This work is protected by United States copyright laws and is provided solely for the use of instructors in teaching their courses and assessing student learning. Dissemination or sale of any part of this work (including on the World Wide Web) will destroy the integrity of the work and is not permitted. The work and materials from it should never be made available to students except by instructors using the accompanying text in their classes. All recipients of this work are expected to abide by these restrictions and to honor the intended pedagogical purposes and the needs of other instructors who rely on these materials.

Instructor's Manual to accompany Searles, Workplace Communications: The Basics, Fourth Edition

Copyright ©2009 Pearson Education, Inc.

All rights reserved. Printed in the United States of America. Instructors may reproduce portions of this book for classroom use only. All other reproductions are strictly prohibited without prior permission of the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

ISBN: 0-205-60337-8

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Table of Contents

Introduction 1

Chapter 1

The Keys to Successful Communication:

Purpose, Audience, and Tone 5

Chapter 2

Memos and E-mail 25

Chapter 3

Business Letters 35

Chapter 4

Effective Visuals:

Tables, Graphs, Charts, and Illustrations 55

Chapter 5

Short Reports:

Page Design, Formats, and Types 73

Chapter 6

Summaries 93

Chapter 7

Mechanism and Process/Procedure Descriptions 97

Chapter 8

Instructions 109

Chapter 9

Job Application Process:

Letter, Résumé, Interview, and Follow-Up 119

Chapter 10

Oral Presentations:

Preparation and Delivery 141

Chapter 11

Proposals 145

Chapter 12

Long Reports:

Format, Collaboration, and Documentation 171

Appendices

A. Ten Strategies to Improve Your Style 201

Answers 221

B. Review of Mechanics:

Spelling, Punctuation, and Grammar 231

Answers 253

Course Outline 259

Introduction Designed to accompany Workplace Communications: The Basics, this manual is intended both for experienced instructors and for those who are relatively new to the field. In each chapter I have provided supplemental commentary on the subject matter in the corresponding chapter of the text, along with reprints of selected visuals. This is to facilitate the creation of photocopies and transparencies for in-class discussion. Also included are exercise answers (where feasible) and reprints of the checklists for evaluating the various assignments. If you wish, these checklists can become an integral part of your assessment procedure. Rather than laboriously annotating every student paper, you can simply attach a copy of the checklist, with the student’s errors indicated thereon. Over the years I have become firmly convinced that this approach is far superior to the more conventional practice of close editing. There’s nothing more discouraging to the student—irrespective of the grade received—than to spend a great deal of time on an assignment, only to get it back a week or two later, covered with red ink and well-intentioned but ultimately deflating corrections. Moreover, there’s nothing more time-consuming and counterproductive for the teacher! Indeed, this carping, error-oriented response kills most students’ enthusiasm for the subject, and causes burnout long before retirement for all but the most indefatigable writing instructors. Rather than fussily highlighting mistakes, put the ball in the students’ court, empowering them to take responsibility for their own

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learning. Add a note on the bottom of the annotated checklist—something to this effect:

Your report (attached) has some weaknesses in the area(s) indicated above. You’ll notice, however, that I’ve made few actual corrections on the report itself. This is because I want you to use this checklist to edit your own work, thereby developing a better understanding of how it can be improved. If you’d like help with this, please schedule an individual conference.

This approach works very well, partly because it permits rapid turnaround—enabling you to provide feedback to the student while the assignment is still “fresh”—and creates a cooperative rather than adversarial climate. Students come to regard the evaluations not as proscriptive assaults on their efforts, but as helpful learning tools based on measurable criteria: the very specific objectives identified on the checklist. If a student does poorly (i.e., earns less than a “C”) on a given assignment, consider allowing a rewrite after an individual conference, finally grading the assignment on an average of the two marks. This improves morale, thereby reducing attrition and encourages students to continue striving even if they initially encounter difficulty. In all of this, the emphasis should be on individualized instruction. Not only on the checklists but also in the introductory lecture of every course, on my course outlines, and throughout the semester, I remind students of my office hours and stress the benefits of conferencing. “This is part of what you’re paying for; don’t shortchange yourselves,” I tell them. When I detect a particularly pressing need for one-on-one attention, I require that student to schedule an appointment, either during my office hours or at some other, mutually convenient time. Indeed, conferences are

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a required part of my course for all students during the second half of the semester, to ensure successful completion of major term projects. I strongly recommend setting aside a week or two of class time (depending on class size) for this kind of personalized interaction near the end of the term. As you may by now have gathered, my approach to instruction and classroom management is a blend of the traditional and the non-traditional. In a conservative vein, I think it’s important to establish firm ground rules at the outset of a course. (I like to think that my rather detailed course outlines, examples of which are included in a separate section at the end of this manual, are helpful in that regard.) In keeping with college regulations, I maintain strict attendance records, and I’m punitive in response to habitual lateness, plagiarism, disruptive behavior, and other manifestations of irresponsibility. But I’m also a firm believer in the value of humor in the classroom, and of maintaining an informally congenial atmosphere that’s conducive to learning. The best teaching, I believe, incorporates a touch of whimsy, a pinch of theater. Although I urge students to pay attention to detail and to minimize mechanical errors, I recognize that they will occasionally misspell, mispunctuate, or commit grammatical misdemeanors. Nearly everyone does from time to time. For corroboration, just look at your daily newspaper—or, for that matter, at your incoming e-mail. Accordingly, I place the main emphasis elsewhere. I want my students to be able to retrieve information. I want them to be able to use conventional formats to organize and present that information coherently. I want them to be able to work productively with others in collaborative situations. I want them to be able not only to write with some measure of concision and clarity but also to be able to stand up in front of a roomful of people and communicate their ideas orally without falling all over themselves. And—

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most importantly—I want them to be able to think! These competencies are crucial to success not only in the academic setting but certainly in the workplace as well. My hope is that Workplace Communications: The Basics will help you to teach students these skills. I further hope that this manual will help you to use the text more successfully. Please contact me with helpful comments or suggestions that may enable me to improve any subsequent editions. Here’s my address: Humanities Department Mohawk Valley Community College 1101 Sherman Drive Utica, NY 13501-5394 Telephone: (315) 792-5439 E-mail: gsearles@mvcc.edu.

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CHAPTER 1

The Keys to Successful Communication: Purpose, Audience, and Tone As stated in the text, all successful workplace communication is predicated upon a firm sense of purpose, a clear understanding of the intended audience, and a tone appropriate to the situation. The problem with this, however, is that it seems so obvious. Students quickly grow impatient with anything they perceive as self-evident. It’s very important, therefore, not to wax oracular about purpose, audience, and tone. By all means, show rather than tell. One convenient way to accomplish this is to make transparencies of the sample memos that appear within the chapter. Using a transparency marker and incorporating suggestions from the group, you can get beyond the obvious by drawing attention to some of the subtler features of the revisions. (If you have access to the necessary equipment, this can obviously be done in more “high tech” ways, using computers.) Point out, for example, how even the revised subject line (”Outdoor Ashtrays”) in Figure 1.2 fosters a greater spirit of cooperation than the negative original (”Littering”) in Figure 1.1. Draw students’ attention to the fact that the “commands” have been removed from the revision, and to how the single upbeat exclamation mark in the revision will accomplish far more than the two rather belligerent ones in the original. Similarly, the revised middle paragraph of Figure 1.4 not only omits the embarrassing personal details of the original version in Figure 1.3 but also deletes the phrase “As you probably have heard.” This approach is more courteous, allowing the supervisor to maintain some

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professional distance from the situation, rather than dragging her into it. In a related vein, the phrase “Please approve” in the original is too nearly a command. “I would certainly appreciate your approving” better acknowledges the supervisor’s authority. Many specific observations can be made about the e-mails in Figures 1.5 and 1.6. On the most basic level, the revision deflects blame away from the reader, practically guaranteeing a more positive response. In addition, the revision not only identifies the problem but also proposes a solution and concludes with an offer of assistance. And the less headlong, three-part structure allows the argument to take shape in a more persuasive fashion. The sample memos are reproduced here for your convenience in preparing transparencies for in-class discussion. If you require your students to word-process their assignments, similar in-class editing sessions can be conducted using actual student work. I have found that such exercises can be very productive indeed, provided they do not deteriorate into sniping sessions. Always be sure to highlight strengths along with weaknesses, and remove students’ names from all work used in class. Please note that the questionnaire I distribute at the outset of each semester (see page 232 of this manual) asks, “May I use your work (anonymously) in class discussions?” I strongly recommend this.

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EXERCISES

What follows are revisions of the memos and letters that appear in the Chapter 1 exercises. Obviously, there are many ways to revise a given piece of writing. These rewrites are intended not as definitive models, but simply as suggested responses to the problems posed by the originals.

Exercise 1.1

In the past, I have usually taken my vacation in July. This year, however, the last two weeks of August would be much more convenient for me. I would very much appreciate your approving this request.

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DATE: March 17, 2008

TO: All Caseworkers

FROM: Cheryl Alston, Case Supervisor CA

SUBJECT: Break Room

Lately there seems to be some misunderstanding about use of the break room. Permit me to remind you that you are entitled to one fifteen-minute break in the morning and another in the afternoon. In general, caseworkers are supposed to be at their desks unless signed out for fieldwork. Thank you for your cooperation.

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DATE: May 4, 2009

TO: All Employees

FROM: Charles Rigney, Chief CR

Security

SUBJECT: Burglarized Vehicles

Recently there have been a rash of burglaries in the faculty/staff parking lot. Items such as tape decks, cellular phones, and even a personal computer have been reported missing from vehicles. Upon investigation, however, we’ve learned that several of these vehicles had been left unlocked. For your own protection, please be sure to always lock your car.

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Exercises 1.2

February 18, 2008 Ms. Barbara Wilson 365 Grove St. Augusta, ME 04330 Dear Mrs. Wilson: According to our records, your Bancroft’s charge account balance is now $650.55, and we have not yet received your January or February payments.

If you have recently made a payment, you may simply ignore this friendly reminder. If not, a minimum payment of $50 will enable your account to remain active.

Please contact us at 555-1234 if you would like to discuss your account or to make arrangements for an alternative payment plan.

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November 5, 2009 Mr. Francis Tedeschi 214 Summit Avenue Tallahassee, FL 32301 Dear Mr. Tedeschi: We have received your 10/30 claim, but we need some additional paperwork in order to process it. As explained in your certificate holder’s handbook, a Physician’s Statement of Services Rendered should be submitted along with any claim for medical-surgical benefits. The necessary form is enclosed. As soon as your doctor completes that statement and returns it to us, we will then be able to process your claim. Yours truly, Ann Jurkiewicz Ann Jurkiewicz Claims Adjustor Enclosure

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November 10, 2008

Easton Savings Bank 36 Bank Street Easton, NJ 07300

Re: Charles Mangan (Social Security #000-00-0000)

To Whom It May Concern:

The above individual has applied for Medical Assistance. This Department requires that a thirty-month banking history accompany all such applications. Please send us the necessary information as soon as possible.

In keeping with New Jersey State law, we would like you to provide a listing of each month’s average balance for the period of March 1, 2006 to November 1, 2006 along with verification of all closed or transferred accounts during that period.

Thank you for helping us to verify eligibility.

Sincerely,

Mary Louise Martin

Mary Louise Martin

Caseworker

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Exercise 1.3

Sandy,

Please accept my apologies for the equipment malfunction that caused the sprinkler system to activate while the Mayor’s Blue Ribbon Commission was touring the plant yesterday.

The system was accidentally activated by two of the technicians, who were running a routine check on the system at the time. They have been reprimanded.

Perhaps a formal apology should be sent to the Mayor. Certainly I am willing to take care of that if you’d like.

Marty

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Dear Mr. Rhodes: Please accept my apologies for missing work on Monday. I take full responsibility for not calling in, and I assure you that this will never happen again. Thank you very much for your understanding. Sincerely, Ellen

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Date: 13-Nov-2008 9:01am From: CARL ROBERTS CROBERTS Dept: Marketing The Friday afternoon department meeting has been rescheduled for Monday at 9:00, since I have to leave work early on Friday. Sorry for any inconvenience!

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Exercise 1.4

January 15, 2009

Mr. Robert Ryan 352 Stegman Street Olympia, WA 98501 Dear Mr. Ryan: We have received your letter of January 3, and we regret that the heating unit we sold you has malfunctioned.

Since the unit was purchased more than three years ago, however, our store-wide warranty is no longer in effect. Nevertheless, we are enclosing a Fin & Feather discount coupon good for $10.00 toward the purchase of a replacement unit or another product of your choice.

We look forward to serving you in the future! Sincerely

Sandra Kouvel

Sandra Kouvel Store Manager Enclosure

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February 20, 2008 Ms. Christine Nguyen 230 Fairview Street Ames, Iowa 50010 Dear Ms. Nguyen: Thank you for your recent letter about your dissatisfaction with the toaster oven you purchased at Appliance World. If you will bring the unit in we’ll gladly exchange it for a more reliable one. Customer satisfaction is our #1 priority! We are happy to assist you with all your appliance needs. Yours truly, Peter Keane Peter Keane Store Manager

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August 17, 2009 Mr. Patrick Casey 252 Sheridan Street Phoenix, AZ 85001 Dear Mr. Casey: We are sorry that the bicycle tire you recently purchased at High Roller was unsatisfactory. Certainly we will install a replacement tire free of charge if you simply bring your bicycle into our shop any weekday during the hours of 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Thank you for purchasing your bicycle supplies at High Roller! Sincerely, Monica Lamb Monica Lamb Store Manager