Writing and case analysis

Four-part Indirect Pattern for Bad News, p. 181 (Chapter 7, section 7-1b)

Buffer. Introduce the message with a neutral statement that makes the reader continue reading. Reasons. Explain why the bad news was necessary and that the matter was taken seriously. Bad news. Provide a clear but understated announcement of the bad news that might include an alternative or a compromise. Closing. End with a warm, forward-looking statement that might mention good wishes, gifts, or a sales promotion.

Unburying verbs, p. 86 - 87 (Chapter 4, section 4-4a)

Buried verbs are those that are needlessly converted to wordy noun expressions. This happens when verbs such as acquire, establish, and perform are made into nouns such as acquisition, establishment, and performance. Such nouns often end intonement, and -ance. Using thesis nouns increases sentence length, drains verb strength, slows the reader, and muddies the thought. Notice how you can make your writing cleaner and more forceful by avoiding wordy verb/noun conversions:

North Americans value straightforwardness and are suspicious of evasiveness. These traits identify the cultural dimension of

Communication style.

When preparing a business message, you should make your writing audience-oriented. Audience-oriented means you should

Concentrate on looking at the problem from the receiver's perspective.

Lindsay is writing a property description for a new real estate brochure. To make her brochure more effective, Lindsay should anticipate her audience. This means she

Considers what the readers are like and how the readers will react to the message. When anticipating an audience, Lindsay should consider what the readers are like and how they will react. This will assist her in writing a description of the property and benefits that appeal to her audience.

Making persuasive requests, p. 212 - 213 (Chapter 8, section 8-1a)

Opening: Capture the reader's attention and interest. Describe a problem, make an unexpected statement, suggest reader benefits, offer praise or compliments, or ask a stimulating question. Body: Build interest. Explain logically and concisely the purpose of the request. Prove its merit. Use facts, statistics, expert opinion, examples, and specific details. Focus on the reader's direct and indirect benefits. Reduce resistance. Anticipate objections, offer counterarguments, establish credibility, demonstrate competence, and show the value of your proposal. Closing: Motivate action. Ask for a particular action. Make the action easy to take. Show courtesy, respect, and gratitude.

During the second phase of the writing process, you conduct research,

Organize ideas, and compose the message. During the writing stage, you will research and organize your message; then you compose the message. Developing knowledge of the audience occurs in the first stage (prewriting), and evaluating and editing occur in the final stage (revising).

Your boss is giving instructions for a new method of keeping expense accounts. However, you find it difficult to concentrate because you think the change is unnecessary. What type of barrier to effective listening are you experiencing?

Physical barrier

The primary purpose of business writing is typically to inform or persuade; a common secondary purpose is to

Promote goodwill In addition to informing and persuading, an effective business message will promote goodwill, which means that you and your organization will look good in the eyes of your audience. Maintaining the goodwill of customers and employees is essential to business growth and your career advancement.

You are experiencing a psychological barrier. Psychological barriers result from having different cultural, ethical, and personal values, including preconceived thoughts. Language barriers refer to word choices, physical barriers refer to problems in the setting, and nonverbal barriers refer to body language and other delivery dynamics.

Psychological barrier

Experts say that writers should spend the most time in the _____ stage of the writing process.

Revising Beginning writers often neglect the last phase of revising their documents for clarity, conciseness, tone, and readability. However, the best business messages require extensive work in the revising phase to be certain the document best meets the audience's needs and the purpose of the message. Experts recommend that approximately 50 percent of a writer's time should be spent in this final phase.

Anything that disrupts the transmission of a message in the communication process is called noise.

True

Don't send a message unless you know who your audience is.

True

If you want to become a better listener, your first step is to stop talking.

True

As you become a more skilled and experienced business writer, you will be more likely to alter, compress, and rearrange the writing process steps to suit your needs.

True Beginning writers should follow the writing process described in the text carefully as they develop their skills. When they become experienced writers, they can use the writing process stages more flexibly. This growth is natural and desirable.

Persuading within the organization, p. 216 - 218 (Chapter 8, section 8-1b)

When it comes to persuasion, the power relationships at work determine how we write—whether we choose a direct or indirect strategy, for example. We may consider what type and amount of support we include, depending on whether we wish to persuade subordinates or superiors. The authority of our audience may also help us decide whether to adopt a formal or informal tone. Persuading subordinates. Instructions or directives moving downward from superiors to subordinates usually require little persuasion. Employees expect to be directed in how to perform their jobs. These messages (such as information about procedures, equipment, or customer service) use the direct strategy, with the purpose immediately stated. However, employees are sometimes asked to volunteer for projects. For example, some organizations encourage employees to join programs to stop smoking, lose weight, or start exercising. Organizations may ask employees to participate in capacities outside their work roles—such as spending their free time volunteering for charity projects. In such cases, the four-part indirect strategy provides a helpful structure. The goal is not to manipulate employees or to seduce them with trickery. Rather, the goal is to present a strong but honest argument, emphasizing points that are important to the receiver or the organization. In business, honesty is not just the best policy—it's the only policy. People see right through puffery and misrepresentation. For this reason, the indirect strategy is effective only when supported by accurate honest evidence.

The "you" view, p. 42 - 43 (Chapter 2, section 2-5b)

Cultivating the "You" View Notice that many of the previous audience-focused messages include the word you. In concentrating on receiver benefits, skilled communicators naturally develop the "you" view. They emphasize second-person pronouns (you, your) instead of first-person pronouns (I/we, us, our). Whether your goal is to inform, persuade, or promote goodwill, the catchiest words you can use are you and your. Compare the following example We" View We are requiring all employees to respond to the attached survey about health benefits. I need your account number before i can do anything. We have shipped your order by UPs, and we are sure it will arrive in time for your sales promotion December 1. "You" View Because your ideas count, give us your thoughts on the attached survey about health benefits. Would you mind giving me your account number so that i can locate your records and help you solve this problem? Your order will be delivered by UPs

Clichés, p. 86 (Chapter 4, section 4-3c)

Dropping Clichés Clichés are expressions that have become exhausted by overuse. Many cannot be explained, especially to those who are new to our culture. Clichés lack not only freshness but also clarity. Instead of repeating clichés such as the following, try to find another way to say what you mean. below the belt better than new beyond a shadow of a doubt easier said than done exception to the rule fill the bill first and foremost good to go last but ont least make a bundle pass with flying colors quick as a flash shoot from the hip stand your ground think ouside the box true to from first and foremost

Active vs. passive voice, p. 68 (Chapter 3, section 3-4b)

In passive voice, the subject is acted upon (Jake was hired [by the manager]). Notice that in the passive voice, the attention shifts from the doer to the receiver of the action. You don't even have to reveal the doer if you choose not to. Writers generally prefer active voice because it is more direct, clear, and concise. Nevertheless, passive voice is useful in certain instances such as the following: To emphasize an action or the recipient of the action. An investigation was launched. To de-emphasize negative news. Cash refunds cannot be made. To conceal the doer of an action. An error was made in our sales figures. How can you tell whether a verb is active or passive? Identify the subject of the sentence and decide whether the subject is doing the acting or is being acted upon. For example, in the sentence An appointment was made for January 1, the subject is appointment. The subject is being acted upon; there- fore, the verb (was made) is passive. Another clue in identifying passive-voice verbs is that they generally include a to be helping verb, such as is, are, was, were, be, being, or been. Figure 3.4 summarizes effective uses for active and passive voice. achieving para

The communication process begins when the sender

has an idea

Implied Refusals-Revising bad news using a dependent clause.

lookup handout

Communication is defined as "the transmission of information and meaning from one individual or group to another." The crucial element of this definition is _______________.

meaning

Adjustment letters, p. 152 - 154 (Chapter 6, section 6-5c)

ven the best-run and best-loved businesses occasionally receive claims or com- plaints from consumers. When a company receives a claim and decides to respond favorably, the message is called an adjustment. Most businesses make adjust- ments promptly: they replace merchandise, refund money, extend discounts, send coupons, and repair goods. Businesses make favorable adjustments to legitimate claims for two reasons. First, consumers are protected by contractual and tort law for recovery of damages. If, for example, you find an insect in a package of frozen peas, the food processor of that package is bound by contractual law to replace it. If you suffer injury, the processor may be liable for damages. Second, and more obviously, most organizations genuinely want to satisfy their customers and retain their business. In responding to customer claims, you must first decide whether to grant the claim. Unless the claim is obviously fraudulent or excessive, you will probably grant it. When you say yes, your adjustment message will be good news to the reader. Deliver that good news by using the direct pattern. When your response is no, the indirect pattern might be more appropriate. You have three goals in adjustment messages: - Rectifying the wrong, if one exists - regaining the confidence of the customer - promoting further business

Jargon and slang, p. 85 - 86 (Chapter 4, section 4-3b)

voiding Jargon and Slang Except in certain specialized contexts, you should avoid jargon and unnecessary technical terms. Jargon is special terminology that is peculiar to particular activities or professions. For example, geologists speak knowingly of exfoliation, calcareous ooze, and siliceous particles. Engineers are familiar with phrases such as infra- red processing flags, output latches, and movable symbology. Telecommunication experts use such words and phrases as protocols, clickstream, neural networks, and asynchronous transmission. Every field has its own special vocabulary. Using that vocabulary within the field is acceptable and even necessary for accurate, efficient communication. Don't use specialized terms, however, if you think your audience may misunder- stand them. Slang is composed of informal words with arbitrary and extravagantly changed meanings. Slang words quickly go out of fashion because they are no longer appealing when everyone begins to understand them. Consider the fol- lowing statement of a government official who had been asked why his depart- ment was dropping a proposal to lease offshore oil lands: "The Administration has an awful lot of other things in the pipeline, and this has more wiggle room so they just moved it down the totem pole. "he added, however, that the proposal might be offered again since "there in no pulling back because hot-potato factors." The meaning here, if the speaker really intended to impart any, is considerably obscured by the use of slang. If you want to sound professional, avoid expressions such as snarky, lousy, blowing the budget, bombed, and getting burn

Composing claim messages, p. 217 (Chapter 8, section 8-1c)

• Begin with a compliment, point of agreement, statement of the problem, or brief review of action you have taken to resolve the problem. Provide identifying data. Prove that you claim is valid; explain why the receiver is responsible. Enclose document copies supporting your claim. Appeal to the receiver's fairness, ethical and legal responsibilities, and desire for customer satisfaction. Describe your feeling sand disappointment. Avoid sounding angry, emotional, or irrational

Using business letters, p. 142 - 143 (Chapter 6, section 6-1a)

A business letter conveys silent messages beyond that of its printed words. The letter's appearance and format reflect the writer's carefulness and experience. A short letter bunched at the top of a sheet of paper, for example, looks as though it were prepared in a hurry or by an amateur. For your letters to make a good impression, you need to select an appropriate format. The block style shown in Figure 6.1 is a popular format. In this style the parts of a letter—dateline, inside address, body, and so on—are set flush left on the page. The letter is arranged on the page so that it is centered and framed by white space. Most letters have margins of 1 to 1.5 inches. In preparing business letters, be sure to use ragged-right margins; that is, don't allow your computer to justify the right margin and make all lines end evenly. Unjustified margins improve readability, say experts, by providing visual stops and by making it easier to tell where the next line begins. Although book publishers use justified right margins, as you see on this page, your letters should be ragged right.

Direct and Indirect Patterns, p. 61 - 63 (Chapter 3, section 3-2)

After developing an outline, you will need to decide where in the message to place the main idea. Placing the main idea at the beginning of the message represents the direct strategy. In the direct strategy the main idea comes first, followed by details, an explanation, or evidence. Placing the main idea later in the message (after the details, explanation, or evidence) reflects the indirect strategy. The strategy you select is determined by how you expect the audience to react to the message, as shown in Figure 3.3. In preparing to write any message, you need to anticipate the audience's reaction to your ideas and frame your message accordingly. When you expect the reader to be pleased, mildly interested, or, at worst, neutral—use the direct strategy. That is, put your main point—the purpose of your message—in the first or second sentence. Compare the direct and indirect openings in an e-mail. Notice how long it takes to get to the main idea in the indirect opening. indirect Opening For the past several years, we have had a continuing problem scheduling vacations, personal days, and sick time. Our Human Resources people struggle with unscheduled absences. After considerable investigation, the Management Council has decided to try a centralized paid time-off program starting january 1. We are pleased to send you this e-mail message, which will describe its benefits and procedures. direct Opening To improve the scheduling of absences, a new paid time-off program will begin January 1. its benefits and procedures follow. Explanations, background, and details should follow the direct opening. What's important is getting to the main idea quickly. This direct method, also called front loading, has at least three advantages: • saves the reader's time. Many of today's businesspeople can devote only a few moments to each message. Messages that take too long to get to the point may lose their readers along the way. • sets a proper frame of mind. Learning the purpose up front helps the reader put the subsequent details and explanations in perspective. Without a clear opening, the reader may be thinking, Why am I being told this? • Prevents frustration. Readers forced to struggle through excessive verbiage before reaching the main idea become frustrated. They resent the writer. Poorly organized messages create a negative impression of the writer. This front-loading technique works best with audiences who are likely to be receptive to or at least not likely to disagree with what you have to say. Typical The indirect Strategy When you expect the audience to be uninterested, unwilling, displeased, or perhaps even hostile, the indirect strategy is more appropriate. In this strategy don't reveal the main idea until after you have offered an explanation and evidence. The indirect strategy works well with three kinds of messages: (a) bad news, (b) ideas that require persuasion, and (c) sensitive news, especially when being transmitted to superiors. The indirect strategy has a number of benefits: the indirect strategy works best when the audience may be uninterested, unwilling, displeased, or even hostile. • Respects the feelings of the audience. Bad news is always painful, but the trauma can be lessened when the receiver is prepared for it. • encourages a fair hearing. Messages that may upset the reader are more likely to be read when the main idea is delayed. Beginning immediately with a piece of bad news or a persuasive request, for example, may cause the receiver to stop reading or listening. • Minimizes a negative reaction. A reader's overall reaction to a negative message is generally improved if the news is delivered gently. Typical business messages that could be developed indirectly include messages that refuse requests, reject claims, and deny credit. Persuasive requests, sales letters, sensitive messages, and some reports and oral presentations also benefit from the indirect strategy. You will learn more about how to use the indirect strategy in Chapters 7 and 8. In summary, business messages may be organized directly, with the main idea first, or indirectly, with the main idea delayed. Although these two strategies cover many communication problems, they should be considered neither universal nor unquestionable. Every business transaction is distinct. Some messages are mixed: part good news, part bad, part goodwill, part persuasion. In upcoming chapters you will practice applying the direct and indirect strategies in typical situations. Eventually, you will have the skills an

Which of the following is most acceptable for business writing?

All physicians must carry their own malpractice insurance. The most acceptable option is "All physicians must carry their own malpractice insurance." The use of a plural noun as antecedent (physicians) matches the plural pronoun (their) and is preferred to the singular (physician) with the awkward "his or her." Using the singular "physician" with the plural "their" is grammatically incorrect.

Nonverbal communication includes!

All unwritten and unspoken messages, intended or not.

Cushioning the Bad News, p. 185 - 186 (Chapter 7)

Although you can't prevent the disappointment that bad news brings, you can reduce the pain somewhat by breaking the news sensitively. Be especially considerate when the reader will suffer personally from the bad news. A number of thoughtful techniques can cushion the blow. Positioning the Bad News Strategically. Instead of spotlighting it, sandwich the bad news between other sentences, perhaps among your reasons. Don't let the refusal begin or end a paragraph; the reader's eye will linger on these high-visibility spots. Another technique that reduces shock is putting a painful idea in a subordinate clause: Although another candidate was hired, we appreciate your interest in our organization and wish you every success in your job search. Subordinate clauses often begin with words such as although, as, because, if, and since. Using the passive Voice. Passive-voice verbs enable you to depersonalize an action. Whereas the active voice focuses attention on a person (We don't give cash refunds), the passive voice highlights the action (Cash refunds are not given because . . .). Use the passive voice for the bad news. In some instances you can combine passive-voice verbs and a subordinate clause: Although franchise scoop shop owners cannot be required to lower their frozen yogurt prices, we are happy to pass along your comments for their consideration. Accentuating the positive. As you learned earlier, messages are far more effective when you describe what you can do instead of that you can't do. Rather than we will no longer allow credit card purchases, try a more positive appeal: We are now selling gasoline at discount cash price. Implying the Refused. It is sometimes possible to avoid a direct statement of refusal. Often, your reasons and explanations leave no doubt that a request has been denied. Explicit refusals may be unnecessary and at times cruel. In this refusal to contribute to a charity, for example, the writer never actually says no: Because we will soon be moving into new offices in Glendale, all our funds are earmarked for relocation costs. We hope that next year we will be able to support your worthwhile charity. The danger of an implied refusal, of course, is that it is so subtle that the reader misses it. Be certain that you make the bad news clear, thus preventing the need for further correspondence. Suggesting a Compromise or an alternative. A refusal is not so depressing— for the sender or the receiver—if a suitable compromise, substitute, or alternative is available. In denying permission to a group of students to visit a historical private residence, for instance, this writer softens the bad news by proposing an alternative: Although private tours of the grounds are not given, we do open the house and its gardens for one charitable event in the fall. You can further reduce the impact of the bad news by refusing to dwell on it. Present it briefly (or imply it), and move on to your closing.

Email, p. 107 (Chapter 5, section 5-2a, 5-2b, 5-3a, 5-3b)

E-mail has replaced paper memos for many messages inside organizations and some letters to external audiences. However, paper-based documents still have their proper functions. Because they are committed to paper, hard-copy messages tend to carry more weight and are taken more seriously in certain situations. They are considered more formal than electronic communication. Moreover, even if e-mail writers have access to sophisticated HTML mail, the recipient may receive only plain-text messages. Poor layout and little eye appeal may result when elaborate formatting disappears on the receiver's end. The e-mail may also be difficult to print. This is why business communicators often deliver electronic copies of memos or letters as attachments accompanied by a brief e-mail cover message. PDF documents in particular guarantee that the reader receives a message that looks exactly as the writer intended it. Today it is estimated that on average more than 294 billion e-mails are sent each day worldwide.1 E-mail growth has slowed recently, and rival services are booming. Twitter and Facebook, for example, offer faster, always-on connectedness. However, e-mail in the workplace is here to stay. Because e-mail is a standard form of communication within organizations, it will likely be your most common business communication channel. E-mails perform critical tasks such as informing employees, giving directions, outlining procedures, requesting data, supplying responses, and confirming decisions.

Robert frequently comments that he likes working independently because that's the American way—and the American way is the best way! Robert's belief in the superiority of his own culture is an example of

Ethnocentrism.

John and his family place great emphasis on tradition, ceremony, and social rules. John is most likely a member of a low-context culture.

False

Although messages may have a primary and a secondary audience, the writer needs to profile only the primary audience to determine the best presentation of the message.

False The primary audience is important, but so is the secondary audience. If a message will have more than one audience, you must adapt your message so that you create a meaningful and efficient communication for both primary and secondary audiences.

The inclusive statement- Every employee has ten minutes for their morning break- is an effective example.!

False Using inclusive language is important, but this example does so incorrectly by using a singular noun antecedent (employee) with a plural pronoun (their).

Opening with the main idea, p. 108 (Chapter 5, section 5-5a)

Opening. Because most e-mails and memos cover nonsensitive information, it can be handled in a straightforward manner. Begin by front loading; that is, reveal the main idea immediately. Even though the purpose of the e-mail or memo is summarized in the subject line, that purpose should be restated—and amplified— in the first sentence. Busy readers want to know immediately why they are reading a message. Notice how the following indirect opening can be improved by front loading. Indirect Opening For the past six months the Human Resources Development Department has been considering changes in our employees' benefit plan Indirect Opening Direct Opening Please review the following proposal regarding employees' benefits, and let me know by May 20 if you approve these changes

Integrating quotations handout (when to quote, paraphrase and summarize; how to correctly punctuate when you cite sources)

Lookup handout

Four types of sentences, p. 64 (Chapter 3, section 3-3a)

Messages that repeat the same sentence pattern soon become boring. The way you construct your sentences can make your messages interesting and readable. To avoid monotony and to add spark to your writing, use a variety of sentence types. You have four sentence types from which to choose: simple, compound, complex, and compound-complex. A simple sentence, shown in the following example, contains one complete thought (an independent clause) with a subject (underlined once) and predicate verb (underlined twice): Coca-Cola saw an opportunity. A compound sentence contains two complete but related thoughts. The two thoughts (independent clauses) may be joined (a) by a conjunction such as and, but, or; (b) by a semicolon; or (c) by a conjunctive adverb such as however, consequently, and therefore. Notice the punctuation in these examples: Our team project was difficult. Our team project was difficult; we were happy with the results. Our team project was difficult; however, we were happy with the results. A complex sentence contains an independent clause (a complete thought) and a dependent clause (a thought that cannot stand by itself). Dependent clauses are often introduced by words such as although, since, because, when, and if. When dependent clauses precede independent clauses, they always are followed by a comma. When we finished our team project, we held a team party. A compound-complex sentence contains at least two independent clauses and one dependent clause. Because these sentences are usually long, use them sparingly. Although this team project is complete

Many of us are poor listeners because

The brain can process information at least three times as fast as people talk. We tend to "tune out" speakers whose ideas run counter to our own. All answer choices are correct. We would rather talk than listen.

The Writing Process, p. 37 - 38 (Chapter 2, section 2-2)

The writing process has three parts: prewriting, writing, and revising. 1st. phase analyzing and anticipating the audience and then adapting to that audience. 2nd. phase includes researching organizing the message, and actually writing it. Revising is the most important part of the writing process, it takes the most time.