WRTG 293 students, Your first writing assignment will be .docx

WRTG 293 students,
Your first writing assignment will be to rewrite a set of
instructions. The scenario for this
assignment is described below.
________________________
You have just taken a position as a student worker for the
Communications Arts Department at
Anderson College. You began your job last week.
Anderson College has an enrollment of 10,000 students. Among
this student population, 20% of
the students are international students for whom English is not a
native language, 10% of the
students are dual-enrollment high school students, 20% of the
students are graduate students, and
the remaining 50% of the student population consists of a
mixture of adult learners and
traditional students.
Anderson adopted LEO as its learning management system two
years ago. Anderson uses LEO
for both its online classes and its hybrid classes.
Since moving to LEO, Dr. Richard Johnson, Dean of the
Undergraduate School at Anderson, and
Dr. Lynn Peterson, Dean of the Graduate School at Anderson,
have noticed that both students
taking classes at Anderson and instructors teaching at Anderson
are often not aware of the

different settings one can choose to view discussions in LEO.
This lack of awareness has caused
confusion and frustration as students and faculty members have
attempted to navigate through
the discussions in their classes.
Dr. Johnson and Dr. Peterson tried to address this problem two
months ago. At that time, they
asked the previous student worker to write instructions on how
to change the settings for
discussions in LEO for the optimal viewing arrangement.
The previous student worker wrote some instructions. However,
the worker wrote them very
unprofessionally and poorly. They cannot be distributed to
students in their current form.
Moreover, shortly after the student worker finished the
instructions, he left his position for
another job.
As a result, Anderson College now has a set of poorly designed
instructions that it cannot send
out to students and faculty members. Meanwhile, students and
faculty members are still
experiencing frustration with the system, and they need a
document that guides them through
how to adjust their settings in LEO for viewing discussions.
Dr. Johnson, who is your immediate supervisor, has now asked
you, the new student worker, to
rewrite the instructions that the previous student worker wrote.
He has asked you to use the
same graphics the previous student worker used. He has also
suggested that you use arrows to
point to sections of the graphics if such arrows can help in
understanding specific steps in the

instructions.
Keep in mind that potentially 10,000 students will be using the
instructions, in addition to
various faculty members. The instructions should be clear,
professional, and well designed.
Moreover, you will want to consider the different types of
students at Anderson College,
including their backgrounds and their varying demographics.
Dr. Johnson has given you the following resources to help you
in this project:
• Instructions: Tell Them How to Do It! by David McMurrey
• Instructions: How to Write Guides for Busy, Grouchy People
• Wikibooks’ Professional and Technical Writing/Instructions
Dean Johnson has informed you that your introduction should
be very short—no more than one
paragraph of about 4-5 sentences.
___________________________
Strategies to Consider for this Assignment:
Consider your audience. Your primary audience is the students
and faculty members at Anderson
College. However, Dean Johnson will be reviewing your
document as well. Most likely,
department heads will be viewing it also.

Therefore, the dean and the department heads can be considered
secondary audiences.
Length of your instructions:
There is no minimum or maximum number of words for this
document. You will want to follow
the advice given in the three resources that Dean Johnson
provided for you as you design the
new set of instructions.
Due Date:
Your instructor will notify you of the due date. You will write
a first draft, your instructor will
comment on the first draft, and you will submit a second draft
using the comments as your guide.
Changing the Discussion Settings in LEO
The following instructions show how you should set up your
discussion settings in LEO.
1. You should click on discussions.

2. Then you want to click on settings.
3. The interface looks like this
4. The next step is to change some settings. Look at this next
picture.
5. Did you see what we just changed? Good!
6. Want to know the next step? Here it is! ☺
7. I hope you see that two settings have now been changed.
Examine the pictures closely to see
what has been changed. It’s important.
8. Clicking save will save these settings.
9. Now, click on any particular discussion, and you will see
how the changes change the interface.

10. Take a look. Cool, eh?!?
11. And more cool features are shown in the next picture.
I hope this helps.
(DOWNLOAD THIS FORM AS A WORD DOC AND EDIT IN
MICROSOFT WORD. PLEASE DO NOT EDIT THE FORM IN
GOOGLE DOCS)
MGMT-470: Business Management Capstone
Weekly Status Report & Reflection
Name:
Project / Company:
Tasks / Work Completed
(describe the actual work, tasks, and accomplishments or issues
of the week)

Goals and Essential Competencies Achieved
(per your Learning Contract)
Learning Contract Update
(Describe your progress on your Learning Contract
deliverables)
Reflections

(How do you feel about your week? Are you accomplishing
what you need to? What issues are you facing, etc?)
Critical Incident Examples - MGMT-470
Management Roles & Skills
Focus on the area in which you are working; do not try to define
the entire organization.
- Are you involved in management or supervision in this
organization? If so, who reports to you, and what is your role in
managing them? Who do you report to, and what is that
individual's role?
- What skills make you, your manager/supervisor, and your
boss's boss well-suited to the role? If any of these individuals is
not well-suited to the task, what skills do they lack or need to
improve? (You do not have to use individuals' names, but do
make it clear what functional role each plays and where that
person falls in the hierarchy of the organization)
Communication Process(es) and Effectiveness
This can be based on a single observation of particularly good
or bad communication, or you may want to comment on the
overall processes used and how well they work in your
organization.
Decision-Making Processes

Again, this may reflect what you have seen in a particular
instance or your observation of a pattern. Be specific; don't say,
“So-and-so makes good/bad decisions.” Why are the decisions
good (or bad)? Why are the decisions readily adopted or do they
routinely meet resistance (and does this tie back to something
you observed about communication processes?)
Conflict Management/Human Relations
Although this can be based on a pattern of observed behavior,
you may find it more meaningful if you choose a specific
incident and really think about what you observed about the
parties involved. What roles did they adopt? Did all the players
recognize what was at stake for the others? Would you have
handled the situation in a similar manner?
Time & Stress Management
These two topics can be approached from your personal
perspective (a good opportunity to think about how well you
handle stress and what you might do to reduce your stress
level); they can reflect your observations about a specific
incident or personality in the organization, or they might
consider how well the organization itself manages or
exacerbates employee stress. Is time management a strength of
the managers, or does poor planning generate a consistent series
of crises?
Legal Form (proprietorship, LLC, etc.) and Structure of Your
Organization
In addition to reporting the legal form of the business, you may
include a simple org chart (if you are part of a large
organization, focus on your local unit).
- Is the structure flat, pyramidal, other?
- Is this legal form and structure the best choice for the
organization in your view, or has it simply evolved that way
with little thought to alternatives that may be superior?
Planning Activities

Do you have observations on how you, your mentor, or someone
else at your organization approaches the planning of activities?
How has this planning helped or not helped? How could the
planning have gone better?
Innovation, Creativity, and Competition
Is there a sense of innovation, creativity, and/or competition at
your organization? How has your own innovation, creativity,
and/or competition helped or hurt your interactions with others,
or the development of your project?
Ethics, Diversity, and Social Responsibility
In your research or through your direct observation or
experience, how have issues of ethics, diversity, and/or social
responsibility come to light? Have you contributed in any way
to these issues? Are other people in your organization being
negatively impacted by ethical or social issues either directly or
indirectly?
Customer Service
Researched or observed issues related to:
- customer interaction(s)
- product/service knowledge
- problem-solving ability, and/or
- attitude or behavior
Quality Assurance Management / Control Activities
- Technical performance
- Access to services
- Effectiveness of standards
- Interpersonal relations
- Efficiency of service delivery
- Continuing of services
- Safety
- Physical infrastructure and comfort
- Choice of services
Leadership Styles and Effectiveness

- Adaptability
- Communication skills
- Consistency
- Discipline
- Humbleness
- Innovation
- Loyalty
- Passion
- Teamwork
- Vision
Organizational Culture
- Diversity and inclusion
- Discipline
- Strategic growth orientation
- Performance orientation
- Relationships
Applications of Technology
- Effectiveness of technology in helping organizational
operations
- Complexities of technology and its effect on your performance
- Technological disruptors
Other observations you make
Critical Incident Categories
This is a non-all-inclusive list of critical incidents that you may
choose from in generating your CI's. Remember, each week you
must choose at least 1 CI to report on and describe how that CI
informs your capstone project in some meaningful way. If there
is an issue that is not listed here, feel free to create your own CI
category.
The list below is also copied on the following Word doc in the
event you would like to download and print: Critical Incident
Examples.docx

Management Roles & Skills
Focus on the area in which you are working; do not try to define
the entire organization.
- Are you involved in management or supervision in this
organization? If so, who reports to you, and what is your role in
managing them? Who do you report to, and what is that
individual's role?
- What skills make you, your manager/supervisor, and your
boss's boss well-suited to the role? If any of these individuals is
not well-suited to the task, what skills do they lack or need to
improve? (You do not have to use individuals' names, but do
make it clear what functional role each plays and where that
person falls in the hierarchy of the organization)
Communication Process(es) and Effectiveness
This can be based on a single observation of particularly good
or bad communication, or you may want to comment on the
overall processes used and how well they work in your
organization.
Decision-Making Processes
Again, this may reflect what you have seen in a particular
instance or your observation of a pattern. Be specific; don't say,
“So-and-so makes good/bad decisions.” Why are the decisions
good (or bad)? Why are the decisions readily adopted or do they
routinely meet resistance (and does this tie back to something
you observed about communication processes?)
Conflict Management/Human Relations
Although this can be based on a pattern of observed behavior,
you may find it more meaningful if you choose a specific
incident and really think about what you observed about the
parties involved. What roles did they adopt? Did all the players
recognize what was at stake for the others? Would you have
handled the situation in a similar manner?
Time & Stress Management
These two topics can be approached from your personal
perspective (a good opportunity to think about how well you

handle stress and what you might do to reduce your stress
level); they can reflect your observations about a specific
incident or personality in the organization, or they might
consider how well the organization itself manages or
exacerbates employee stress. Is time management a strength of
the managers, or does poor planning generate a consistent series
of crises?
Legal Form (proprietorship, LLC, etc.) and Structure of Your
Organization
In addition to reporting the legal form of the business, you may
include a simple org chart (if you are part of a large
organization, focus on your local unit).
- Is the structure flat, pyramidal, other?
- Is this legal form and structure the best choice for the
organization in your view, or has it simply evolved that way
with little thought to alternatives that may be superior?
Planning Activities
Do you have observations on how you, your mentor, or someone
else at your organization approaches the planning of activities?
How has this planning helped or not helped? How could the
planning have gone better?
Innovation, Creativity, and Competition
Is there a sense of innovation, creativity, and/or competition at
your organization? How has your own innovation, creativity,
and/or competition helped or hurt your interactions with others,
or the development of your project?
Ethics, Diversity, and Social Responsibility
In your research or through your direct observation or
experience, how have issues of ethics, diversity, and/or social
responsibility come to light? Have you contributed in any way
to these issues? Are other people in your organization being
negatively impacted by ethical or social issues either directly or
indirectly?
Customer Service
- customer interaction(s)

- product/service knowledge
- problem-solving ability, and/or
- attitude or behavior
Quality Assurance Management / Control Activities
- Technical performance
- Access to services
- Effectiveness of standards
- Interpersonal relations
- Efficiency of service delivery
- Continuing of services
- Safety
- Physical infrastructure and comfort
- Choice of services
Leadership Styles and Effectiveness
- Adaptability
- Communication skills
- Consistency
- Discipline
- Humbleness
- Innovation
- Loyalty
- Passion
- Teamwork
- Vision
Organizational Culture
- Diversity and inclusion
- Discipline
- Strategic growth orientation
- Performance orientation
- Relationships
Applications of Technology
- The effectiveness of technology in helping organizational

operations
- Complexities of technology and its effect on your performance
- Technological disruptors
Other observations you make
2
Running Head: TRANSFORMATIONAL LEADERSHIP
1
TRANSFORMATIONAL LEADERSHIP
3
Transformational leadership
Student’s name
Institution affiliation
Date of submission
Have chosen Independent learning activity and the project to
deal with is under the topic of the leadership where I will
concentrate in research topic of comparing transformational
leadership in successful and less successful companies at
service industry dealing with fast food such as Star bucks. Many
firms are considering investing in transformational leadership

because it assumed to be one leadership that promotes
innovation, advocates for strategic change in the leadership and
creates a conducive working environment for employees.
There is four main characteristics that informed my choice to
deal with a topic that lies within this style of leadership. Main
of the reason is three main characteristics of this leadership
style that I found to be very important which include;
individualized consideration where a leader pays attention to
others and helps subordinates in exploiting their talents and
becoming more responsible in the organization. Another
characteristic is an intellectual simulation where a leader
encourages their followers to creativity and creativity.
Inspirational motivation is another factor that introduces a
leader as someone capable of encouraging followers to suitable
behaviour. Lastly, is the aspect of idealized influence where a
leader has the idealized traits and behaviours which are able to
command honour and respect from the followers (McCleskey,
2014).
After having a clear focus of the leadership theory to focus on,
the other thing was to consider the main research topic
considers drawing a comparison between successful and less
successful companies or services firms in services industry that
offers fast food such as Starbucks. To help carry out this
comparison, four research questions are important and are the
one that I intend to use which are; studying the characteristics
of idealized influence in successful and less successful
companies at service industry, studying the characteristics of
intellectual stimulation in successful and less successful
companies at service industry, studying the characteristics of
inspirational motivation in successful and less successful
companies at molding industry, studying the characteristics of
individualized consideration in successful and less successful
companies at service industry and lastly, ranking
transformational leadership factors in successful and less
successful companies at service industry.
In summary, after out the research and finish the project, it is

my expectation that the following hypothesis statement will
hold true; leaders in successful companies possess more traits of
transformational leadership than an unsuccessful one.
Reference
McCleskey, J. A. (2014). Situational, transformational, and
transactional leadership and leadership development. Journal of
Business Studies Quarterly, 5(4), 117.
TEN ESSENTIAL CAPSTONE COMPETENCIES
Your learning contract must cover at least five of the following
competencies. Believe it or not, you’ve been exposed to each of
these areas over the course of your degree program - the
capstone, specifically, needs to measure that you’ve achieved
competence in at least half of them.
In the language of employee training and development, a
competency is defined as a universal package of skills that
provides workers with the broad proficiency to perform many
jobs, handle a multitude of problems, and deal with diverse
situations over an entire career. The competencies that we
emphasize across our program and courses were carefully
researched and identified to reflect the major skill sets that most
employers are demanding from business graduates. Your

mastery of these Ten Essential Competencies is the best
foundation you can build for career success.
1. Functional Area Expertise & General Business Integration
2. Advanced Numeric Proficiency
3. Written/Oral Communication Proficiency
4. Technological Competence
5. Teamwork, Human Relations & Organizational
Effectiveness
6. Information and Advanced Literacy
7. Problem Solving & Decision Making Proficiency
8. Global Awareness & Multi-Cultural Empathy
9. Capacity for Lifelong Learning
10. Complementary Personal Attitudes, Values & Traits
1. Functional Area Expertise & General Business Integration
You must be an expert-generalist. This means you must have
strong technical skills in at least one specialty area of business,
along with the ability to understand “the big picture” of your
organization and your industry, so you can integrate your
expertise into it. You must be prepared to be a skilled “jack-
and-jane-of-all-trades.”
Among the specific skills you need to acquire are: broad
understanding of the free enterprise system, solid expertise in at
least one specialized area of business, project management
ability and people management skills. In addition you must
have financial savvy, quality and customer service orientation,
problem solving ability, teamwork skills, computer literacy and
complementary personal traits.
2. Advanced Numeric Proficiency

You must master the basic foundation skills that enable you to
read sophisticated quantitative material with comprehension,
write with clarity and persuasiveness in many media, think
numerically and use quantitative business tools. You must be
able to use your advanced literacy and numeracy to analyze
problems and communicate at a high level.
Among the specific skills you need to acquire are: high level
quantitative reading ability, the capacity to write quantitative
information clearly and accurately using Standard American
English and the ability to communicate using standard business
documents. You must acquire college level math skills
including competence in arithmetic, algebra and statistics. You
must be able to create and interpret graphs and tables, and
evaluate and interpret quantitative data.
3. Written/Oral Communication Proficiency
Business professionals spend most of their day communicating.
You must be able to converse effectively in one-on-one and
group environments, and present information clearly to a
critical audience. You must also be able to write clearly and
effectively, lead meetings, train others in what you know, argue
persuasively both orally and in writing, listen well, and
interpret correctly what others say in response.
Among the specific skills you need to acquire are: the capacity
to express your thoughts clearly and appropriately orally and in
written form, and deliver formal and informal presentations
using appropriate media support. You must also have the
proficiency to conduct business meetings, sell and persuade,
provide clear oral feedback, listen with attention and empathy,
and give and receive criticism. (back to list)
4. Technological Competence

You must be an adept user of popular business software. You
have to be experienced in using technology for business
communication and research. You must understand the
potential of technology to revolutionize business operations and
customer service.
Among the specific skills you need to acquire are: expertise in
using and integrating the most popular business software,
familiarity with computer hardware components and basic
troubleshooting. You must be able to adeptly use e-mail to
communicate and the Internet to retrieve data, you must
understand the potential and issues related to electronic
commerce and technology leveraging and appreciate the
possibilities and limitations of technology within your own field
of expertise. (back to list)
5. Teamwork, Human Relations & Organizational
Effectiveness
You must have well-developed team participation and
leadership skills. You must understand how to work with
others, motivate others and resolve interpersonal conflict. You
need to be able to establish a vision, contribute to a cause, and
be a cooperative team player who accepts responsibility and
accountability.
Among the specific skills you need to acquire are: an
understanding of leadership and recognition of leader role
models, the ability to set and communicate a team vision and
build working relationships, and the know-how to assess your
own and the team’s strengths and weaknesses. You must have a
capacity to organize and delegate work, and see how different
aspects of work connect. You must have the expertise to
negotiate and resolve conflicts, see trends, anticipate
consequences and work with diverse people. (back to list)

6. Information and Advanced Literacy
Good information is the key to good decision-making. You
must be able to find and retrieve information from multiple
sources, especially electronic sources. You must be able to
interpret data, assess its worth, and then apply it to the decision
process.
Among the specific skills you need to acquire are: the ability to
pose questions and identify information gaps, awareness of the
major sources (print and on-line) to find secondary information
about business and the ability to gather information through
primary methods (such as surveys). Beyond this, you must have
the know-how to assess information sources for quality and
reliability, and be able to organize and analyze the raw data and
then apply it to solve a problem. (back to list)
7. Problem Solving & Decision Making Proficiency
You must have an entrepreneur’s talent for uncovering problems
and discovering hidden opportunities. You must be able to
analyze a problem’s root causes, develop creative solutions and
identify the best one. And you must get that solution
implemented quickly.
Among the specific skills you need to acquire are: intellectual
curiosity and problem / opportunity finding skills. You must be
able to diagnose problems and find their root causes then think
“outside the box” to generate creative alternatives that
challenge the status quo. You must have the skills to evaluate
and rank alternatives, assesses their risks and consequences and
make rational decisions. And you need the proficiency to
design and implement an action plan. (back to list)
8. Global Awareness & Multi-Cultural Empathy

You must be prepared to participate in the global economy by
acquiring broad awareness of world issues, politics, geography
and global dependencies. You must have an eye for seeing
international opportunities and threats. You must be
comfortable living and working with people of diverse
economic, social, cultural and ethnic backgrounds.
Among the specific skills you need to acquire are: an
understanding of international trade and global markets,
appreciation and respect for diverse cultures and economic
systems and broad knowledge of world history, politics and
geography. In addition, you must be comfortable interacting
with people of diverse cultural, racial, social and ethnic
backgrounds. (back to list)
9. Capacity for Lifelong Learning
You must recognize that your learning has to continue over your
entire career. You must know your own strengths and
weaknesses as a learner and understand the opportunities for
advancement and the risks of your career field. You need to
know how to learn in many ways so you can stay current in your
field, or change fields.
Among the specific attitudes and skills you need to acquire are:
a learning attitude that includes a commitment to life-long
learning and knowledge of your own personal / professional
strengths and weaknesses. You must have experience learning
in different ways. You must be aware of trends within your
career field and how to keep up with them. You should be
connected with career-related organizations and professional
development opportunities. You must acquire career-building
savvy and know how to advance in your profession. (back to
list)
10. Complementary Personal Attitudes, Values & Traits

Personal traits and “emotional intelligence” (EQ) weigh heavily
in hiring and promotion decisions. You must be able to
demonstrate that you have the personal traits and character
qualities that complement your business skills. Your values,
attitudes, beliefs, ethics, maturity and motivations must be in
harmony with what most mainstream employers want.
Among the specific traits you need to acquire are:
dependability, a strong work ethic, self-motivation,
assertiveness and honesty. Employers expect to see punctuality,
ambition, flexibility, creativity, self-confidence, self-discipline,
professionalism and pride. They want you to demonstrate
mental toughness, stress management, empathy, sociability,
positive attitude, responsibility for your actions, and
determination to succeed. (back to list)
Changing the Discussion Settings in LEO
The following instructions show how you should set up your
discussion settings in LEO.
1. You should click on discussions.
2. Then you want to click on settings.
3. The interface looks like this
4. The next step is to change some settings. Look at this next
picture.

5. Did you see what we just changed? Good!
6. Want to know the next step? Here it is!
7. I hope you see that two settings have now been changed.
Examine the pictures closely to see what has been changed. It’s
important.
8. Clicking save will save these settings.
9. Now, click on any particular discussion, and you will see
how the changes change the interface. For example, you could
click on student introductions, as the screen capture below
indicates:
10. Take a look. Cool, eh?!?
11. And more cool features are shown in the next picture.

I hope this helps.
Put the Lime in the Cocoanut.
Elena’s Pantry, used with permission.
Instructions: How to Write Guides for Busy, Grouchy People
Jerz > Writing > Technical & Professional >
People hate reading instructions, and will only glance at them
when they are hopelessly lost. By then, they will already be
frustrated and behind schedule. For this reason, you should
organize your instructions carefully, phrase them clearly, and
make
them as brief as you possibly can.
This document introduces five basic principles about writing
instructions. Any professional writing textbook will have a
long section on writing instructions and manuals, but the basics
are as follows:
1. Know your audience.
2. Provide a brief introduction.
3. Write each step as a command.
4. Use numbers for commands, bullets for options.
5. Plan to test and revise.
1. Know your audience.
Most college assignments are written for an ideal reader — an
expert whose job includes scrutinizing and pondering
everything
that you write.
Don’t expect your audience to read your document as carefully

as you or your English teacher would. People in the real world
read instructions when they are impatient, fatigued, or even
terrified.
Your writing must be clear enough that readers can understand
with minimal effort. This does not mean using baby language
or avoiding complex details; it does mean using vocabulary
appropriate to your audience, and including details that your
readers need to perform the immediate task. (How do you know
whether you have included enough detail? Conduct a usability
test.)
2. Provide a brief introduction.
Help your readers determine, even before opening the brochure
or downloading the web page, whether this document will help
them do whatever it is they want to do.
State in plain language, what task your document describes:
“Installing and Operating the Canon BJ-200ex Bubble Jet
Printer.”
In a few sentences, state the purpose of the document; who
should read it, and under what circumstances? If it will help
your reader, you might also explain what your document does
not do.
If you wish, you may place extended background information in
a subordinate position (a marginal note, a sidebar, or a
completely different document) that does not interfere with the
user’s access to the list of required actions.
Note: Technical support documents are no place for marketing
slogans — the reader has already got the product, and is
probably annoyed with it at the moment.
3. Write each step as a command.

Use the the imperative mood — that is, phrase each step as if
your reader has just asked, “What should I do next?” Answer by
giving a direct command: “Add two cups of flour.”
“Tab A should be inserted into slot B.”
Jerz's Literacy WeblogJerz Culture Ethics Humanities
Journalism Literature Media Writing Teaching About
Practically speaking, most users will skip the introduction and
go right to the first numbered step. (Don’t put
anything vital in the intro!)“
http://www.flickr.com/photos/elanaspantry/4519426688/in/phot
ostream/
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ostream/
http://jerz.setonhill.edu/
http://jerz.setonhill.edu/writing/
http://jerz.setonhill.edu/writing/technical/
http://jerz.setonhill.edu/writing/technical-writing/instructions-
how-to-write-for-busy-grouchy-people/#audience
how-to-write-for-busy-grouchy-people/#introduction
how-to-write-for-busy-grouchy-people/#command
how-to-write-for-busy-grouchy-people/#numbers
how-to-write-for-busy-grouchy-people/#Test
http://jerz.setonhill.edu/writing/technical-writing/usability-
testing/
https://jerz.setonhill.edu/
https://jerz.setonhill.edu/culture/
https://jerz.setonhill.edu/ethics/

https://jerz.setonhill.edu/humanities/
https://jerz.setonhill.edu/journalism/
https://jerz.setonhill.edu/literature/
https://jerz.setonhill.edu/media/
http://jerz.setonhill.edu/writing_/
https://jerz.setonhill.edu/teaching1/
http://jerz.setonhill.edu/about/contact/
A reader consults a set of instructions in order to find out what
actions to perform, but this phrasing de-
emphasizes the action.Who or what is supposed to insert the
tab? Is this a value statement, akin to “The
world’s precious resources should be conserved”? One might
agree with that assertion, but still have no idea
how to go about performing the action of conserving. For this
reason, commands should employ the active
voice.
“Insert tab A into slot B.”
This revision begins with a verb that specifies what action the
reader is supposed to perform.
Note: most readers will skip the introduction and start reading
at the first numbered step. If your user will have to know a lot
of
background information before beginning, put the vital
information into the form of a checklist, rather than a long,
discursive
essay.
When you are describing steps that must be completed in a
certain order, common sense insists that you start with the first
step. (You would be surprised to learn how many of my
students describe steps out of order.) Number each step, in

order to
emphasize the sequence.
Steps for a specific task, which must be
completed in a specific order.
(These items are arranged in strict chronological order.)
A general essay, offering options and
possibilities.
(The text below is not a set of instructions. The items are
not arranged chronologically; they are general tips, rather
than specific commands.)
How to “Do the Hokey Pokey”
The “Hokey Pokey” is a simple dance that helps teach
toddlers the parts of the body. It also helps tire youngsters
out.
In order to perform the “Hokey Pokey” dance, do the
following:
1. Stand in a circle.
2. Sing the following words, performing the actions
described.
1. “You put your right hand in.”
(Put your right hand into the center of the circle.)
2. “You put your right hand out.”
(Let your right hand fall to your side, or hold it
away from the center of the circle.)
How to entertain your toddler
In order to spend quality time with your toddler, do the
following:

Consider your child’s developmental stage.
Determine what mood he or she seems to be in at
the moment.
Pay close attention to what your child does and
doesn’t like.
Remember is that children imitate everything they
see.
Consider your child’s developmental stage
A youngster who is just learning to walk may be frustrated
by the “Hokey Pokey” dance (which requires children to
stand on one foot part of the time). But if you play the
game on a nice soft rug, and if you don’t mind falling
down yourself in order to keep your child company, then
the “Hokey Pokey” dance can still be fun. Before you
know it, your toddler will be able to perform all the steps
without any help.
Note: when you are providing a list of possibilities, which do
not have to come in any particular order, use bullets
instead of numbers.“
Warning: encouraging your toddler to perform
this dance just before naptime may cause the
child to become excited or cranky.“
http://jerz.setonhill.edu/writing/grammar/act-pass.htm
3. “You put your right hand in.”
(Put your right hand back into the circle.)
4. “And you shake it all about.”
(Shake your right hand vigorously.)

5. “You do the Hokey Pokey and you turn yourself
around.”
(Point your fingers towards the ceiling, and
alternate moving your hands up and down, while
turning in place, until you are facing the center
of the circle again.)
6. “That’s what it’s all about!”
(Giggle, clap, or otherwise communicate to your
toddler the idea that the dance is fun.)
3. Repeat step 2, substituting “right hand” with other
terms (such as “left hand”, “right foot,” “left foot,”
“head”, and “whole self”) as desired.
There is no specific end to this song. Continue as long as
you wish.
Determine what mood your toddler seems to be in at
the moment
Most toddlers are so interested in their surroundings that
they have trouble focusing on one thing for very long. If
you are dead set on reading the literary classics to your
toddler, but he or she keeps grabbing the book out of your
hand and making up stories to go along with the pictures,
don’t punish your toddler by insisting on finishing the
story. When children get a little older, they get interested
in complex stories again; but for the time being, just sit
back and watch your child’s imagination blossom.
Pay close attention to what your child does and
doesn’t like.
[details here]

Remember that children imitate everything they see.
[details here]
4. Use numbers for commands, bullets for options.
Since some readers will only need help for one section of a
larger operation, divide up your instructions according to
discrete
subtasks. If you want your reader to perform tasks in a specific
sequence, number the steps. If you want your reader to choose
from among a list of options, bullet the options (otherwise the
reader won’t know when to stop). Write brief introductions to
each section, to clarify whether a list of steps is supposed to be
sequential or optional.
Hint: If your objective for performing the
“Hokey Pokey” is to tire out your toddler
instead of yourself, you may omit the action of
turning in a small circle at step 2.v. As long as
the toddler knows to turn around at that point,
you can just stand still and watch your little
maniac burn off some energy.
“
Making A Lime and Coconut Drink
These instructions describe how to make one serving of the
beverage described in the “Lime in the Coconut”
song. It also explains what to do if the drink makes you sick,
and suggests ways you might try to get the annoying
tune out of your head.
You will need one (1) lime and one (1) coconut.

I. Preparing the Drink
1. Take lime.
2. Take coconut.
3. Put the lime in the coconut.
“
5. Plan to Test and Revise.
Instead of investing your resources into polishing your first
draft, create a prototype and conduct usability testing on it.
You’ll be surprised at how much you can learn.
1. As closely as is practical, simulate the environment in which
you intend your audience to follow your instructions.
2. Find a volunteer who represents the intended audience, and
ask him or her to follow your instructions.
3. Keep quiet and take careful note of any problems.
4. Revise your document, and then try again with another
volunteer.
5. Repeat until you are satisfied with the results.
For larger, more complex projects, use five test subjects for
each trial run. See:Usability Testing.
See also:
MLA Style: Using MS-Word to Format a Paper (example of
detailed instructions)
Dennis G. Jerz
28 Apr, 2000 — first posted
23 May, 2000 — minor edits

10 Nov, 2002 — minor update
16 July, 2011 — refreshed and tweaked
4. Drink it right up.
II. If You Get Sick
Drinking the lime and the coconut may result in indigestion. In
case of a bellyache, do the following:
1. Call the doctor.
2. Wake him up, if necessary.
3. Say, “Doctor! Is there nothing I can take, I say Doctor! To
relieve this belly ache!”
III. Suggestions for Getting the Tune Out of Your Head
You might try any or all of the following. Repeat as necessary,
until the ringing in your ears drowns out the song, or
until you lose consciousness.
Hit yourself on the head with the coconut, or
Listen to a Britney Spears album, or
Dwell in misery upon your misguided, sinful life.
http://jerz.setonhill.edu/design/usability/prototype.htm
http://jerz.setonhill.edu/design/usability/intro.htm
http://jerz.setonhill.edu/design/usability/intro.htm
http://jerz.setonhill.edu/writing/academic/mla_style.html
29 thoughts on “Instructions: How to Write Guides for Busy,
Grouchy
People”
Pingback: Due Date #2, Due: Wed. 8/31/11 (11:59pm, PST) «

TWC301 Course Blog
Logan Schneider 10 Oct 2011 at 1:14 pm
Writing guidelines is usually the easiest and fastest thing to
write. Writing instructions has to be very precise
and exact.
http://rodrigotwc301.wordpress.com/2011/05/31/due-date-2-
due-sat-6411-1159pm-pst/
Reply
Dennis G. Jerz 10 Oct 2011 at 7:05 pm
Good point. Just in case the subtitle of this document might
give the impression that instructions
and guidelines are interchangeable, I’ll second what you wrote,
Logan.
Reply
lizzy kleyn 12 Oct 2011 at 11:25 am
this was great(:
Reply
dj kleve 14 Oct 2011 at 1:58 pm
wow lizzy
Reply
travs 12 Oct 2011 at 11:27 am

Hey Mrs. buckley hi!
Reply
dylan 14 Oct 2011 at 2:01 pm
language is kinda fun that y we should have more fun stuff
Reply
Jan Caulfield 2 Mar 2012 at 7:34 pm
May I please I use this example of writing instructions for a
technical writing course I teach in for Harrisburg
University?
http://[email protected]/
how-to-write-for-busy-grouchy-people/
http://delicious.com/buckleyke
https://jerz.setonhill.edu/writing/technical-writing/instructions-
how-to-write-for-busy-grouchy-
people/?replytocom=52784#respond

Reply
Dennis G. Jerz 2 Mar 2012 at 7:51 pm
As long as you cite it, be my guest.
Reply
Pingback: Bedford Bits: Ideas for Teaching Composition » Blog
Archive » Teaching about Writing Instructions with
Comics
Teri Stearns 27 Aug 2014 at 9:07 pm
I have shown this article to many people as a quick overview
for technical writing, and it’s been a wonderful
resource. I can’t thank you enough for this!
Reply
Dennis G. Jerz 27 Aug 2014 at 10:28 pm
Thanks for letting me know you found it useful.
Reply
Pingback: Instructions | Technical Writing
Kate 13 Apr 2015 at 2:11 pm
I love your directions for making the Lime and Coconut Drink.
Thank you for the giggle!

Reply
jevoninyocup 17 Apr 2015 at 2:26 pm
This is going to help me greatly in a couple hours:
http://t.co/dW0VPDA1n5 #writing #sprint #notthephones
Reply
Richard Antoine 28 Jul 2015 at 11:08 am
http://[email protected]/
https://twitter.com/jevoninyocup
http://blogs.bedfordstmartins.com/bits/elizabeth-losh/teaching-
about-writing-instructions-with-comics/loshalex/
http://burristechwriting.wordpress.com/2014/11/11/instructions/
http://t.co/dW0VPDA1n5

Dennis, I agree with your points as they match my experience.
I’m developing a training class and I’m trying to
find quantitative research to reference that supports my
observations. Do you know of any research studies
that have tested reading comprehension of lists versus
narratives/essays?
Reply
Dennis G. Jerz 28 Jul 2015 at 10:32 pm
http://www.nngroup.com/articles/how-users-read-on-the-web/
This is from 1997. I’m sure there are more recent studies, and I
am sure there are studies that cover
reading in general (this one covers online reading). I have not
taught technical writing for some time,
but here is a 2003 article that argues that bullet lists are shallow
and make us dumber.
http://www.units.miamioh.edu/technologyandhumanities/tuftebu
llets.htm
White papers, annual reports, vision statements, and other
important big-picture documents really
do need narrative, so I won’t say that bullet points are superior
to narrative in all cases. In the case
of online writing and the specific case of writing instructions,
the context of the reading act means
that putting your ideas into bullet points can often increase the
chances that your readers will
actually read what you write, but I’d say that most important
things probably should be written as
narrative first, for the small audience that really needs to know
all the details, but for the general

public or for people who only need to get the general idea,
bullet points are ways that the writer can
make best use of the limited attention that general audiences
will give.
Reply
Pingback: Writing Instructions That Lead to Action | DOUG
TOFT
dougtoft 24 Aug 2015 at 7:17 am
How to write instructions for busy, grouchy people
http://t.co/LTZ4hbImWP
Reply
tomas antonio 2 Dec 2015 at 10:12 am
well you see im in communications right now and this article
kinda sucks you should update it
Reply
Dennis G. Jerz 2 Dec 2015 at 10:03 pm
Ironic post is ironic.
Reply
https://twitter.com/dougtoft
http://www.nngroup.com/articles/how-users-read-on-the-web/

http://www.units.miamioh.edu/technologyandhumanities/tuftebu
llets.htm
http://dougtoft.net/2015/08/18/writing-instructions-that-lead-to-
action/
http://t.co/LTZ4hbImWP
Carol Jacobson 5 Feb 2016 at 12:55 pm
For the past several semesters, I’ve used your article (credited,
for sure) as supplementary reading for a class I
teach at Missouri State University. Not only is it a fine example
of well-written instructions, it’s also such a fun
read…and acquaints my scholars with that fine musical classic
“Lime in the Coconut.” Thank you for helping
me show my students how much fun technical writing can be!
Reply
Dennis G. Jerz 5 Feb 2016 at 1:53 pm
Thanks so much for your kind note!
Reply

rkeithtaylor 19 Feb 2016 at 11:46 am
I use this in my ENGL 101 at IUP. It is very helpful for our
informative sequence.
Reply
Pingback: How to Write a Good "How To" | Breaking Even
Communications
Ms Ekah 23 Aug 2017 at 6:56 am
So simple and direct. No mess, no fuss, just do it instruction!
Reply
Pingback: umuc wrtg393 WA 2 Instruction Manual - StudyPool
Cole 14 Nov 2017 at 9:59 am
Stay Savage
Reply
Jason Savage 30 Nov 2017 at 1:03 am
http://gravatar.com/rkeithtaylor

http://breakingeveninc.com/how-to-write-a-good-how-to/
https://www.studypool.us/umuc-wrtg393-wa-2-instruction-
manual/
This has been on the internet for 17 years and people are still
posting on it. That’s pretty cool.
Reply
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Instructions
Tell them how to do it!
by David McMurrey
Tell us where you are located!
Contents of This Chapter
Writing Instructions
Some Preliminaries
Audience and situation
Number of tasks
Step-by-step discussion
Groupings of tasks
Common Sections in Instructions
Introduction
General warning, caution, danger notices
Technical background or theory
Equipment and supplies

Discussion of the steps
Graphics in Instructions
Format in Instructions
Headings
Lists
Special notices
Numbers, abbreviations, and symbols
Revision Checklist for Instructions
Main index
Search
Your comments on this chapter
Related Courses:
ACC: Business & Technical Communication
McMurrey Asssociates: Courses in Technical Writing
The focus for this chapter is one of the most important of all
uses of
technical writing—instructions. As you know, instructions are
those step-by-
step explanations of how to do something: how to build,
operate, repair, or
maintain things.
Be sure to check out the examples.
One of the most common and one of the most important uses of
technical

writing is instructions—those step-by-step explanations of how
to do things:
assemble something, operate something, repair something, or do
routine
maintenance on something. But for something seemingly so
easy and
intuitive, instructions are some of the worst-written documents
you can
find. Like me, you've probably had many infuriating
experiences with badly
written instructions. What follows in this chapter may not be a
fool-proof,
mailto:%[email protected]?Subject=Online%20Textbook
https://www.prismnet.com/~hcexres/cgi-bin/guests.cgi
https://www.prismnet.com/~hcexres/textbook/instrux.html#notic
es2
https://www.prismnet.com/~hcexres/textbook/acctoc.html
https://www.prismnet.com/~hcexres/textbook/search.html
https://sites.austincc.edu/bgtcm/
https://www.prismnet.com/~hcexres/mcm-ace/
https://www.prismnet.com/~hcexres/textbook/models.html#instr
uctions
goof-proof guide to writing instructions, but it will show you
what
professionals consider the best techniques.
Ultimately, good instruction writing requires:
Clear, simple writing
A thorough understanding of the procedure in all its technical
detail

Your ability to put yourself in the place of the reader, the
person trying to use
your instructions
Your ability to visualize the procedure in great detail and to
capture that
awareness on paper
Finally, your willingness to go that extra distance and test your
instructions
on the kind of person you wrote them for.
By now, you've probably studied headings, lists, and special
notices—
writing a set of instructions with these tools probably seems
obvious. Just
break the discussion out into numbered vertical lists and throw
in some
special notices at the obvious points and you're done! Well, not
quite, but
that's a great start. This chapter explores some of the features of
instructions that can make them more complex. You can in turn
use these
considerations to plan your own instructions.
Some Preliminaries
At the beginning of a project to write instructions, it's important
to
determine the structure or characteristics of the particular
procedure you
are going to write about.
Audience and situation. Early in the process, define the
audience and
situation of your instructions. Remember that defining an
audience means

defining its level of familiarity with the topic as well as other
such details.
See the discussion of audiences and steps to use in defining
audiences.
Most importantly, if you are in a writing course, you'll need to
write a
description of your audience and attach that to your
instructions. This will
enable your instructor to assess your instructions in terms of
their rightness
for the intended audience. And remember too that in a
technical-writing
course it is preferable to write for nonspecialist audiences—
much more of a
challenge to you as a writer.
Number of tasks. How many tasks are there in the procedure
you are
writing about? Let's use the term procedure to refer to the whole
set of
activities your instructions are intended to discuss. A task is a
semi-
independent group of actions within the procedure: for example,
setting the
clock on a microwave oven is one task in the big overall
procedure of
operating a microwave oven.
A simple procedure like changing the oil in a car contains only
one task;
there are no semi-independent groupings of activities. A more
complex
procedure like using a microwave oven contains plenty of such
semi-
independent tasks: setting the clock; setting the power level;

using the
timer; cleaning and maintaining the microwave, among others.
(The
instructions on using a camera are organized by tasks.)
https://www.prismnet.com/~hcexres/textbook/aud.html
uctions
Use task
orientation. Focus
on the tasks your
readers want to
perform; use how
to or –ing phrasing
on headings.
Some instructions have only a single task, but have many steps
within that
single task. For example, imagine a set of instructions for
assembling a
kids' swing set. In my own experience, there were more than a
130 steps!
That can be a bit daunting. A good approach is to group similar
and related
steps into phases, and start renumbering the steps at each new
phase. A
phase then is a group of similar steps within a single-task
procedure. In the
swing-set example, setting up the frame would be a phase;
anchoring the
thing in the ground would be another; assembling the box swing
would be
still another.

Best approach to the step-by-step discussion. Another
consideration,
which maybe you can't determine early on, is how to focus your
instructions. For most instructions, you can focus on tasks, or
you can focus
on tools (or features of tools).
In a task approach (also known as task
orientation) to instructions on using a phone-
answering service, you'd have these sections:
recording your greeting
playing back your messages
saving your messages
forwarding your messages
deleting your messages, and so on
These are tasks—the typical things we'd want
to do with the machine. For further
discussion, see the chapter on task analysis.
On the other hand, in a tools approach to
instructions on using a photocopier, there
would be these unlikely sections:
copy button
cancel button
enlarge/reduce button
collate/staple button
copy-size button, and so on
If you designed a set of instructions on this plan, you'd write
steps for using
each button or feature of the photocopier. Instructions using this
tools

approach are hard to make work. Sometimes, the name of the
button
doesn't quite match the task it is associated with; sometimes you
have to
use more than just the one button to accomplish the task. Still,
there can
be times when the tools/feature approach may be preferable.
Groupings of tasks. Listing tasks may not be all that you need to
do.
There may be so many tasks that you must group them so that
readers can
find individual ones more easily. For example, the following are
common
task groupings in instructions:
1. unpacking and setup tasks
2. installing and customizing tasks
3. basic operating tasks
4. routine maintenance tasks
5. troubleshooting tasks; and so on
https://www.prismnet.com/~hcexres/textbook/task_analysis.html
Common Sections in Instructions
The following is a review of the sections you'll commonly find
in
instructions. Don't assume that each one of them must be in the
actual
instructions you write, nor that they have to be in the order
presented here,
nor that these are the only sections possible in a set of
instructions.
As you read the following on common sections in instructions,

check out the
example instructions.
Schematic view of instructions. Remember that this is a typical
or common
model for the contents and organization—many others are
possible.
Introduction. Plan the introduction to your instructions
carefully. Make
sure it does any of the following things (but not necessarily in
this order)
that apply to your particular instructions:
Indicate the specific tasks or procedure to be explained as well
as the scope
of coverage (what won't be covered).
Indicate what the audience needs in terms of knowledge and
background to
understand the instructions.
Give a general idea of the procedure and what it accomplishes.
Indicate the conditions when these instructions should (or
should not) be
used.
Give an overview of the contents of the instructions.
See the section on introductions for further discussion.
General warning, caution, danger notices. Instructions often
must alert
readers to the possibility of ruining their equipment, screwing
up the

uctions
https://www.prismnet.com/~hcexres/textbook/introds.html
procedure, and hurting themselves. Also, instructions must
often emphasize
key points or exceptions. For these situations, you use special
notices—
note, warning, caution, and danger notices. Notice how these
special
notices are used in the example instructions listed above.
Technical background or theory. At the beginning of certain
kinds of
instructions (after the introduction, of course), you may need a
discussion
of background related to the procedure. For certain instructions,
this
background is critical—otherwise, the steps in the procedure
make no
sense. For example, you may have had some experience with
those
software applets in which you define your own colors by
nudging red,
green, and blue slider bars around. To really understand what
you're doing,
you need to have some background on color. Similarly, you can
imagine
that, for certain instructions using cameras, some theory might
be needed
as well.
Equipment and supplies. Notice that most instructions include a
list of

the things you need to gather before you start the procedure.
This includes
equipment, the tools you use in the procedure (such as mixing
bowls,
spoons, bread pans, hammers, drills, and saws) and supplies, the
things
that are consumed in the procedure (such as wood, paint, oil,
flour, and
nails). In instructions, these typically are listed either in a
simple vertical
list or in a two-column list. Use the two-column list if you need
to add some
specifications to some or all of the items—for example, brand
names, sizes,
amounts, types, model numbers, and so on.
Discussion of the steps. When you get to the actual writing of
the steps,
there are several things to keep in mind: (1) the structure and
format of
those steps, (2) supplementary information that might be
needed, and (3)
the point of view and general writing style.
Structure and format. Normally, we imagine a set of instructions
as being
formatted as vertical numbered lists. And most are in fact.
Normally, you
format your actual step-by-step instructions this way. There are
some
variations, however, as well as some other considerations:
Fixed-order steps are steps that must be performed in the order
presented.
For example, if you are changing the oil in a car, draining the
oil is a step

that must come before putting the new oil. These are numbered
lists
(usually, vertical numbered lists).
Variable-order steps are steps that can be performed in
practically any order.
Good examples are those troubleshooting guides that tell you to
check this,
check that where you are trying to fix something. You can do
these kinds of
steps in practically any order. With this type, the bulleted list is
the
appropriate format.
Alternate steps are those in which two or more ways to
accomplish the same
thing are presented. Alternate steps are also used when various
conditions
might exist. Use bulleted lists with this type, with OR inserted
between the
alternatives, or the lead-in indicating that alternatives are about
to be
presented.
Nested steps. In some cases, individual steps within a procedure
can be
rather complex in their own right and need to be broken down
into substeps.
In this case, you indent further and sequence the substeps as a,
b, c, and so
on.
https://www.prismnet.com/~hcexres/textbook/notices.html
Avoid

telegraphic writing
—omitting
"understood"
articles (the, a,
"Stepless" instructions. And finally there exist instructions that
really cannot
use numbered vertical list and that do little if any
straightforward
instructional-style directing of the reader. Some situations must
be so
generalized or so variable that steps cannot be stated.
See the chapter on lists for the style and format of these
possibilities.
Supplementary discussion. Often, it is not enough simply to tell
readers to
do this or to do that. They need additional explanatory
information such as
how the thing should look before and after the step; why they
should care
about doing this step; what mechanical principle is behind what
they are
doing; even more micro-level explanation of the step—
discussion of the
specific actions that make up the step.
The problem with supplementary discussion, however, is that it
can hide the
actual step. You want the actual step—the specific actions the
reader is to
take—to stand out. You don't want it all buried in a heap of
words. There
are at least two techniques to avoid this problem: you can split
the

instruction from the supplement into separate paragraphs; or
you can bold
the instruction.
Bolding actual user steps in instructions. Bold text helps
distinguish the
actual action from the supplementary information.
Writing style. The way you actually write
instructions, sentence by sentence, may seem
contradictory to what previous writing classes
have taught you. However, notice how "real-
world" instructions are written—they use a lot
of imperative (command, or direct-address)
kinds of writing; they use a lot of "you."
That's entirely appropriate. You want to get in
your reader's face, get her or his full
attention. For that reason, instruction-style
sentences sound like these: "Now, press the
Pause button on the front panel to stop the
https://www.prismnet.com/~hcexres/textbook/lists.html
an). True, robots
write that way, but
we don't have to.)
display temporarily" and "You should be
careful not to ..."
A particular problem involves use of the
passive voice in instructions. For some weird
reason, some instructions sound like this:
"The Pause button should be depressed in
order to stop the display temporarily." Not

only are we worried about the Pause button's
mental health, but we wonder who's
supposed to depress the thing (are you talkin'
to me?). Or consider this example: "The Timer button is then set
to 3:00."
Again, as the person following these instructions, you might
miss this; you
might think it is simply a reference to some existing state, or
you might
wonder, "Are they talking to me?" Almost as bad is using the
third person:
"The user should then press the Pause button." Again, it's the
old double-
take: you look around the room and wonder, "Who me?" (For
more detail,
see passive-voice problem.)
Another of the typical problems with writing style in
instructions is that
people seem to want to leave out articles: "Press Pause button
on front
panel to stop display of information temporarily" or
"Earthperson, please
provide address of nearest pizza restaurant." Why do we do
this? Do we all
secretly want to be robots? Anyway, be sure to include all
articles (a, an,
the) and other such words that we'd normally use in
instructions.
Graphics in Instructions
Probably more so than in any other form of writing (except
maybe for comic
books), graphics are crucial to instructions. Sometimes, words
simply
cannot explain the step. Illustrations are often critical to

readers' ability to
visualize what they are supposed to do.
In a technical writing course, instructions may require you to
include
illustrations or other kinds of graphics—whatever would
normally be used in
the instructions. The problem of course may be that you don't
have access
to graphics that would be suitable for your particular
instructions, and that
you don't feel wildly confident in your artistic abilities. There
are ways to
overcome these problems! Take a look at the suggestions in
graphics. In
that chapter, you'll see not only suggestions for creating
graphics, but also
requirements on their format.
Format in Instructions
Headings. In your instructions, make good use of headings.
Normally,
you'd want headings for any background section you might
have, the
equipment and supplies section, a general heading for the actual
instructions section, and subheadings for the individual tasks or
phases
within that section. Take a look at the examples at the
beginning of this
chapter. See headings for common requirements.
Lists. Similarly, instructions typically make heavy use of lists,
particularly
https://www.prismnet.com/~hcexres/textbook/hirev2.html#passi
ve

https://www.prismnet.com/~hcexres/textbook/graphics.html
https://www.prismnet.com/~hcexres/textbook/headings.html
numbered vertical lists for the actual step-by-step explanations.
Simple
vertical lists or two-column lists are usually good for the
equipment and
supplies section. In-sentence lists are good whenever you give
an overview
of things to come. See lists for common requirements.
Special notices. In instructions, you must alert readers to
possibilities in
which they may damage their equipment, waste supplies, cause
the entire
procedure to fail, injure themselves or others—even seriously or
fatally.
Companies have been sued for lack of these special notices, for
poorly
written special notices, or for special notices that were out of
place. See
special notices for a complete discussion of the proper use of
these special
notices as well as their format and placement within
instructions.
Indentation of notices in instructions. In the first example,
notice how the
notice is indented to the text of the preceding step. In the
second example,
notice that the severe notice is placed at the beginning before
any of the
steps.
Number, abbreviations, and symbols. Instructions also use

plenty of
numbers, abbreviations, and symbols. For guidelines on these
areas.
Revision Checklist for Instructions
As you reread and revise your instructions, watch out for
problems such as
the following:
https://www.prismnet.com/~hcexres/textbook/lists.html
https://www.prismnet.com/~hcexres/textbook/notices.html
https://www.prismnet.com/~hcexres/textbook/gram2.html#numb
ers
Make sure you provide real instructions—explanations of how
to build,
operate, or repair something.
Write a good introduction—in it, indicate the exact procedure to
be
explained, indicate audience requirements, and provide an
overview of
contents.
Make sure that you use the various types of lists wherever
appropriate. In
particular, use numbered vertical lists for sequential steps.
Use headings to mark off all the main sections and subheadings
for
subsections. (Remember that no heading "Introduction" is
needed between
the title and the first paragraph. Remember not to use first-level
headings in
this assignment; start with the second level.)

Use special notices as appropriate.
Make sure you use the style and format for all headings, lists,
special
notices, and graphics as presented in these chapters. If that's a
problem, get
in touch with your instructor.
Use graphics to illustrate any key actions or objects.
Provide additional supplementary explanation of the steps as
necessary.
Remember to create a section listing equipment and supplies, if
necessary.
I would appreciate your thoughts, reactions, criticism regarding
this
chapter: your response—David McMurrey.
Information and programs provided by [email protected], 1997–
2017.
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0
International License.
https://www.prismnet.com/~hcexres/cgi-
bin/otb_critique.cgi?chapter=Instructions%20chapter
mailto:[email protected]?Subject=Online%20Textbook
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
Professional and Technical

Writing/Instructions
Many people are used to following written instructions, but
most people have never written instructions for another
person. In many professional roles, you may have to write
instructions. While some instructions may be simple and brief,
other instructions may be more complex and take longer to
complete. For this reason, it is important to know how to write
useful instructions.
Writing useful instructions can be difficult because people read
and comprehend things differently. For example, some
people are visual learners and may have difficulty following
written instructions. Readers also have a variety of
educational backgrounds. When writing instructions, it is
important to use a simple, logical style and format.
When writing instructions, avoid persuasive language and take a
task-based approach. Keep the writing concise and clear,
and focus on enabling the user to successfully accomplish the
task.
In general, follow these guidelines:
Conciseness and Clarity
Keep sentences short and understandable. Use common
terminology whenever possible. Avoid using idioms, slang,
jargon, nicknames, abbreviations, and acronyms. If you do use
terminology that might be new or confusing, then clearly
define each term when it first appears in the instructions.
Audience
It is important to know your audience when writing instructions,
so you are including all necessary information and

excluding unnecessary information. Knowing your audience
allows you to make reasonable and well-informed
assumptions based on the audience's likely background,
experience, and familiarity with the subject. For example, if you
are writing instructions for a group of senior citizens at the
local branch of the public library, it may not be safe to assume
that they are familiar with the basics of opening a specific
software application. However, if you are writing instructions
for a group of software developers within a professional
organization, it may be safe to assume that they are familiar
with
the basics of opening a specific software application.
When deciding what information to include and exclude from
instructions, it is important to clearly identify who your
audience is and what their likely proficiency is with the topic of
the instructions and related background information.
If an audience is likely to have a wide range of experience and
knowledge that includes varying levels of familiarity and
expertise, you can use various techniques to keep each set of
instructions concise and focused on a single task, while still
providing necessary information. For example, you can create
separate instructions for prerequisite information and
Guidelines for Writing Instructions
provide your audience with the means to quickly and easily
access the separate instructions (through hyperlinks,
appendices, etc.).
Graphics

Pictures speak louder than words. Adding graphics to convey
your thoughts may be more effective than the words
themselves. Instructions that are well illustrated and accompany
your written instructions are usually highly successful. It
adds an extra level of understanding and allows the reader to
skim or troubleshoot if problems occur. Pictures add an
additional dimension that will allow your reader to visualize the
end product. Also, when using graphics you should be
mindful of those visual learners, and adapt the graphics.
Although pictures are great, you must be cautious not to include
photographs or illustrations that are confusing or not
associated with the actual written instructions. If you pair a
poor picture with your instructions, you might cause the
reader stress or introduce confusion when trying to decipher
what you mean.
Also, when taking pictures, ensure that the area is well lit and
the pictures are clear and bright. Dark or fuzzy pictures are
often difficult to follow. Take care to photograph the subject in
the same orientation each time to avoid confusion and
consider using a tripod.
Size is also important when using images in instructions. A
picture that is too small to see is just as useless as a blurry
image.
To be powerful and understandable, your text and graphic for
each step should clearly correlate to that step of the
instructions.
Formatting
Remember that the readers will actually be performing the task
as they read along with the instructions. So you should

not use solid blocks of small, hard to decipher text. Make sure
to create a design and layout for your instructions page that
will allow easy readability and add aesthetic quality. Keeping
the page simple, but with a defined hierarchy, will assist the
reader in completing the steps of the instructions.
When designing your page, a solid hierarchy is important for
scan-ability. The use of bold headings, italics, and roman
numerals will aid the reader in finding their place easily and
helps with the overall visual appearance.
Order
It is important your instructions be planned out in a logical
progression. Make sure to state the problem clearly on the
first page. Follow your problems with a set of specific steps
detailing how to solve the proposed problem. Technical
instructions must flow in a logical pattern. For example, when
assembling a table it would not be good if you put the
finishing touches on it before you had all the screws in place.
As stated before, there should also be clear graphics where
necessary to clarify the action. Remember, a picture is worth a
thousand words.
Testing and Verification
We all know that instructions are difficult to write and that
sometimes it sounds good on paper, but when you actually
attempt to put the instructions to use, you might find that your
wording makes no sense to others. Remember what might
be common or obvious to you might baffle your readers, so
know your audience. In addition to testing your instructions
on yourself, have someone who knows nothing about your

product test it. This is called a usability study. Take notes on
what worked and what didn't and then revise your instructions
accordingly. In the long run the more people that test your
instructions, the more effective the final set will be.
Tailoring your instructions to the intended audience can be one
of the most difficult tasks of your writing process. Before
you begin your writing process you need to identify who your
audience will be and how you can tailor your instructions to
make them as understandable as possible. To help you do this,
there are several questions you can ask yourself:
What background might your audience members have, and what
prior knowledge might they possess? This will help
you to determine what you will need to include or not include in
your instructions.
What will their needs/interests be?
How will their demographics affect how you write? If the
majority of your audience comes from a different
demographic than you, you need to take into consideration
language issues and make sure graphics are clear.
Is there a variability in your audience? If your audiences are
composed of people with varied backgrounds, your
writing should be tailored to the majority of your audience, and
you may also consider adding additional information in
appendices.
Based on your answers to the above questions, there are several
ways you can ensure that your instructions will be as clear
as possible to your readers.
Add information (such as tips, side notes) the readers will need
in order to understand your instructions and make
sure no key information is missing.
Do not add information that is unnecessary; it may confuse or
mislead your readers.

Make sure the document is at the level of your audience.
Add examples/graphics. Graphics can be very helpful to a
reader.
Have a clear organization. Lack of organization creates
confusion and frustration.
The following sections are descriptions of the different parts of
the general superstructure of a set of instructions. What
sections to include will vary based on the complexity of the
instructions. Your document may contain any of the following
sections:
Introduction
Description of Equipment
Materials and Equipment Necessary
The procedures
Visual aids
Troubleshooting
What is included in your introduction will depend on what your
instructions are for and who will be using them. In any
case, the introduction should be brief, but still informative. The
introduction can include any or all of the following
sections:
Subject/Aim: Here you should indicate the specific task that
will be explained and what the outcome of the
Tailoring Instructions to the Intended Audience
Writing Your Instructions
Introduction

procedure will be.
Intended Readers: You may want to identify who the intended
readers of the instructions are and if the reader will
need additional knowledge or background in order to complete
the task.
Scope: This will help the reader to know if the instructions will
help them complete the task they want to or not.
Organization: Giving the reader an overview of what the rest of
the instructions will look like can help them to more
easily understand them. This section could also go under scope.
Safety: It is your responsibility to inform the readers of any
hazards or dangers that could occur while they are
completing the task. You need to display warnings in a clear
and understandable fashion.
If there is equipment that the reader will have to use in order to
operate or repair a piece of equipment, you may want to
include a description of it.
Provide a list of equipment that the reader will need to
accomplish the task so they know if they need additional tools
or
things they may not normally have. A list of supplies is also
helpful for a reader to make sure that they have all the parts
and pieces they need.
This section is obviously the most important part of an
instructions set since it is the actual steps that the reader will
follow to complete the task at hand. There are many ways to
format the procedures, but most are done with numbered
lists. The following are things you should do to make the steps
clear and concise:
Write each step with concise wording so it is easily understood
and completed.

Techniques:
Give readers enough information to perform the step, avoid
redundancy.
Put the steps in a list. Numbering often works the best.
Highlight key words.
Make sure the reader can locate steps quickly and easily.
Techniques:
Number steps.
Skip lines between steps.
Make actions stand out from the rest of the text.
Tell the reader what to do if they make a mistake. Not knowing
what to do will cause frustration and the reader may
give up on the task.
Description of Equipment
Materials/Equipment List
Procedure
Visual Aids
The use of graphics and pictures to correspond to each step is
highly recommended. Each person has different learning
habits; some like texts while others are better off with pictures.
The presence of graphics also allows the reader to make
sure he/she is still on the right track. In most situations it would
be beneficial to have a combination of both graphics and

words.
Instructions should include this section to tell the reader what to
do if something goes wrong during the building process
or if the completed project does not look like the expected
outcome. Putting this information into a table format often
works the best.
For an example set of instructions visit [1]
(https://www.prismnet.com/~hcexres/textbook/models.html#inst
ructions)
This webpage contains information from the textbook entitled
Power Tools for Technical Communication by David A.
McMurrey.
Usability testing is an absolutely crucial step in preparing an
effective set of instructions. Once you have completed a draft
of your instructions, it is important to test them to see where
improvements can be made. A usability test should be
performed on multiple testers for each updated draft of your
instructions. Here is how you go about performing a usability
testing:
1. First, you should choose your testers from a group that is
representative of your intended audience. In order to single
these specific users out, you may need to ask a few preliminary
questions. For example, asking what their experience level
with the task is or what their job field is.
2. Next you need to choose how you will evaluate the tester's
performance in completing the task. There are different
methods to choose from, but one method is called the "Think
Aloud" method. When using this method you ask your tester
to complete the task using your instructions while verbalizing
everything that is going through their head as they go
through the instructions. Do not offer any help to the tester as

he or she goes through the test, kindly tell them that you
can answer their questions at the end. As the tester says what is
confusing or hard you take notes. You can record this
information in a chart that has three columns. In the first
column you will record the problems your tester had. In the
second column you write down what the possible cause of each
problem was. In the third try to generate a possible
solution to the problem or possible ways you can change your
instructions to make them more understandable. Be sure to
be descriptive in what you want to find out. Be sure to lay out
the testing form to collect all pertinent information about
your testing so no information is overlooked or misplaced.
3. After the test is done look at your notes and ask the tester to
elaborate on the problems that you noted. This is an
important step because you are getting direct feedback from
your audience. Make sure that you understand exactly what
was confusing for them, as this will help you in writing the
most successful set of instructions. Ask testers how you could
change that step or part of the instructions to make them
unambiguous.
Troubleshooting
Usability Testing
uctions
4. Based on your findings edit and update your instructions.
After you do so they should be more understandable and
easier to follow for your intended audience. In many cases it is
appropriate or even necessary to conduct one or more
rounds of usability tests as you perfect your instructions. More
testing may prove beneficial in discovering problems that

were overlooked the first round of testing or because the
problems may have been masked by original complications. If
time permits, be sure to run as many rounds of usability testing
as needed.
Note: Pay special attention to your intended audience and
ensure that you have the number of testers, and accurate
demographics necessary to accurately represent your sample.
For example, if you are making instructions for a
'beginner audience' and test an all 'expert' audience your sample
will not be representative. In addition, if you are
wanting to make instructions for a large audience of several
ages, gender and experience level, your sample will
need to be large and representative of that population.
If the instructions require the tester to use both hands (like
tying a tie), consider making all the instructions visible
without turning pages so it is easier for them to complete the
task.
Many people resist reading instructions. They try to figure out
for themselves how to operate a product or perform a task
and will turn to the instructions only if all their efforts fail.
When they do read the instructions, they want to understand
everything immediately without having to read anything twice.
A simple design, plain wording, and clear instructions will
be critical to encouraging readers to pay attention to your
instructions or procedures.
When writing technical documents and instructions there are
several style tips you should keep in mind:
Use a lot of imperative, command or direct address, kinds of
writing. It is OK to use "you" when writing instructions,
because you are addressing the reader directly.
Use active instead of passive voice.
Do not leave out articles such as a, an and the.

Use action verbs.
Ensure graphics match descriptive text to avoid confusion.
Label graphics by steps, for example Step 17 "...Put...", the
graphic should be labeled clearly with a number "17" or if
multiple graphics exists for a line of text writing in
chronological order "17a, 17b, etc." or if different views "17
front, 17
back, etc."
Keep text short but descriptive.
Avoid complicated jargon, use simple verbiage to ensure
understanding by a broad spectrum of users.
Use concise headings and subheadings to describe and highlight
each section.
Leave plenty of white space around headings.
Highlight safety information and warnings.
Keep illustrations as simple as possible.
Main Page
(http://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/Technical_and_professional_writi
ng)
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This page was last edited on 27 October 2018, at 17:42.
General Writing Style Tips
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