Sidebar: What to Leave Out

By Mary K. PRatt

December 19, 2005 12:00 PM ET

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Computerworld - Even when higher-ups expect detailed reports, some items shouldn't make the final cut. Here are a few:

Problems without solutions
"If there are issues, you want to know options. 'This has happened, this is the risk,' and then they give options," says Vickie Owens-Rinn, a technical manager at Lucent Technologies Inc. in Murray Hill, N.J.

Surprises
Your bosses should never learn from a report that a project is tanking. "Warn them ahead of time," Owens-Rinn says.

Finger-pointing
Deliver bad news without blaming others, says Andrew Galbus, an IT manager at a large Minnesota health care institution. If your team doesn't have the skills needed to complete a task, for example, say, "We need to get some outside expertise."

Lies
You can be diplomatic in your wording, but never lie.

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