Establishing Your Purpose Effective Writing

By knowing why you are writing, you will communicate better and find writing itself to be an easier process. The reader’s needs and your goal in communicating will help you to formulate your purpose. It will guide you in determining exactly what you can and must say. With your purpose clearly identified, you are on the right track.

Make sure you follow the most important rule in occupational writing: Get to the point right away. At the start of your message, state your goal clearly. Don’t feel as if you have to entertain or impress your reader.

           I want new employees to know how to log on to the computer.

Think over what you have written. Rewrite your purpose statement until it states precisely
why you are writing and what you want your readers to do or to know.
 
          I want to teach new employees the security code for logging on to the company computer. 


Since your purpose controls the amount and order of information you include, state it clearly at the beginning of every e-mail, memo, letter, and report.

 
         This memo will acquaint new employees with the security measures they must take when 
         logging on to the company computer.

In the opening purpose statement that follows, note how the author clearly informs
the reader what the report will and will not cover.
 
       As you requested at last month’s organizational meeting, I have conducted a survey of
      how well our websites advertise our products. This survey describes users’ responses
     but does not prioritize them.

The following preface to a publication on architectural casework details contains
a model statement of purpose suited to a particular audience.

      This publication has been prepared by the Architectural Woodwork Institute to provide a source  

book of conventional details and uniform detail terminology. For this purpose a series of casework detail drawings, . . . representative of the best industry-wide practice, has been prepared and is presented here. By supplying both architect and woodwork manufacturer with a common authoritative reference, this work will enable architects and woodworkers to communicate in a common technical language. . . .
Besides serving as a basic reference for architects and architectural drafters, this guide will be an effective educational tool for the beginning drafter-architect-in-training. It should also be a valuable aid to the project manager in coordinating the work of many drafters on large projects.

After seeing that preface, readers have a clear sense of why they should use this resource and what to do with the material they find in it.

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