronger, clearer, more compelling work. With these five manageable steps and a willingness to write imperfectly, you’ll break through the hesitation and into the heart of the writing process.

Rough draft FAQs

What are the three components of a rough draft?

A rough draft typically includes an introduction, body paragraphs, and a conclusion. The introduction sets up your topic and thesis, the body develops your ideas with support and examples, and the conclusion wraps everything up.

Does a rough draft have to be perfect?

Not at all. In fact, it shouldn’t be. A rough draft is meant to be messy—it’s a space to explore ideas, test structure, and see what works. You’ll revise and improve it later, so focus on getting your thoughts down rather than making every word flawless.

How long does it take to write a rough draft?

It depends on the length and complexity of the piece, but many people can draft a short essay (500–800 words) in 1–2 hours. Longer pieces may take several sessions. Setting a timer or writing in short sprints can help you stay focused and make steady progress.

How long should a rough draft be?

A rough draft should be about the same length as your final piece. If you’re aiming for a 1,000-word essay, your draft should be close to that—maybe slightly over, since you’ll likely cut or tighten during revision. It’s better to have too much content than not enough.

Does a rough draft need citations?

Yes, if you’re using outside sources, it’s a good idea to include at least rough citations. They don’t have to be perfectly formatted, but noting where your information comes from helps you avoid accidental plagiarism and makes the final citation process easier.

The post How to Write an Effective Rough Draft: Practical Tips for Every Writer appeared first on Grammarly Blog.

AI is fundamentally changing the way we communicate at work. It’s not just a technological upgrade or another productivity tool; it presents a fundamental shift in how businesses and employees operate. The learning curve to achieve enterprise-wide AI adoption might seem steep, but it is achievable. 

Every business is starting at a different place with AI. Those slower to adopt likely feel behind, especially if they are still avoiding the technology altogether. Early adopters might be ahead of the curve and the competition now; however, with an emerging technology like AI, the curve continues to move. We are all at the beginning of a long-term shift that takes proactive planning, incremental adjusting, and the occasional pivot to achieve true transformation and see real results.

No matter where you are in your journey, if you want to achieve enterprise-wide adoption, the best place to begin is with AI literacy. Read on to get the roadmap to equip your workforce with the resources to achieve AI literacy—and prepare your business to enter the next stage of AI adoption.

5 actionable steps to achieve enterprise-wide AI adoption

Business leaders looking to get ahead with the power of AI must take a strategic and comprehensive approach to achieving enterprise-wide adoption. Here’s a roadmap to help you steer your organization through the intricacies of adopting and integrating AI effectively.

1. Gain buy-in from leadership and employees

The journey to full AI adoption begins with gaining buy-in, not just from the top executives at your company but also from employees who will be expected to use AI in their daily work. Start by demystifying AI, explaining the basics of AI usage, and showcasing the benefits for everyone involved. Here are a few actionable next steps to take:

• Assign an AI business driver or tiger team to manage the research, strategy, and implementation across your company. 
• Educate your leadership through a series of workshops in which you bring in experts to share the benefits, challenges, and strategic importance of AI to transform business communication. You’ll need their approval before investing in new technology or implementing any new policies.
• Engage and prepare employees through interactive sessions, such as town halls and Q&As. In these sessions, you should not only outline the impact that AI will have on the business but also the benefits that it will bring to their specific roles. It’s crucial for employees to understand how they’ll be able to leverage AI in their daily tasks to make their work more efficient and their communication more effective.
• Showcase early wins that you achieve in pilot programs where key individuals or teams experiment with AI tools. These successes will boost confidence among employees and leadership alike.

2. Provide training and education to improve AI literacy

Next, make AI education a top priority. AI literacy is a foundational skill for every employee to focus on. Here is how you can equip your workforce with the resources they need to use AI systems responsibly, effectively, and with the desired outcomes:

• Launch AI onboarding programs that provide an overview of AI technologies, touching on everything from basic concepts and best practices to risks and security considerations. 
• Align AI education with how people work to address usage and literacy gaps between levels and teams. Create customized training sessions that are practical, hands-on, and tailored to every function within your organization. They should focus on the specific AI tools and use cases that they will use in their role on a daily basis.
• Promote continuous learning for early-career and senior-level workers alike by regularly updating training materials to reflect the latest AI advancements and insights. This will ensure that your team remains on the cutting edge and you are constantly investing in upskilling your workforce.
• Offer a learning stipend for employees who are interested in further improving their AI literacy and fluency. This could be a portion of your company’s learning and development budget dedicated to providing external courses, workshops, and books to employees.

3. Invest in the right AI tools

Every function within your organization likely has countless options for AI tools. Over the past year, we’ve seen hundreds of point-solution startups pop up across industries. It’s a complicated landscape that gets more crowded by the day. Here’s how you can break through the noise and choose the right tools for your business:

• Identify AI capabilities in your current tech stack, looking for tools that your employees already use. Rather than investing in more tools, look for AI technology that works with your existing tech stack to create ease around AI adoption and everyday usage.
• Carefully select vendors based on criteria such as ubiquity, scalability, ease of integration, customer support, and robust data security. Look for AI technology that is easily embedded into employees’ existing workflows and communication channels.
• Invest in AI tools that can be customized to your brand guidelines and that tailor results to your organization’s context, tone, clarity, and fluency. This would create more consistent and effective communication across the entire company.
• Prioritize security and privacy by monitoring how your employees use AI technologies and watching for risky or unusual inputs and outputs. Security, data privacy, and protection of company intellectual property are top AI concerns for business leaders. Choose a secure and reputable AI provider to ensure the protection of sensitive company data.

4. Create acceptable usage guidelines and policies

With great power comes great responsibility. As you adopt powerful AI tools, it’s critical to guide their use with clear policies. After all, if you don’t have control over the AI systems your employees are using, how can you protect your data, your people, and your brand from the most common risks? Start with these steps:

• Develop an ethical framework for AI that addresses key issues such as data privacy, security, and bias. This framework should align with your brand’s values and compliance requirements.
• Draft clear usage policies that define acceptable and unacceptable uses of AI in your business operations. This will help prevent misuse and guide employees in making ethical decisions.
• Stay up to date on AI regulations to ensure your policies remain compliant with both local and international laws. Regular reviews and updates to your policies are necessary as regulations evolve.
• Prioritize standardization across your enterprise to ensure that all employees are using the same tools under the same guidelines. This will help combat the uncertainty that can arise from differences in AI use and proficiency. 

5. Build an enterprise-wide AI culture

Finally, nurturing a culture that embraces innovation and continuous learning is vital for achieving sustainable AI success. Here’s how you can create a culture that supports your business transformation:

• Encourage employees to share effective prompts, best practices, and lessons learned with one another so everyone learns to use AI tools responsibly and celebrates wins together.
• Identify AI champions who experiment with new AI features and technologies. Think of these people as incubators for new ideas and inspiration for AI-driven innovation and skill sets.
• Incentivize innovation by offering rewards for teams or individuals who come up with new ways to leverage AI to improve communication. Recognition can go a long way in motivating employees to think creatively.
• Embrace AI for the long term by investing in continuous education and new technologies. Regularly seek feedback from employees to learn how to improve your operations and business communication with AI.

Embarking on the road to enterprise-wide AI adoption is no small feat—it requires a thoughtful and strategic approach. By securing buy-in, providing targeted training, establishing clear guidelines, investing in the right tools, and fostering a culture of innovation, you can position your organization not only to adapt tothe AI-driven future but to thrive.

Implementing AI enterprise-wide

The journey may be complex, but the potential rewards for your organization and its people are immense. Embrace the journey with openness and enthusiasm, and watch as AI transforms your business operations.

Want to learn more about AI literacy, the stages of AI adoption, and the roadblocks to improving communication across your enterprise? Download the ebook The New Language of Business: How an AI Literate Workforce Is the New Competitive Advantage.

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Over the past year, artificial intelligence (AI) has been dominating headlines in business, technology, and academics (to name a few). Of course, it’s mainly generative artificial intelligence (gen AI) that people are talking about when they refer to the latest AI tools. But it’s important to break through the buzzy headlines to understand the massive opportunity that this transformative technology presents. 

Business communication is one of the biggest areas for disruption. In the US alone, gen AI has the potential to save up to $1.6 trillion annually in productivity if all workers were using it for communication. However, every organization is in a different stage of generative AI adoption. Some companies are avoiding the new technology, resisting change from their traditional working methods. Many have a piecemeal approach to AI adoption, experimenting with different tools across a few select teams. And few, if any, have reached enterprise-wide adoption, using gen AI to its maximum potential to transform their business.

In this blog, we’re covering the five phases of generative AI adoption in business—and uncovering the gaps that might be preventing you from reaching the next level. 

The AI adoption framework

AI has quickly emerged as a key driver and accelerator in business transformation. Whether you’re using it to gain new insights, increase content production, automate tedious and manual work, or enhance overall communication quality, it’s likely that your business and employees have seen some of the benefits of this new technology.

However, as AI technologies evolve, it can be challenging to keep up and understand how to leverage these tools most effectively. This is where the AI-adoption framework comes in. Use this as a way to assess where your organization is currently, identify areas for improvement, and navigate the complex landscape of AI so you can transform your business.

The 5 Stages of AI Adoption

• Becoming aware. The first stage is simply being aware of AI technology. At this stage, people within your organization have an early interest in AI and may be researching different tools to build an understanding of their capabilities and different use cases for your business. The focus of this stage is on garnering interest in AI, exploring its potential for business communication, and finding out how to use it to add value for employees.
• Experimenting. The second stage is all about experimentation with AI tools. In this phase of adoption, AI literacy is likely limited, with only a few select people or teams actively using AI in their day-to-day work. In the experimentation stage, there is no formal AI strategy in place, and it’s likely that each team within your organization is experimenting with a different tool. The focus here is on exploring the potential of AI, building skills and expertise to improve communication, and identifying areas where AI is adding value to the business.
• Optimizing. In the third stage of AI adoption, businesses are focused on optimization. Graduating from the experimentation phase means applying all of the lessons learned into repeatable processes. You should use that to define an AI strategy and implement tools for your employees to use regularly. In this stage, it’s important to improve the AI literacy of your entire workforce, not just certain individuals or teams. AI should become integrated into key business processes, and your focus here should be on achieving measurable improvements in productivity, communication effectiveness, and business performance.
• Standardizing. The fourth stage is all about ensuring standardized usage of AI across the business. This involves investing in proper technology enterprise-wide, creating a culture of innovation, and encouraging the responsible use of AI tools to drive the business forward. In this stage, AI is integrated into every area where employees communicate. The focus here is on empowering every employee to communicate with more effectiveness, clarity, and context rather than just adding more noise. At this stage, you’re driving maximum efficiency across teams, scaling automation and content creation, and creating a competitive advantage due to gains in productivity and creativity. 
• Transforming. The final stage of enterprise-wide AI adoption is when businesses truly transform and gain a competitive edge. At this level, your business is using AI to completely transform its operations and employees’ communication. Your business is likely seen as a leader in your industry, recognized for driving innovation and disruption. The focus here is on maximizing the benefits you see in employee productivity, business communication, customer satisfaction, and the bottom line.

Understanding where your business is in its AI adoption journey is key if you want to adapt and win in today’s competitive market. This framework should help you understand your current stage of adoption. But how do you know what’s holding you back from reaching the next stage?

AI adoption gaps: What’s holding you back from reaching the next stage

Having an understanding of where your business currently sits is a solid first step toward business transformation. But it’s what you do with that knowledge that really matters. Enter AI-adoption gaps. These are the key blockers that companies must overcome to reach enterprise-wide AI adoption.

Stage: Becoming aware

• The zero-to-one gap. If your business is stuck in the awareness stage, it’s likely that you have a lack of buy-in across the organization to try out AI technology. You could be missing key buy-in from leadership, whose approval you need before bringing in new technology. It could also be because the company is stuck in a state of fear of messing up, so they’re avoiding getting started altogether. Or there could be a lack of buy-in from employees who prefer to avoid new technology and use more traditional methods to communicate. 
• How to bridge the gap: To enter the next phase of experimentation, you should focus on communicating the benefits of AI for individuals and the business so that both employees and leadership are keen to try it out. Start small and simple. You don’t need your long-term AI strategy fully developed from the get-go. Choose one problem, like improving one aspect of one team’s communication effectiveness, and see how AI can solve it.

Stage: Experimenting

• The literacy gap. The majority of companies today are in the experimentation stage of AI adoption. It’s possible that you have a few individuals who use AI regularly for communication, but your workforce’s overall AI literacy is holding you back from reaching the next phase. Someone who is literate with AI has a fundamental understanding of the tools and their capabilities, is comfortable using them regularly for some communication tasks, and is starting to see personal benefits—but has room to improve to realize its full potential. 
• How to bridge the gap: The key to bridging this gap and entering the next stage of optimization is investing in proper training and policies. It’s crucial to ensure that your entire workforce not only feels confident using AI for their roles’ specific use cases but also knows your organization’s guidelines and policies around AI usage to enhance business communication. 

Stage: Optimizing

• The technology gap. Once your workforce is upskilled and has elevated its AI literacy, it’s time to turn your attention to the technology you invest in. If you find your business stuck in the optimization phase, it’s likely because you don’t have the proper AI communication tools in place to support each function or the strategies to make the most of those tools. 
• How to bridge the gap: To enter the next stage of standardization, it’s crucial to invest in trusted, responsible, and ubiquitous AI technology. Not all AI tools are created equal. For your entire workforce to reap the benefits, you’ll need a solution that combines user-friendliness, scalability, and robust data security. The best place to start is an AI-powered communication assistant that is easily embedded into employees’ existing workflows and communication channels.

Stage: Standardizing

• The systems gap. The final gap that you must overcome to achieve enterprise-wide AI adoption is building systems that standardize AI usage and effective communication throughout your enterprise. You must ensure that everyone is invested in a culture of innovation. When you focus on building systems that support this culture, you’ll upskill your entire workforce, enable everyone to communicate more effectively, and maximize the benefits of AI.
• How to bridge the gap: To bridge the systems gap and achieve business transformation, you’ll need to double down on standardization. This means standardizing the tools you invested in (from the technology gap above) and creating standardized, role-specific training and enablement so every employee feels confident in using them effectively.

Unlocking the Potential of Generative AI

As AI continues to demonstrate its transformational capabilities on business communication for organizations across all industries, it’s critical for you to take this moment to assess where your business stands. Once you know what stage you’re in, you can prioritize building a strategy for AI adoption. In the next chapter, we’ll lay out a roadmap to get started or improve your AI capabilities to scale effective communication, drive business results, and stay ahead of the competition. 

Ready to find out what stage your business is in? Take this assessment to get started.

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