TABLE OF CONTENTS Millions of words are written every day, and your messages are going to have to compete with them. You therefore need to make the reader's task as easy as possible. We have considered some ways of making your words and phrases clearer and simpler. Now we need to think about structure and the visual appearance of the document.
In Session B we talked a little bit about standard forms for documents, such as letters, memos, faxes, reports and e-mails. I explained that one reason for using them was so that the receiver could instantly see what and who were involved. In other words, a clear structure made reading and understanding easier.
When we're talking about slightly longer letters, memos, short reports, factsheets etc., there are a lot more words to read, and the benefits of a clear and logical structure are even greater. The workbook on Project and Report Writing goes into this in more detail, but the same ideas can be used, even in quite short bits of writing.
Remember the Five Ps: Prior Planning Prevents Poor Performance.
The best way to make sure that you do anything properly is to PLAN it. This applies to everything a first line manager does you have to look ahead.
Here is a list of the things that you need to think about when you are planning to write a document.
Make appropriate use of information.
Consider the needs of the recipient.
Use the...
