Presented by:

Ethan Chazin

Effective BusinessCommunications

"Throughout the globe, the written word, in both paper and electronic forms, is seen less as strictly a way of archiving the

business already completed and more as a vital, creative means of

problem solving, collaborating, and actually doing business."

(SOURCE: R. Inkster and J. M. Kilborn, The Writing of Business, Allyn and Bacon, 1999)

How U.S. Business People Communicate

The U.S. is the MOST Overworked

Developed Nation in THE WORLD…

The Chazin Group The Chazin GroupThe Research PROVES It

• The White-Collar Sweatshop by Jill Andresky Fraser

• The Overworked American by Juliet Schor• The Working Life by Joanne B. Ciulla

The Chazin Group The Chazin GroupA Field of Study Emerges

Overworked=More Stress= Fatigue High Blood Pressure Heart Disease Overeating Substance Abuse Lost Time With Loved Ones Spousal/Child Abuse Anger Management/Road Rage Early Death Suicide

K.I.S.S

“In a global marketplace, it is absolutely critical that we

communicate effectively, to achieve our organizational

goals."(SOURCE: me, 2012)

What’s the PURPOSE of Business Writing?

• Explain or justify actions already taken.• To convey information.• To influence the reader to take action.• Deliver good/bad news.• Direct action.

http://grammar.about.com/od/ab/g/businesswritingterm.htm

It’s PURPOSE

“Writing ismaking

sense of life."(SOURCE: Nadine Gordimer)

Poor Writing…Poor Results!

• Net Future Institute Research study revealed online communication issue isn’t ENOUGH email but inability to GET THE POINT ACROSS.

• One in 3 U.S. workers in top companies write poorly.

• Poorly written business communications wastes time, drains resources, and causes errors. (HR magazine June ‘06)

• 85% of survey respondents said poor communications wastes time, 70% cited lost productivity (HR magazine April ‘06)

Result of POOR Communication

BEFORE YouStart Writing…

• What’s the situation/problem/issue that is prompting me to write this?

• Why are you writing this document?• Who is going to read it?• What do your readers need to know?• What action do you want your readers to take?

Ask Yourself…

Good business writing DEMANDS you know what

you are doing.

http://sbinfocanada.about.com/od/smallbusinesslearning/a/bizwritingpj.htm

Have a 60-second conversation with YOURSELF.

Developing an OutlineVersus

Free writing

Outlining

http://iwritecoach.com/blog/2007/05/19/business-writing-with-an-outline-get-your-writing-done-fast-and-get-the-response-you-want/

Free Writing

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ASw_iAd1TZo

The Communication STRATEGY

• Strategic communication is based on 5 variables:– Communicator (Writer) Strategy– Audience Strategy– Message Strategy– Channel Choice Strategy– Culture Strategy

Communication Strategy

• GENERAL: The broad overall goal.• ACTION: A series of action outcomes – specific,

measurable, time-sensitive steps required, to accomplish general objective(s.)

• COMMUNICATION: The result you hope to achieve from a specific communication effort (a report, email, presentation, memo.)

Define Your Objectives

Your Communication

“STYLE”

• Join/Consult Approach: Learn from the audience. The “inquiry” style. Consult is collaborative, and Join is even more collaborative (like brain-storming.)

• Tell/Sell Approach: When you want your audience to learn from you. In tell you inform or explain. In SELL, you persuade/advocate for.

(SOURCE: Tannenbaum & Schmidt study of Leadership)

Communication STYLE

http://leadershipchamps.wordpress.com/2008/04/27/what-is-tannenbaum-schmidt-continuum-theory-says/

Establish Your Credibility

• Remember how I started this first session…?• What is your audience’s perception of your

initial credibility? What do they think of you?• Factors that determine credibility:– Rank– Goodwill– Expertise– Image– Common ground

Subject Matter Expertise

Audience Strategy

• Who are they?• What do they know and expect?• What do they feel?• What will persuade them?

Audience Strategy

Message Strategy

• Key points• Key questions• Steps in a process• Alternatives to compare

Organize

Channel Choice Strategy

Audience, Purpose, Scope, Organization

and Channel

Message Strategy

Channels of Communication

• Written: Hard copy, email, blogs, tweets, Instant Messaging/Text Messaging, Wikis, and websites.

• Oral only: Phone, voicemail, conference calls, and podcasts.

• Both: presentations, consulting, face-to-face, talk, and webcasts.

Communication Channels

Culture Strategy

• Fate• Time: British Versus Jamaican • Communication Style: group–oriented

cultures versus individual cultures (ex. American vs. Native American)

• Credibility• Audience Selection• Greetings & Hospitality

Cultures Differ Based On…

Culture Differences by FATE

• Persuasion• Gender-based• Message Structure• Channel Choice• Non-verbal Behavior• Space & Objects

Cultures Differ Based On…

Contexting & Face-Changing

Contexting

The WritingProcess

Process Versus Product• STEP 1: Establish the communication strategy.• STEP 2: To write or not to write?• STEP 3: IF you decide to write, divide your

activities into FIVE steps:– Research– Organize– Focus the information– Draft– Edit

• STEP 4: Rethink, re-organize, make changes.

1. Research

• SYNTHETIC Approach: The internet, the library, emails, reading, and interviewing.

• ANALYTIC approach: Define your topic, identify your sub-topics, and your approaches using the journalist 5Ws & HOW approach.

• Ask rhetorical questions such as:– What does this mean?– How do I define this?– What are the consequences…?– How do I compare…?

Approaches to Researching

Research Approaches

• INTUITIVE Approaches– Brainstorming– Brain-writing– Free Writing– Free note Taking–Mind Mapping

Approaches to Researching

FREE Writing

EXERCISE

How to FREE Write

FREE Writing

2. Organize

• Group similar ideas together• Bucket similar ideas• Label the buckets• Re-check the buckets• Put buckets in their proper order

Organize

IDEAS

• Create an organizational blueprint:– Line out– Idea chart– Circular design

Organize

3. Focus

• Imagine the reader skimming your document: what does the reader NEED to know the MOST.

• “NUTSHELL” your ideas: present the MAIN idea in only a few sentences.

• “Teach” your ideas: How would you teach the nutshell to someone else?

• Formulate a Thesis Statement: synthesize your information to a new idea with an original point of view.

Focus

Thesis Statement

Thesis Statements

• Simulate an elevator presentation “pitch.”• Use the “BUSY BOSS” two (2) minute rule:– “I don’t have the time to read through your entire

document. Tell me your main ideas in TWO minutes.”

Focus

4. Draft

• Compose in ANY order: write the parts that you are the most comfortable with first. Write your introduction LAST.

• Avoid editing: drafting is an entirely CREATIVE process.

• Print a hard copy: this will help you to edit faster, by seeing the ENTIRE document.

• Schedule a TIME gap: leave time between finishing the drafting stage of the document and the beginning of the editing process.– See it with a FRESH set of eyes.

Draft