Recording
Get what you want. Planning reports with reason.
1. Plan with precision
Our reports often give readers too many options; lacking the recommendation, informed insight or nudge to get decision makers round to our way of thinking. We need laser-like incision.
Here's a tip to try:
- Ask two big questions about your reader: What do they need to know, and what do they need to do? Isolate these points then build around them, so your readers don’t have to dig.
2. Narrate with numbers
The art of using numbers is more delicate than throwing them all out there and seeing what sticks. We use them to paint pictures in readers’ minds. To bring decision makers closer to our material by framing numbers in relatable, everyday scenarios that don’t always jump out immediately.
Here's a tip to try:
- Pinpoint standout figures before you start and stick to them. Don’t oversaturate your early pages with a confusion of digits – make an impact.
3. Create your compass
An executive summary is prime real estate at the start of your report. But there’s another way to think of it too – as a compass to keep you on the straight and narrow throughout the writing process.
Here's a tip to try:
- Put yourself in your readers’ shoes with simple questions like: ‘Why is this important?’ ‘What are we waiting for in order to fix it?’, ‘Do I need to escalate this to anyone?’ etc.