Best Practices in Writing and Business

Communication

Matt BrowningColorado State University GlobalORG536 Contemporary Business Writing and CommunicationMay 4, 2014

Overview

Introduce Business

Presentation

Evaluate each theory

Provide critique as to which theory is

most suitable

Future directions, and

discussion

Today’s workplace has changed from years past. No longer do we allow or tolerate separate treatment for works. Everyone is on the same team.

Emphasis on the team environment, everyone working together to achieve great things.

Managers must ask the question how we can get everyone together with such diverse backgrounds?

Effective and Ethical Communication

Find common ground with your employees. Working through differences and getting the most out of everyone is what separates the good from the great.

Learning these nuances will help you be a leader amongst your employees and create a winning environment. Keeping and treating everyone the same is how you do that.

Effective and Ethical ctd

There are many ways to have effective communication at work.

Accroding to Colorado State Global “whether it be a government agency, a small local start-up company or a national corporate giant, you would see people communicating in some way: by phone, writing emails, at a meeting, making a presentation” (CSU Global 2014).

Companies that actively engage in these activities will keep a constant flow of information and communication through all levels.

Effective Communication

Workplace professionalism is always a fine line employees and others walk. The “golden rule” applies. Treat everyone as you would want to be treated.

Monitor the fine line between supervisor and those that work for you. Having these situations mixed up, can cause turmoil in the workplace.

Professionalism in the Workplace

Always keep in mind that you are in charge. Keep a good working relationship with those under you, but do not cross the line and put yourself in a situation that your leadership position can be compromised.

Separate work from play, do not allow the two to intermix. Specifically when dealing with promotions and treatment of everyone.

Work place professionalism is critical in every line of employment to ensure there is a break between management and lower level employees.

Professionalism ctd

Intercultural communication is critical to every company succeeding in the 21st century. Doing so will allow your company to expand globally.

Colorado State University cites http://youtu.be/lUjaNLnWl6o

Intercultural Business Communication

Communicating effectively to bridge any gap will allow a successful company to utilize a foreign market in a manner which wasn’t tapped before.

Ensuring you are making eye contact with your associates and others will keep the flow of communication focused on what you are trying to explain.

Communication ctd

Examples of non-verbal communication would be: “eye contact, facial expressions, posture, gestures, and the use of time and space. Understanding the meaning of such behaviors in the cultures of others is critical” (CSU Global 2014).

All of these forms of communication are common sense and things people should be doing when working with others.

Communication

When writing to any audience, appropriate language and tone will go further than anything else.

Multple grammmatical errors can make your projected audience lose focus and miss the message your trying to get across.

Focus on your deficiencies, make positive corrections and correct them.

Writing Tips

Guffey and Loewy write “good business writers typically write in steps. The complexity of the writing project, however, will determine how much time you spend on each of these steps” (Guffey and Loewy 2011).

These steps are easily defined and mastered through hard work and paying attention.

The first step is pre-writing, this is where your focus should be drawn to the subject you want to write about.

Writing Tips ctd

The next step is pre-writing. This step consists of identifying who is your audience and how well of a relationship you have with them.

Talking to a group of strangers, may not be the group to share personal stories with and to keep your discussion on the wave tops.

The final stage is writing as defined by Guffey and Loewy “however, be mindful that you should not combine drafting and revising. They are two distinct elements of writing, and they need to be approached separately. The drafting/writing stage is the process of getting your ideas down on paper; do not worry about style here” (Guffey and Loewy 2011).

Writing Tips ctd

Over the past 25 years how businesses communicate has drastically changed. From hand written or typed reports, now everything is done electronically.

According to CSU Global examples of these are “electronic messages, however, could come in a variety of format: email, Instant Messaging (IM), text messaging, podcasts, blogs, wikis, and various social networking sites” (CSU Global 2014).

Electronic and Digital Communication

Examples of Communication

Using digital media has changed how business is conducted and we present things.

This presentation is an example of how digital media has changed the work place.

Being able to create an entire power point and remotely put it on the internet for all to view.

Digital Media

Words mean things. This is a very simple phrase and has such a deep meaning.

Negative Messages

Negative messages can go worse than what positive messages can. To avoid making these mistakes, you must be careful in how you convey the message.

“The bad news that you must deliver in your message is not going to change, but how you craft the message may shape how your recipient will react to the news” (CSU Global 2014).

This skill may take years to master, but once you do it can save heartache and misinterpretation down the road.

Negative Messages ctd

Positive messages are much easier to convey than being the bearer of bad news.

Using “if necessary, give an explanation and details to your message, but include only that which is absolutely necessary. It is important to end your message on a friendly tone, expressing appreciation and summarizing your request politely” (CSU Global 2014).

Being friendly and treating someone with respect in your message allows you as the messenger to hit your target.

Positive Messages

Business Presentations

Business presentation are a critical part of everyone’s job. You may have a fear of talking, but nailing your presentation may separate you from your peers on a promotion or a bonus. Getting over these is difficult but is something all professionals must adhere to.

When making your presentation, you have to understand what you are trying to say and deliver a clear and concise message. Conducting proper research and pre-writing prior to sitting down and writing can set a presenter up for failure. Knowledge of your topic allows a clear message to be given without missing your mark.

Once you’ve narrowed down your research and put everything together. It’s time to practice.

Practicing in front of a mirror, friends or any who will listen enables your thoughts to be conveyed and feedback to be given on weak spots.

After the presentation has been given, and corrections made. This should set any person up for success for when it comes to game time.

Business Presentations ctd

Creating a solid business plan is the goal of all business and employees. There are many different forms of business plans. These range from informal, to formal

Business Reports

InformalAre done with the idea of reporting information for

a certain period

Is clearly broken down into an introduction, body

and conclusion.

FormalHas transitions in its writings and headings identifying what

the report is based on

Typically are done through progress reports or trip

reports. Formal reports have a very specific purpose

Business plans consist of different agendas or items and how business/company plans to achieve a goal or some present an agenda.

These can be done through reports or proposals. All of these items can be tied to one another.

Without a proper plan, an organization has no direction to achieve any goals

Business Plans

CSU Global writes “utilizing the direct strategy, the writer first identifies the problem or need. Next, the writer, using strong action verbs, announces the recommendation, the solution or the action concisely. A more thorough explanation follows that lists the benefits of the recommendations or the steps necessary to solve the problem” (CSU Global 2014).

Making a proposal to a board or employees requires practice and tedious work.

Business Proposals

Business Proposal ctd

Use communication to create a positive workplace Whether your Business Communication weaknesses

are speaking or writing finding out where you can improve will create better value to your work.

Create leadership that is interested in promoting growth.

Use your skills to create a better company, through communication and a positive work environment.

Recommendations

Colorado State University-Global Campus (2014). Module 1: Research Basics and Business Presentations.ORG536- Contemporary Business Writing and Communication Greenwood Village, CO: Author.

Colorado State University-Global Campus (2014). Module 2:Intercultural Communication.ORG536- Contemporary Business Writing and Communication Greenwood Village, CO: Author.

Colorado State University-Global Campus (2014). Module 4:Workplace Communication: Digital Media Persuasive Messages.ORG536- Contemporary Business Writing and Communication Greenwood Village, CO: Author.

Colorado State University-Global Campus (2014). Module 5:Workplace Communication: Positive and Negative Messages.ORG536- Contemporary Business Writing and Communication Greenwood Village, CO: Author

Colorado State University-Global Campus (2014). Module 6: Research Basics and Business Presentations.ORG536- Contemporary Business Writing and Communication Greenwood Village, CO: Author

Colorado State University-Global Campus (2014). Module 7: Informal and Formal Business Reports, Plans and Proposals.ORG536- Contemporary Business Writing and Communication Greenwood Village, CO: Author

Colorado State University-Global Campus (2014). Module 8: Employment Communication.ORG536- Contemporary Business Writing and Communication Greenwood Village, CO: Author

Guffey, M., Loewy, D. (2011). Business Communication: Process and Product (7th Ed.). Independence , KY: Cengage Learning. P473-476

Flatley, Marie, (September 2007). Business Communication Quarterly. Teaching the Virtual Presentation. Retrieved from https://eds-a-ebscohost-com.csuglobal.idm.oclc.org/ehost/detail?vid=2&sid=45822c3a- d20f-430d- b1fd-877ce9c3589e%40sessionmgr4001&hid=4208&bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWhvc3QtbGl2ZQ%3d%3d#db=bh &AN=27538760

References