Report Writing – Tips for Writing Effective Business Reports

Writing a really good report can be important for our career and therefore it is something we have to take very seriously. After all, a written report is a permanent record. It is a record not only of our writing skills, but also of our clarity of thought, our ability to analyze evidence, our problem-solving skills, and our ability to successfully achieve the purpose for which the report was commissioned.

What is a report?

“A report is a statement of the results of an investigation or of any matter on which definitive information is required.” (Oxford English Dictionary) A report is not a narrative or an essay. We are not telling a story, nor giving a subjective description. Also, it’s not a hard-hitting panel series. A report is a well-written statement of evidence, with conclusions and perhaps recommendations. It is an analysis of the research data, written in an objective, logical and factual manner.

A report has a purpose, and to be effective, that purpose must be fulfilled. The people reading this report, the audience, must be able to find the required information, understand it, and follow the logical flow of the argument from beginning to end. Writing a truly effective report that succeeds in this way requires 1) a plan and 2) structure.

plan before you write

As with most things in life, it’s better to spend more time planning your report than writing it. The time spent planning will make even the most complex report much easier to write and will lead to a better quality and more effective final product. The first step is to clarify your purpose, to have a very clear focus on your goals. The ‘Purpose Triangle’ will help you figure out what exactly you are producing. Think of an equal-sided triangle with the word ‘purpose’ in the middle. The 3 sides of the triangle are the aspects we work on to unravel our purpose. They are overlapping elements, and working on all 3 separately will help you clarify your thinking.

The 3 sides are –

1. Theme and objective

2. Audience

3. Use

Side 1 – Theme and objective

Record the answers to the following questions. If you don’t know the answers, ask someone! What exactly is the theme? Who has requested this report? What is the scope of your report? What aspects of the topic will you cover? What are the limits of the report? What are you not going to tackle? What is the deadline? What size report is required? The next important issue to resolve is what exactly is the goal? Why am I writing this report? Is it to give information, to evaluate, to persuade or what?

Side 2 – Audience

Who are you writing for? You are writing for an audience, not for yourself. Spend time thinking about your audience. You want them to understand and accept your report. You want them to be positively impressed with your efforts. Remember that only 20% of the population is like you, 20% think like you, think that the same things are logical and obvious as you. The other 80% are different. You may like a lot of facts and figures, they may see it as nonsense, and you want to see the bottom line. You may only like higher level points; they may want the details. Do some research on your audience and present your points, flow, and language style to suit them.

Side 3: the use

This question will also help us determine the level of detail and focus of our report. Do not assume that the person commissioning the report simply wants to read the information. Will this report be used for action, to be presented to someone outside the organization, to be used in a court case, etc.? Knowing exactly what your report will be used for will influence how you write it. Pull out all sides of the Triangle of Purpose using the questions above. When you’re done, you should be able to write a very precise statement of purpose in a short paragraph.

Report structure

A report has a defined structure. It is organized in such a way that the reader can easily find the information he needs. A structure also makes it easier for the writer to organize our thoughts into a logical flow and write a readable report. In its simplest form, a report will consist of a beginning, a middle, and an end.

The beginning, the Introduction, sets the stage by informing the reader what the report is about and what it aims to achieve. The central section, the Findings, is the most important part of the document where the details of the findings are provided and the arguments are developed. The findings section has a logical structure, is written in clear language, and is organized into appropriate headings and subheadings. This clarifies the purpose of the report and ensures that the reader’s interest is maintained. The ending should follow naturally from the main body of the report. We reach a conclusion and guide the reader to a series of recommendations.

A good report is like a well-told joke, it leads the reader to the punch line:

– Introduction – Set the scene

– Findings – Give details

– Conclusions – Land the joke

We take the reader down the narrowing funnel to our logical conclusions. The headings we use must demonstrate this clear and logical structure. Focusing on your Plan and your Framework should help ensure that you write a highly effective report.