Business Comm. Midterm review

Employees Reveal Office Dilemmas - Ethics Survey

* 9%: Prepared a document with false or misleading information at boss's request * 27%: Singed someones name to a doc. without permission. * 23%: Asked to lie for the boss. * 16%: Asked to lie for boss and did it.

What Ethical Communicators Do

* Abide by the Law. * Tell the Truth. * Labeling Opinions. * Being Objective. * Communicating Clearly. * Using Inclusive Language. * Giving Credit.

2. Why Form Teams?

* Better Decisions: Decisions are better because group members bring various expertise and perspectives. * Faster Response: Small groups can delegate different sections of work and get it done more quickly. * Increased Productivity: they are often closer to the action and to the customer and can see opportunity for improving efficiency. * Greater Buy-In: Group members uses more cohesive solution leading to greater buy-in * Less Resistance to Change: People with input in decisions are less resistant to change. * Improved Employee Morale: Personal satisfaction and job morale increase when teams are successful. * Reduced Risks: Responsibility for a decision is diffused on a team, less responsibility per person. - According to Harvard Prof. J Richard Hackman claims that studies "consistently shows that teams underperform despite all their extra resources". - This is probably due to the fact that groups generally need longer amounts of time to make decisions that are ok with majority rather than gut calls when working alone.

Dividing Instructions into Steps

* Divide the instructions into steps * List the steps in order in which they are to be carried out * Arrange the items vertically with numbers * Begin each step with an action verb using imperative mood (command) rather than indicative mood.

1. What Do Digital Age Employers Want:

* Education * Experience * Hard Skills: Technical Skills in your field * Soft Skills: Nonverbal, Etiquette, Communication, and listening skills

Osborn-Parnes Creative Problem Solving Process

* Explore the Challenge - Identify the Challenge. - Gather information and clarify the problem. * Generate Ideas - Come up with many ideas to solve the problem. - Pick the most promising ideas. * Implement Solutions - Select and strengthen solutions. - Plan how to bring your solutions to life and implement.

4. Four Phases of Team Development.

* Forming: - Selecting Members - Become Acquainted - Build Trust -Form Collaborative Culture * Storming: - Identify Problems - Collect and share information - Establish Decision Criteria - Prioritize Goals * Norming: - Discuss Alternatives - Evaluate Outcomes - Apply Criteria - Prioritize Alternatives * Performing: - Select Alternatives - Analyze Effects - Implement Plan - Manage Project

Improving Upward Information Flow

* Hire communication coaches to train employees. * Asking employees to report customer complaints. * Encouraging regular meetings with staff. * Providing a trusting, non-threatening environment. * Offering incentive programs that encourage feedback.

Society Context

* Laws/Regulations * Culture * Values/Beliefs

Community Context

* Laws/Regulations * Values/Beliefs *Social Norms

Workplace Organization Context

* Policies * Goals } Corporate Culture * Industry Standards

Three goals of adjustment messages

* Rectifying he wrong, if one exists * Regaining the confidence of the customer * Promoting further business

Using the Grapevine Productively

* Respecting employees' desire to know. * Increasing the amount of information delivered formally. * Sharing bad as well as good news. * Monitoring the grapevine. * Acting promptly to correct misinformation.

Family and Loved Ones Context

* Rules/Norms * Values/Beliefs * Goals

Responding Ethically to Office Gossip.

* Run, don't walk, away from anyone who starts to gossip. * End rumors about others. * Attack rumors about yourself. * Keep confidence. * Limit the personal tidbits you share about yourself. * Avoid any form of coworker belittlement. * Build coworkers up: don't tear them down.

Improving Downward Information Flow

* Smaller groups and teams. * Company Publications. * Videoconferencing. * Announcements. * Meetings. * Podcasts.

Overcoming Obstacles to Ethical Decision Making

* The False Necessity Trap: "I don't have a choice". *Doctrine of Relative-Filth Trap: "At least I'm more ethical". * The Rationalization Trap: Justifications and excuses. * The Self-Deception Trap: Fabricating achievements. * The Ends-Justify-the-Means Trap: Self explanatory.

Improving Horizontal Information Flow

* Train employees in teamwork and comm. techniques. * Establishing reward systems based on team achievement. * Encouraging full participation in team functions.

Individual Context

* Values/Beliefs * Ethical Reasoning * Goals

Skills Jobs Seekers Should Offer:

* Written/oral comm - 89% * Critical thinking/analytical reasoning - 81% * Ability to analyze and solve complex problems - 75% * Ethical decision making - 75% * Teamwork skills - 71% * Innovation and creativity - 70% * Ability to locate and evaluate information - 68% * Understanding of Statistics - 63%

Replying to Goodwill Messages

*Answering a Congratulatory note- keep it short and simple *Responding to Praise- use simple words in conveying appreciation

AIDA Strategy for Persuasive Messages

*Attention: Captures attention, creates awareness, makes a sales proposition, prompts the audience to read on. Opening *Interest: Describes central selling points, focuses not on features of product/service but on benefits relevant to the reader's needs. Body *Desire: Reduces resistance, reassures the reader, elicits the desire for ownership, motivates action. Body *Action: Offers an incentive or gift, limits the offer, sets a deadline, makes it easy for the reader to respond, closes the sale. Closing

Selling by E-mail

*Craft a catchy subject line *Keep the main information "above the fold." *Make the message short, conversational, and focused. *Sprinkle testimonials throughout the copy. *Provide a means for opting out.

Reducing Resistance and Building Desire

*Delay mentioning price till after you have created desire *Show the price in small units, such as the price per issue *Demonstrate how the reader saves money *Compare your prices with those of a competitor

Applying the Four-Part AIDA strategy to persuasive doc. (Action)

*Describe specific request *Sound confident *Make action easy to take *Offer incentives or gifts *Don't provide excuses *Repeat main benefits

Before writing ask yourself these questions.

*Do I really need to write this e-mail, memo, letter? *Why am I writing? *How will the reader react? *What channel should I use? *How can I save my reader's time?

Words not to use in a Adjustment Letter

*Don't use negative words *Don't blame the customer *Don't blame individuals or departments within organization *Don't make unrealistic promises you cant keep

Effective Persuasion Techniques

*Establish Credibility *Make a reasonable, specific request *Tie facts to benefits *Recognize the power of loss *Expect and overcome resistance *Share solutions and compromise

Thank you letter topics

*Expressing thanks for a gift *Sending thanks for a favor *Extending thanks for hospitality *Recognizing Employees for their contributions

Applying the Four-Part AIDA strategy to persuasive doc. (Interest)

*Facts, Figures *Expert opinions *Examples *Specific Details *Direct benefits *Indirect benefits

You can build interest and conviction through use of the following

*Facts, Statistics *Examples *Expert Opinion *Specific Details *Direct Benefits *Indirect Benefits

Careful writers ask themselves the following questions.

*Is the message clear? *Is the message? *Did you plan for feedback *Will this message achieve its purpose

Gaining attention in sales messages

*Offer *Promise *Question *Quotation or Proverb *Fact *Product Feature *Testimonial *Startling Statement *Personalized Action Setting

Motivating Action at the Conclusion of a Sales Message

*Offer a gift *Promise an incentive *Limit the offer *Set a deadline *Guarantee satisfaction

What is Persuasion

*Persuasion is a Symbolic Process *Persuasion Involves an attempt to Influence *Persuasion is Self-Persuasion *Persuasion Involves *Persuasion Requires

Gaining attention description

*Problem description *Unexpected statement *Reader benefit *Compliment *Related facts *Stimulating

Six Basic Principles that Direct Human Behavior

*Reciprocation *Commitment *Social Proof *Liking *Authority *Scarcity

Applying the Four-Part AIDA strategy to persuasive doc. (Desire)

*Reduce resistance *Anticipate objections *Offer counterarguments *Use "What-if" Scenario *Demonstrate Competence *Show value of proposal

5 S's of Goodwill Messages:

*Selfless: Focus on the customer *Specific: Personalize the incident *Sincere: Let words show your genuine feelings *Spontaneous: Keep the message fresh and enthusiastic. *Short: accomplish your goal in only a few sentence.

Applying the Four-Part AIDA strategy to persuasive doc. (Attention)

*Summary of the problem *Unexpected statement *Reader benefit *Compliment *Related facts *Simulating question

Techniques to overcome resistance

*Testimonials *Names of satisfied users *Money-back guarantee or warranty *Free trial or sample *Performance tests, polls, or awards

How has Persuasion changed in the Digital Age

*The volume and reach of persuasion messages exploded *Persuasion messages spread at warp speed *Organizations of all stripes are in the persuasion business *Persuasion techniques are more subtle and misleading *Persuasion is more complex and impersonal

There are different types of Virtual Conferencing if you can't have an in person meeting.

- Audio Conferencing - Video Conferencing - Web Conferencing • Understanding Web Conferencing: - E-mail Contact - Virtual Meeting: participants see each other and deliberate - Design Collaboration: participants work together & share different designs

Planning and Participating in Productive Meetings

- Consider Alternatives: Unless a topic is important, don't call a meeting. - Invite the Right People: only invite people for who the info is relevant. - Distribute an agenda: date, place, start and end times, description of topics - Use a Calendar Program if possible. - Train Participants on Technology. - Start on time and intro the agenda. - Appoint a secretary and a recorder: - Encourage Participation - Confront Conflicts Frankly - Summarize along the way - Review meeting decisions - Distribute minutes of the meeting - Remind people of action items

Ten Keys to Building Powerful Listening Skills

- Control External and Internal Distractions. - Become Actively Involved. - Separate Facts from opinions. - Identify Important Facts. - Avoid Interrupting. - Ask Clarifying Questions. - Paraphrase to Increase Understanding. - Capitalize on Lag Time. - Take Notes to Ensure Retention. - Be Aware of Gender Differences.

• A Good Agenda Covers the Following:

- Date and place of meeting. - Start time and end time. - Brief description of each topic, in order of priority, with name of speaker. - Proposed allotment of time for each topic. - Any pre-meeting preparation expected of participants.

Trained Listeners

- Defer Judgment; listen for the customer's feelings and assess situation. - Pay most attention to content, not appearances, form, or surface issues. - Listen completely, trying to really understand every nuance. - Listen primarily for the main idea and avoid replying to everything. - Do one thing at a time, realizing that listening is a full-time job. - Are silent a bit after speaker's finish to let them complete their thoughts. - Give affirming statements and invite additional comments.

Techniques for Improving Nonverbal Communication Skills in the Workplace

- Establish and Maintain Eye Contact. - Use Posture to Show Interest. - Reduce or Eliminate Physical Barriers. - Improve Your Decoding Skills. - Probe for more Information. - Interpret Nonverbal Meanings in Context. - Associate with People from Diverse Cultures. - Appreciate the Power of Appearance. - Observe Yourself on Video. - Enlist Friends and Family.

Forms of Nonverbal Communication

- Eye Contact. - Facial Expressions. - Posture and Gestures. - Time. - Space. - Territory. - Appearance of Business Documents. - Appearance of People.

The start of the meeting should be 3-5 minutes in length and should contain the following

- Goal and length of the meeting. - Background of topics or problems. - Possible solutions and constraints. - Tentative agenda. - Ground rules to be followed.

Meeting Purpose and Number of Participants:

- Intensive Problem Solving: 5 people or fewer. - Problem Identification: 10 people or fewer. - Information Reviews and Presentations: 30 people or fewer. - Motivational and Virtual: Unlimited.

Four Space Zones for Social Interaction

- Intimate Zone: 1 - 1(1/2) feet - Personal Zone: 1(1/2) - 4 feet - Social Zone: 4 - 12 feet. - Public Zone: 12 - more feet.

Types of Workplace Listening

- Listening to Supervisors - Listening to Colleagues and Teammates - Listening to Customers

Improving Listening

- Stop Talking. - Work Hard at Listening. - Block out Competing Thoughts. - Control the Listening Environment. - Maintain an Open Mind. - Paraphrase the Speaker's Ideas. - Listen Between the Lines. - Distinguish Between Facts and Opinions. - Capitalize on Lag Time. - Use Memory Devices. - Take Selective Notes.

Untrained Listeners

- Tune out customer because they know answer. - Focus on style; mentally dismiss grammar, voice tone, and speaking style. - Tend to listen mainly for facts and specific bits of information. - Attempt to take in everything being said, only to refute each comment. - Divide their attention to 2 or more tasks because listening is automatic. - Become distracted by emotional words, have difficulty controlling anger. - Interrupt the customer. - Give few, if any, verbal response.

3. Collaborating in Virtual Teams.

- Virtual Teams: A group of individuals from across globe working on a project.

Information Flow in Organizations

-> Downward Communication -> Horizontal Communication -> Upward Communication

Media Richness (highest to lowest)

1. Conversation/Meeting. 2. Videoconferencing, IM or chat with video and audio. 3. Telephone. 4. Blogs, Chat, Message Boards, IM. 5.Letter, Memo, Note, E-mail. 6. Spam, Newsletter, Flyer, Bulletin Poster.

Rules for sharing open workspaces

1. Don't hang around 2. Limit chitchat. 3. Don't sneak up on anyone. 4. Don't eavesdrop or otherwise spy on others. 5. Speak in a soft voice. 6. Wear headphone.

Communication Channels Ranked By Richness:

1. Face to face 2. Telephone 3. Video chat 4. E-Mail 5. IM 6. Letter 7. Memo 8. Blog 9. Report 10. Wiki

Communication Effectiveness (Most to Least Effective)

1. Face-to-Face. 2. Video. 3. Audio. 4. Written, Addressed Documents. 5. Unaddressed Documents.

Six Steps for Dealing with Conflict:

1. Listen to ensure you understand the problem 2. Understand the other's position 3. Show a concern for the others relationship 4. Look for areas of mutual agreement 5. Invent new problem-solving options 6. Reach a fair agreement; choose the best option

The communication process:

1. Sender has an idea. 2. Sender encodes the message. 3. Sender selects channel, transmits message. 4. Receiver decodes message. 5. Feedback returns to sender.

How Businesses use Social Networks

Adopting the Facebook Model. Connecting Far-Flung Workers Crowdsourcing Customers

Written Comm.

Advantages: - Creates permanent record. - Is convenient to distribute. - May be economical. - promotes comprehension and recall. - allows precise and uniform expression. - gives audience flexibility in when and how to view. Disadvantages: - Leaves paper trail. - Requires skill and effort to produce. - Lacks verbal cues and warmth. - Cannot be immediately modified based on feedback. - May seem impersonal.

Horizontal Communication

Among workers at the same level. * Task Coordination. * Problem Solving. * Conflict Resolution. * Idea Generation. * Team Building. * Goals Clarification.

Responding to customers online.

Be positive *Respond in a friendly, upbeat, yet professional tone. *Correct mistakes politely *Do not argue, insult, or blame others Be transparent *State your name and position with the business *Personalize and humanize your business Be honest *Own up to problems and mistakes *Inform customers when and how you will improve situation Be timely *Respond in less than 24 hours Be helpful *Point users to valuable info on your website or other. *Follow up with users when new information is available

Delivering Bad News Sensitively

Buffer o Best news o Compliment o Appreciation o Agreement o Facts o Understanding o Apology Reasons o Cautious explanation o Reader or other benefits o Company policy explanation o Positive words o Evidence that the matter was considered fairly and seriously Bad News o Embedded placement o Passive voice o Implied refusal o Compromise o Alternative Closing o Forward look o Information about alternatives o Good wishes o Freebies o Resale o Sales promotion

Internal Communication

Communication between members of Company/Group i.e. Coworkers, Superiors, and Subordinates. Most popular is E-mail. Some of the functions of internal communication are to issue and clarify procedures and policies, inform management of progress, develop new products and services, persuade employees or management.

o Guidelines for Safe Social Networking

Establish Boundaries Distrust Privacy Settings Rein in your friends Beware "friending" Expect the unexpected

Guidelines for Writing Online Reviews and Complaints

Establish your credibility *Zero in on your objective and make message support. *Focus only on the facts and to be able to support them. Check posting rules * Understand what's allowed by reading the terms of site * Keep your complaint clean, polite, and to the point Provide balanced reviews * To be fair. offset criticism with positives to show you legit * Suggest improvements even in glowing reviews Consider the Web's permanence * Know that your review may be posted indefinetley Embrace transparency * Be open, even anonmyous comments can be tracked Accept offers to help * Reply if a business offers to help or discuss the problem Refuse payment for favorable critiques * Never accept payment to change your opinion * Comply with requests for a review if you are satisfied

Oral Comm.

Forms: - Telephone call - conversation. - interview. - meeting - conference Advantages: - Provides immediate feedback. - Can be adjusted to audience. - Can be delivered quickly. - Supplies non-verbal cues. - May create warm feeling. - Can be forceful Disadvantages: - Lacks a permanent record. - May contain careless or imprecise expression. - May be inappropriate for formal or complex ideas. - Does not promote easy recall

Downward Communication

From management to subordinates. * Policies * Procedures * Directives * Job Plans * Mission Goals * Motivation

Upward Communication

From subordinates to management. * Product Feedback. * Customer Data. * Progress Reports. * Suggestions * Problems. * Clarification.

Direct Strategies:

If bad news is: o Not damaging. o May be overlooked. o Is preferred the recipient. o Requires firmness. o Then use Direct Strategy: Bad News Reason Pleasant Close

Indirect Strategies:

If bad news is: o Personally upsetting o May provoke hostile reaction o Could threaten customer relationship o Is unexpected o Then use Indirect Strategy: Buffer Reason Bad News Pleasant Close

5. Positive and Negative Group Behaviors:

Positive Negative: -Setting rules and abiding by them -Blocking the ideas of others -Analyzing tasks/defining problems -Insulting and criticizing others -Contributing information and ideas -Wasting the groups time -Showing interest by listening -Making improper jokes and comments -Encouraging members to engage -Failing to stay on task -Withdrawing, failing to participate

The Context of Ethical Decision Making.

Society(Community[Workplace{Family<Individual>}])

External Communication

Speaking to people not within Company/Group. i.e. Customers, Suppliers, the Government, etc. Is usually handled by E-mail.

Social Presence

The degree of "salience" (being there) between a sender and receiver using a communication medium. Is greatest face-to-face.

Levels of diction:

Unprofessional: Badmouth Guts Pecking order Ticked off Conversational: Criticize Nerve Line of command Upset Formal: Denigrate Courage Provoked

Groupthink:

When members of a group readily agree with one another which leads to a faulty decision making process.

Culture

complex system of values, traits, morals, and customs shared by a society.

Intercultural communication

is important in the modern economy with companies expanding overseas.

Protypes

mental representations based on general characteristics that are not fixed and rigid, but rather open to new definitions.

Favoring Short Sentences

o 8 words - 100% o 15 words- 90% o 19 words- 80% o 28 words- 50%

Formal Research Methods

o Access electronic sources. o Search Manually. o Investigate primary sources. o Conduct scientific experiments.

Invisible culture:

o Beliefs and values. o Feelings and fears. o Upbringing. o Attitudes and biases.

Impact of Instant Messaging and Texting

o Benefits of IM and Texting Immediate Low cost sub for calls o Risks of IM and Texting IM can be a distraction to employees Liability Burden Security and Legal Requirements.

Opening Indirect Messages with a buffer:

o Best News o Compliment o Appreciation o Agreement o Facts o Understanding

Ethical decision making across borders:

o Broaden your view: Become sensitive to values and customs of other cultures. o Avoid reflex judgement: Don't automatically judge as wrong or immoral. o Find alternatives o Refuse business if options violate your basic values. o Embrace transparency: Conduct relations and negotiations openly. o Don't rationalize shady decisions: Avoid agreeing to actions that cause you to say "This is illegal." o Resist legalistic strategies: Don't use tactics that are legally safe but ethically questionable.

Improving Intercultural Effectiveness:

o Building cultural self-awareness: Think of yourself as a product of your own culture, your culture is one of many. o Curbing ethnocentrism: Belief is superiority in one's own race is known as ethnocentrism. Natural attitude in all cultures. o Understand generalizations and stereotypes: Stereotypes are generalizations about groups, mostly false, may contain some truth and are often exaggerated. o Being open-minded: Have tolerance and empathy towards other cultures and diversity. o Saving face: Some cultures value image and go to great lengths to avoid "offense" while others are direct. Must show tolerance and empathy for both cases.

Barriers that create misunderstanding:

o Bypassing: When people miss each other with their meanings, meaning is not always similar. o Differing framers of reference: You will never see things exactly the same as others. o Lack of language skill: Requires adequate vocab and skill in oral and written communication to convey ideas fully. o Distractions: Emotional interference, physical distractions, and digital interruptions interfere with understanding.

Diversity advantages:

o Consumers: Diverse consumers want specialized goods and services tailored to their needs. Diverse teams are better equipped to create products that these markets require. o Work teams: Diverse teams may come up with more creative and effective solutions. o Business organizations: Companies that embrace diversity and set aside time to cultivate and capitalize on diversity will suffer fewer discrimination lawsuits. Also improves employee relations increasing productivity.

Blog Best Practices: Eight Tips for Master Bloggers

o Craft a Catchy but Concise Title. o Ace the Opening Paragraph. o Provide Details in the Body o Consider Visuals o Include Calls to Action o Edit and Proofread o Respond to Posts Respectfully o Learn from the Best

Characteristics of culture:

o Culture is learned. o Cultures are inherently logical. o Culture is the basis of self-identity and community. o Culture combines the visible and invisible. o Culture is dynamic.

Steps to follow for effective brainstorming.

o Define the problem and create and agenda that outlines the topics to be covered. o Establish time limits, remembering that short sessions are best. o Set a quota, such as minimum of 100 ideas. The goal is quantity, not quality. o Require all participants to add ideas, accept ideas of others or improve on ideas. o Encourage wild thinking. Allow no one to criticize or evaluate ideas. o Write ideas on flipcharts or on sheets of paper hung around the room. o Organize and classify the ideas, retaining the best.

Organizing Ideas into Strategies

o Direct Strategy for Receptive Audiences: Writers get to their point immediately. Saves the reader's time. Sets a proper frame of mind. Reduces Frustration. o Indirect Strategy for Unreceptive Audiences. Beats around the bush. Creates understanding for the writers PoV. Respects the feelings of the audience. Facilitates a fair hearing. Minimizes negative reaction.

Drafting Professional E-Mails

o Draft a Compelling Subject Line o Include Greeting o Organize the Body for Readability and Tone o Close Effectively

Visible culture:

o Dress, words, gestures, body language, outward behavior.

Improving conversations in intercultural environments

o Enhancing oral communication: Observe eye messages. Encourage accurate feedback. Accept blame. Listen without interrupting. Smile when appropriate. Follow up in writing. o Improving written communication: Use short sentences and paragraphs. Observe titles and ranks. Avoid ambiguous expressions. Strive for clarity. Use correct grammar. Cite numbers carefully.

Achieving intercultural proficiency:

o Examine your own culture. o Explore other cultures. o Curb ethnocentrism. o Treat each individual you meet as a protype (Generalizations are natural, but people like to be treated as unique, not typical representations of an entire group). o Observe nonverbal cues in your culture. o Embrace nonjudgmentalism: Unfamiliar behavior is different rather than right or wrong. o Be aware of culture when using communication technology. o Use plain English. o Encourage accurate feedback: Ask probing questions and listen. o Adapt to local preference: Shape writing to reflect style of reader's culture.

Best Practices for Instant Messaging and Texting

o Follow company policies at all times: etiquette rules, code of conduct, ethics guidelines. o Don't use IM or Text Messages to disclose sensitive information: financial, company, customer, employee, or executive data. o Steer clear of harassment and discriminatory content against classes protected by law. o Be vigilant about the appropriateness of photos, videos, and art that you link to or forward. o As with e-mail, don't say anything that would damage your reputation or that of your organization. o Don't text or IM while driving a car. Pull over if you must read or send a message. o Organize your contact lists to separate business contacts from family and friends. o Avoid unnecessary chitchat, and know when to say goodbye. If personal messaging is allowed, keep it to a minimum. o Keep your presence status up-to-date so that people trying to reach you don't waste their time. Make yourself unavailable when you need to meet a deadline. o Beware of jargon, slang, and abbreviations, which, although they may reduce keystrokes, can be confusing and appear unprofessional. o Use good grammar and proper spelling.

Knowing When E-Mail is Appropriate

o For short, informal messages that request information or respond to inquiries.

Best Practices for better E-Mail

o Getting Started Don't write if another channel, such as IM, or a phone call works better. Send only content you would want published. Write compelling subject lines, possible with names and dates: o Replying Scan all e-mails, especially those from the same person. Answer within 24 hours of when you say you will. Change the subject line if the topic changes. Practice Down-Editing. Start with the main idea. Use headings and lists. o Observing E-Mail Etiquette Obtain approval before forwarding. Soften the tone by including a friendly opening and closing. Resist humor and sarcasm. Avoid writing in all caps o Closing Effectively End with the due dates, next steps to be taken, or a friendly remark. Add your full contact information including social media addresses. Edit your text for readability. Proofread for typos or unwanted corrections. Double check before hitting send.

Dimensions of culture:

o High low context: Stimuli, environment or ambiance surrounding an event. o Individualism and Collectivism: An attitude of independence and freedom from control. o Time orientation: The value of time. o Power distance: How people in different societies cope with inequality. How to relate to more powerful individuals. o Communication style: How a culture values words and context to convey meaning.

Adapting message to audience:

o Identify the message purpose. o Select the most appropriate channel. o Profile the audience. o Focus on audience benefits. o Avoid bias (gender, age, disability) o Be conversational but professional. o Express ideas positively. o Use short, familiar words. o Search for precise, vigorous words.

Creating a Professional Blog

o Identify your audience o Choose a hosting site o Craft your message o Pick the right keywords o Work the blogroll o Blog often o Monitor traffic

Controlling Your Inbox

o If you can read and respond to an email in under two minutes, then take care of it immediately. Otherwise, put it on a schedule or calendar to do later.

Selecting the best channel:

o Importance of the message. o Amount and speed of feedback and interactivity. o Necessity of a permanent record. o Cost of the channel. o Degree of formality involved. o Confidentiality and sensitivity of the message. o Receiver's preference.

Reaching Group Decisions

o Majority: Group members vote and majority positions win. Can leave some alienated group members. o Consensus: All members speak their opinion and then the group comes to a general decision. o Minority: Few members investigate a decision and choose one. o Averaging: Members haggle, argue, and debate until a middle ground is reached. o Authority rule with discussion: One person listens to everyone's opinion and then chooses.

Communication.

o Market Research and Viral Marketing. o Online Communities. o Internal Communication and Recruiting.

Conditions that can lead to groupthink

o Members with similar backgrounds o Lack of systematic procedures o Demand for a quick solution o Strong leader who favors a specific outcome • Symptoms of Groupthink o Pressure on any member who doesn't agree o Self-Censorship o Collective efforts to rationalize decisions

Lower Context Cultures

o Prefer direct verbal interaction. o Understand meaning at one level only. o Are generally less proficient in reading nonverbal cues. o Value individualism. o Rely more on logic. o Say no directly. o Communicate in highly structured, detailed messages with literal meanings. o Give authority to written information.

Higher Context Cultures:

o Prefer indirect verbal interaction. o Understand meanings embedded at many sociocultural levels. o Are generally more proficient in reading nonverbal cues. o Value group membership. o Rely more on context and feeling. o Talk around point, avoid saying no. o Communicate in sometimes simple ambiguous messages. o Understand visual messages readily.

3x3 Writing Process:

o Prewriting: Analyze: • What is your purpose? • What do you want the receiver to believe? • What channel should you use? I.E. Email, letter, etc. Anticipate: • Profile the audience. • What does the receiver already know? • Will the receiver's response be positive, neutral, or negative? Adapt: • What techniques can you use to adapt your message to your audience? • How can you promote feedback? • Strive to use positive, conversational, and courteous language. o Drafting: Research: • Gather data and provide facts. • Search company files, previous correspondents, the internet. • What do you need to know to write this message? • How much does the audience already know? Organize: • Organize direct message with big idea first, followed by an explanation in the body, and an action request in the closing. • For persuasive or negative messages, use an indirect, problem solving strategy. Draft: • Prepare a first draft. • Focus on short clear sentences. • Build paragraph coherence by repeating key ideas, using pronouns, and incorporating appropriate transitional expressions. o Revising: Edit: • Clear, concise, conversational, readable. • Eliminate wordy fillers, long lead ins, redundancies, and trite business phrases. • Develop parallelism. • Consider headings, numbered and bulleted lists for easier reading. Proofread: • Take the time to read every message carefully. • Look for errors in spelling, grammar, punctuation, names, and numbers. • Check that format is consistent. Evaluate: • Will this message achieve your purpose? • Does the tone sound pleasant? • Have you thought about the audience to be sure this message is appealing? • Did you encourage feedback?

Scheduling the writing process:

o Prewriting: 25% o Drafting: 25% o Revising: 50%

How companies blog

o Public Relations, Customer Relations, and Crisis

Business Writing Goals:

o Purposeful: Writing to solve problems and convey information. o Economical: Writing to present ideas clearly and concisely. o Audience oriented: Concentrate on looking at the problem from the perspective of the audience.

Informal Research Methods:

o Search your company's files. o Talk with the boss. o Interview the target audience. o Conduct an informal survey.

Improving communication among diverse workplace audiences:

o Seek training: Awareness raising sessions may be helpful to eliminate diversity problems. o Understand the value of differences: Differences breed innovation and creativity. o Don't expect conformity: Differences enrich businesses, don't expect people to change to be like you. o Make fewer assumptions: Don't assume religion, sexual orientation, etc. o Build on similarities: Look for areas to agree on, consider all opinions are valid.

Achieving Variety with Four Sentence Types.

o Simple Sentence: Just an independent clause. The entrepreneur saw an opportunity. o Compound Sentence: Has 2 complete and related thoughts, joined by but, or, and.. The entrepreneur saw an opportunity, and she responded immediately. o Complex Sentence: An independent clause and a dependent clause. When the entrepreneur saw the opportunity, she responded immediately. o Compound-Complex Sentence: Contains 2 independent clauses and a dependent. When the entrepreneur saw the opportunity, she responded immediately; however, she needed capital.

Trends fueling globalization:

o Stagnating or declining domestic markets. o Favorable trade agreements or removal of trade barriers. o Growing middle classes in emerging economies. o Advancements in transportation and logistics. o Growing reach of Information and communication technologies.

When we deviate from a group we fear rejection, scientists call this:

o The pain of independence o The hazards of courage

Text Messaging and Business Etiquette

o Timing Don't text when calling would be inappropriate and rude, for example, at a performance, a restaurant, in a meeting, or in a movie theater. Don't text or answer your phone during a face-to-face conversation. If others use their cell phones while talking to you, you may excuse yourself till they stop o Addressing Check that you are texting to the correct phone number to avoid embarrassment. If you receive a message by mistake, alert the sender. No need to respond to the message itself. Avoid send confidential, private, or potentially embarrassing texts. Someone might see your text at the recipients end or the message might be sent to an unintended recipient. o Responding Don't expect an instant reply. As with e-mail, we don't know when the recipient will read the message. o Introducing Identify yourself when texting a new contact who doesn't have your phone number. o Expressing Don't use text messages to notify others of sad news, sensitive business matters, or urgent meetings, unless you wish to set up a phone call about that subject.

Why People Complain About E-Mail

o Too many messages o Incoherent messages

E-Mail: Love It or Hate It - But It's Not Going Away

o Typical Business people spend at least two hours a day, perhaps much more, writing and replying to e-mails.

Grouping Ideas to Show Relationships:

o Using Lists and Outlines. o Typical Document Components. Email, Memo. Letter • Opening • Body • Closing Procedure • Step 1 • Step 2 • Step 3 • Step 4 Informational Report • Introduction • Facts • Summary Analytical Report • Introduction/problem • Facts/findings • Conclusions • Recommendations (if requested) Proposal • Introduction • Proposed solution • Staffing • Schedule, costs • Authorization

Questions to ask before Drafting:

o What does the receiver need to know about this topic? o What is the receiver to do? o How is the receiver to do it? o When must the receiver do it? o What will happen if the receiver doesn't do it?

Making Your Message Clear

• A clear message is one that is understood easily and immediately. • Simplicity makes ideas powerful. • Conciseness improves clarity.

Avoiding Legal Liability in Conveying Negative News

• Abusive language • Careless language • The Good-Guy Syndrome (Offering own opinion to make someone feel better or soften the blow of bad news which can put you in legal trouble).

Limiting Long Lead-Ins

• Avoid unnecessary introductory words. • "I am sending you this email to announce that we have hired a new manager" can be trimmed to "we have hired a new manager"

Indirect Strategy:

• Bad news can be easier to accept when broken gradually. • Sandwich negatives between positives statements or use reasoning or show positives. • Use the indirect strategy for bad news: o When the bad news is personally upsetting. o When the bad news will provoke a hostile reaction. o When the bad news threatens the customer relationship. o When the bad news in unexpected.

Purging Empty Words

• Be alert for empty words that may be expendable. • Words like case, degree, the fact that, factor, instance, nature, quality.

Rescuing Buried Verbs

• Buried verbs are those that are needlessly converted to wordy noun expressions. • This happens when verbs such as acquire, establish, and develop are made into nouns like acquisition, establishment, and development. These nouns often end in -tion, -ment, and -ance. Sometimes called zombie nouns because they suck the life out of active verbs.

Enhance Readability Through Document Design

• Choosing Appropriate Typefaces o Don't use more than 2 different typefaces per document. o Serif has small features at the ends of strokes. Times New Roman, Century, Georgia, and Palatino. Suggest tradition, maturity, and formality. Used for body text in business and longer documents. o San serif are clean characters. Arial, Calibri, Gothic, Tahoma, Helvetica, and Univers. Used for headings, signs, and material that does not require continuous reading. o Capitalizing on Type Fonts and Sizes All caps, small caps, and bold are used for headings, subheadings, and single words or short phrases. All caps should never be used for long strings of text, they make it harder to read. Bold, italics, and underlining are used to call attention to important points and terms. 10 to 12-point font size is the most commonly used. Too large (14 and up) looks amateur and out of place. o Numbering and Bulleting Lists for Quick Comprehension Numbered Lists: Use for items that represent a sequence or reflect a numbering system. Bulleted Lists: Use to highlight items that don't necessarily show a chronology. Capitalization: Capitalize the initial word of each line. Punctuation: Add end punctuation only if the listed items are complete sentences. Parallelism: Make all the lines consistent; for example; start each with a verb. o Adding Headings for Visual Impact Headings are effective tool for highlighting information and improving readability. They encourage to group similar material together.

Dropping Clichés

• Cliches are expressions that have become exhausted by overuse. Many cannot be explained especially to those new to our culture. Avoid using these expressions.

Editing, Proofreading, and Evaluating Checklist:

• Eliminate flabby expressions. • Avoid opening fillers and long lead-ins. • Shun redundancies. • Tighten your writing. • Write concisely for microblogging. • Keep the message simple. • Avoid trite business phrases. • Don't use clichés or slang. • Recuse buried verbs. • Control exuberance. • Improve readability through document design. • Proofread for correctness. • Evaluate your final product.

Tightening Your Message by Revising for Conciseness

• Eliminate flabby expressions: Most expressions can be shortened by removing unnecessary words and using alternate shorter forms. • "as a general rule" can be trimmed to "generally"

Goals in Conveying Unfavorable News

• Explaining clearly and completely • Projecting a professional image • Conveying empathy and sensitivity • Being fair • Maintaining friendly relations

Rejecting Redundancies

• Expressions that repeat meaning or include unnecessary words are redundant. Unexpected surprise is like saying surprise surprise. • "absolutely essential" trimmed to essential.

Dropping Unnecessary there is/are and it is/was Fillers

• In many sentences, the expressions there is/are and it is/was function as unnecessary fillers. They take up space and delay getting to the point of the sentence. • "There are more woman than men enrolled in college today" trimmed to "More women than men are enrolled in college today"

Communicating Negative News Effectively

• Negative news must be presented in a way that is aware of the reception of the audience, provides an explanation, and is indirect and passive. This is the best possible way to convey a negative message.

Direct Strategy:

• Normally use indirect for negative news along with a buffer, but sometimes direct may be more appropriate for some cases of bad news. • Use the direct strategy for bad news: o When the bad news Is not damaging o When the receiver may overlook the bad news. o When the organization or receiver prefers directness. o When firmness is necessary.

Compose a negative message effectively

• Open indirect with buffer • Apologizing • Show empathy • Present the reasons • Cushion the bad news • Close pleasantly

5Rs of apologizing effectively in the Digital Age

• Recognition: Acknowledge the specific offense • Responsibility: Accept the personal responsibility • Remorse: Embrace the "I apologize" and "I am sorry." • Restitution: Explain what exactly you will do about it. • Repeating: Promise it won't happen again and mean it.

Keep it Short and Simple

• Resist urge to show off, your goal is to express, not impress the reader. Use KISS formula, use active-voice sentences that avoid indirect, pompous language.

Avoiding Slang and Buzzwords

• Slang is composed of informal words with arbitrary and extravagantly changed meanings. • Buzzwords are technical expressions that have become fashionable and often are meant to impress rather than express.

Proofreading:

• Spelling • Grammar • Punctuation • Names and numbers • Format

Defining Successful Teams

• Stay Small and Embrace Diversity: Teams can range from 2-25 people but the most efficient groups are 4-5 as they can make decision easier and faster. • Agree on Purpose: An effective team begins with a purpose. • Agree on Procedure: The best teams develop procedures to guide them. • Confront Conflict: Poorly functioning teams avoid conflict, preferring sulking, gossiping, or bickering. • Communicate Effectively: The best teams exchange information and contribute ideas freely in an informal environment often facilitated by technology. • Collaborate Rather Than Compete: Effective team members are genuinely interested in achieving team goals instead of receiving individual recognition. • Accept Ethical Responsibilities: Teams as a whole have ethical responsibilities to their members, to their larger organizations, and to society. • Share Leadership: Effective teams often have no formal leader. Instead, leadership rotates to those with the appropriate expertise as the team evolves and moves and moves from one phase to another.

Improving Writing Technique

• Stressing important ideas o Use vivid words. o Label the main idea. o Place the important idea first or last in the sentence. o Place the important idea in a simple sentence or in an independent clause. o Make sure the important idea is the sentence subject. • Using Parallelism • Escaping Dangling and Misplaced Modifiers.

Dumping Trite Business Phrases

• To sound "businesslike" avoid old and stale expressions used over the years. Use new and original ways to sound fresher. • "as per your request" as you request.

Building Well-Organized Paragraphs

• Using the Direct Paragraph Plan to Define, Classify, Illustrate, or Describe. • Using the Pivoting Paragraph Plan to Compare and Contrast. • Using the Indirect Paragraph Plan to Explain and Persuade. • Developing Paragraph Coherence. o Dovetailing Sentences. o Including Pronouns. o Employing Transitional Expressions.

Proofreading to Catch Errors

• What to watch for in proofreading: o Spelling: Use spellchecker and dictionaries. o Grammar: Locate sentence subjects, make sure verbs agree with them. Pronouns must agree with their antecedents. o Punctuation: Make sure introductory clauses are followed by commas. In compound sentences put commas before coordinating conjunctions (and, or, but, nor). o Names and numbers: Compare all names and numbers with their sources because inaccuracies are not always visible. Verify the spelling of the names of the individuals receiving the message. o Format: Be sure that your document looks balanced on the page. • How to Proofread Routine Documents o Use down arrow on screen to proofread one line at a time. o Safer to proofread from printed copy. o Look for typos and misspellings. o Search for easily confused words like to and too, then and than. • How to Proofread Complex Documents o Print a copy, double spaced, set aside for a day to be more alert. o Allow adequate time to proofread carefully. o Be prepared to find errors. Anticipate errors. Congratulate, don't criticize yourself for finding them o Read the message at least twice, once for word meanings and once for grammar and mechanics. o Reduce your reading speed. Concentrate on individual words rather than ideas. o For documents that must be perfect, enlist a proofreading buddy. Have someone read the message out loud. Spell names and difficult words, note capitalization, and read punctuation. o Use the standard proofreading marks to indicate changes.

Controlling Exuberance

• Words such as very, definitely, quite, completely, extremely, really, actually, and totally can emphasize and strengthen your meaning. • Avoid overuse as it sounds unbusinesslike.