Reports are a reflection of your credibility. Credibility is the top character trait you need to be successful as a business leader, manager, or supervisor. If you are not credible, people won't trust you or believe you.
Whether you are an inspector, field supervisor, manager, or business owner, you will eventually have to write reports. And your reports will be read by people other than your boss — chances are good that they will be read by a third party like an engineer, safety professional, or the customer.
Why Do We Write Reports?
Your boss, your customer, engineering, sales, legal, HR, or safety want to know what you are working on. There are three key pieces of information they are looking for:
- Progress — They want to know how much progress has been made on the project and how much is left.
- Proof — They want proof that the work is being done and that it is being done correctly.
- Pay — Your company wants to get paid. If you can't help them get paid, what do you imagine the consequences would be?
Mistake #1: Trying to Sound Sophisticated
When your reports are clear, concise, easy to read and understand, you look intelligent. People make the mistake of thinking that using big words and ideas will make them look more sophisticated. It won't.
The fix: Write like your reader doesn't know anything about your work. Use good grammar, spelling, and punctuation. Use fewer, shorter, simpler words and shorter paragraphs. Write your report like you normally would, then go back and edit it. Then edit again. Good writing is good editing.
One powerful technique: when you write a sentence, say the words out loud. When we have to read it out loud, we stumble and catch ourselves when words or letters are missing.
Mistake #2: Writing Out of Context
The most powerful report writers help the reader create a mental picture of what is happening. When all or part of your report is out of context, the reader can't create a mental picture.
The fix: If you can't use images like photos, drawings, or charts, then give enough detail to help the reader "see" the situation in their mind. When you add detail, your reader has context. This helps them form an image of what is being worked on.
Here's an example of two captions for a photo of a man welding pipe:
- "Making a weld" — not very meaningful
- "Welding the final connection on the 24" liquid drain off of the #2 low-pressure separator" — immediately tells the engineer exactly what is going on and where
Mistake #3: Forgetting You Are a Witness
Your report may eventually be read by an attorney, a judge, and maybe even a jury. Whatever your title is, if you are writing and submitting reports, you are a witness to the events that happened.
The fix: Imagine you are on the witness stand. An attorney asks you to read your report out loud. Years later, can you go back and interpret it with confidence? Keeping that in mind creates a good framework for understanding how to write better reports.
Pro Tip: If you know or even sense that you may have to write a report or discuss a job or event with someone, start your day with that in mind. Think about how you will describe the events and progress. Make notes, take photos, create sketches — keeping everything possible in context.
Report writing, like any other skill, takes time and discipline to develop. Be proud of the fact that you are a writer. Whenever you write for someone else to read, you are an author.