‫المملكة العربية السعودية‬ ‫وزارة التعليم‬ ‫الجامعة السعودية اإللكترونية‬ Kingdom of Saudi Arabia Ministry of Education Saudi Electronic University College of Administrative and Financial Sciences Assignment 2 Communications Management (MGT 421) Due Date: 30/3/2024 @ 23:59 Course Name: Communication Management Student’s Name: Course Code: MGT421 Student’s ID Number: Semester: 2nd Semester CRN: Academic Year: 2023-24-2nd For Instructor’s Use only Instructor’s Name: Students’ Grade: /10 Level of Marks: High/Middle/Low General Instructions – PLEASE READ THEM CAREFULLY • • • • • • • • • The Assignment must be submitted on Blackboard (WORD format only) via allocated folder. Assignments submitted through email will not be accepted. Students are advised to make their work clear and well presented, marks may be reduced for poor presentation. This includes filling your information on the cover page. Students must mention question number clearly in their answer. Late submission will NOT be accepted. Avoid plagiarism, the work should be in your own words, copying from students or other resources without proper referencing will result in ZERO marks. No exceptions. Use APA reference style. All answered must be typed using Times New Roman (size 12, double-spaced) font. No pictures containing text will be accepted and will be considered plagiarism). Submissions without this cover page will NOT be accepted. Learning Outcomes: 2.1: Perform all communication abilities, including thinking, writing, speaking, listening, and assessing the technology. 3.1: Analyze effective business letters, memorandums, and case studies. Assignment Structure: Assignment-2 Type Part-1 Part-2 Total Marks 5 5 10 Part -I (5 Marks) Think of an important email or other electronic communication which you have sent, and the other person misunderstood your emotions and/or intent. On that experience, answer the following questions. 1) How did the other person respond? (1Mark) 2) Did you think the response was fair? (1Mark) 3) Why did this person misunderstand? (1Mark) 4) Did the lack of richness of the communication channel have an impact? (1Mark) 5)How could you have written or approached your message differently to avoid misunderstandings? (1 Mark) Part -II (5 Marks) 1. Suppose you bought a new printer from ABC Ltd Company. The printer is not functioning properly. Write a claim letter to a company asking them to compensate you for the defective printer. (2.5 Marks) 2. Now, assuming you are the claims supervisor in ABC Ltd company, what communication channel would you choose and why? (2.5 Marks). Note: Assignment word limit is minimum 500 words. Because learning changes everything. ® Chapter 1 Establishing Credibility © 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 1. 2. 3. 4. © McGraw Hill Explain the importance of establishing credibility for business communications. Describe how competence, caring, and character affect your credibility as a communicator. Define and explain business ethics, corporate values, and personal values. Explain the FAIR approach to ethical business communications. Why Does This Matter? Credibility • Your reputation for being trustworthy. • The degree to which others believe or trust in you. © McGraw Hill The Role of Trust in the Post-Trust Era 1 What should you do when communicating? • Operate from a position of trust or credibility. • Gain trust or credibility from colleagues, clients, customers, and other contacts. © McGraw Hill The Role of Trust in the Post-Trust Era 2 The Public • Increasingly views companies with less trust. Companies • Also have a deficit of trust. • Employees often do not trust their own business leaders. © McGraw Hill Figure 1.1 A Look at Trust in Various Professions Access the text alternative for slide images. © McGraw Hill Source: Gallup, Inc. The Role of Trust in the Post-Trust Era 3 Post-Trust Era • The public overwhelmingly views businesses as operating against the public’s best interests. • Most employees view their leaders and colleagues with skepticism. © McGraw Hill Figure 1.2 The Three Components of Credibility © McGraw Hill The Role of Competence in Establishing Credibility 1 Competence • • The knowledge and skills needed to: • Accomplish business tasks. • Approach business problems. • Get a job done. Most people will judge your competence based on your track record of success and achievement. © McGraw Hill The Role of Competence in Establishing Credibility 2 How Do You Establish Competence? • Through study, observation, and practice and real-world business experiences. • In the ways you communicate with others. © McGraw Hill The Role of Competence in Establishing Credibility 3 Focus on Action Emphasis on Results © McGraw Hill The Role of Caring in Establishing Credibility 1 Caring • Understanding the interests of others. • Cultivating a sense of community. • Giving to others and showing generosity. © McGraw Hill The Role of Caring in Establishing Credibility 2 Understanding the Interests of Others • To gain credibility, show that you care for the needs of others. • Connect with others to gain trust. © McGraw Hill • Understand others’ needs, wants, opinions, feelings, and aspirations. • Develop an other-orientation. The Role of Caring in Establishing Credibility 3 The Importance of a Sense of Community and Teamwork • Effective corporate business leaders recognize this. • Communicate using a “we” and “you” orientation. • © McGraw Hill Engenders trust and helps you find mutually beneficial solutions. The Role of Caring in Establishing Credibility 4 Giving to Others and Showing Generosity • Companies with higher percentages of givers have higher profitability, higher productivity, higher customer satisfaction, and lower turnover. • Being a giver opens up opportunities. © McGraw Hill The Role of Character in Establishing Credibility 1 Character • Staying true to commitments made to stakeholders. • Adhering to high moral and ethical values. • Central to creating trust. © McGraw Hill Figure 1.3 What Determines Trust in Individuals in the Workplace? Access the text alternative for slide images. © McGraw Hill Source: Economist Intelligence Unit. The Role of Character in Establishing Credibility 2 Business Ethics • The commonly accepted beliefs and principles in the business community for acceptable behavior. • Adhering to laws. • Safeguarding confidential or proprietary information. • Avoiding conflicts of interest and misuse of company assets. • Refraining from accepting or providing inappropriate gifts, gratuities, and entertainment. • © McGraw Hill Transparency is important in corporate communications. The Role of Character in Establishing Credibility 3 Trust-building behaviors include: • Extending trust. • Sharing information. • Telling it straight. • Providing opportunities. • Admitting mistakes. • Setting a good example by following rules. © McGraw Hill The Role of Character in Establishing Credibility 4 Corporate and Personal Values • Corporate values: • • Stated and lived values of a company. Personal values: • © McGraw Hill Values that individuals prioritize and adhere to. The Role of Character in Establishing Credibility 5 Code of Conduct or Code of Ethics • © McGraw Hill Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 requires publicly traded companies to have a code of ethics available to all employees and to ensure that it is enacted. The Role of Character in Establishing Credibility 6 Open and Honest Communication 1. Avoid open and honest communication of business problems, employees doom a business to poor financial performance. 2. Dishonesty is among the primary reasons for lower employee morale. 3. Dishonesty can be reason for dismissal. © McGraw Hill The Role of Character in Establishing Credibility 7 A Stakeholder View of Accountability • Implies an obligation to meet the needs and wants of others. • Involves an enlarged vision of those affected by your business activities. • Takes a stakeholder view that includes all groups in society affected by your business. © McGraw Hill The Role of Character in Establishing Credibility 8 Fairness in Business Communications • The FAIR test helps you examine how well you have: • Provided the facts. • Granted access to your motives, reasoning, and information. • Examined impacts on stakeholders. • Shown respect. © McGraw Hill Figure 1.4 The FAIR Test of Ethical Business Communication Access the text alternative for slide images. © McGraw Hill How You Can Improve Your Communication Skills Establishing credibility will help you build high-trust relationships and communicate more effectively. This textbook is designed to help you improve your communication skills. © McGraw Hill Figure 1.5 Overview of Book Access the text alternative for slide images. © McGraw Hill Business Communication: Developing Leaders for a Networked World, 4e Chapter 1 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 2 Interpersonal Communication and Emotional Intelligence © 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 1 1. Describe the interpersonal communication process and barriers to effective communication. 2. Explain how emotional hijacking can hinder effective interpersonal communication. 3. Explain how self-awareness impacts the communication process. 4. Describe how self-management impacts the communication process. 5. Explain and evaluate the process of active listening. © McGraw Hill Learning Objectives 2 6. Describe and demonstrate effective questions for enhancing listening and learning. 7. Explain strategies to sight-read the nonverbal communication of others. 8. Identify common communication preferences based on motivational values. 9. Explain how extroversion-introversion impacts interpersonal communication. 10. Explain the role of civility in effective interpersonal communication and the common types of incivility in the workplace. © McGraw Hill Understanding the Interpersonal Communication Process 1 Interpersonal Communication Process • Sending and receiving verbal and nonverbal messages between two or more people. • The exchange of simultaneous and mutual messages to share and negotiate meaning between those involved. • Meaning • Encoding • Decoding © McGraw Hill Figure 2.1 The Interpersonal Communication Process Access the text alternative for slide images. © McGraw Hill Understanding the Interpersonal Communication Process 2 One goal of interpersonal communication is to arrive at shared meaning. • The people involved in interpersonal communication attain the same understanding about ideas, thoughts, and feelings. © McGraw Hill Understanding the Interpersonal Communication Process 3 Physical noise Physiological noise Semantic noise Psychological noise © McGraw Hill Understanding the Interpersonal Communication Process 4 Physical Noise Physiological Noise • • Internal noise. • Ex., illness, hearing problems, and memory loss. • External noise that makes a message difficult to hear or otherwise receive. Ex., loud sounds. © McGraw Hill Understanding the Interpersonal Communication Process 5 Semantic Noise Psychological Noise • Communicators apply different meanings to the same words or phrases. • • Especially when strong emotions are involved. © McGraw Hill Interference due to attitudes, ideas, and emotions experienced during an interpersonal interaction. Understanding the Interpersonal Communication Process 6 Filter of Lifetime Experiences • Accumulation of knowledge, values, expectations, and attitudes based on prior personal experiences. • © McGraw Hill The more shared experiences, the easier communication is. Emotional Hijacking Emotional Intelligence (EQ) • Understanding and managing emotions to serve goals. • Empathizing and effectively handling relationships with others. • Single best predictor of workplace performance. Emotional Hijacking • A situation in which emotions control our behavior causing us to react without thinking. © McGraw Hill Figure 2.3 Emotional Hijacking Access the text alternative for slide images. © McGraw Hill Domains of Emotional Intelligence © McGraw Hill Self-awareness Self-management Empathy Relationship management Self-Awareness Self-Awareness • The foundation for emotional intelligence. • Involves accurately understanding your emotions as they occur and how they affect you. • Particularly important for stressful and unpleasant situations. • © McGraw Hill Triggers. Table 2.1 Low versus High Self-Awareness Thoughts 1 Low SelfAwareness Thoughts Jeff: Latisha needs to learn how to trust people. She’s not being fair to me and she needs to understand the constraints I’m facing. Jeff ignores and deflects his feelings to focus on what he perceives as Latisha’s misperceptions. High SelfAwareness Thoughts Jeff: I’m bothered that she doesn’t trust my motives. Typically, I feel disrespected when others don’t trust my motives. Sometimes, I lash out in these circumstances. Jeff recognizes that he feels distrusted and disrespected by what Latisha said. He also recognizes that he often says things he later regrets in these situations. © McGraw Hill Table 2.1 Low versus High Self-Awareness Thoughts 2 Low SelfAwareness Thoughts Latisha: This is ridiculous. Jeff promised me that I’d be working on family-friendly HR policies. How can he go back on his word so quickly? Latisha overreacts to Jeff’s words and actions because she is not aware of how past disappointments are affecting how she is judging Jeff. High SelfAwareness Thoughts Latisha: I feel afraid and confused. Jeff doesn’t seem to care if I have challenging work. I’ve felt this way before at other jobs. I wonder how my past experiences are impacting how I’m judging Jeff. Latisha notices that how she feels about Jeff is affected by previous, similar events. She knows she should be careful not to let those events make her rush to judgment. © McGraw Hill Table 2.2 Emotional Intelligence Dimensions, Related Impacts on Interpersonal Communication, and Strategies for Improvement 1 EQ Dimension Impact on Interpersonal Communication Self-awareness Low self-awareness Unaware of own emotional states and related impacts on communication. Unaware of triggers that lead to emotional hijacking and making judgmental, rash, or unfair comments. Unaware of strengths and weaknesses of own communication abilities. High self-awareness Aware of own emotional states and related impacts on communication. Aware of triggers and related tendencies to say the wrong thing. Aware of strongest communication skills. © McGraw Hill Table 2.2 Emotional Intelligence Dimensions, Related Impacts on Interpersonal Communication, and Strategies for Improvement 2 EQ Dimension Impact on Interpersonal Communication Self-management Low self-management Unable to control impulses. Frequently vent frustrations without a constructive work purpose. Spend a higher percentage of work conversations on small talk, gossip, and non-work-related issues. React defensively and with a me-first attitude when threats are perceived. High self-management Control emotional impulses that are not aligned with work and relationship goals. Discuss frustrations in the context of solving problems and improving relationships. Spend a higher percentage of work conversations on work-related topics with a focus on solutions. When threats are perceived, seek to de-escalate interpersonal tensions and resolve issues at hand. © McGraw Hill Table 2.2 Emotional Intelligence Dimensions, Related Impacts on Interpersonal Communication, and Strategies for Improvement 3 EQ Dimension Impact on Interpersonal Communication Empathy Low empathy Fail to listen carefully to others. Direct conversations to topics that are important to self. Avoid volunteering to help others with their work assignments. Engage in a me-first approach to work with colleagues. High empathy Attempt to understand the feelings, perspectives, and needs of others. Direct conversations to topics that focus on the needs of others and self. Volunteer advice or help to others as appropriate. Show a sincere interest in others: their efforts, their ideas, and their successes. © McGraw Hill Table 2.2 Emotional Intelligence Dimensions, Related Impacts on Interpersonal Communication, and Strategies for Improvement 4 EQ Dimension Impact on Interpersonal Communication Relationship management Low relationship management Focus exclusively on the task at hand without paying attention to rapport-building. Remain silent to avoid discussions about differences of opinions, or attempt to silence the dissenting opinions of others. Provide indirect and vague feedback and ideas to others. Disregard feedback and constructive criticism. Discourage dissent. Respond to others only when it’s convenient. High relationship management Build rapport with others to focus on collaboration. Speak out constructively about differences of opinion. Provide direct and constructive feedback to others. Accept and even welcome feedback and constructive criticism. Encourage contrarian views. Respond to others when it’s convenient for them. © McGraw Hill Self-Management What Is Self-Management? • Ability to use awareness of your emotions to stay flexible and to direct your behavior positively. • Involves the discipline to hold off on current urges to meet long-term intentions. • Involves responding productively and creatively to negative feelings. • © McGraw Hill Mitigating information. Table 2.3 Low versus High Self-Management Thoughts and the Use of Mitigating Information 1 Low SelfManagement Thoughts Jeff: If Latisha is going to treat me like I’m the bad guy, then maybe I should just turn her over to someone else so I don’t have to worry about her. Jeff assumes the worst about Latisha’s comments, thus allowing his frustration with her to grow. He considers an action that is extreme. High SelfManagement Thoughts Jeff: Latisha is probably reacting this way because she cares so much about family-friendly policies, which helps the employees of this company. She is eager to contribute. Jeff assumes a positive explanation for Latisha’s actions (mitigating information), thus shortcircuiting his feelings from frustration and perhaps moderating anger. © McGraw Hill Table 2.3 Low versus High Self-Management Thoughts and the Use of Mitigating Information 2 Latisha: There’s no way I can This thought process reflects Low SelfManagement change anything. Jeff will assign pessimism. Latisha neither me to another project and that’s thinks of other options Thoughts High SelfManagement Thoughts © McGraw Hill that. I’m stuck in another deadend internship. available to her for working on parental leave policies nor assumes that other work tasks will provide her with rewarding challenges. Latisha: I want to express to Jeff my desire to work on a meaningful project. We can discuss how my approach to employee-friendly policies and quality-of-life issues could be applied to another project. And we could discuss how I can still spend some time working on better parental leave policies in a way that does not require cash commitments during this budget crunch. This thought process reflects optimism. Latisha considers how she can approach Jeff and constructively discuss options that are good for her and the company. Empathy Developing Empathy • Empathy is the “ability to accurately pick up on emotions in other people and understand what is really going on with them.” • Listening. • Sight-reading nonverbal communication. © McGraw Hill Table 2.4 Most Important Skills for Managers © McGraw Hill Skills Category 1. Oral communication Communication 2. Listening skills Communication 3. Adaptability Teamwork 4. Written communication Communication 5. Presentation skills Communication 6. Value opinions of others Teamwork 7. Integrity Leadership 8. Follow a leader Teamwork 9. Drive Leadership 10. Cross-cultural sensitivity Teamwork 11. Quantitative analysis Technical 12. Qualitative analysis Technical 13. Innovation and creativity Leadership 14. Core business knowledge Technical 15. Ability to inspire others Leadership Source: Graduate Management Admission Council. (2017). Corporate recruiters survey report 2017. Reston, VA: GMAC Active Listening What Is Active Listening? • “A person’s willingness and ability to hear and understand.” Active Listening Components • Paying attention. • Holding judgment. • Reflecting. • Clarifying. • Summarizing. • Sharing. © McGraw Hill Active Listening 1 Paying Attention • Involves devoting your whole attention to others and allowing them enough comfort and time to express themselves completely. • As others speak to you, try to understand everything they say from their perspective. • Requires active nonverbal communication. © McGraw Hill Active Listening 2 Holding Judgment • People will share their ideas and feelings with you only if they feel safe. • Particularly important in tense and emotionally charged situations. • Demonstrate a learner mind-set rather than a judger mind-set. © McGraw Hill Holding Judgment 1 Learner Mind-Set • You show eagerness to hear others’ ideas and perspectives and listen with an open mind. • You do not have your mind made up before listening fully. © McGraw Hill Holding Judgment 2 Judger Mind-Set • People have their minds made up before listening carefully to others’ ideas, perspective, and experiences. • Judgers view disagreement rigidly, with little possibility of finding common ground. © McGraw Hill Holding Judgment 3 Learner Statements • Be willing to hear different opinions. Judger Statements • Closed off to hearing people out. • Shut down honest conversations. © McGraw Hill Table 2.5 Judger Statements vs. Learner Statements 1 Judger Statements Lisa: You’re basing your conclusions on just a few people you’ve talked to. Why aren’t you concerned about finding out more about the costs? This statement implies Jeff is not concerned about costs and isn’t open to learning more. This will likely lead to defensiveness. Learner Statements Lisa: I don’t know much about continuous feedback systems. What have you learned from the people you’ve talked to? This statement is neutral and shows a desire to learn about Jeff’s experiences and thoughts. This positions Lisa well to ask tough questions later on in a constructive manner. © McGraw Hill Table 2.5 Judger Statements vs. Learner Statements 2 Judger Statements Jeff: I spend a lot of time talking to HR directors and know which ones are best at helping their employees stay engaged and productive. Don’t you think HR professionals would know more about this than people with a finance background? This statement begins with an I’m right, you’re wrong message. It directly calls into question the competence of the listener. Many listeners would become defensive. Learner Statements Jeff: I’ve learned several things from HR directors about continuous feedback systems….I need to learn more about the financial implications. Based on what I’ve told you, what are your thoughts about the cost-effectiveness? This statement reflects a learning stance and shows a cooperative approach moving forward. © McGraw Hill Reflecting Thinking about the ideas and emotions of others. To make sure you really understand others, you should frequently paraphrase what you’re hearing. © McGraw Hill Table 2.6 Reflecting Statements Types of Effective Reflecting Statements Examples It sounds to me like… Lisa: It sounds to me like you think we should replace annual performance reviews with continuous performance reviews because continuous reviews improve employee performance and morale. So, you’re not happy with… Jeff: So, you’re not happy with this transition unless we carefully evaluate all of the costs, is that right? Is it fair to say that you think… Lisa: Is it fair to say that you think we should make this change even if we don’t know all the costs? Let me make sure I understand… Jeff: Let me make sure I understand your view. Are you saying that we can understand the costs better by…? © McGraw Hill Clarifying Making sure you have a clear understanding of what others mean. Double-checking that you understand the perspectives of others and asking them to elaborate and qualify their thoughts. © McGraw Hill Table 2.7 Clarifying Statements Types of Effective Clarifying Statements Example What are your thoughts on…? Lisa: What are your thoughts on considering other ways of conducting annual reviews more effectively? Could you repeat that? Jeff: Could you repeat what you just said about evaluating the costs of continuous reviews? I’m not sure I understand… Lisa: I’m not sure I understand why the problems with our current annual review process mean that we should move away from annual reviews. Do you know of companies that are using annual reviews more effectively than we are? Could you explain how…? Jeff: Could you explain how you would calculate the costs of a continuous review system? What might be your role in…? Lisa: What roles will Steve and Lisa have in helping us understand what employees think of the current review process? © McGraw Hill Summarizing and Sharing Summarizing • Restate major themes so that you can make sense of the big issues from the perspective of the other person. • Active listening also involves sharing your own perspectives and feelings. © McGraw Hill Table 2.8 Summarizing Statements Types of Effective Summarizing Statements Example So, your main concern is… Jeff: So, your two main concerns are that moving to a continuous review process will be costly and impractical. The software and time needed in the process will cost far more than what we invest in an annual review process. Also, it may be difficult to get all employees to participate often in this process. Is that right? It sounds like your key points are… Lisa: It sounds like you have a few key points. Continuous feedback systems improve morale and performance at each of the companies you’ve learned about. Also, your contacts at these companies think evaluating the costs of the software is easy, but evaluating the costs of time invested by employees is not possible. Is that correct? © McGraw Hill Recognizing Barriers to Effective Listening Barriers • Lack of time. • Lack of patience and attention span. • Image of leadership. • Communication technology. • Fear of bad news or uncomfortable information. • Defending. • Me too statements. • Giving advice. © McGraw Hill Figure 2.4 Defensive and Nondefensive Replies The Defensive Reply (Judgmental Stance): Actually, I know a lot about how performance review systems affect employees. In fact, I’m in a far better position to evaluate whether new systems make financial sense. Original Statement: I spend a lot of time talking to HR directors and know which ones are best at helping their employees stay engaged and productive. Don’t you think HR professionals would know more about this than people with a finance background? © McGraw Hill What the Listener Hears (Decodes): You don’t know what you’re talking about. The Nondefensive Reply (Learning Stance): I think you’re right that we need to pay attention to what other HR directors have learned. Have they told you about the costs of these performance review systems? Or I want to know how we can determine the costs of transitioning to a continuous review system. What have you learned from HR directors you know about evaluating these costs? Asking the Right Questions A crucial skill is the ability to ask the right questions. Good questions reflect the learner mind-set, and poor questions reflect a judger mind-set. © McGraw Hill Table 2.9 Questions That Reflect the Judger Mind-Set and the Learner Mind-Set Judger Mind-Set Learner Mind-Set How come this doesn’t work? How is this useful or beneficial? Who is responsible for this mess? What can we do about this? Why can’t you get it right? Going forward, what can we learn from this? Can’t you try a better approach? What are you trying to accomplish? Why don’t you focus on helping customers? How will customers react? Are you sure this approach will really meet your goals and objectives? How well does this approach meet your goals and objectives? © McGraw Hill Table 2.10 Types of Effective Questions Types of Questions Rapportbuilding 1 Examples • How was your trip to the human resources conference? • What did you learn about at the last Chamber of Commerce event? These questions, when asked sincerely, provide an opportunity for asker and listener to bond through understanding one another. They also break the ice for a substantive conversation about the business issues at hand. © McGraw Hill Table 2.10 Types of Effective Questions Types of Questions Funnel 2 Examples • So, how do you think we should go about researching what our employees think about performance reviews? • How do you think we can capture the employees’ perspectives about continuous review systems? • What types of survey questions will help us understand their thoughts about continuous review systems? • Could you give me a word-by-word example of how you’d capture that in a survey question? These questions progressively break down a problem into manageable pieces, starting with a large, open-ended question and moving to increasingly specific and tactical questions. Once broken into smaller pieces, the asker and listener are more likely to achieve shared meaning and move toward finding solutions. © McGraw Hill Table 2.10 Types of Effective Questions Types of Questions Probing 3 Examples • How often do you receive complaints about the annual performance review process? • What concerns do supervisors have? • What ideas do employees have for making the review process fairer? • Do you ever hear supervisors or employees talk about how to make the process more goal-oriented? • Other than the frequency of reviews, what are some other explanations for why employees make these complaints? These iterations of questions about the causes, consequences, and scope of group guest complaints attempt to look at the problem from every angle. This approach is effective at identifying root causes and best solutions. © McGraw Hill Table 2.10 Types of Effective Questions Types of Questions Solutionoriented 4 Examples • How can we find out which software vendors offer the most attractive performance review features? • What are your ideas for ensuring that employees provide continuous feedback to one another? • What are some best practices in making performance reviews candid and honest, yet also rewarding and productive? These questions form the basis for identifying options about how to move forward. Ideally, solution-oriented questions are open, we-oriented, and offer help to others. © McGraw Hill Table 2.11 Types of Counterproductive Questions 1 Types of Questions Leading Examples • Would you agree that employee engagement and productivity should be our priorities? • I’m sure you think it’s a good idea to keep costs under control, right? These questions are meant to lead the listener to agree with or adopt the perspective of the asker. Many listeners will resent feeling pressured into the views of others. Also, this approach will not lead to a learning conversation. © McGraw Hill Table 2.11 Types of Counterproductive Questions 2 Types of Questions Disguised Statements Examples • Why do you insist on focusing on costs instead of benefits? • Don’t you think you’re jumping to conclusions by paying attention to the opinions of only a few of your close contacts? These are not real questions. They are statements that say you are close-minded on this issue. This flaw-finding approach will cause many listeners to become defensive and/or avoid sharing their real thoughts. Many listeners will view disguised statements as underhanded and manipulative, since they are often attempts to get the listeners to acknowledge their own faults. © McGraw Hill Table 2.11 Types of Counterproductive Questions 3 Types of Questions Crossexamination Examples • Just now, you said annual reviews don’t work because they don’t happen often enough. Yet, last week, you said the real reason our annual reviews fail is not because of how often they occur, but because they don’t involve setting goals. So, what’s the real reason annual reviews don’t work? This cross-examination question will put most listeners on the defensive. It may score points for the asker, but it will move the conversation away from learning and toward a battle of messages. © McGraw Hill Perspective-Getting and Note-Taking Approach • In the body of your notes, write their comments and points of view. • In the margins of your notes, write your reactions, your ideas, and your questions. • Document shortly after the end of your conversation. © McGraw Hill Avoiding the Traps of Empathy Givers • Frequently help others out in the workplace, sometimes at the expense of their individual performance. • Three potential barriers to performance associated with empathy: • Timidity. • Availability. • Emotional concern for others. © McGraw Hill Sight-Reading Nonverbal Communication and Building Rapport Learning to Sight-Read • Consciously practice each day. • Pay attention to congruence. • Sight-read in clusters, not in isolation. • Sight-read in context. © McGraw Hill Nonverbal Signals Eyes Smiles and Nods Hands and Arms Touch © McGraw Hill Left: Caia Images/Glow Images ; Right: Image Source/Getty Images Relationship Management Relationship Management • Using your awareness of emotions and those of others to manage interactions successfully. • Adapting communication to the preferred styles of others and ensuring civility in the workplace. © McGraw Hill Differences in Communication Preferences Based on Motivational Values Relationship Awareness Theory • Nurturing (identified as blue in this model). • Directing (identified as red). • Autonomizing (identified as green). Motivational Value System (MVS) • Blend of these primary motives and refers to the frequency with which these values guide their actions. © McGraw Hill Motivational Value Systems 1 Blue MVS • Most often guided by motives to protect others, help others grow, and act in the best interests of others. Red MVS • © McGraw Hill Most often guided by concerns about organizing people, time, money, and other resources to accomplish results. Motivational Value Systems 2 Green MVS • Most often concerned about making sure business activities have been thought out carefully and the right processes are put into place to accomplish things. Hubs • Professionals who are guided almost equally by all three of these MVSs. © McGraw Hill Table 2.12 Motivational Value Systems 1 Blues (Altruistic and Nurturing) Primary concerns Protection, growth, and welfare of others Preferred work environment Open, friendly, helpful, considerate; being needed and appreciated; ensuring others reach their potential People feel best when… Helping others in a way that benefits them People feel most rewarded when… Being a warm and friendly person who is deserving of appreciation for giving help People want to avoid being perceived as… Selfish, cold, unfeeling Triggers of conflict When others compete and take advantage; are cold and unfriendly; are slow to recognize helpful efforts on their behalf Overdone strengths Trusting, gullible; devoted, subservient; caring, submissive © McGraw Hill Table 2.12 Motivational Value Systems 2 Reds (Assertive and Directing) Primary concerns Task accomplishment; use of time, money, and any other resources to achieve desired results Preferred work environment Fast-moving, competitive, creative, progressive, innovative, verbally stimulating; potential for personal advancement and development People feel best when… Providing leadership and direction to others People feel most rewarded when… Acting with strength and ambition, achieving excellence, and leading and directing others People want to avoid being perceived as… Gullible, indecisive, unable to act Triggers of conflict When others are too forgiving and don’t fight back; don’t provide clear expectations about rewards Overdone strengths Confident, arrogant; persuasive, abrasive; competitive, combative © McGraw Hill Table 2.12 Motivational Value Systems 3 Greens (Analytical and Autonomizing) Primary concerns Assurance that things have been properly thought out; meaningful order being established; self-reliance and selfdependence Preferred work environment Clarity, logic, precision, efficiency, organization; focus on self-reliance and effective use of resources; time to explore options People feel best when… Pursuing their own interests without needing to rely on others People feel most rewarded when… Working with others in a fair, clear, logical, and rational manner People want to avoid being perceived as… Overly emotional, exploitive of others Triggers of conflict When others don’t take issues seriously; push their help on them; do not weigh all the facts when making a decision Overdone strengths Fair, unfeeling; analytical, nit-picking; methodical, rigid © McGraw Hill Table 2.12 Motivational Value Systems 4 Hubs (Flexible and Cohering) Primary concerns Flexibility; welfare of the group; sense of belonging in the group Preferred work environment Friendly, flexible, social, fun; consensus-building; encouraging interaction People feel best when… Coordinating efforts with others in a common undertaking People feel most rewarded when… Being a good team member who can be loyal, direct when necessary, and knows when to follow rules People want to avoid being perceived as… Subservient to others, domineering, isolated Triggers of conflict When others are not willing to consider alternatives; insist on one way of doing things; restrict ability to stay flexible and open to options Overdone strengths Flexible, wishy-washy; option-oriented, indecisive; tolerant, uncaring © McGraw Hill Table 2.13 Words and Phrases that Resonate with Professionals of Various MVSs MVS Verbs Nouns Modifiers Phrases Blues Feel, appreciate, care, help, thank, include, support Satisfaction, wellbeing, people, cooperation Thoughtful, loyal, sincere, respectful, maybe Serve everyone’s best interests, look out for everyone Reds Compete, win, lead, challenge, dominate Achievement, results, success, performance, goals, advantage Challenging, rewarding, passionate, definitely, quickly Make it happen, take charge, go for it Greens Think, analyze, evaluate, identify, organize Process, principles, standard, schedules, accountability, details Fair, careful, accurate, objective, correct, efficient, risky Take our time, get it right, make sure it’s fair Hubs Brainstorm, decide together, play, experiment, meet Options, flexibility, teamwork, fun, consensus, compromise Balanced, open, flexible, friendly, inclusive, committed Let’s work together, let’s try this out © McGraw Hill Figure 2.5 A Conversation between a Hub and a Green Access the text alternative for slide images. © McGraw Hill Figure 2.6 A Conversation between a Red and a Blue Access the text alternative for slide images. © McGraw Hill Differences in Communication Preferences Based on Extroversion-Introversion Introverts • Tend to get much of their stimulation and energy from their own thoughts, feelings, and moods. Extroverts • Tend to get much of their stimulation and energy from external sources such as social interaction. © McGraw Hill Table 2.14 Strengths of Introverted and Extroverted Professionals 1 Strengths of Introverted Professionals Asking thoughtful and important questions Listening to the ideas of others Giving people space to innovate Developing insights to deal with uncertain situations Improving the listening environment in meetings Networking among close-knit professional groups Making lasting impressions in social tasks that require persistence Taking time to reflect carefully Providing objective analysis and advice Excelling in situations requiring discipline © McGraw Hill Table 2.14 Strengths of Introverted and Extroverted Professionals 2 Strengths of Extroverted Professionals Stating views directly and charismatically Gaining the support of others Organizing people to innovate Inspiring confidence in uncertain situations Driving important conversations at meetings Networking at large social events with potential clients and other contacts Making strong first impressions that often lead to future partnerships Acting quickly to gain advantages Acting pragmatically in the absence of reliable information Excelling in competitive situations © McGraw Hill Table 2.15 Working Effectively with Introverts and Extroverts 1 Introverts can work more effectively with extroverts by … • • • • • • • • • • © McGraw Hill Making sure their extroverted colleagues have enough time to interact with team members. Engaging in small talk and light topics during conversations. Speaking up more quickly than feels natural. Offering personal information more often. Expressing their preference to respond to questions later on. Giving them more opportunities to interact with others. Shortening their emails. Telling people they’re shy or uncomfortable speaking up; requesting that others ask or call on them to speak up. Appreciating extroverts for their many strengths. Teaming up with extroverts to complement one another’s strengths. Table 2.15 Working Effectively with Introverts and Extroverts 2 Extroverts can work more effectively with introverts by … • • • • • • • • • • © McGraw Hill Making sure their introverted colleagues have enough time to prepare for presentations or meetings. Allowing conversations to have fewer and more in-depth topics. Pausing more often and allowing longer periods of silence. Spending less time talking about personal interests. Expressing their preference to discuss things immediately. Giving them more opportunities to be alone and recharge. Lengthening their emails. Telling people they have a hard time not sharing their views; requesting that others signal them when they’re talking too much. Appreciating introverts for their many strengths. Teaming up with introverts to complement one another’s strengths. Maintaining Civility and Avoiding Gossip Incivility in Society and the Workplace • A recent survey showed that incivility is common in the workplace. • Especially common in retail stores. • Many employees who are targets of incivility lose work time or leave their jobs. © McGraw Hill Common Types of Incivility in the Workplace Ignoring others Treating others without courtesy Disrespecting the efforts of others Disrespecting the privacy of others Disrespecting the dignity and worth of others © McGraw Hill Maintaining Civil Communications 1. Slow down and be present in life. 2. Listen to the voice of empathy. 3. Keep a positive attitude. 4. Respect others and grant them plenty of validation. 5. Disagree graciously and refrain from arguing. 6. Get to know people around you. 7. Pay attention to small things. 8. Ask, don’t tell. © McGraw Hill Business Communication: Developing Leaders for a Networked World, 4e Chapter 2 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 3 Team Communication and Difficult Conversations © 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 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. © McGraw Hill Explain the principles of team communication in high-performing teams. Describe and demonstrate approaches to planning, running, and following up on meetings. Explain the principles of effective virtual team communication. Describe strategies for effective group writing. Explain basic principles for handling difficult conversations. Principles of Effective Team Communication 1 Basic Principles 1. Focus on performance. 2. Go through four stages to reach high performance. 3. Build a work culture around values, norms and goals. 4. Meet often. 5. Focus on psychological safety and ensure all voices are heard. 6. Recognize and actively seek to avoid groupthink. 7. Embrace diversity. 8. Solve problems and generate creative solutions. 9. Provide positive feedback and evaluate performance often. © McGraw Hill Figure 3.1 Stages of Development in HighPerformance Teams Access the text alternative for slide images. © McGraw Hill Source: Adapted from Wheelan, S. A. (1999). Creating effective teams: A guide for members and leaders. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage, which examines hundreds of scholarly studies on teamwork. Stages of Development in HighPerformance Teams Forming Storming • Team members focus on gaining acceptance and avoiding conflict. • Team members open up with their competing ideas about how the team should approach work. Norming Performing • The team arrives at a work plan, including roles, goals, and accountabilities. • The team operates efficiently toward accomplishing its goals. © McGraw Hill Principles of Effective Team Communication 2 Team Culture • Shared perceptions and commitment to collective values, norms, roles, responsibilities, and goals. • Typically during the norming stage. Team Charter • Provides direction to the team. • Includes purpose or mission statements, values, goals, team member roles, tasks, ground rules, communication protocol, meeting protocol, decision-making rules, conflict resolution, and feedback mechanisms. © McGraw Hill Principles of Effective Team Communication 3 Symptoms of Groupthink • Collective rationalization. • Moral high ground. • Self-censorship. • Illusion of unanimity. © McGraw Hill Principles of Effective Team Communication 4 Symptoms of Groupthink (continued) • Peer pressure. • Illusion of invulnerability. • Complacency. • Mindguards. • Stereotyping. © McGraw Hill Embracing Differing Viewpoints Inherent Diversity Acquired Diversity • Involves traits such as age, gender, ethnicity, and sexual orientation. • Involves traits you acquire through experience, such as customer service experience, retail experience, or engineering experience. © McGraw Hill Behaviors that Drive Diversity 1. Making sure everyone is heard. 2. Making it safe to let team members express novel ideas. 3. Giving team members decision-making authority. 4. Sharing credit. 5. Giving useful feedback. 6. Putting feedback into action. © McGraw Hill Figure 3.4 The Strengths Deployment Inventory Triangle Displaying Motivational Value Systems Access the text alternative for slide images. © McGraw Hill Principles of Effective Team Communication 5 Divergence Convergence • • Working independently can increase the number of ideas and solutions generated. © McGraw Hill Evaluating the proposed ideas and solutions and narrowing them to a small set of feasible solutions to address the problem. Developing Quick Trust and Working in Short-Term Teams Ways to Develop Trust • Get to know each other. • Self-disclosure. • Hold an effective launch meeting. • Commit to working together and separately. • Set up a deliverable schedule and evaluate performance regularly. © McGraw Hill Managing Meetings 1 Planning for Meetings: Essential Questions • What is the purpose of the meeting? What outcomes do I expect? • Who should attend? • When should the meeting be scheduled? • What roles and responsibilities should people at the meeting have? © McGraw Hill Managing Meetings 2 Planning for Meetings: Essential Questions (continued) • What will be the agenda? • What materials should I distribute prior to the meeting? • When and how should I invite others? • What logistical issues do I need to take care of (reserving rooms, getting equipment, printing materials)? © McGraw Hill Figure 3.6 Least Productive Parts of the Workday Access the text alternative for slide images © McGraw Hill Source: Adapted from Perrotte, K. (2018, August 18). Accountemps survey: Employee output is weakest late in the day. Retrieved from Types of Meetings Coordination Meetings Problem-Solving Meetings • Primarily focus on discussing roles, goals, and accountabilities. • Typically involve brainstorming about how to address and solve a particular work problem. © McGraw Hill Creating and Distributing the Agenda Agenda Components • Agenda items. • Time frames. • Goals/expected outcomes. • Roles. • Materials needed. © McGraw Hill Running Effective Meetings Create tradition, culture, and variety. Set expectations and follow the agenda. Encourage participation and expression of ideas. • Use a facilitator. Build consensus and a plan of action. Closing the meeting. Dealing with difficult people. © McGraw Hill Following Up After Meetings Meeting Follow-up/Minutes Components • Date and time. • Team members present. • Meeting roles. • Key decisions. • Key discussion points (optional). • Open issues (optional). • Action items and deadlines. © McGraw Hill Working in Virtual Teams 1 Virtual Teams • Generally consist of team members located at various offices (including home offices) and rely almost entirely on virtual technologies to work with one another. © McGraw Hill Working in Virtual Teams 2 Focus on building trust at each stage of your virtual team. Meet in person if possible. Get to know one another. Use collaborative technologies. Choose an active team leader. © McGraw Hill Table 3.1 Maintaining Trust over the Life of a Virtual Team Project 1 Stage of Project Elements of Trust Key Actions to Foster Trust Forming Competence Asking and responding to questions about one another’s professional accomplishments, strengths, and weaknesses. Forming Caring Showing interest in teammates. Expressing a desire to work with teammates. Forming Character Making commitments to high team performance. Discussing shared values for a team charter. Norming Competence Demonstrating strong performance in early deliverables. Preparing well for initial meetings. Norming Caring Sharing information, offering to help teammates, and staying accessible to teammates. Responding promptly to the requests of teammates. © McGraw Hill Table 3.1 Maintaining Trust over the Life of a Virtual Team Project 2 Stage of Project Elements of Trust Key Actions to Foster Trust Norming Character Living up to commitments in the team charter. Performing Competence Completing all tasks with excellence. Performing Caring Encouraging and supporting teammates to compete tasks near final deadlines when the pressure is highest. Performing Character Ensuring all team outcomes are fair to team members and stakeholders. © McGraw Hill Running Effective Virtual Meetings Tips to make the meeting more productive: • Start the meeting with social chat. • Start with a contentious question. • Ask “what do you think about” questions. • Make sure each team member is involved. • Articulate views precisely. • Take minutes in real time. • Focus on your teammates and avoid multitasking. • Use video when possible. © McGraw Hill Group Writing Tips for effective group writing: • Start right away. • Work together at the planning stage. • Make sure your roles and contributions are fair. • Stay flexible and open. • Meet in real time consistently and ensure the writing reflects the views of the group. • Discuss how you will edit the document together. • Consider a single group member to polish the final version and ensure a consistent voice. © McGraw Hill Managing Difficult Conversations 1 Difficult conversations often center on disagreements, conflict, and bad news. Many people prefer to avoid difficult conversations because they want to avoid hurting the feelings of others or want to avoid conflict. © McGraw Hill Managing Difficult Conversations Principles of Difficult Conversations • Embrace difficult conversations. • Assume the best in others. • Adopt a learning stance. • Stay calm/overcome noise. • Find common ground. • Disagree diplomatically. • Avoid exaggeration and either/or approaches. © McGraw Hill 2 Components of Difficult Conversations Steps 1. Start well/declare your intent. 2. Listen to their story. 3. Tell your story. 4. Create a shared story. © McGraw Hill How to Disagree Diplomatically Disagreeing Well • Validating others means that you recognize their perspectives and feelings as credible or legitimate. It does not necessarily mean that you agree. • I-statements begin with phrases such as I think, I feel, or I believe. • © McGraw Hill Soften comments to sound more conciliatory and flexible and less blaming and accusatory. Business Communication: Developing Leaders for a Networked World, 4e Chapter 3 Because learning changes everything. www.mheducation.com © 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 4 Global Communication and Diversity © 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 1. Describe characteristics of cultural intelligence, its importance for global business leaders, and approaches to developing it. 2. Explain the major cultural dimensions and related communication practices. 3. Name and describe key categories of business etiquette in the intercultural communication process. 4. Identify how generational, gender, and other aspects of diversity affect workplace communication. © McGraw Hill Developing Cultural Intelligence Cultural Intelligence (CQ) • A measure of your ability to work with and adapt to members of other cultures. • Can be developed and improved over time. Culture • Shared values, norms, rules, and behaviors of an identifiable group of people who share a common history and communication system. • There are many types of culture, such as national, organizational, and team. © McGraw Hill Table 4.2 Cultural Intelligence in the Workplace Characteristics of High Cultural Intelligence Respect, recognize, and appreciate cultural differences. Possess curiosity about and interest in other cultures. Avoid inappropriate stereotypes. Adjust conceptions of time and show patience. Manage language differences to achieve shared meaning. Understand cultural dimensions. Establish trust and show empathy across cultures. Approach cross-cultural work relationships with a learner mind-set. Build a co-culture of cooperation and innovation. © McGraw Hill Respect, Recognize, and Appreciate Cultural Differences Cultural Intelligence • Built on attitudes of respect and recognition of other cultures. • Viewing other cultures as holding legitimate and valid views of and approaches to managing business and workplace relationships. Diversity • Presence of many cultural groups. • Leads to better decision making. © McGraw Hill Be Curious about Other Cultures Study abroad. Learn a language. Develop friendships with international students on your campus. Take an interest in culture and routinely learn about it. © McGraw Hill Avoid Inappropriate Stereotypes Projected Cognitive Similarity Outgroup Homogeneity Effect • Tendency to assume others have the same norms and values as your own cultural group. • Tendency to think members of other groups are all the same. © McGraw Hill Table 4.3 Perceptions That Members of Various Cultures Have about Americans Percentage of Respondents Who Associate Americans with Various Traits Country Optimistic Hardworking Tolerant Arrogant Greedy Canada 65 76 39 55 57 China 45 39 29 60 49 France 72 81 42 58 43 Germany 74 60 52 48 45 Greece 78 73 37 72 68 India 50 56 42 42 36 Italy 77 70 51 47 21 Japan 70 26 59 50 45 Sweden 80 57 38 52 55 UK 71 75 39 64 56 © McGraw Hill Source: Pew Research Center Global Trends & Attitudes. Adjust Your Conceptions of Time Culture Impacts Conceptions of Time • People high in CQ show patience. • Cultures differ in priorities as related to time. © McGraw Hill Manage Language Differences Working with Non-Native English Speakers • Avoid quickly judging that others have limited communication proficiency. • Articulate clearly and slow down. • Avoid slang and jargon. • Give others time to express themselves. • Use interpreters as necessary. © McGraw Hill Understanding Cultural Dimensions GLOBE Group’s Cultural Dimensions © McGraw Hill 1. Individualism and collectivism 2. Egalitarianism and hierarchy 3. Performance orientation 4. Future orientation 5. Assertiveness 6. Humane orientation 7. Uncertainty avoidance 8. Gender egalitarianism Individualism and Collectivism Individualism Collectivism • • A mind-set that prioritizes interdependence more highly than independence. • Emphasizes group goals over individual goals. • Values obligation more than choice. • • A mind-set that prioritizes independence more highly than interdependence. Emphasizes individual goals over group goals. Values choice more than obligation. © McGraw Hill Figure 4.2 Individualism and Collectivism across Cultures Access the text alternative for slide images. © McGraw Hill Table 4.4 Communication Practices in HighIndividualist and High-Collectivist Cultures High Individualism High Collectivism Discuss individual rewards and goals Discuss group rewards and goals Emphasize opportunities and choices Emphasize duties and obligations Spend less time in group decision making Spend more time in group decision making Socialize infrequently with colleagues outside of work Socialize frequently with colleagues outside of work Network in loosely tied and temporary social networks Network in tightly knit and permanent social networks Communicate directly to efficiently deal with work tasks and outcomes Communicate indirectly to preserve harmony in work relationships © McGraw Hill Figure 4.3 Individualism and Collectivism within Companies Access the text alternative for slide images. © McGraw Hill Figure 4.4 Variety in Individualist and Collectivist Norms in the United States, Japan, and China Access the text alternative for slide images. © McGraw Hill Egalitarianism and Hierarchy Egalitarian Cultures Hierarchical Cultures • People tend to distribute and share power evenly, minimize status differences, and minimize special privileges and opportunities for people just because they have higher authority. • People expect power differences, follow leaders without questioning them, and feel comfortable with leaders receiving special privileges and opportunities. • Power tends to be concentrated at the top. © McGraw Hill Figure 4.5 Hierarchy and Egalitarianism across Cultures Access the text alternative for slide images. © McGraw Hill Table 4.5 Communication Practices in Egalitarian and Hierarchical Cultures Egalitarianism Hierarchy Decision making is more decentralized. Decision making is more centralized. Protocol based on status is less important and is reserved for unusually formal business situations. Protocol (use of titles, seating arrangements) based on status is extremely important. Subordinates speak more openly with leaders even during disagreements. Subordinates defer to leaders during disagreements. Subordinates do not take responsibility for the mistakes of leaders. Subordinates take blame for and save face for leaders at all times. Leaders are approached directly. Leaders are approached through intermediaries. © McGraw Hill Performance and Future Orientation Performance Orientation Future Orientation • The extent to which a community encourages and rewards innovation, high standards, and performance improvement. • © McGraw Hill The degree to which cultures are willing to sacrifice current wants to achieve future needs. Figure 4.6 Performance Orientation across Cultures Access the text alternative for slide images. © McGraw Hill Table 4.6 Communication in High Performance and Low Performance Orientation Societies High Performance Orientation Low Performance Orientation Emphasize results more than relationships Emphasize relationships more than results Prioritize measurable goals and objectives in meetings and communications Discuss goals and objectives casually without mechanisms for measuring them View feedback as essential to improvement View feedback as judgmental and uncomfortable Explicitly talk about financial incentives De-emphasize financial incentives; consider this motivation inappropriate Value statements of individual accountability Value expressions of loyalty and sympathy Expect urgency in communications and emphasize deadlines Show a relaxed view of time and view overemphasis on deadlines as pushy © McGraw Hill Figure 4.7 Time Orientation across Cultures Access the text alternative for slide images. © McGraw Hill Table 4.7 Communication Practices in High and Low Future Orientation Cultures High Future Orientation Low Future Orientation Emphasize control and planning for the future Emphasize controlling current business problems Focus more on intrinsic motivation Focus more on extrinsic motivation Frequently discuss long-term strategies as part of business communications Rarely discuss long-term strategies as part of communications Use flexible and adaptive language Use inflexible and firm language Often mention long-term rewards and incentives Often mention short-term rewards and incentives Appreciate visionary approaches to business problems Prioritize proven and routine approaches to problems © McGraw Hill Assertiveness and Humane Orientation Assertiveness Humane Orientation • • The level of confrontation and directness that is considered appropriate and productive. © McGraw Hill Degree to which an organization or society encourages and rewards individuals for being fair, altruistic, friendly, generous, caring, and kind. Figure 4.8 Assertiveness across Cultures Access the text alternative for slide images. © McGraw Hill Table 4.8 Communication Practices in High- and Low-Assertiveness Cultures High-Assertiveness Cultures Low-Assertiveness Cultures Emphasize direct and unambiguous language Emphasize indirect and subtle language Uncomfortable with silence and speak up quickly to fill the silence View silence as communicative and respectful Prioritize resolving issues over showing respect to others Prioritize showing respect over resolving issues Typically express more emotion Typically express less emotion Use tough, even dominant, language Use tender and pleasant language Stress equality and use competitive language Stress equality and use cooperative language Value unrestrained expression of thoughts and feelings Value measured and disciplined expression of thoughts and feelings © McGraw Hill Figure 4.9 Humane Orientation across Cultures Access the text alternative for slide images. © McGraw Hill Table 4.9 Communication Styles in High and Low Humane Orientation Cultures High Humane Orientation Low Humane Orientation Express greetings, welcome, concern, and appreciation in most interactions Express greetings and welcome in formal interactions Consider taking time to talk about feelings as critical Consider taking time to talk about feelings as inefficient Volunteer to help others Help others when asked Smile and display other nonverbal signs of welcome frequently Smile and display other nonverbal signs of welcome infrequently © McGraw Hill Uncertainty Avoidance and Gender Egalitarianism Uncertainty Avoidance Gender Egalitarianism • • How cultures socialize members to feel in uncertain, novel, surprising, or extraordinary situations. © McGraw Hill The division of roles between men and women in society. Figure 4.10 Uncertainty Avoidance across Cultures Access the text alternative for slide images. © McGraw Hill Table 4.10 Communication Styles in High and Low Uncertainty Avoidance Cultures High Uncertainty Avoidance Low Uncertainty Avoidance Document agreements in legal contracts Rely on the word of others they trust rather than contractual arrangements Expect orderly communication: keep meticulous records, document conclusions drawn in meetings Expect casual communication: less concerned with documentation and maintenance of meeting records Refer to formalized policies, procedures, and rules as basis for decision making Feel unbound by formalized policies, procedures, and rules when discussing work decisions with others Verify with written communication Verify with oral communication Prefer formality in the majority of interpersonal business interactions Expect informality in most interpersonal business interactions © McGraw Hill Table 4.11 Communication Practices in High and Low Gender-Egalitarianism Cultures High Gender Egalitarianism Low Gender Egalitarianism Provide equal professional opportunities to men and women Provide more professional leadership opportunities to men Expect men and women to have the same communication and management styles Expect men and women to communicate in distinct masculine and feminine ways Avoid protocol that draws attention to gender Prefer protocol that draws attention to gender © McGraw Hill Building and Maintaining CrossCultural Work Relationships Establish trust and show empathy. Adopt a learner mind-set. Build a co-culture of cooperation and innovation. © McGraw Hill Figure 4.11 Perceptions of Trust across Cultures Access the text alternative for slide images. © McGraw Hill Learning the Etiquette of Another Culture Following the rules of etiquette in other cultures can gain favorable first impressions and show respect. There are rules for everything, including appropriate versus taboo topics of conversation, conversation style, punctuality and meetings, dining, touching and proximity, business dress, and gift giving. © McGraw Hill Generation, Gender, and Other Group Identities Working across Generations • Traditionalists (Silent Generation) • Boomers (Baby Boomers) • Gen X • Gen Y (Millennials, Digital Natives) • Gen Z (Post-Millennials) © McGraw Hill Figure 4.12 Five Generations in the American Workforce Access the text alternative for slide images. © McGraw Hill Source: Richard Fry, “Millennials Surpass Gen Xers as the Largest Generation in the U.S. Labor Force,” Pew Research Center website, May 11, 2015, available at http://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2015/05/11/millennials-surpass-gen-xers-as-the-largest-generation-in-u-s-labor-force/ 1c. Tips for Working with Different Generations Focus on individuals and their professional goals. Recognize the similarities across generations. Pay attention to preferred approaches to communicating. Observe appropriate formality and attire. © McGraw Hill Gender and Communication Patterns Differences still exist in the way men and women communicate. • Women tend to be more relationship oriented, collaborative, and interconnected in thinking. • Men tend to be more independent, competitive, and linear in thinking. © McGraw Hill Figure 4.13 Gender in Individualist and Collectivist Societies Access the text alternative for slide images. © McGraw Hill Source: Chart created by author based on dozens of research studies that demonstrate women tend to exhibit more collectivist, relational attitudes Tips for Communicating across Genders Notice when professionals use speech patterns for task-based versus relationship-based reasons. Purposefully and consciously adopt your own style. Do your part to overcome biases. © McGraw Hill Displaying Cultural Intelligence with Other Groups and Appreciating Other Forms of Diversity 1 Types of cultural groups include: • People from certain regions. • People from urban, suburban, or rural areas. • Ethnic groups. • Occupational groups. • Companies. © McGraw Hill Displaying Cultural Intelligence with Other Groups and Appreciating Other Forms of Diversity 2 Diversity • Gen Yers and Gen Zers are the most sensitive to issues of diversity. • More focus on: • Neurodiversity. • Physical disabilities. • Mental illness. © McGraw Hill Business Communication: Developing Leaders for a Networked World, 4e Chapter 4 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 5 Creating Effective Business Messages © 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 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. © McGraw Hill Explain the goals of effective business messages and the process for creating them. Identify the needs of your audience in the AIM planning process Gather the right information and refine business ideas in the AIM planning process. Develop your primary message and key points in the AIM planning process. Explain and apply positive and other-oriented tone in business messages. The Process for Creating Business Messages 1 Process Steps • Plan. • Write. • Review. © McGraw Hill Figure 5.1 The Stages and Goals of Effective Message Creation PLAN: Get the content right. • Understand your audience. • Gather the right information. • Develop your message. WRITE: Get the delivery right. • Set the right tone. • Apply a clear and concise style. • Focus on navigational design. REVIEW: Double-check everything. • Get feedback. • Ensure your message is fair. • Make sure to proofread. © McGraw Hill The Process for Creating Business Messages 2 Business writers tend to move back and forth between stages. Expert writers are more likely to: • Analyze the needs of the audience. • Generate the best ideas to tackle a problem. • Identify the primary message and key points before starting a formal draft of a business message. © McGraw Hill Figure 5.2 Time Spent by Poor, Average, and Expert Writers Developing a Complete Business Message Access the text alternative for slide images. © McGraw Hill Source: Pressley, M., & McCormick, C. B. (1995). Advanced educational psychology for educators, researchers, and policymakers. New York: HarperCollins. The AIM Planning Process for Effective Business Messages Focus on Three Areas • Audience analysis. • Information gathering. • Message development. © McGraw Hill Audience Analysis Components • Identify reader benefits and constraints. Think about the needs, priorities, and values of audience members. • Consider reader values and priorities. • Estimate personal credibility. • Anticipate reactions. • Consider secondary audiences. © McGraw Hill Identifying Reader Benefits and Constraints For many messages, this is the single most important planning step. Your readers respond when you provide them with something that they value. © McGraw Hill Considering Reader Values and Priorities Values Priorities • Enduring beliefs and ideals that individuals hold. • Involves ranking or assigning importance to things, such as projects, goals, and tasks. © McGraw Hill Estimating Your Credibility Audiences must judge you as credible. Many entry-level professionals have relatively low professional credibility because they are viewed as the newcomers. © McGraw Hill Gaining Credibility Set up a time to talk with your boss. Ask your boss if you can take on any higher-responsibility projects. Make sure you fit in with the corporate culture in terms of professional dress and communication style. Attend a lot of meetings to get to know as many colleagues as possible. Create a professional blog about a niche area. © McGraw Hill Anticipating Reactions Tips • Envision how others will respond to your message. • Imagine how your readers will think, feel, and act as they read it. • Think about what you want to achieve in terms of workplace relationships. © McGraw Hill Keeping Secondary Audiences in Mind Tips • Individuals other than primary recipient will view your messages. • Modify them accordingly. © McGraw Hill Information Gathering 1 Components • Identify the business problems. • Analyze the business problems. • Clarify objectives. © McGraw Hill Information Gathering 2 Excellent Business Thinkers • Clearly and precisely identify and articulate key questions and problems. • Gather information from a variety of sources. • Make well-reasoned conclusions and solutions. • Remain open to alternatives to approaching and reasoning about the business problem. • Are skilled at communicating with others to figure out and solve complex problems. © McGraw Hill Identifying and Analyzing the Business Problem(s) Facts Conclusions • Statements that can be relied on with a fair amount of certainty and can be observed objectively. • Statements that are reasoned or deduced based on facts. © McGraw Hill Positions • Stances that you take based on a set of conclusions. Message Development Framing the primary message: • What is the primary message? • What simple, vivid statement (15 words or fewer) captures the essence of your message? Setting up the logic of your message: • What are your supporting points? • What do you want to explicitly ask your readers to do (call to action)? • How will you order the logic of your message? © McGraw Hill Setting Up the Message Framework Most business arguments employ a direct or deductive approach. • They begin by stating the primary message. • Then they lay out the supporting reasons and conclude with a call to action. In some cases, such as delivering bad news, an indirect or inductive approach is helpful. • This approach provides supporting reasons first followed by the primary message. © McGraw Hill Figure 5.4a Typical Deductive Framework for a Business Argument and Related Paragraph Structure Access the text alternative for slide images. © McGraw Hill Figure 5.4b Typical Deductive Framework for a Business Argument and Related Paragraph Structure Access the text alternative for slide images. © McGraw Hill Table 5.1 Avoiding Unsupported Generalizations Less Effective Eastmond has a turnover problem. Without any supporting facts, this broad generalization will be viewed skeptically by many readers. More Effective Eastmond faces an employee turnover problem. Employee turnover is at 23 percent compared to rates of between 10 to 15 percent at similar tech firms in our area. This statement provides statistics to support the conclusion. The comparative data shows this is a problem. © McGraw Hill Table 5.2a Avoiding Faulty Cause-Effect Claims Less Effective Lisa Johnson’s calculations show that Eastmond will definitely save at least $900 thousand over the next five years by introducing PPL. This statement assumes that a PPP policy will result in a definite result: at least $900,000 in savings. The certainty of this claim would raise skepticism among many readers, especially without data. More Effective Lisa Johnson projected the financial impacts of a 20-week PPL policy. Considering increased productivity gains due to higher employee engagement, savings from reduced turnover, and higher employee costs to cover for employees on PPL, we anticipate saving over $900 thousand over the next five years (see Lisa’s attached estimate for assumptions and other details). This statement provides facts, assumptions, and calculations to make a confident estimate. The statements are carefully crafted to avoid stating absolute outcomes. As a result, the statement will be perceived much more credibly © McGraw Hill Table 5.2b Avoiding Faulty Cause-Effect Claims Less Effective Last year five promising earlycareer professionals turned down job offers. If we had PPL, they would have joined Eastmond. This statement states a cause that is nearly impossible to demonstrate convincingly, especially without additional information. More Effective Last year five promising earlycareer professionals turned down job offers. Two of them told us they were disappointed there wasn't any PPL. This leads us to believe we are losing some earlycareer professionals because we don’t offer PPL. This statement does not attribute the lack of PPL as the single cause of turneddown job offers. It provides more specific details about the lack of PPL as a concern for two of the individuals. The language is measured and objective. © McGraw Hill Table 5.3 Avoiding Weak Analogies Less Effective Organizations such as Netflix and the Gates Foundation have given a full year of PPL and dramatically increased employee retention. Therefore, we should adopt a 52week PPL model to ensure we increase retention. This statement is a weaker analogy because it compares a smaller organization, Eastmond, with large organizations that can take a different approach in terms of personnel, resources, and program options. Readers in smaller organizations would consider this a weak analogy. More Effective We found that the most generous PPL policies among small tech firms range from roughly 8 to 24 weeks. Therefore, in her estimate, Lisa assumed that Eastmond will gain the most employee retention benefits by offering 20-week PPL to new parents. This statement is a stronger analogy because it refers to similar-sized organizations with similar resources and constraints. Readers are far more likely to consider this a credible analogy. © McGraw Hill Table 5.4 Avoiding Either/Or Logic Less Effective Without providing PPL, employees will continue to suffer from low morale. This logic is either/or: without a PPL, employees will have low morale; with PPL, they will have high morale. More Effective One way to reduce turnover is offering more employeefriendly benefits such as PPL. This statement does not imply that a PPL policy is the only option for reducing turnover. Readers will perceive this statement as confident but grounded and measured. © McGraw Hill Table 5.5 Avoiding Slanting the Facts Less Effective Employee turnover at Eastmond is at 23 percent compared to as low as 10 percent at similar tech firms in our area. This statement leaves out the top of the range to imply the separation between Eastmond and competing firms is even more dramatic than often is the case. More Effective Employee turnover at Eastmond is at 23 percent compared to rates of between 10 to 15 percent at similar tech firms in our area. This statement provides the top of the range and thus provides complete information. © McGraw Hill Table 5.6 Avoiding Exaggeration Less Effective Providing PPL to our new parents would completely change our work environment for the better, allowing us to reach levels of performance previously unimagined. Many readers would view this statement with skepticism since the language seems exaggerated and unbelievable. This would lead some readers to call into question the credibility of the writer and the entire message. More Effective Providing PPL options could significantly improve employee satisfaction, an issue that our company president is particularly interested in. This statement projects confidence but does not contain exaggerated, unrealistic, or overly ambitious language. © McGraw Hill Setting the Tone of the Message Tone • Overall evaluation the reader perceives the writer to have toward the reader and the message content. © McGraw Hill Principles for Setting the Right Tone • Demonstrate positivity. • Show concern for others. Positivity A positive attitude results in: • Better work performance • More creativity. • More motivation to excel. • More helpfulness between co-workers. • More influence on clients and customers. © McGraw Hill Table 5.7a Displaying a Can-Do, Confident Attitude Less Effective Let me know if you want me This statement is weak—it to keep working on the expresses little enthusiasm or implementation plan. passion for pursuing this project. More Effective I look forward to putting together a detailed implementation plan. © McGraw Hill This statement is strong. It expresses an enthusiasm for putting together a successful plan. Table 5.7b Displaying a Can-Do, Confident Attitude Less Effective Based on the information I have access to, and if everything goes according to Lisa’s analysis, I think that a PPL policy might increase profitability at Eastmond. This statement is qualified with too many weak words—based on … , if, think, might. Collectively, these words display a lack of confidence in the program. More Effective Using conservative assumptions, Lisa Johnson projected the financial impacts of a 20-week PPL policy. Considering increased productivity gains due to higher employee engagement, savings from reduced turnover, and higher employee costs to cover employees on PPL, we anticipate saving over $900 thousand over the next five years. This statement expresses confidence that the program will be profitable based on well-developed estimates. It does not seem exaggerated. © McGraw Hill Table 5.8a Focusing on Positive Traits Less Effective A PPL policy is not just a perk for the few new parents in the organization. More Effective A PPL policy shows that This sentence effectively Eastmond is an employee- frames the positive impacts of friendly organization. a PPL policy. It is a strategic statement. © McGraw Hill Without any additional elaboration, this sentence does not provide any positive information about a PPL policy. Table 5.8b Focusing on Positive Traits Less Effective A PPL policy does require significant expenses. Without any follow-up sentences, this statement falls short of what it could accomplish with positive phrasing. More Effective A PPL policy would be an asset to our company, bringing in a strong return on investment. This positive statement effectively frames the PPL policy as an asset. © McGraw Hill Table 5.9a Using Diplomatic, Constructive Terms Less Effective I would like to present my argument for why we should immediately implement a PPL policy. The term argument unnecessarily implies contention and difference of opinion. More Effective Thank you for the opportunity to share my analysis of how a paid parental leave (PPL) policy can impact Eastmond Networking. This statement prefaces the goal of the communication with a compliment, which is a show of solidarity. © McGraw Hill Table 5.9b Using Diplomatic, Constructive Terms Less Effective Your characterization of the PPL policy as a perk is inaccurate since the it program would actually save the company money. The phrase your characterization immediately creates a meversus-you tone. More Effective The PPL policy would feel like a perk to employees, which could boost morale. Yet, unlike most perks, it would actually save us money. By stating the perception of the PPL policy being a perk in neutral terms, the statement would not be perceived as confrontational or divisive. © McGraw Hill Concern for Others Avoid relying too heavily on the I-Voice. Respect the time and autonomy of your readers. Give credit to others. © McGraw Hill Table 5.10a Using You-Voice, We-Voice, Impersonal Voice, and I-Voice Appropriately You-Voice Appropriate Situations Examples Use when focus is solely on the reader. It is particularly well suited to describing how products and services benefit customers, clients, and colleagues. Effective: You will receive regular updates about how to use PPL and related services to meet your family needs. Avoid when pointing out the mistakes of others or when the statement may be presumptuous. © McGraw Hill Effective: You may be interested in Lisa’s cash flow analysis. She found that a 20-week PPL policy would save over $900,000 over five years. Table 5.10b Using You-Voice, We-Voice, Impersonal Voice, and I-Voice Appropriately We-Voice © McGraw Hill Appropriate Situations Examples Use when focus is on shared efforts, interests, and problems. It is particularly well suited to messages within a company (i.e., work team). Effective: Were we to offer PPL, we could actively promote this benefit to potential hires. Effective: We could further discuss the estimates for how a PPL policy could impact Eastmond. Table 5.10c Using You-Voice, We-Voice, Impersonal Voice, and I-Voice Appropriately Appropriate Situations Impersonal Use when rational and neutral analysis is Voice expected. It is well suited for explaining business ideas, plans, and reports. Examples Effective: A PPL policy can increase employee engagement and satisfaction, reduce turnover, and attract top talent. Effective: Creating and implementing a PPL policy will require several steps. © McGraw Hill Table 5.10d Using You-Voice, We-Voice, Impersonal Voice, and I-Voice Appropriately I-Voice © McGraw Hill Appropriate Situations Examples Use with nonthreatening verbs (i.e., think, feel) when there is bad news, difference of opinion, or even blame involved. It is well suited for situations that could result in personal disappointments. Used most often in oral communication. Effective: I think right now is not the right time to focus on creating a PPL policy. Effective: I think your ideas about a PPL policy make a lot of sense, but the company is not in a position to make the initial investments to get it started. Table 5.11a Ineffective Use of I-Voice Less Effective I would like to know as soon as possible when you could meet. I want to go over the estimates with you to show you how strong the case is for pursuing this option. Also, I have developed a timeline for writing the implementation plan that I want to show you right away. The repeated use of I-voice may be perceived as selfcentered, inconsiderate, or pushy. More Effective Please let me know when there is a convenient time to meet. We could further discuss the estimates for how a PPL policy program could impact Eastmond. Also, if you think we should pursue this initiative, we could discuss the timeline for developing an implementation plan. The repeated use of we-voice will likely be perceived as teamoriented and flexible. © McGraw Hill Table 5.11b Ineffective Use of I-Voice Less Effective I’ve set up the PPL program with extensive pregnancy information, healthcare options for newborns, and advice to bond with your new child. I’m especially proud of the wealth of information that I compiled for you about bonding with a new child. In my experience, the longer a parent can be with a new child, the better. I’ve made sure that you can take a full 20 weeks to bond with your child. The repeated use of I-voice may come off as selfabsorbed or insincere. More Effective The PPL program provides you with extensive pregnancy information, healthcare options for your new child, and advice to bond with your child. You have a full 20 weeks of paid leave time to bond with your child. The repeated use of you-voice frames everything in terms of reader benefits. © McGraw Hill Table 5.12a Showing Respect for Time and Autonomy Less Effective Call me as soon as you get out of your meeting. This abrupt and demanding sentence would sound bossy to some people. More Effective Please give me a call when it’s convenient. Using the courteous term please and focusing on the message recipient’s convenience (rather than your own) shows respect. © McGraw Hill Table 5.12b Showing Respect for Time and Autonomy Less Effective We need to meet before Monday to go over the proposal. Have your administrative assistant set up a time for us and get back to me as soon as you know a time. These sentences will be interpreted as overly demanding to some readers. In written form, these statements can easily be misinterpreted. More Effective I think discussing the proposal with you before Monday would give us a chance to include your ideas in the proposal before we submit it on Wednesday. I’m available anytime before noon on Thursday or Friday. Is there a time that works for you? We could meet at your office, talk by phone, or meet online. These statements focus on achieving results together by a deadline while still respecting the time of the message recipient. © McGraw Hill Table 5.13a Giving Credit to Others Less Effective The PPL policy could result in a significant return on investment for Eastmond. This statement implies that the writer is responsible for this analysis. More Effective Lisa also helped me understand how a PPL policy could result in a significant return on investment for Eastmond. This statement implies that Lisa was instrumental in the analysis. © McGraw Hill Table 5.13b Giving Credit to Others Less Effective I gave Lisa information about PPL policies so she could plug the numbers in and see what it meant for Eastmond. As I anticipated, the estimate showed that Eastmond would save about $900,000 over six years. These statements give credit to Lisa yet imply that the real analysis was conducted by the writer. More Effective Lisa Johnson estimates a 20week PPL policy would save about $900,000 over the next five years. This sentence gives full credit to Lisa for her time-consuming, thorough, and insightful work. © McGraw Hill Sending the Right Meta Messages 1 Meta Messages • The overall but often underlying messages people take away from a communication or group of communications. • A combination of content, tone, and other signals. © McGraw Hill Sending the Right Meta Messages 2 Mixed signals occur when the content of a message conflicts with its tone, nonverbal communication, or other signals. Sending mixed signals is not only confusing, but it also frequently results in negative meta messages. © McGraw Hill Business Communication: Developing Leaders for a Networked World, 4e Chapter 5 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 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 1. 2. 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 ch...
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