Once upon a time, there was a warning that Big Brother could be watching.
Well, today, big data is doing its job. Big data is everywhere all the time. Gartner, the information research technology and advisory company, posits:
Big data is high-volume, high-velocity, high-variety information assets that demand cost-effective, innovative forms of information processing for enhanced insight and decision making.
Wikipedia pipes in with:
data sets so large that traditional data processing applications are inadequate.
If computers need help making sense of big data, pity the person charged with writing a report summarizing the results. Big data is creating a culture in which business and IT join forces to realize value from data. Companies make decisions based on big data but first it has to be visualized and translated into a report that can communicate the results to key decision makers and ensure they understand it.
Communicating Big Data in a Business Report
Since reports are one of the most important forms of written communication in the business world, the key is to find someone who understands the brave new world of big data and also has a knack for the type of clear, concise writing a report calls for. However, raw talent is not enough. Skills needed for report writing, like the ability to differentiate the essential from non-essential, organizational judgment, and clarity of communication, are acquired more often than inherited; it's a good idea that the person charged with the task first attend a report writing course.
Basic Insights
Language and layout are important if a report is to be accurate and understandable. Whether it is a scientific, financial, research, or medical report, there are a few basic insights of good writing to keep in mind.
A well-written report.....
- Anticipates the readers' questions. In order to accomplish this, the writer should periodically review what he is writing and attempt to see it from the point of view of a reader, especially one skeptical about the world of big data.
- Is like a good teacher. It strives to explain the facts
- Is like math. It has logic and structure. It takes a pile of facts and assembles them into a clear, accessible, understandable structure.
- Is simple. Simple is not to be confused with simplistic. Big data is complicated. A skilled report writer knows how to deconstruct it and make it comprehensible.
- Avoids jargon. The world of big data is full of its own language. A good report uses accessible language.
A Few Words of Advice
These tenets can be applied to any type of writing, but as with any written undertaking, preparation is the key. In the case of big data, it involves sifting through the facts. For a few words of advice on this, who better to look to than Albert Einstein?
"Not everything that can be counted counts, and not everything that counts can be counted." - Albert Einstein
- While all data is important, only essential data needs to be included. Writing a report calls for self-editing, especially when dealing with data. It is easy to become overwhelmed by the amount, but understanding what's important to the business can help decide what to include and what to leave out.
"If you can't explain it simply, you don't understand it well enough." - Albert Einstein
- No matter how well the report writer understands the findings, he is essentially keeping them to himself if he can not communicate them to those reading the report. If they are to act on his insights, he has to simplify the message so that it resonates with them.
Since today's business world feeds on information, report writing is an essential and marketable skill. To learn about how to write the type of reports that can further your career, contact us for information about our report writing courses. Or, download the report writing course outline.
