Written Communication

9 Key excerpts on "Written Communication"

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  eBook - ePub

  Managing Business Communications

  Your Guide to Getting it Right

  • Chartered Management Institute(Author)
  • 2015(Publication Date)
  • Profile Books

    (Publisher)

  Effective business writing

  Business writing covers all forms of Written Communication in a workplace context, both electronic and paper-based. These include letters, memos, emails, public relations or marketing copy, contributions to social-media forums, brochures, web pages, newsletters, instruction manuals and reports.

  Many different forms of Written Communication are used in the workplace, but the need to get the right message across to the right people at the right time is common to them all. If a communication is unnecessarily lengthy, confusing or difficult to understand, the chances are that readers will either fail to read it or, if they do read it, will fail to grasp the implications. This damages the ability of the organisation to operate effectively and could result in bad decisions, dissatisfied customers, lost sales or a failure to take advantage of new opportunities. This checklist focuses on documents such as reports or proposals, but it also provides an introduction to the basic principles that apply to all forms of business writing. It aims to help writers get the attention of their audience and communicate clearly and concisely.

  Business writing should aim to inform, educate, interest, guide, motivate and influence the reader. This is achieved by explaining the aims and objectives of the communication, including facts, information and data, presenting findings and conclusions, making recommendations and proposing the next steps to take.

  Action checklist

  1   Be clear about your aims and objectives

  Start by thinking about what you want to achieve; otherwise you will have no way of judging whether your communication has been successful. Make sure that you take the broader organisational context into account. Decide what you want to happen as a result of your communication. Do you want to impart facts or provoke a response? If you are expecting recipients to take action, make sure that you are explicit about what you expect or would like them to do. The communication should clearly state the aims and objectives from the outset in order to set the scene. Whatever form your writing takes, it should be appropriate to its purpose and its audience.

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  Communication Skills for Effective Management

  • Owen Hargie, David Dickson, Dennis Tourish(Authors)
  • 2017(Publication Date)
  • Red Globe Press

    (Publisher)

  259 Introduction The ability to communicate in writing has been one of the earliest and most significant achievements of human civilisation. Indeed, the Egyptians first used postal systems in 2000 BC . Since the invention of printing in the fifteenth century, Written Communication enables us to disseminate ideas and information widely, cheaply, clearly and (with the advent of e-mail) instantaneously. Formal Written Communication within businesses include audit reports, shareholder statements, mar-keting and promotional materials, annual reports, technical briefs, white papers and other forms of writing that interface with services and products. 1 In consequence, it absorbs a great deal of any manager’s time. One study of 60 front line supervisors at a Midwest US steel man-ufacturing plant 2 found that 70 per cent of them spent between 8 and 14 hours per week in writing related activities. These involved produc-ing disciplinary action reports, clarifying job procedures, dealing with formal grievances, writing memos, producing instructional documents to subordinates, drafting incident reports and writing external letters or reports to customers. In addition, managers spend significant amounts of time responding to the Written Communications of others. It is scarcely surprising that a survey of business departments in US universities found that departmental leaders regarded written com-munication as the single most important component in business communication courses for students. 3 Perhaps because it takes so much time, and is viewed as being so important, Written Communication causes many people a great deal of stress. The survey of frontline supervisors discussed above disclosed a number of key stress factors in managerial writing (Table 10.1). It is, therefore, imperative that managers reduce such stress factors, while monitoring and improving their Written Communication. This chapter Writing matters: how to create the write impression 10

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  Communication 2000

  • J C Huebsch(Author)
  • 2014(Publication Date)
  • Butterworth-Heinemann

    (Publisher)

  Business messages at one time were written with a quill pen, and, in earlier times, carved on bark or chipped on stone tablets. Now they can be printed and transmitted by computers or beamed all over the world by satellites. Facsimiles of anything written, typed, drawn, or photographed can be sent by electronic mail, using the telephone network. Word processing equipment can communicate directly with various other machines. Each year the many types of equipment used to process ideas and information become more comprehensive and amaz-ing. Whatever the method and equipment used in sending and receiving messages, however, the most useful and essential tool in communication is language, as it has been since language was developed - long before computers. Automated, elaborate machines cannot be designed or operated without the use of communication between humans, and, especially, without the application of human thought. Many characteristics of successful letters, reports, memorandums, and other examples of business writing are indistinguishable from those of effective speech. (This important princi-ple has been emphasized throughout this textbook, not only through words but in the integrated cases and problems used as applications of the discussions.) Both the writer and the speaker are concerned with understanding and acceptance. To achieve these goals, the communicator must have a proficiency in language and an empathy with the receiver of the message, plus knowledge of the subject matter being communicated. Some of the principles of business writing also apply to the effective management of communication, for example, empathy and the positive approach. 349 A recent Department of Commerce study concluded that the economy of the United States is based on the transfer of information, more so than upon manufacturing. Of the gross na-tional product, 46% is derived from the production, processing, and distribution of informa-tion.

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  Connecting Through Leadership

  The Promise of Precise and Effective Communication in Schools (An educator’s guide to improving verbal and written communication skills)

  • Jasmine K. Kullar(Author)
  • 2019(Publication Date)
  • Solution Tree Press

    (Publisher)

  Written Communication is also not great for communicating sensitive information. For instance, if there is a tragic event in your school such as a death of a faculty member or student, an email would not be the best mode of communication for that information. It can be difficult to capture sensitive emotions and feelings through Written Communication.

  Has Legal Implications

  A big disadvantage of Written Communication is the possibility that everything you write can be used against you. Lawyers or media personnel can take one sentence out of context or misinterpret your written message. Teachers can take what you write and file grievances against you if you wrote something that could be perceived as a violation of a board rule or policy.

  Elements of Effective Written Communication

  Michelle Brooks (2017) outlines several reasons why it is so important to master the art of Written Communication.

  •  Getting your message across: If you write well, others will receive the message that you are trying to communicate in the way you want them to. Everything you write should serve a purpose; effective writing ensures you meet it.

  •  Demonstrating intelligence: Effective writing demonstrates your intelligence level. Your ability to organize your thoughts in a clear, concise manner that is free of errors and confusion demonstrates not only your ability to write well, but your ability to communicate strongly as a leader. Think about written messages you have received that are filled with errors or written in a way that poorly communicates the message. It makes you think differently about the writer compared to someone who writes a clear, concise message.

  •  Keeping good records: Effective writing allows you to maintain good records as everything you write will always be there. If your Written Communication has been effective, your records will accurately reflect actual events.

  You know why good writing skills are essential to leadership, so no matter what form you use for Written Communication, it’s important to keep in mind some basic tips to ensure your writing is effective and therefore fulfills its purpose. I discuss each tip in detail in the following sections.

  Use Clear Verbiage

  Use words that are easy to understand. When school leaders start using unnecessarily complex words or repeating themselves, they convolute their message. This means the message is now difficult to understand. Professional communicator Frank J. Pietrucha (2014) asserts, “It is your responsibility to make sure that your text is as effortless as possible for your reader. This means removing any roadblocks that slow down a fluid exchange of ideas” (p. 103).

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  Communicating for Results

  A Guide for Business and the Professions

  • Cheryl Hamilton(Author)
  • 2017(Publication Date)
  • Cengage Learning EMEA

    (Publisher)

  Jan Scherders/Tetra images/Jupiter Images Copyright 2018 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be copied, scanned, or duplicated, in whole or in part. WCN 02-200-292 OPENING THOUGHTS E ffective communicators need to know more than just how to communicate orally; they must also know how to use Written Communication. Some -times your first contact with people is through written messages such as email or a letter of application. Therefore, the first impression you make on a person is often written as well (Maggiani, 2012). How impressive are your writ -ten messages? Unfortunately, if you are like most people, your written skills need some work. If you aren’t sure or already know that your writing needs some improvement, the specific written skills covered in this chapter should help. We will cover email messages, tweets, videos, letters, resumes, writing reports to in -form, and writing reports to persuade. By polishing each of these skills, you will improve your business and professional communication by enriching both the clarity of your writing and the impression you make with it. Before we look at specifics on each type of Written Communication, let’s refer to some general information that relates to most all written messages. EFFECTIVE Written Communication The best Written Communication performs at least four important functions: it adapts to the audience, makes a good first impression, is effectively organized, and looks professional with proper formatting and typeface. Adapts to the Audience The key to all communication, whether spoken or written, is to know your au -dience. Therefore, effective Written Communication adapts to the audience. For example, your language and specific references should differ when writing to a college friend, a business professional, or a retired adult. This means that you will have to do enough research to discover their needs, preferences, and ex -pectations.

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  Engineering Words

  Communicating clearly in the workplace

  • Sharon Burton, Bonni Graham Gonzalez(Authors)
  • 2023(Publication Date)
  • XML Press

    (Publisher)

  Give them writing that makes it easy for them to understand. So what is the business context? Business writing is performed, as the name implies, in a business. Most businesses exist for one reason only: to make a profit (or at least enough money to keep running). While there are not- for-profit and/or mission-driven businesses, those aren’t the kinds of businesses this section is about. The businesses we discuss here make a profit (or break even) by selling a product for the highest reasonable price and controlling costs while doing so. When you’re on the receiving end of cost management, this can seem unreasonable, but it is, in fact, responsible business behavior— when it’s done right, anyway, but that’s a topic for another day. The Business Context of Communication 22 There are three key contexts to understand for business communication: ● Finance: A general grasp of how money flows through a business. ● Historical/technical: An understanding of the problem you’re trying to solve and the prior art necessary to solve it. ● Market size and maturity: Where your product (or proposed product) falls on the technology adoption curve. We’ll discuss this in more detail later, but for now, think of this as a predictable pattern that describes how consumers and businesses adopt brand-new technology. The larger the segment of the bell curve, the more potential users might be interested. The financial context: the flow of money in a business Figure 3.1 provides a rough and very high-level diagram of how money flows through a business. Money comes in as Revenue Some money goes out as raw material costs direct, loaded labor costs shipping costs Cost of Goods Sold (COGS): What’s left is called Gross Profit What’s left is called Net Profit Other money goes out as facilities costs non-direct, loaded labor costs insurance General and Administrative Costs (GA): sales costs Figure 3.1 – Flow of money through a business 23 The Business Context of Communication

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  The Office

  Procedures and Technology

  • Mary Ellen Oliverio, William R. Pasewark, Bonnie R. White, , Mary Ellen Oliverio, William R. Pasewark, Bonnie R. White(Authors)
  • 2018(Publication Date)
  • Cengage Learning EMEA

    (Publisher)

  Copyright 2019 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved. May not be copied, scanned, or duplicated, in whole or in part. Due to electronic rights, some third party content may be suppressed from the eBook and/or eChapter(s). Editorial review has deemed that any suppressed content does not materially affect the overall learning experience. Cengage Learning reserves the right to remove additional content at any time if subsequent rights restrictions require it. 114 CHAPTER 4 Written Communication Preparing Effective Documents Office workers often compose business letters and memos or email messages. Employees may prepare letters or memos for or with coworkers as well as for themselves. The ability to compose and prepare effective business messages will make you a more valuable employee. As you study this chapter, you will review document parts and standard formats. You will also study some guide-lines for using desktop publishing to prepare documents such as newsletters or flyers. As you learned earlier, effective business documents are clear, concise, cour-teous, complete, and correct. These traits are known as the five Cs of busi-ness writing. They are your guidelines to preparing business documents. You can quickly check the effectiveness of your documents by considering these factors. An effective document is planned well and prepared carefully. Preparing a document includes three stages. First, a draft of the document is written. Then the document is revised or edited as needed. The last stage is proofread-ing and correcting the document for final presentation. Drafting Your first draft of a document will probably not be your final or finished ver-sion. It is considered a rough draft. Your goal in preparing the rough draft is to record your ideas. Do not try to make each sentence perfect. You will refine your document during the editing and proofreading stages. To help focus your writing as you develop your document, ask yourself these questions: 1.

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  The Foundations of Communication in Criminal Justice Systems

  • Daniel Adrian Doss, William H. Glover Jr., Rebecca A. Goza, Michael Wigginton Jr.(Authors)
  • 2014(Publication Date)
  • Routledge

    (Publisher)

  Many other forms of Written Communication pervade law enforcement organizations and the justice system. This chapter provides an introduction to the types of Written Communications that influence these domains. Personnel may receive letters for promotions or demotions or they may be commended or reprimanded. Electronic mail (e-mail) may be used to facilitate communications that are both internal and external. Organizations may issue a variety of memorandums or announcements throughout the entirety of the enterprise via written messages. Some law enforcement organizations may maintain operations orders during periods of emergency or for the daily running of the agency. Many other forms of Written Communication exist that influence individuals and organizations. This chapter explores the primary methods through which communicating occurs using the written fashion. Electronic Mail Electronic mail is a form of Written Communication that is used in conjunction with elec-tronic devices that may be stationary or portable. E-mail is virtually edited, drafted, sent, transmitted, received, and stored using electronic devices. Generally, e-mail is a less for-mal type of communication through which messages of varying lengths and contents are transmitted. Attachments may be included to the e-mail message that may be more formal than the contents of the body of the e-mail message. For example, one may send a formal report to a supervisor as an attachment to a relatively simple e-mail note. Some of the benefits of e-mail are as follows: Mass audience : E-mail allows senders to transmit messages to a mass audience or to the specific members of a group. The use of e-mail transcends both geography and time zones. The senders and receivers of e-mail messages need not be near each other to communicate. Verification : When sending an electronic message, the sender may specify that a read receipt be specified.

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  N4 Tourism Communication

  • L Steenkamp(Author)
  • 2013(Publication Date)
  • Future Managers

    (Publisher)

  Module 5 Written Communication By the end of this module you should be able to: • describe what is meant by style, tone and register in writing • explain and apply good style in English writing • identify and correct poor style in English writing • write business letters of goodwill and circular letters • address envelopes properly • compile and extend core notes • make a point-form summary or a précis of a given text • produce various types of concise workplace correspondence. 138 FutureManagers Module 5 5.1. Communication skills in writing In this module we learn how to adjust our style of writing to what is best for business writing – a plain, informal style and register that conveys a business like tone . We then apply what we have learnt when writing letters of goodwill and persuasive circulars, summaries and items of concise communication . 5.1.1 Style in writing Style is a distinctive way of writing about a subject . Good writing style means that we create a message that is just right for our particular audience, purpose and situation (context) . The Tourism industry is our context . This is a business context . Our purpose varies: we might want to inform – as in confirming a reservation; persuade – as in a tour brochure; describe – as in an itinerary; sympathise – as in a letter, etc . Our business audience (the receivers of the message) are adults with some education, so a casual style containing slang, colloquialisms, abbreviations and lazy grammar would be an insult . On the other hand, they want to get the message clearly and easily without having to struggle through long sentences and big words . We therefore also don’t want to use a very formal style . 5.1.2 Aspects of good style What we need to produce is a plain, business-like style, not too formal yet not too casual, which can be adapted to our particular purpose .

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