Content

• To step
• Part 1 of 3: Planning a work report
• Part 2 of 3: Drafting a work report
• Part 3 of 3: Making the report effective
• Tips
• Warnings

Writing a work report can be impressive, although it may be easier than you might think. Work reports are usually used to explain the progress of a work project or to provide conclusions and recommendations regarding workplace issues. To easily write an effective work report, start by considering your objective, your audience, the research, and the message. Then prepare your report using a standard business report format. Finally, you can modify the report to make it effective.

To step

Part 1 of 3: Planning a work report

1. Determine the objective and subject of the report. Maybe someone asked you for a report. The objective or topic is likely to be included in the request. If you are unsure of what the objective or topic is, consider what you are conveying to your audience. You can also ask your boss or supervisor for clarification.
   • For example, the objective could be to analyze a business problem, to explain the results of a project you have worked on, or to provide your supervisor with an overview of your work progress.
2. Determine the tone and language that is appropriate for the target audience. Consider what the target audience already knows, as well as the jargon they will understand. When writing a work report, you can often use more professional language and jargon than when writing for the general public.
   • Who will read the report? Include anyone in your audience who could reasonably use the report.
   • If you are writing for different types of readers, include all necessary information so that even the least informed reader can easily understand it. However, use headings for each section so that the informed readers can skip information that is unnecessary to them. You can also include sections for each audience to meet their individual needs.
3. Gather your research and supporting materials, if applicable. Include the materials you used to draw conclusions or develop recommendations. You are going to refer to this as you prepare the report, and you may need to include it in the annexes to the report. These are the kinds of things to include when preparing the report:
   • Financial details
   • Tables
   • Graphs
   • Statistics
   • Surveys
   • Questionnaires
   • Conversations with experts, colleagues, customers, etc.
4. View your progress when you write a progress report. A good progress report gives a quick overview of the work you have done, what you will be doing and whether the project is on track. It is best to think of it as an answer to questions people have about your project. Here's what to include in your report:
   • Has the term of the project changed?
   • What tasks have you been doing since the last progress report?
   • What tasks will you do next?
   • Are you on track to complete the project on time? If not, why?
   • Which bottlenecks have you encountered and how are you going to solve them?
   • Did you learn anything this month?
5. Make an outline with the information to include in your report. Write down your ideas in an outline and use it as a writing aid. As you do this, develop the headlines for your report to help you organize what to say. The overview does not have to be neat or well-developed, because it is only for your own use.
   • In most cases, you should start the report by explaining the results and the conclusions or recommendations. Then explain how you got to this point and your reasoning, if applicable.
   • If you are about to make a controversial conclusion or recommendation, explain the process and reasoning first so that your target audience will be able to understand why you came up with this idea.

Part 2 of 3: Drafting a work report

1. Use a cover page or title page. The title page should include the name of the report, followed by the date - on a separate line - when you submitted it. On a third line you state the names of all authors. Then write the name of your organization on the fourth line.
   • In some cases, you can also include a motivation letter explaining why you wrote the report, what it entails, and what you think you should do next. This is more common with reports that have taken a long time to prepare or require additional explanation before the reader views the report itself.
   • With a progress report, you state your name, project name, date and reporting period on a title page. Place each item on a separate line. You can label each line with "name", "project name", "date" and "reporting period", or you can just list the information.
   • Ask your boss if there are any specific recommendations for formatting your work report. He or she is the best source for preparing your report.
2. Provide a summary of the most important information. Include your conclusions, justifications and recommendations. This allows one to understand the main points of your report without having to read the report in its entirety. You don't have to write detailed explanations, but the reader should be able to understand what the report is about. The summary should be one to five pages.
   • You do not need to summarize the complete report. Focus only on the main ideas in the report, such as the main recommendations or conclusions you present.
   • If you are writing a progress report, you can skip this section.
3. Include a table of contents with what is in the report. Indicate the section headings in the table of contents and the page numbers where that section begins. This allows the readers to easily navigate through the report to find the necessary information.
   • Use titles and headings for each section so that the report is easy to read.
   • When writing a progress report, you usually don't need to include a table of contents unless your boss prefers. However, add titles and headers for each section to make it easier to navigate the report.
4. Write an introduction to give an overview of the report. Tell the reader why you wrote this work report. Summarize the context surrounding the report and explain your objective. State the questions you will answer or the problem you will solve. Indicate the term of the report and an action plan with its contents.
   • The introduction does not have to be long. Be direct and specific so that the reader understands the context and purpose without lengthy explanation.
   • Write two to four paragraphs for the introduction.
   • In a progress report, the introduction may contain no more than one or two paragraphs. It should summarize the project and what you hope to achieve. You can also indicate what you have already completed and what you will do next.
5. Explain the results or conclusions you present. Provide a basic overview of the research or evaluations you have completed in relation to this project. Then discuss and interpret your observations and how they relate to the subject of the report.
   • In most cases, this section contains an introductory paragraph and a list of the conclusions you have reached.
   • This is what one conclusion looks like: "1. Our population is aging, which leads to more health risks for our customers. "
   • When you write a progress report, you have no results or conclusions to present. Instead, list your achievements or completed tasks in the section following your induction. You can also write a short 2- to 4-sentence paragraph in this section. However, a list is usually sufficient. You can list: "€ 200 raised to pay for the festival tent," "Contracted with the party plan to manage festival planning" and "surveyed 1,500 residents to gather public input."
6. Give you recommendations for the future. Your recommendations should explain what will happen in the future. Explain what the solutions will produce and how they relate to your conclusions. After writing your explanation, give your recommendations in the form of action points in a numbered list. List your recommendations from most important to least important.
   • For example, you can write: "1. Train all employees to perform CPR. "
   • If you are writing a progress report, instead, state the tasks or objectives that you want to accomplish in the next work period. For example, you can list "Find suppliers for the festival", "Approve festival designs" and "Order promotional posters".
7. Discuss the process and reasoning that led to your conclusions. Explain how you addressed the topic, problem, or issue. Review your observations and then explain how they lead to your recommendations. Separate the discussion into different sections with headings that tell the reader what's in that section.
   • This includes a longer discussion of the research and evaluations.
   • This section should be the longest in the record.
   • If you are writing a progress report, you can skip this section. Instead, include a section on the obstacles you encountered while working on the project and how you tackled them. You could write, "Many residents did not return the survey because it was not postage. In the future, we will include prepaid mail in our surveys or allow residents to complete their survey digitally. "
8. List all the references you used in preparing the report. References can include magazine articles, news articles, interviews, surveys, questionnaires, statistics and other related information. Cite these references at the end of the report and label the page as "References".
   • Unless otherwise specified, use the APA format for business reports.
   • You can skip this section if you are preparing a progress report.
9. Provide attachments of materials such as surveys, questionnaires or emails. Not every work report needs attachments. However, you can include them if you want to provide readers with material you have referred to or if you want to provide additional information that can help them better understand the topic or your observations. Label each attachment with a separate letter.
   • For example: "Appendix A", "Appendix B" and "Appendix C."
   • If you are writing a progress report, you do not need to include this section.
10. Close a brief conclusion along with a summary of your observations or progress. You may not need to make a conclusion, but writing it can be a nice summary of your efforts. Keep your conclusion in three to four sentences summarizing the information you presented in your report.
    • You could write: "The arts festival planning project is on track and will be completed on schedule. We have completed 90% of our pre-planning activities and are now shifting focus to purchasing the necessary equipment. The project has no outstanding obstacles, but we will gradually address any future obstacles. "

Part 3 of 3: Making the report effective

1. Use clear headlines to help your target audience navigate the report. Make headlines that are direct and get straight to the point. The reader must know exactly what the report contains.
   • The headlines could include introduction, tasks completed, goals for the next quarter, obstacles and solutions, and conclusion.
   • Match the headings to the information in the report.
   • In a progress report, the readers are likely to be your supervisor, the team, or the customers.
2. Use simple and direct language to communicate your ideas. A work report does not have to contain difficult words and creative sentences. You just need to get your point across to the reader. Express your ideas in the simplest words possible and to the point.
   • You could write, "Revenues are up 50% for the fourth quarter," instead of "Revenues are up 50% to generate great fourth-quarter revenues."
3. Write briefly to keep the report as short as possible. Redundant writing wastes both your time and that of the readers. Don't be superficial and get straight to business.
   • Keep in mind that some work reports can be quite long, as they can contain a lot of information. However, your writing should always be concise.
   • It's okay to write, `` Sales increased in the last quarter after the sales force applied cold-calling, '' instead of, `` We saw an exponential rise in revenues in the past quarter as our talented and dedicated salespeople turned into potential customers. started calling to ask them to buy more products. '
4. Express your ideas in objective and non-emotional language. Stick to the facts and let the reader draw their own conclusions based on an objective view of the subject. While you may make recommendations for a problem, don't try to evoke the readers' emotions to convince them. Let the reader form his own ideas and judgment based on an objective view of the facts.
   • Instead of writing, "Disengaged employees have low morale, making the office a soulless machine," you could write, "Employees whose productivity ratings scored lower than others reported feeling uninvolved."
5. Avoid using slang, as well as the word "I" in most reports. It may be appropriate to use "me" in a progress report when you are writing about a project you are working on alone. If not, don't use the word "I" or other slang in your job report. However, it is okay to use "you" when directing a sentence at the intended reader.
   • Keep your language professional throughout the report.
6. Review your report to make sure it is free of errors. Grammar and spelling mistakes undermine the professionalism of your work report. It is essential that you review the report to make sure you have not used typos, incorrect wording, or misused words. It is best to check the report at least twice.
   • If possible, have someone else check the report for you, as it is difficult to spot your own mistakes.
   • Time permitting, you should set the report aside for at least 24 hours before checking it.

Tips

• After you have written your first work report, you can use it as a template for future reports.
• You probably already have a template for work reports in your workplace. Contact your supervisor to see if you can use a template for your report.
• If possible, base your report format on an existing work report from your company or organization. Check the files at your office or ask a colleague or your supervisor for a copy of an existing report.

Warnings

• If you are using an existing report as an example, do not copy the wording in it. This is plagiarism and is likely to lead to professional consequences.