Putting It Together: Summarizing in the Workplace

Let’s take a look at how a summary can be useful in the workplace. Let’s say Dennis has been tasked with finding a speaker for the campus Diversity Day. What are some steps he can follow when he writes a summary?

Planning The Summary

Dennis should prepare by confirming the speaker and getting the title for the talk. Rennata, the invited speaker and receiver of the invitation, will either be pleased or neutral about the details for her talk and the request for the title of the talk. Dennis has jotted down a quick outline:

Components Notes
Summary of News Need talk title and confirm diversity day arrangements. Thanks.
Summary of Reasons April 23 the day. Be here at 8:30. Done by 3:30. Need title of your talk for brochure publ on April 16.
Goodwill and Action Benefit she’ll bring to event. Date to confirm April 15.

Writing The Summary

Dennis’s preparation would help him see that his original message included too much irrelevant detail that hid his full message.  He should focus on accomplishing the task he was asked to do and not put in all that other information.

Revising

After he wrote it, then he would revise the message with attention to the layout, white space, you-view, and proofreading to say the least. Here is what he could have produced, if only he had taken just a little more time to focus on his message.

Date: April 1, 2023

To: Rennata Johnson, CEO of Diversity NOW <rjohnson@diversitynow.com>

From: Dennis Hoffman <shoffman@qcom.com>

Re: Diversity Day

The details you requested for your much anticipated April 23 talk follow. To promote your talk, could you please provide the title?

Your expertise in corporate diversity training makes this a great day. Here is your schedule for the day:

  1. Opening coffee, 8:30 a.m., West Conference room. Leadership team.
  2. First session, 9 a.m., Theater room. All associates
  3. Lunch and message time, 11 a.m. On your own
  4. Second session, 1:30 p.m., Theater room. All associates
  5. Debrief, 2:30 p.m. West Conference room. Leadership team.

The details for the day’s brochure must go to the printer a week ahead. Could you please provide the title to include? If there is any other information you think important, please let me know.

Your reputation and experience mean so much to the employees of QCom. Please send me the title by April 15. I look forward to meeting you personally.

Dennis

dhoffman@qcom.com

303-101-3843

Note some of the highlights of this message:

  • Respects the speaker by spelling her organization’s name correctly. Diversity NOW
  • Provides a subject line that helps the speaker with a bit more detail: QCom Diversity Day Details and Confirmation Request
  • Start with the main idea and focus on the receiver: The details you requested for your much anticipated talk follow. To promote your talk, could you please provide the title?
  • Focuses on the reader by using the second person point of view: Starting more of the sentences with “you” or the topics Rennata cares about.
  • Uses a parallel structure to help detail stand out. In bullet list.
  • Creates focus and action in the closing paragraph. Specific speaker compliment and specific reminder date.