The question of proper report writing worries every self-respecting manager. A company’s reputation and the quality of its cooperation with clients and business partners depend on how well thought-out and clear the documents are. Not the last place in the corporate documentation is taken by the reporting to the board. From our article you will learn how to properly prepare a report to the board of directors.
Structure of the report to the board of directors
Like any other document, the report to the board of directors shall have a clear and understandable structure. It is, however, worth keeping in mind that there is no single standard for how such reporting documentation shall be drawn up. Everything depends on the rules and principles of document flow, which are adopted in each company.
The same applies to the content of the report. The information that should be displayed in the report should be consistent with the agenda items to be considered by the board of directors. But don’t ignore some of the general requirements for the content of a report to the board of directors. Keep in mind that all data placed in such a report must be current, relevant, and easily cross-checked.
Nevertheless, the general record-keeping standards, which apply to all companies, require that the report to the board of directors should have a more or less similar structure. Mandatory constituent parts of the report include:
- Table of contents;
- A list of items that are disclosed in the report;
- Up-to-date statistical information;
- Date of the report;
- Signature of the person responsible for compiling the report (or group of persons).
Optionally, various charts and graphs can also be added to the structure of the report to help you understand the information more accurately.
How to prepare a report in advance of a meeting with the ceo: key principles
To prepare a report for a board meeting, management and documentation experts recommend adhering to some general principles for drafting it. Here are some of them:
- Accuracy. All information presented in the report should be verified (preferably several times), current at the time of submission and correspond to reality.
- Logic. All structural parts in the report, regardless of their number, should represent a single whole information, without gaps and digressions.
- Clarity. In writing the report, it is recommended to use business and special vocabulary, but not to overload the text with complex terms (unless, of course, we are talking about a report of a company operating in a highly specialized field). It is desirable to use words that will be understandable to all present.
- Brevity. It is not advisable to make reports to the board of directors too long, even if it is necessary to present information for a long period (e.g., annual report). It is recommended to choose the most important things and not to dwell on long explanations of the indicators.
- Nauticality. Simple text, and even by ear, can be difficult to understand. Dilute your report with charts or graphs – so you can present important information in a more accessible form.
We hope our tips will help you compose the right report to the board of directors.