BUS 271: Module 11- Communicating Different Messages
Which of the following guidelines should you use when writing an internal criticism of a colleague?
Direct your comments at the behavior and not the person.
Here are some guidelines to ensure that your critical comments are perceived constructively:
Direct your comments at the behavior and not the person. Keep the tone of your message neutral and objective—think about how you would feel reading the same comments about yourself. Try to include positive behaviors as well as behavior to be improved. Suggest positive steps in resolving the issue.
Which of the following strategies is best to use when responding with a short message to internal or external criticism?
Don't wait too long before responding.
Which of the following is the best thing you can do when responding to criticism?
Fight the impulse to respond defensively.
"7 Tips for Dealing With Criticism of Your Business on Social Media":[1]
Get Listening Should You Respond? Don't Let Negative Comments Linger Always Acknowledge, Never Deny How to Apologize Take the Conversation Offline The Bottom Line
Which of the following strategies is best to use when responding with a long message to internal or external criticism?
Get all of the details before responding.
positive responses to criticism
Gratitude. Avoid extremes: don't get gushy or pretend it doesn't hurt. Just say thanks for your feedback. Questions. Avoid statements until you've asked clarifying questions. Restatements. "I hear you saying..." Request for solutions. Ask for suggested solutions. Simple is essential; one or two is enough. Happiness. Do corrective behaviors make sense and feel good? If the path forward isn't inviting, you'll avoid it. Follow-up. Ask for a check-in meeting in two weeks for a progress report. Four weeks is too long. If your behaviors elicit negative feedback, solve them quickly. Gratitude again.
Which of the following is the best method for communicating large amounts of information to answer potential questions and convey complex ideas?
a presentation
Which of the following is the best way to communicate large amounts of detailed information or utilize graphics to convey complex ideas to a defined audience?
a presentation
Which of the following topics is best suited for a short team-building message?
a status update
Which of the following is the best example of a short informative message?
a tweet
What is the most important characteristic of a written response to internal and external criticism?
acknowledge the criticism instead of denying or deflecting
Which of the following best describes what is meant by using acceptance to deal with negative emotions?
acknowledging your negative emotions
Which of the following best describes the meaning of being professional at work?
acting ethically and respectfully
Which of the following factors is most important to consider when composing a long team-building message?
how can team members respond
Which of the following factors is most important in composing a long team-building message?
how team members can comment or reply
Which of the following is the best description of the purpose of writing an internal critical message to an employee you manage?
improve the behavior or the behavioral results of a person
Which of the following strategies is the best one to use when writing an external critical message to an existing customer?
indirect strategy
Which of the following is an advantage of a short informative message?
it allows for a quick response
Short team messages can be communications such as
status updates, meeting requests, notes of appreciation, or a invitations to a meet-up after work, email
Which of the following topics is the most suitable for a long team-building message?
a list of improvements needed
Which of the following is the best platform for short team-building messages?
Which of the following is the best example of a negative response to criticism?
"It wasn't that bad."
Writing a critical message to an unassociated company should follow the following guidelines:
-Be professional. -Use direct writing structure in most cases. -Be clear and concise. -Be fair and even.
Effective criticism should be:
-Positively intended, and appropriately motivated: you are not only sending back messages about how you are receiving the other's work but about how you feel about the other person and your relationship with him/her. Keeping this in mind will help you to construct effective critiques. -Specific, allowing the individual to know exactly what behavior is to be considered. -Objective, so that the recipient not only gets the message but is willing to do something about it. If your criticism is objective, it is much harder to resist. -Constructive: consciously avoiding personal attacks, blaming, insulting language, or hostile language. Avoiding evaluative language such as "you are wrong" or "that idea was stupid" reduces the likelihood that the receiver will respond defensively.
Long informative messages can utilize multiple communication vehicles. The primary delivery methods you'll run across are email, blog, presentation, and podcast.
-emails can be considered the "default" delivery method for business messages. While they can be effective if written well (after all, they're delivered directly to the person you hope will receive the message), they can also appear bland if not executed correctly. -A blog can be used to inform about, promote, and build a brand. It can also serve to personalize a brand by showcasing the perspectives of those who work at the company or it can serve to build a community by promoting the work of outside authors. -Presentations are a great way to communicate large amounts of detailed information or utilize graphics to convey complex ideas to a defined audience. Graphics can be utilized to inform the audience of several connected ideas. -Podcasts can be quite effective as informative messages. They give businesses an opportunity to engage in more casual conversation, but they can still be packed with very detailed functionality information about how the products or applications work and serve customers.
Here are some techniques that can help you deal with emotional reactions to negative situations at work.
Acceptance. It is normal to get mad when things go awry. Our brains are hard-wired to react in certain ways. It is best to step back and acknowledge that your emotions are normal so that you can move on to problem-solving. Displacement. While you are experiencing a range of emotions that you may not initially control, it may be best for a change of scenery. Get up from your desk, walk out of your office and take some deep breaths outside. Imagine how you would like to see yourself react while you calm down. Articulation. Once you have spent some time thinking things through, it may be time to talk it out with the source of the issue. Remember your basic communication skills: Remember whom you are communicating with and what will be effective in reaching your point. Improvement. After recognizing and dealing with your feelings, it is time to understand the true source of the issue so it can be solved going forward. So you were called out on some errors made in your analysis, but you know that you were not given adequate notice to properly prepare the report and double-check it. Address this with your manager and request an appropriate process in the future to allow for more careful work.[1]
Which of the following strategies is best to use when responding with a short message to internal or external criticism?
Acknowledge what you have done, but don't deny it.
Which of the following is a guideline for communicating effectively in business?
Be clear and concise with the presentation of information.
Which of the following strategies is best to use when responding with a long message to internal or external criticism?
Respectfully disagree if the criticism is not accurate.
(long responses to criticism) Some recommended guidelines would include the following:
Solicit all of the facts of the matter. Do not be afraid to ask for all the details. Acknowledge what is stated and paraphrase in non-offensive words. Agree if the criticism is true. Apologize if necessary. Explain how the critical remarks will affect your behavior and actions in the future. Disagree if the criticism is not accurate. Be respectful and constructive in your response. Think about finding a compromise position that will alleviate future concerns.
According to communications expert Jack Griffin, there is a six step process that you can use to respond to negative feedback in a constructive manner. Here are excerpts from his guidelines.[1]
Step 1: Accept criticism as an opportunity. All criticism, even unmerited criticism is useful to you. Criticism, after all, may actually point out things that you are doing ineffectively or poorly—things you could do better. Step 2: Fight the impulse to respond defensively. Listen and learn. Step 3: Realize that the criticism is a perception, nothing more. Step 4: Do not meekly accept unjust or unfounded criticism, but don't reject it. Learn from it. Learn about creating more positive impressions. Step 5: Seize the opportunity to respond to criticism, to communicate in a way that can strengthen and enhance your relationship with your boss. Step 6: While listening to criticism, demonstrate that you are hearing the criticism.
Effective informative messages should be organized as follows:
Subject line: State the main idea of the message. Opening: Express the main idea right away. Body: Explain and justify the main idea. Closing: Summarize the main idea, add a call to action, or express a closing thought.
Which of the following is the best example of an advantage to working with teams?
Teams contribute more ideas than single individuals.
Other benefits of collaborative teams are
Teams promote a wider sense of ownership. Teams encourage healthy risk-taking. Teams contribute to employee satisfaction and retention.
Which of the following is the best example of an advantage to working with teams?
Teams result in an increase in productivity.
Which of the following is the best example of a negative response to criticism?
This was your fault, too."
Which of the following guidelines should you use when writing an internal criticism of a colleague?
Try to include positive behaviors as well as behavior to be improved.
Which of the following guidelines should you use when writing a critical message to an external company?
Use direct writing structure in most cases.
Which of the following closers best follows the guidelines for writing to an existing customer?
We look forward to working together in the future.
Which of the following is the best example of a long informative message?
a blog post
Which one of these actions or behaviors would be considered a positive or constructive reaction to criticism in the workplace?
asking the critic for clarification and details
Which of the following best describes the meaning of constructive criticism?
avoiding personal attacks or blame
Which of the following guidelines should you use when writing a critical message to an external company?
be professional
Which of the following best describes the meaning of being professional at work?
being competent, respectful, and accountable
Which of the following is the best order when writing an external critical message to an existing customer?
buffer, reasons, criticism
Your sales manager informs you that there is a problem with one of your customers failing to pay an overdue invoice. Apparently, Accounting has already sent a gentle reminder and has asked your boss to escalate the issue. Your manager instructs you to contact the customer to get action. you should:
craft a professional email explaining the facts as you know them and ask for help to resolve the situation
Imagine that you are working in a customer service capacity for a large organization. Customers have begun to report similar problems over and over via voice mail messages. You should:
create a podcast on the company website that addresses the problem and posts the solution
The indirect strategy would be best for a critical message to a
customer.
Which of the following is an advantage of a short informative message?
people can send and respond to messages quickly
Which of the following best describes what effective criticism should be?
positively-intended and specific
Which of the following is a quality of indirect criticism?
putting a buffer before the criticism
Which of the following is a quality of direct criticism?
putting the criticism before the reasons
Using the indirect style is best for
reducing resentment and keeping employees open to receiving bad news constructively.
Your manager is driving you crazy by scheduling private "pre-meetings" before standard meetings so that she feels better prepared on information you have to present to her managers. You are frustrated by the double work. What should you do?
request a private session to understand what her needs are and brainstorm as to how to resolve the issue
Which of the following is the best description of an informative message in the workplace?
sharing meaningful information with others in an unbiased and professional manner
Which of the following is the best example of an advantage to working with teams?
teams can help break down projects into manageable tasks
Which of these statements represents constructive criticism to a subordinate employee?
there are specific ways that the appearance of the break room can be improved
Which of the following represent the passive voice style of criticism.
visitor parking spaces are set aside to ensure that our guests can park conveniently
Your online building supply company had re-sold some materials that were found to be defective. There was a small uproar on social media blaming the company for poor quality control. Your manager has tasked you with responding to as many of these critical messages as you can on the social media platform itself. You start your responses with:
we at XYC.com apologize for the sub-standard quality of the product you received and we will refund your purchase immediately
What should you consider before sending a long written message to your team colleagues?
what is the optimum communication channel to to inform and invite feedback?
