© Prentice Hall, 2008 Excellence in Business Communication, 8eChapter 11 - 1 Planning Reports and Proposals.

© Prentice Hall, 2008 Excellence in Business Communication, 8e Chapter 11 - 1

Planning Planning Reports and Reports and ProposalsProposals


Writing for the Writing for the WorkplaceWorkplace

• Informational reports

• Analytical reports

• Proposals


The Three-Step ProcessThe Three-Step Process

• Planning

• Writing

• Completing


Analyzing the SituationAnalyzing the Situation

• Define the purpose

• Prepare the work plan


Statement of PurposeStatement of Purpose

• Inform

• Persuade

• Recommend

• Confirm

• Analyze

• Summarize


Preparing the Work PlanPreparing the Work Plan

• Statement of the problem

• Statement of the purpose and scope

• Discussion of tasks to be accomplished

• Description of final products or outcomes

• Review of schedules and requirements

• Plans for following up

• Working outline


Gathering InformationGathering Information

• Purpose

• Audience

• Priorities


Selecting the MediumSelecting the Medium

• Hardcopy

• Digital format

• Multimedia


Organizing the Organizing the InformationInformation

• Direct approach• State conclusions and recommendations• Introduce findings• Include support

• Indirect approach• Introduce findings• Discuss support• State conclusions and recommendations


Supporting Your Supporting Your MessagesMessages

• Plan your research

• Locate data and information

• Process data and information

• Apply your findings

• Manage information


Plan Your ResearchPlan Your Research

• Learn about the subject

• Identify information gaps

• Prioritize research needs


Ethics and Etiquette in Ethics and Etiquette in Business ResearchBusiness Research

• Don’t skew results

• Respect privacy of participants

• Document sources

• Respect intellectual property

• Don’t distort information

• Don’t misrepresent


Data and InformationData and Information

• Secondary research

• Primary research


Purpose ofPurpose ofthe Materialthe Material

IndependentIndependentVerificationVerification

Logic andLogic andGood SenseGood Sense

Honesty andHonesty andReliabilityReliability

The AuthorThe Author

TimelinessTimeliness

PotentialPotentialBiasBias

Data CollectionData CollectionMethodsMethods

CompletenessCompleteness

Evaluating SourcesEvaluating Sources


Secondary ResearchSecondary Research

• Inside the company

– Company documents

– Knowledge management systems

• Outside the company

– Hardcopy resources

– Online resources


Finding Information Finding Information at the Libraryat the Library

BusinessBusinessBooksBooks

ElectronicElectronicDatabasesDatabases NewspapersNewspapers PeriodicalsPeriodicals

DirectoriesDirectories AlmanacsAlmanacs StatisticalStatisticalResourcesResources

GovernmentGovernmentPublicationsPublications


Using Search EnginesUsing Search Engines

• Advantages– Keyword searching

– Scanning webpages

– Ranking results

• Disadvantages– No human editors

– Inconsistent results

– Restricted access


Alternate Search Alternate Search MethodsMethods

• Web directories

• Metasearch engines

• Online databases


Search TechniquesSearch Techniques

• Keywords

• Boolean operators

• Natural language

• Forms-based


Fine Tune Search Fine Tune Search

MethodsMethods• Read instructions

• Review your options

• Observe the details

• Vary search terms

• Adjust the search scope


Innovative Search Innovative Search MethodsMethods

• Desktop search engines

• Enterprise search engines

• Research managers

• Content managers

• Social bookmarking sites

• Newsfeeds


Documenting Documenting SourcesSources

• Credit sources

• Support your message

• Help your readers


Primary ResearchPrimary Research

• Surveys

• Interviews

• Experiments

• Observations


Conducting SurveysConducting Surveys

• Representative sample

• Effective questions


Effective QuestionnairesEffective Questionnaires

• Provide clear instructions

• Keep questionnaire short and easy to answer

• Seek answers that are easy to analyze

• Avoid leading questions

• Avoid ambiguous questions

• Ask one question at a time

• Make the survey adaptive


Effective Internet Effective Internet

SurveysSurveys• Minimize cost

• Reach more people

• Boost response rate


Conducting InterviewsConducting Interviews

• Types of questions

• Sequence of questions

• Subject’s background


Processing InformationProcessing Information

• Gather your thoughts

• Review your notes

• Organize the material

• Transcribe recordings


Using Research ResultsUsing Research Results

• Mean, median, and mode

• Overall trends

• Cause and correlation

• Cross-tabulation


Processing Processing Data and InformationData and Information

• Quoting

• Paraphrasing

• Summarizing


Applying Your FindingsApplying Your Findings

• Drawing conclusions

• Making recommendations


Planning Planning Informational ReportsInformational Reports

• Monitor and control operations

• Implement policies and procedures

• Demonstrate compliance

• Report progress


Organizing Organizing Informational ReportsInformational Reports

• Comparison

• Importance

• Sequence

• Chronology

• Spatial orientation

• Geography

• category


Website ContentWebsite Content

• Web readers are demanding

• Reading online can be difficult

• Nonlinear, multidimensional format

• Multiple purposes

• Diverse audiences


Information ArchitectureInformation Architecture

• Vertical hierarchy of pages

• Horizontal division of pages

• Links that tie pages together


Organizing the SiteOrganizing the Site

• Plan your navigation first

• Let your readers be in control

• Break the information into chunks


Planning Analytical Planning Analytical ReportsReports

• Assess opportunities

• Solve problems

• Support decisions


Challenges of Writing Challenges of Writing

Analytical ReportsAnalytical Reports• Quality of reasoning

• Clarity of writing

• Responsibility of persuasion


Organizing Organizing Analytical ReportsAnalytical Reports

• Logical arguments

• Feasible recommendations

• Bottom-line conclusions


Focus on ConclusionsFocus on Conclusions

• Advantages– Ease of use– Bottom-line driven

• Disadvantages– Possible resistance– Oversimplification


Focus on Focus on RecommendationsRecommendations

1. Establish the need for action

2. Introduce the overall benefits

3. List the required steps

4. Explain each step more fully

5. Summarize the recommendations


Focus on Logical Focus on Logical ArgumentsArguments

• 2 + 2 = 4 approach– Problem/opportunity– Reasons for conclusions– Reasons for

recommendations– Evidence behind reasons

• Yardstick method– Problem/opportunity– Alternatives– Decision criteria– Alternatives vs. criteria


Planning ProposalsPlanning Proposals

• Internal requests

– Funding

– Management support

– General projects

• External requests– Investments

– Grants

– Sales


Structuring ProposalsStructuring Proposals

• Solicited

– Direct approach

– Interested audience

• Unsolicited

– Indirect approach

– Uninterested audience

© Prentice Hall, 2008 Excellence in Business Communication, 8eChapter 11 - 1 Planning Reports and Proposals.

Documents

business communication

search scopeexcellence

detailsvary search termsadjust

informationprocess data

researchlocate data

efinding information

work planexcellence

work planstatement