Writing Reports
Reports provide critical analyses of how the business is tracking in all areas of the organization.
Thus, they serve as important tools to guide decision-making, and help organizations investigate and solve any identified issues.
However, as important as reports are in business organizations, many employees do not know how to write effective reports, and this results in two major problems:
1. Bad decisions
2. Unidentified issues that may be creating a leak in the organization
To solve these problems, employees need to be equipped with excellent report writing skills. And that's the purpose of this training.
It's designed to help participants know the fundamental qualities of good writing, and master the methods for building effective reports that are clear, concise, complete, and correct.
The Learning Journey
The training starts by exploring four stages of report writing – investigating, planning, writing, and revising – and the participants practice writing at each stage.
In the first stage – Investigating, the participants learn how to gather accurate information for a report, and how to choose what to include and exclude. They then apply this knowledge to a quick exercise.
Once you have your information gathered, you need to choose the correct format to present it in. You will also need to create an outline.
So, in the second stage – Planning, the participants learn some of the most common report formats, including the memo report, letter reports, and formal and informal reports. They then apply this knowledge to their pre-assignment report.
Next is the third stage – Writing. When you start writing a report, you are really getting at the heart of your message. While writing can be daunting for some, we find it helps to break the task into smaller tasks, and then you simply need to settle in and write.
So, at this stage, we review nine rules for writing. Then, the participants practice each rule by rewriting some problem sentences and paragraphs.
Next, the fourth stage – Revising. You've probably seen all sorts of writing that was not edited and noticed how bad it can look. We have seen store signs, flyers, emails, and reports with errors. Sometimes we can overlook them, and sometimes they are more serious and make us gasp and form an impression of the organization it came from.
So, this stage four introduces a checklist to help the participant revise their work. As well, they will get some experience with the practical side of spelling.
After the four stages of report writing, the course moves to the use of headings where the participants learn about using headings and subheadings to break up their text, and to give their readers a break too.
Then, the participants is introduced to the use of charts and graphs. Graphs and charts are helpful tools, provided they add something to the report or explain something that words do not. So participants explore some different types of charts and graphs and how they can support their reports.
Next, proposals. They are persuasive documents that are formatted similar to reports in that they use many of the same elements. They are not always strictly a sales tool; they can also be a helpful way to present a business case.
Hence the participants learn how proposals differ from reports, and how to write them following our helpful tips and techniques. They also learn when and how to be persuasive in their writing.
Finally, we go to general practical application where the participants practice reviewing their own writing and applying a checklist for review – an excellent way to ensure that no steps are missed.
Course Objectives
After completing this training, participants will be able to:
- Prepare reports that inform, persuade, provide information, and achieve business results
- Save time when planning a report by knowing the essential questions to ask
- Increase the impact of a report by understanding its purpose
- Decide what sections to include in the report - and what should go where
- Avoid the common pitfalls that may damage the credibility of their report
- Review their work so that it is clear, concise, complete, and correct
- Adopt the right attitude, have a respect for the proper development of sentences and paragraphs, and knowledge of the conventions of language usage, to make their writing polished and professional
- Apply these skills in real work applications
Training Outline
Session 1: Course Overview
- Learning Objectives
- Pre-Assignment
- Pre-Course Assessment
Session 2: The Stages of Report Writing
- The Four Stages
- Your Reports
Session 3: The First Stage – Investigating
- Gathering Information
- Finding Evidence
- Let's Get Thinking
- Our Thoughts on Topic Sources
Session 4: The Second Stage – Planning
- Choosing a Report Format
- Report Format: Memorandum Report
- Report Format: Letter Report
- Report Format: Short Report
- Report Format: Formal Report
- Notes on Reports
- Individual Activity
Session 5: The Third Stage – Writing
- The Nine Rules for Writing Reports
- Exercises for Practice Using the Nine Rules
Session 6: The Fourth Stage – Revising
- Checklist for Success
- Checklist for Revising
- Revising: Check the Facts
- Revising: Check the Length
- Revising: Check the Organizational Structure
- Revising: Check the Style
- Revising: Check the Spelling, Grammar, and Punctuation
- Spelling Test
- The Correct Spelling
Session 7: Using Headings
- Using Headings
- Writing and Formatting Headings
- Creating Headings
Session 8: Using Charts and Graphs
- Types of Charts
- Example of a Pie Chart
- Example of a Bar Graph
- Example of a Column Graph
- Example of a Line Chart
- Example of a Surface Chart
- How and When to Use Graphics
- Things to Remember About Graphics
- Additional Graphics Tips
- Creating Graphics
Session 9: The Proposal
- The Differences When Writing Proposals
- Tips for Proposal Writing
- Mandatory Requirements
- Tips for Business Proposals
- The Ten Steps of Proposal Writing
- Step One: Clarify Your Objectives
- Step Two: Analyze Your Audience
- Step Three: Get Your Thoughts on Paper
- Step Four: Group and Label Your Thoughts
- Step Five: Sequence Your Thoughts
- Step Six: Make an Outline
- Step Seven: Write Your Draft Down
- Step Eight: Edit
- Step Nine: Add the Finishing Touches
- Step ten: Proofread and Edit
- Writing Exercise
Session 10: Persuasion
- The Acid Test
- Steps in the Persuasion Process
- Summary
- Designing Your Message
- Dealing with Tough Questions
Session 11: Practical Application
- Reviewing Your Pre-Assignment – The Facts
- Reviewing Your Pre-Assignment – The Length
- Reviewing Your Pre-Assignment – The Structure
- Reviewing Your Pre-Assignment – The Style
- Reviewing Your Pre-Assignment – The Requirements
Session 12: A Personal Action Plan
- Starting Point
- Where I Want to Go
- How I Will Get There
- Summary