What’s the first thing that pops to mind when you think about writing an outline? The all-familiar list of ideas arranged into sub-heads and supporting bullet points, right?
Frankly, that’s all there is to it.
A little bit of organization will help you move past the awkward ground zero phase. Everyone that’s ever laid eyes on it knows how scary the white paper can be.
So, come up with your main ideas for the article and then use supporting ideas to prove your point.
Let’s say you’re writing an article about workplace distractions. You might want to write your content around two major categories:
- Why Employers Should Address Workplace Distractions
- How to Reduce Workplace Distractions and Increase Overall Team Productivity
These are your main ideas, or your sections, if you will. Now, expanding on those ideas is next on your agenda.
For your first section, you might want to touch upon the benefits of limiting distractions in the workplace:
- Increased productivity
- Higher engagement
- Better talent retention
- Emerging leaders
Now, moving on with your second section, you can choose to shortlist some strategies to help mitigate workplace distractions. For example:
- Handle One Project at a Time
- Introduce New Learning
- Create a Corporate Culture of Purpose
- Watch Those Emails