- 1). Write down your objectives for the report. Think about the partnership and the direction you've been given for the report, if any, and decide if this is to be a straightforward description of the partnership as is or if it should focus on a particular issue. Writing down what you hope to accomplish will help clarify it for you.
- 2). List the various topics you want the report to touch on. These should include direction, communication and work distribution. A typical report might start with an overview of your general feelings on the partnership, including any major issues that need to be addressed immediately. It would likely move on to the aspects that are working well, then the things that aren't working so well. The last part of the report should offer solutions and next steps. The report should end on a positive note, even if a lot of its content was negative.
- 3
Venting your frustrations on paper can be cathartic.mad woman - pointing finger image by Melking from Fotolia.com
Pen a rough draft of the report, describing which parts of the partnership are successful and which aren't. At this stage, it's okay to place blame and vent frustrations--just destroy this draft when you're done with the report. Be as specific as possible and search for concrete explanations for your feelings. For example, a general feeling of being undervalued could stem from your partner subtly dismissing your ideas and underplaying your role. Once you've identified such a problem, suggest a concrete change that would improve the situation. - 4). Revise the report for structure and tone. Use "I" statements when talking about problems, such as, "I feel frustrated when Dave interrupts me." Rework any statements in which you vented or placed blame--not to alter the meaning of the statements, but to make sure they don't sound needlessly harsh or offensive. If your partner tends to be sensitive, use the "sandwich method" of criticism, prefacing and following each criticism with a positive statement.
- 5). Have a trusted colleague with a good eye for spelling and grammar go over the report before you finalize it. Spell-check programs don't catch every problem, and errors in spelling and grammar can detract from the effectiveness of your report.
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