Transcript Creating Leadership Documents - McGraw

Creating Leadership Documents
Lectures Based on
Leadership Communication
By Deborah J. Barrett, Ph.D.
McGraw-Hill/Irwin
Copyright © 2006 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.
Leadership Communication by Deborah J. Barrett
Discussion Topics
 Creating a document
 Selecting the most appropriate medium
 Organizing and formatting a report
 Handling exhibits effectively
 Documenting sources responsibly
Chapter 2 - 2
Chapter 2 - 3
Leadership Communication by Deborah J. Barrett
Creating a Document
Phase
1:
Phase 2:
Creating/
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Analyzi
Clarify purpose
ng/
Develop
Plannin
strategy g
Analyze
audience
Select medium
Determine key
messages
6. DecideDevelopin
on
g
organization
7. Generate ideas
8. Gather data
9. Check for
completeness
10. Double check
logic
11. Write draft
12.
13.
14.
15.
Pha
se 3:
Refi
ning/
Proo
Reorganize,
if
fing
necessary
Revise
Read the
document
aloud to check
tone/flow
Print out and
proofread the
final version
Chapter 2 - 4
Leadership Communication by Deborah J. Barrett
Selecting the Most Appropriate Medium
 Text message
Memo
 E-mail
 Memo
Letter
 Letter
Report
 Discussion outline
 Chart pack or deck
E-mail
 Reports
Chart
Pack
Leadership Communication by Deborah J. Barrett
Chapter 2 - 5
Organizing and Formatting a
Document Effectively
 Select best structure for the audience and topic
 Begin strongly, with the major message early
 Ensure overall structure and individual
paragraphs are logically organized
 End by clearly establishing closure and, if
appropriate, next steps
 Follow standard formatting for type of document
Leadership Communication by Deborah J. Barrett
Chapter 2 - 6
Including Expected Report Contents
Front
Matter




Letter or memo of transmittal
Cover
Title page
Table of contents
Body





Executive summary
Introduction
Discussion
Conclusion/next steps
Bibliography
Back
Matter
 Appendices
 Glossary
Leadership Communication by Deborah J. Barrett
Creating a Table of Contents
 List major headings in a report
 List in order of appearance
 Keep parallel and consistent
 Make wording in the table of contents match
section headings exactly
 Cite page numbers accurately
 Create it last!
Chapter 2 - 7
Leadership Communication by Deborah J. Barrett
Chapter 2 - 8
Conforming to Expectations for
Executive Summaries
 Must be a stand-alone summary
 Usually runs about 10% of full document length
 Contains purpose, scope of work or research,
results of study
 Emphasizes conclusions and information the
reader needs to make a decision or agree with
your recommendation
Must be comprehensive since audience
may not read entire report
Chapter 2 - 9
Leadership Communication by Deborah J. Barrett
Recognizing the Difference between an
Executive Summary and an Introduction
Executive Summary
Introduction
 Tells purpose,
 Gives essential
scope, and results
of study
 Emphasizes
conclusions and
information reader
needs to make a
decision
background data
 Tells how the work
is organized
 Generally excludes
findings or
recommendations
Leadership Communication by Deborah J. Barrett
Chapter 2 - 10
Using Headings Effectively
 Use headings to signal a shift to a new topic or
sub-topic
 Follow guidelines for effective headings:
 Keep headings short, meaningful, and
consistent
 Ensure headings are parallel
 Use the same font used for rest of document
 Write text as if heading is not there
Chapter 2 - 11
Leadership Communication by Deborah J. Barrett
Making Headings Meaningful
From This . . .
To This . . .
 Introduction

Losing Market Share

Creating a New Market
Niche Strategy
 Product Market Mix
 SWOT Analysis
 Marketing Strategy
 Summary

Leading in SQL
Applications
 Selling SQL Services to
Present Customers

Breaking Even after
Five-Years
Leadership Communication by Deborah J. Barrett
Chapter 2 - 12
Handling Exhibits Effectively
 Introduce them in the text before they appear
 Give them a figure # and a “so what” title
 Insert them directly into your document or
place them in appendix:
Test – Does your reader need to see them to
understand your discussion?
 Cut out any chart clutter and keep them simple
Chapter 2 - 13
Leadership Communication by Deborah J. Barrett
Documenting Sources of
Information Responsibly
Type of
information Description
Primary
 Information
gathered
through your
own surveys,
interviews, or
observation
Secondary
 Published
materials in
books,
periodicals, or
the Web
Documentation required
 Full explanation of your
methods (how, what, when)
 Correct and complete
reference (notes and
bibliography) for anything
used in your report from
anywhere, including the Web
Leadership Communication by Deborah J. Barrett
Chapter 2 - 14
Discussion Summary
 Follow a logical process when creating a document
as an individual or as part of a team
 Select the most effective medium for your message
and your audience
 Organize the document contents coherently
 Include the expected contents for the type of report
 Use effective formatting
 Insert and reference exhibits appropriately
 Document all sources of information responsibly