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Chapter9.pptxChapter 9
Informal Reports
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Today’s Agenda
Informational and analytical reports
Direct and indirect organization
Informal and formal styles
Report formats
Effective headings
Data and research
Today’s Agenda
Informational and analytical reports
Direct and indirect organization
Informal and formal styles
Report formats
Effective headings
Data and research
Reporting in the Workplace
Status of tasks, projects, and work in progress.
Oral, e-mail messages, PDF files, or slide decks.
Three Main Purposes of Business Reports
Convey
information
1
Here’s info for you.
Answer questions
2
Here’s your answer.
Solve problems
3
Here’s one solution.
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Characteristics of Business Reports
Report
Functions
Organizational Strategies
Direct
Indirect
Analytical reports
Informational reports
i
Informational Reports
i
Present data without analysis or recommendations
Are routine and often periodic
Analytical Reports
Provide data or findings, analyses, and conclusions
May also supply recommendations
Intend to persuade readers
Today’s Agenda
Informational and analytical reports
Direct and indirect organization
Informal and formal styles
Report formats
Effective headings
Data and research
Recommendation Reports
Include a discussion of pros, cons, and costs.
Direct Strategy
Explain the problem or need briefly.
Announce the recommendation, solution, or action concisely and with action verbs.
Explain more fully the benefits of the recommendation or steps necessary to solve the problem.
Conclude with a summary specifying the recommendation and necessary action.
Recommendation Reports
Discuss alternative solutions, beginning with the least likely to succeed.
Indirect Strategy
Refer to the problem in general terms in the subject line or title.
Describe the problem or need your recommendation addresses.
Use specific examples, supporting statistics, and authoritative quotations to lend credibility.
Recommendation Reports
Ask for authorization to proceed, if necessary.
Indirect Strategy
Present the most promising alternative (your recommendation) last.
Show how the advantages of your recommendation outweigh its disadvantages.
Summarize your recommendation. Specify the action it requires, if appropriate.
Today’s Agenda
Informational and analytical reports
Direct and indirect organization
Informal and formal styles
Report formats
Effective headings
Data and research
Report Writing Style
Conversational language
Informal
Style
Friendly, casual tone
First-person pronouns, contractions
Shorter sentences, familiar words
Report Writing Style
Absence of humor, figures of speech, “editorializing”
Formal
Style
Emphasis on objectivity, accuracy, fairness
Professional distance between writer and reader
May use third person (“the researcher”) and passive voice
Your Group Project: Should it be…
□ Informational □ Analytical □ Recommendation
□ Direct Strategy □ Indirect Strategy
□ Formal Writing Style □ Informal Writing Style
□ Formal Report □ Informal Report
□ Letter Format □ Memo Format
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Your Group Project: Should it be…
□ Informational □ Analytical □ Recommendation
□ Direct Strategy □ Indirect Strategy
□ Formal Writing Style □ Informal Writing Style
√
√
√ or
√
√
□ Formal Report □ Informal Report
√ (Chapter 9)
□ Letter Format □ Memo Format
√
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Today’s Agenda
Informational and analytical reports
Direct and indirect organization
Informal and formal styles
Report formats
Effective headings
Data and research
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Report Formats
(often as PDF document sent by
e-mail)
(often with e-mail cover note)
Preprinted Forms
(as a slide deck and other formats)
Digital
Manuscript
Memo
Letter
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Informational Report – Letter Format
Use letter format for short, informal reports sent to outsiders.
Organize the facts section into logical divisions identified by consistent headings.
Tips for Letter Reports:
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Informational Report – Letter Format
Single-space the body.
Double-space between paragraphs.
Tips for Letter Reports:
Leave one or two blank lines above each side heading.
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Informational Report – Letter Format
Create side margins of 1 to 1¼ inches.
Tips for Letter Reports:
Add a second-page heading, if necessary, consisting of the addressee’s name, the date, and the page number.
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Analytical Report – Memo Format
Use memo format for short (ten or fewer pages) informal reports within an organization.
Tips for Memo Reports:
Leave side margins of 1 to 1¼ inches.
Sign your initials on the From line.
Consider attaching the memo to a cover e-mail for delivery.
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Informal Reports– E-Mail and Memo Formats
Tips for E-Mail and Memo Reports:
Chunk similar information into groups for quick comprehension.
Use concise headings to quickly identify groups.
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Informal Reports – E-Mail and Digital Formats
PDF documents are a popular delivery format.
Some reports are animated and may be hyperlinked to other content.
Slide presentations can be converted to video.
Slide decks are a condensed image-rich format not intended for verbal delivery.
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Today’s Agenda
Informational and analytical reports
Direct and indirect organization
Informal and formal styles
Report formats
Effective headings
Data and research
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Effective Report Headings
1
Write short but clear headings.
Experiment with wording that tells who, what, when, where, why, and how.
2
Include at least one heading per report page.
3
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Effective Report Headings
4
Try to create headings that are parallel.
Creating Team Motivation
Treating Employees Like Customers
Construct a hierarchy of heading levels using placement, size, and font.
5
Don’t use more than three heading levels.
6
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Levels of Report Headings
TITLE
The title of a report, chapter heading, or major part should be centered in all caps.
First-Level Heading
A first-level heading is centered and bolded. It uses a smaller font size, and only primary words are capitalized.
Second-Level Heading
A second-level heading divides the topics introduced by the first level heading. It is bolded and left-aligned.
Third-Level Heading. Because it is part of the paragraph that follows, a third-level heading is also called a paragraph heading.
14 pt. sans serif font
12 pt. sans serif font
11 pt. sans serif font
2 inches
2 blank lines
2 blank lines
2 blank lines
1 blank line
1 blank line
1 blank line
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Types of Headings
Functional Headings
Executive Summary
Introduction
Findings
Discussion
Talking Headings
The Best Business Laptop Money Can Buy
Tablet Computers Displace Notebooks
Texting: The New Smoking Gun
What’s New in Social Media?
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Types of Headings
Combination Headings
Background: How Apple Won
Personnel: The Savvy Workforce
Production Costs: The Investment Is Paying Off
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Problem Statement and Statement of Purpose
Page 260-261 in Text
Your group must submit both these documents to me by Tuesday, 4/30/19
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Problem Statement
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Statement of Purpose
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Today’s Agenda
Informational and analytical reports
Direct and indirect organization
Informal and formal styles
Report formats
Effective headings
Data and research
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Defining the Purpose and Gathering Data
1
Analyze the problem and purpose.
2
Anticipate the audience and issues.
3
Prepare a work plan.
4
Conduct research.
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Defining the Purpose and Gathering Data
5
Organize, analyze, interpret, and illustrate the data.
6
Compose the first draft.
7
Edit, proofread, and evaluate.
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Gathering Information From Primary and Secondary Sources
Surveys and questionnaires
Observation
Electronic resources
Printed material
Company records
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Today’s Agenda
Informational and analytical reports
Direct and indirect organization
Informal and formal styles
Report formats
Effective headings
Data and research
Short informational reports
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Trip, Convention, and Conference Reports
Use headings and bullets to enhance readability.
Identify the event (name, date, and location).
Preview the topics to be discussed.
Summarize the main topics that might benefit others in the organization.
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Trip, Convention, and Conference Reports
Submit itemized expenses, if requested, separately.
Express appreciation.
Mention the value of the trip or event.
Offer to share the information.
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Progress, or Interim, Reports
Specify the purpose and nature of the project.
Provide background information if necessary.
Describe the work completed so far.
Explain the work currently in progress, including activities, methods used, and locations.
Describe any problems encountered, and discuss future plans and expected completion dates.
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Minutes of Meetings
Record briefly the discussions of old business, new business, announcements, and committee reports.
Begin with the group’s name, date, time, and place of meeting.
Identify the names of attendees and absentees.
State whether the previous minutes were approved or revised.
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Minutes of Meetings
Include a signature on formal minutes.
Include the precise wording of motions.
Record the votes and actions taken.
Conclude with the name of the person recording the minutes.
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Summaries
If requested, include your reaction or overall evaluation of the document.
State the main idea or purpose of the summary.
Highlight the research methods, findings, conclusions, and recommendations.
Omit illustrations, examples, and references.
Organize for readability by including headings and bulleted or enumerated lists.
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Today’s Agenda
Informational and analytical reports
Direct and indirect organization
Informal and formal styles
Report formats
Effective headings
Data and research
Short informational reports
Short analytical reports
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Feasibility Reports
Describe the problems that may result.
Announce your decision immediately.
Provide a description of the background and problem necessitating the proposal.
Discuss the benefits of the proposal.
Calculate the costs associated with the proposal.
Show the time frame necessary for implementing the proposal.
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Yardstick Reports
Tell how the criteria were selected or developed.
Describe the problems or need.
Explain possible solutions and alternatives.
Establish criteria for comparing the alternatives.
Discuss and evaluate each alternative in terms of the criteria.
Draw conclusions and make recommendations.
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Recap
Informational and analytical reports
Direct and indirect organization
Informal and formal styles
Report formats
Effective headings
Data and research
Short informational reports
Short analytical reports
Group Activity: Best Practices of Highly Successful Team Writing Projects
Individually read page 284 in the text, noting / highlighting valuable ideas
As a group, discuss those ideas that you think worthwhile adopting.
Select one representative of group to report back what you liked.
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Questions?
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