MGT 3213 – Org. Communication

Process for Planning and Preparing Spoken and Written Messages

STEP1

STEP2

STEP3

STEP4

STEP5

STEP6

STEP7

Consider the applicable contextual forces

Determine the purpose & select an appropriate channel & medium

Envision the audience

Adapt the message to the audience’s needs & concerns

Organize the message

Prepare the first draft

Revise & proofread for accuracy & desired impact

Step five:prepare your draftWrite! Avoid writing in bingesWrite while you’re freshResist the temptation to do other things firstEnd your writing at a place where it will be

easy to pick up againEstablish a few regular places where you do

nothing but serious writing

Typos are important, but they really don’t impact the company’s bottom line.

True or false?

Typo Leads to Stock Market Chaos May 6, 2010Dow fell almost 1,000 points in half an hourComputerized sell off began when a trader

placed an order to sell $16 billion instead of $16 million

“Today … caused me to fall out of my chair at one point. It felt like we lost control,” Jack Ablin, chief investment officer at Harris Private Bank.

The Comma that Cost $1 MillionAugust 2006, contract dispute between

Canada’s largest cable provider and telephone companyRogers Communication vs. Bell Aliant

Citing the “rules of punctuation,” Canada’s telecommunications regulator ruled that the comma allowed Bell Aliant to end its contract

The dispute is over this sentence:

“This agreement shall be effective from the date it is made and shall continue in force for a period of five (5) years from the date it is made, and thereafter for successive five (5) year terms, unless and until terminated by one year prior notice in writing by either party.”

Establishing credibilityDemonstrate expertise and competence

Typos and errors = undereducated, lazy, not detail-oriented, unintelligent

Demonstrate personal ethics and integrityDemonstrate emotional controlDevelop a professional image

Personality traitsAppearance/image

Tips for improving your grammar (and credibility)

• Read as much as possible, and as diversely as possible• Allows you to subconsciously internalize correct

grammar

• Bad vocabulary? • Play word games and puzzles• Read!!

• Become self-aware of your areas of weakness• Edit other people’s writing• Ask for feedback from someone you trust• Have good tools on hand (dictionary, grammar

handbook, thesaurus)

Most Common Misspelled Words in College (Huffington Post)

Ten Common Spelling Mistakes That Could Hurt Your Career (Recruiter.com)

their/they’re/theretheir/they’re/there

your/you’relose/loose

acquiredefinitely

referredeffect/affect

consciencea lot/a lot

gratefulwho’s/whose

bureaucracyweather/whether

judgmentweird

guaranteequite/quiet and #10?

Proofreading Read from audience’s

perspective

Ensure you are using active voice

Emphasize important ideas

Improve readability

Procedures for Proofreading1. Use spell check to locate simple

keying errors and repeated words2. Print a draft of the document3. Proofread several times

•content, organization, and style•mechanical errors

4. Edit for format and layout

More Proofreading Techniques1. Read your work backwards, starting with the last sentence and working your way in reverse order to the beginning.

2. Read your work out loud.This forces you to read each word individually and increases the odds that you'll find a typo.

More Proofreading Tips3. Always proofread a printed version of your work.

4. Give yourself some time. If possible, let your work sit for a while before you proofread it.

5. Allow others to make suggestions“You have nothing to lose but much to gain….” (Lehman/Dufrene)

Passive vs. Active VoiceActive = subject acts.The dog bit the boy.

Passive = subject receives action.The boy was bitten by the dog.

Changing Passive to ActiveWho is performing the action?If not stated, infer.Look for “by the”Flip the parts of the sentence

The book is being read by the class.The class is reading the book.

Emphasize Important IdeasSentence structure

Simple sentenceCompound sentenceComplex sentence

RepetitionWords that labelPosition

Factors Affecting Readability Difficult words

Three or more syllable wordsDoes not include compound words,

proper nouns, or words where a suffix adds a syllable

Sentence length and structurePassive voice

Dear Mr. and Mrs. Lee,

1With interest rates at their lowest level in 20 years, you chose a good time to buy your first house.

2Choosing a fixed mortgage rate allowed you to “lock in” your 6 percent interest rate, protecting you from potential increases in interest rates before your closing. 3Had you selected a variable rate mortgage, you could have taken advantage of the recent drop in interest rates. 4However, you would have been subject to later increases in interest rates.

5If interest rates continue to decline, you may want to consider refinancing your fixed rate mortgage. 6Refinancing is typically cost effective when interest rates are 1 percent below your current mortgage rate.

7Mr. and Mrs. Lee, we are glad to have been of service in your recent home purchase. 8Please call me if you need information about other financing needs.

Dear Mr. and Mrs. Lee,

1With interest rates at their lowest level in 20 years, you chose a good time to buy your first house.

2Choosing a fixed mortgage rate allowed you to “lock in” your 6 percent interest rate, protecting you from potential increases in interest rates before your closing. 3Had you selected a variable rate mortgage, you could have taken advantage of the recent drop in interest rates. 4However, you would have been subject to later increases in interest rates.

5If interest rates continue to decline, you may want to consider refinancing your fixed rate mortgage. 6Refinancing is typically cost effective when interest rates are 1 percent below your current mortgage rate.

7Mr. and Mrs. Lee, we are glad to have been of service in your recent home purchase. 8Please call me if you need information about other financing needs.

Calculating ReadabilityNo. of words: 138

No. of sentences: 8

Average sentence length: 17(138 ÷ 8 = 17)

No. of difficult words: 16

Percentage of difficult words: 11.6%(16 ÷ 138 = 11.6)

Average sentence length 17.0+ Percentage difficult words 11.6 28.6

x 0.4 (constant)Readability level 11.4

No. of words: 138

No. of sentences: 8

Average sentence length: 17(138 ÷ 8 = 17)

No. of difficult words: 16

Percentage of difficult words: 11.6%(16 ÷ 138 = 11.6)

Average sentence length 17.0+ Percentage difficult words 11.6 28.6

x 0.4 (constant)Readability level 11.4

Desirable readability index

for business writing 8–11 grade

Word 2007:

• Select the Microsoft office button• Select “Word Options”• Click “Proofing”• Make sure “Check grammar with spelling” is

selected• Make sure “Show readability statistics” is

selected• To get stats, select the “Review” tab and run

the spelling and grammar check

Word 97-2003:• Open the “Tools” menu• Select “Options”• Select the “Spelling and

Grammar” tab• Make sure “Show readability

statistics” is checked

• Flesch’s human interest score hinges on two measures:

1.Personal words. They include:• Nouns with natural gender, such as mother,

father, Frank and Opal • Pronouns except for neuter pronouns — he and

she, for instance, but not it • The words people (used with the plural verb) and folks

2. Personal sentences. These test how interesting and conversational the copy is. Count:

• Quotations, whether marked by quotation marks or not • Imperative sentences, or those addressed to the reader, including questions, commands and requests • Exclamations • Grammatically incomplete sentences whose meaning the reader must infer from the context

The higher the percentage of personal words and personal sentences, the higher the human interest score.

Applying Visual Enhancements to Improve Readability

• Enumerated or bulleted lists

• Headings

• Tables and graphs

• Lines and borders

• Relevant images

Example: Before

This is a multipurpose passenger vehicle which will handle and maneuver differently from an ordinary passenger car, in driving conditions which may occur on streets and highways and off road. As with other vehicles of this type, if you make sharp turns or abrupt maneuvers, the vehicle may roll over or may go out of control and crash. You should read driving guidelines and instructions in the Owner's Manual, and WEAR YOUR SEAT BELTS AT ALL TIMES.

This is a multipurpose passenger vehicle which will handle and maneuver differently from an ordinary passenger car, in driving conditions which may occur on streets and highways and off road. As with other vehicles of this type, if you make sharp turns or abrupt maneuvers, the vehicle may roll over or may go out of control and crash. You should read driving guidelines and instructions in the Owner's Manual, and WEAR YOUR SEAT BELTS AT ALL TIMES.

Example: After

Source:Source: http://www.plainlanguage.gov http://www.plainlanguage.gov

Ensure Ethical Communication State information as truthfully and

fairly as possible

Do not exaggerate facts

Express ideas understandably

Support viewpoint with facts

State ideas with consideration that preserves receiver’s self-worth

Design honest graphics

BeforeAfter notification of NMFS, this final rule requires all CA/OR DGN vessel operators to have attended one Skipper Education Workshop after all workshops have been convened by NMFS in September 1997. CA/OR DGN vessel operators are required to attend Skipper Education Workshops at annual intervals thereafter, unless that requirement is waived by NMFS. NMFS will provide sufficient advance notice to vessel operators by mail prior to convening workshops.

www.plainlanguage.gov

After

After notification from NMFS, vessel operators must attend a skipper education workshop before commencing fishing each fishing season.

www.plainlanguage.gov