11
Memo, Letter, and Report Guidelines
“This is what I’d like to put in my letter:
‘Beautiful Marquise, your beautiful eyes make me
die of love,’ but I’d like to put it in an elegant way.”
—Moliere
Memos
MEMOS CONVEY INFORMATION WITHIN AN organization. The purpose of the message can be to inform, instruct, advise, announce, remind, respond to questions or concerns, offer answers to inquiries and solutions to problems, express appreciation or, report on meetings or status of ongoing projects. Memos can be informal or formal in wording and tone and distributed to all personnel within a company or to a select group. Because memos often address specific topics, they include subject lines. Nowadays in many companies, information previously communicated through paper memos is conveyed through e-mail. When planning a memo, whether intended to be sent via paper or electronically, it is helpful to ask the following:
• What is the main idea of my message?
• Who will be receiving the memo?
• How much background should I provide?
• How familiar will the reader be with the issues or concerns?
• Is the content intended for technical and nontechnical personnel?
• Will any immediate or future action be required of the reader?
When writing the memo:
• State your message in the first sentence or paragraph.
• Provide necessary background or frame of reference.
• List specific dates, times, locations, details, figures, data, suggestions, guidelines, and so forth in order of importance.
• If necessary close with urge to act (call, meet, advise, submit information).
Example: Announcement Memo
DATE: February 20, 20—
TO: Gerry Connelly
FROM: Anthony Ramos
SUBJECT: Safety Awareness Workshop
In order to meet the requirements of our new Safety and Security Procedures, a series of half-day workshops designed to enhance personal safety awareness of all employees will be offered on March 15, April 5, and June 10 at our headquarters training center, Room 200. The workshops will be presented by Lenny Clark, Director of Safety. All workshops will begin promptly at 9 a.m. and end at 12 p.m. Breakfast and lunch will be provided.
Please notify Kathy Wolfe at ext. 3088 of the date you will attend this workshop.
Example: Memo Suffering From Information-Overload
If you’ve ever tried stacking cartons you may have experienced what happens when too many are placed on top of the rest. The same collapse results when the reader is overloaded with information. Here is an example:
TO: All personnel
FROM: Enrique Moderna
SUBJECT: Casual Dress Codes
We are frequently being asked what our official policy is regarding proper business casual dress attire. Because styles and tastes change with each season year in and year out, and everything that was once old seems to truly become new again, it is no wonder so many of you are uncertain of what exactly constitutes proper business casual attire. I believe that we have finally settled upon some guidelines, informal and certainly not carved in granite or marble or even cardboard for that matter, that will prove helpful to those of you so perplexed about how to dress for work.
Because it would be highly impractical to list a definitive list of what is acceptable and what is not, it appears permissible to state that the clothing employees select to wear during business hours depends entirely upon the type of daily activity and job function. Employees are expected to exercise good taste, judgment, and plain common sense when trying to decide what to wear. Everyone should be groomed in a manner befitting the professional image he or she wishes to project and yet not be extreme in one way or the other. T-shirts, blue jeans, sandals, sneakers, shorts, and tank tops are not acceptable at any time. For specifics, consult your department head.
Here’s a revised version:
TO: All personnel
FROM: Enrique Moderna
SUBJECT: Casual Dress Codes
I realize that daily casual business attire is largely a matter of personal style and taste. At the same time, employees are expected to exercise good judgment in deciding what to wear to work. Please remember that T-shirts, blue jeans, sandals, sneakers, shorts, tank tops, and exercise clothing are not acceptable at any time. Because clothes often make the man or woman, we expect everyone to arrive to work wearing clothing that allows for comfort yet reflects a professional image.
Following are examples of some common types of daily memos:
Informative Memo
TO: All Financial Analysts
FROM: Fran Cesco
DATE: 2/28
SUBJECT: Environmental Laws and Regulations
Our company is subject to numerous federal, state, and local environmental laws and regulations governing air emissions, waste water discharge, solid and hazardous waste treatment, and storage, disposal, and remediation of releases of hazardous materials.
In common with much of the mining industry, our facilities are located on sites used for heavy industrial purposes for decades. Because subsequent remediation is therefore likely, environmental laws may become more strictly enforced in the future, and we can expect costs of compliance to increase.
Request/Recommendation Memo
TO: S. Dalton
FROM: M. J. Lowell
DATE: 1/12
SUBJECT: Test Reports
In recent months, submission of test reports for new products has been continually well beyond the required deadline. These late submissions have resulted in extensive delays in the approval process required for each submission. Please advise all research personnel that late submissions of their test reports is no longer acceptable.
Effective immediately, all test reports must be submitted to my office no later than the 15th of each month.
Procedure Memo
TO: Margo Lindsay
FROM: Donna Bayley
DATE: 8/19
SUBJECT: Training Requests
Please comply with the following procedures for requesting training for your staff:
1. Submit a brief statement to my office describing both the need and relevance of the specific training to the prospective participant’s job responsibilities.
2. Describe the benefits of the training of individual needs, practical application to daily job responsibilities, professional growth, job performance, and productivity.
3. If more than three individuals request attending the same training program, schedule the additional personnel for the earliest next training session.
Please call Gerri Lane (ext. 1225) for further information regarding these procedures.
Memo Report Discussing a Problem
TO: All personnel
FROM: M. Simone
DATE: 3/15
SUBJECT: Equipment Damage Problem
Recently, I received the Equipment Damage Claim Report distributed by Carmine D’Angelo for the first quarter. The rising costs of equipment damage, which have increased 56 percent compared with last year, are most disturbing. Such a substantial increase should serve as a warning that an increase in incidents could also result in an increase in personal injuries. As a result, we need to begin intensifying all employees’ awareness of the seriousness of this issue.
As it has been my experience when attending safety meetings to observe that there is not enough discussion about equipment damage, it is imperative that this issue be addressed in future meetings. It is only when reducing equipment damage becomes a high priority concern that we will begin to make progress towards reducing lost time cases and the potential for personal injury.
Memo or E-Mail of Welcome
TO: J. Kane
FROM: C. Gandy
DATE: 10/31
SUBJECT: Welcome
Welcome to El Moldo Cat Foods. We are very happy to welcome you as a new member of our outstanding Research and Development Department. Please be assured that at El Moldo we will value your distinguished expertise and reward your contributions to enhancing the quality of our product.
We will provide you with every opportunity to fully realize your professional potential and goals.
If I can be of assistance to you at any time, please call me at ext. 819.
Recording/Reporting Meeting Minutes
Have you ever uttered these or similar words to yourself: “Meetings, meetings, meetings. Nothing but meetings all day. How do they expect me to get anything done if I have to go to all these meetings?” I like to think of meetings as the commercials of everyday business life. Many are important and informative; others may appear unnecessary to all but the person who called the meeting. I cannot imagine anyone driving home from work who excitedly listens to a tape recording of a meeting. Can you?
If you are assigned the task of recording and reporting the minutes of a meeting, you almost have to transform yourself into a human tape recorder. Accuracy and objectivity are essential elements of your recorded comments, suggestions, agreements, conclusions, recommendations, planned actions, resolutions, and any other topic participants address. The details you record may often contain information that could have far-reaching implications, legal or otherwise. Your ability to record meeting minutes requires attention to detail and polished listening skills. You have to stay awake and alert, recording details and selectively editing at the same time.
There are a number of approaches to recording meeting minutes you will find helpful. The first is the ability to achieve distance and objectivity amidst your involvement. You must be able to participate in the activities of the moment and yet stay above the fray, so to speak. One technique is to position yourself in a corner of the room a short distance from the conference table. Do not face the group. The trick is to simultaneously be involved yet remain uninvolved in the discussions of various issues.
Your initial notes can take any form but must include the meeting’s date, time, and agenda. The actual minutes can be recorded as a numbered list of issues/topics, or you can devise headings to reflect each item on the agenda. You can place quotation marks around record key comments or paraphrase them. You can underscore statements of fact or opinion, resolutions, recommendations, and future actions as you record them. Use headings to add a sense of order and structure to what initially will seem a chaotic mass of comments. Some writers prefer to record the information under the headings of “Minute 1, Minute 2,” and so forth. If you use this format, also include headings. The sequence of issues can be presented according to the speaker’s name.
Afterwards, assembling the notes into a well-organized document requires the same techniques of any other type of writing. What was the purpose of the meeting? Who attended? What were the major issues discussed? Were any resolutions determined? Were any actions suggested? Were there agreements or not regarding this or that issue? Was a follow-up meeting scheduled?
In your final version, before including any quoted comments, it is wise to ask those you are quoting to verify their comments. You don’t want to find yourself in the awkward position of having someone accuse you of quoting him or her out of context. Also, whether the meeting is 15 minutes or an hour long your readers will appreciate your providing a summary of key points of discussion.
Memo Outlining Meeting Minutes
TO: Michael Martine
FROM: John Rocco
DATE: 5/27
SUBJECT: Meeting to Discuss the Status of Customer Service Center
On May 25, J. Rocco, E. Mars, and E. Cook met with representatives of Southern Builders to discuss the architectural design changes for the new Customer Service Center in Santa Rosa.
Pamela Carey, architect, and Gianna Lucia, Senior VP, presented alternative views regarding lobby security, visitor parking, and landscaping. We found their suggestions acceptable and have advised them to submit formal design changes for our review by June 30.
Another meeting (June) is to be scheduled with representatives of Central Builders upon receipt of revised drawings. Initial construction of the Center is expected to begin four weeks following final approval of the design plans.
Letters
Letters are similar to memos and internal e-mail in their goals, which range from conveying information, instructions, policies, and decisions to requests for action. Letters are distinguished from internal e-mail messages and memos in their being sent to someone outside your organization whom you may or may not know. And there’s the rub, to paraphrase Hamlet.
Letters are personal calling cards to your readers. Your initial correspondence with your reader offers a written first impression of you and your company. Depending upon how well it is written and your personal style, your reader either perceives someone who is reasonably intelligent, personable, competent, trustworthy, and skillful in written communication or gathers an instant negative impression. Letters allow you to talk with your reader and, just as we respond either positively or negatively to the tone of someone’s telephone voice, so too will your reader react to your letter. Letters also reflect the company image.
Some years ago, I received a request from a large pharmaceutical company to teach editing and proofreading workshops. The training director explained how the president of the company had by chance come upon a letter written by a manager to a customer. There was one grammatical error, but one too many for him. The company president insisted the letter be rewritten but expressed gratitude for seeing the letter before it was mailed. His position was that the reader is unforgiving and so the company, not the writer, would be held up to ridicule. Perhaps he overreacted. Perhaps not, because what he said is still true. Your reader will judge both you and your organization based on the quality or lack of it in your letters.
Letter Style
Traditionally, letters for decades were written in what would seem to us today to be an overly formal manner. Here is an example of such letters:
May 27, 20—
Gentlemen:
Enclosed herewith please find payment for invoice in the amount of $45.00 submitted in response to letter of yours of the 28th April. We trust to be favored with your continued services and therefore remain, gentlemen, yours faithfully and with cordiality.
Sincerely,
Nowadays few readers would have the patience to read such verbose though ornately elegant sentences. In our time of cell phones and instantaneous e-mail, most readers have little time for such cordialities. They prefer the writer to get to the point.
May 27, 20—
Dear Ms. Smith:
Enclosed is payment of $45.00 for your invoice of April 28 for the repair service you provided. We look forward to continued business with your company.
Sincerely,
Here are suggested guidelines to apply when writing letters:
State your most important idea in the opening sentence or paragraph
February 5, 20—
Dear Ms. Thomas:
The results of the survey we conducted on January 20 reveal that a majority of your employees would enroll in training workshops presented onsite.
If responding to a letter, refer to its date or other identifying information
June 15, 20—
Dear Mr. Hansen:
In reply to your letter of March 4, please accept my apologies for the unsatisfactory service you experienced at our Cape Cod restaurant.
Offer minimal background or details to provide a frame of reference for your reader
July 10, 20—
Dear Mr. Marco:
I submitted your resume to Grace Marti, Director of Information Technology, and she has expressed an interest in meeting with you next week to discuss your background.
Emphasize key ideas and details, underline important words
November 4, 20—
Dear Mrs. Brown:
In response to your inquiry of October 30, the general principle involved in the typography of datelines, addresses, and signatures is that they should be set to stand out clearly from the body of the letter. This is accomplished by using CAPS and italics.
Present information in order of importance
August 19, 20—
Dear Mr. Marcial:
I have recently learned that only a small percentage of your employees have enrolled in a retirement plan offered by our investment firm.
It appears that many are skeptical about investing in stocks and bonds because of the unfortunate experiences of one of your managers who lost a substantial amount of money last year, which resulted from his investing in highly speculative stocks.
I would be willing to have one of our representatives offer a brief talk about the various forms of investments that would offer both safety and potential growth.
If you are interested in scheduling this presentation, please call me toll free at 1-800-123-4567.
Sincerely,
Use headings, numbered or bulleted lists, and/or single sentences to highlight major points
May 10, 20—
Dear Ms. Marquettte:
In response to your inquiry regarding plant names and forms, I have compiled the following list of guidelines for indicating plant names.
1. In general, derivatives of proper names with acquired independent meaning are not capitalized.
2. If the capital letter is retained, either the hyphenated or the two-word form is used, depending on predominant usage. Examples are English-ivy, Amazon-lily, Barbadoscherry, Canterbury-bells, Mexican-buckeye, Cupids-dart, flowers-of-Jove, and Easter-bells.
3. Such names as Charlie, Jack, and Susan lose their capital letters. Examples are jack-in-the-pulpit, black-eyed-susan, and creeping-charlie.
4. The apostrophe is omitted in names with a possessive element. Examples are Grays lily, Jacobs-rod, ladies-tresses, Queen-Annes-lace, and Turks-cap.
5. Preferred usage applies to those plants indicated by adjective forms rather than by plant names. These include may-apple, blackbud, beebalm, bigmoon, dawnrose, halfmoon. Usually though not without exception, plant names ending in bane, bark, bean, berry, bine, brush, cup, fern, flower, grass, leaf, lily, nut, pea, plant, pod, root, seed, thorn, tree, vine, weed, wood and wort are printed as solid words. Examples are bluestem, chainfern, blackberry.
6. Usually though not without exception, plant names ending in bane, bark, bean, berry, bine, brush, cup, fern, flower, grass, leaf, lily, nut, pea, plant, pod, root, seed, thorn, tree, vine, weed, wood and wort are printed as solid words. Examples are bluestem, chainfern, blackberry.
Note: If the preceding word is a proper name which retains its capitalized form, the name is hyphenated, as in Australian-pea.
I hope you will find this information helpful and appreciate your writing us.
Sincerely,
Maintain a cordial, professional tone
Perhaps the billing error was the result of an oversight.
Prefer active voice sentences
I will send the report to you tomorrow.
Avoid cliches
You’re barking up the wrong tree.
In your closing, state clearly any requests for action from your reader
Please submit your request no later than August 10.
Avoid Beginning a Letter With:
1. Unnecessary or inappropriate general statements.
How’s the weather in Phoenix?
2. Obvious references or statements.
• I am writing this letter to….
• This letter is in reference to…
3. Archaic and legal-sounding words and phrases.
• Attached hereto…
• Reference is made…
• Pursuant to…
• I acknowledge receipt of your letter.
Reports
The idea of writing a report can cause alarm for any writer. When you are assigned the task of writing a report, your first thought may likely be, “This is going to take time or involve a lot of work.” Writing a report is not something you dash off in a minute or two, such as an e-mail or fax. The very official nature of most reports can be daunting in terms of our reader’s expectations and the need to convey information objectively and convincingly. Reports take time, whether in gathering the facts and details or in the actual writing. They can be less stressful if you use the following approach:
Step 1: Determine the Purpose
The first step is to determine the goal or purpose of writing the report. Will it be used for information, decision-making, problem-solving, understanding reasons for an existing problem instruction, measure progress, auditing, or explaining a process or procedure? Knowing what you do not have to address in the report is as helpful as deciding what is essential.
• Here is the information you requested in your recent letter.
• Enclosed is a copy of our annual report.
• We have carefully investigated the incident you reported and have found….
• I would like to offer my services to your organization.
• Thank you for applying for the position of senior health care specialist.
• I would appreciate your help in providing/obtaining the following information.
• I can understand how frustrated you felt when you realized the sweater you received was the wrong size.
• We are pleased to welcome you as a preferred banking customer.
• Thank you for letting us know about the difficulty you encountered attempting to assemble our E-Z bookcase.
• Please allow me to express my regrets at the unfortunate rudeness you experienced at our store.
• I understand you are seeking someone experienced with the XYZ system.
• Please accept my apologies for responding late.
• We are concerned that your monthly payment is 90 days past due.
• This is to confirm your appointment at 10 a.m. on Friday, July 5, with our account representative.
• Congratulations on your promotion to Director of Marketing.
• I would be glad to meet with you on Thursday, August 18 at 4 p.m.
• I agree you should have received your refund several weeks ago.
• We’ve noticed you haven’t used your Flying Club mileage privileges.
• Mr. George Thomas has asked me to reply to your letter of November 12 concerning customer-service procedures.
• I am extremely disappointed with your not providing the materials we needed to complete construction of our research and development center.
• Have you received the two catalogues I sent you last Monday?
• I’m writing to invite you to join our tennis club.
• Here is a list of our training goals.
• I am very sorry to learn of your recent accident.
• Please follow these instructions carefully.
• Here are the instructions for operating the new lawn mower.
• Diana Baker has suggested I contact you for information about your firm’s legal services.
• Please cancel my order.
• We have received your payment of $190.
• This report summarizes our test results.
• I have forwarded your letter to our accounts payable department.
• Thank you for taking the time to write us about our products.
• Many thanks for the helpful suggestions you offered. I would appreciate your help in solving a problem with the new software.
• I have learned that several employees are taking three-hour lunches.
• Did you ever receive the faxes I sent last week?
• According to our benefits guidelines, you will be fully reimbursed for the tests.
• If there’s any other way I can help you, please call me immediately.
Step 2: Identify Your Reader
• If we can be of further service, please let us know.
• I very much enjoyed meeting with you.
• Thank you for your patience and understanding.
• I look forward to hearing from you.
• We will work with you to resolve this urgent matter.
• Thank you for taking the time to meet with me.
• Please call or write to make payment arrangements.
• Many thanks for the gracious welcome.
• Please send a copy of the corrected invoice to the address listed below.
• Your payment of $145 will bring your account current.
• Please sign and return the enclosed contract.
• I am hoping you will feel better with each day.
• Here’s how you can help us raise funds.
• It was thoughtful of you to include us in your celebration.
• You should receive your new computer within five business days. Thank you for your order.
• We appreciate your continued business.
• Please read this prospectus carefully before investing in our fund.
• I would appreciate hearing from you no later than Friday.
• Please express my best wishes to Mary Jane.
• If you have any questions about the project, please call me.
In everything we write we need to consider the reader. This is especially true when preparing a report because of the considerable amount of potentially complex information a report may include. Here are some questions to ask:
• What is the reader’s interest in the report?
• Will the report be submitted to readers with different needs and levels of understanding?
• How knowledgeable is the reader about the subject of the report?
• Does the reader share your professional or technical expertise?
• How much background information will be necessary?
• Is the reader in or outside your organization?
• Will the reader need to understand particular theories or technical data included in the report?
• Will the reader have the time, interest, or ability to review any technical data?
• Do you need to explain technical terms and methods?
• Should you provide illustrations to support the text?
• Should you provide explanatory text for the illustrations?
• Will your reader find a summary helpful?
• Can extensive supporting data be placed an appendix rather than in the body of your report?
Step 3: Organize the Information
The information presented in a report can be organized according to one of the following patterns or formats:
• Sequence or Time Order.
• Problem/Solution.
• Cause/Effect.
• Function.
• Procedure.
• Progress.
• Importance.
Step 4: Decide Which Elements to Include
Reports can be informal or formal depending on your purpose, the nature of the information, and your relationship with the reader. Informal reports may concern routine assignments such as field trips or tests and can consist of one to two pages. The information can be general or detailed, depending on your knowledge of the reader’s needs and expectations and whether the report is intended for those inside or outside an organization. If you are familiar with your reader, you may prefer to use a conversational presentation style and not feel the need to explain technical terms or acronyms your reader already understands. The informal report consists of a title, summary, introduction and brief background, supporting details, and a conclusion or recommendation. Formal reports often treat a subject extensively and are prepared for a select audience, such as the company president, board of directors, shareholders, executive committee, investigative body, or client. As a result, formal reports will consist of information that needs to be presented in a more structured format. Because these reports may not be routine assignments and there is less chance you will be familiar with your readers, the tone is more impersonal and there is greater need for explaining terms and data and perhaps for including illustrations to support or explain your findings. You can arrange the information according to the following pattern:
• Provide a letter of transmittal or cover letter to explain the purpose of the report, the subject, benefits of the findings or data reported, limitations or obstacles encountered, and importance or value to the reader.
• Include a title page that announces your report’s subject or focus in specific words.
Instead of: Training Procedures
Write:
New Training Procedures for Customer Service Personnel
• Provide a table of contents.
• Begin with a summary of key points in layman’s terms. Do not use technical jargon, acronyms, abbreviations, scientific formulas, or mathematical calculations or principles.
• Present an introduction that outlines the subject, purpose, and scope of the report.
• State background details as briefly as possible. Place highly detailed background information that is not required by all readers in an appendix.
• Present a discussion of your key ideas and findings along with supporting details in a series of paragraphs listed in order of importance.
• List conclusions, recommendations, solutions, or an urge to act in your closing statement.
• Provide appendices consisting of a glossary, bibliography, list of symbols, and any additional information that will be helpful to your readers.
Evaluative Report Example
TERM LOAN FACILITATION: XYZ International
Executive Summary
Based in Chicago, XYZ International is the leading producer of cement in the Midwest. XYZ International is engaged primarily in the production, distribution, marketing, and sales of cement and ready-mix concrete. XYZ is seeking to expand its market share of business in Canada and Mexico, and is seeking to acquire two major cement producers. As such, Lazzo and Partners has been asked to arrange a $10 million financing Term Loan.
Background
The cement producing industry has experienced considerable growth in the last decade, largely due to new home and commercial office construction, extensive bridge and highway repairs, and numerous other public works programs. In the last two years, cement consumption increased 59 percent throughout the United States as a result of increasing new housing starts and low interest rates.
In the last 10 years, XYZ has expanded into markets through geographic diversification. For the year ended, XYZ derived approximately 49 percent from midwestern sales, 21 percent from southwest sales, 16 percent from northwestern sales and 14 percent from southeastern sales.
Investment Merits and Risks
As a result of the positive trends that have been occurring in the cement production industry, XYZ appears to be in an excellent position to grow and expand its share of the market. The company has been generating strong cash flow and has been showing significant operating profitability during the last five years. In addition, the company has built up sufficient cash to be prepared to take advantage of opportunities to purchase smaller companies at reasonable prices.
Moreover, XYZ has restructured any outstanding debt to reduce interest expense (from 8.5 percent to 5.25 percent) and improve its financial strength. The company has an experienced management team capable of adapting to changing market trends. Demand for cement consumption is expected to continue in all market areas.
At the same time, although the immediate outlook for cement consumption appears favorable, continued strong marketplace demand is uncertain. Interest rates may rise, housing starts may reach surplus levels, funds for public works programs may be decreased. Competition from foreign cement producers, such as Domingo, S.A., which has strong sales in southwestern states that include Texas, New Mexico, Nevada, and Arizona, is likely to continue and may lead to declining sales and prices. It also remains to be seen how the market for cement consumption performs according to economic fluctuations.
Recommendations
Management believes that given the strong indicators, the current low interest rates, and the and proven prudent leadership of XYZ senior management that has positioned the company as one of the most efficient and profitable cement producers, our agreement to arrange a $10 million Term Loan Bond for company expansion will provide minimal risks to investors.
Procedural Report Example
SETTING GOALS: A GUIDE FOR MANAGERS
INTRODUCTION
In a survey conducted last month among managers, a majority (89 percent) expressed concern about the difficulties of setting, measuring, and achieving goals related to both personal and corporate performance. In response to this need, senior management sought the advice of several experts and consultants to address this issue. The following suggestions highlight their major points and observations about how managers can set and meet goals as individuals and as members of a larger corporate entity.
SELECTING THE RIGHT GOALS
Just as an organization must carefully select the goals most beneficial to yearly health and growth, so too must its managers focus their energies on goals most essential to particular needs and special skills. By focusing their efforts and resources on selected rather than on numerous goals, managers can significantly increase their chances of success. On a larger scale, these efforts can affect and enhance corporate vitality and stability. The most pressing question for most managers, of course, will be: “How do I determine what are the best goals?” One solution is to prepare a checklist of alternative goals and then ask the following questions:
1. What do I want to accomplish in the next six to 12 months?
2. Which goals warrant priority and why?
3. Which goals would senior management like to see me accomplish?
4. How do the goals affect my staff’s workload?
5. What do I do best? In what areas are my skills most useful and productive?
6. What weaker areas must I strengthen?
7. How will these goals contribute to my department and organization at large?
8. Do I have a plan?
9. Do my goals duplicate or conflict with the goals of others or with corporate policy?
10. Are my goals realistic?
11. Can I set a tentative completion date?
12. How can I evaluate the long-range benefits of achieving of my goals?
Once the goals have been set and the above questions have been carefully considered, the next step is to devise a plan for implementing and evaluating the goals. This is best accomplished by focusing on specific rather than on general concerns. In expressing the scope of the goals in a statement, it’s important to concentrate on the particulars. For example:
GOAL: To develop a training program by August 19 after identifying employee needs, interests, staff requirements, and delivery formats. Had this idea been expressed more generally (“To develop a training program”) the specific tasks would not be immediately identified, and time would be lost as the manager sorted out the specifics of what he or she wanted to accomplish. It is not until the tasks and stages are recognized that the manager can assign components to staff members. The manager then must set a completion date for each task and schedule periodic review meetings.
REVIEWING THE GOALS
Because goals set early in the year can prove secondary to others as time passes and needs change, the manager should carefully and systematically review goals in terms of relevance and probable achievement. No goal should be pursued merely for its own sake or to satisfy the need to complete a project. Goals that may prove counterproductive to ongoing individual and corporate needs should be discarded, especially if they are judged outdated and no longer viable.
CONCLUSION
Setting clear goals offers managers the opportunity to accomplish particular aims, focus on long-range issues of concern, and invariably leads to more effective time management. The ability to set and achieve selected goals is ultimately crucial to effective daily and long range job performance and productivity.