I’ve been told that it is possible in this day and age to get through weeks of work without ever actually putting pen to paper and having to hand write anything. I certainly haven’t found that to be the case, but I’m willing to discuss and debate whether or not handwriting and penmanship actually matter at all any more in the business world…
I do a lot of work by hand still—writing notes, writing out ideas and first drafts, making lists. But I do see that people who do other types of work can get by using only a computer and not ever have to actually write anything out. I suppose for those folks with inherently (or purposefully) poor handwriting, living in the modern age is a blessing. Everything from grocery lists to personalized envelopes can all be generated on the computer now, which is part of what makes running an efficient home business so do-able.
I still appreciate a fine, readable penmanship and even if it is old-fashioned of me—I like a handwritten note. Not to mention, in one of my incarnations, where I read hand-written applications and event registrations on a daily basis, I can get pretty crabby trying to decipher all the bad, illegible handwriting out there. I find that even though people CAN use a computer to type up their information, they don’t always do that and I’m still relegated to trying to read sloppy, illegible handwriting.
So, if I had to answer the burning question—“Does penmanship and handwriting matter in business?” I would have to answer that it depends—it depends on the type of business you are in and how much handwriting you need to do. If you are in a field or industry where plenty of hand writing is still going on, than it pays to make sure yours is legible!
See Also: How Important is Penmanship and Handwriting?