Effective Written Communication MGMT 202 Business Communication Dr

Effective Written Communication MGMT 202: Business Communication Dr. Lisa Barley Eastern Michigan University 1

Learning Objectives: At the end of the class, you will: • Understand the importance of effective written communication. • Apply the five step writing process: planning, organizing, drafting, and editing to insure your message is “well received” by multiple readers. • Improve your writing strategies for building a logical business case to influence others. • Know how to edit and discuss actual writing samples with employees. 2

Strategic Communication Planning for Effective Business Writing Delivery / Feedback Preparation Message, delivery medium, evaluation Writing, editing, formatting Conclusion / Recommendations Solution / alternatives Info Gathering & Analysis Purpose & Scope Audience Analysis & Situational Analysis Types of data, analysis methods Scope, depth, breadth Id readers, problem, issue, idea 3

Writing Process Self-Assessment Activity 40 percent Prewriting Writing 20 percent 40 percent Rewriting Johns, L. C. (2004). The Writing Coach. Clifton Park, NY: 4 Delmar Learning a division of Thomson Learning Inc. p. 3.

The Writing Process Checklist Stage Step Prewriting Planning What to Do q Analyze your audience(s). q Identify your purpose (or reason for writing). q Brainstorm to generate ideas. Organizing q Prepare a blueprint (or outline). q Put main idea up front. q Arrange key points in order. q Identify action wanted. Johns, L. C. (2004). The Writing Coach. Clifton Park, NY: Delmar Learning a division of Thomson Learning Inc. p. 2. 5

The Writing Process Checklist (cont. ) Stage Step What to Do Writing Drafting q Write a draft. q Emphasize key points. q Focus each paragraph. q Impose a clear order. Rewriting Editing q Evaluate clarity and precision of words. q Eliminate unnecessary words. q Tighten sentences. Refining q Correct errors in grammar, punctuation, mechanics, and spelling. q Format text. Johns, L. C. (2004). The Writing Coach. Clifton Park, NY: Delmar Learning a division of Thomson Learning Inc. p. 2. 6

Prewriting: Planning the Document Who are my audiences? What is the action I want? What are my key points What is my purpose What is my main idea? Johns, L. C. (2004). The Writing Coach. Clifton Park, NY: Delmar Learning a division of Thomson Learning Inc. p. 7 7

Planning: What is My Purpose? • The purpose of this memo is to_______so that the Green America Board of Directors will________. Piotrowski, M. V. (1996). Effective business writing: A guide for those who write on the job. (second edition, revised and updated). New York, NY: First Collins Reference. p. 13. 8

Planning: What Do Your Readers Want to Know? Lay Readers– anyone outside your field. These Readers Want to Know: In What Style? The big picture; general issues an details; “What’s in it for me? ” (WIIFM). They do not want technical detail. Plain English Management— The big picture, with particular anyone who has oversight responsibilities Plain English focus on financial issues. What’s it going to cost and what will be the return on investment? They want to know, “What’s in it for the company? (WHFC). Johns, L. C. (2004). The Writing Coach. Clifton Park, NY: Delmar Learning a division of Thomson Learning Inc. p. 9. 9

Planning: What Do Your Audiences Want to Know? These Readers Want In What Style? to Know Experts- your professional peers All the technical details. They may need your document to do their own work. They also will be checking to see whether they agree with your analysis. Technical language (jargon) is clear, precise, and concise for these readers. Some of the technical Plan English and some who will do the hands-on details, particularly those jargon. related to “how to” and work “why”. They do not want to know everything you know. Technicians- people Johns, L. C. (2004). The Writing Coach. Clifton Park, NY: Delmar Learning a division of Thomson Learning Inc. p. 9. 10

Planning: Analyzing Audience Importance Readers What They Will Do With Your Document: Primary The reader(s) who will do what you want. Secondary The readers who will receive your document for information only. At some point, they may use your document, but not right now. Identify The Audiences Below for Your Writing Sample: Intermediary The readers who will review your document before it reaches your primary reader(s) (e. g. , coordinator, department manager, administrative assistant, or client contacts). Johns, L. C. (2004). The Writing Coach. Clifton Park, NY: Delmar Learning a division of Thomson Learning Inc. p. 9. 11

Planning: What is My Purpose? Steps in Defining the Topic: Critical Questions to Ask: Answers: Purpose: Am I writing to inquire, inform, Answers: persuade, motivate or do I have more than one purpose? Scope: Given my needs and my readers’ needs, how much information should I include? Answers: Contents: What kinds of information will help me achieve my purpose? Answers: Constraints: What can work against me, or make my task more difficult? Time or costs constraints? My reader’s attitude? Answers: Piotrowski, M. V. (1996). Effective business writing: A guide 12 for those who write on the job. (second edition, revised and updated). New York, NY: First Collins Reference. p. 6.

Best Practices on Planning and Audience Analysis • Analyze the audiences who will be reading the document. • Analyze what the audience wants to know. • Analyze which audience is most important given the action you want. • Analyze the audience’s expertise. 13

Prewriting: Organizing The Document Stage Step What to Do Prewriting Organizing q. Prepare a blueprint (or outline). q Put main idea up front. q Arrange key points in order. q Identify action wanted. 14

Organizing: Arrange Key Points in Order Organizational Strategy Rationale for Selecting Chronological Order When the time or sequence of events is important Classification When you want to break a large topic into smaller components Space or geographical Orientation When you want your reader to visualize placement of objects. Comparison or contrast When you discuss two or more alternatives. Check Which Strategy You Will Use: Johns, L. C. (2004). The Writing Coach. Clifton Park, NY: Delmar Learning a division of Thomson Learning Inc. p. 10. 15

Organizing: Arrange Key Points in Order Organizational Strategy Rationale for Selecting Problem-Solution When you want to suggest one, or several ways to solve a problem. Begin by describing the problem, identifying the causes, and elaborating on its effects. Cause-to-effect When you want (1) to discuss why something happened or didn’t happen or (2) to predict what will happen as a result of some event or action. Check Which Strategy You Will Use: Johns, L. C. (2004). The Writing Coach. Clifton Park, NY: Delmar Learning a division of Thomson Learning Inc. p. 9. 16

Organizing: Conclusions, Actions, and Recommendations • Clearly reiterate important points. • Clearly draw conclusions. • Recommend actions to be taken based on business trends. • Motivate actions. • Suggest next steps. • Invite your reader’s involvement. Piotrowski, M. V. (1996). Effective business writing: A guide for those who write on the job. (second edition, revised and updated). New York, NY: First Collins Reference. p. 15. 17

Best Practices for Organizing Your Document • Prepare an outline using parallelism and careful word choice while catering the content to your audience. • Put the main idea up front. • Choose an organizational strategy to arrange your main points based on your audience, purpose, and scope. • Identify clearly and concisely the conclusions, future actions and recommendations. 18

Writing: Drafting the Document Stage Step What to Do Writing Drafting q Write a draft. q Emphasize key points. q Focus each paragraph. q Impose a clear order. 19

Writing: Creating a Positive Affirmation Write a positive affirmation statement. I am a______, _____ and _____writer. Piotrowski, M. V. (1996). Effective business writing: A guide for those who write on the job. (second edition, revised and updated). New York, NY: First Collins Reference. pp. 13 -15. Downing, S. (2008). On. Course, Affirmation Certificate. Retrieved August 23, 2008 from http: //college. cengage. com/collegesurvival/downing/on_course/4 e/students/affirmation/index. html 20

Writing: Potential Problems and Strategies to Overcome Them Potential Problems Strategies Paragraph covers more than one topic • Write strong, controlling topic sentences. • Limit each paragraph to one key point and supporting details. Paragraph is not arranged logically • Plan paragraphs before you write by: • Jotting down the details; • Arranging points in logical order and adding transitions; • Placing your topic sentence at the beginning of the paragraph Johns, L. C. (2004). The Writing Coach. Clifton Park, NY: Delmar Learning a division of Thomson Learning Inc. p. 79. 21

Writing: Choosing the Right Words Depends on the Purpose Using Words For proposals List Pros and Cons for what you are proposing. For justifications or explanations Jot down the Point and Reasons. For informational documents List the 5 Ws: Who, What, When, Where, Why, and How. For problem-solving Identify… • The Problem • The Solution • The Action you want For procedure List the Actor and The Act Johns, L. C. (2004). The Writing Coach. Clifton Park, 22 NY: Delmar Learning a division of Thomson Learning Inc. p. 21.

Writing: The 10 Second Per Page Rule • Write so that the reader can skim quickly through the material, spending not more than 10 -15 seconds per page. • Style and format make this possible. Tableman, B. (Ed. ) (June 2005). University-Community Partnerships: Providing Useful Reports. No. 33 University- Community Partnerships @ Michigan State University, Retrieved August 16, 2008, from http: //www. virginia. edu/provost/public/pdf/writingreports. pdf p. 3. 23

Rewriting: Editing the Document Stage Step What to Do Rewriting Editing q. Clarity, Conciseness, Correctness. q. Evaluate clarity and precision of words. q. Eliminate unnecessary words. q. Tighten sentences. Johns, L. C. (2004). The Writing Coach. Clifton Park, NY: Delmar Learning a division of Thomson Learning Inc. p. 2 24

Rewriting: Editing is a Must “Only 0. 8 percent of the human race is capable of writing something that is instantly understandable. ” H. L. Mencken Piotrowski, M. V. (1996). Effective business writing: A guide for those who write on the job. (second edition, revised and updated). New York, NY: First Collins Reference. pp. 40. 25

Rewriting: Editing the Document Stage Step What to Do Rewriting Editing q. Clarity, Conciseness, Correctness. q. Evaluate clarity and precision of words. q. Eliminate unnecessary words. q. Tighten sentences. Johns, L. C. (2004). The Writing Coach. Clifton Park, NY: Delmar Learning a division of Thomson Learning Inc. p. 2 26

Best Practices for Editing Sentences • Write short, simple sentences, averaging 15 -20 words per sentence and limited to one major idea. • If one idea is causal or conditional, or if a time sequence is suggested, and should not be used. – Incorrect: Profits increased 15% last quarter, and we’ll get a bonus. – Correct: Because profits increased 15% last quarter, we’ll get a bonus. Tableman, B. (Ed. ) (June 2005). University-Community Partnerships: Providing Useful Reports. No. 33 University- Community Partnerships @ Michigan State University, Retrieved August 16, 2008, from http: //www. virginia. edu/provost/public/pdf/writingreports. pdf p. 4. 27

Editing Checklist Purpose q Will the reader know – early in the piece – why the employee is writing? Content q Keeping the intended reader in mind, is the information complete? Is it accurate? q Should any information be added, deleted, or modified? q Are the points adequately, but not excessively developed? Organization and Layout q Would the information be clearer, or have greater impact, if it were reorganized? q Does each idea proceed logically from the previous idea? q Is the layout functional and appealing? Does it highlight important points? Piotrowski, M. V. (1996). Effective business writing: A guide for those who write on the job. (second edition, revised and updated). New York, NY: First Collins Reference. p. 41. 28

Editing Checklist Bulleted Content q Used participle (words ending in ing, en, or ed) or infinitive phrases (beginning with “to…”)? q Does each bullet make a major point? q Is each major point explicitly stated? q Can long bullets be divided or a short one combined (e. g. , 15 -20 word max. )? Style and Tone q Is the language specific, natural, and appropriate to the reader? q Can unnecessary words or phrases be deleted? q Are sentences varied in structure and in length? q Is the piece direct, clear, and easy to read? q Does it flow smoothly? q Is the tone consistent with the purpose? 29

Editing Checklist (cont. ) Mechanics q Is the grammar correct throughout? q Is the punctuation correct throughout? q Are all words spelled correctly? 30

Punctuation Counts! “Commas are ‘break marks, ’ not ‘breath marks. ’” “An English professor wrote the words “women without her man is nothing” on the board and told the students to punctuate it correctly. – The men wrote: “Women, without her man, is nothing. ” – The women wrote: “Women! Without her, man is nothing. ” ~Lee Johns- The Writing Coach Use a comma to separate the independent clauses of a compound sentence joined by a coordinating conjunction. Where does the comma go? Jim Goodnight SAS Institute CEO expects performance from his employees and they deliver in a big way. Johns, L. C. (2004). The Writing Coach. Clifton Park, NY: Delmar Learning a division of Thompson Learning Inc. pp. 183. 31

Refining: Helpful Resources For Grammar, and Punctuation Helpful Grammar Websites and Handbooks: • www. chomp. com • www. owl. english. purdue. edu/handouts/grammar /g-comma. html – For example: Use a comma to set off long introductory clauses, especially those beginning with if, when, and because. • Where does the comma go? Because Goodnight believes employees are more creative when they aren't preoccupied with outside concerns he gives workers a bonanza of benefits. 32

Refining: Grammar, Punctuation, Mechanics, and Spelling Sentence Structure Word Formation Punctuation Mechanics q. Fragments q. Verb forms q. End Punctuation q. Numbers q. Comma splices q. Subject-verb or fused sentences agreement q. Commas q. Dates q. Run-on sentences q. Pronoun usage q. Colons q. Abbreviations q. Dangling modifiers q. Spelling q. Semicolons q. Capitalizations q. Parallel structure q. Apostrophes q. Hyphens q. Quotation marks Johns, L. C. (2004). The Writing Coach. Clifton Park, NY: Delmar Learning a division of Thomson Learning Inc. pp. 153 -154. 33

Best Practices for Rewriting • Step away from the document and come back to it to edit, and refine the document. • Have someone from your intermediary audience edit and refine your document. • Apply grammar, punctuation, mechanics, and word choice tips. • Spell check, grammar check, and format check your document. • Affirm that the set of format for the final document will make the reader’s job easy. 34

References Captureplanning. com homepage. (2008). 7 Proposal Formatting Tips. Retrieved August 17, 2008 from http: //www. captureplanning. com/articles/92163. cfm Daly, J. and Miller, M. (1975). The empirical development of an instrument to measure writing apprehension. Research in the Teaching of English, 9, 242 -249. Downing, S. (2008). The affirmation certificate. Retrieved August 23, 2008 from http: //college. cengage. com/collegesurvival/downing/on_course/4 e/students/affirmation/index. html Gou-Ming, C. & Starosta, W. J. (1998). Foundations of intercultural communication. Boston: Allyn & Bacon. pp. 288 -289. Hall, E. T. (1991). Context and meaning. In L. A. Samovar & R. E. Porter (Eds. ) Basic Principles of Intercultural Communication: A reader. Belmont, Calif. : Wadsworth, 46 -55. Johns, L. C. (2004). The writing coach. Clifton Park, NY: Thompson Learning. ISBN: 1 -4018 3328 -4. 35

Manhard, S. J. (1998). The goof-proofer. How to avoid the 41 most embarrassing errors in your speaking and writing. New York, NY: Simon & Schuster. ISBN: 0 -684 -83826 -5. Munter, M. (2006). Guide to Managerial communication: Effective business writing and speaking. (7 th edition). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall. ISBN: 0 -13 -146704 -2. Piotrowski, M. V. (1996). Effective business writing: A guide for those who write on the job. (second edition, revised and updated). New York, NY: First Collins Reference. ISBN: 0 -06 -273381 -8. Tableman, B. (Ed. ) (June 2005). University-Community Partnerships: Providing Useful Reports. No 33 University- Community Partnerships @ Michigan State University, Retrieved August 16, 2008, from http: //www. virginia. edu/provost/public/pdf/writingreports. pdf Roberts, W. Rhys. [Translator] (1958). Aristotle’s: The Rhetoric. Retrieved September 22, 2008 from Adelaide books [Rendered into HTML by Steve Thomas]: http: //ebooks. adelaide. edu. au/a/aristotle/a 8 rh/ 36