Some guidelines for Written Communication and Letter writingJayadeva de Silva

1. Unsigned Or Undated Documents. This is the number one failure in documentation. Sign and date everything! Have the employee do the same.

1

2. Illegibility. You didn't go to med school, so leave the scrawl to the doctors. In court, neatness counts!

3. Late Documentation. Judges and juries look askance at disciplinary or other reports written weeks or months after the incident they describe.

4. Inaccuracy. That document looks perfect, but the facts are wrong. Even one error makes the entire document suspect.

5. Unsupported Conclusions. Don't write, "Worker X was drunk" without documenting the reasons you think so, e.g. "liquor on breath, slurred speech." Statements by objective witnesses will buttress your conclusion even more.

6. Waffling. If Mike isn't making 200 widgets per hour, don't just write, "Mike's performance must improve." The judge will ask, "Improve from what to what?" Be specific.

7. Don't Make Excuses. Statements such as "You failed-but I know we've all been pushing hard lately," may win you a nice guy award, but it won't win your case.

8. Don't Lie ... Even To Be Nice! Saying someone was let go due in a layoff rather than for cause, if

2

there was cause, can backfire big time in a wrongful termination suit.

9. Be Consistent. If you've written up Sally for an infraction, you'd better have written up everyone who did it. Otherwise you're open to a charge of discrimination.

10. Don't Over Or Under Focus. Writing up every tiny infraction makes you seem petty. But writing only the job-ending incident makes you appear emotion-driven.

Of course, all of the above should not be practiced just by you but by everyone in your organization.

That's especially critical if you are in a one-person or very small HR department, as you can't be watching everyone at once.

Some Advice on Letter Writing:

1 Understanding the Audience

Cultivating a “YOU” or “READER ORIENTED” Attitude

3

– Does the message address the reader’s major needs and concerns?– Is the information stated as truthfully and ethically as possible ?

– Will the reader perceive the ideas to be fair and logical?

– Are ideas expressed clearly and concisely (to avoid misunderstandings)?

Would the reader feel the message is reader –centered?

Does the message serve as a vehicle for developing positive business relationships even when the message is negative?

Are ideas stated tactfully and positively and in a manner that preserves the reader's self-worth and cultivates future business?

Does the message reflect the high standards of a business professional:

– quality paper, correct formatting, good printing quality, and absence of spelling mistakes and grammatical errors

2 How Can We “Understand the Audience”?

Major factors are:

– Age

4

– Economic Level

– Educational / Occupational background

– Culture

– Rapport

– Expectations

– Need of the reader

3 Organizing your message

Why is Organizing a letter sequencing essential? (writer oriented)

– Encourages brevity and accuracy (Reduces the chance of leaving out a essential idea or including an unessential one)

– Permits concentration on one phase at a time

– Saves time in writing or dictating

Why is Organizing a letter sequencing essential?

(Reader oriented)

The message is more concise and accurate The relationships among ideas are easier to distinguish and remember

Reaction to the message and its writer is more likely to be positive

5

4 How to Organize Letters

What will be the most likely reader reaction to the message? In view of the predicted reader reaction, should the central idea be listed first in the outline; or should it be listed as one of the last items?

Different Organizational Patterns

5 Business Letters

Letters that convey pleasant messages are referred to as “good news” letters. Letters not likely to generate any emotional reactions are referred to a routine letters.

The organizational pattern of both types of letters follows a deductive pattern in which the major idea is presented first, followed by supporting details.

The deductive sequence-of-ideas pattern has several advantages:

– The first sentence is easy to write

– The first sentence is likely to attract attention.

– When good news appears in the beginning it motivates the reader to read the supporting details

– The arrangement reduces the reading time

6

6 Types of Business Letters

Claim letter

– Persuasive Claims letters :

Request will be granted only after explanations and persuasive arguments have been presented

– Routine Claims letters

Request (about

– Guarantees

– Warrantees

– Contractual Conditions) will be granted quickly and willingly, without persuasion

– Routine letters about

Credit

Orders

(Routine) requests

Routine Claims

A claim letter is a request for an adjustment: When writers (i e,. YOU) ask for something to which they (YOU)are entitled:

– A refund

– Replacement

7

– Exchange

– Payment for damages

The following outline is recommended:

– Request action in the first sentence

– Explain the details supporting the request for action

– Close with an expression of appreciation for taking the action requested

Routine letters about CreditRequest for information:

– The following is an outline for an effective letter request for credit information about an individual

Identify the request and name the applicant early, preferably in the opening sentence or in the subject line

Assure the reader that the reply will be kept confidential

Detail the information requested. Use a tabulated-form layout to make the reply easy

End courteously. Offer the same assistance to the reader

Routine Letters about Orders

The outline for order letters is deductive:

8

– In the first sentence say “please ship”. “I order” etc. that assures the seller of the desire to buy. Avoid statements like “I am interested”. Or “I ‘d like to”.

– List the items ordered and give precise details

– Include a payment plan and shipping instructions

– Close the letter with a confident expectation of delivery

Letters about Routine Request

The following outline can serve as a guide for preparing effective letters of request

– Make the major request in the first sentence

– Follow the major request with the details that will make the request clear (use tabulation, if required) .

– Close with a forward look at the reader’s next step

9