Effective Business, Memo And Report Writing Skills For Administrative Professionals & Executive Secretaries

This course is designed to help participants prepare, write, and produce clear and readable reports that will be read, understood, and acted upon.  This training will combine instruction in the principles and practices of successful report writing with an interactive workshop which will invite maximum participation from all attendees.

This training will consist of general instruction in the process of writing professional reports accompanied by group exercises and class discussion.  It will provide participants the opportunity to apply the principles of effective report writing to their own writing assignments in their work.

Course Objectives

At the end of this course, participants will fully understand:

• The purpose(s) of business and technical reports
• The principles and practices of clear and readable writing
• How to prepare, write, and produce reports that will be used as decision-making tools for the organization
• How to plan and structure effective business and technical reports
• How to make effective use of charts, graphs, and other visual aid support
• How to present reports in a form which is attractive and readable and which invites the reader’s interest

Who Should Attend?

Administrative assistants, administrative support personnel, office managers and executive secretaries/assistants.

Course Outline

• Written and Verbal Communication
  • Purposes and Advantages of Both Types
• The Purpose of Your Writing
  • Group Exercise
• Planning the Process and Procedure of Writing Reports
  • Individual Analysis Exercise
• Whom Are You Writing To?
  • The Audience: Individual and Group Exercise
• Effective Organization and Structure
• Benefits of Effective Report Writing
  • Benefits to Individual
  • Benefits to Organization
• Business, Technical, and Scientific Reports
  • Guidelines for Technical and Scientific Reports
  • Guidelines for Business Reports
• Research and Data Gathering
• Organizing the Data
• Appropriate Style and Tone
  • Conventions of Technical/Scientific Style
  • Conventions of Business Writing Style
• Other Stylistic Choices
  • Checklist
• Golden Rules of Style
  • Individual Exercises
• Grammar and Spelling
• Word Choice
  • Individual Exercise
• Writing Sentences that Work
  • Individual Exercise
• Paragraph Logic
  • Paragraph Writing Exercise I
  • Paragraph Writing Exercise II
• Accuracy and Integrity
  • Qualitative and Quantitative Information
• Writing for Your Organization
  • Logical Construction and Production of Reports
• Targets, Deadlines, Time Management
• Sample Formats
  • For the Business Report
  • For the Technical Report
• Preparing the Outline
  • Individual Exercise
  • Group Editing Session
• Introduction Phase
  • Group Discussion
• Main Discussion Phase
• Conclusion Phase

• Charts, Graphs, and Other Visual Aid Support
• Proofreading
  • Individual Exercise
• Techniques for Editing and Revising
• Common Pitfalls and Difficulties
  • Things to Avoid and how to Avoid Them
• Lay-out and Presentation Techniques
• Examples of Different Types of Reports
  • Group Exercise and Discussion
• Presentation of Participant Writing Samples
• Group Editing and Critique Sessions
• Editing and Rewrite of Writing Samples
• Group Recaps of Editing and Rewriting Process
• Preparation of Baseline Document
• Writing Informative Headings
  • Individual and Group Exercise
• Baseline Document: Informative Headings
• Generating Supporting Ideas Under Headings
  • Individual and Group Exercise
• Baseline Document: Supporting Ideas
• Group Editing Sessions and Individual Tutorial Conferences
• Revision and Expansion of Baseline Document
• Summary of Day’s Writing Activities

Course Methodology

A variety of methodologies will be used during the course that includes:

• (30%) Based on Case Studies
• (30%) Techniques
• (30%) Role Play
• (10%) Concepts
• Pre-test and Post-test
• Variety of Learning Methods
• Lectures
• Case Studies and Self Questionaires
• Group Work
• Discussion
• Presentation

Course Fees

This rate includes participant’s manual, Hand-Outs, buffet lunch, coffee/tea on arrival, morning & afternoon of each day.

Course Timings

Daily Course Timings
08:00 - 08:20       Morning Coffee / Tea
08:20 - 10:00       First Session
10:00 - 10:20       Coffee / Tea / Snacks
10:20 - 12:20       Second Session
12:20 - 13:30       Lunch Break & Prayer Break
13:30 - 15:00       Last Session