When I’m mentoring business students, the one thing that comes up time and time again is writing reports. Many of them find this difficult – and I’d go as far as to say some of them have a mental block about it.
But, if you always work logically and follow a few basic tips it should be a straightforward task – something that you need never dread again. So, before you write anything, you need to be absolutely clear about the answers to the following four questions:
WHY are you writing?
What is your purpose in writing the report? What are your aims and objectives? Without a clear purpose, there is no point in writing anything. There must be no doubt in your mind. It often helps if you come up with an appropriate title at this early stage as it helps to focus your thinking.
WHO are you writing for?
Who is going to read it? What kind of style should you use for this kind of reader? Communication is the art of passing on information needed by the readers in a form they can understand. So always keep the readers in mind: their background; level of education; familiarity with the subject and knowledge of the language.
The next area to consider is:
WHAT are you writing?
What information is your report going to contain? What is essential, and what is only supporting evidence? Where are you going to find this information?
In order to write a good report, you must know how to use the resources available to you. Will you use the Internet, will you consult reference books, will you get quotes from manufacturers and retailers or will you need to interview people? When you’ve got all this information, you’ll have to decide what is useful and what is not. And above all, it must be accurate! Learn to recognise the difference between facts and opinions, between accurate figures and estimates.
Don’t have any pre-formed opinions about the subject – start with an open mind, prepared to accept what you find out during your investigations.
HOW are you going to write it?
What kind of layout will it have? Do you have any idea of the main sections and sub-sections? What about the approximate length? What style and tone does it need? Most reports are formal – how formal will yours be?
In conclusion, thorough preparation is essential if a report is going to be of any value. The secret of success in report writing is to be systematic and thorough from the very beginning. You should always: think tidily, work methodically, argue logically and present facts simply.
So if you always follow this advice before you begin to write a report, not only will it make things easier for you, it will also improve your career prospects. Remember, good managers must be able to write good reports!
And if you’d like to brush up on your report writing skills then you may want to consider Business Training’s short, easy-to understand Report Writing Course.
Author: Diana Nadin
