ch. 4: revising written messages
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Ch. 4: revising Written Messages. MGT 3213 – Org. Communication. Process for Planning and Preparing Spoken and Written Messages. Step five: prepare your draft. Write! Avoid writing in binges Write while you’re fresh Resist the temptation to do other things first - PowerPoint PPT PresentationTRANSCRIPT
MGT 3213 – Org. Communication
Process for Planning and Preparing Spoken and Written Messages
STEP1
STEP2
STEP3
STEP4
STEP5
STEP6
STEP7
Consider the applicable contextual forces
Determine the purpose & select an appropriate channel & medium
Envision the audience
Adapt the message to the audience’s needs & concerns
Organize the message
Prepare the first draft
Revise & proofread for accuracy & desired impact
Step five:prepare your draftWrite! Avoid writing in bingesWrite while you’re freshResist the temptation to do other things firstEnd your writing at a place where it will be
easy to pick up againEstablish a few regular places where you do
nothing but serious writing
Typos are important, but they really don’t impact the company’s bottom line.
True or false?
Typo Leads to Stock Market Chaos May 6, 2010Dow fell almost 1,000 points in half an hourComputerized sell off began when a trader
placed an order to sell $16 billion instead of $16 million
“Today … caused me to fall out of my chair at one point. It felt like we lost control,” Jack Ablin, chief investment officer at Harris Private Bank.
The Comma that Cost $1 MillionAugust 2006, contract dispute between
Canada’s largest cable provider and telephone companyRogers Communication vs. Bell Aliant
Citing the “rules of punctuation,” Canada’s telecommunications regulator ruled that the comma allowed Bell Aliant to end its contract
The dispute is over this sentence:
“This agreement shall be effective from the date it is made and shall continue in force for a period of five (5) years from the date it is made, and thereafter for successive five (5) year terms, unless and until terminated by one year prior notice in writing by either party.”
Establishing credibilityDemonstrate expertise and competence
Typos and errors = undereducated, lazy, not detail-oriented, unintelligent
Demonstrate personal ethics and integrityDemonstrate emotional controlDevelop a professional image
Personality traitsAppearance/image
Tips for improving your grammar (and credibility)
• Read as much as possible, and as diversely as possible• Allows you to subconsciously internalize correct
grammar
• Bad vocabulary? • Play word games and puzzles• Read!!
• Become self-aware of your areas of weakness• Edit other people’s writing• Ask for feedback from someone you trust• Have good tools on hand (dictionary, grammar
handbook, thesaurus)
Most Common Misspelled Words in College (Huffington Post)
Ten Common Spelling Mistakes That Could Hurt Your Career (Recruiter.com)
their/they’re/theretheir/they’re/there
your/you’relose/loose
acquiredefinitely
referredeffect/affect
consciencea lot/a lot
gratefulwho’s/whose
bureaucracyweather/whether
judgmentweird
guaranteequite/quiet and #10?
Proofreading Read from audience’s
perspective
Ensure you are using active voice
Emphasize important ideas
Improve readability
Procedures for Proofreading1. Use spell check to locate simple
keying errors and repeated words2. Print a draft of the document3. Proofread several times
•content, organization, and style•mechanical errors
4. Edit for format and layout
More Proofreading Techniques1. Read your work backwards, starting with the last sentence and working your way in reverse order to the beginning.
2. Read your work out loud.This forces you to read each word individually and increases the odds that you'll find a typo.
More Proofreading Tips3. Always proofread a printed version of your work.
4. Give yourself some time. If possible, let your work sit for a while before you proofread it.
5. Allow others to make suggestions“You have nothing to lose but much to gain….” (Lehman/Dufrene)
Passive vs. Active VoiceActive = subject acts.The dog bit the boy.
Passive = subject receives action.The boy was bitten by the dog.
Changing Passive to ActiveWho is performing the action?If not stated, infer.Look for “by the”Flip the parts of the sentence
The book is being read by the class.The class is reading the book.
Emphasize Important IdeasSentence structure
Simple sentenceCompound sentenceComplex sentence
RepetitionWords that labelPosition
Factors Affecting Readability Difficult words
Three or more syllable wordsDoes not include compound words,
proper nouns, or words where a suffix adds a syllable
Sentence length and structurePassive voice
Dear Mr. and Mrs. Lee,
1With interest rates at their lowest level in 20 years, you chose a good time to buy your first house.
2Choosing a fixed mortgage rate allowed you to “lock in” your 6 percent interest rate, protecting you from potential increases in interest rates before your closing. 3Had you selected a variable rate mortgage, you could have taken advantage of the recent drop in interest rates. 4However, you would have been subject to later increases in interest rates.
5If interest rates continue to decline, you may want to consider refinancing your fixed rate mortgage. 6Refinancing is typically cost effective when interest rates are 1 percent below your current mortgage rate.
7Mr. and Mrs. Lee, we are glad to have been of service in your recent home purchase. 8Please call me if you need information about other financing needs.
Dear Mr. and Mrs. Lee,
1With interest rates at their lowest level in 20 years, you chose a good time to buy your first house.
2Choosing a fixed mortgage rate allowed you to “lock in” your 6 percent interest rate, protecting you from potential increases in interest rates before your closing. 3Had you selected a variable rate mortgage, you could have taken advantage of the recent drop in interest rates. 4However, you would have been subject to later increases in interest rates.
5If interest rates continue to decline, you may want to consider refinancing your fixed rate mortgage. 6Refinancing is typically cost effective when interest rates are 1 percent below your current mortgage rate.
7Mr. and Mrs. Lee, we are glad to have been of service in your recent home purchase. 8Please call me if you need information about other financing needs.
Calculating ReadabilityNo. of words: 138
No. of sentences: 8
Average sentence length: 17(138 ÷ 8 = 17)
No. of difficult words: 16
Percentage of difficult words: 11.6%(16 ÷ 138 = 11.6)
Average sentence length 17.0+ Percentage difficult words 11.6 28.6
x 0.4 (constant)Readability level 11.4
No. of words: 138
No. of sentences: 8
Average sentence length: 17(138 ÷ 8 = 17)
No. of difficult words: 16
Percentage of difficult words: 11.6%(16 ÷ 138 = 11.6)
Average sentence length 17.0+ Percentage difficult words 11.6 28.6
x 0.4 (constant)Readability level 11.4
Desirable readability index
for business writing 8–11 grade
Word 2007:
• Select the Microsoft office button• Select “Word Options”• Click “Proofing”• Make sure “Check grammar with spelling” is
selected• Make sure “Show readability statistics” is
selected• To get stats, select the “Review” tab and run
the spelling and grammar check
Word 97-2003:• Open the “Tools” menu• Select “Options”• Select the “Spelling and
Grammar” tab• Make sure “Show readability
statistics” is checked
• Flesch’s human interest score hinges on two measures:
1.Personal words. They include:• Nouns with natural gender, such as mother,
father, Frank and Opal • Pronouns except for neuter pronouns — he and
she, for instance, but not it • The words people (used with the plural verb) and folks
2. Personal sentences. These test how interesting and conversational the copy is. Count:
• Quotations, whether marked by quotation marks or not • Imperative sentences, or those addressed to the reader, including questions, commands and requests • Exclamations • Grammatically incomplete sentences whose meaning the reader must infer from the context
The higher the percentage of personal words and personal sentences, the higher the human interest score.
Applying Visual Enhancements to Improve Readability
• Enumerated or bulleted lists
• Headings
• Tables and graphs
• Lines and borders
• Relevant images
Example: Before
This is a multipurpose passenger vehicle which will handle and maneuver differently from an ordinary passenger car, in driving conditions which may occur on streets and highways and off road. As with other vehicles of this type, if you make sharp turns or abrupt maneuvers, the vehicle may roll over or may go out of control and crash. You should read driving guidelines and instructions in the Owner's Manual, and WEAR YOUR SEAT BELTS AT ALL TIMES.
This is a multipurpose passenger vehicle which will handle and maneuver differently from an ordinary passenger car, in driving conditions which may occur on streets and highways and off road. As with other vehicles of this type, if you make sharp turns or abrupt maneuvers, the vehicle may roll over or may go out of control and crash. You should read driving guidelines and instructions in the Owner's Manual, and WEAR YOUR SEAT BELTS AT ALL TIMES.
Example: After
Source:Source: http://www.plainlanguage.gov http://www.plainlanguage.gov
Ensure Ethical Communication State information as truthfully and
fairly as possible
Do not exaggerate facts
Express ideas understandably
Support viewpoint with facts
State ideas with consideration that preserves receiver’s self-worth
Design honest graphics
BeforeAfter notification of NMFS, this final rule requires all CA/OR DGN vessel operators to have attended one Skipper Education Workshop after all workshops have been convened by NMFS in September 1997. CA/OR DGN vessel operators are required to attend Skipper Education Workshops at annual intervals thereafter, unless that requirement is waived by NMFS. NMFS will provide sufficient advance notice to vessel operators by mail prior to convening workshops.
www.plainlanguage.gov
After
After notification from NMFS, vessel operators must attend a skipper education workshop before commencing fishing each fishing season.
www.plainlanguage.gov