Writing Effective Memo’s, Reports, Lab Process & Letters

This course is designed to help participants prepare, write, and produce clear and readable

reports that will be read, understood, and acted upon. This training will combine instruction in the principles and practices of successful report writing with an interactive workshop which will invite maximum participation from all attendees.

This training will consist of general instruction in the process of writing professional reports accompanied by group exercises and class discussion. It will provide participants the opportunity to apply the principles of effective report writing to their own writing assignments in their work.

At the end of this course, participants will fully understand:

• The purpose(s) of business and technical reports
• The principles and practices of clear and readable writing
• How to prepare, write, and produce reports that will be used as decision-making tools for the organization
• How to plan and structure effective business and technical reports
• How to make effective use of charts, graphs, and other visual aid support
• How to present reports in a form which is attractive and readable and which invites the reader’s interest

Administrative assistants, administrative support personnel, office managers and executive secretaries/assistants.

• Written and Verbal Communication
• The Purpose of Your Writing
• Planning the Process and Procedure of Writing Reports
• Whom Are You Writing To?
• Effective Organization and Structure
• Benefits of Effective Report Writing
• Business, Technical, and Scientific Reports
• Research and Data Gathering
• Organizing the Data
• Appropriate Style and Tone
• Other Stylistic Choices
• Golden Rules of Style
• Grammar and Spelling
• Word Choice
• Writing Sentences that Work
• Paragraph Logic
• Accuracy and Integrity
• Writing for Your Organization
• Targets, Deadlines, Time Management
• Sample Formats
• Preparing the Outline
• Introduction Phase
• Main Discussion Phase
• Conclusion Phase
• Charts, Graphs, and Other Visual Aid Support
• Proofreading
• Techniques for Editing and Revising
• Common Pitfalls and Difficulties
• Lay-out and Presentation Techniques
• Examples of Different Types of Reports
• Presentation of Participant Writing Samples
• Group Editing and Critique Sessions
• Editing and Rewrite of Writing Samples
• Group Recaps of Editing and Rewriting Process
• Preparation of Baseline Document
• Writing Informative Headings
• Baseline Document: Informative Headings
• Generating Supporting Ideas Under Headings
• Baseline Document: Supporting Ideas
• Group Editing Sessions and Individual Tutorial Conferences
• Revision and Expansion of Baseline Document

• Presentation & Slides
• Audio Visual Aids
• Interactive Discussion
• Participatory Exercise
• Action Learning
• Class Activities
• Case Studies
• Workshops
• Simulation