Henry Ford said, "Nothing is particularly hard if you divide
it into small jobs." Writing
for Results does just that for briefing notes
and briefing books.
Writing for Results fills a gap in the bookshelf. It provides
guidance you cannot find elsewhere on how to prepare a briefing at
any level, whether it be for your immediate supervisor, a colleague, a senior exeuctive or your minister.
Some people write to put their thoughts on paper. Others write to
discover what their thoughts are. Most people do both to varying
degrees, depending on what they’re writing about. Whatever
your approach, Writing for Results provides tools that will
streamline the process and enhance its effectiveness.
In many cases, effective writing is much more a thinking process
than a writing process. Putting words on paper is a straightforward
proposition for most people. Putting the right words on paper in
the right way is less so. This is where the thinking process comes
in.
Writing for Results shows you how writing can be broken
down into a series of manageable tasks in an innovative step-by-step
model. Clear writing requires clear thinking, and
clear thinking requires directing your mind at the right task at
the right time. The step-by-step model provides the tools you need
to do this for any type of writing in an office setting.
Addressing writing tasks systematically greatly eases the writing
process. Conversely, it can be a frustrating struggle to try to write
without being conscious of which task you are dealing with at a given
point. The step-by-step model addresses those realities. It also
helps to avoid the futility of trying to solve a problem with one
approach when in fact the real problem lies elsewhere.
Writing for Results will yield dividends for the rest
of your career. It will show you how to:
- give yourself a frame of reference that will provide you with
sound guidance throughout the writing process;
- develop compelling content for your briefings;
- select the optimal medium or media for communicating your briefings;
and
- build effective organization structures, design formats with
eye appeal, write with a clear and concise style, and apply the
final touches needed for successful briefings.