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Business Writing and CommunicationBest Practices
Christine Miles
Effective and Ethical Communication Professionalism in the Workplace Intercultural Communication Writing Tips Electronic Messages and Digital Media Positive and Negative Messages Presentations Reports, Plans and Proposals
Agenda
Recognize communication barriers Select the appropriate method for
communicating Evaluate the ethics in a problem
Effective and Ethical Communication
Bypassing
• Definition: Misunderstanding a word.
• Avoid vague words including: probably, always never, usually, often, soon and right away.
Frames of reference
• Because of different experiences everyone has different expectations for the same event.
• Seek to understand others expectations early, and clearly communicate your own.
Distractions
• Forms of distraction include: emotional (both sender and receiver), physical and digital.
• Solutions:• Remain objective and
focus on the content of a message.
• Avoid background noise for oral communication
• Practice good grammar and formatting for digital communication.
Communication Barriers
(Guffey and Loewy, 2011)
Em
ail • Meeting
minutes• Request for
information• Status
updates• Quick
digital delivery of documents
• Benefits:• Documente
d• Timely• Multiple
people can be included in the same message.
Lett
er/
Pro
posa
l • Job Offers• Sales
proposals• Appraisals
• Benefits:• Formal• Detailed• Can be
legally binding
• Documented for future reference
Ora
l • Delivering bad news
• Reaching a consensus
• Need real time feedback
• Benefits:• Provide
nonverbal cues
• Reduced mis -communication
Text
/ IM
Communication Channels
Image Source: onwardstate.com
Image Source: www.mywordtemplates.org
Image Source: www.actioncoach.com
Image Source: www.huffingtonpost.co.uk
• Need a quick answer
• Urgent news/ data
Benefits:• Very
timely• To the
point
(Guffey and Loewy, 2011)
Evaluating EthicsUse these questions to evaluate ethical dilemmas and make the right choice.
Is it legal?
How would the other side view this?
Are there alternative solutions?
Can you discuss the problem with someone in a position of
trust?
How would you feel if other people knew about your decision?
This includes family, friends and coworkers.
Sou
rce:
coll
eg
e.m
on
ster.
com
(Guffey & Lowey, 2011, p29)
Professionalism – Confrontation
Picture Source: themindsetmaven.com
Share responsibility – Both parties
need to be involved in finding the
solution
Never attack the other person –
Focus on the issue, situation or
behavior.
Define the problem and agree on the
problem 1st.
Control emotions – If your emotions
are rising, take a break and then
revisit the conversation.
Listen – Learn their point of view,
don’t just focus on convincing them
of your own. A great phrase to use
is “Help me understand. . .”
(Katz, 2006)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZlcFB0NZHLo
Learn about other cultures behaviors (Newman and Ober, 2012).
Behaviors
Attitudes
Customary traits, including nonverbal communication
Avoid ethnocentrism. One culture is not superior to another
(Barger, 2008).
Intercultural Communication
Source: anyainvestigatingcultures.wordpress.com
Intercultural communication includes:
Race Gender Socioeconomic status Age Sexual orientation Religion
(Fritscher, 2007)
Oral
Learn foreign phrases
Use simple English, avoid
jargon, slang and idioms.
Listen without interrupting
Check frequently for
comprehension
Follow up a oral
conversation in writing
Intercultural Environment Communication Best Practices
(Guffey and Loewy, 2011)
Written Observe title and rank. Use short sentences and
paragraphs.
Avoid idioms, slang and
ambiguous expressions.
Image source: www.areyounet.com
Adapt to the culture by observing body
language and listening strategies. Mirror
what is observed. Be careful to avoid
appearing as if you are making fun of
them.
Watch nonverbal cues. Make
adjustments if the other person appears
uncomfortable.
Understand cultural expectations around
time and personal space (Chitakornkijsil,
2010).
Avoiding Misunderstanding
Source: voices.yahoo.com (Fritscher, 2007)
Prewriting: Analyzing, Anticipating, Adapting
Writing: Researching, Organizing, Composing
Revising: Revising, Proofreading, Evaluating
Business Writing – 3x3 Process
}50%
} 50%
(Guffey and Loewy, 2011)
Business Writing - Prewriting
The purpose of the writing is to communicate with the audience.
The audience’s needs are central to how the writing is created.
Conduct an audience analysis Who is the audience? How do you know them? What is your
relationship? How do you expect them to react? What knowledge do they already have?
(Guffey and Loewy, 2011)
Steps involved in revising include:
Reviewing the content - Have enough
supporting information and be as
streamlined as possible.
Style – Style should be consistent throughout
the document. Avoid long sentences
Correctness – Spelling, grammar and
punctuation.
Evaluate – Is the message communicating
what you want it to? Is the purpose being
met?
Business Writing - Revising
(Guffey and Loewy, 2011)
When to Use and Popular Uses
Reaching people often tied to their computer monitor or phone.
Convey urgent information without interrupting like a phone call
or meeting would.
Get to the point without having to exchange pleasantries.
Identifying if a person or multiple people are available for a
meeting (Primeaux, 2004).
Carries a higher read and response rate than email (Henn, 2013)
and (Lacey, 2009).
Electronic Media – IM and Text
(Guffey and Loewy, 2011)
When not to use
Delivering bad news (such as firing
someone) (Guffey and Loewy, 2011)
Relaying confidential information – IM is
not as secure as email (Primeaux, 2004).
Sending a lot of detailed information.
Text has a 140 character limit, and
neither application allows for formatting
of any type (Business Today, 2013).
Electronic Media – IM and Text
Source: blog.privacychoice.org
Positive and Negative Messages
Ways to organize your messageIndirect Plan
State the main idea
Direct Plan
Provide explanation
Give details
Provide explanation
State the main idea
Give details
Close in positive tone, not on topic of message
Close expressing appreciation, and summarize the request
Positive and
Neutral Messag
es
Bad News
Messages
(Jansen and Janssen, 2013)(Newman and Ober, 2012)
Play to your Strengths
Plan Delivery and Develop Stage
Presence
Frame the Story
Business Presentations
Introduce the topic – an idea, story or problem being solved
Explain why you care about itConvince audience they should care too
Don’t read, avoid cue cards, memorize if you can.
Be conversationalMake eye contact with the audience
Be yourself in creation and delivery.
When using PowerPoint keep them simple. It is not an outline for delivery.
TIP
(Anderson, 2013)
Formal and Informal Reports
Audience/Purpose Formal InformalExecutive Audience x Shared Externally x
Summarizing a meeting xUpdating polices/procedures x
Budgets x Parts of the Report
Cover Page x xAbstract/Summary x
Introduction x xBody x x
Conclusion x xReferences x
Recommendations x Appendix x
(Rasel, 2013)
Many of the tips and ideas presented for different
situations can be summarized as:
Know your audience. Chose communication channels,
content and formats based on the audience.
Always employ the basics – grammar, spelling,
formatting
It’s possible to be professional in ethical situations and
confrontation. Follow the steps presented and you will
be able to respond positively and confidently.
Conclusion
Anderson, C., (2013). How to Give a Killer Presentation. Harvard Business Review. 91(6), 121-125
Barger, K. (2008). Ethnocentrism. Retrieved from http://www.iupui.edu/~anthkb/ethnocen.htm
Baxamusa, B.N. (2011). How to write a formal report. Buzzle.com. Retrieved from
www.buzzle.com/articles/how-to-write-a-formal-report.htm
Business Today, (2013). Last but Not Least. Business Today. 22(2), 109-110
Chitakornkijsil, P. (2010). Intercultural Communication Challenges and Multinational Organization
Communication. International Journal of Organizational Innovation. 3(2), 6-20
Fritscher, L., (2007). Intercultural Communication: Surviving in a Global World. Retrieved from:
http://www.lifescript.com/soul/self/growth/intercultural_communication_surviving_in_a_global_w
orld.aspx?_page=4
Guffey, M., & Loewy, D. (2011). Business communication: Process and product (7th ed.). Independence,
KY: Cengage Learning.
Hen, S., (2013). Online Marketers Take Note of Brains Wired for Rewards. Retrieved from:
npr.org/blogs/alltechconsidered/1013/07/24/204621/ONLINE-REWARDS
Jansen, F., & Janssen, D. (2013). Effects of Directness in Bad-News E-mails and Voice Mails. Journal of
Business Communication. 50(4), 362-382
Katz, R., (2006, February). Positive confrontation? Strategic Finance, 87(8), 36-40
References
Lacey, F. (1/18/2009). Text Messaging Offers a 97% Read Rate. Retrieved
from: http://www.betternetworker.com/articles/view/text-message-marketing-offers-97-read-rate
Newman, A., & Ober, S. (2012). Business communication: In print, in person, online (8th ed.).
Cincinnati, OH: South-Western College Publishers
Primeaux, R. O., & Flint, D. (2004). Instant Messaging: Does It Belong in the Workplace?.
Intellectual Property & Technology Law Journal, 16(11), 5-7.
Rasel. (2013). Difference between formal and informal reports. Business Communication Articles.
Retrieved from: www.businesscommunicationarticles.com/difference-between-formal-and-informal- reports/
Rzadkiewicz, C. (2010). How to write a formal business report. Suite101.com. Retrieved from
suite101.com/a/how-to-write-a-formal-business-report-accurately-and-concisely-a270293
References cont.