Download Managerial Writing: Weakening your position

Managerial Writing
Section 2: Weakening your
position by communicating the
wrong attitude
The purpose of your report is to
convince top management to…
• Open a dialog about the topic with YOU as
a participant
– Not necessarily the only other participant, and
not even as the “loudest” participant
• To make clear-headed, informed decisions
• To see you and your team as solutions to
problems
Attitude mistakes that permeate
your writing
• False humility and arrogance – two sides
of the same coin - weakness
• Recognition that reality is far more
complex than your research and
knowledge
• Acknowledgement that hard work and
persistence are still needed to realize
success (both your own and others)
Style mistakes that weaken your
position
• Presenting alternatives in place of
recommendations or conclusions
• Using weak words
• Regurgitating trivia
• “Cheerleading” and hype
Presenting alternatives rather than
“speaking” with a single, cohesive,
well-supported voice
“…another positioning strategy for our
automobiles produced for the Chinese
market would be to get an early start on…”
Making your proposal in weak
words
•
•
•
•
•
Should
Could
Maybe
Can
Might
Words like these signal weakness and
lack of confidence in your analysis
and conclusions (to both the CEO and
other readers). If you’re preparing
such a report to be passed up the line
to the CEO, it’s next to useless. Your
boss has to extensively rewrite it as
well as check your analysis. To an
instructor it means you’ve started too
late and cannot “digest” what you’ve
discovered in your research.
Presenting the CEO with trivia
“Business cards are generally printed in
English, as that is the accepted language
in the Indian business world.”
“(Chinese w)orkers involved in assembly
operations are typically paid monthly with
wages earned of $60 to $85 monthly.”
[This project did not propose mfg in China]
“Cheerleading” or “hype”
“Chile is an effective and safe place to start a
business. Chile has a transparent and
predictable government; the government is
actively working to increase its GDP by
improving trade relations with other countries.”
“…With relatively high educational attainment and
progress in high-tech industries, much of the
expansion will be internally generated;
consumption will increase its share of the
economy in line with rising incomes (Ryan,
2003) giving the [product] success immediately
after introduction into the market.”
“Cheerleading” or “hype”
“The individual income of households in
France and the percentage they spend on
health related products is bound to make
us money.”
“Cheerleading” or “hype”
“We have found a place that is ready and
willing to accept our superior product in
their country. The following is our team’s
concluding facts and opinions of our
computer product’s success, as well as a
possibility of endless prosperity in the
country of Chile.”
A special form of “cheerleading”
occurs when students feel
compelled to write a conclusion.
Too often compulsive conclusion
writing ends up producing a
product dominated by excessive
statements that destroy credibility.
“We feel after reviewing and researching the
(example
ofpopulation,
a conclusion)
demographics
of the
land, economy,
government, and work force we know we will
have a very “profitable” environment to succeed
in for our business. The [product] for the retail
stores and manufacturing companies will
provide an open market ready for expansion. We
fell [sic] that we have the resources, the capital
and smarts to capture this market and give large
returns on investment. This is a market that we
will retain for a long time if we can get in, do it
right and do it quickly. That way at the end of two
years we will all be living the high life and driving
‘Beamers’.”