Gary Blake provides writing tips for today's business professional, explaining how to properly organize information by writing with the reader in mind. Show
How you organize your material determines, to a large extent, whether you effectively communicate your main points to your readers. People want to get to your main message without wading through lots of extraneous material, and they like to know where they can find information they're expecting, whether it's figures, a list of issues, or your opinions. If your readers believe the information is important to them, they may read your report even if it's poorly written. If it's poorly organized, they won't. That's why warm-up paragraphs can usually be deleted (or at least moved from the beginning of a memo, report, or letter). Frequently, the warm-up paragraph presents background material that, while relevant, does not contain the main news or item of interest and therefore is unessential. Background material may be valuable, but don't lead with it, or you'll lose your reader. Your first paragraph should engage the reader by arousing curiosity or presenting important news in a clear, compelling fashion. This means (1) starting with what's important to readers, not what's important to you, (2) organizing the material like a newspaper article—in order of most important to least important, and (3) knowing the way your reader thinks about the subject. All of this also means, of course, knowing your audience. Stand in the Reader's ShoesHow do you organize your writing according to the way your reader thinks about the subject? By putting yourself in the reader's shoes and asking, What about this subject concerns my readers most and would gain their interest? Consider what you would do if assigned to write an overview of your organization. If you were aiming the presentation primarily at new employees, you might start with a history of the company, present an overall corporate philosophy or mission statement, then discuss the various divisions or subsidiaries and the role or purpose of each. Within each division, you would cover the major products and the market for each. On the other hand, if the primary audience was investors, you would begin with an overview of the current year's sales and financial performance, compare it with previous years to show growth and progress, then break down sales and contributions to the bottom line by division or product line. In some situations, you may not be familiar with the audience you'll be writing for, or you might be writing a single document appealing to multiple audiences. If you are unsure as to how your reader thinks about the subject, choose an organizational structure that logically fits the material. Some common formats include:
An overall way to organize material that is meant to inform readers is to use a five-step sequence: Executive Summary, Background, Findings, Conclusions, and Recommendations. This sequence forces you to get to the news quickly, position background as secondary material, separate fact from opinion, and move to the next step instead of just fading out. Executive SummaryAn executive summary can be a sentence, a short paragraph, or a section of a document, depending on the size of the document. In a short letter or memo, it may be just a sentence or two; in a report, it may be a section that precedes the main document. Here's an executive summary that takes four lines (one paragraph) to get to the point:
This paragraph does get to the point ... although it takes a while to do so. The writer could have written:
Here's another example of a writer who starts with an Executive Summary that gets right to the matter at hand:
BackgroundThe writer's next paragraph fills in some Background information: The HO-9 policy will cover sudden and accidental losses caused from water that escapes from a plumbing system. The loss to the foundation would also be covered. The writer then goes on to pose the questions that need to be answered if coverage exists (To me, that section is the Findings—the matter or problem that is at the heart of the letter.) This writer is proceeding in an organized way. Here's an example of a typical first paragraph in a denial letter without a summary:
Where does the reader learn that the company is unable to extend coverage for his loss? The sixth paragraph! Some insurance examiners have said that they do not start with the denial of coverage because they are afraid that the insured will stop reading or rip up the letter, so they ease into it. All the while the reader is simply trying to get to the "bottom line" and is frustrated by the time it takes to get to the end of the letter. One insurance company's form letter for property denial gets right to the point in the first sentence: "We have carefully reviewed your claim and advise that we are unable to make payment." Save any details about the history of the subject for the next section, Background. Remember to think about your reader, and only put in what you believe is necessary. You can always include attachments of previous communications instead of overloading a document with old information. In the same letter, which only touches on the loss in the first paragraph, the writer goes into background information, a rehashing of the events of the claim:
This background information would have more of a context if the reader was first informed of the main news: the claim is being denied. FindingsYour next section, Findings, should include any facts you've uncovered. This should be objective information, not colored by opinions. The Findings of this letter are a series of statements that speak to the issue at hand: what the policy says about this type of loss:
ConclusionsSince any conclusions are opinions formed as a result of your consideration of the facts, these should come in the next section, followed by any recommendations you have for further action. For example, in the same letter, the next paragraphs spell out the writer's conclusions: that the policy language does not cover the wear and tear and that the damage done by the individual who removed the ice is not covered by the insured's policy. This conclusion is followed, appropriately by the recommendation:
RecommendationsFinally! Insurance writers should take a hint from journalists who've been trained to put the who, what, where, when, and why right in the first paragraph of their news stories. If your claims, loss control, underwriting, or customer service professionals "just start writing" before they have mapped out an organizational plan, they will continue to alienate customers and waste time in getting the information they need. That's why improved writing and organizational skills should be at the top of any insurance professional's training "to-do" list. Opinions expressed in Expert Commentary articles are those of the author and are not necessarily held by the author's employer or IRMI. Expert Commentary articles and other IRMI Online content do not purport to provide legal, accounting, or other professional advice or opinion. If such advice is needed, consult with your attorney, accountant, or other qualified adviser. Why is it important carefully select and organize information whenever you are writing?In order to clearly make sense of what you are reading, you need to be able to gather and organize the information being presented. Likewise, when you are writing, you need to make sure you are organized, so your readers can easily understand and gather the information you are presenting in your work.
Why is selecting and organizing information important?The time saved means more time for doing productive things and more resources for other projects, therefore more money. Apart from the positive impact on time management, organizing information will make it more comfortable for employees to share any information with each other, thus working better as a team.
Why is it important to carefully select and organize information whenever you are writing Quora?It's important because when you're editing, you can tell if you have a smooth flow of words or if something takes you out of story or obviously out of order. If you have your information organized, it will make your writing more favorable to possible readers.
Why is it important for you to organize ideas when you write and communicate?When a document is well-organized, readers can easily get the information they need. Good organization also helps readers see the connections between ideas. We know that time is one of the biggest constraints in modern business communication. Most people get a lot of emails, and so often must skim.
Why is it important to organize?However, being organized can benefit your health and help you feel happier and more relaxed. Disorganization can wreak havoc on your life. It can lead to an increased stress level and depression. Disorganization can be a physical threat as well and can be a fire hazard and cause mold and dust buildup.
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