For a substantive part of my career, I was a
proofreader and editor. I also have exposure in my
daily machinations to the hoi polloi of business
enough to have a feel for how much, or how little they
generally receive and/or want to be told.
Janeen's recommendations are sound. Structurally,
here's how I would format.
DEPARTMENT NAME (in all caps)
Subsection or action item you are reporting
Underscored and upper and lower case).
SYNOPSIS: In Italics with the bottom line concerning
the issue--usually no more than about 3 or 4 lines
depending upon how much you are reporting. Contingent
upon how you structure your table of contacts, you may
wish to use these.
Details - In regular text with regular paragraph
breaks so the eye flows down the page.
If you have another Subsection or action item, repeat
the process.
If you have another DEPARTMENT NAME, repeat the
process.
Once everything is written, and you have prepared a
Table of Contents or Index, I would next write an
Executive Summary and place that before the report
begins.
Now, why would I take this approach? Because,
depending upon how hands-on all of your Board members
are, they may not be interested in all the details.
They may wish to know only the bottom line. However,
if they are interested, they can read further. They
don't have to extrapolate what you're trying to tell
them from the text, because you've put what you want
them to remember up front. There are some
analyticals, however, who will want to know
EVERYTHING, and your report as structured, if soundly
prepared, should provide them with the details they
seek (that's where any charts or tables would serve
you well).
Most probably the Board is looking for results. But
if they're really into it, they may need the support
data.
Remember that readers usually catch the first 7 words
of any paragraph and the last three words. So, if
they need to know something, set it out in a new
paragraph. Push the readers' eye down the page.
I hope this helps.
--- Janeen Burkholder <[log in to unmask]>
wrote:
> Teresa,
>
> I've been the one to receive and compile such
> reports for a CEO, but my background is journalism.
> The situation was a rural electric cooperative and
> reports ranged from legal to safety to the
> association's credit union. Each department would
> give me their report, and they weren't so wildly
> different. I'd compile the stuff and put in
> transitions for what would evolve into the CEO's
> speech at the annual meeting. In your case, it
> sounds like you don't have a PR person on board so
> your director will have to do the dirty work, or you
> can offer to pull it all together. If there is
> detailed information, like charts and graphs, have
> that projected, most likely via Power Point, though
> when I did it we had a videographer who produced
> such stuff for large scale projection. The CEO is
> from the BC ages (Before Computers). Of course,
> there are always handouts. Power Point also can
> project short summaries of each point the director
> wants to make and include photographs.
>
> Hope this helps!
>
> Janeen Burkholder
> Volunteer Coordinator
> Springfield Art Association
> 700 N. Fourth Street
> Springfield, IL 62702
> 523-2631, ext. 207
>
> Every experience deeply felt in life needs to be
> passed along, whether
> it be through words and music, chiseled in stone,
> painted with a brush,
> or sewn with a needle, it is a way of reaching for
> immortality.
> --Thomas Jefferson
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: Terasa M. Young
> To: [log in to unmask]
> Sent: Tuesday, January 03, 2006 2:56 PM
> Subject: [MUSEUM-L] report formats
>
>
> As our museum continues to grow, so does our need
> for communication among staff. Does anyone have
> advice for report formats that are to be given from
> various departments to an executive director? She
> uses that information to compile a report to give to
> the board of directors at a scheduled board meeting.
> I initially thought that it would be great if we
> could all follow the same format but wonder if our
> information is too different to fit into such a
> format. I would appreciate any suggestions and/or
> comments.
>
>
>
> Thanks and Happy New Year!
>
>
>
> Terasa M. Young
>
> Program Director
>
> Children's Museum of South Carolina
>
> 2501 North Kings Highway
>
> Myrtle Beach, SC 29577
>
> Phone (843) 946-9469
>
> Fax (843) 946-7011
>
> www.cmsckids.org
>
>
>
>
=========================================================
> Important Subscriber Information:
>
> The Museum-L FAQ file is located at
> http://www.finalchapter.com/museum-l-faq/ . You may
> obtain detailed information about the listserv
> commands by sending a one line e-mail message to
> [log in to unmask] . The body of the
> message should read "help" (without the quotes).
>
> If you decide to leave Museum-L, please send a one
> line e-mail message to [log in to unmask]
> . The body of the message should read "Signoff
> Museum-L" (without the quotes).
> > No virus found in this outgoing message.
> Checked by AVG Anti-Virus.
> Version: 7.1.371 / Virus Database: 267.14.12/220 -
> Release Date: 1/3/06
>
>
=========================================================
> Important Subscriber Information:
>
> The Museum-L FAQ file is located at
> http://www.finalchapter.com/museum-l-faq/ . You may
> obtain detailed information about the listserv
> commands by sending a one line e-mail message to
> [log in to unmask] . The body of the
> message should read "help" (without the quotes).
>
> If you decide to leave Museum-L, please send a one
> line e-mail message to [log in to unmask]
> . The body of the message should read "Signoff
> Museum-L" (without the quotes).
>
Indigo Nights
[log in to unmask]
=========================================================
Important Subscriber Information:
The Museum-L FAQ file is located at http://www.finalchapter.com/museum-l-faq/ . You may obtain detailed information about the listserv commands by sending a one line e-mail message to [log in to unmask] . The body of the message should read "help" (without the quotes).
If you decide to leave Museum-L, please send a one line e-mail message to [log in to unmask] . The body of the message should read "Signoff Museum-L" (without the quotes).
|
