Success as a business person can be difficult to achieve and very easy to lose. Many elements contribute to success. The primary elements include experience, appearance, and reputation. Experience and appearance are easy to define and develop. A competent professional reputation is much harder to define and achieve. One aspect of your reputation that is frequently overlooked is the quality of the reports and other documents you use to report your activities. A few words of praise are quickly forgotten–a poorly written report will be around to haunt the writer for a long time. Producing a professional quality written report is critical to success.
What does your report tell the reader about you and your company?
What and how you write is a primary indicator of your professionalism. It tells many tales that are not explicit in writing.
- If your report is sloppy in appearance, you’re lazy and careless.
- If it’s incomplete, you’re incompetent.
- If it contains poor English or grammar, you’re not too smart.
- If it contains misspelled words, you don’t know how to use spell-check.
If you are content to allow the above “tales” to be part of your reputation, you will fail as a business person. By following a few suggestions, your written reports can do much to enhance your professionalism and business success.
What can your reports be used for?
The primary purpose of any report is to provide the reader with factual information concerning a project or problem area. There are many other uses for your report; some of which may not be evident at the outset. Once the report is finalized, it cannot be retrieved for correction or alteration–the final report is “final.”
Your report can be used as evidence in a criminal or civil court proceeding.
The information in your report can be used to impeach your reputation and the validity of the information, both within the corporate structure and the court system.
Your report becomes a permanent part of “your record.” Good reports are easily forgotten but bad reports will remain a part of “your record” for many years.
A professional quality report will demonstrate your abilities, not only to the original recipient but to every one who has an opportunity to see your report. This is a prime marketing strategy and may lead to future referrals.
It is critical to remember that anything you write will be subject to critical review and may end up in front of a jury or arbitrator.
Report Content
The specific content of any report, of course, is determined by the type of investigative or consulting matter and the ultimate purpose of the report. Regardless of the type of matter being reported and the purpose of the report, all reports should have common features.
The report should contain comprehensive and complete statements of all opinions or conclusions to be expressed. The opinions and conclusions must be written in terms easily understood by the lay person. Reports are not written to impress the experts–they are written to inform the client. The excessive use of obscure or unexplained technical terms does not inform the reader. Each report must be written on a level comprehensible to the reader. A report prepared for an attorney may contain legal terms not familiar to the business executive–this type of report would be clear and concise for one person and confusing for another person with a different background.
Just stating opinions and conclusions is not adequate. The most valuable information is that which is used to substantiate the opinions or conclusions. Without substantiation, opinions and conclusions are just statements–with substantiation they become of value to the client.
The data and other information relied on as the basis for opinions and conclusions must be identified. Credibility comes from using appropriate sources of information. These sources, whenever possible, should have first hand information. If secondary sources are used, they should be identified as such. Copyright restrictions must be considered when using information published by other than the report author.
Exhibits used to support opinions and conclusions must be succinctly identified and appended to the report. How the exhibits are used and reported is determined by the writer for overall clarity and their contribution to understanding the report.
All key issues and elements, as determined by the nature and purpose of the report, must be identified. All criminal and civil matters have legal elements that must be proven in court. It is suggested that the report be written in a manner that adequately addresses each element in a logical order.
Finally, the authenticity and validity of the report must be acknowledged by the signature of the writer. Facsimile signatures and signature stamps should not be used. An otherwise professional report with something other than an original author’s signature dramatically reduces the professionalism of the report.
Sample Report Components
For ease of reading and comprehension, the various components of your report should follow a logical order from initiation of the inquiry to the presentation of opinions or conclusions. These components include:
- Predication–It provides a recitation of why and when the inquiry was initiated; for example: “On July 24, 2005, Mr. John Smith, Human Resources Director, The Widget Company, requested that an investigation be conducted of a physical assault on a company supervisor by an employee.
- Synopsis or Executive Summary–This is a concise recitation of the fact in the “Sgt. Friday” mode–”Just the facts, ma’am. At 9:30 AM, Tuesday, July 18. 2005, in the Maintenance Department, Room 201, The Widget Company, 1234 Main Street, Any Town, Colorado 80895, James Smith, a welder, struck Joseph Jones, Welding Maintenance Supervisor on the right side of his head with an 18-inch piece of angle iron during an argument over the quality of welding done by Mr. Smith. Mr. Jones received a six-inch laceration on right side of his head and was transported to the Community Hospital Emergency Room by the Any Town Rescue Squad where he received 12 sutures in his head and was released.
- Substantiation–How do you know the circumstances surrounding the incident? This is a listing of the various documents and information generated during the inquiry, including the source and the content of the information received. It also may include a synopsis of various documents used to determine the facts: for example, photographs of injuries, medical reports, witness statements, investigator’s statements concerning information developed by the investigator that is not in another document, i.e., investigative observations of the incident location or Human Resources disciplinary records.
- Exhibit List–This is a listing of the documents obtained during the inquiry listed in a logical order. For Example: Statement of Joseph Jones, dated July 24, 2005, relating the circumstances surrounding being struck by Mr. Smith; Medical Report of Dr. James Andrews, MD, dated July 24, 2005, describing Mr. Jones’ injuries and treatment. Photographs of Mr. Jones’ injuries taken by Investigator Jack Green, Ajax Investigation on July 24, 2005
- Witness List–Each person with information concerning the incident must be identified for possible contact at a future date. Each individual should be identified with their complete legal name–Joseph William Jones; residence address–101 Buttercup Lane, Apartment 101, Any Town, Colorado 80895, and residence and work telephone numbers. An alphabetical listing is preferable for ease of locating information.
Written Statements
When the inquiry is a complicated matter or the information source has valuable and extensive information critical to substantiating your conclusions, a written statement may be advantageous. Obtaining a written statement documents the information provided by the source and is helpful in preventing contradictory information from the source at a later date.
A written statement based on questions originated by the investigator is the superior method for insuring a comprehensive and useable statement. In this method, the investigator asks questions of the source and reduces the answer to a written format. Through proper questioning, all information necessary to substantiate your conclusions can be obtained.
Asking an individual to write out a statement leads to many difficulties. Primary of which is the quality of the individual’s handwriting. Statement that cannot be read is of little value. Additionally, the average witness does not know what information is relevant and should be included in the statement.
This is the individual’s statement and not that of the investigator. Extreme care must be undertaken to ensure that the investigator does not influence the information provided by the source. The witnesses’ terminology should be used even if an additional question must be asked to obtain an understanding of the terminology. To the extent possible, slang should be avoided.
When the information source is asked to initial or sign the bottom of each page of a statement, it impresses upon the source that this is his/her information and identifies a given set of fact. If the source provided conflicting information at a later time, the written statement can be used to impeach the source at trial.
Formatting the Report
The value of your report is directly related to the report’s ability to persuade the reader to whom it is directed. It is more likely to persuade the reader it is easy to read and has a professional appearance. Professional reports are NOT written on copy paper or ruled pads. The appearance of your report is an indicator of YOUR professionalism and competence. The most complete investigation, poorly reported, is a poor and incompetent investigation.
Recommended Formatting
Your report should never arrive on the client’s desk without a letter of transmittal. Professional business correspondence requires that any report include a brief letter of transmittal, identifying the recipient and the sender.
The cover page of your report will make a valuable impression on the client if it has a photograph of company facilities or the client company logo that individualizes the report.
The quality of the paper is important. Reports generated on ordinary copy paper are unacceptable. The report should be printed on a high quality paper of 24 pound weight paper with a high degree of brightness. The higher the quality of the paper, the more professional the report.
A 12-point font with 1.5 line spacing provided an easily read report. The font used should have a professional appearance such as Verdana, Arial or Helvetica. Never use Script, Block Letters or other artistic fonts.
Each section of the report should have a Topic Heading to correspond with the various components of the report. This facilitates location of desired information.
Lengthy and convoluted sentences confuse the reader. Each paragraph should be short, concise and address only one element or major fact of the inquiry. Your reputation is based on the quality of your report–not the quantity.
Deadly Errors
The value of your report can be dramatically damaged unless extreme care is taken to ensure accuracy. A substantive error can be very damaging to your reputation. In an assault, if the actions of the perpetrator are erroneously attributed to the victim, everything else in the report is suspect.
Poor English or grammar is a reputation killer. Improper capitalization and punctuation are unfortunately a common error in many reports.
In the era of modern computers, there is no excuse for misspelled words or typographical errors. Such errors clearly demonstrate careless and apathy.
The best written report can be easily destroyed by dirt and extraneous markings on the pages. Keep your coffee cup away from your computer!
The Well-Written Report
A well-written report is an example of your work that will be seen by many people for many different purposes. It signals to all the quality of your work. The highest quality work with a poorly written report will always be viewed as poor quality work.
State things clearly and directly. You are compensated for the quality of your investigative effort–not for the number of words in your report. Brevity with completeness and clarity are the keys to a well-written report.
Do not speculate or guess. You have been tasked to determine facts and provide accurate data. Anyone can guess and speculate! Why spend money for an investigation just to have someone else do what you can do: Guess
Don’t use boilerplate language. Boilerplate language indicates that all situations have common facts that can be expressed in terms that do not differentiate your situation from all others. Each situation is different and should be described in terms unique to the situation.
Avoid absolute words–”always” and “never.” It is the rare situation where absolute words can be used without being subject to question. Before using these words, make sure you can justify their use.
Make sure the report is not vague, equivocal, or uncertain. Any report should be factual and specific in detail. If for some reason there is justification for using vague or uncertain terminology, the reasons should be spelled out in your report.
Avoid emphatic language, exclamation points, bold face, italics, and capital letters to emphasize findings or conclusions. Unnecessary emphasis within a report can indicate your personal opinions, bias, and prejudices when your role as an investigator is to simply collect factual data and let others make their own judgment.
Use the active voice–”John hit Joe”, not “Joe was hit by John.” This shows assertiveness and that you are comfortable with the information you have developed. The active voice is strong as opposed to passive and weak
Use precise (specific, clear cut) language. This is another indicator of your confidence in the work produced and reduces the probability of others misunderstanding the facts.
Define technical terms and language. You can never assume that the reader will be familiar with technical terminology. The excessive use of unfamiliar technical terminology confuses the reader and may lead to an assumption that the writer is attempting to display his technical knowledge and belittle the reader–the person who is paying for the report.
Avoid evidence of bias. Nothing will call your report into question quicker than evidence of bias. You have been retained to report facts and not express your personal opinion through apparent biases in your report.
Use confident language–not hedge words–”it seems,” “could,” “apparently,” or “I believe.” Failure to use confident language may appear to the reader that you question some of the information being presented as facts.
Use objective (unbiased) language and avoid subjective (prejudiced) characterizations. You cannot be impartial when you use wording such as “Joe Smith, the perpetrator” in your report. Remember you provide facts, do not provide legal advice, and let the reader arrive at their own conclusions.
Avoid commenting on the credibility of witnesses. This is another example of inserting your opinions into the data and not letting the reader evaluate the source of your information. In some cases, this could lead to legal difficulties for the writer.
Insure internal consistency. Make sure that if “Smith shot Jones” at the beginning of your report that it does not change to “Jones shot Smith” or “Smith shot Johnson” in latter parts of the report. This could be embarrassing at the least and devastating to your reputation at the extreme.
Report “No-Nos”
Never use the words “legal” or “legally”. Remember you are an investigator and not an attorney unless you have a law degree, and then be careful.
“Draft.” When you annotate a report with this title, it announces to others that there are other versions of this report. They will be reviewed for consistency between the reports and you may be required to explain the differences.
“Probable,” “substantially,” or “possible” are ambiguous words. These words may show that you are not sure of the information contained in your report and should be avoided except in very rare circumstances.
“Obviously,” or “clearly” are patronizing, condescending and presumptive words. To many it would indicate that you question the reader’s ability to recognize obvious facts. Insulted clients do not return for additional insults.
“Appears,” “presumably,” “supposedly,” “is said,” or “evidently” imply uncertainty. This is another example of letting others know that you do not have complete confidence in the information in your report. If information is questionable, state that fact in clear cut language.
“He,” “she,” “it” or “they.” These words are confusing and uncertain as to identity. It is better to use proper names such as “Mr. Jones,” or “Mrs. Smith” to reduce misunderstanding.
Royal “we.” One person is writing the report and “we” suggests more than one report writer. Using “we” to attribute success as a combination of individual collaborative efforts is commendable but not acceptable when writing a report that you will be signing.
“Complete,” “thorough,” meticulous,” and “exhaustive.” These words are self-serving and holds the investigator to extremely high standards. During the review of your report, other ideas and investigative leads may be identified, thus bringing your “exhaustive” report into question.