Writing for decision makers: Memos and reports with a competitive edge

“This book is different.” This italicized claim appears prominently in the preface to Marya Holcombe´s and Judith Stein´s Writing for Decision Makers. Their claim is not unusual: Almost every author of a book on writing makes the same assertion to potential publishers and readers. This book, however, is different, and different in an interesting way. Holcombe and Stein believe that managers, though they know the importance of clear, effective writing, dread writing and feel inadequate when it comes time to put facts and ideas into words on paper. They argue convincingly, however, that managers can be more effective writers if they simply apply to their writing tasks the managerial skills they already possess. Managers, they remind their readers, are trained to deal with people, to solve problems, to plan carefully, to market products and ideas, and to stress quality control.