How To Write More Powerful Reports

There is one key difference between reports and most other forms of business writing, and we get a hint of that in the word, "report." Whereas with many other forms of written comms you can be a little creative and put your own slant on your words, in a report you must not. Not in theory, anyway.

In a report, you're supposed to report - not embellish, embroider, influence, etc. Just the facts and nothing but the facts.

This does not, however, mean that reports need to be dull and boring. It does, however, mean that you can't make the content more interesting than it really is. Impossible? No, it just takes some good organization and clear writing.

Before we go any further, there are numerous books and training courses on the market that teach you the formalities and practicalities of report writing. Some are more long-winded than others. Most of them are good.

Here in this article I can't do what other writers do in a book, so if you need to write reports a lot, I recommend that you buy one or two of the most popular books and study them. What I'm doing here then, is to highlight the points I think are most important to help you make your reports more readable, and the information in them come across more vividly.

If you work in a larger organization, there will probably be set formats for reports, at least for the internal variety. Whether you like them or not you're normally obliged to stick to them. However the way you roll out and write your content is still up to you.

So what are the key points to focus on?

1. Write for your reader

Don't allow yourself to fall into "businessese" jargon and phrasing no matter how much you or other people may feel it's more appropriate. It isn't. Use language and tone of voice that your key readers will feel comfortable with. If you don't know what they feel comfortable with, find out. It's well worth taking the trouble, because it will make the report much more enjoyable for them to read - a good reflection on you.

If your report is to be read by a wide variety of different audiences, focus your language on the most important groups. Ensure that less topic-literate readers are catered for by using discreet explanations of technical terms or perhaps a short glossary of terms as an appendix within the report.

2. Organize your information sensibly

Start by writing yourself out a list of headings which start at the beginning and finish with the conclusions of your information. If you must include a lot of background information before you get into the "meat" of the information, section it off clearly with headings that say that it's background ("Research Project Objectives," "Research Methods Used To Collate Information," "Personnel Involved In Questionnaire," etc.) so those who know it all already can skip straight to the important stuff.

Make sure your headings "tell the story" so someone glancing through those alone will get the basic messages. (You'll find that busy executives will thank you for doing this, especially when they have 16 other, similar reports to read in a crowded commuter train on the way into a meeting to discuss all of them.) Then fill in the details under each heading as concisely as you can.

3. Use an "executive summary" to tell it in a nutshell

Depending on the nature of your report you may be expected to include an executive summary, or at least an introduction that captures the key points of your information. The objective of this is to give the reader the key issues as quickly as possible. Write this after you've done the body of the report, not before. Use your list of headings as a guide.

Keep strictly to the facts - this is still part of the report, not your interpretation of it. Strip each sentence down to bare bones with minimal adjectives and adverbs. Use short words and sentences. Don't just get to the point - start with it and stick to it.

4. If your interpretation is called for, keep it separate

If part of your remit is to comment on the report and/or its conclusions, keep this separate from the main body of information. (Blocked off in a box or under a clearly separated heading will do.)

Naturally as you're professional you will be as objective as possible. But if you do feel strongly one way or another, ensure that your argument is put as reasonably as possible without going on for pages and pages. Remember, brief is beautiful, although it's harder to write briefly (and include all the important points) than it is to produce words in abundance.

5. Don't get carried away with illustrations

Graphs and charts are great to illustrate important issues and like the man said, "a picture is worth a thousand words." However ensure that those you use are of a level of complexity that will be understood by the least topic-literate of your readers. There's nothing more irritating than a graph that takes you 20 minutes to decipher. It's not so much a case that readers are too stupid to understand a complex graph, as it is that they don't want to spend too much time working it out. The easier/quicker you make it for readers to understand and assimilate your information, the more successful your report.

Try, also, to keep graphs and charts physically adjacent to the text that talks about the same thing. There's nothing more irritating for the reader if they have to keep flipping from front to back of a document. (When in doubt, think of someone reading your report on that crowded commuter train.)

6. Cut the clutter

Still on that topic, try to avoid including too many diverse elements in your report, no matter how long and involved it is. If you do need to include appendices and various bits of background material, research statistics, etc., make sure they're neatly labeled and contained at the back of your document.

As I suggested earlier, don't ask readers to skip back and forth, directing them with asterisks and other reference directing symbols. If you're writing a medical report or paper then you're obliged to include these when quoting references from other papers, but please keep even these to a minimum. They're very distracting and can break your reader's concentration.

7. Take some trouble to make it look nice

I know you shouldn't judge a book by its cover, but people do. Like it or not. According to UK Image consultant Tessa S, when you walk into a meeting, 55% of your first impression of someone is reflected exclusively in the way you're dressed. Documents fall into the same hole. So how your document looks goes a long way to creating the right impression of your work, and of you.

Obviously if a report is due to go outside your organization and particularly to clients or customers, you will be careful to ensure it's polished and clearly branded with your corporate identity and all that. However, how an internal report looks is important, too, although your Head of Finance might have apoplexy if you bind it in expensive glossy card. Be sensible with the internal variety - neat, understated, groomed looks don't have to cost much but they "say" a lot about the value of your report (and you.)

8. A minute on minutes

I think minute-taking is a horrible job, having done so for 6 years while on a charity fundraising committee. And being useless at handwriting (thanks to decades of computers and typewriters) never mind shorthand (was thrown out of secretarial school after 3 weeks) I struggled for months to scribble everything down to précis later, until I realized that my brain was a far more efficient filter of information.

At the end of each agenda item, I asked myself the classic reporter questions of "who, what, where, when, why, how and how much." All I had to do was jot down a few words and when I got home to my trusty PC, I could expand those into realistic summaries of what went on. As much of the dialogue in meetings is either unnecessary, repetitive, or both, simply use your brain as a filter. That's what it's trained to do for you in your day-to-day life, so it works for meetings too.

One word of warning though; don't wait too long before your work up your minutes. Another trick the brain does is to forget after a few hours or a day or so at most...

Canadian-born Suzan St Maur is an international business writer and author based in the United Kingdom. In addition to her consultancy work for clients in Europe, the USA, Canada and Australia, she contributes articles to more than 150 business websites and publications worldwide, and has written eleven published books. Her latest eBooks, "The MAMBA Way To Make Your Words Sell" and "Get Yourself Published" and available as PDF downloads from BookShaker.com.

To subscribe to her free biweekly business writing tips eZine, TIPZ from SUZE, click here.

(c) Suzan St Maur 2003 - 2005

DAWN.com

Writing letter to Swiss authorities would settle the matter: CJ DAWN.com Supreme Court of Pakistan. — Photo by AP ISLAMABAD: During a hearing of the intra-court appeal challenging the Supreme Court's order in a contempt case against Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani on Thursday, Chief Justice Iftikhar Mohammad Chaudhry ... Writing to Swiss authorities will absolve Gilani of contempt charges: Pak SCNewstrack India 'Not before me' no longer: Aitzaz faces CJP to appeal contempt charges on PMThe Express Tribune Why spare NRO authors?The Nation, Pakistan all 115 news articles »

Charlotte writer makes the obscure inviting Charlotte Observer By Lawrence Toppman "Botanica" is one of three plays Jeff Jackson has co-written that received New York debuts. It opened last week at 3LD Art & Technology Center in Lower Manhattan. COURTESY OF PAULA COURT Jeff Jackson's play "Botanica," which opened ... and more »

Outdoor writers association features New England's best Norwich Bulletin By BOB SAMPSON Since 1975, I've been a member of the New England Outdoor Writers Association, the oldest organized group of its kind in the nation. The fact that many of the greatest New England outdoors writers are on the membership list makes it an ... and more »

Valentine's Day writing workshop is Feb. 11 Enterprise-Record CHICO — Sarah Pape, a poet and educator, will lead a Valentine's Day writing workshop Feb. 11 at 1078 Gallery, open to all levels of experience. "Eros and Beyond" will celebrate writing about the rage against, and/or invoke the God of love, ... and more »

Columbus Alive

Q&A: “The River” writer Michael R. Perry Columbus Alive By Jesse Tigges Worthington native Michael R. Perry started writing while working the late shift at a hotel in Columbus — there was lots of quiet time to fill. It was time well spent. Perry has written for numerous television shows, ... 'The River': The Reviews Are In!MTV.com The River: A nice family story runs through itGlobe and Mail all 257 news articles »

2012 Spring Creative Writing Courses set at Miami Dade The South Florida Times MIAMI Ăł The Center for Literature and Theater at Miami Dade College (MDC), formerly known as the Florida Center for the Literary Arts, has announced its new Spring Creative Writing Courses. Featuring a roster of talented authors as instructors, ... and more »

CMT.com

Writers of Jason Aldean Hit Honored by BMI, ASCAP CMT.com "This is one of the greatest titles I've heard in a long time," declared BMI's Clay Bradley as he called the party to order to celebrate the three writers of Jason Aldean's latest hit, "Tattoos on This Town." Co-sponsored by the BMI and ASCAP ... and more »

Newsarama

THE DARKNESS Hits #100, Writer Phil Hester Looks Back Newsarama After four years with Phil Hester as writer, and one hundred issues hitting the rear view mirror, The Darkness is likewise getting a fresh start with a new creative team and direction. But before David Hine and Jeremy Haun's run sees the light of day, ... and more »

PinkNews.co.uk

Writing contest bans same-sex entries Windy City Times The Romance Writers Ink chapter of the Romance Writers of America ( RWA ) is holding its annual "More Than Magic" contest, with entries due March 2. However, organizers of the contest—which has several categories, including erotic romance, ... Gay ban writing contest cancelledPinkNews.co.uk all 6 news articles »

Senate writing committee reinvents 2012 competition the Inkwell The time has come once again for Armstrong students to consider submitting papers for the annual University Writing Competition. However, this year's contest is quite different and focuses simply on the written word by offering participants several new ... and more »