Module 7 Communication FOR WORK Purposes PDF

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MODULE 7 COMMUNICATION FOR WORK PURPOSES BASICS OF WRITING Writing is an essential skill. All jobs call for writing, from application letters to memos, emails, tweets, text blogs, websites, proposals, and reports. Through writing, communication is possible among or between employees, managers, stakeholders, clients, and agencies. Employees should be able to write clearly to be able to do the other requisites of the job. Writing keeps business moving (Searles, 2014; Kolin, 2015). Workplace writing occurs for a definite purpose, and it is intended for a particular audience. It is therefore, important that purpose and audience be seriously considered to make sure that the tone you adopt is appropriate for the context and the kind of writing expected of you. 1. Purpose. On-the-job writings are usually done for at least one of three reasons: (a) to create/build a record, (b) to request or provide information, and (c) to persuade. As a writer, once you have determined your purpose, the next question to ask yourself is, “What am I going to SAY?” Now, think of the message (or facts and ideas) you want to impart to the reader to achieve your purpose. You may adopt the five W’s that journalists use in structuring the opening sentence of news stories: Who, What, Where, When, and Why. This will be a fitting start of your on-the-job writing. 2. Reader/Audience. Ask yourself these questions: a. Who am I writing to? An individual or a group of persons? b. What do they know about this topic? c. What are their job titles and areas of responsibility? In identifying your audience, remember that the workplace has a communication-network pattern of contact created by the flow of messages among communicators: (a) upward, (b) lateral/horizontal, (c) downward, and (d) outward (Searles, 2014; Adler, Elmhorst, & Lucas, 2013). Upward Communication. The written materials are sent by subordinates to their superiors. Upward communication can convey varied types of messages: a. What subordinates are doing: “We will have that job done by closing time.” b. Unsolved work problems: “We are still figuring out how the old furniture will fit in our new office.” c. Suggestions for improvement: “I think we should ask the opinion of an interior designer.” d. How subordinates feel about each other and the job: “I think Eve, our new secretary, is having problems with her responsibilities.” e. Reply to an inquiry from a supervisor These messages can benefit both the subordinates and the superiors because the most satisfied employees are the most productive; however, these messages are not easy to make because being frank with the boss can be risky, particularly if the boss may not like or is not ready to hear problems and suggestions.

Lateral (Horizontal) Communication. The materials are sent to people who are of equal level or status; that is, between members of the same division or department of an organization. The communication serves the following purposes: a. Task coordination b. Problem-solving c. Sharing information d. Building rapport Downward Communication. This is the kind of communication sent by superiors to their subordinates. Downward communication is very important because giving instructions is inevitable. Examples are: a. Job instructions b. Job rationale c. Feedback Outward Communication. This is intended for workers outside the workplace. An example is a letter to the comptroller of a company regarding financial matters. You need to consider the differences in reader category that are created by the flow of communication because they affect your communication in many ways, particularly format. For internal communication (the first three categories), the memorandum is traditionally the preferred medium, but it is now almost totally taken by email. For outward communication (with clients, customers, or the public in general), the standard business letter still prevails although it is now sent by email or by fax machine (Searles, 2014). 3. Tone. Tone expresses your attitude toward a person or thing (whether you agree or disagree, like or dislike, bias or accept). It is how you regard or consider the person. Some authors call this “you attitude,” “consideration,” or “reader-centered.” Tone may be professional or formal and impersonal, like in a scientific report, or informal and personal, like in a letter to a friend or in a how-to-do-article. Tone is shown in how you treat another person, which is something similar to the Golden Rule: “You do to others what you like others do to you.” Tone of writing is most important in occupational writing because a wrong tone in your letter may cost you a customer. This tone or consideration for others is best achieved by doing the following: Focusing on the Reader (“Reader-Oriented” or “You-Attitude”). You, the writer, should think of the reader—his needs, his wants, his expectations. Your readers are real people; you have to make them feel that you are writing to them as individuals. Put them in the forefront of your letter. Example: a. Poor: “We now have a Walk-up Window, open to serve you from 9 am to 4 pm every Wednesday.” b. Better (Focus on “you”): “You can now take care of your banking needs at our new Walk-up Window, open to serve you from 9 am to 4pm every Wednesday.” Choosing Positive and Pleasant Ideas a. Negative: “She is a fault finder.” Positive: “She is concerned with details.” b. Negative: “The glass is half-empty.” Positive: “The glass is half-full.”

Focusing on What to Be Done to Solve the Problem. Not on What Not to Be Done a. Negative: “It is impossible to open an account for you today.” b. Positive: “As soon as your signature card reaches us today, we can gladly open an account for you.” Using the Passive Form of the Verb to Soften the Impact of Unpleasant, Negative, or Controversial News a. Poor: “Today, the union leader declared a general strike.” b. Better: “A general strike was declared today.” (That a strike was declared is the important thing; WHO declared it is unimportant. This tone saves the doer from any possible reprimand or censure).

MINUTES OF THE MEETING Minutes are a summary of what happened at a meeting. They show the information shared, the discussion made (clear, accurate, and objective), and decisions reached during the meeting. Since business meetings have become important communication in business and the industry, a record of their minutes is always filed. Minutes, which are considered official, permanent records, are regarded as legal documents (Kolin, 2015; Dagdag, Ranin, Roxas, Perez, & Buluran, 2011). The advent of technology has made possible video conferencing with Skype; this allows groups of individuals in the world of work to meet. Just like in any other business meetings, all participants of the video conference have to prepare for it, and a record of its minutes needs to be filed too. Minutes may be formal or informal depending on the type of meeting. Formal minutes are long because all information is recorded in detail, including the exact words of motions, amendments, resolutions, and numbers of votes. Informal minutes are shorter since discussions are just summarized. Whether they are formal or informal, however, minutes have the same basic parts (Kolin, 2015, p.109; Dagdag, et.al., 2011). 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6.

Day, time, and place of the meeting Name of the group holding the meeting Name of presiding officer or chair Names of present and absent members Approval or amendment of minutes of the previous meeting For each major point, what was done is indicated. a. What was discussed, suggested, or proposed b. What was decided and the votes, including abstentions c. What was continued or tabled for further study or for another meeting d. What time the meeting was officially closed 7. Secretary’s signature

GUIDELINES IN PREPARING THE MINUTES As official company document and evidence in court litigations, minutes of the meetings should be prepared with care.

1. All motions and resolutions are recorded, and proponents are identified by name. 2. Seconded motions are also noted and recorded although the ones who seconded them need not be identified. 3. Results of seconded motions must be recorded and, whether approved or rejected, should be indicated in the minutes. 4. Headings are used to mark report sections. Titles should be all capital letters. 5. Minutes of the previous meeting should also be taken up. 6. Do not report/write verbatim what are said. Summarize. 7. Lengthy discussions, debates, and reports given should be summarized. 8. The past tense is used.

MEMORANDUM (MEMO) Memo short for memorandum, is of Latin origin, which means “something to be remembered.” This meaning explains the function of memos—to record information of immediate importance and interests. A memo is usually written for internal or in-house communication. It is usually short, direct to the point, clearly stating what must be done or not done. They provide data for various functions, such as the following (Kolin, 2015): 1. Making announcements; 2. Giving instructions; 3. Clarifying a policy, procedure, or issue; 4. Changing a policy or procedure; 5. Alerting staff to a problem; 6. Sending recommendations; 7. Providing legal records; 8. Calling a meeting; and 9. Reminding employees of corporate, history, policy, and procedure.

MEMO PROTOCOL Just like any other business correspondence, the memo carries the company name and image. It should, therefore, follow the company’s accepted ways in which in-house communication is formatted, organized, written, and routed. Be guided by these four guidelines (WikipediaA Memorandum, 2018): 1. Be timely. Do not wait for the day of the event before your announcement. 2. Be professional. Although a memo is an in-house correspondence, it should still be well crafted, factually accurate, and free of grammar lapses and faulty writing mechanics. 3. Be tactful. Politeness and diplomacy are important qualities of any business correspondence. 4. Send memo to the right person. In business, a memo is typically for internal communication; hence, it could also be considered as an upward communication through which any complaints, issues, opinions, views and suggestions are sent.

MEMO FORMAT AND PARTS

Memos vary in format and the way they are sent. Whatever the format, they should have the standard parts. The memo has basically two parts: HEADER or identifying information and MESSAGE, aside from the word MEMO or MEMORANDUM on top of the paper (Searles, 2014; Kolin, 2015). 1. Header, which includes four parts as shown in the box: MEMORANDUM TO:

Name and job title of receiver (If more than one, arrange names in order of job status.)

FROM:

Sender’s name (You may use first name depending on your familiarity with the receiver.)

DATE: SUBJECT:

Full calendar date (April 10, 2018) Indicate the purpose. This serves as the title of your memo; it summarizes the message.

(Good Samples): ● Safety in Cleaning Brake Machines ● Ways to Increase Meralco’s Social Responsibilities Poor or vague/not clear samples: ● Cleaning Difficulties ● Meralco’s Social Responsibilities (If a memo is sent in the body of the email, you do not need to include the header parts; they are automatically included in the email’s heading.) 2. Message, which follows the Orientation-Information – Action format. a. Orientation (Opening Paragraph): What is your purpose or reason for writing? b. Information: What do you want to tell or convey to the reader? c. Action: What step or course of action do you intend to take?

LETTER OF REQUEST Business letters are typically used for external communication—messages from one company to another, from a company to a client or to a supplier. Although email is now often used, countless letters are still written for various reasons. One of them is the letter of request. Request letters are written when a person seeks help of any kind from someone else. Students like you may write a request letter when you need information for any assigned writing project, such as report, research, or article, or when you ask for clarification or for favors (Kolin, 2015). Kolin gives the following guidelines in writing a request letter. 1. Direct/address your letter to the right person. 2. State who you are and your work title and why you are writing.

(Example: an employee who needs information for a report, an article, a speech, or who asks for donations) “I am Julian J. Montes, an assistant researcher of the Marketing Department of SCC University of Sac Pablo City. I am writing a report on “E-commerce Strategies for Laguna de Bay. My colleagues have talked highly of your firm, Creative Marketing Associates.” 3. Indicate your reason for requesting the information (in this case, requesting their help). If applicable, you may cite the one who suggested that you write and ask for help. “With your vast experience in developing websites and apps to promote regional businesses and tourism, I would be mush indebted if you answer these three questions that are vital to my research.” 4. State your questions briefly and clearly. You may list and number them. Make your request questions clear and easy to answer, so no further exchange of questions and answers is necessary. 5. Indicate exactly when you need the information, but allow sufficient time. 6. Offer to forward a copy of your report, article, or paper in gratitude for the anticipated help. 7. Thanks the reader for helping.

SHORT REPORT A short report, which may be either oral or written in the report form of a memo or a letter attached to an email or simply sent in the body of an email, consists of significant information of a particular topic that is meant to inform a reader. It is “an organized presentation of relevant data on any topic--money, travel, time, technology, personnel, service equipment, weather, the environment—that a company or agency deals with in running the business” (Kolin, 2015, p.554). The short report, which must also contain a title that defines its content, generally consists of a summary of the report, a brief background, a defined purpose, and a conclusion. Writing a report is not an easy task because there are factors that you need to consider—the reliability of a source and the structure of the report, as well as its continuing to be informative to a reader while still being understandable. TYPES OF SHORT REPORTS Short reports abound, but this chapter will just dwell on progress report, incident report, and project proposal. PROGRESS REPORT A progress report, whose purpose is to ensure the successful completion of the task or project within the specified time, informs the reader (who is usually in the management sector of the organization) about the status of an on-going project or task—how much had been done, is being done, and will be done by a particular date (Kolin, 2015; Smith-Worthington Jefferson, 2011). If correctly prepared and submitted on time, progress reports are very important in helping the management make necessary adjustments to meet deadlines, avoid crises, and prevent unnecessary expenses. The report generally includes these components (Searles, 2014; Kolin, 2016).

1. Introduction: This is the background of the project where the project is identified, its objectives are reviewed, and the reader, is informed about any development since the previous progress report. 2. Work completed: It is the summary of accomplishment to date, which is organized chronologically if the report covers one major task, or by classification of task if it deals with more than one related project. 3. Work remaining: It gives a summary of all uncompleted tasks, emphasizing what is expected to be accomplished first. 4. Problems: This part, which identifies any delays, cost overruns, or any other unanticipated difficulties, may be omitted if all is well or no problem causes any harmful effect. 5. Conclusions: This part summarizes the status of the project and provides recommendations to solve major problems. INCIDENT REPORT An incident report, which deals with the unexpected that brings harm to people and property, like fire, vehicular accidents, physical injury, law-enforcement offense, environmental danger, machine breakdown, computer virus, delivery delay, cost overrun, or production breakdown, is written either by the person involved in the incident or by a person in charge of the area where it took place to explain the circumstances behind the troublesome occurrence. Such report, needed to fulfil government regulations to guard against unlawful behaviour, may serve as a document for legal purposes. The report may be in preprinted “fill-up” forms or narrative in the form of a letter for external communication, or a memo for in-house communication. In writing this report, be sure to include the following information (Searle, 2014): Names and job titles of all persons involved, including onlookers; Type of incident and step-by-step narrative description of the incident; Exact location and cause of the incident; Date and exact time of each major development; Clear identification of any equipment or machinery involved; Detailed description of any medical intervention required, including names of ambulance services and personnel, nurses, physicians, hospitals or clinics; 7. Reliable statements (quotations or paraphrases) from persons involved; and 8. Outcome of the incident.

1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6.

To avoid liabilities, it is important to use qualifiers, such as “maybe, perhaps, it seems that, it appears that, possibly,” and some others that insinuate only probabilities but not actualities. Guard yourself against doing the following (Searle, 2014): 1. Do not report comments and observations of witnesses because these are not verified facts and are usually very exaggerated; 2. Do not report exact words uttered by people who are very angry, distraught, or bewildered; 3. Do not comment on issues not related to the incident; and 4. In your recommendations, avoid blaming or focusing on incompetence; instead, encourage the adoption of measures to avoid a repeat of the incident.

PROJECT PROPOSAL A proposal, a document designed to convince or persuade someone to follow or accept a specific course of action, is written to propose: (a) change of process or policy, (b) solution to a problem, (c) purchase of a product or service, (d) pursuit of an activity, or (e) research (Sims, 2003; Murcherson, 2013). Proposals may be categorized as solicited or unsolicited, depending on the origin; internal or external depending on the reader or audience type; and formal or informal depending on the length. If the proposal is solicited, the business, agency, or organization requesting the proposal identifies situation or problem it wishes to solve and issues an RFP (request for a proposal). Responding to an RFP of a solicited proposal is easier than writing an unsolicited one because in the solicited, the problem has already been identified; hence there is no need to convince anyone of its existence (Kolin, 2015). GUIDELINES IN WRITING A PROPOSAL Whatever kind of proposal you intend to write, you do the same basic tasks listed below (Searle, 2014; Sims, 2003). 1. Summarize the situation or problem that the proposal is addressing. If unsolicited, the proposal must convince the reader that there really is an important unmet need. 2. Provide a detailed explanation of how the proposal will correct the problem. (This is the “project description”) 3. Confirm the feasibility of the proposal and the expected benefits of completing it, along with the possible negative consequences of not doing it. 4. Convincingly refute any probable objection. 5. Establish the writer’s credentials and qualifications for the project. 6. Identify any necessary resources, equipment, or support. 7. Provide a reliable timetable for completion of the project. 8. Provide an honest, itemized estimate of the costs. Deliberately understanding the timeline or the budget is not only unethical but also deceitful, which can gain legal liability. 9. Close with a strong conclusion that will motivate the reader to accept the proposal. A convincing cost-benefit ana...