Effective Communication in Management and Business

1. Effective Communication in Management and Business Seminar 3 Strategies and plans for writing reports John Morgan

2. The structure of long reports • Foreword and/or Summary • Commonly called the “Executive summary” • Discussion • Introduction • Proof and development of claims • Conclusions and recommendations • Appendices • References

3. Executive summary • why something was done and why it is important • what was done--indicate the kind of information the report provides • what is included in the report: whether it is, for example, a proposal to solve a problem, an evaluation of a particular issue, a feasibility study, etc. • present the main results or findings • present important recommendations and implications

4. Questions a manager may ask of the executive summary • What is the importance of this issue/project to the department or organisation? • What is the scope of its application? • What will it cost? • Are any problems associated with it?

5. More questions for the executive summary • What are the implications regarding… • workload • resources • staff • priorities • Are there any important dates or deadlines? • Are there any important recommendations for future action?

6. Be selective and only include things that are relevant • Adapt the structure to suit the expectations of the reader or audience

7. References • Huckin, T.N. & Olsen, L.A. (1991). Technical Writing and Professional Communication for Nonnative Speakers of English. New York: Mc Graw Hill.