...DIRECT AND INDIRECT APPROACHES In writing letters, memos, and e-mail messages (the focus of Chapters 2 and 3), one issue that you'll need to consider is whether your message is one that is likely to be well-received or one that may encounter resistance or ill-will--a "bad news" message of some type. Searle’s spends a good bit of time in Chapter 1 discussing tone and making sure to use a reader-centered perspective that utilizes a "you" approach and positive wording. In addition to a reader-centered perspective, however, you also should consider the difference between what is called a direct and an indirect approach when organizing letters, memos, and e-mail messages, especially ones that convey bad news. DIRECT APPROACH The direct approach anticipates no resistance to its message--for instance, "you've been hired," "your order is being shipped today," or even "the project will be done in one week." In this case, organizing your message is simple. Searle’s mentions that memos and letters should have some kind of brief introduction, sometimes as its own paragraph. If you're using the direct approach, this introduction is simply a straightforward statement of the main point of the message. For instance, if you are writing a letter to confirm an order, simply begin by stating, "We have received your order for part #23-B-4439 and are shipping it today." Then the rest of the letter can provide details like shipping time, cost, etc. Whenever possible, use the direct approach...
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...in today’s business place has become more complex. And negative message make thing even more complex. A negative message is any message to which the reader will have an unpleasant emotional reaction. Readers find negative messages disappointing or threatening in some way. Such messages require special care to avoid damaging the quality of the relationship because the negative message – “the bad news” will hurt the reader’s feelings or cause him or her to lose face. (C. Bovee 2010) Not all messages saying no are negative. For a message to be negative, the reader’s ego must be involved in the outcome. If a reader requests information you and others in your organization are not equipped to provide, for example, the reader’s feelings will not be hurt when you direct him or her elsewhere. Treat messages of this variety as you would a message conveying positive information: state the most important information first, and use it to help establish rapport with the reader. (Limaye 1997) Also, be aware that saying no is more serious in some cultures than it is in others. The Japanese, for example, will avoid saying no directly, and if they are unable to avoid a negative reply, they will often apologize for the negative message. Communicating negative information effectively requires greater cultural sensitivity than does communicating something positive. Before writing, do your best to ensure that you understand the cultural implications of the message and the expectations of your audience...
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...memos 4 business letters 1 report 5 grammar quizzes in class 1 grammar exam 2 textbook exams 1 business presentation (speech) Tonight Memos direct pattern frontloading (when why how) Listen (When why) Parallelism plain language business text format Subject good Memo- internal communication Letter- External Subject line- Important to be extensively informative. Direct- Main idea first details later (good news, neural news)- Audience will be happy to neutral Indirect- Details first, main idea later (bad news, persuasion)- Audience is hostile to uninterested Frontloading- getting to the purpose in the first sentence. The body: organize information and explanations logically. use numbered and bulleted list consider headings Parallelism-Items in the list need the same grammatical structure. Goodwill- what you put in the message to maintain the relationship. In hard copy memos: No opening or closing. Sign your initials at the end of the FROM line. Thursday May 16th Qualities if Bus waiting -Main English -Audience centered -positive Quiz 1 -Active vs. passive voice -subject verb agreement Memo 2 -tables -APA documentation First person sing I, me, my, mine, myself We, us our, ours, ourselves Second person you, your, yours, yourselves 1. Use the you attitude 2. Reader benefits (affordable, meets your needs) You attitude exercise on Blackboard 1. Good news, you can now enjoy a new… 2. You will get...
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...concerned with? The accuracy and relevance of the information For general business messages, your writing should be geared toward readers at the? 8th to 11th grage level Using space in a document? provides contrast Justified type is type that? Set flush on the left and flush on the right When making a routine request, you begin with? A clear statement of the main idea or request When making a request, you should? Assume the reader will comply with your request In the body of a request message, you? Give details and justify your request When requesting an adjustment, your closing should usually? Request a specific action Routine, Positive messages should do all the following Communicate the good news, provide all required details, and leave your reader with a good impression In a positive message, the main...
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...ENGL510 Foundations of Professional Communication Writing Assignment 3 -- Bad News Message Instructions In this assignment you will complete a collaborative project designed to solve the problem of delivering bad news. Communicating bad news is one example of a complex workplace problem. Incorporate strategies for analyzing group dynamics, resolving conflict, and communicating in a multicultural environment to complete the project. Each group has a dedicated discussion area to work on the assignment which begins with an individual effort. Situation: Giving Bad News to a Customer ------------------------------------------------- You are the sales manager at Easy to Be Green. One of the company’s services is to design and install energy-efficient heating, cooling, and insulation systems in both new and existing buildings. Because these systems are custom-designed and involve a variety of sub-contractors, no changes can be made to the design after a date specified in the contract. ------------------------------------------------- ------------------------------------------------- This morning one of your sales people, Chris, comes to you with a problem. The construction manager at Greenfield Community College, a new client with a huge campus and many ongoing construction and renovation projects, has written to Chris requesting a change in the location of a venting apparatus to accommodate a change in the campus’s overall design plan. The request was made...
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...ENGL510 Foundations of Professional Communication Writing Assignment 3 -- Bad News Message Instructions In this assignment you will complete a collaborative project designed to solve the problem of delivering bad news. Communicating bad news is one example of a complex workplace problem. Incorporate strategies for analyzing group dynamics, resolving conflict, and communicating in a multicultural environment to complete the project. Each group has a dedicated discussion area to work on the assignment which begins with an individual effort. Situation: Giving Bad News to a Customer ------------------------------------------------- You are the sales manager at Easy to Be Green. One of the company’s services is to design and install energy-efficient heating, cooling, and insulation systems in both new and existing buildings. Because these systems are custom-designed and involve a variety of sub-contractors, no changes can be made to the design after a date specified in the contract. ------------------------------------------------- ------------------------------------------------- This morning one of your sales people, Chris, comes to you with a problem. The construction manager at Greenfield Community College, a new client with a huge campus and many ongoing construction and renovation projects, has written to Chris requesting a change in the location of a venting apparatus to accommodate a change in the campus’s overall design plan. The request was made...
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...review, as permitted under the Copyright Act, no part may be reproduced by any process without written permission. © School of Accountancy, QUT 2003 Produced by QUT Publications 232975 8437 ISBN: 1 74107 014 7 ii Contents Preface Accountancy writing and preparation of documents Writing and accountants Determining the Purpose (aim) Investigating Planning the document Writing the document Revising the document Style of professional documents Good and poor writing Audience Tone Language Overwriting (padding) Overgeneralisation Spelling, punctuation and grammar Abbreviations Expressing numbers Paragraphing Headings and sub-headings Quantitative information Recommendations Letter writing for accountants Claim letter Letter of advice Letter of engagement Letter of enquiry Letter of refusal Management letter Memos E-mails Research Essays, Reports and Resumés Research essays Reports Resumés References and Bibliographies iii v 1 1 2 2 7 8 8 9 9 10 10 10 11 11 11 12 12 12 12 12 13 14 16 17 19 21 22 23 24 26 27 27 31 40 41 iv Preface Writing for Accountants is a brief guide to the types of writing that accountancy students and practising accountants are most often called on to do. It is not intended as a definitive text, but rather as a general guide for students at the Queensland University of Technology. It is intended that the booklet be used in conjunction with the lectures and tutorials presented to students, and as a guide in the writing of their assignments. Topics...
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...ADMN 233 Assignment 3 Part 1 Routine E-Mail Messages and Memos 25 marks (Questions 1 and 2) Refer as needed to material in Chapter 8. Read the instructions for each activity. Answer all questions clearly and concisely. Include examples to support your answers. Activity A – Routine memo Read the following scenario and respond to the question that follows. Scenario 1: Performance Assessment Judith Halls, Manager of Human Resources at The Maritime Fish Packing Cooperative, wrote the following first draft of a reply memo. | The Maritime Fish Packing Cooperative | |Interoffice Memo | | | |Date: December 4, 2009 | | | |To: Michael Foreman, President ...
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...Grid to check what you need to demonstrate in each task to achieve each mark band. Mags Estate Agents is a new company that is planning to open an office in a town or village near you. Like all estate agents, the company will sell and rent homes for their clients, arrange mortgages for buyers and provide other services. In this assignment you will: • compare business documents used by three different companies • look at different methods of communicating information and the technologies that support them • create documents/communications for Mags Estate Agents. Task 1 – to be handed in on or before……………………………….. Estate agents use many different types of documents to communicate with buyers and sellers. You should collect (or your teacher will give you) two different documents from each of three different estate agents. For example you may collect an information sheet from each estate agent and then visit their website. Study the documents carefully and then write a report that describes and compares the documents. You will need to consider these points when describing and comparing the documents: • What is the purpose of each document? • How is each document laid out? • What is good and what is bad about the way each document is presented? • How does the presentation of similar documents compare? • What is good and what is bad about the way each document is written (the style of language used)? • How does the writing style of similar...
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... Why do you think good communication in an organization improves employee attitudes and performance? Include any relevant example to support our answer. Question 2 (10 marks) Is it possible for companies to be too dependent on communication technology? Explain. Question 3 (10 marks) Is conflict in a team good or bad? Provide any relevant examples to support the arguments. Question 4 (10 marks) How does content listening differ from critical listening and empathic listening? Explain. Question 5 (10 marks) What are the advantages and disadvantages of electronic media? Provide any relevant examples to support the arguments. Question 6 (5 marks) Discuss the differences between effective listeners and ineffective listeners. Question 7 (10 marks) What are some ways to improve speaking and listening skills when communicating with people of other cultures? Question 8 (5 marks) What are the risks of using computerized translation when you need to read a document written in another language? Question 9 (10 marks) What steps can you take to help someone from another culture adapt to your culture? Provide any relevant examples to support the arguments. Question 10 (20 marks) Choose any relevant job vacancy advertisement from the local English news papers and write a JOB APPLICATION LETTER and compose your...
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...Before You Sue The Accountants Daniel J. Hurson Even if it looks like a strong case, be careful—there are some surprising defenses. IN THE WAKE OF the corporate accounting scandals that have dominated the business news for the last few years, as well as recurring announcements of large settlements in class action suits against major accounting firms, the prospect of a malpractice case against an accounting firm would at first glance seem attractive. Juries are presumably more predisposed to view accountants with renewed skepticism, when hardly a news cycle passes without some reference to accounting fraud, investigations, and the occasional large-scale debacles like the demise of Arthur Andersen, not to mention the high-profile criminal prosecutions that have recently gone to trial. Daniel J. Hurson, formerly Assistant Chief Litigation Counsel at the SEC, practices securities enforcement and accounting malpractice law in Washington, D.C. His website is www.hursonlaw.com. 25 26 The Practical Lawyer April 2006 Accountant malpractice litigation is a minefield of arcane judicial doctrines layered over pleading and discovery traps that can bury the best plaintiffs’ counsel. Indeed, among the players in these sagas, the accountants sometimes offer the best litigation target. The companies themselves have often tanked; the errant executives dismissed, awash in legal problems, and without insurance coverage; but the accountants (Andersen notwithstanding)...
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...to give someone important information for example a change in time for an important business meeting. Telephoning someone is much more personal than emailing or sending a letter. One disadvantage of telephoning someone is that you don’t always have single and sometimes people have their phones switched off, this is not good if you need to make an urgent phone call. But you can always leave them a voice mail message. Source of information(internal and external) - one way a phone call could be internally used by Tesco is if a manager needed extra staff urgently he or she could ring up staff they think would be able to make it in such short notice. One way Tesco could externally use a phone call could be to contact a customer about a complaint they made. Face to face Purpose of information – face to face is a lot more personal than a phone because you can see their body language and f acial expressions, for example you can see whether they are showing signs of confusion so you can slow do and try and explain what you are saying more clearly. By talking to someone in person you can give them more direct information. Source of information (internal and external) – one example of internal face to face use In Tesco would be if an manager was to discuss wage or overtime with other staff he or she is more likely to discuss this matter in person. one example of external would be if a member of staff was talking to a customer about the new closing times that could be put in place over...
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...impossible became possible in The Scarlet Letter, a story set back in the Puritan Times. In this response, I will give my reactions in writing to different aspects of the novel;the characchters, my likes and dislikes, my questions, and my opinion of the harsh Puritain lifestyle. Hester Prynne, the Reverend Dimmesdale, and Roger Chillingworth each suffered guilt in their own way in the novel The Scarlet Letter. In the beginning of the novel, Hester Prynne should have not suffered the way she did on the scaffold alone. She was forced to be intergated by the high-officials of the town, while holding her little Pearl in arms. Making matters worse, the father of the child was in that very group of officals. She was then sentenced to wear the scarlet letter "A", showing her guilt "externally". Unable to take it off, she was forced to show her guilt to the entire settlement. However, the Reverend Dimmesdale suffered "internally", with a scarlet letter of his own engraved in his mind, and on his chest as well. He felt like he betrayed God, and beat himself in a frenzy to prove his wrongdoing. He often questioned wheather his authority was true or not. Roger Chillingworth suffered the least, because he only failed to reveal the secret that he knew, the father of the child who Hester Prynne was forced to live with. This small restriction to his life forced him to suffer "internally". I had different likes and dislikes in the novel The Scarlet Letter. There were many things that needed to be...
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...also apply to business. Business ethics also defined as what is right and wrong, and outline the kind of behavior to know that which businesses should not engage in. For responsible decision making in a business environment, a good set of ethics is main key of trust and success. Business ethics are often guided by law, while other times provide a basic framework that businesses may choose to follow in order to gain public acceptance. Business ethics are implemented in order to ensure that a certain required level of trust exists between consumers and various forms of market participants with businesses. For example, a portfolio manager must give the same consideration to the portfolios of family members and small individual investors. Such practices ensure that the public is treated fairly. The benefits of running an ethical businesses includes helps to attract new customers, builds higher customer loyalty, improve company efficiency, avoid negative impacts and others which beneficial to the company and third parties. To run a sustainable business, having a high set of ethics is critical and there can be serious consequences if poor ethical decisions are made. About the assignment, the topic that we selected among the four category which is ‘Sexual Harassment offences at workplace’ which brings negative impacts to the company. About Sexual Harassment Offences at Workplace Nowadays, sexual harassment is most commonly happens no matter where you are. This is a negative...
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...Technology and Communication Robyn Hargrave COM/295 July 20, 2015 Barbara Psachos Technology and Communication In today's world, we rely on different forms of communication in business. These forms range from oral communication (example: person to person), written communication (examples: memos and letters), and electronic (examples: emails and text messages). We must decide on the most effective form of communication when faced with different scenarios. What form of communication would I use to send technical support a message regarding an employee's computer that has been infected with a virus? It is important to know the company's policy for reporting problems to tech support. Some technology departments want a work order sent in. This way they can keep track of all the problems a company is having and determine if this problem is companywide or only for certain individuals. I would send an email to tech support regarding this employee's computer. I would also follow up with a phone call to tech support to make sure they received my email if I have not heard back from them within an hour. With an email, the support personnel can see what is going on while on the phone with another person and might be able to handle the situation while on hold. With just a phone call, the support personnel might be on the phone and cannot answer. What form of communication would I use for letting all employees know about upcoming health care...
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