Nothing is more serious than writing an annual report.
The spectre of the SEC looms, nervous Treasurers lean over your shoulder, and busy CEOs struggle to find just the right words to express their vision.
Merix Corporation hired me to write three annual reports for them. Their
CEO, Debi Coleman
was a blunt person who wasn't afraid to be straightforward
in the company's description of itself. The result was relatively free
of jargon and sometimes interesting to read.
"If manufacturing excellence is the heart of Merix,
and customer satisfaction our soul, then engineering and technical excellence
are our brains."
"This report presents two complementary views
of our year: objective measurements that track performance against goals,
and a glimpse of the people who were essential to Merix achivements.
In these faces you will
see the strength of a proud, young company setting
demanding goals
for its future."
Was the report successful?
The shareholders were impressed, the SEC didn't object, and Coleman got as close to a compliment as she ever did.
She said, "Compared to most annual reports, this didn't suck."
