There is no such leader who at least once a year does not require his subordinates to report on what has been done. And the problem is that with routine employment, developing such a document seems to be a rather difficult task. And for some reason we are shy to ask for examples of reports on the work done by the authorities. What if he decides that we do not correspond to his position?
Who needs it
This question is asked by the performer who received the task of reporting. Most often, employees of companies feel almost offended by such demands. But everything makes sense.
Firstly, the report on the work done is needed by the contractor. Not a formal, but an interested attitude to this process will allow you to find bottlenecks and weaknesses in your qualifications. So, the directions in which it is possible (and necessary) to develop are defined. After all, we all learn from our mistakes.
Secondly, the leader needs this. The progress report allows you to objectively assess the quality and speed of solving the tasks. Thanks to this document, many questions will disappear - from the most primitive “what you do all the time” to the complex “why should I exchange your computer for a more modern one”. Since the report will indicate that it takes a lot of time to save changes to the document. And it does not depend on the contractor - outdated office equipment cannot work faster. Actually, that's why the feeling is created that the employee drinks tea all the time - he just waits for the operation to be completed.
And the question: “Why do I need to write a report on the work done in a month?” in itself is incorrect. Because the accumulation of statistical information and filling in the databases makes sense for strategists, and not for operational staff. It’s just easier for them to solve a problem than to talk about methods for solving it.
What to write
Examples of progress reports indicate that you need to write in great detail. Everything that seems to be a trifle or insignificant movement can turn out to be a key element in the performance of specific functions. But understanding this will come only after studying a few written reports.
If the work is of a routine nature, for example, reconciliation of documents and identification of discrepancies, then it makes sense to develop a tabular form. In this case, again, at the beginning the table should be very detailed and contain many graphs; over time, the need for some columns will disappear, and the report form will take a normal (read - reasonable) form.
In some cases, compiling a report on the work done (for example, teachers), one cannot formally approach the issue of introspection. Indeed, in addition to the planned educational and methodological load and the study of the necessary material, the school is also engaged in educational activities. This requires a special approach to the preparation of the document: it is necessary to understand the reasons for the lag of a number of students, to find ways interest children in their subject. And at the same time, one cannot forget about successful (and even gifted) students.
Report Objectives
For proper compilation and minimum time costs, it is necessary from the very beginning to decide for what purpose and why a report on the work done for the year is being written. We will name the most popular:
- justification of the real benefits of a specific position in the organization;
- confirmation of the qualifications of an employee;
- Demonstration of effective work to management;
- obtaining funding for the next reporting period;
- obtaining consent to the development of directions (ideas);
- justification for spending allocated resources and finances, etc.
The well-known formulation - the correct formulation of the problem provides 50% of the solution - works in this case too. The better we understand why a report is needed, the easier it is for us to write it. Up to the point that the document "for show" does not require us to be creative. And time consuming.
Document structure
If the company does not have a developed reporting form, then you have to develop it yourself. Knowing the purpose of the document, it is necessary to consider its structure. Examples of progress reports allow us to conclude that a clear and simple outline is needed.
At the very beginning, the purpose and logic of the presentation of information should be explained. Explain the sequence of presentation and make a table of contents. For the table, it is necessary to give a brief explanation of why this form is chosen.
Within sections and subsections, the unity of presentation should also be adhered to. So the document will be more understandable, as a result, it is easier to read. In a report for a long period of time, illustrations in the form of charts and graphs that will facilitate perception are quite appropriate. But here you need to adhere to the rule of the "golden mean": continuous text, as well as exclusively visual materials, tire very quickly.
Stylistics
For the average employee, perhaps the most difficult to write is the terminology and wording. The pathos report will look unnatural and will cause a negative reaction from the management. Too simple formulations (25 documents are opened, for example) will also push the reader away.
But you should avoid patterns. The only exception is the document that no one will ever read. We sometimes encounter such tasks, but in this article we are interested in real (not created for pro forma) reports.
In any case, you should not talk only about achievements. To emphasize them, it is necessary to talk about the difficulties that had to be encountered during the work. Among other things, complexity analysis is a matter of thought for managerial optimization. Sample Progress Reports They say that it is not necessary to use streamlined phrases such as “poor condition”, “difficulties encountered”, etc. It is better to call everything by their proper names: “broken copy machine”, “lack of access to the Internet”, “lack or untimely receipt of information from related department. " All this allows you to adequately and objectively assess the situation prevailing in the company.
Evaluation of the results
Each result must be confirmed by numbers. Such concretization provides an understanding of the dynamics of development.
In addition, you must specify the criteria for evaluating the results. It will be the previous reporting period (if it is a quarterly report, for example), or, conversely, the percentage value of fulfilling the set goals, it is up to the author of the document.
In general, indirect indicators can tell a lot about the process of solving assigned tasks. There is also a wealth of information for further analysis. From determining labor costs to understanding the correct goal setting.
From problem to solution
Most reports are prepared on the basis of a description of the progress of work. The winning document is the one that clearly traces the problem-solution relationship. The reader immediately understands what techniques and equipment (if necessary) the performer used for timely and high-quality performance of the task.
In even more detail, the compiled chain “a specific problem — the reasons for its occurrence — the setting of tasks — the solution” immediately suggests the need to present a daily report in tabular form. Moreover, the names of the graphs are already known. The information presented in this way is easy to read and analyze.
Presentation of quantitative indicators
In cases where the report consists mainly of digital data, the tabular form can just be very difficult to understand. A continuous stream of numbers literally tires the reader in a few minutes. Another thing is multi-colored charts and graphs. They are clear, understandable, easy to read.
Each chart needs a comment. In addition, it is necessary to indicate how the various graphs are interconnected; clarification of causal relationships will further facilitate the analysis of the report.
If material resources were expended during operation, you should not simply list them all. Instead, the acquired goods should be indicated. The dry phrase: “Purchased office equipment” will sound completely different if you write: “2 jobs were created, which allowed to increase the output of the department.”
How to draw up a document
Despite the fact that there is no single form of compilation, a report on the work done can be drawn up in accordance with GOST, which defines the main criteria for scientific work. It spells out the requirements for formatting, type and size of the font, etc.
As for the readability of the document, there are a few tips:
- try to have no more than 5 sentences in one paragraph;
- key indicators can be highlighted in font or color;
- break the text so that the table or graph does not occupy the entire page; Be sure to leave space for comments on them;
- Make a clear and concise summary of the report.
These tips will help facilitate the perception of your report, which means that they will initially set up the reader to be loyal to the author of the document. Imagine that you are the boss. And make the report as you would find it useful and interesting to read.