Meeting Minutes
If you write the minutes for a meeting, you want to be sure that you record what was said in a fair and balanced way. Jot down notes during the session as you go along and write up the minutes as soon as possible. Write in the simple past tense: “Tom Brown said that. . . .” and, “Michael recommended that we. . . .”
If you are unclear about what has been said or decided, ask for clarification. If an area of discussion becomes particularly sensitive, check with the group about how it should be recorded in the minutes, if at all.
There are several ways of presenting minutes, and your organization may have its own procedures. Certain elements should always be included, however. They are: the names of those present, where and when the meeting took place, the main issues discussed and decisions made, details of what action is to be taken and by whom, and the date of the next meeting (if appropriate).
Project Proposals and Reports
Presenting your ideas persuasively in writing is how to make them a reality— and gain organizational visibility.
The best reports are accurate, brief, and clear. If the report is for a specific person, always take into consideration what that person finds useful. Some people want details, while others prefer highlights and will ask for more information only if it is needed. If you expect that the report you’re writing will be read by many people, provide a summary of results at the beginning. This way you can please as many people as possible. A reader can study the summary and selectively read the detail. Use graphs, charts, and diagrams where appropriate. Many people prefer to study a visual rather than peruse text or tables.
When you sit down to write a report, there are six steps to follow.
- Define the problem. It may be obvious to you, but it may not be obvious to those who are reading your report for the first time. Before a single word of a report is put down, this thought needs to be completed: “The purpose of this report is. . . .”
- Develop a work plan. Likely, your proposal will need a work schedule— the estimated time to complete the project and the specific tasks with it.
- Gather relevant data. Complete and accurate findings are the basis for all well-received reports.
- Process your findings. Once you have your data, you need to analyze the findings and draw tentative conclusions.
- Develop conclusions. Always remember that conclusions are derived exclusively from findings. If you fail to link the two, the report’s credibility will be shattered.
- Generate recommendations. The final step is to offer recommendations based on the conclusions. Arrange your ideas by priority and sequence, making them consistent with the problem statement, providing options whenever appropriate, and expressing them in a manner most likely to secure their acceptance.
If you have some doubts about the finished document, you may want to show it to a colleague to review the accuracy of findings, the logical consistency of the conclusions and recommendations, and the tone and readability of the document. You want to be sure that the finished report does what you intend— to persuade, inform, report, request, or analyze. Was your goal for the reader to take action or simply to review the information? Is the document accomplishing that goal?
One final thought. Your proposal or report is more likely to get approved if it is easy on the eye. You should use double spacing and wide margins, include plenty of headings to help break up the text, use lists or bullet points where appropriate, and place graphics as near to the referring text as possible.
Correspondence
A well-written letter can boost business and leave the reader with a positive impression, whereas a poorly written one can cause confusion and damage your relationship. If your letters typically go unanswered, or if recipients phone to ask what you mean, your letters may not be clear. Letters may have many purposes: to request information, appeal for support, reply to a complaint, and answer questions raised by another letter.
A letter that requests information will be clear about what you want, by when you want it, and, most importantly, spell out any benefits to the reader of responding. Finally, it will end with a thank you.
If you are appealing for support from the reader, you want to establish rapport early in the letter. The letter should make clear why it is in the reader’s interests to continue to read it, and it should counter any worries they might have about assisting you.
If you receive a letter of complaint, your response should be prompt and well considered. Your intention should be to defuse the situation. If your organization is at fault, apologize early in the letter. If the complaint is unfounded, say so—but politely. If something within your authority would make the customer happy, regardless of who was at fault, you may want to conclude with such an offer. Often, disgruntled customers only want to know that their complaint has been acknowledged. The effort to make them happy will delight them, and delighted customers are repeat customers.
So far, we have been talking about communications in print. Let’s focus on electronic communications.