Reporting on information

Recall that, avoiding the analysis phase is like going to the GP and having them prescribe you a treatment, without asking any questions about what the problem is. So, now you’ve done your research, it’s time to begin to pull the pieces together to formulate a report and then a plan, similar to dictating a medical report after a diagnosis. This report informs the blueprint of your leadership program.

Your report will not only be useful to help you to craft your leadership program, it will also help you inform the other people involved in your program about what’s required, and how you’ve come to the conclusions that you have. Your team will be able to lean on all of the hard work you’ve done up to now to understand what’s required, and you can brainstorm solutions collectively.

Your document should summarise the findings from your initial research phase, which includes any surveys, stakeholder interviews, and a review of relevant internal documents.

Remember to tell the story of what you’ve learnt, about where the organisation is going, where it is now, and what it needs in order to reach its ultimate destination. Present that story in its full glory, with all of the data and insights to back it up.

To guide you, consider the following structure:

1: Highlight the top responses for every survey query.

2: Summarise the main ideas extracted from open-ended survey questions and interviews.

3: Rank the primary leadership competencies as they’ve appeared from your surveys and interviews.

4: Offer initial suggestions and draw conclusions based on your findings.

Download Sample: Analysis of research findings to have a look at an example report.

Make sure that your document is clearly laid out, use visual charts and tables where you can, and display the most comprehensive account of the data that you can, without sharing every little detail.

Following this, translate your conclusions into a preliminary draft or concept showing where you are now, and where you want to be. Refer to the example report above.

This process takes time! Dedicate a day to drafting your report, and another for drawing your conclusions.