This Learning Links issue is the second in a series on written communications. In the hundreds of documents, reports and presentations we have reviewed and critiqued over the years, nothing improves the document like improving organization. When most of us sit down to write, we simply start typing text and then "cut and paste" until we're satisfied with the document or presentation. There is a better way.
Start With An Outline
This sounds so boring and time consuming but it is our experience (and we have validated it over and over) that taking a few minutes to draft a simple outline greatly improves the organization and success of the document. The usual complaint is that it takes too much time. The fact is that if you spend 20 minutes writing a document and 20 minutes editing, you are no better off than when you spend 10 minutes outlining the document and then 30 minutes (or less) fleshing in the outline with a well thought out narrative. And of course the goal we're all pursuing is for our document to have an impact.
Clearly if the reader does not sense that you know where you're going with your document, there's little incentive for him or her to hang in there in hopes you will eventually illuminate the way. The outline does not have to be a rigid, constraining exercise (like you may have experienced in high school). Simply jot down the major headings of the document and some bullet points under each. Miraculously, as you do this, the points you want to make tend to find their natural place and the document becomes much more cohesive.
How To Create An Outline
Forget about the rules you live heard about beginning an outline with a Capital A or whatever and instead simply list the major topics and the bullet points beneath them as mentioned above. If you are not clear about where to start, consider making your major headings one of the following possibilities:
- The topics you wish to cover in order of importance
- A brainstormed list of options
- A "map" of how the points relate to each other
- Once you have begun this simple exercise, move the subtopics and details to the spot they belong in the document.
How To Organize Any Document
Any well-organized document has at least three sections: An introduction, some expository information about the issue, and recommendations or summary. With this simple structure, now all that is left is to flesh out the three sections.
In our previous Learning Links we suggested that you could start any document with "The purpose of this document is ..." and this is not a bad way to begin. By stating the purpose of your report, proposal, memo about change, etc. you alert the reader what is to follow in some (hopefully) orderly fashion. So your report should include:
- Statement of purpose
- Definition of the problem (what was happening vs. what should have been happening)
- A summary of principal cause and implemented solution
- Summary of the impact
- A detailed description of causes and how the solution addressed them
The same organization with some minor modifications can apply to sales proposals, requests for funding, problems to be solved, procedures changes, progress reports or even a letter to your mother about her finances!
The most important point to keep in mind in any writing assignment is whether the document reaches its goal of communicating clearly and without misunderstanding the points you wish to make. (In that regard, it is a good idea to let someone else read over your draft before you send it.)
If you can visualize your writing assignment as taking responsibility to make sure the reader understands and can act on the points you're making, it will change the way you approach the writing assignment. In other words, it is not about you and the struggles you're having putting the document together. It is about the reader and his understanding of your message.
What to do this week
Pull out a recent email or memo you have sent. Look at it critically to see where things could have been made clearer or where organization could have clarified the message. Quickly mark up the document indicating where things could be moved around to make it more readable. Then on the next writing assignment, resolve to begin with a simple outline instead of simply tapping out your message on the keyboard. If our experience is correct, you'll be amazed at the improvement! Good luck!
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