Why Your Reports Are Probably Terrible (And How to Fix Them)

Nobody reads reports anymore. There, I said it.

I've been writing, reviewing, and training people on business reports for nearly two decades, and I can tell you with absolute certainty that 89% of workplace reports are binned faster than a dodgy takeaway menu. The other 11%? They get skimmed by someone who's simultaneously checking their phone and wondering what's for lunch.

Here's the thing though - reports are actually bloody important. They're how decisions get made, how money gets allocated, and how careers get built or buried. Yet most people write them like they're filling out a tax form whilst suffering from a migraine.

The Real Problem with Business Writing

Let me tell you about a report I received last month. Seventeen pages. SEVENTEEN. The executive summary was three pages long. The actual recommendation? Buried on page fourteen in a paragraph that started with "Furthermore, it should be noted that consideration might be given to..."

I wanted to call the author and ask if they were being paid by the word.

The truth is, most professionals never received proper report writing training because we assume everyone just "picks it up" along the way. It's like assuming everyone knows how to drive because they've been a passenger in cars.

What Makes Reports Actually Work

After reviewing thousands of reports across industries from mining to healthcare, I've noticed the good ones share three characteristics:

They tell a story. The best reports read like a conversation with someone who knows what they're talking about. They have a beginning (here's the situation), middle (here's what I found), and end (here's what we should do about it).

They respect the reader's time. This means putting the most important information first, using bullet points sparingly but effectively, and never making people hunt for the key message.

They make a clear recommendation. Wishy-washy conclusions like "further investigation may be warranted" are career killers. Take a position. Back it up. Own it.

I remember working with a client in Perth who was frustrated because their quarterly reports were being ignored by the board. We restructured their format to lead with impact statements and visual summaries. Suddenly, board members were asking follow-up questions and implementing recommendations. Same data, completely different outcome.

The difference? We treated time management as seriously for readers as we did for writers.

The Australian Corporate Writing Problem

We've got a particular problem in Australian business culture. We're simultaneously too casual and too formal. We'll write "as per our previous correspondence" in an email to someone we had beer with last Friday. Then we'll use "heaps" in a board paper.

Pick a lane.

For formal reports, embrace professional language without drowning in corporate speak. Write like you're explaining something important to an intelligent colleague, not like you're translating an IKEA manual into legalese.

Structure That Actually Works

Here's my controversial opinion: the traditional report structure is often wrong for modern business. Forget the academic introduction-methodology-findings-conclusion format. Instead, try this:

Executive Summary (half a page maximum) Recommendations (what you want them to do) Supporting Evidence (why they should do it) Implementation (how it gets done) Appendices (detailed data for the curious)

This front-loads the important stuff and respects that most executives are operating under constant time pressure. If they only read the first two sections, they've still got what they need to make a decision.

I've seen this approach transform how organisations handle everything from budget proposals to strategic planning documents. Companies like Qantas and Woolworths have moved toward this more direct approach in their internal reporting, and it's made a real difference to decision-making speed.

Common Mistakes That Kill Reports

Passive voice everywhere. "Mistakes were made" tells us nothing. "The IT department deleted the backup files" tells us everything.

Charts that need a decoder ring. If your graph requires three paragraphs of explanation, it's not helping. Sometimes a simple table is better than a fancy visualisation.

Recommendations without costs. Don't suggest implementing new software without mentioning it costs $50,000 and takes six months to deploy.

Death by detail. Nobody needs to know that you interviewed 47 people if the key finding is that customer satisfaction dropped 15%.

Here's what I got wrong for years: I thought longer reports looked more thorough and professional. They don't. They look like you can't prioritise information or make tough editing decisions.

Writing for Actual Humans

Remember that someone has to read this thing. Probably someone who's already read twelve other documents today and has a meeting in ten minutes.

Use shorter sentences. Break up text with subheadings. Start paragraphs with the main point, not background context. And for the love of all that's holy, spell-check your work.

I once received a report that consistently misspelled the name of the company it was about. Throughout the entire document. Including in the title. That's not a typo, that's negligence.

The Technology Question

Everyone's wondering about AI and automated reporting tools. Here's my take: they're brilliant for data analysis and first drafts, but terrible at understanding what matters to your specific audience.

AI can tell you that sales dropped 12% in Q3. It can't tell you that this happened because your biggest client switched suppliers after feeling ignored during their contract renewal discussions. That human insight is what makes reports valuable.

Use technology to handle the number-crunching. Keep the analysis and recommendations human.

Making It Stick

The best team development training always includes practical application. Same principle applies to report writing. Don't just read about better structure - pick a recent report you've written and rewrite the first page using these principles.

Better yet, find someone whose reports you admire and ask them to review one of yours. Most people are happy to help, and the feedback is always more valuable than generic writing advice.

The Bottom Line

Good report writing isn't about following perfect grammar rules or using impressive vocabulary. It's about clear thinking, structured presentation, and respect for your reader's time and intelligence.

Start with your conclusion. Support it with evidence. Make specific recommendations. Edit ruthlessly.

Your career will thank you for it.

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