Engineering Reports Should Be Like Bad Movies

I'm frequently asked to review engineering reports, and I'm continually baffled by how many engineers want to take their readers on a journey instead of getting to the point. 

They write documents that you must read every single word to work out what they're trying to say. But having a final reveal is never a good thing in any technical document.

Engineering reports should be like bad movies you need to give the ending away at the beginning.

Why?

People watch movies to be taken on a journey; managers read reports to get information.

This isn't to say that you shouldn't try and make engineering reports enjoyable -you should. But you need to understand the audience, which is not a typical movie-goer. And while you may be proud of your research and analysis, no one wants to read an extensive report on how you got there.

Getting reports right is important. Managers will quickly work out which engineers give them the best information in the easiest way, and these engineers are the ones that managers remember when it comes to promotions, special assignments, and raises. So here are some tips on writing better reports.

Tip #1: What Does Your Reader Need to Hear?

Simple question, right? But I'm constantly amazed by how often this crucial question is forgotten by engineers.

A report is written to provide information about a decision that needs to be made. If this isn't the case, the report is a waste of time. For example, a manufacturing company may need to decide whether to extend the warranty period of a consumer product. So, let's break this down into what information the decision-maker needs to know:

• How much money will this decision make or lose the organization?

Writing this out helps make it clear in your mind as the author, but it's still too "high-level". We need to break this information requirement down further: