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WRITTEN COMMUNICATION

COURSE CODE : BA 7108UNIT 3: WORK PLACE

COMMUNICATION

Prepared and presented by,N. Ganesha Pandian,Assistant professor,

Madurai school of management

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CONTENTS E-mails Minutes Reports of different kinds Annual report, status report, survey report Proposals Memorandums Presentations

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Interviews Profile of institutions Speeches Responding to enquiries Complaints Resumes Applications Summarizing Strategies for writings

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MEANING OF WORKPLACE COMMUNICATION Workplace communication is a

component and determinant of organization’s culture including efforts towards achieving organizations’ goals

Workplace communication is the process of exchanging information, both verbal and non-verbal, within an organization

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FACTORS INFLUENCING WORKPLACE COMMUNICATION

1. Method of communication2. Content 3. Frequency 4. Skills

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TYPES OF WORKPLACE COMMUNICATION Two broad categories, human communication and

electronic communication 1. Human communication includes speeches,

meetings, evaluative comments, selling products or services, interviews, briefings, updating and daily announcements

2. Electronic communication includes e-mail, phone calls, teleconferences, voicemail, text message, internet, intranet, company WebPages

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1. Internal communication2. External communication3. Formal and Informal communication4. Upward and Downward communication5. Lateral and Diagonal communication6. Small group communication7. Non-verbal communication

CLASSIFICATION OF WORKPLACE COMMUNICATION

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IMPORTANCE OF WORK PLACE COMMUNICATION1. Success of an executive mostly

depends on with effective communication

2. Communication resolves conflict3. Increased focus4. By acknowledging major and minor

success, management can increase morale

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WORK PLACE COMMUNICATION SKILLS

1. Be clear and transparent 2. Be well prepared 3. Be precise 4. Be generic 5. Be assertive6. Do not assume 7. Encourage two-way communication

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E-MAILS Email is one of the most popular options

available in internet, which helps communication to be fast, reliable and accurate

Email messages are equivalent to brief informal memos used to communicate information or to ask questions

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STRUCTURE AND CONTENT OF E-MAIL

1. Envelope2. Message body3. Header - Received

- Date- From- Sender- To- CC- Subject- Message-id - Reply-to-X-mailer

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EMAIL ETIQUETTES1. Respond to e-mail messages in a timely manner

2. Provide clearly worded subject lines for all messages

3. Use shorter lines and shorter paragraph

4. Be complete and concise

5. Use upper and lower case letters appropriately

6. Use jargon carefully

7. Avoid inappropriate and possibly offensive language

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CONTD…8. Avoid trivial responses 9. Avoid firing messages back to the sender 10. Avoid sending “Junk” mail11. Avoid adding too many attachments 12. Take caution in using emotions

(interpreted as exactly what you send)13. Always include a subject line in your

message

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ACTIVITY -1 Draft a email to your superior asking

permission for leave on account of your marriage

It should contain the requisite format and details

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MINUTES - MEANING Minutes are “a written document that

accurately and objectively record the decision” Minutes can also inform people about

absentees and contributors Minutes usually contains the main points of

discussion, the conclusions reached, the recommendations made, and the tasks assigned to individual members and groups

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KINDS OF MINUTES 1. Minutes of resolutions2. Minutes of narration3. Verbatim minutes

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CONTENT OF MINUTES The minutes become final when they have been

read at the meeting, approved by the members and signed by the chairman

1. The name of the organizational unit 2. The date, place and time of meeting3. The number of meeting if it is in a series 4. Name of the chairman of the meeting5. Name of members present 6. Record of transactions7. Signature of the secretary and the chairman

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ACTIVITY - 2

Prepare a minutes of meeting Assuming that it is a Sales report

meeting Assume the fictitious date, time and

members and resolution made

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REPORTS – MEANING The word report is derived from the Latin word

“reportare” which means to carry back. A report may be define as “statement

describing what has happened” or “describing a state of affairs”

According to Raymond V. Lesikar and John D.Pettit, “ A business report is an orderly, objective communication, factual information that serves some business purposes”

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OBJECTIVES OF REPORT Measuring executive performance Help in adapting changes Provides information Helps in controlling Helps in Coordinating Record keeping Recommends action

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IMPORTANCE OF REPORT Conveyor of information Helps management to review and

evaluate office operations Tool for measuring performance Reports help in making desirable

changes Reports help in measuring the

effectiveness of the organization

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STRUCTURE OF REPORT 1. Title page 2. Table of contents 3. Executive summary or abstract4. Introduction – objective and methodology 5. Body of report – literature review, method,

findings, discussion6. Conclusion 7. Recommendations8. Bibliography 9. Appendices

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ORGANIZATION OF REPORT Three ways in which a report can be

organized:1. Letter form2. Memorandum form3. Letter – text combination form

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TYPES OF REPORTS1. On the basis of legal requirement- Statutory reports- Non-statutory report2. On the basis of formality- Formal reports- Informal reports3. On the basis of function - Informational report - Interpretive report 4. On the basis of number of persons- Reports by individual- Reports by committee or sub-committee

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5. On the basis of frequency- Routine reports- Special reports6. On the basis of length - Short reports - Long reports7. On the basis of subject matter - Marketing reports - Accounting reports - Production reports8. On the basis of nature of subject- Problem determining reports- Technical reports

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ANNUAL REPORTS

Annual reports are business reports regularly brought out by business organizations

And also brought out by variety of institutions – Commercial, charitable, educational, supervisory, regulatory and etc.,

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CONTD… Annual report, besides being mandatory,

are also relevant as information sharing and image building documents.

The purpose of Annual report is to inform the members of the company and other interested groups about the performance of company during the year and financial position at the end of the year

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STRUCTURE AND CONTENTS OF ANNUAL REPORTS The annual report of a company generally

consists of the following:1. Director’s report2. The Auditor’s report3. The balance sheet in the prescribed form4. The profit and loss account in the prescribed

form5. Other prescribed schedules, annexure, and

statements

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The report of board of directors deal with

1. The state of company’s affairs

2. The amount which it proposes to carry to reserves

3. The amount recommended by way of dividend

4. Material changes affecting the financial position of company

5. Conservation of energy; technology absorption; foreign exchange earnings in prescribed form

6. A statement showing the prescribed amount of employee remuneration

7. Changes occurred during the financial year

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GUIDELINES FOR PREPARING ANNUAL REPORTS Clearly bring out the progress/strengths relevant to

the reporting year Take a re-look at the headings and make appropriate

changes Good annual reports are distinctive in terms of

language and expression used Avoid using long sentences and combining several

developments Check the correctness of all figures, amounts and

dates

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STATUS REPORT Status report is prepared about the situation of a

specific project on a particular time. This report is prepared to convey the state of project like its accomplishments, its planed accomplishments, issues and resolutions

A status report is a recurring update an employee presents to a manager. Status reports represent a critical communication within any reporting relationship, across all job functions, industries and company sizes

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BENEFITS OF STATUS REPORT To employees: 1. Gives them a voice 2. Align focus with managers expectationsTo People managers 3. Gives planning and forecasting insights 4. Creates a catalogue of employee activity To Owners and executives5. Gains insights across departments 6. Captures a bottom view of business

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PROBLEMS OF STATUS REPORT1. A bad status report takes a lot of

energy and time to write , making it expensive

2. It may appear as difficult to read, causing it to fail to communicate

3. It may further aggravate the problems

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SURVEY REPORT A survey report may be defined as a

compendium of data and information gathered, and an analysis conducted to record information and the information recovered, problems discovered and how they have been solved and then opinion/ results of survey

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ELEMENTS OF A SURVEY REPORT1. Executive summary 2. Introduction 3. Methodology4. Results and discussion5. Conclusions and recommendations6. List of references

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STEPS IN WRITING A SURVEY REPORT1. Analyze and organize the data 2. Outline the purpose and hypothesis of

performing the survey3. Define how the survey was performed 4. Detail the nature of the survey

questions5. Provide tables and illustrations6. Write a conclusions

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MEANING OF PROPOSALS Proposal derived form the word “Propose”. A proposal

in simple terms, is an offer by one party to provide a product or service to another party in exchange for money.

A proposal is a written report that seeks to persuade the reader outside the organization to do as the writer expects

May be defined as, “Proposal are usually based on studies conducted by an individual or group within a company and are often used to solicit business for the firm”

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SIGNIFICANCE OF PROPOSAL Source of basic information Shows the company in the best way Informational Winning the hearts Defining objectives Testing the viabilities Establishes parameters Assessments of opportunities Helpful in securing resources Helps in integration

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PARTS/STRUCTURE OF PROPOSAL1. Cover letter or Memo2. Title page or cover 3. Reference to authorization4. Table of contents5. List of illustrations 6. Proposal summary 7. Purpose

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8. Problem or need9. Background10. Benefits of the proposal 11. Description of the solution12. Evaluation plan 13. Qualifications of personnel 14. Time schedule15. Cost16. Glossary17. Appendices18. Reference list

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TYPES OF PROPOSAL 1. According to structure - Non formal - Formal2. According to nature of the audience- Internal - External 3. According to source of origin - Solicited - unsolicited4. According to objective or content - Business - Research - Technical

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MEMORANDUM Meaning of memorandum:A memorandum is by definition, “ a written

statement that you prepare specially for a person or committee in order to give them information about a particular matter”.

It has been derived from the Latin word ‘memorare’, changed to ‘memorandus’ and means literally ‘to mention’ or ‘tell’

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PURPOSE OF MEMORANDUM1. To issue instructions to the staff 2. To communicate policy changes to the staff3. To give/seek suggestions4. To request help or information5. To confirm a decision arrived at on the telephone 6. To intimate granting/withholding permission to do

something7. To seek explanation on some matter of conduct.,

etc.,

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CLASSIFICATION OF MEMORANDUMDirect memorandum1. Routine enquiries2. Routine responses3. Policy memorandums and directives In-direct (bad-news memorandums

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PARTS OF MEMORANDUM

Heading (To; From; Subject ; Date)

Body Conclusion

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PRESENTATIONS Presentation may be defined as the technique of

formal communication that involves speaking in front of a group of people or presenting a topic in public

“ A presentation is a commitment by the presenter to help the audience do something, to solve problem”

Good business presentations should ideally follow the KISS formula (i.e) Keep it short and simple

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ELEMENTS OF PRESENTATION

1. Presenter 2. Purpose 3. Audience

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FEATURES OF GOOD PRESENTATION Contents matching the audience Language matching the audience Brevity Smooth sequence Sign of preparation and mastery Lively delivery Appropriate sense of humour

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TYPES OF PRESENTATION1. On the basis of purpose - Monologue presentation- Guided Discussion- Sales presentation- Persuasive presentation- Energizing presentation- Informative presentation- Goodwill presentation - Training presentation

2. On the basis of number of persons

- Individual presentation

- Group presentation

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STAGES OF PRESENTATION1. Planning presentation- Identifying the topic - Determining the purpose - Analyzing the audience 2. Preparing the presentation- Develop the central idea- Gathering supporting material- Plan audio-visual aids3. Organizing the presentation- Introduction- Body/Item- Conclusion

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CONTD…4. Rehearsing presentation5. Delivery- Memorizing methods- Reading method- Outlining method- Speaking impromptu

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MEANING OF INTERVIEWS The word “Interview” means “View between”

or “sight between". It suggests a meeting between two persons for the purpose of getting a view of each other.

According to S. G. Ginsburg, “The interviewers’ questions must explore viewpoints as well as experiences; they must be as tough as the problems that will face the person who gets the job”

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OBJECTIVES OF INTERVIEW

Placement employment Evaluation Reason finding Information gathering Media broadcasting Admission publicity

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STRUCTURE OF INTERVIEW1. Opening/start/ Beginning - Introduction- Statement of purpose of the meeting - Making the other person comfortable- Creating an atmosphere of ease2. Middle/Main body- Aim at exchange of information- Listen attentively and patiently - Keep an eye to eye contact - Make sure to cover the agenda

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Closing- Summing up the discussion / exchange

of information - Describing the action decided upon - Avoiding a hurried or abrupt ending- Closing on a positive note- Exchange the feelings of gratitudeness

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TECHNIQUES FOR SELECTION INTERVIEW

1. Preliminary Interview - Informal interview - Unstructured interview2. Core interview - Background information interview - Stress interview- Formal and structured interview - Panel interview - Group interview - Job and probing interview - Depth interview 3. Decision making interview

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OTHER INTERVIEW TECHNIQUES1. Performance appraisal interview2. Placement interview 3. Promotion interview 4. Periodical interview 5. Counseling interview 6. Reprimand interview 7. Disciplinary interview 8. Annual interview 9. Situational/ problem interview 10. Exit interview

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PROFILE OF INSTITUTIONS Profile of institution essentially contains

brief information about the history and evolution of the company, the performance history and anticipated performance in the future , the reputation of the company and details of the goods and services provided by them

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CONTENTS OF PROFILE OF INSTITUTIONS

1. Organizational structure 2. Customers and stakeholders3. Suppliers and partners4. Workplace profile

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SPEECHES Speech refers to communication or

expression of thoughts in spoken words. It is the expression of or the ability to express thoughts and feelings by articulate sounds.

Speech is formal address or discourse delivered to an audience.

Speeches and presentations are indispensible part of business communication

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CHARACTERISTICS OF EFFECTIVE SPEECH

1. Rate of

speaking 2. Eye contact 3. Voice

modulation4. Pitch5. Pauses6. Pronunciatio

n and accent

1. Voice quality 2. Articulation3. Use of

expressions, gestures and postures

4. Tone volume 5. Clarity of

voice

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PRINCIPLES OF EFFECTIVE SPEECH1. It should be clear2. It should be like an informal talk3. It should be vivid and concrete 4. It should be brief5. It should be interesting 6. It should be audience-oriented

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TYPES OF SPEECHES1. Informative speech 2. Comparative speech3. Demonstration speech4. Persuasive speech5. Extemporaneous speech (Impromptu speech)6. Special occasion speech7. Entertaining speech8. Motivational speech9. Informative speech

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TECHNIQUES OF EFFECTIVE SPEECH/ SPEECH COMPOSITION1. Selection of the topic2. Determination of presentation method3. Consideration of personal aspects4. Audience analysis 5. Appearance of bodily and physical actions6. Use of voice7. Use of visual aids8. Summary of speaking practices

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ENQUIRIES Enquiries are sent out for various

reasons – such as for finding out sources of supply, for obtaining information about quality, sale ability and price. When making an enquiry with a firm with whom you have no dealings, you make the enquiry direct and specific.

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TYPES OF BUSINESS ENQUIRY

1. Solicited enquiry2. Unsolicited enquiry3. Enquiry for some favor 4. Routine enquiry5. Credit enquiry

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HINTS FOR DRAFTING A REPLY1. Refer to the date and/or number of the letter2. Thank the party for his letter and show

appreciation for his interest in you company3. Answer all the questions in the letter 4. State the term clearly and concisely 5. State the time for which the offer is open 6. Attach the price list, catalogue, samples and

etc,

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COMPLAINT LETTER A complaint or a complaint letter is

written “only for the purpose of getting the wrong corrected and not to pick-up quarrel with a seller”.

On receiving the goods, the purchaser tallies them with the list of goods described in hid order letter

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REASONS FOR DRAFTING COMPLIANT LETTER 1. Customer to company 2. Employee to superior 3. Internal conflicts4. Bad public administration 5. Problematic superiors 6. Poor service

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RESUMES The resume or C.V (curriculum vitae) is a

summary of the person’s background, employments, qualifications and intended career plan.

Almost all job advertisement asked for resume or C.V or bio-data of applicants.

“Particulars”, “Personal details”, “Data sheet” or “Vitae sheet” are some other terms used for this important enclosure going along with the covering letter

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TYPES OF RESUMES1. Chronological resume : In a chronological

order (job history, training attended and etc)

2. Functional resume : organized in a list format – emphasizes on skills, experiences and accomplishments

3. Combination resume : emphasizes skills and accomplishments along with work history

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KEY ELEMENTS OF RESUME 1. Heading 2. Objective3. Education4. Skills and abilities5. Work history6. Professional

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LAYOUT OF RESUME1. Traditional, one-column resume layout2. Two-column resume layout 3. Left-aligned resume layout 4. Centered resume layout 5. Intended resume layout

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APPLICATIONS/ APPLICATION LETTERS An application letter excepts the receipt

to do something appropriate and deserving

An application letter is an ideal medium for requesting a favor. Making the request in writing allows the other person to think it over in the privacy of her own home or office, without the pressure of waiting

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TYPES OF APPLICATIONS1. Loan application letter 2. Salary advance letter3. Refund application letter 4. Job application5. Leave application

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SUMMARIZING/ PRÉCIS MAKING “Précis” is a French word derived from the

Latin word “Praecissus”, past participle of “Praecidere”, which means to cut off, to be brief and is connected with the English word “Précis”

“Précis” can be defined as a very concise, brief summary of the ideas and point of view of written matter of any book or article. It is a brief report of the statements of others

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STEPS IN WRITING A GOOD PRÉCIS

1. Read the original document 2. Identify the purpose of the précis3. Underline the key ideas and concepts4. Select the essential points5. Summarize the theme of the passage

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PROBLEMS IN WRTING A PRÉCIS 1. Accuracy2. Using own words3. Selecting details 4. Avoiding confusions 5. Avoiding short sentences

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STRATEGIES FOR WRITING1. Know your audience 2. Tone 3. Avoid Jargon and industry specific

terminology4. Language 5. Appropriateness6. Grammar7. Use of links8. Omit unnecessary words9. clarity

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