Business Communication Today

Business Communication Today. Fifteenth Edition, Global Edition.

[Audio] Learning Objectives (1 of 2) 4.1 Describe the three step writing process. 4.2 Explain why it’s important to analyze a communication situation in order to define your purpose and profile your audience before writing a message. 4.3 Discuss information gathering options for simple messages, and identify three attributes of quality information..

[Audio] Learning Objectives (2 of 2) 4.4 List the factors to consider when choosing the most appropriate medium for a message. 4.5 Explain why good organization is important to both you and your audience, and list the tasks involved in organizing a message..

[Audio] Understanding the Three Step Writing Process L O 4.1 Describe the three step writing process. The three step writing process consists of planning, writing, and completing your messages..

[Audio] Figure 4.1 The Three Step Writing Process Sources: Kevin J Harty and John Keenan, Writing for Business and Industry: Process and Product (New York: Macmillan Publishing Company, 1987), 3–4; Richard Hatch, Business Writing (Chicago: Science Research Associates, 1983), 88–89; Richard Hatch, Business Communication Theory and Technique (Chicago: Science Research Associates, 1983), 74–75; Center for Humanities, Writing as a Process: A Step by Step Guide (Mount Kisco, N Y : Center for Humanities, 1987); Michael L Keene, Effective Professional Writing (New York: D C Heath, 1987), 28–34. Chapter 1 introduced the notion of audience centered communication and the “you” attitude—speaking and writing in terms of your audience’s wishes, interests, hopes, and preferences. On the simplest level, you can adopt the “you” attitude by replacing terms such as I, me, mine, we, us, and ours with you and yours. However, the “you” attitude is more than simply using particular pronouns. It’s a matter of demonstrating genuine interest in your readers and concern for their needs (see Figure 5.1). You can use you 25 times in a single page and still offend your audience or ignore readers’ true concerns. If you’re writing to a retailer, try to think like a retailer; if you’re dealing with a production supervisor, put yourself in that position; if you’re writing to a dissatisfied customer, imagine how you would feel at the other end of the transaction. Be aware that on some occasions it’s better to avoid using you, particularly if doing so will sound overly authoritative or accusing. As you practice using the “you” attitude, be sure to consider the attitudes of other cultures and the policies of your organization. In some cultures it is improper to single out one person’s achievements because the whole team is responsible for the outcome; in that case, using the pronoun we or our (when you and your audience are part of the same team) would be more appropriate. Similarly, some companies have a tradition of avoiding references to you and I in most messages and reports. Long description: The details of the figure are as follows: 1. Plan: Analyze the situation: Define your purpose and develop an audience profile. Gather Information: Determine audience needs and obtain the information necessary to satisfy those needs. Choose Medium and Channel: Identify the best combination for the situation, message, and audience. Organize the Information: Define your main idea, limit your scope, select the direct or indirect approach, and outline your content. 2. Write: Adapt to Your Audience: Be sensitive to audience needs by using a “you” attitude, politeness, positive emphasis, and unbiased language. Build a strong relationship with your audience by establishing your credibility and projecting your company’s preferred image. Control your style with a conversational tone, plain English, and appropriate voice. Compose the Message: Choose strong words that will help you create effective sentences and coherent paragraphs. 3. Complete: Revise the Message: Evaluate content and review readability; edit and rewrite for conciseness and clarity. Produce the Message: Use effective design elements and suitable layout for a clean, professional appearance. Proofread the Message: Review for errors in layout, spelling, and mechanics. Distribute the Message: Deliver your message using the chosen channel; make sure all documents and all relevant files are distributed successfully..

[Audio] Planning Business Messages Analyze the Situation Gather the Information Choose Medium and Channel Organize the Information To plan any message, first analyze the situation by defining your purpose and developing a profile of your audience. When you’re sure of what you need to accomplish with your message, gather the information that will meet your audience’s needs. Next, select the best combination of medium and channel to deliver your message. Then organize the information by defining your main idea, limiting your scope, selecting the direct or indirect approach, and outlining your content. Planning messages is the focus of this chapter..

[Audio] Writing Business Messages Adapt to Your Audience Sensitivity Relationship skills Appropriate writing style Compose Your Message Choosing strong words Creating effective sentences Developing coherent paragraphs After you’ve planned your message, adapt to your audience by using sensitivity, relationship skills, and an appropriate writing style. Then you’re ready to compose your message by choosing strong words, creating effective sentences, and developing coherent paragraphs. Writing business messages is discussed in Chapter 5..

[Audio] Completing Business Messages Revise the Message Produce the Message Proofread the Message Distribute the Message After writing your first draft, revise your message by evaluating the content, reviewing readability, and editing and rewriting until your message comes across concisely and clearly, with correct grammar, proper punctuation, and effective format. Next, produce your message. Put it into the form that your audience will receive and review all design and layout decisions for an attractive, professional appearance. Proofread the final product to ensure high quality and then distribute your message. Completing business messages is discussed in Chapter 6..

[Audio] Optimizing Your Writing Time Planning = 50% Writing = 25% Completing = 25% The more you use the three step writing process, the more intuitive and automatic it will become. You’ll also get better at allotting time for each task during a writing project. Start by figuring out how much time you have. Then, as a general rule, set aside roughly 50 percent of that time for planning, 25 percent for writing, and 25 percent for completing. Reserving half your time for planning might seem excessive, but as the next section explains, careful planning usually saves time overall by focusing your writing and reducing the need for reworking. Of course, the ideal time allocation varies from project to project. Simpler and shorter messages require less planning than long reports, websites, and other complex projects. Also, the time required to produce and distribute messages can vary widely, depending on the media, the size of the audience, and other factors. Start with the 50-25-25 split as a guideline, and use your best judgment for each project..

[Audio] Planning Effectively Provide the Right Information to the Right People Deliver the Information Concisely Write More Efficiently Avoid Embarrassing Blunders As soon as the need to create a message appears, inexperienced communicators are often tempted to dive directly into writing. However, skipping or shortchanging the planning stage often creates extra work and stress later in the process. First, thoughtful planning is necessary to make sure you provide the right information in the right format to the right people. Taking the time to understand your audience members and their needs helps you find and assemble the facts they’re looking for and deliver that information in a concise and compelling way. Second, with careful planning, the writing stage is faster, easier, and much less stressful. Third, planning can save you from embarrassing blunders that could hurt your company or your career..

[Audio] Analyzing the Situation L O 4.2 Explain why it’s important to analyze a communication situation in order to define your purpose and profile your audience before writing a message. Every communication effort takes place in a particular situation, meaning you have a specific message to send to a specific audience under a specific set of circumstances. The email message is likely to be focused on a single goal, such as explaining why you would be a good choice to head up a major project, and you have the luxury of focusing on the needs of a single, personally identifiable reader. In contrast, your social networking profile could have multiple goals, such as connecting with your peers at other companies and presenting your qualifications to potential employers, and it might be viewed by hundreds or thousands of readers, each with his or her own needs. The underlying information for these two messages could be roughly the same, but the level of detail to include, the tone of the writing, the specific word choices—these and other decisions you need to make will differ from one situation to another. Making the right choices starts with clearly defining your purpose and understanding your audience’s needs..

[Audio] Defining Your Purpose General Purpose Specific Purpose Inform What You Hope to Accomplish Persuade What the Audience Will Do Collaborate What the Audience Will Think All business messages have a general purpose: to inform, to persuade, or to collaborate with the audience. This purpose helps define the overall approach you’ll need to take, from gathering information to organizing your message. Within the scope of its general purpose, each message also has a specific purpose, which identifies what you hope to accomplish with your message and what your audience should do or think after receiving your message. For instance, is your goal simply to update your audience about some upcoming event, or do you want people to take immediate action? State your specific purpose as precisely as possible, even to the point of identifying which audience members should respond, how they should respond, and when..

[Audio] Analyzing Your Purpose Will Anything Change as a Result of Your Message? Is Your Purpose Realistic? Is the Time Right? Is Your Purpose Acceptable to Your Organization? After you have defined your specific purpose, take a moment for a reality check. Decide whether that purpose merits the time and effort required for you to prepare and send the message—and for your audience to spend the time required to read it, view it, or listen to it. Test your purpose by asking these four questions: Will anything change as a result of your message? Don’t contribute to information overload by sending messages that won’t change anything. For instance, if you don’t like your company’s latest advertising campaign but you’re not in a position to influence it, sending a critical message to your colleagues won’t change anything and won’t benefit anyone. Is your purpose realistic? Recognizing whether a goal is realistic is an important part of having good business sense. For example, if you request a raise while the company is struggling, you might send the message that you’re not tuned in to the situation around you. Is the time right? People who are busy or distracted when they receive your message are less likely to pay attention to it. Many professions and departments have recurring cycles in their workloads, for instance, and messages sent during peak times may be ignored. Is your purpose acceptable to your organization? Your company’s business objectives and policies, and even laws that apply to your particular industry, may dictate whether a particular purpose is acceptable. For example, if you work for a discount stock brokerage, one that doesn’t offer investing advice, it would be inappropriate to write a newsletter article on the pros and cons of investing in a particular company. When you are satisfied that you have a clear and meaningful purpose and that this is a smart time to proceed, your next step is to understand the members of your audience and their needs..

[Audio] Developing An Audience Profile (1 of 2) Identify Your Primary Audience Determine Audience Size and Geographic Distribution Determine Audience Composition Before audience members will take the time to read or listen to your messages, they have to be interested in what you’re saying. They need to know the message is relevant to their needs—even if they don’t necessarily want to read or see it. The more you know about your audience members, their needs, and their expectations, the more effectively you’ll be able to communicate with them. Follow these steps to conduct a thorough audience analysis (see Figure 4.2): Identify your primary audience. For some messages, certain audience members may be more important than others. Don’t ignore the needs of less influential members, but make sure you address the concerns of the key decision makers. Determine audience size and geographic distribution. A message aimed at 10000 people spread around the globe will probably require a different approach than one aimed at a dozen people down the hall. Determine audience composition. Look for similarities and differences in culture, language, age, education, organizational rank and status, attitudes, experience, motivations, biases, beliefs, and any other factors that might affect the success of your message (see Figure 4.3 on slide 16)..

[Audio] Developing An Audience Profile (2 of 2) Measure Audience Members’ Level of Understanding Understand Audience Expectations and Preferences Forecast Probable Audience Reaction Gauge audience members’ level of understanding. If audience members share your general background, they’ll probably understand your material without difficulty. If not, your message will need an element of education to help people understand it. Understand audience expectations and preferences. For example, will members of your audience expect complete details or just a summary of the main points? In general, for internal communication, the higher up the organization your message goes, the fewer details people want to see. Forecast probable audience reaction. As you’ll read later in the chapter, potential audience reaction affects message organization. If you expect a favorable response, you can state conclusions and recommendations up front and offer minimal supporting evidence. If you expect skepticism, you can introduce conclusions gradually and provide more proof..

[Audio] Predicting the Effects of Audience Composition The attitudes and beliefs of individual audience members can have a significant impact on the success of a message. In this scenario, for instance, a seemingly positive message about employee benefits can generate a wide range of responses from employees with different beliefs and concerns. Long description: The details of the illustration are as follows: The message from the person reads "Great news! We're starting an employee wellness program that will reward you with lower insurance cost for meeting various healthy living goals." The message leads to thought bubbles related to five people. The first thought bubble reads "Our profits are already down. Why are they adding another expensive perk?" The second thought bubble reads "This is an invasion of employee privacy! They have no right to monitor our personal lives." The third thought bubble reads "This is good news. This is my year to start eating right and working out." The fourth thought bubble reads "This will help the company long term by reducing health care cost great ideas!" The fifth thought bubble reads "We're about to adopt a baby with special needs. How will this program affect us?".

[Audio] Gathering Information L O 4.3 Discuss information gathering options for simple messages, and identify three attributes of quality information. When you have a clear picture of your audience, your next step is to assemble the information to include in your message. For simple messages, you may already have all the information at hand, but for more complex messages, you may need to do considerable research and analysis before you’re ready to begin writing..

[Audio] Using Informal Techniques Consider the Audience’s Perspective Listen to the Community Read Reports and Other Company Documents Talk with Supervisors, Colleagues, or Customers Ask Your Audience for Input Consider the audience’s perspective. Put yourself in the audience’s position. What are these people thinking, feeling, or planning? What information do they need to move forward? If you are initiating a conversation in a social media context, what information will stimulate discussion among your target communities? Listen to the community. For almost any subject related to business these days, chances are there is a community of customers, product enthusiasts, or other people who engage in online discussions. Find them and listen to what they have to say. Read reports and other company documents. Annual reports, financial statements, news releases, blogs by industry experts, marketing reports, and customer surveys are just a few of the many potential information sources. Find out whether your company has a knowledge management system, a centralized database that collects the experiences and insights of employees throughout the organization. Talk with supervisors, colleagues, or customers. Fellow workers and customers may have information you need, or they may have good insights into the needs of your target audience. Ask your audience for input. If you’re unsure what audience members need from your message, ask them, if possible. Admitting you don’t know but want to meet their needs will impress an audience more than guessing and getting it wrong..

[Audio] Uncovering Audience Needs Listen for Apparent Needs Uncover Hidden Needs In many situations your audience’s information needs will be obvious, or readers will be able to tell you what they need. In other situations, though, people may be unable to articulate exactly what they want. If someone makes a vague or broad request, ask questions to narrow the focus. In addition, try to think of relevant information needs that your audience may not have expressed. Suppose you’ve been asked to compare two health insurance plans for your firm’s employees, but your research has uncovered a third alternative that might be even better. You could then expand your report to include a brief explanation of why the third plan should be considered and compare it with the two original plans. Use judgment, however; in some situations you need to provide only what the audience expects and nothing more..

[Audio] Finding Your Focus Discovery Techniques Free Writing Express Ideas as They Come Sketching Think Visually You may encounter situations in which the assignment or objective is so vague that you have no idea how to get started in determining what the audience needs to know. In such cases you can use some discovery techniques to help generate ideas and uncover possible avenues to research. One popular technique is free writing, in which you write whatever comes to mind, without stopping to make any corrections, for a set period of time. The big advantage of free writing is that you silence your “inner critic” and just express ideas as they come to you. You might end up with a rambling mess by any conventional measure, but that’s not important. Within that tangle of expressions, you might also find some useful ideas and angles that hadn’t occurred to you yet—perhaps the crucial idea that will jumpstart the entire project. The best discovery option in some cases might not be writing at all, but rather sketching. If you’re unable to come up with any words, grab a sketchpad and start drawing. While you’re thinking visually, your brain might release some great ideas that were trapped behind words..

[Audio] Providing Required Information Journalistic Approach Asks: Who? What? When? Where? Why? How? The journalistic approach asks who, what, when, where, why, and how. Using this method, you can quickly tell whether a message fails to deliver. For example, consider this message requesting information from employees: We are exploring ways to reduce our office space leasing costs and would like your input on a proposed plan in which employees who telecommute on alternate days could share offices. Please let me know what you think of this proposal. The message fails to tell employees everything they need to know to provide meaningful responses. The what could be improved by identifying the specific points of information the writer needs from employees (such as whether individual telecommuting patterns are predictable enough to allow scheduling of shared offices). The writer also doesn’t specify when the responses are needed or how the employees should respond. By failing to address such points, the request is likely to generate a variety of responses, some possibly helpful but some probably not..

[Audio] Be Sure the Information is Ethical Is the Information Accurate? Is the Information Ethical? Is the Information Pertinent? The quality of the information you provide is every bit as important as the quantity. Inaccurate information in business messages can cause a host of problems, from embarrassment and lost productivity to serious safety and legal issues. Accurate Information: You have a responsibility to provide quality information to your readers. You can minimize mistakes by double checking every piece of information you collect. If you are consulting sources outside the organization, ask yourself whether the information is current and reliable. Ethical Information: By working hard to ensure the accuracy of the information you gather, you’ll also avoid many ethical problems in your messages. If you do make an honest mistake, such as delivering information you initially thought to be true but later found to be false, contact the recipients of the message immediately and correct the error. No one can reasonably fault you in such circumstances, and people will respect your honesty. Pertinent Information: When gathering information for your message, remember that some points will be more important to your audience than others. Audience members will appreciate your efforts to prioritize the information they need and filter out the information they don’t. Moreover, by focusing on the information that concerns your audience the most, you increase your chances of accomplishing your own communication goals..

[Audio] Selecting the Best Combination of Media and Channels L O 4.4 List the factors to consider when choosing the most appropriate medium for a message. With the necessary information in hand, your next decision involves the best combination of media and channels to reach your target audience. As you recall from Chapter 1, the medium is the form a message takes and the channel is the system used to deliver the message. The distinction between the two isn’t always crystal clear, and some people use the terms in different ways, but these definitions are a useful way to think about the possibilities for business communication. Most media can be distributed through more than one channel, so whenever you have a choice, think through your options to select the optimum combination..

[Audio] The Most Common Media and Channel Options blank Digital channel Nondigital channel Oral plus Create opportunities for immediate feed -back; recordings (such as podcasts) allow time shifted consumption. − Lack most nonverbal cues (unless video). plus Ideal for immediate feedback and discussion; best for conveying emotion. − Restricted to those physically present; no written record unless transcribed; less control. Written plus Fast, easy way to reach wide audiences; link to additional information; social media invite interaction. − Security and privacy vulnerabilities; competition with other digital messages. plus Give permanent, verifiable record that is difficult to modify; written medium lets you plan and control the message. − Present limited opportunity for timely feedback; lack nonverbal cues of oral medium. Visual plus Can convey complex ideas and relationships quickly; often less intimidating than blocks of text; multimedia options. − Usually require more time and skill. plus Same as digital visuals. − Same as digital visuals, plus printing and distribution can add cost. By giving people the ability to see, hear, and react to each other, in person communication encourages people to ask questions, make comments, and work together to reach a consensus or decision. Managers in particular should embrace face to face contact because it can foster a more open and trusting style of communication with employees..

[Audio] Oral Medium In Person Channel Digital Channel One on one Conversations Telephone Calls Informal Lunches Podcasts Speeches or Presentations Voicemail Messages The oral medium, in person combo involves talking with people who are in the same location, whether it’s a one on one conversation over lunch or a more formal speech or presentation. Being in the same physical space is a key distinction because it enables the nuances of nonverbal communication more than any other media/channel combo. As Chapter 2 points out, these nonverbal signals can carry as much weight in the conversation as the words being spoken. By giving people the ability to see, hear, and react to each other, in person communication is useful for encouraging people to ask questions, make comments, and work together to reach a consensus or decision. Face to face interaction is particularly helpful in complex, emotionally charged situations in which establishing or fostering a business relationship is important. Managers who engage in frequent “walk arounds,” chatting with employees face to face, can get input, answer questions, and interpret important business events and trends. Oral media via digital channels include any transmission of voice via electronic means, both live and recorded, including telephone calls, podcasts, and voicemail messages. Live phone conversations offer the give and take of in person conversations and can be the best alternative to talking in person. Without a video component, however, they can’t provide the nuances of nonverbal communication. Podcasts can be a good way to share lectures, commentary, and other spoken content..

[Audio] Written Medium Print Channel Digital Channel Routine Memos Tweets and Text Messages Business Letters Website Content Reports and Proposals Book Length Reports in P-D-F Format Written, printed documents are the classic format of business communication. Memos are brief printed documents traditionally used for the routine, day to day exchange of information within an organization. Letters are brief written messages sent to customers and other recipients outside the organization. Reports and proposals are usually longer than memos and letters, although both can be created in memo or letter format. These documents come in a variety of lengths, ranging from a few pages to several hundred, and usually have a fairly formal tone. Here are several situations in which you should consider a printed message over electronic alternatives: When you want to make a formal impression When you are legally required to provide information in printed form When you want to stand out from the flood of electronic messages When you need a permanent, unchangeable, or secure record Most of your business communication efforts will involve written digital messages, with everything from super short tweets, to website content, to book length reports distributed as portable document format (P-D-F--) files (see Figure 4.4). Business uses of written digital messages keep evolving as companies look for ways to communicate more effectively. For example, email has been a primary business medium for several decades, but it is being replaced in many cases by a variety of other digital formats..

[Audio] Visual Medium Print Channel Digital Channel Photographs Infographics Diagrams Interactive Diagrams and Animation Charts and Graphs Digital Video Print Channel: Photographs and diagrams can be effective communication tools for conveying emotional content, spatial relationships, technical processes, and other content that can be difficult to describe using words alone. You may occasionally create visual printed messages as standalone items, but most will be used as supporting material in printed documents. Business messages can come alive when conveyed by visual media in digital channels. Infographics, interactive diagrams, animation, and digital video have the potential to engage audiences in ways that other formats can’t, which is why the use of visual elements in business communication continues to grow. Traditional business messages rely primarily on text, with occasional support from graphics such as charts, graphs, or diagrams to help illustrate points discussed in the text. However, many business communicators are discovering the power of messages in which the visual element is dominant and supported by small amounts of text. For the purposes of this discussion, think of visual media as formats in which one or more visual elements play a central role in conveying the message content..

[Audio] The Unique Challenges of Communication on Mobile Devices Screen Size and Resolution Input Technologies Bandwidth, Speed, and Connectivity Limitations Data Usage and Operational Costs Mobile devices can be used to create and consume virtually every digital form of oral, written, and visual media. Thanks to the combination of portability and the flexibility enabled by a wide array of business focused apps, mobile devices have become a primary tool in business communication. Consider these issues whenever your messages are likely to be viewed on mobile devices: Screen size and resolution. The screen resolution of phones and tablets has improved considerably in recent years, but the limited size of these screens still presents a challenge simply because many messages are significantly larger than the screens they will be viewed on. Input technologies. Even for accomplished texters, typing on mobile keyboards can be a challenge. Voice recognition is one way around the keyboard limitation, but anyone using it in public areas or in communal offices runs the risk of sharing private message content and annoying anyone within earshot. Moreover, voice recognition software can make mistakes that require manual editing, particularly for users who don’t enunciate clearly or when there is a lot of competing background noise. Bandwidth, speed, and connectivity limitations. The speed and quality of mobile connectivity varies widely by device, carrier, service plan, and geographic location. Even users with high bandwidth service don’t always enjoy the advertised transfer speeds they are paying for. Moreover, mobile users can lose connectivity while traveling, passing through network “dead spots,” or during peak demand hours or events (trade shows and conventions are notorious for this). Data usage and operational costs. As the amount of video traffic in particular increases (video requires much higher bandwidth than text or audio), data consumption is becoming a key concern for mobile carriers and customers alike. Many mobile users do not have unlimited data usage plans and have to manage their data consumption carefully to avoid excess fees. Some carriers offer unlimited data plans, but even those can come with restrictions such as bandwidth throttling that reduces the speed of a user’s connection..

[Audio] Factors to Consider When Choosing Media and Channels (1 of 2) Richness Formality Media and Channel Limitations Richness. Richness is a medium’s ability to (1) convey a message through more than one informational cue (visual, verbal, vocal), (2) facilitate feedback, and (3) establish personal focus. Face to face communication is a rich medium because it delivers information both verbally and nonverbally, it allows immediate feedback through both verbal and nonverbal responses, and it has the potential to be intimate and personal, at least in one on one and small group settings. In contrast, lean media are limited in one or more of these three aspects. For example, texting and IM allow rapid feedback and can easily be personalized. However, they usually deliver information through only one informational cue (words), which can lead to misinterpretation. Emoticons (see page 188), which attempt to add emotional nuances that might otherwise be conveyed through visual means such as facial expressions, are a response to the one dimensional leanness of text only messages. In general, use richer media to send nonroutine or complex messages, to humanize your presence throughout the organization, to communicate caring to employees, and to gain employee commitment to company goals. Use leaner media to send routine messages or to transfer information that doesn’t require significant explanation. Formality. Your media choice is a nonverbal signal that affects the style and tone of your message. For example, a printed memo or letter is likely to be perceived as a more formal gesture than an IM or email message. Media and channel limitations. Every medium and channel has limitations. For instance, IM is perfect for communicating simple, straightforward messages between two people, but it is less effective for complex messages or conversations that involve three or more people..

[Audio] Factors to Consider When Choosing Media and Channels (2 of 2) Urgency Cost Audience Preferences Security and Privacy Urgency. Some media establish a connection with the audience faster than others, so choose wisely if your message is urgent. However, be sure to respect audience members’ time and workloads. If a message isn’t urgent and doesn’t require immediate feedback, choose a medium such as email or blogging that allows people to respond at their convenience. Cost. Cost is both a real financial factor and a perceived nonverbal signal. For example, depending on the context, extravagant (and expensive) video or multimedia presentations can send a nonverbal signal of sophistication and professionalism—or careless disregard for company budgets. Audience preferences. If you know that your audience prefers a particular media and channel combination, use that format if it works well for the message and the situation. Otherwise you risk annoying the audience or having your message missed or ignored. Security and privacy. Your company may have restrictions on the media and channels that can be used for certain types of messages, but even if it doesn’t, think carefully whenever your messages include sensitive information. Never assume that your email, IM, and other digital communications are private. Many companies monitor these channels, and there is always the risk that networks could get hacked or that messages will be forwarded beyond their original recipients..

[Audio] Organizing Your Information L O 4.5 Explain why good organization is important to both you and your audience, and list the tasks involved in organizing a message. Organization can make the difference between success and failure. Good organization helps you by reducing the time and creative energy needed to create effective messages..

[Audio] Benefits of Effective Organization Helps Readers Helps Writers Understand Message Use Clear Logic Increased Acceptance of Message Write Succinctly and Clearly Saves Time Build Reputation Good organization helps your readers or listeners in three key ways. First, it helps them understand your message by making the main point clear at the outset, presenting additional points to support that main idea, and satisfying all their information needs. Second, good organization helps receivers accept your message. If your writing appears confused and disorganized, people will likely conclude that the thinking behind the writing is also confused and disorganized. Moreover, effective messages often require a bit more than simple, clear logic. Third, good organization saves your audience time. Well organized messages are efficient: They contain only relevant ideas, and they are brief. Moreover, each piece of information is located in a logical place in the overall flow; each section builds on the one before to create a coherent whole, without forcing people to look for missing pieces..

[Audio] Defining Topic and Main Idea General Purpose Example of Specific Purpose Example of Topic Example of Main Idea To inform Teach customer service representatives how to edit and expand the technical support wiki Technical support wiki Careful, thorough edits and additions to the wiki help the entire department provide better customer support. To persuade Convince top managers to increase spending on research and development Funding for research and development Competitors spend more than we do on research and development, which helps them create more innovative products. To collaborate Solicit ideas for a companywide incentive system that ties wages to profits Incentive pay Tying wages to profits motivates employees and reduces compensation costs in tough years. Topics against Main Ideas. The topic of your message is the overall subject, and your main idea is a specific statement about that topic (see Table 4.2). In longer documents and presentations, you often need to unify a mass of material with a main idea that encompasses all the individual points you want to make. Finding a common thread through all these points can be a challenge. Sometimes you won’t even be sure what your main idea is until you sort through the information..

[Audio] Generating Creative Ideas Brainstorming Journalistic Approach Question and Answer Chain Storyteller’s Tour Mind Mapping For tough assignments, consider a variety of techniques to generate creative ideas: Brainstorming. Working alone or with others, generate as many ideas and questions as you can, without stopping to criticize or organize. After you capture all these pieces, look for patterns and connections to help identify the main idea and the groups of supporting ideas. For example, if your main idea concerns whether to open a new restaurant in Denver, you’ll probably find a group of ideas related to financial return, another related to competition, and so on. Identifying such groups helps you see the major issues that will lead you to a conclusion you can feel confident about. Journalistic approach. The journalistic approach (see page 103) asks who, what, when, where, why, and how questions to distill major ideas from unorganized information. Question and answer chain. Start with a key question, from the audience’s perspective, and work back toward your message. You’ll often find that each answer generates new questions until you identify the information that needs to be in your message. Storyteller’s tour. Some writers find it best to talk through a communication challenge before they try to write. Record yourself as you describe what you intend to write. Then listen to the playback, identify ways to tighten and clarify the message, and repeat the process until you distill the main idea down to a single concise message. Mind mapping. You can generate and organize ideas using a graphic method called mind mapping (see Figure 4.5). Start with a main idea and then branch out to connect every other related idea that comes to mind. You can find a number of free mind mapping tools online..

[Audio] Limiting Your Scope Information You Present Overall Length Level of Detail The scope of your message is the range of information you present, the overall length, and the level of detail—all of which need to correspond to your main idea. The length of some business messages has a preset limit, whether from a boss’s instructions, the technology you’re using, or a time frame such as individual speaker slots during a seminar. Even if you don’t have a preset length, it’s vital to limit yourself to the scope needed to convey your main idea—and no more. Whatever the length of your message, limit the number of major supporting points to half a dozen or so—and if you can get your idea across with fewer points, all the better. Offering a long list of supporting points might feel as though you’re being thorough, but your audience is likely to view such detail as rambling and mind numbing. Instead, group your supporting points under major headings, such as finance, customers, competitors, employees, or whatever is appropriate for your subject. Look for ways to combine your supporting points so that you have a smaller number with greater impact. The ideal length of a message depends on your topic, your audience members’ familiarity with the material, their receptivity to your conclusions, and your credibility. You’ll need fewer words to present routine information to a knowledgeable audience that already knows and respects you. You’ll need more words to build a consensus about a complex and controversial subject, especially if the members of your audience are skeptical or hostile strangers..

[Audio] Choosing Between Direct and Indirect Approaches Direct Approach Indirect Approach General plan: Open with main idea, and then back it up with evidence and reasoning. General plan: Open with buffer to establish common ground or get attention, lay out evidence to guide reader toward main idea, and then present it. Strengths: Gets to the point immediately if you need to get someone’s attention right away. Strengths: Helps soften an emotional blow or guide reader toward desired response. Weaknesses: Can come across as arrogant or blunt; readers or listeners can reject your main idea before considering your evidence and reasoning. Weaknesses: Takes longer to reach main idea; buffers can be annoying or even unethical if done poorly. The direct approach starts with the main idea (such as a recommendation, a conclusion, or a request) and follows that with supporting points and evidence. The indirect approach starts with reasoning, evidence, and background information and builds up to the main idea..

[Audio] Outlining Your Content Basic Outline Creates Logical and Effective Organization of: Major Points Supporting Details Visualization of Relationships Among Various Parts Alternatives Use Organizational Chart Use Mind Mapping After you have chosen the best approach, it’s time to figure out the most logical and effective way to present your major points and supporting details. Get into the habit of creating outlines when you’re preparing business messages. You’ll save time, get better results, and do a better job of navigating through complicated business situations. Even if you’re just jotting down three or four key points, making an outline will help you organize your thoughts for faster writing. When you’re preparing a longer, more complex message, an outline is indispensable because it helps you visualize the relationships among the various parts. You’re no doubt familiar with the basic outline formats that identify each point with a number or letter and that indent certain points to show which ones are of equal status. A good outline divides a topic into at least two parts, restricts each subdivision to one category, and ensures that each subdivision is separate and distinct (see Figure 4.7). Another way to visualize the outline of your message is to create an organization chart similar to the charts used to show a company’s management structure. Put the main idea in the highest level box to establish the big picture. The lower level ideas, like lower level employees, provide the details. All the ideas should be logically organized into divisions of thought, just as a company is organized into divisions and departments. Using a visual chart instead of a traditional outline has many benefits. Charts help you (1) see the various levels of ideas and how the parts fit together, (2) develop new ideas, and (3) restructure your information flow. The mind mapping technique used to generate ideas works in a similar way. Whichever outlining or organizing scheme you use, start your message with the main idea, follow that with major supporting points, and then illustrate these points with evidence..

[Audio] Organizing Your Thoughts with a Clear Outline No matter what outlining format you use, think through your major supporting points and the examples and evidence that can support each point. Long Description: The details of the outline are as follows: Roman numeral 1. First major point Uppercase A First subpoint Uppercase B Second subpoint 1. Examples and evidence 2. Examples and evidence Lowercase a Detail Lowercase b Detail 3. Examples and evidence Uppercase C Third subpoint Roman numeral 2. Second major point Uppercase A First subpoint 1. Examples and evidence 2. Examples and evidence Uppercase B Second subpoint The annotation corresponding to the two major points reads "The particular message is divided into two major points (Roman numerals 1 and 2). The annotation corresponding to the second subpoint B, and the related third examples and evidence of the first major point reads "Subpoint B is supported with three sets of examples and evidence (1, 2, and 3), the second of which is further subdivided with two detail sections." The annotation corresponding to the first subpoint A and the third subpoint C of the first major point reads "The first major point is divided into three subpoints (uppercase A, B, and C).".

[Audio] Structuring the Message Identify the Main Idea Assemble Major Supporting Points Gather Compelling Examples and Evidence The main idea helps you establish the goals and general strategy of the message, and it summarizes two vital considerations: (1) what you want your audience members to do or think and (2) why they should do so. Everything in your message should either support the main idea or explain its implications. As discussed earlier, the direct approach states the main idea quickly and directly, whereas the indirect approach delays the main idea until after the evidence is presented. You need to support your main idea with major points that clarify and explain the main idea in concrete terms. If your purpose is to inform and the material is factual, your major points may be based on something physical or financial—something you can visualize or measure, such as activities to be performed, functional units, spatial or chronological relationships, or parts of a whole. After you’ve defined the main idea and identified major supporting points, think about examples and evidence that can confirm, illuminate, or expand your supporting points. Choose examples and evidence carefully so that these elements support your overall message without distracting or overwhelming your audience. One good example, particularly if it is conveyed through a compelling story, is usually more powerful than several weaker examples. Similarly, a few strong points of evidence are usually more persuasive than a large collection of minor details. Keep in mind that you can back up your major supporting points in a variety of ways, depending on the subject material and the available examples and evidence (see Table 4.3)..

[Audio] Six Types of Detail (1 of 2) Type of Detail Example Comment Facts and figures Sales are strong this month. We have two new contracts worth 5 million dollars and a good chance of winning another worth 2 point 5 million dollars. Enhance credibility more than any other type, but can become tedious if used excessively. Example and illustrations We’ve spent four months trying to hire recent accounting graduates, but so far, only one person has joined our firm. One candidate told me that she would love to work for us, but she can get $10000 more a year elsewhere. Add life to a message, but an example doesn’t necessarily prove a point. The main idea must be supported by other evidence as well. Description Upscale hamburger restaurants target burger lovers who want more than the convenience and low prices of a fastfood burger. These places feature more adventuresome menus, a greater range of toppings, and a more sophisticated atmosphere. Helps audience visualize the subject by creating a sensory impression. Doesn’t prove a point but clarifies it and makes it memorable..

[Audio] Six Types of Detail (2 of 2) Type of Detail Example Comment Narration (storytelling) When Rita Longworth took over as C-E-O--, she faced a tough choice: shut down the tablet PC division entirely or outsource manufacturing to lower costs while keeping the division alive. As her first step, she convened a meeting with all the managers in the division to get their input on the two options. (Story continues from there.) Stimulates audience interest through the use of dramatic tension. In many instances, must be supplemented with statistical data to prove a point convincingly. Reference to authority I discussed this idea with Jackie Loman in the Chicago plant, and she was very supportive. As you know, Jackie has been in charge of that plant for the past six years. She is confident that we can speed up the number 2 line by 150 units an hour if we add another worker. Bolsters a case while adding variety and credibility. Works only if authority is recognized and respected by audience. Visual aids Graphs, charts, tables, infographics, data visualization, photos, video Help audiences grasp the key points about sets of data or visualize connections between ideas..

[Audio] Building Reader Interest With Storytelling Techniques The Power of Story The Beginning – Identify with Audience The Middle – Pursue Goal/Solve Problem The End – Answers Question/Offers Lesson Storytelling is one of the most common structures used in television commercials and other advertisements. People love to share stories about themselves and others, too, which makes social media ideal for storytelling. A key reason storytelling can be so effective is that stories help readers and listeners imagine themselves living through the experience of the person in the story. In addition, stories can demonstrate cause and effect relationships in a compelling fashion. Imagine attending a new employee orientation and listening to the trainer read off a list of ethics rules and guidelines. A classic story has three basic parts. The beginning of the story presents someone the audience can identify with in some way, and this person has a dream to pursue or a problem to solve. (Think of how movies and novels often start by introducing a likable character who immediately gets into danger, for example.) The middle of the story shows this character taking action and making decisions as he or she pursues the goal or tries to solve the problem. The storyteller’s objective here is to build the audience’s interest by increasing the tension: Will the “hero” overcome the obstacles in his or her path and defeat whatever adversary is keeping him or her away from the goal? The end of the story answers that question and usually offers a lesson to be learned about the outcome as well. In addition to its important communication function, storytelling can also serve as a means of strategic business analysis. For example, if you’re having trouble articulating a story that you’re trying to tell about a project you would like to pursue, it might be because you haven’t fully thought through the purpose of the project. With a clearer definition in mind, you’ll find it easier to tell your story..