You"re Assigned an Analytical Report: Before You Do Anything, Check Out the Terms of Reference
If you make assumptions, an analytical report can turn into a nightmare.
Here are some classic cases.
It was assumed that the client wanted a particular piece of information.
It turns out that they didn't.
It was assumed that the budget for the report was $22,000.
It was only $15,000.
It was assumed that three staff members would be available to provide research assistance.
They were unavailable, having been assigned elsewhere.
My concern in this article is that those assigned to write a report whether it's analytical, informational, a sales report - whatever it is - don't get caught up in making assumptions about the terms of reference in which they can operate.
The items listed in the paragraph above are one side of the coin.
But there's also the other side, which can be worse; i.
e.
, the client, or your boss, expected you to do more; you were clear that you had delivered as required.
Terms of reference for an analytical report can be so broad that there are no clear boundaries.
What are the limits? Are there areas where management don't want you to go? Are there areas you're sure are meant to be included.
I once prepared a business proposal that hinged on the training required by customer service representatives.
I decided to check with some of these reps to see what training they'd value.
Turns out management did not want the reps to be asked, which was odd.
Since it wasn't stated in the terms of reference, I assumed I could ask the very people whose training was in question.
Not so, according to management.
I suspect they felt threatened.
So what can you do if you've been handed an assignment and you want to know what your parameters are? First off, make sure that the terms of reference are cleared by senior management.
I've received assignments from mid management that were guaranteed solid only to discover that final approval was still pending.
I've had assignments that specifically stated how many interviews I could conduct, only to find out that the CEO had expected twice as many for the same dollar amount.
The key is to find out as much as you can at the start so that you can point to the agreement, or notes taken from a meeting as to the exact terms, the agreed upon due dates, the monies to be paid and so on.
To do that you must ask questions; especially those questions that can make you feel awkward, that you're afraid to ask.
When you do that, you're more comfortable proceeding with that analytical report assignment, clear on what is expected of you, and what the boundaries are.
Here are some classic cases.
It was assumed that the client wanted a particular piece of information.
It turns out that they didn't.
It was assumed that the budget for the report was $22,000.
It was only $15,000.
It was assumed that three staff members would be available to provide research assistance.
They were unavailable, having been assigned elsewhere.
My concern in this article is that those assigned to write a report whether it's analytical, informational, a sales report - whatever it is - don't get caught up in making assumptions about the terms of reference in which they can operate.
The items listed in the paragraph above are one side of the coin.
But there's also the other side, which can be worse; i.
e.
, the client, or your boss, expected you to do more; you were clear that you had delivered as required.
Terms of reference for an analytical report can be so broad that there are no clear boundaries.
What are the limits? Are there areas where management don't want you to go? Are there areas you're sure are meant to be included.
I once prepared a business proposal that hinged on the training required by customer service representatives.
I decided to check with some of these reps to see what training they'd value.
Turns out management did not want the reps to be asked, which was odd.
Since it wasn't stated in the terms of reference, I assumed I could ask the very people whose training was in question.
Not so, according to management.
I suspect they felt threatened.
So what can you do if you've been handed an assignment and you want to know what your parameters are? First off, make sure that the terms of reference are cleared by senior management.
I've received assignments from mid management that were guaranteed solid only to discover that final approval was still pending.
I've had assignments that specifically stated how many interviews I could conduct, only to find out that the CEO had expected twice as many for the same dollar amount.
The key is to find out as much as you can at the start so that you can point to the agreement, or notes taken from a meeting as to the exact terms, the agreed upon due dates, the monies to be paid and so on.
To do that you must ask questions; especially those questions that can make you feel awkward, that you're afraid to ask.
When you do that, you're more comfortable proceeding with that analytical report assignment, clear on what is expected of you, and what the boundaries are.