Response: Module 25

            Module 25 focuses on using visuals effectively and ethically. The text suggests using visuals when planning and drafting our oral presentations or documents, because they can help us find data relationships and see if our information is complete. For the final presentation or document, visuals are useful because they emphasize main points that we want the audience to remember. It is very important to double check our information and make sure it comes from a reliable source.

            According to the text “every visual should tell a story,” and that story can be expressed in a sentence. We can use that sentence as the visual’s title. For instance, it is more effective to use the title “Growth Was Greatest in the South” than “U.S. Sales, 1999-2005.”  It is essential to make sure the information we have supports the story we want to tell.

            Every visual must have:

·         A title

·         A clear indication of what the data are

·         Clearly labeled units, axes, symbols, and so forth

·         The source of the data and the visual

            I find interesting the information about tables, pie charts, and bar charts. It is better to use tables when we want the audience to remember specific numbers. Bar charts are more effective than pie charts because people judge position and length more accurately than area.

            I find useful the following advices: simplify the paper visuals for presentations, do not mislead the audience by using distorted visual shapes, and know where each visual is in case someone asks about it during the questioning session.

Response: Module 20

            Module 20 offers guidelines to make effective oral presentations. Oral presentations have three basic purposes: to inform, to persuade, and to build goodwill. Most oral presentations have more than one purpose. For example, the main purpose in a company’s training session is to inform. The secondary purpose may be to persuade the new employees to follow the company’s policies.

            The text suggests that we need to keep it simple when planning a presentation. It is better to identify one main idea that we want the audience to remember, and support that idea with easy to follow details. It is also important to analyze the audience to keep them interested in the presentation.

            There are three types of presentations: monologue presentations, guided discussions, and sales presentations. Monologue presentations are more common in class settings. Speakers function as experts who need good delivery skills in order to hold the attention of the audience. On the other hand, guided discussions let the audience participate throughout the presentation while speakers serve as facilitators. Sales presentations are more like conversations, because the speakers want to know the audience’s objections to whatever they are selling.

            It is important to remember that visuals serve as an outline for the presentation, but they should not give every detail. We need to limit the amount of information on each slide, and show a slide when we are ready to talk about it. When using visuals, another suggestion is to be prepared with a backup plan in case the equipment does not work.

            The text also offers guidelines for group presentations. It suggests involving as many members of the group as possible in speaking roles. This can be done by dividing the topics and taking turns to speak. In order to make the presentation coherent, it is essential to coordinate the visuals and practice the delivery of the presentation together, at least once.

            Planning is very important when preparing an oral presentation, but rehearsing it should be as important. 

Response: Module 3

            Module 3 focuses on communicating across cultures. The module emphasizes that globalization has changed the workplace. Therefore, it has become essential to be aware of different cultural values and business practices, since employers, employees, customers, and suppliers may have very different backgrounds.

            According to the book, culture “provides patterns of acceptable behavior and belief.” Cultures can be categorized as high-context or low-context. “In high-context cultures, most of the information is inferred from the context of the message;” while in low-context cultures “most information is explicitly spelled out.”

            All aspects of business communications are influenced by culture. We need to be aware of our nonverbal signals and gestures because they can be misunderstood by people from other cultures. For instance, in Arab culture “showing the sole of the foot is an insult.”

            Personal space and the perception of time also differ around the globe. Some cultures feel more comfortable with touch than others. For instance, in Iran, “handshakes between men and women are seen as improper.” Time is treated as a resource in North America, so if someone is 5 minutes late, they believe that they are losing money. On the other hand, there are cultures in which its members want to establish a relationship before doing business, so they spend more time in their meetings.

            It is important to point out that most cultures use a more formal writing style than the United States. Buffers are often used in negative messages, and requests are made more indirectly.

            If we are planning to travel to another country, I find useful the advice of leaning about its culture and language, because it will be the only way to avoid uncomfortable situations and misunderstandings.

Response: Module 24

Module 24 gives advice on how to organize time for writing a long report and how to create each section of the report. 

            When organizing our time for writing the report, we need to be efficient. Therefore, we should plan before writing. Planning will take most of our time. The book also suggests expending more time in sections that are important to our audience and support our recommendations. We will have some writing already done from our proposal paper, such as the introduction and bibliography, but we will need to make some adjustments.

The components of a formal report are:

·         Cover

·         Title Page

·         Letter of Transmittal

·         Table of Contents

·         List of Illustrations

·         Executive Summary

·         Report Body (Introduction, Background History of the Problem, Body, Conclusion, Recommendations, References, and Appendixes)

I find very useful figure 24.2 in the book, because it gives an example of a long report with blue marginal notes explaining each of the above mentioned sections.

The format and style of a report will vary depending on the report’s purpose, the organization, and the discourse community. I find useful the book’s advice on how to find the appropriate format and style for our reports. It suggests finding past reports of our organization or reports published by other organizations that have similar characteristics to the one we need to write. It also suggests testing our draft with an audience similar to the one that will read our report.

Response: Module 23

            Module 23 explains how to write short reports. The text suggests writing short reports instead of long ones, when we have the option. We should only put the information that the reader needs in order to make the decision. Also, short reports use letter or memo format.

            The text discusses three types of reports: information, feasibility, and justification reports. Information reports give a summary of completed work without asking for action or offering a recommendation. Feasibility reports analyze different alternatives and recommend one of them. Justification reports either recommend or justify purchases, investments, hiring, and changes in policies.

            When organizing reports the following patterns are useful: comparison/contrast, problem/solution, elimination of alternatives, general to particular or particular to general, geographical or spatial, functional, and chronological.

            When writing a report we need to use a formal style. It is also better to use the company name instead of the word you. Reports should include all the documents required to understand the recommendations.

            I find useful the text’s suggestion of using blueprints in the reports. Blueprints tell the reader which are the main points in each section or in the entire report. We can assign numbers to the main points to make our blueprints easier to read.

Response: Modules 27 and 28

Module 27 offers advice on how to write an effective resume. The lecture suggests some guidelines to make resumes more attractive to employers, such as providing details of our previous jobs, emphasizing achievements relevant to the position for which we are applying, and including skills that are used in almost every job.

There are two types of resumes: chronological and skills resumes. Chronological resumes highlight degrees, job positions, and dates. Skills resumes emphasize skills rather than jobs and dates. We will use a chronological resume if our education and experience prepare us directly for the job position. We will use skills resumes when our education and experience are not directly related to the job position, but we do have the necessary skills to apply for the job. We can also use skills resumes when we are changing fields or there are gaps in our work history.

These two types of resumes differ in the way they list experience, activities, and volunteer work. A chronological resume lists them in different categories, while a skills resume combines them together under each skill needed for the job. However, both types of resumes include: career objective, summary of qualifications, education, honors, and references.

I find useful the lecture’s advice of using minimum detail about low level jobs, or listing them together in a chronological resume. The lecture also suggests using jargon in the headings of a skills resume to show that we know about the field.

Module 28 explains how to write a job application letter. The purpose of this letter is to get an interview. Therefore, we need to focus on the requirements of the job, show our knowledge of the organization, and point out aspects that separate us from other applicants. Like any other written communication, we need to plan, write, revise, edit, and proofread our job application letters.

There are two types of letters: solicited and prospecting job letters. We will send a solicited job letter when we know the company is hiring. On the other hand, we will send a prospecting job letter when we want to work for a company that has not announced openings. In a solicited job letter, we state the job that we are applying for, offer details of our qualifications, and ask for an interview. In a prospecting job letter, we need to catch the reader’s interest, offer details of our qualifications, and ask for an interview.

I find useful the lecture’s advice of researching on the web about the company offering the job. This will help us when writing the letter and prepare us for the interview. In addition, letters should be at least one page long, because a short letter may suggest that we do not have enough qualifications or that we are not really interested in the job.

Response: Module 22

Module 22 offers strategies for finding, analyzing, and citing information more effectively. We can find information in the library and online, or we can gather new information by making surveys, interviews, and observations.

When searching for information online, we need to use keywords, which “are the terms that the computer searches for in a database or on the web.” We also need to use and, or, and quotation marks to narrow our search. It is important to evaluate the information we find on a web page before using it, because anyone can post on the internet. We should ask ourselves: Does the website have an author and date? Is the author an expert? Can I confirm the information provided by the website somewhere else?

It is important to remember that we cannot only rely on websites for our research. We need to check other sources, such as periodicals and journal papers with peer reviews; because those documents are checked before they are published. 

If we are gathering information with a survey, we need to prepare a questionnaire. Questionnaires can have yes or no questions, multiple choice questions, and open questions. Surveys and interviews can provide useful data as long as the questions are well designed.

MLA and APA are the most used formats for endnotes and bibliographies in reports. A good report has its sources cited and documented, so it is easy for the readers to find the original source of the information.

I find useful the lecture’s advice on how to organize the questions in a survey. It suggests putting harder questions, such as those about income and age, at the end of the survey. If people do not want to answer them, we will have at least the first ones filled out.

Response: Module 21

According to module 21, a report provides the information needed in an organization in order to make plans and resolve problems. Reports vary in length and type depending on the organization, and they can be either formal or informal. There are three types of reports: information reports, analytical reports, and recommendation reports.

The lecture suggests that before drafting a proposal, we need to analyze the problem and complete part of the research, at least one-fourth of it. This research will define the problem and identify the main topics.

Proposals and final reports need a purpose statement. This purpose statement should have three elements: the organizational problem, the technical questions that need to be answered, and the report’s purpose. In a proposal, it is crucial to have a clear view of the problem.      

In proposals for class projects, we need to include:

• Summary of the topic and purpose of the report (one or two sentences)
• Problem
• Feasibility
• Audience
• Topics to Investigate
• Methods
• Qualifications, Facilities, and Resources
• Work Schedule
• Call to Action

In sales proposals, we need to show the reader benefits and use you-attitude and psychological description. In proposals for funding, we need to emphasize the needs the project will meet. 

The employer or funding organization can ask for progress reports in long term projects. We need to describe the work that has been done and the work that needs to be completed. We also need to create a good image of ourselves.

I find figure 21.4 in the book very useful. It shows a student’s proposal for a long report with blue marginal notes explaining each section.  

Response: Modules 17 and 18

Module 17 focuses on the importance of good listening skills in the workplace. Listening is more than just perceiving sounds; it requires decoding and interpreting them correctly. In order to be good listeners, we need to pay attention to the speakers, focus on them, avoid making assumptions, and be aware of the facts and feelings. The lecture emphasizes the need for us to be active listeners. This means that we need to show the speakers that we understand them, ask questions, and offer them help to solve the problems. It is even more crucial to be an active listener when we disagree with others. If we find out their objections, we can be better prepared to overcome those objections.

            I find useful the lecture’s suggestion that before a meeting, it would be a good practice to make a list, either mental or on paper, of the questions we may have on the topic. As a result, we will look for the answers during the conversation. It is important to focus on the content of the conversation rather than the delivery, because the information is what we should be more interested on. Another good advice is not to be afraid of asking questions or seeking clarification, which will prevent us from making wrong assumptions.

            Module 18 offers advice on how to work and write in teams. In order to work effectively, teams need to adopt ground rules for their members, such as starting on time, coming prepared to meetings, and listening to and respecting each other’s opinions. Teams obtain better results if they first analyze the problem carefully, and then search for solutions. Teams achieve their goals if their members play positive roles and actions, such as asking and answering questions, pulling ideas together, and encouraging participation. The leader or leaders in a group have various responsibilities. They generate and evaluate ideas and text, resolve conflicts, set deadlines, and monitor the group’s progress.

            Collaborative documents need planning, writing, revising, editing, and proofreading like any other individual document. However, collaborative writers need to consider the team’s opinions.

            I find useful the advice of discussing controversial points in two different meetings. In the first meeting, all group members express their points of view. In the second meeting, the group reaches a decision.

Response: Modules 15 and 16

Module 15 focuses on the importance of choosing the right words in our business communications. We need to use words that are accurate, appropriate, and familiar, because we want our readers to understand our messages. They should not be trying to figure them out. It is also important to select positive words because they can get a better response from the audience. For instance, car dealerships commonly refer to their used cars as pre-owned. However, we need to remember not to mislead our audience. In addition, the use of short and familiar words is better because they are easier to understand and sound friendlier, but there are exceptions. Some situations will require long words because they have become common in our community, or they express our information better. We can use jargon only when it is essential; otherwise, we are better off using plain English.

In this module, I find useful the list of words that sound similar but have different meanings, such as advice/advise, discreet/discrete, and stationery/stationary.

Module 16 stresses the importance of using good style in our business writing. The lecture states that good business writing is businesslike, friendly, and polite. Also, business writing is less formal and more personal than academic writing. When selecting the right tone for our messages, we need to analyze our audience, our purpose, and the situation. We do not want to sound arrogant or careless.

Another important point is revising our sentences and paragraphs. According to the lecture, it is better to use active verbs. It is also more effective to put the weight of the sentence in the verb, express our ideas in fewer words, and vary the length and structure of the sentences. In the case of paragraphs, the lecture suggests to put the topic sentence at the beginning and use transition words to connect ideas.

I also find useful the advice of asking other people to read our draft out loud. If they stumble in some parts, it means that those parts need to be rewritten.

Response: Modules 8 and 13

            Module 8 offers techniques on how to use reader benefits effectively in our business communications. We will use reader benefits in our informative and persuasive messages, but not in our negative ones. In order to be appropriate, the benefits need to be adapted to the reader, well supported, and explained in detail. The lecture emphasizes that we can obtain better results if reader benefits are phrased in you-attitude.

            I find useful the information about how to identify reader benefits. The lecture suggests brainstorming when advantages are difficult to come up with or explain. First, we could think about the feelings, fears, and needs of our audience. Then, we would think of the features of the product or policy that meet those needs. Another option is that we could identify the features of our product or policy first, and then think about how they would benefit our readers. In some cases, we would need to think of multiple benefits because our audience may be diverse. 

Module 13 emphasizes on the importance of technology in business communication, and the need for business writers to stay current. The use of e-mail has become common practice in business, so we need to be aware that e-mails are not private. They also need to be revised and proofread, have correct grammar and information, and get the attention of the reader in the subject line and first paragraph. We need to take the time to plan, revise, and proofread them like we do with paper messages. However, we need to be more direct, so the reader can rapidly read and act on them. An e-mail message should not be used when firing someone, but it is okay to use it in less serious matters. The tone can be simple and conversational in most cases. We may use technical writing when the reader is looking for it.

In business situations it is also acceptable to use other technologies such as web logs and social networking sites. The key is to keep our communications professional, and refrain from sharing personal feelings and information.  

  A useful advice from the text is that we should not write e-mail messages when we are angry. It suggests we wait until we calm down to reply or not reply at all. We need to remember that e-mail messages can and have been used in court

Response: Modules 11 and 12

            According to Module 11, negative messages are part of the business life, so the way we write them can affect our image, and how our readers respond to them. In negative messages, our audience needs to see that the matter is been taken seriously, and that the reasons behind the bad news are fair. The organization of negative messages will depend on the audience and purpose. If we are giving bad news to customers or people outside the company, the following pattern can be useful: give the reason, give the negative just once and make it clear, show or suggest alternatives, and end with a positive statement. If we are giving bad news to superiors, we can use the following organization: share the problem, offer the details, present the possible solutions, recommend a solution, and ask for action at the end. If the message is for peers or subordinates we can share the problem, present the alternatives, and request input or action.

            The lecture offers interesting information about the legal implications that our writing and oral communication can have on our company. It suggests writing what we really mean, because the reasons we give in support of a decision can be used in court and governmental investigations.

            According to Module 12, today’s businesses depend on persuasion more than ever to get quality work done. Since persuasive messages want the reader to act, the information we provide has to be complete and overcome any possible objection the reader may have. Therefore, depending on the situation and the resistance we may expect from the reader, we can use different strategies. There are four strategies: direct request, problem-solving persuasion, sales, and reward and punishment. We can use direct request when we expect rapid agreement from the reader. We can organize the message the following way: we first request the action and then we give the readers all the information they need to act on the request. Finally, we ask for the action we want. On the other hand, when we expect resistance from our audience, we can use problem-solving messages. In this case, we describe the problem, give details, explain the solutions, show the negatives, add benefits, and ask for the action we want at the end.

Probably the most difficult task in persuasive messages is to overcome objections. I find useful the strategies offered in the lecture. For instance, we can specify how much time and money is required for a project because it may not be as much as the readers believe. We could also show that a specific action is necessary to achieve a more important goal or turn a disadvantage into an opportunity.

Another suggestion from the lecture that I also find useful is to be aware of corporate culture. A way to learn how to write in our organization is by imitating and observing how the documents are written by our co-workers, and listening to the feedback from bosses and peers.

Response: Modules 9 and 10

According to Module 9, the difference between letters and memos is that letters go to people outside the company while memos go to people inside the company. However, memos can go public, for example, when they are read in a Congressional investigation. Letters and memos usually do not differ in length, formality, style, or organization; but they do differ in format. Letters can have a block format or a modified block format. A block format is used more frequently because it is easy to type. In a block format everything lines up to the left. However, modified block format is more interesting, because it moves the date and signature to the right. It is also a traditional format. Memos use the block format without salutation, indented paragraphs, or closing. They also require subject lines. 

            It is important to point out that it will not matter using the appropriate format if the information is not well organized. The lecture also emphasizes that the way our documents look and the way we present ourselves affects how people respond to our messages. Therefore, we should always look professional and make our writing clear, correct, and complete.

            According to Module 10, the purpose of positive and informative messages is to give good news or information to the reader. These kind of messages do not ask the reader to do anything more than reading the message, saving the information, and maybe acting on it in the future. These messages also create a positive image of the writer and the writer’s company. We can organize positive and informative messages by using the following pattern: good news, details, negatives stated as positively as possible, reader benefits, and a goodwill ending. However, this pattern is not set in stone. We would need to modify it depending on the circumstances.

            It is worth mentioning that reader benefits are crucial in messages announcing policies, because sometimes new company policies may hurt employees. As a result, workers need to see the advantages to them more than the advantages to the company. The lecture also points out that when we are ending our message it is not a good idea to use the sentence: “Should you have any questions regarding this matter, please feel free to call me.” Business people are smart; they will call if they have questions. We just need to make sure that our phone number is listed in the document.

Websites Analysis

Attorney Ryan McCall’s Website
http://www.attorneyryanmccall.com/

This is a website that offers legal services from a firm in Louisville, KY. The first detail I noticed is that the first screen loads very quickly and visitors will not have to wait. The first screen offers an introductory statement about the company, which gives the reader some useful information. However, it is a little disappointing that there are some poor design choices and the website as a whole lacks content. It is a good design practice to keep the first screen very easy and this website achieves that goal, but at the same time the few links in the website do not provide detailed information about the services offered.

This website has the main menu at the bottom left side of the screen. All the menu items are visible on the first screen, which is very important so that the user does not have to scroll down. However, this menu is not in the best location it could be, which is the top or top left of the screen. A positive aspect is that the services offered are in a single-space bulleted list, which makes them easy to read, because all items take only a single line. Another negative aspect about the main menu is that the “Resources” item is supposed to link to news, resources, and legal information, but only the headings are listed with no links or additional information. This is not appealing to visitors, especially for a legal firm. A legal firm is attempting to reach people in need of legal advice or help, people who need legal information and resources, and the least this website could have done is provided the resources it promises. This could discourage some potential clients from contacting the firm, because it gives the impression that the staff does not have enough time to do research and present information.

On the top left area of the web page there is a picture of an open book. A book is appropriate because this web page offers legal services, but this location could have been used for more relevant information. On the other hand, on the top right of the web page, the firm wisely listed the attorney’s name and phone number so that visitors can access this information very easily, although being in full capital letters makes this information a little difficult to read. There are only two different fonts on this web page, which is a very good design practice, but the choice of colors for the text is not very attractive. There is an excessive use of bright colors such as red and blue, which are used for the contact information, but these colors do not go well with the background colors such as gray and brown. The red and blue colors prevent the web page from having a more serious and professional look.

There is an adequate use of headings on this website. All web pages the menu items link to have appropriate headings and there is a good use of white spaces. Each page has a link to the home page, but there is no specific date for when the pages were last revised.

In general, even though this website has some positive aspects, it lacks content and has some significant design flaws.

Attorney Rachelle N. Howell’s Website
http://rnhlaw.com/

This website also offers legal services from a firm in Louisville, KY. The first screen loads very quickly on this website, thus visitors are not going to be deterred by this factor. The first screen offers an introductory statement about the attorney and the company, also including information such as the areas where the company offers its services and an introductory list of services. This statement presents useful information to visitors, which could instantly respond to their needs.

This web page presents the name and phone number of the attorney at the top of the page, so that visitors can find this information immediately. There is a background image showing an outline of buildings in downtown Louisville, stressing on the location of the company. In addition, there is a main menu with items such as “Bio,” “Contact,” “Resources,” and a submenu with the “Areas of Focus,” which includes a list of services offered listed by categories such as “Criminal Defense,” “Family Law,” and “Personal Injury.” This menu is very well positioned on the web page. It is on the top half of the screen. All menu items are visible on the first screen, which is very important so that the user does not have to scroll down. There is a proper use of all the items in the main menu. All these items link to other pages with helpful information. There is biographical information about the attorney, including college achievements and qualifications, and the website links to plenty of external resources, with no broken links. There are also links to external search engines such as Yahoo and Google and the contact information is very clear, including a contact’s smartphone scan code and an interactive Google map showing the office location.

This website is attempting to reach an audience in need of legal advice, an attorney who can effectively represent them. A comprehensive website like this one will be appealing to visitors. It gives the impression that the staff is knowledgeable and capable. The way the information is presented will encourage potential clients to contact the firm, because visitors to the website can find the basic information they need in an easy way, and all pages show a window allowing visitors to contact the firm.  

One negative aspect about the design is that the services provided are in a dropdown menu, but these selections are not active links to other pages. Usually, a list in a dropdown menu is selectable and active, but not in this case. As an alternative, the firm could have placed the list of services in bulleted lists, so it would be easier to read without creating false expectations. Another detail is that there is not a good contrast between the header for the introductory note on the home page and the background, making the text somewhat difficult to read.  

The use of fonts on this website is limited, which is a good design practice, and there is a good selection of colors for the background and text, with different tones of blue. There is no excessive use of bright colors, which gives this web page a very professional look. There is an adequate use of headings, capitalizing the first letter of the major words and using lowercase for all other letters. There is also a good use of white spaces. Each page has a link to the home page and includes all the contact information for the firm, but there is no date on the website, which could make visitors think that the information is dated.

In general, even though this website has some negative aspects, it looks very professional, with good content and an effective design.

Response: Modules 4 and 5

According to the lecture, effective writing communication includes planning, writing, and revising. Therefore, we need to divide our time to accomplish these three steps. The book suggests spending one third of the time in each task. Our planning should include analyzing the situation and audience, gathering information, and organizing our ideas. Then, we would create our draft. Finally, we need to revise it by evaluating, editing, and proofreading. The revision of the document is as important as planning and writing it; thus, it should not be skipped. If we run out of time, we should at least give it a light revision. In some cases, we would be able to ask for feedback. We need to take advantage of it by asking for specific comments in the areas that we are more concerned about. When dealing with negative feedback, we should focus on how it helps us improve our writing rather than how it hurts our feelings. We can also customize planning guides for our most common documents, and use form letters. However, we should carefully revise them because the documents can end up looking disjointed and unfocused to our audience.

An important aspect in creating effective communication is document design. In order to make our paper documents interesting to our audience, we should use white spaces, headings, and lists. We should also limit the use of capital letters, number of fonts, and use appropriate margin justification. All of the above will emphasize the most important information and make our documents easier to read. When designing slides, the key is to make them simple, to the point, and attractive to the audience. Some of the most important aspects in web page design are: making the website easy to use and the information easy to find, because we need to maintain the readers’ attention.

             I would like to point out the advice from the book about how to improve our writing by following the processes used by expert writers. Like them, we need to be aware that our first draft can be revised, a big job can be divided into small pieces, and the draft is only edited when complete. We should also be clear on our purpose and know our audience. Another aspect to point out is that document design is something that we need to think about at every step of our writing process in order to effectively convey our message.

Reponse: Modules 1 and 2

According to the lecture, having good communication skills is essential in our increasingly globalized world. In the work place, communication is the way to get things done. Therefore, good business and administrative writing have to be clear, complete, and correct. It also needs to be understood immediately, and a good relationship between writer and reader must be built. Business communication is different from academic writing. In business communication the information is usually new, the style is friendly, and documents are designed to offer the information more effectively using visuals, and allowing the readers to skim through documents. In order to be successful in our writing, we need to analyze the purpose of our message, our audience, the information that needs to be included, the possible benefits and objections of our readers, and the economic, political, and social circumstances of our audience.

When adapting our message to our audience, an empathic and ethical approach obtains better results. First, we need to recognize who are the members of our audience, and what characteristics about them are relevant to our message. It is important to analyze them individually and the organization they belong to. In addition, we need to be aware that in an organizational setting there are five separate audiences: primary, secondary, initial, gatekeeper, and watchdog audiences. Therefore, our message needs to be adapted to meet these audiences’ needs. We should also be aware of the complexity of the communication process, and the possibility of miscommunication in every step.

In order to avoid miscommunication, our message needs to be interesting, easy to understand, and transmitted through channels that our audience attends to. Another aspect that is usually overlooked is the fact that writing costs money, and the cost increases if the writing is ineffective. Ineffective writing could put our company and our career at risk.

Source:

Locker, Kitty O., and Stephen Kyo Kaczmarek. Business Communication, Management, and Success. Business Communication: Building Critical Skills. New York: McGraw-Hill/Irwin, 2011. Print.

---. Adapting Your Message to Your Audience. Business Communication: Building Critical Skills. New York: McGraw-Hill/Irwin, 2011. Print.