What You Will Learn and Practice

• How to analyze your audience and purpose so that you can choose how to present information clearly and effectively. [CLO 1]
• How to find and evaluate original, ethical evidence that supports your position through primary and secondary research. [CLO 2 & 3]
• How to write documents you may encounter in the workplace (specifically front matter for a report). [CLO 4]
• How to use colors, layout, and formatting that make your documents understandable and easy to read. [CLO6]
• How to take advantage of design principles, including contrast, repetition, alignment, and proximity, to communicate your ideas effectively. [CLO 7]

What I Want You to Do

Summarize the background, findings, and implications of your Recommendation Report for management, giving them the details they will need to implement the recommendations in the report.

Why I Want You to Do It

The front matter for your report may feel repetitive, but the different items in the front matter have different audiences. I’m asking you to work on each of the sections separately so that you pay attention to the needs of each audience and help make sure you include everything that is required for a complete report.

Where You Can Find Help

• From Markel & Selber, Chapter 18:
  
  • The details on the Executive Summary, from p. 499–500:
    • An Executive Summary “is a brief condensation of the report addressed to managers. Most managers need only a broad understanding of the projects that an organization undertakes and how they fit together into a coherent whole.”
    • “The executive summary presents information to managers in two parts:
      • Background. This section explains the problem or opportunity: what was not working or was not working effectively or efficiently, or what potential modification of a procedure or product had to be analyzed.
      • Major findings and implications. This section might include a brief description — only one or two sentences — of the methods, followed by a full paragraph about the conclusions and recommendations.”
    • “GUIDELINES: Writing an Executive Summary,” on p. 500.
  • Example Executive Summary, on pp. 509 (part of the sample recommendation report in Figure 18.8).
• LinkedIn Learning video, “Writing the executive summary” (2m 49s), from the Writing a Business Report course.

When to Do It

• Suggested Due Date: By 11:59 PM on Friday, April 22, 2022, to participate in the Last-Chance Recommendation Report Feedback Discussion.
• Grace Period: The grace period for this activity ends at 11:59 PM on Friday, April 29, 2022.

How You Do It

1. Complete a draft of the body sections of your report (Introduction, Methods, Results, Conclusions, Recommendations) before beginning your Executive Summary. It’s easier to summarize the report if you have already written it.
2. Open the word processor document where you are working on your recommendation report.
3. Scroll through the document to the location for your Executive Summary (after the Table of Contents, and before the Introduction).
4. Add the heading by typing the phrase “Executive Summary” at the top of the page and center the line.
5. Skip a blank line.
6. Write the content of your Executive Summary:

   The Paragraph You’re Writing	Advice on this Portion
   Paragraph 1: State the purpose of your report in a few sentences.	Think of this statement as the short description you might share in an elevator pitch in formal language. Imagine you are responding to someone who asks, “What have you been working on?”
   Paragraph 2: Begin by explaining the background, focusing on “the problem or opportunity: what was not working or was not working effectively or efficiently, or what potential modification of a procedure or product had to be analyzed” (p. 499).	“Use specific evidence in describing the background. For most managers, the best evidence is in the form of costs and savings. Instead of writing that the equipment you are now using to cut metal foil is ineffective, write that the equipment jams once every 72 hours on average, costing $400 in materials and $2,000 in productivity each time. Then add up these figures for a monthly or an annual total.” (p. 500)
   Paragraph 3: Summarize the research methods you used in a sentence or two.	Use clear, direct language to state what you did to gather your primary and secondary research.
   Paragraph 4: Explain the main findings of you research, giving the information that your readers expect. If management will not understand technical details, leave them out and focus instead on what management cares about.	“Be specific in describing research. For instance, research suggests that a computerized energy-management system could cut your company’s energy costs by 20 to 25 percent. If the company’s energy costs last year were $300,000, it could save $60,000 to $75,000.” (p. 500)
   Paragraph 5: Close with your major recommendations.	State your recommendations in a sentence or two, using language that allows the reader to visualize exactly what needs to be done. Follow with a sentence or two that explains why your recommendation is the best option to follow.

7. Consider your document design. The executive summary can include features that help your readers find the key information. Consider how you might incorporate lists, headings, and boldface, and make the relevant changes.
8. Review your Executive Summary and make any additions or changes, using the information from the textbook and LinkedIn Learning video as needed. Because the Executive Summary is for management, be sure that you define any technical terminology.
9. Move on to the next part of your report that you want to work on.

How to Assess & Track Your Work

You track and grade your own work in this course. Be sure to complete the following tasks:

• Track your work in your Weekly Work Log.

This is a working draft for your Best Submission. It is marked Complete in Canvas when you submit it for one of the two Feedback Discussions.