R.O.S.C.O.: Your Writing Project Planner

My father, Dr. Karl Albrecht, created this useful writing tool over 30 years ago. It still works today. Give it a try. (Visit him at www.karlalbrecht.com)

Whether it’s an email to a co-worker, a client letter, or a report to your board, you’re judged by the words you choose and use. Here’s a five-step tool to help improve all of your business writing efforts, regardless of what format you choose or have to use. It’s called R.O.S.C.O., a quick mnemonic for better business writing.

Reader – Who will read what you’ve written?

It’s important to know who you’re writing for, since it might be one person or a dozen. Who is your reader? What do you already know about this person and what does he or she know about you or the issue, problem, solution, or opportunity you’re going to reveal? Will more than one person read your message (around the company or around the world)? What is the person’s position, language skills, or level of education, if you know?

Outcome – What do you want the Reader to do?

When writing, it often helps to begin at the end. What do you want this person to do, after reading your letter, memo, report, or proposal? Call you immediately? Circulate the data around to other parties? Say yes or no to a certain critical question or decision point? If you know what you want the Reader to do, then you’ll certainly want to organize your message to ask for or get that result.

Strategy – Your tone and texture.

These two elements compliment each other like good wine and fine cheese. Your tone can range from friendly to slightly cool, informal to legal-sounding, chatty to straightforward, short and to the point, or longer, with much more emphasis on the details. Your texture has to do with your word choices and your use of metaphors, similes, or appropriate figures of speech, to add drama, humor, or sophistication to your message.

Content – What you actually say.

This is the nuts-and-bolts of your e-mail, letter, proposal, or report, where you get your points across in an organized and thoughtful way. You give careful thought to the opening statement; the lead question, accompanying facts, or most important points. You consider what needs to be said first, last, and in the middle, using data or insights to support your ideas or requests. Finally, you craft the closing lines, ranging from a polite salutation to an immediate action step.

Organization – What it looks like.

This final point asks you to consider what you physically provide to your Reader. Is it a memo, plus an attached budget report? Is it an email with several presentation slides attached? Do you need to provide price sheets, samples, or catalogs? This issue is especially important if this is your first contact with the Reader. You want to make a professional impression, especially since that’s when most people judge the quality of your written communications, your company, and your products or services.

Dr. Steve Albrecht, PHR, CPP, is a trainer and consultant in San Diego, CA. He can be reached at drsteve@drstevealbrecht.com.