Page 74 - Today’s Business Communication; A How-to Guide for the Modern Professional

WhY MUST I MASTER REPORT WRITINg? 63

• Readers want to know that you understand your topic and understand their
informational needs.
• Readers want to trust your report.
• Conclusions and recommendations are not the same thing.
• Recommendations follow from the data.
• Ideas, recommendations, and action plans are actionable.
• Outcomes need to be measured. You tell the reader how to measure them.
• Recommendations should include SMART goals (specific, measurable,
achievable, realistic, time-bound). Think of these as strategic, rather than
tactical.
• Objectives are tactical actions that support your goals.
• goals and objectives always support the organizational mission.
• Recommendations always support the organization’s progress toward accom-
plishing its mission, goals, and objective.
• Claims are supported by evidence. (The sky is blue. We know the sky is blue
because. . .)
• Writing is well-organized and visually appealing to make the reader want to
read the report.
• Citations for both quoted and paraphrased information prevent unintentional
plagiarism.
• Multiple sources boost your credibility. One source is never enough.
• Use both primary and secondary sources of data as appropriate.
• Use both qualitative and quantitative data as appropriate.
• Use only data on which you are willing to risk your professional reputation.
• Bad data lead to bad reports.
• Word misuse is a crime punishable by a fine or imprisonment!
Figure 5.3 Things to remember when writing business reports

Strategic Planning

Strategic plans are a type of business report. Many of you will need to
master strategic planning during your careers, so we are devoting a good
portion of this chapter to the strategic plan. Here is a quote we like a
great deal: “Plans are worthless. Planning is everything.” Those words
came from former U.S. President and World War II General Dwight D.
Eisenhower. What did the former President mean? He probably meant
that plans don’t guarantee success, but the planning process allows us to
anticipate possible problems and take appropriate actions so that success
is far more likely than would be possible without planning.
Why is this useful in business? It helps us to be more effective and
most efficient. Strategic plans are an important part of what businesses
do, and should be carried out with meticulous attention to detail. You’ll
notice many similarities between the strategic plan outline and the outline
above for business reports. There is a key difference, however. Strategic