Description: A 3-5 page professionally-written proposal to a former boss with a plan to address a business-related problem.Proposals take many forms, but generally they describe a problem/identify a need/opportunity; recommend a solution/response; and provide a plan for implementation. (Some suggest several potential solutions/responses and recommend one over the others.)

While many proposals are formal documents authored by consulting companies and used to persuade other organizations to retain their services, less formal proposals, particularly those made by one employee to another inside an organization, abound daily. There are many activities that we may propose others in our organization do in response to a perceived need or problem. For example:

• You could propose your company adopt new technology or conduct research on the customer base.

• Perhaps you believe they should explore the capacity for growth in a certain market sector.

• Perhaps you would like to proposethey develop a new product.

• You could propose an employee policy regarding absences/leave or suggest alternatives to scheduling, hiring or training.

• You might have suggestions to curb theft.

• You may have ideas on how to make a process more effective or efficient.

There are limitless problems you may encounter. But there are some very specific and important approaches to formulating your proposal so that it is persuasive and taken seriously by decision-makers. Toward that end, include the following in your proposal.