Description
Test your Knowledge (Question): Question 1 Discuss the principles of writing style that improve ease of reading: completeness, conciseness, and natural processing? Question 2 Discuss the strategies for managing digital message overload. Also, discuss the ethical use of social media for work? Instructions: 1-Answer the given question in your (own word) – No plagiarism, No match, please. 2- Required Reading (The Chapter 6,7,8) then answer the question based on your reading. 3- Every answer should be of 150 – 200 words
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Because learning changes everything.®
Chapter 6
Improving
Readability with
Style and Design
© 2021 McGraw Hill. All rights reserved. Authorized only for instructor use in the classroom.
No reproduction or further distribution permitted without the prior written consent of McGraw Hill.
Learning Objectives
6.1
6.2
6.3
© McGraw Hill
Describe and apply the following principles of
writing style that improve ease of reading:
completeness, conciseness, and natural
processing.
Explain and use navigational design to
improve ease of reading.
Describe and apply the components of the
reviewing stage, including a FAIR test,
proofreading, and feedback.
Improving Ease of Reading with
Completeness
Basic Strategies
•
Provide all relevant information.
•
Be accurate.
•
Be specific.
© McGraw Hill
Provide All Relevant Information
Plan, write, and review your message strategically.
Include only information necessary for the purpose
of your message.
© McGraw Hill
Be Accurate
Accuracy strongly impacts your readers’ perceptions
of your credibility.
One inaccurate statement can:
•
Lead readers to dismiss your entire message.
•
Lower their trust in your future communications.
© McGraw Hill
Table 6.1a Being Accurate
Less
Effective
Those who are food insecure
are generally in low-income
(under $300000 per year)
households, but that’s not
always the case.
A typo (300000) implies
an income level that is ten
times too high. It’s an
obvious mistake that will
detract from the credibility
of the message.
More
Effective
Those who are food insecure
are generally in low-income
(under $30,000 per year)
households, but that’s not
always the case.
The revised version
contains the corrected
figure.
© McGraw Hill
Table 6.1b Being Accurate
Less
Effective
The average social ambassador
increased donations by $2,312 –
that’s enough to help a foodinsecure family of four eat
nutritious meals for nearly four
weeks!
Incorrect word (weeks
rather than months)
leads to one of the
figures dramatically
underestimating the
impact.
More
Effective
The average social ambassador
increased donations by $2,312 –
that’s enough to help a foodinsecure family of four eat
nutritious meals for nearly four
months!
The revised version
contains the corrected
phrase to show the
true impact.
© McGraw Hill
Be Specific
The more specific you are, the more likely your
readers are to have their questions answered.
If you are not specific, your readers may become
impatient and begin scanning and skimming for the
information they want.
© McGraw Hill
Table 6.2a Being Specific
Less
Effective
With very little time commitment,
you can dramatically improve the
lives of kids and their families in
our community.
The phrase very little
time commitment is not
specific.
More
Effective
In just one to two hours per week,
you can dramatically improve the
lives of kids and their families in
our community.
The phrase one to two
hours per week is
specific and avoids
ambiguity.
© McGraw Hill
Table 6.2b Being Specific
Less
Effective
Across the board, every metric has
All these terms are
skyrocketed. Donations increased so
vague.
much that we could serve many more
families. On top of that, volunteer hours
increased and we were able to receive far
more clothing donations.
More
Effective
Since we started the social ambassadors
program in 2018, cash donations have
increased 32%; food donations, 18%;
book donations, 42%; clothing donations,
55%; and volunteer hours, 155%.
© McGraw Hill
By stating specific
figures for increases
in donations, the
impacts are not open
to interpretation.
Improving Ease of Reading with
Conciseness
Omitting needless words so that readers can rapidly
process your main ideas.
•
Say as much as you can in as few words as possible.
Strategies include:
• Controlling paragraph length.
• Using shorter sentences.
• Avoiding redundancy.
• Avoiding empty phrases.
• Avoiding wordy phrases.
© McGraw Hill
Control Paragraph Length
Long paragraphs can signal disorganization and
disrespect for the reader’s time.
•
Typically, paragraphs should contain 40 to 80 words.
•
For routine messages, paragraphs as short as 20 to 30
words are common and appropriate.
Don’t place more than one main idea in a
paragraph.
© McGraw Hill
Table 6.3a Controlling Paragraph Length
Less
Effective
© McGraw Hill
A lot of people wonder exactly what we do. That’s a fair
question. In an effort to support people in need, we provide
food in a well-balanced and nutritious manner. We have an
on-site food pantry and a food pantry truck to provide delivery.
We also serve hot meals on-site for breakfast, lunch, and
dinner. The food bank bestows our clients with bountiful and
sustainable food. In 2019, we served 2,152 households, 5,327
children were served, another 986 senior citizens were
served, and altogether we served 23,887 meals! Our food
bank is also a dietary guidance organization. Generally,
impoverished families simply don’t have the wherewithal to
procure healthy foods. We have done research that shows 83
percent of the people we serve usually purchase inexpensive
and unhealthy foods. As a result, many of our clients need
more education about proper dietary needs. We also provide
clothing assistance and give away books. We have supported
thousands of members of the community get back on their
feet. The charity watchdog group Charity Navigator has given
us a perfect rating for the past five years because of our
ability to serve our community with the resources we receive.
This
paragraph
contains 195
words. It also
contains
excessive
numerical
figures.
Table 6.3b Controlling Paragraph Length
More
Effective
We provide well-balanced, nutritious foods to anyone in need. We have
an on-site food pantry and a food pantry truck to provide delivery. We
also serve hot meals on-site for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. We ensure
all clients receive dairy products, fresh produce, meats, and breads.
Impact 2019
Households served 2,152
Children served 5,327
Seniors served 986
Meals served 23,887
We also provide dietary guidance. Many low-income families can’t
consistently afford healthy foods. Our research shows that 83 percent of
our clients usually purchase inexpensive and unhealthy foods. As a
result, many of our clients need more education about proper dietary
needs. We also provide clothing assistance and give away books.
We have supported thousands of members of the community get back
on their feet. The charity watchdog group Charity Navigator has given us
a perfect rating for the past five years because of excellent use of
donations to support our clients.
© McGraw Hill
This
paragraph
contains the
same
information
but has been
edited for
conciseness
and divided
into three
paragraphs
(46, 51, and
41 words) and
a table for
numerical
information.
Use Short Sentences in Most Cases
Allows your readers to comprehend your ideas more
easily.
•
For routine messages, aim for average sentence length of
15 or fewer words.
•
For more analytical and complex business messages,
you may have an average sentence length of 20 or fewer
words.
© McGraw Hill
Figure 6.2 Comprehension Rate and
Sentence Length
Access the text alternative for slide images.
© McGraw Hill
Source: Figure adapted from Wylie, A. (2009, January 14). How to make your copy more readable: Make sentences shorter. Comprehension. Retrieved from http://comprehension.prsa.org/?p=217.
Table 6.4a Using Short Sentences
Less
Effective
Experts examine food insecurity in
many ways, and their definitions
generally coalesce around the idea
that people not only consistently don’t
have enough money for food but it’s
also not healthy food they eat.
This sentence
contains 34 words.
More
Effective
Generally, food insecurity means
people don’t have enough money to
consistently eat enough healthy food.
This sentence
contains the same
ideas in just 15
words.
© McGraw Hill
Table 6.4b Using Short Sentences
Less
Effective
More than ever, we’ve started to serve the
senior citizen community, with nearly 15
percent of our clients who are retired
without enough income for regular,
nutritious meals and who often face extra
challenges with diseases such as diabetes
and high-blood pressure and who need
dietary guidance as a result.
This sentence
contains 50 words.
More
Effective
Increasingly, seniors need support as well.
Nearly 15 percent of our clients are retired
without enough income for regular,
nutritious meals. Many of these seniors
require nutritional guidance as they face
extra challenges with diseases such as
diabetes and high-blood pressure.
The less effective
sentence has been
split into three
sentences with 7,
15, and 20 words,
respectively.
© McGraw Hill
Avoid Redundancy
Reduce word count.
Avoid words or phrases that repeat the same
meaning.
© McGraw Hill
Table 6.5a Avoiding Redundancy
Less
Effective
To help you succeed, we provide
you with many resources so you
can complete your role effectively.
This sentence has 17
words. “To help you
reach your succeed”
and “so you can
complete your role
effectively” are
redundant phrases.
More
Effective
To help you succeed, we provide
you with many resources.
This sentence has 10
words. It removes
redundancy.
© McGraw Hill
Table 6.5b Avoiding Redundancy
Less
Effective
You will receive weekly tips,
suggestions, and examples about
how to increase your impact each
and every week.
This sentence has 18
words. “Weekly” and
“each and every
week” are redundant.
“Tips” and
“suggestions” are
redundant.
More
Effective
You will receive weekly tips and
examples about how to increase
your impact.
This sentence has 13
words. It removes
redundancies.
© McGraw Hill
Table 6.6a Avoiding Empty Phrases
Less
Effective
Needless to say, you receive
This sentence
training about how to influence your contains 21 words.
followers on Facebook, Instagram,
LinkedIn, Twitter, and other social
sites.
More
Effective
You receive training about how to
influence your followers on
Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn,
Twitter, and other social sites.
© McGraw Hill
This revision contains
18 words.
Table 6.6b Avoiding Empty Phrases
Less
Effective
With all due respect, we
recommend you avoid posting
unapproved content.
More
Effective
We recommend you avoid posting This revision contains
unapproved content.
7 words.
© McGraw Hill
This sentence contains
11 words.
Avoid Wordy Prepositional Phrases
Get your ideas across as efficiently as possible.
Reduce word count by 30 to 40 percent simply by
converting many prepositional phrases into singleword verbs.
© McGraw Hill
Table 6.7a Avoiding Wordy
Prepositional Phrases
Less
Effective
In an effort to support people in
need, we provide food in a wellbalanced and nutritious manner.
More
Effective
We provide well-balanced,
This revision of the
nutritious foods to anyone in need. less effective sentence
contains 10 words.
© McGraw Hill
This sentence contains
18 words.
Table 6.7b Avoiding Wordy
Prepositional Phrases
Less
Effective
In all the research about food security, This sentence
kids in food insecure households are contains 42 words.
much more likely on a path to poor
school performance, much more likely
in a condition of stress, and much
more likely on the road to many
lifelong challenges.
More
Effective
Research shows that kids who face
food insecurity experience more
stress, perform more poorly at school,
and face many lifelong challenges.
© McGraw Hill
This revision of the
less effective
sentence contains
21 words.
Improving Ease of Reading with
Natural Style
Use Action Verbs When Possible
•
First, find nouns that you can convert to action verbs.
•
Second, find forms of the verb to be (e.g., be verbs such
as is, are, am) and convert them into action verbs.
© McGraw Hill
Table 6.8a Using Action Verbs
Less
Effective
Most of our social ambassadors
are volunteers at the food bank.
This sentence contains
11 words.
More
Effective
Most of our social ambassadors
volunteer at the food bank.
This revision contains
10 words.
© McGraw Hill
Table 6.8b Using Action Verbs
Less
Effective
Our food bank is also a dietary
guidance organization.
This sentence contains
9 words.
More
Effective
We also provide dietary guidance.
This revision contains
5 words.
© McGraw Hill
Use Active Voice
Grammatical Patterns
•
Active voice: doer as subject + verb + object
•
Passive voice: object as subject + be verb + verb + doer
(optional)
Allows for faster processing.
Emphasizes the business orientation of the action.
Specifies the doer.
Results in fewer words.
© McGraw Hill
Table 6.9a Using Active Voice
Appropriately
Less Effective Social ambassadors are
(passive voice) provided with content to
post and are also given
suggestions about how to
make it personalized.
More Effective
(active voice)
© McGraw Hill
We give you content to post
and suggest how to
personalize it.
This passive sentence deemphasizes who provides the
content and lacks an actionoriented tone. At 19 words, it is
unnecessarily wordy.
The active verb construction in
this sentence helps achieve a
more engaging, action-oriented
tone. At 12 words, it is easier to
process.
Table 6.9b Using Active Voice
Appropriately
Less Effective By being in attendance at the This sentence contains two
sets of passive verbs. It de(passive voice) monthly social ambassador
More Effective
(active voice)
© McGraw Hill
meeting, there is a lot that
can be learned about running
a non-profit.
emphasizes who will run the
meeting and who will learn
about non-profits. It lacks an
action-oriented tone. At 22
words, it is wordy.
You can join the food bank’s
monthly social ambassador
meeting and learn about
running a non-profit.
This sentences clearly
identifies a benefit to you
(social ambassadors). It is
clear the food bank runs the
meeting. At 16 words, it is
easier to read.
Table 6.10a Using Passive Voice
Appropriately
Less Effective
(active voice)
Since you did not provide
enough information in your
application, we cannot
provide a decision about you
being a social ambassador.
This active verb construction
emphasizes the applicant’s
mistakes. It also emphasizes
the controlling nature of the
food bank in the decision.
This passive verb
More Effective Since some application
(passive voice) information wasn’t completed, construction provides the bad
a decision about you being a
social ambassador hasn’t
been made.
© McGraw Hill
news without assigning
blame or directly pointing out
failure.
Table 6.10b Using Passive Voice
Appropriately
Less Effective
(active voice)
You need to complete the
application forms
carefully for us to
seriously consider your
application.
This active verb construction
might be perceived as bossy
(sounds like an order) or
demeaning (implies the reader is
not smart enough to understand
basic procedures).
More Effective Application forms that are This passive verb construction
(passive voice) completed carefully allow emphasizes the importance of
us to better determine the carefully completing the forms
merit of your application. without directly implying the
reader is likely to make
elementary mistakes.
© McGraw Hill
Use Short and Familiar Words and
Phrases
Choose short, conversational, and familiar words.
Using longer, less common words slows processing
and distract from the message.
© McGraw Hill
Table 6.11a Using Short, Familiar Words
and Phrases
Less
Effective
Generally, impoverished
families simply don’t have the
wherewithal to procure
wholesome foods.
Impoverished, wherewithal,
procure, and wholesome are all
words that are less familiar to
many readers and take longer to
process than words such as lowincome, afford, and healthy.
More
Effective
Generally, low-income families
can’t always afford healthy
foods.
This sentence contains short,
familiar words that allow for ease
of reading.
© McGraw Hill
Table 6.11b Using Short, Familiar Words
and Phrases
Less
Effective
The food bank bestows our
clients with bountiful and
sustainable food.
This sentence contains
infrequently used or
exaggerated words (bestows,
bountiful, sustainable). These
terms sound overblown and will
confuse many readers.
More
Effective
We ensure all clients receive
dairy products, fresh produce,
meats, and breads.
This sentence contains shorter,
more familiar terms and
concrete items that capture the
intended meaning.
© McGraw Hill
Use Parallel Language
Apply a consistent grammatical pattern across
sentences or paragraphs.
Parallelism is most important when you use series
or lists.
© McGraw Hill
Table 6.12a Using Parallel Language
Less
Effective
Social ambassadors are generous
and know how to influence others
on social media sites.
The two characteristics of
customers are not parallel.
They are in the following
pattern: adjective and verb–
object.
More
Effective
Social ambassadors are generous
with their time and savvy with
social media.
The two characteristics of
customers are parallel. They
are both adjectives.
OR
In the second example:
Social ambassadors give their time The two characteristics of
freely and influence their followers social ambassadors are
on social media sites.
parallel. They both follow
verb–object patterns.
© McGraw Hill
Table 6.12b Using Parallel Language
Less
Effective
We will work directly with you to
influence social media followers,
select appropriate content, and
personalized posts.
The three items in the list
are not parallel. They are
in the following pattern:
verb–object, verb–object,
noun.
More
Effective
We will work directly with you
to influence social media followers,
select appropriate content, and
personalize your posts.
The three items in the list
are parallel. They are
each in a verb–object
pattern.
OR
In the second example:
We will work directly with you to
achieve the following: appropriate
content selection, personalized posts,
and widespread influence.
The three items in the list
are parallel. They are
each in adjective–noun
patterns.
© McGraw Hill
Avoid Buzzwords and Figures of Speech
Overused or out-of-place words or phrases are
distracting.
Buzzwords
•
Workplace terms that become trite because of overuse.
•
Can stir negative feelings among some readers.
Figures of Speech
•
Contain nonliteral meanings.
•
Are generally out of place or inappropriate in business
writing.
© McGraw Hill
Table 6.13 The Most Annoying Buzzwords
Leverage
Reach out
It is what it is
Viral
Game changers
Disconnect
Value-add
Circle back
Cutting edge
© McGraw Hill
At the end of the day
Synergy
Solution
Think outside the box
On the same page
Customer-centric
Do more with less
Downsizing
Overworked
Source: “WHAT’S THE BUZZ? Survey Reveals Most Overused Workplace Terms,” online article retrieved July 2014.
Table 6.14a Avoiding Buzzwords and
Figures of Speech
Less
Effective
Do you want to change the
world? With very little time
commitment, you can catapult the
life opportunities of kids and their
families in our community.
Change the world and
catapult are figures of
speech that sound
unbelievable to most
readers.
More
Effective
Do you want to help the most
vulnerable members of our
community? In just one or two
hours per week, you can
dramatically improve the lives of
kids and their families in our
community.
This sentence is more
believable. It avoids
exaggerated figures of
speech but remains
extremely positive and
future-oriented.
© McGraw Hill
Table 6.14b Avoiding Buzzwords and
Figures of Speech
Less
Effective
We organize an annual retreat that is
a total blast for our social
ambassadors and that provides
synergistic, win–win solutions and
proactive approaches to managing
their social media influence.
These sentences contain various
figures of speech that readers may
not receive well. A total blast is
slang. Not only can slang be
misunderstood, but it can also serve
as a generation marker. Slang goes
out of style and can make you look
out of date. Other slang will highlight
how young you are. The
combination of buzzwords
(synergistic, win–win, proactive) in
the second portion of the sentence
will annoy some readers.
More
Effective
We organize a fun-filled annual retreat
for social ambassadors where they
can share and discuss problems,
solutions, and opportunities to
increase their social media influence.
This sentence, without the
excessive slang and buzzwords, is
easy to read. Readers can rapidly
process this sentence and relate to
its tone.
© McGraw Hill
Avoid It Is and There Are
Readers naturally want to know precisely who or
what the subject of a sentence is.
Most sentences that begin with it is or there are fail
to provide a specific subject and generally contain
more words than necessary.
© McGraw Hill
Table 6.15a Avoiding It Is and There Are
Less
Effective
There are many ways you can
help out as a social ambassador.
This sentence contains
12 words.
More
Effective
As a social ambassador, you can
help in many ways.
This sentence contains
10 words.
© McGraw Hill
Table 6.15b Avoiding It Is and There Are
Less
Effective
It is wonderful to see kids not
worrying about where their next
meal comes from.
This sentence contains
15 words.
More
Effective
Seeing kids not worrying about
their next meal is wonderful.
This sentence contains
10 words.
© McGraw Hill
Table 6.15c Avoiding It Is and There Are
Less
Effective
It is great to be in a nonprofit
where there are so many
extremely loyal volunteers.
This sentence contains
16 words.
More
Effective
In nonprofits, so many volunteers
are extremely loyal.
This sentence contains
8 words.
© McGraw Hill
Improving Ease of Reading with
Navigational Design
Your primary goal for document design is making
your message easy to navigate.
Use:
•
Headings.
•
Highlighting.
•
Lists.
•
White space.
•
Simplicity.
© McGraw Hill
Use Headings
Headings help identify key ideas and navigate the
document to areas of interest.
Be consistent in font style and formatting.
•
Use the formatting features in a word processor.
© McGraw Hill
Highlight Key Words and Phrases
Use bold, italics, or underlining to draw and keep
your readers’ attention.
However, if you use too much special formatting,
your main ideas will not stand out.
•
Only apply one type of formatting to a word or words.
© McGraw Hill
Table 6.17a Applying Formatting to Key
Words and Phrases
Less
Effective
We have supported thousands of
members of the community get back
on their feet. The charity watchdog
group Charity Navigator has given us
a perfect rating for the past five years
because of excellent use of donations
to support our clients.
By italicizing everything,
nothing is highlighted.
More
Effective
We have supported thousands of
members of the community get back
on their feet. The charity watchdog
group Charity Navigator has given us
a perfect rating for the past five years
because of excellent use of donations
to support our clients.
By italicizing one short
phrase, you emphasize it.
© McGraw Hill
Table 6.17b Applying Formatting to Key
Words and Phrases
Less
Effective
We provide free training for all Applying two formatting
new social ambassadors.
features (bold and
underlining) may appear
overbearing.
More
Effective
We provide free training for all Applying one formatting
new social ambassadors.
feature (bold) is sufficient
to highlight the phrase.
© McGraw Hill
Table 6.18 Using Bulleted and Numbered Lists
Less
Effective
To help you succeed, we provide you with many
resources. You receive training about how to influence
your followers on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, Twitter,
and other social sites. You receive weekly tips and
examples about how to increase your impact. You receive
content to post and suggestions for how to personalize it.
You can join the food bank’s monthly social ambassador
meeting and learn about running a non-profit.
Without bullets, this
paragraph contains a lot of
items that are difficult for the
reader to remember.
Furthermore, it takes longer
for the reader to visualize the
components of the brochure.
More
Effective
To help you succeed, we provide you with many
resources.
•
You receive training about how to influence your
followers on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, Twitter,
and other social sites.
•
You receive weekly tips and examples about how to
increase your impact.
•
You receive content to post and suggestions for how
to personalize it.
•
You can join the food bank’s monthly social
ambassador meeting and learn about running a nonprofit.
With bullets, this paragraph
allows the reader to rapidly
process the information and
visualize the components of
the brochure. Furthermore,
the use of enumeration and
bullets more clearly
distinguishes the overarching
goals of the brochure and the
components of the brochure.
© McGraw Hill
Other Suggestions
Use White Space Generously
•
Too much text is daunting.
•
Too much white space looks insufficient.
Keep It Simple
•
Focus first on easy navigation.
•
Avoid distracting formatting.
© McGraw Hill
Reviewing Your Message
Conduct the FAIR test.
Proofread.
Get feedback.
© McGraw Hill
Conduct a FAIR Test
1
Facts
•
Are you confident in your facts?
•
Are your assumptions clear?
•
Have you avoided slanting the facts or made other logical
errors?
© McGraw Hill
Conduct a FAIR Test
2
Access
•
Have you granted enough access to message recipients
about decision making and information?
•
Have you granted enough access to the message
recipients to provide input?
•
Are you open about your motives, or do you have a
hidden agenda?
© McGraw Hill
Conduct a FAIR Test
3
Impacts
•
Have you thought about how the message will impact
various stakeholders?
•
Have you evaluated impacts on others from ethical,
corporate, and legal perspectives?
Respect
• Have you demonstrated respect for the inherent worth of
others: their aspirations, thoughts, feelings, and wellbeing?
• Have you shown that you value others?
© McGraw Hill
Business Communication: Developing
Leaders for a Networked World, 4e
Chapter 6
Because learning changes everything.
www.mheducation.com
© McGraw Hill
© 2021 McGraw Hill. All rights reserved. Authorized only for instructor use in the classroom.
No reproduction or further distribution permitted without the prior written consent of McGraw Hill.
®
Because learning changes everything.®
Chapter 7
Email and Other
Traditional Tools
for Business
Communication
© 2021 McGraw Hill. All rights reserved. Authorized only for instructor use in the classroom.
No reproduction or further distribution permitted without the prior written consent of McGraw Hill.
Learning Objectives
7.1
Explain the trade-offs associated with richness,
control, and constraints when choosing a
communication channel.
7.2
Apply principles for writing effective emails.
7.3
Explain how to handle emotion effectively in online
communications.
7.4
Describe strategies for effective instant messaging in
the workplace.
7.5
Describe strategies for managing digital message
overload.
7.6
Explain principles for effective phone conversations
and videoconferences.
© McGraw Hill
Strategically Selecting Channels for
Communication
1
Communication Channel
•
•
The medium you use to communicate.
•
Email.
•
Phone.
•
Face to face.
Three considerations related to limitations:
•
Richness.
•
Control.
•
Constraints.
© McGraw Hill
Strategically Selecting Channels for
Communication
2
Richness
Immediacy
• Richer communication
leads to more trust
building, rapport, and
commitment.
• Relates to how quickly
someone is able to
respond and give
feedback.
• Face to face is the
richest.
• High-immediacy requires
more cues.
© McGraw Hill
Strategically Selecting Channels for
Communication
3
Control
Permanence
• The degree to which
communications can be
planned and recorded,
allowing strategic message
development.
• The extent to which
the message can be
stored, retrieved, and
distributed to others.
Planning
• Implies that the communication
can be tightly drafted, edited
and revised, rehearsed, and
developed before delivery.
© McGraw Hill
Strategically Selecting Channels for
Communication
4
Constraints
Resources
• Practical limitations of
coordination and
resources.
• Financial, space, time,
and other investments
necessary to employ
particular channels of
communication.
Coordination
• Effort and timing needed
to allow all relevant
people to participate in a
communication.
© McGraw Hill
Strategically Selecting Channels for
Communication
5
Two Communication Channels
•
Spoken: high in richness but low in control.
•
•
Synchronous communication.
Written: low in richness but has a lot of benefits; more
formal than spoken.
•
© McGraw Hill
Asynchronous communication.
Creating Effective Emails
1
Primary form of written business communication.
Writing emails uses the basic principles of writing
style.
© McGraw Hill
Creating Effective Emails
2
Principles of Effective Emails
• Use for the right purposes.
• Ensure ease of reading.
• Show respect for time.
• Protect privacy and confidentiality.
• Respond promptly.
• Maintain professionalism and
appropriate formality.
• Manage emotion effectively.
• Avoid distractions.
© McGraw Hill
Figure 7.1 Time Devoted to Email by
Business Professionals
Access the text alternative for slide images.
© McGraw Hill
Source: Based on survey of 1,004 marketing, R&D, and IT managers in the following industries: Finance, Banking, and Insurance; Health Care and Social Assistance; Manufacturing; and Retail and Wholesale Trade.
Findings of this survey first presented at the following academic conference: Cardon, P. W. (2016, April 23). The role of leadership communication and emotional capital in driving internal social media use. Presentation
at the Association for Business Communication Southeast/Midwest Regional Conference. St. Louis, MO.
Use Email for the Right Purposes
1
Advantages
•
Best suited for routine, task-oriented, fact-based, and
nonsensitive messages.
•
Few constraints (low cost, little coordination).
•
High control (the writer can think them out carefully, and
they provide a permanent record).
© McGraw Hill
Use Email for the Right Purposes
2
Disadvantages
•
Not rich (lack verbal and nonverbal cues and immediate
feedback).
•
Should not be used to criticize others.
•
Rarely appropriate for sensitive or emotional
communication tasks.
•
Inefficient for facilitating discussions.
© McGraw Hill
Ensure Ease of Reading
1. Provide a short, descriptive subject line.
2. Keep your message brief yet complete.
3. Clearly identify expected actions.
4. Provide a descriptive signature block.
5. Use attachments wisely.
© McGraw Hill
Effective Email
Components
• Subject line.
• Greeting*.
• Message.
• Closing*.
• Signature block*.
• Attachments*.
*optional.
© McGraw Hill
Figure 7.2 Less Effective Email
Access the text alternative for slide images.
© McGraw Hill
Figure 7.3
More
Effective
Email
Access the text alternative for slide images.
© McGraw Hill
Show Respect for Others’ Time
Helpful Advice
•
Select message recipients carefully.
•
Provide timelines and options.
•
Be careful about using the priority flag.
•
Let others know when you will take longer than
anticipated to respond or take action.
•
Avoid contributing to confusing and repetitive email
chains.
© McGraw Hill
Maintain Professionalism and
Appropriate Formality
Recommendations
•
Avoid indications that you view email as casual
communication.
•
Apply the same standards of spelling, punctuation, and
formatting you would for other written documents.
•
Use greetings and names.
© McGraw Hill
Figure 7.6 Use of Email Greetings and Names in
a Low-Morale and a High-Morale Organization
Access the text alternative for slide images.
© McGraw Hill
Source: Data from Waldvogel, J. (2007). Greetings and closings in workplace email. Journal of Computer-Mediated Communication, 12(2), 456–477.
Manage Emotion and Maintain Civility
1
Emails invoke emotions, whether intended or not.
•
Neutrality effect
•
•
Recipients are more likely to perceive messages with an
intended positive emotion as neutral.
Negativity effect
•
© McGraw Hill
Recipients are more likely to perceive messages that are
intended as neutral as negative.
Manage Emotion and Maintain Civility
2
Cyber Silence
Cyber Incivility
•
•
The violation of respect
and consideration in an
online environment
based on workplace
norms.
•
Can be active incivility
or passive incivility.
When an email receives
no response.
© McGraw Hill
Figure 7.7a Active and Passive Incivility
from Supervisors
Access the text alternative for slide images.
© McGraw Hill
Source: Based on information from Lim, V. K., G., & Teo, T. S. H. (2009). Mind your e-manners: Impact of cyber incivility on employees’ work attitude
Figure 7.7b Active and Passive Incivility
from Supervisors
Access the text alternative for slide images.
© McGraw Hill
Source: Based on information from Lim, V. K., G., & Teo, T. S. H. (2009). Mind your e-manners: Impact of cyber incivility on employees’ work attitude
Manage Emotion and Maintain Civility
Steps to Address Uncivil Emails
•
Reinterpretation
•
Relaxation
•
Defusing
© McGraw Hill
3
Manage Emotion
