I want my boss to congratulate me on having succeeded in scheduling
the meeting.
All of these statements are action oriented; you want your boss to do
something—in this example, to tell, ask, or congratulate. Knowing the
action you seek makes the entire writing process easier.
Sometimes you desire an action objective that aims to avoid a negative
consequence. In this example, when you ask yourself, “Why do I care
about updating my boss?” you may respond:
I don’t want my boss to ask me for an update; I want him to perceive
that I’m on top of things.
Read each of the scenarios in Exercise 1 and write an action objective
that best describes what each person wants his or her reader(s) to do. If
you find you’re writing a passive objective, ask yourself, “Why do I care?”
to help you transform the passive objective into an action objective.
Following each scenario are examples of well-written objectives. Keep
in mind that there are many good variations. If the objective you write
allows you to envision a reader doing something, it’s a well-written objective.
On the other hand, if your objective describes a feeling or thought,
or if it expresses an intention, it’s not likely to be effective. As you practice
writing objectives and evaluate your work, think action!