Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SUNDAY, September 25, 1994 TAG: 9411050006
SECTION: BUSINESS PAGE: F4 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: CAMILLE WRIGHT MILLER
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
A: Look at reports from other projects to gain a sense of acceptable format. Ask others which reports rate as excellent and study those for guidelines. From the table of contents to the appendices, set a standard of excellence and a goal of clarity.
"The most important thing in writing a report," says Priscilla Richardson of Cloverdale, "is to put everything in the first two paragraphs. Your summary, conclusion and recommendations should all be found on the first page." Richardson, of "Priscilla Richardson's Write for Success," finds that most people won't read more than the first section of a report. It's important, therefore, to get your points across early and concisely.
Additionally, Richardson notes that "most people won't plow through long sentences, especially if sentences contain four-syllable words." She suggests choosing words normally used in conversation with a spouse or teen-ager; conversational vocabulary is stronger and holds the reader's attention. Technical terms may have to be included, but simplify report vocabulary wherever possible.
Richardson recommends using her SWISS cheese rule for writing, an approach she developed in response to the "bad writing that came across the desk while practicing law." The SWISS acronym stands for "Short Words in Short Sentences." Until you become adept at writing SWISS, review and revise your work several times until all sentences follow the SWISS model.
Richardson concludes that the "very best thinking in every field is written in clear language."
Q: My organization recently introduced significant changes; resistance is equally significant and threatens to defeat the changes.
A: Without some resistance, organizations would be in chaos from ill-considered change. Expect every change to be resisted, and be prepared to reduce resistance.
Keep workers informed. Communication channels must run both to and from employees. Supervisors cannot communicate too much information. A caution: Even the simplest information may be misunderstood under the threat of change.
Education is another tool. Send teams to visit other organizations that implemented similar change. Bring in trainers to help employees understand the change that will be introduced.
Participation also gains support. If employees participate in decisions, they have a vested interest in ensuring success of the change.
Finally, on-going transition teams are crucial. Team leaders meet with small groups on a weekly basis. Trained in communication, leaders facilitate discussion and guarantee to protect the confidentiality of the team.
Teams spend 15 minutes detailing problems brought by change. The next 15 minutes are spent identifying positives. The last portion of each meeting is spent offering solutions. Every member must identify at least one negative and at least one positive.
Key to the process is that no statement may be degraded and no member's identity may be linked to any negative or positive statement outside the team meeting.
Following team meetings, leaders meet with supervisors and summarize negatives and positives. Supervisors then attempt to resolve problems and communicate back to the teams. Transition teams incorporate education, participation and communication - a powerful package.
Q: Re-engineering appears a code word for laying off a large number of workers. Is there more to it than that?
A: Massive layoffs have been called re-engineering; re-engineering in the hands of the untrained can also result in little more than a large number of pink slips. Re-engineering, correctly implemented, brings rejuvenation and increased success.
Re-engineering, introduced by organizational consultants Michael Hammer and James Champy, considers how a company could best function if it threw out all the rule books, policy manuals, paper pathways, and standard procedures. Starting fresh, with the focus on the customer - however defined - and the best business process, what would make a company more efficient and more successful?
The answers usually require organizations to restructure or "re-engineer" to better serve customers. One common result is fewer employees are needed, and those who remain take on greater responsibilities. That's a large down-side; the upside is that customers are often better served and the company does function better.
Re-engineering is more than one-shot change. The business world is continually changing, and organizations must be sensitive to on-going change. For companies remaining committed to continual re-engineering, the successes can be remarkable.
by CNB