CHAPTER 9
Form Follows Function
Structuring Your Documents
Now that we’ve carefully considered every word in your document and the structure of each sentence, it’s time to look at the document as a whole. Imagine you just jumped into your car in the driveway to take your child on a playdate. You look over your shoulder to back onto the street and realize you have no idea where the other kid lives. “Do I turn left or right?” If you don’t know where you are going, you don’t know how to begin. If you knew where you were going and had a map for getting there, you would already be on your way. Many people freeze when they stare at a blank computer screen because they simply don’t know how to begin, and they don’t know where to begin because they don’t know where they want to go. To get off to a smooth start, first, decide where you want to go, in other words, your purpose for writing. Then pick your road map, the format you can follow to get there.
There are certainly many formats for structuring a document. The formats that work better are those that are focused on the needs of the reader. In this chapter we’ll provide two easy formats to consider.
Writing is about conveying to someone else your experience with a situation. Since we all experience a situation or event sequentially, our natural inclination is to share the information in the order in which we experienced it. This approach is called the “timeline” method of writing, where the reader conveys what she learned or steps she took in the order in which she learned or acted. That may work well for case notes or for telling a story, but it’s not the most effective way to write a business document. Very few people care what you did to get to this point with this issue. They care about where they’re going from here.
Why are you writing this document?
The purpose of your document will dictate the most effective structure to employ. Is your goal to persuade someone to take action, or are you simply providing a status report on a matter? If this key question sounds familiar, it should. It’s the same question we suggest you consider when you are determining the structure of your presentation in Chapter 3. As with a presentation, if you want to persuade someone with your writing, you must focus less on what you want him to do and more on why he should want to do it. In other words, focus on the benefits of taking your recommended course of action. If you want to simply convey information, you’ll need to be repetitive to make sure your reader grasps your key point.
For each of the formats below, you must consider your audience. Who are they and what do they want and need to know? That will dictate, in large part, what and how much detail to provide.
Persuading
I once read a report from a consultant that began, “I’m going to start by conveying to you my thought process as I gathered my research.” He then rambled on for four paragraphs of stream-of-consciousness drivel, including waffling back and forth on an issue, before getting to the point. It seemed unprofessional and inconsiderate. He must have realized he was rambling because when he got to the key point he wanted to make, he started the paragraph with, “Anywhoo. . . .” With that one word, he shifted from unprofessional to “You’ve got to be kidding me.”
There may have been some value in the conclusions he drew later in his document, but I was so angry by the time I got to that part of his report, I was questioning why I hired him, rather than reflecting on the value of his suggestions. In fact, many of us have to write out our thoughts before we draw our conclusions; that’s an important part of the writing process. But most of that thought process should be edited out of the document before you hit “Send.” Most of the time your readers care less about you and what steps you took, and more about what conclusion you reached and what they now need to do.
To be persuasive, we recommend the format shown below.
Let’s look at each step.
At Exec|Comm, we have edited countless documents people have submitted over the years in thousands of writing programs we have conducted. Often, people think they need to build their case for the recommendation they are about to make. They take too much time and too many words to explain the background of the situation and the steps they have taken in their analysis, in the hope that the reader will already be persuaded to take the proper action by the time he or she gets to the main point. Instead, the reader likely lost interest while mired in the weeds, or became impatient and skipped to the end to read the conclusion. Don’t save the secret for the end and spring it on the reader. Let us know where you are headed at the start of the document.
- We need to terminate the project.
- We recommend you close the deal sooner.
- You should hire Bill.
- It’s time to cut expenses.
In the first paragraph of your document, you want to “get to the verb.” Tell me what action needs to happen. You can begin with an introductory sentence or two that set the stage, but not introductory pages that bore the reader.
In the first paragraph, start by introducing the topic.
Example: You are the CEO writing to your Board of Directors:
We have looked at numerous options for meeting our growth goals as a company. We feel market share growth in the U.S. will be marginal at best.
The last sentence of the first paragraph should convey your key message.
We believe it’s time to expand overseas, starting with Asia.
After you have told your reader what needs to happen, you should provide some background, but only as much as the reader needs to do her job. If the reader is well versed in the topic, you may even skip this step. If this topic is new to the reader, you will need to provide more context. If this section of your document is clearly labeled Background, your readers will know whether they should read the whole thing, skim it, or skip it entirely.
Next, expand the message to explain the benefits of the recommended course of action.
Similar products to ours are not available in Asia in the quantity or quality we can provide. Asia has excess manufacturing infrastructure available that will allow us to start quickly. Within two years we can see significant returns and expand our top line growth in line with the board’s directives.
Finally, you’ll end quickly. What steps do you need the audience to take to move the process forward?
The attached reports provide greater detail. At Friday’s meeting we will discuss this issue and vote on the proposal.
Obviously, this is a simplified version of a recommendation. This is comparable to what you might find in an executive summary at the start of a longer report. For a simpler issue, such as a letter of recommendation, the same structure works and the document can stand on its own and have the desired impact.
In both cases, by starting with the key message, you give context to everything else you have to share.
Informing
If you don’t need to persuade someone of something or secure a decision, but rather just provide an update, use the informative format, shown here.
If this structure looks familiar, it should. It’s the same format we recommended you use when giving an informative presentation in Chapter 3. You’re busy enough doing your substantive work. There’s no reason to make things complicated. Whether you are speaking or writing, this format works well.