Writing Successful Reports
Report to write?
For many of us, writing a report is eventually unavoidable. It may not have happened to you yet, or it may be a distressingly regular requirement. Either way, when the report bell tolls for thee, it helps to have some idea what you’re doing. And the purpose of this article is to help you write a more successful report.
Reports come in all shapes, sizes and complexity. We’ll concentrate on less intimidating reports, from the one-page briefing to a more meaty twenty or thirty pages. This excludes appendices, an important distinction that will become clear later. So whether your report is an investigation into working practices, expensive new equipment or simply where to go for the firm’s Christmas bash, here’s how…
Your Brief: what is the purpose of the report?
This fundamental can hardly be overstated; what precisely is the purpose of the report? If your brief or terms of reference are vague, then your report can hardly be different. Worse still, it could miss the intended point entirely. If in doubt, you must obtain clarification, even if this means going back to your boss or client and then confirming your understanding in writing. After all, your time is expensive (even if you think you’re underpaid) and you may well need others to contribute information. Research is notorious for impinging on other people’s day jobs. Don’t squander their goodwill because you are not well briefed.
Do not confuse the purpose of a report with its outcome. Regretably, some briefs include a desired outcome - “Write a report on why we need to diversify into widgets”. By all means investigate and report whether your company should diversify into widgets but avoid pre-determined outcomes. If the powers-that-be continue to press for a particular result (we could be talking office politics here), I can show you caveats and hedging at England class.
What is the readership?
Who will read your report? More importantly, who is the decision-making reader? Is it your boss, company board, clients or trustees? All of these can be important at different levels but try to determine which is the most important i.e. the ultimate decision maker (usually the funds provider). Because this is the reader your report should address. Bear in mind that key readers may be one or two steps removed from your level of knowledge, so write your report accordingly. It must contain sufficient information to enable the key reader(s) to make decisions (even if the decision is to do nothing).
Preparation
Researching and writing a report is a project and, as such, needs planning. Choose a concise, self-descriptive working title and prepare a skeletal framework. This is a vital reference point, indicating the overall report structure and requirements for resources (office space / equipment), research (you may need specialist help) and timescales. For a simple report, a basic outline including anticipated timescales should suffice; more complex reports will require a more detailed framework. Think very carefully about timescales before committing yourself to deadlines. The report may be important to you but much less so to others. The more you are dependent on other people for assistance, the greater the propensity for slippage.
Report Components
Like any good story, a report has a beginning, middle and end. Components are rather numerous but (good news) are rarely all used. The three report phases comprise –
Beginning: Title Page, Foreword, Preface, Acknowledgements, Contents Page
(Executive) Summary Introduction
Middle: Main Body (including substructures – chapters or sections - if necessary)
End: Conclusions, Recommendations, Appendices, References, Bibliography, Glossary
Select only what you need. It is pointless writing a summary for a concise five page report unless you feel it may not be read – in which case summarise the key points on one side of A4. Remember, the thicker / heavier your report, the less its chances of being read.
Report Research
Information collecting (research) is a broad subject, rather beyond the scope of this article. However, here are a few general observations –
research is the use of information to answer questions i.e. question – data – answer
define and understand what you are trying to achieve
research is a search for meaning, not patterns
the knowledge gained at the end of the research process is always tentative
Other points to bear in mind (gained from painful personal experience) are –
always try and validate information, preferably from at least two other sources (triangulation)
beware of ‘correct’ answers i.e. the received party line (particularly from managers). Reality check with the workers, customers, members etc
when assessing information, be aware of human fallibility (including your own). Ambition, fear and laziness feature in many research results
be very wary of other people’s research findings that are central to your report. Their information may be brilliantly accurate… but how do you know? And can you check?
Prioritising Information
Research results in information, often to excess. Your task is to evaluate each element’s importance and prioritise it accordingly. Recognise the relatively small number of factors key to your report and you’re half way home. This important information will form the basis of your report. Weak arguments diminish a strong case, so concentrate on those key points.
Writing Your Report
There are no easy short-cuts here. Armed with your skeletal framework and key information, it’s a matter of getting down to writing. Draft the main body and appendices first, then review and amend until satisfied.
Secondly, draft the conclusions, recommendations, introduction and summary before reviewing and improving as necessary. When reviewing (preferably after a break of at least an hour), check whether –
your report addresses the principal reader(s)
the purpose / objectives of the report are tackled
your skeletal framework is still suitable (has some unexpected factor emerged?)
recommendations (if required); are they sound and practicable?
Is my report finished?
Reports are often required urgently but that should not preclude checking and assessment. Wherever possible before distribution, get friends or colleagues to read your report and obtain their (honest) opinion. Is it easy reading with a suitable font size? Not too much in bold, italics or other distracting word processing options?
Does it avoid jargon and clichés? Is there a logical layout assisting clarity of purpose? Are the conclusions and recommendations clearly supported by compelling evidence and credible costings?
A useful guide to the readiness of a report for distribution is to ask – ‘would I feel confident making a presentation of my report and answering questions from an audience of decision-makers’? If you can answer ‘yes’ with reasonable confidence, your report is ready.
Tips for Outstanding Reports:
Here are a few simple points that will make your report memorably punchy –
1) Where costs are involved (and that’s frequently), don’t neglect to include plenty of £ signs and numbers. Options and recommendations are almost meaningless without cost comparisons. Always qualify estimated costs (and even historic costs if there is a hint of unreliability) and recommend further investigation. But don’t use this as an excuse to avoid tedious cost investigation / analysis
2) When producing options to aid decision-making, number each option and produce two columns headed advantages and disadvantages for each. List principal benefits and dis-benefits, including costs and timescales. More complex reports may require detailed cost – benefit analysis
3) Brevity is the soul of a good report. Keep the body of the report as short as possible i.e. a reader should easily understand the main thrust of the report’s findings, options and recommendations. Additional supporting information, such as extracts from other reports, should be included as numbered appendices. These are like the notes to financial accounts; most readers won’t bother with them - but be sure the key decision-maker will.