Checklist to be used to guide the process of creating a new Mission Statement for your organization or evaluating the appropriateness of an existing Mission Statement.
 
  • Mark all that apply.
  • Does the Mission Statement (MS) address the following components:
    • Customers?
    • Products or Services?
    • Markets and Location?
    • Technology?
    • Concern for survival?
    • Values of organization?
    • Self-Concept (SWOT)?
    • Concern for Public Image?
    • Concern for Employees?
  • Is the Mission Statement readable?
  • Is the Mission Statement Inspiring and motivating?
  • Does the Mission Statement distinguish the organization from its competitors?
  • Does the Mission Statement create a sense of optimism?
  • Is the Mission Statement assertive?
  • Have the following rhetorical strategies been considered/addressed:
    • Use of first-person point of view?
    • Character?
    • Goodwill?
  • Has the Mission Statement been developed in an inclusive team process?
  •  
     
    Checklist to be used as a reminder of the small details that make your emails effective and professional commuinicatio.
     
  • Mark all that apply.
  •  
  • Did you include a relevant subject heading?
  • If your email is a "forward" or "reply" did you modify the subject heading if appropriate?
  • Have you appropriately sorted recipients between the "to" and "cc" classification? The latter designates the email is for information purposes only for "cc"'ed recipients, and that no action or reply is required.
  • Have you removed any recipients that do not need to receive your message?
  • Does your email have a courteous greeting and salutation?
  • Have you spell-checked and reviewed for grammar and clarity of your message?
  • Is your tone appropriate for the recipient(s)?
  • Are there any attachments for the email? Do you refer to the attachments in the body of your message so they do not get missed and to provide explanation and context for the attachments (if necessary)?
  • Have you included your email signature with contact info (if appropriate)?
  • Have you remembered that email is not private? Once you write something down and click "send" it can be examined, stored, and forwarded to the rest of the world!
  •  
     
    Checklist to be used to write with style and structure.
     
  • Mark all that apply.
  •  
  • Have you used the paragraph as your unit of composition?
  • Have you begun each paragraph with a topic sentence?
  • Have you written in the active voice?
  • Have you written statements in positive form?
  • Have you omitted needless words?
  • Have you avoided successions of loose sentences?
  • Have you expressed related ideas in a similar form?
  • Have you kept related words together?
  • In any summaries, have you used only one tense?
  • Have you placed the emphatic words of sentences at the end?
  •  
    William Strunk, Jr. "The Elements of Style (Revised)". The Elements of Style Press (2011).
     
     
    Checklist to be used to write an effective Executive Summary for a project or other business document.
     
    • Mark all that apply.
      •  
      • Does your Executive Summary need to bring together several business documents? For example on a project, your Business Case and Project Brief?
      • What is the goal of writing this Executive Summary? Is it simply to summarize work activity that has taken place for your specific audience? Or is there a strategic goal with the act of summarizing, such as influencing an executive decision or course of action?
      • Is the audience internal to your company, external (e.g. clients, shareholders), or both?
      • Is the content appropriate for your target audience?
      • Is the style of writing appropriate for your target audience (e.g. word choice, tone)?
      • Does the Executive Summary begin with a description of a business problem from your business document?
      • Does the Executive Summary include analysis from your business document?
      • Does the Executive Summary include the conclusion(s) or outcomes from your business document?
      • Does the flow of content of the Executive Summary mirror that of your business document?
      • Have you included a high impact visual or chart that supports the main argument of your business document?
      • Is your Executive Summary short enough that it can be read quickly and result in a solid understanding of your business document? Suggested length for an Executive Summary is one to three pages or five percent the length of the business document you are summarizing.
      • Should your Executive Summary be included in the front of your business document or should it stand alone?

       

     
    Checklist to be used as a general guideline when communicating a (formal) message in any medium (written, spoken, or otherwise...)
     
  • Mark all that apply.
  • Is my message CLEAR? Will the purpose be evident to the audience?
  • Is my message CONCISE? Is it short, sweet, and to the point?
  • Is my message CONCRETE? Will the audience have a clear picture?
  • Is my message CORRECT? Are the facts straight?
  • Is my message COHERENT? Is it targeted and suitable to the audience and logical?
  • Is my message COMPLETE? Is all necessary info included (and nothing more!) and is there a call to action for the audience?
  • Is my message COURTEOUS? Is it honest and friendly?
  •