Report writing is something most of us have to do in our work lives or as members of associations we belong to. Here are ten tips for you.

1. Follow a Structure

There are many articles and publications on how to structure a formal report. At the least include;

• Introduction
• Body
• Conclusions
• Recommendations

2. State the aim/purpose of the report in the introduction.

Even if you have to be blunt, put a big H2 heading saying “Aim” and then state:

“The aim of this report is to….”

It lets us all know what the report is about.

3. Use the “Journalistic Six” in developing the body.

The “Journalistic Six” is a checklist reporters use for developing their stories. It answers the questions:

• who
• what
• where
• when
• why
• how

4. If you have lots of technical information, attach it as an appendix.

Winston Churchill was really hot on this during WWII, when, as you can imagine, he had lots of bumf* to read.

5. Know your audience.

If the report is going to be read by the CEO, CFO and HR Manager you will have to express it differently than if it is going to be read by the Chief Engineer.

6. Do not use technical words, acronyms or jargon.

Unless you are absolutely sure that everyone who is going to read the report understands them, do not use the above, especially TLA’s (three letter acronyms). In general use plain English without foreign words.

7.  Separate facts and opinion.

Otherwise it detracts from the credibility of your report.

8. Conclusions and recommendations must be supported by the body of the report.

Firstly, make sure that you do have conclusions and recommendations. Reports without them that peter out into nothingness are frustrating to read. Also make sure that you have achieved your aim.

9. Review the document for accuracy, brevity and clarity.

Revise, revise, revise. Get someone else to proof read your document.

10. Follow George Orwell’s advice.

• Never use a metaphor, simile, or other figure of speech which you are used to seeing in print.
• Never use a long word where a short one will do.
• If it is possible to cut a word out, always cut it out.
• Never use the passive where you can use the active.
• Never use a foreign phrase, a scientific word, or a jargon word if you can think of an everyday English equivalent.
• Break any of these rules sooner than say anything outright barbarous.

Last week a client asked me if he should shave every day for work. I answered with Ron’s* Law – “It all depends”.

Why should we be assessed for employment because of our appearance? Why can’t we be hired for our natural charm, ability and output? There are many psychological treatises, but underlying is the requirement to conform if we want to be accepted by the group. It happens in the playground, it happens in the workplace. If you don’t want to conform with this group, find another.

If you’re selling B2B financial products (bad analogy today) you’d better look like someone who knows about these things, and that would normally entail wearing a suit and tie. If you’re a graphic designer, you’d better look hip and funky. Naturally there’s a lot of variation along the poseur-hobo continuum and to succeed, you need to know where your group fits.

George Clooney

Back to the issue of beards -

• evil dudes have dark facial hair – Rasputin, Osama bin Laden, Hitler
• very few guys look good with a three day growth
• take this test, do you look like George Clooney or a rat hiding behind a cactus?

Seriously, if you’re going for a job interview and you’re not sure about the corporate culture, shave.  Having a beard or stubble could go against you in a job interview, as could wearing a bright yellow suit – why risk it if you really want the position?

You mightn’t need to shave if:

• you are in a creative profession
• you are a sportsman
• you are an academic or public servant
• you are Santa
• you are a wizard

But then again if you were a futures trader you wouldn’t get a job if you had a beard, but you might get it if you had no ethics. It’s your call.

Last Word

Men who don’t shave every day enjoy less sex and are 70 per cent more likely to suffer a stroke than daily shavers.

Catherine

* I have no idea who Ron is, but he was very wise.

I happens like this. You’re invited to John’s farewell, the drinks are flowing and his manager either doesn’t turn up, or doesn’t want to give a farewell speech. Either that or you are John’s manager, and giving farewell speeches is becoming far too frequent because of promotions or  company expansions.

Remember that nobody really likes long speeches, but if the occasion is that important, it should not be impromptu.

Here is a short mnemonic to remember what you could say:

PAST P

P – Purpose

Why are we here, where is he going, what has he been doing?

A – Achievements

What did John achieve while he was here – personally, professionally?

S – Story

Tell a very short (90 sec) story about John

T – Thanks

Thank him for his efforts

P – Presentation  Well Wishes

Present him with his farewell gift, wish him and his family etc all the best for the future, thank him again and call upon the crowd to show their appreciation.

You could also use this format to thank a visiting official or an executive from head office, or any occasion where there is a presentation.

impromptu speech

Delhi, India

Ten pm, New Delhi. The magnetic strip of my debit card got chewed by the ATM. I had no way to get cash as my other card was a debit card, not linked to cash transactions. Damn! No one else would give me cash. so I had to return to the hotel. A salutary lesson.

In the last twelve months I’ve travelled to Germany, Israel, Thailand and India (twice), delivering Miller-Heiman sales programs like Strategic Selling, Conceptual Selling, the Large Account Management Process and Power Messaging. Here’s what I’ve learned during that and other travels.

1. Make a travel checklist.

Include even the simplest of items, because they’re the ones you often forget. I forgot the belt to my Army uniform once – only once. I have the list inside a clear plastic sheet protector that lives inside my travel suitcase.

2. Keep your travel documents in a clear plastic wallet.

Airline tickets, boarding passes, hotel vouchers, passport, travel receipts all live here in the one place. It saves a lot of stress when you’re in foreign airports with high security requirements.

3. Get a small amount of cash in the local currency.

Do this before you leave. This is essential if you don’t have a pre-booked cab. Believe me, not everyone takes Visa, Mastercard or Amex. In fact in India, no cab driver did.

4. Double check your credit card details.

Murphy’s Law applies. Your card will expire during the trip. Also make sure your cards can access cash. Take two cards at least and keep them separate. My pocket was picked in Paris, but fortunately I only had cash in my wallet. I kept the cards separate.

5. Get an aisle Seat in the plane. Check that your preferences apply to multiple legs of your journey.

Personal preference I guess, but I really hate crawling over other people when I want to walk around or go to the bathroom. I got on a plane in Bangalore, and was advised that I had an aisle seat. They didn’t tell me that it was only to Singapore. The big leg to Brisbane was the centre of three seats with an overly friendly passenger invading my personal space.

6. If you have to go economy, fly Thai airways.

Their legroom is superior to other airlines.

7. Find out how to get a local sim card for your mobile phone.

Using international roaming rates can be very expensive otherwise. It cost me over $1000 for ten days of routine phone home calls in India because I couldn’t get a local sim card. The reason I couldn’t was because I didn’t have a photograph of myself. No no, a photocopy of your passport was not good enough. Who carries a photo of themselves? You do as of now, in the clear plastic wallet.

8. Use Skype for calls where you can.

It’s only sensible as it is free to Skype users with very low rates to other telephones.

9. Find out about the local culture.

Learn how to greet people in their own language. Find out any linguistic or cultural traps. Americans! “Fanny” can mean something entirely different in other English speaking countries.

10. The weather.

Find out what the weather is like and take appropriate clothes.

I’m sure there are hundreds of other tips and look forward to your comments.