Chapter 5: Composing Office Documents

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"> <br> <div class="MsoNormal"> <b style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="font-size: 18pt;"><a href="http://getassignment.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Recommendations for Emails, Memos, and Reports</a></span></b></div> <div class="MsoNormal"> <span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">There are certain guidelines to follow when you write any kind of office document. Other guidelines are specific to the type of document. In this section, I provide some general ideas on composing business documents, as well as some brief, more specific tips on writing emails, memos, reports, and international correspondence.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div> <div class="MsoNormal"> <span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=141743602070344111" name="382"></a><a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=141743602070344111" name="wbp05chP4"></a><b><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;">Some General Guidelines <o:p></o:p></span></b></span></div> <div class="MsoNormal"> <a href="http://getassignment.blogspot.com/" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgS0rQoHJsfKz7IC8qswMqBy_TGx2kqg1-XTTlSh0FGtPqunFLtT6xxuysqEBTLeW81vTEa0lfttQG7tQm3ZIXDH3pl5l7s1CwoxtBWCBUrRKFrO0bQFIFX-xj6XZ2ElWs9mQU8dySBHp4/s1600/4223121+(1).png" width="400"></a><b><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Know why you’re writing. <o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div> <div class="MsoNormal"> <span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Before you write anything longer than two or three paragraphs, write down the answer to this question: <i>Why am I writing?</i> (For example,<i> To secure funds for the system enhancement, To propose a new approach to employee communications)</i> Keep this answer in front of you as you write; it’s your objective. Include nothing in your document that doesn’t relate to or support your objective.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div> <div class="MsoNormal"> <b><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Organize your document. <o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div> <div class="MsoNormal"> <span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">The most basic, and usually the most effective, way to organize any business document is to present the information in descending order of importance.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div> <div class="MsoNormal"> <span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">An exception to this rule occurs when your reader might be reluctant to accept your point of view. In that case, consider presenting information in the opposite order, from least to most important, gradually bolstering your case and ending with your strongest point. The danger with this approach, of course, is that the reader might lose interest and stop reading.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div> <div class="MsoNormal"> <span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">More complex documents sometimes require additional organizing principles. Some other ways to present information include:</span></span><br> </div></div>

Chapter 5: Composing Office Documents

Recommendations for Emails, Memos, and Reports There are certain guidelines to follow when you write any kind of office document. Other...

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Failure Of Planning

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"> <br> <h2 class="MsoNormal"> <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";"><u><i><b><span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">Failure Of Planning</span></span></b></i></u></span></h2> <div class="MsoNormal"> </div> <br clear="ALL"> <div class="MsoNormal"> <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">                                                                                                                     </span></div> <div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"> <span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Business planning is a key to success. The old adage is</span></div> <div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"> <span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">True; failing to plan is planning to fail.</span></div> <div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"> <span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Writing a plan does not guarantee success. Many plans</span></div> <div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"> <span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">never get implemented. They become bookends or</span></div> <div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"> <span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Paperweights.</span></div> <div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"> <span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Business plans fail because entrepreneurs only focus on</span></div> <div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in;"> <span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Strategy; they ignore the other six elements of their</span></div> <div class="MsoNormal"> <span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 18px;">Organization</span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 14px;"></span></div> <div class="MsoListParagraph" style="background-color: white; margin-left: 0.25in; text-indent: -0.25in;"> <span style="color: black; font-family: Wingdings; font-size: 16pt;">è<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;"> </span></span><b><u><span style="color: black; font-family: "Masque","sans-serif"; font-size: 16pt;">Communications</span></u></b><br> <span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">The number two response to our question about strategy failure should be familiar to all: Communications. Since we can't get it right at home -- with one in two U.S. marriages ending in divorce -- what makes us think we're going to get it right at work?</span></div> <div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white;"> <span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Poor communications seems to take many forms. Apparently, some groups like to develop strategic plans, and then hide them under a rock. But they don't do it on purpose. "The failure to communicate the vision and strategic objectives to stakeholders" may mean that the developers of the strategy aren't getting out enough information for folks to understand what they're supposed to do with it. "New initiatives or objectives are outlined but not communicated throughout the organization as to how the new objectives should look and feel, what steps to take, time-frame, etc." "Poor communications among team members responsible for decisions in implementation. Expectations and opinions are not shared openly, thoroughly, and effectively."</span></div> <div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg12eZvaWcyi0nzdGl7GKhGMu-BdO1XOpmIvCKk3UB2wfUxnDMca3RcADeaqIweZCtU9qJUZwltH1UM_NcqrWZxwGxcceHVMEOU0jIRT3TaqaA-N0zYiZHzW1KUbyLWLj1526DF_oX9_0E/s1600/6+Top+Pitfalls+of+Business+Failure.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg12eZvaWcyi0nzdGl7GKhGMu-BdO1XOpmIvCKk3UB2wfUxnDMca3RcADeaqIweZCtU9qJUZwltH1UM_NcqrWZxwGxcceHVMEOU0jIRT3TaqaA-N0zYiZHzW1KUbyLWLj1526DF_oX9_0E/s400/6+Top+Pitfalls+of+Business+Failure.png" width="400"></a><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">"Every tactical action supporting the strategic objectives needs to be included in an overall communication plan so that the strategy is reinforced." There's an interesting idea: an overall communication plan. Other responses also indicate that lack of communications routinely allows plans to die out after their launch. "No regular internal press to generate momentum." "Lack of better marketing efforts." Apparently all goes quiet, kind of like a mausoleum after the entertainment goes home. This contributor didn't hold anything back: "The communication sucks! Organizations become introverted in their communication strategies, whether the group is a large company or a small team."</span></div> <div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white;"> <span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Communication is also much more than words and pictures. Communication is also delivered through demonstration. "The management team does not follow the strategy themselves." We all know about the hypocritical "do as I say, not as I do" admonition. What does that scream about the value of the strategy? That behavior will raise eyebrows faster than a cook who won't eat his own cooking!</span></div> <div class="MsoListParagraph" style="background-color: white; margin-left: 0.25in; text-indent: -0.25in;"> <span style="color: black; font-family: Wingdings; font-size: 16pt;">è<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;"> </span></span><b><u><span style="color: black; font-family: "Masque","sans-serif"; font-size: 16pt;">Leadership</span></u></b><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">which brings us to leadership, which was the fifth most popular category. From these responses we can learn that leadership is much like fly-fishing -- when you're up to your waist in it, it's suddenly much harder than it looks! "Most leaders grossly underestimate what it takes to lead effectively." "Failing of leadership starting and ending at the top." "Lack of a true motivating leader." This contributor offered some specificity: "Weak leadership. This results in improper resource allocation, lack of buy-in, poor follow-through, inadequate checks, misaligned goals/ strategies/ actions, inefficient rewards and punishments, cover-ups, etc."</span></div> <div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white;"> <span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">This respondent noted that there was enough blame to go around: "Not a lack of leadership from the main person in charge but from either a lack of ability or the lack of 'willingness' from other personnel who are needed to step up and truly lead the effort to bring the strategies from paper to production." The message here is that we are all called to lead from wherever we are, even if we're not at the top.</span></div> <div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; line-height: 17.6pt; margin-bottom: 8.35pt; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Not all management teams are blessed with skilled leaders. "Management team and/or owner not experienced/skilled enough to carry out the strategy." Some have titles associated with leadership, but not the authority: "No assigned champion/true owner of each project who has the authority to implement." I was taught that you must delegate authority at the same time you delegate responsibility. Lastly, we have leaders who are just plain stubborn, kind of like a mule with a good parking space at the mall: "...'rogue' links in the management chain that distort the plan to suit their OWN vision, thus subverting the directive from the top without authorization." Now I'm thinking fly-fishing is actually easier.</span></div> <div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; line-height: 17.6pt; margin-bottom: 8.35pt; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Success can be a trap in and of itself. Miller found that consistent success tends to reinforce leaders' world views and ties them rigidly to the strategies and processes that brought about past successes. This causes, in turn, these same leaders to become:</span></div> <div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 17.6pt; margin: 0in 0in 0in 25.1pt; text-indent: -0.25in; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span style="color: black; font-family: Symbol; font-size: 10pt;">·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal;">         </span></span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">overconfident</span></div> <div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 17.6pt; margin: 0in 0in 0in 25.1pt; text-indent: -0.25in; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span style="color: black; font-family: Symbol; font-size: 10pt;">·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal;">         </span></span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">prone to excess and neglect</span></div> <div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 17.6pt; margin: 0in 0in 0in 25.1pt; text-indent: -0.25in; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span style="color: black; font-family: Symbol; font-size: 10pt;">·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal;">         </span></span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">prone to shape strategies based on their preferences rather than what data, changing business circumstances, customers, and technological shifts dictate</span></div> <div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 17.6pt; margin: 0in 0in 0in 25.1pt; text-indent: -0.25in; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span style="color: black; font-family: Symbol; font-size: 10pt;">·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal;">         </span></span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">conceited true believers in the adulation heaped upon them by the press, subordinates, shareholders, and other admirers</span></div> <div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 17.6pt; margin: 0in 0in 0in 25.1pt; text-indent: -0.25in; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span style="color: black; font-family: Symbol; font-size: 10pt;">·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal;">         </span></span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">obstinate one to resent challenges to their way of thinking</span></div> <div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 17.6pt; margin: 0in 0in 0in 25.1pt; text-indent: -0.25in; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span style="color: black; font-family: Symbol; font-size: 10pt;">·<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal;">         </span></span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">isolated from the reality of the marketplace</span></div> <div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; line-height: 17.6pt; margin-bottom: 8.35pt; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">The impact of those tendencies on strategy making is very negative when strategy is developed from ego, preconceptions of what causes success, stubbornness, and old, worn conceptual models.</span></div> <div class="MsoListParagraph" style="background-color: white; margin-left: 0.25in; text-indent: -0.25in;"> <span style="color: black; font-family: Wingdings; font-size: 16pt;">è<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;"> </span></span><b><u><span style="color: black; font-family: "Masque","sans-serif"; font-size: 16pt;">No Plan behind the Idea</span></u></b><br> <span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">The third most popular category is named, "No Plan Behind the Idea," captured in this summary: "Most great plans aren't. They are just nice, high-level ideas." Those of you that have attempted to execute plans that were as thin as the soles on Newman's shoes may easily relate to this: "'Strategic initiative?' No, it wasn't 'strategic' and it wasn't an 'initiative'. Calling something a strategic initiative doesn't make it one."</span></div> <div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white;"> <span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">It seems that many of our strategic planning sessions stop halfway, before there is a plan. "Very little planning, if any, goes into the implementation process." "Undeveloped intentions." Maybe you know some of these people: "Frequently the person with the great idea is not an execution giant." While no one is advocating using masking tape on a paint-by-numbers picture, how about this example of how to do it right: "the Microsoft of today NEVER rushes in ... they wait to see how things shake out, steal some early ideas, perfect them, then smash everybody they can and conquer the world."</span></div> <div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white;"> <span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Inquiring minds want to know what a strategy document is really for. "A strategy document almost NEVER actually states what is to be done from day to day and a way for employees to track their actual progress. Most strategies stop at the 'conceptual stage' rather than actually give very SPECIFIC tasks to be done." "Concept not cascaded throughout the organization so that individuals know how it applies to them and their job." "Unable to break the project down into doable actions." If all this sounds like a lot of work, perhaps this says it all: "Ideas are easier to talk about than do."</span></div> <div style="line-height: 16.3pt; margin: 0in 0in 0in 0.25in; text-indent: -0.25in; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="border: 1pt none windowtext; color: black; font-family: Wingdings; font-size: 16pt; padding: 0in;">è<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt; line-height: normal;"> </span></span></span><strong><u><span style="border: 1pt none windowtext; color: black; font-family: "Masque","sans-serif"; font-size: 16pt; padding: 0in;">Unwillingness or inability to change.</span></u></strong><span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="border: 1pt none windowtext; color: black; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12.5pt; padding: 0in;"> </span></span><br> <span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="border: 1pt none windowtext; color: black; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12.5pt; padding: 0in;"><br></span></span></div> <div style="line-height: 16.3pt; margin: 0in; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span style="color: black;">Your company and your strategic plan must be nimble and able to adapt as market conditions change</span><span style="color: black; font-family: "Georgia","serif"; font-size: 12.5pt;">.</span></div> <div class="MsoListParagraph" style="background-color: white; margin-left: 0.25in; text-indent: -0.25in;"> <span style="color: black; font-family: Wingdings; font-size: 16pt;">è<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;"> </span></span><b><u><span style="color: black; font-family: "Masque","sans-serif"; font-size: 16pt;">Passive Management</span></u></b><br> <span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">In fourth place is a category I call "Passive Management." This is characterized by assuming that things will run themselves after we get them started, which is about as likely as being hit by lightning while being eaten by a shark. Instead, I suggest that implementing strategic plans is more like keeping plates spinning atop a number of pointed sticks. If we don't put forth a regular effort to keep them spinning, the plates will fall down and the sticks will end up in uncomfortable places. "When the implementation phase begins there is not enough follow-through -- or follow-up for that matter -- from senior management." "Poor and inexperienced management to execute the plan."</span></div> <div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white;"> <span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Notice the subtle difference here from leadership. While leadership is expected to communicate the vision and support it with demonstrable actions, management is expected to know how to execute the individual tactics. "All talk and no action, failure to assign and hold individuals accountable for delivering on the assignments." "No one takes total charge and follows up when someone doesn't meet commitment dates." "The objective. is written down on paper ... and</span></div> <div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white;"> <span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">nicely filed away." Here is what seems to be missing: "... this is the objective, this is how we're going to get there, here is your part in the plan and you will be held accountable."</span></div> <div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white;"> <span style="color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt;">Like leadership, management is not easy either: "It takes a special person to be able to define strategies and to plot out and manage others in how to achieve those strategies. Most fail because they assume their team has the wherewithal to pull it off and they therefore do not manage the process." I must say, I was surprised to learn that people want more management -- at least where implementing strategic plans is concerned!</span></div> <div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="background-color: white; margin-left: 0.25in; text-indent: -0.25in;"> <span style="color: black; font-family: Wingdings; font-size: 16pt;"></span><br> </div></div>

Failure Of Planning

Failure Of Planning                                                                                                                 ...

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