Best Practices in Business Writing and Communication
Andrew Bales
ORG 536 - Contemporary Business Writing and Communication
Colorado State University - Global Campus
1. Andrew Bales
ORG 536 – Contemporary Business Writing
and Communication
Colorado State University – Global Campus
Dr. Robert Olszewski
November 24, 2013
2.
Communication is the transmission of
information and meaning (CSU-Global, 2013)
Professional promotions, hiring, or firing
often depend on communication skills
Communication skills crucial to
organizational and employee success
4.
Ensuring the same understanding of words
Recognizing the viewpoint of the receiver
◦ Identifying how they may react
Using proper language skills
Avoiding interruptions
Creating feedback from the receiver through
questions
(Guffey & Loewy, 2011)
5.
Ethics are the moral standards upheld by an
organization (Guffey & Loewy, 2011)
Abide by the law and tell the truth
Communicate objectively and clearly
Use inclusive language
Establish credit for another’s work and
provide reference to their work
6. Soft Skills
Oral and Written
Listening
Communications
Ability
Non-verbal
communication
Teamwork
Understanding
of etiquette
7.
Crucial to organizational professionalism and
success
Teams forming more in today’s workplace
◦ Increases employee production and effectiveness
(Guffey & Loewy, 2011)
Conflict – generates productive discussion
Conformity – should be avoided
Consensus – reflects thinking of all team
members (CSU-Global, 2013)
8.
Organizations are increasing cultural diversity
International expansion necessary for major
organizations
◦ World marketplace expanding rapidly
Culturally diverse employees critical to
organizational success
◦ Understand cultural differences
◦ Communicate effectively between cultures
(Guffey & Loewy, 2011)
9.
Communication between people of different
cultures
Successful organizations adapt to local
language to conduct business
◦ Ensures respect and better understanding (CSUGlobal, 2013)
Understanding communication within
different cultures allows organizations to be
more effective and efficient (Guffey & Loewy,
2011)
11.
Writing strategy is essential
◦ Increases effectiveness
◦ Saves time
◦ Creates a clearer message
3x3 Writing process
◦
◦
◦
◦
Prewriting
Writing
Revising
(Guffey & Loewy, 2013)
12.
Most important step is understanding the
audience
Questions to ask about the audience
◦
◦
◦
◦
◦
Who?
What is the relationship with audience?
Reaction to message?
Existing knowledge of the audience?
(CSU-Global, 2013)
13.
Placing ideas down on paper – rough draft
Need proper writing environment
◦ Limit distractions
◦ Establish appropriate time
Form the purpose
Write with no reservation
(CSU-Global, 2013)
For more information on the writing process visit:
https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/section/1/1/
14. Content
- Only needed
information
- Ensure best
message created
Style
- Rhythm and
flow
- Style
compatible with
audience
Correctness
-
Edit for
spelling,
grammar,
punctuation
15. •Why is the message being sent?
Purpose
Best
•What do you want to achieve?
•Importance of message and interactivity required
•Amount of formality required and sensitivity of message
Channel
Faster
Channels
•Technology driving change
•Cell phones, email, instant messaging
16.
Plays major role in customer relationships
◦ Easier to establish
◦ More ways to contact customer base (Guffey &
Loewy, 2011)
Improves operation within organizations
◦ Offers competitive advantage
The way of communication inside
organizations
For more information on technology in the workplace,
visit: http://www.insidebusiness360.com/index.php/what-is-theimpact-of-new-technology-in-the-workplace-6-30701/
17.
Create immediate and efficient
communication channels
Email
◦ Productive and instant communication
Instant Messaging
◦ Real time communication from any location
Blogs
◦ Used to present information and receive feedback
18.
Major use of the internet
Provides advertising opportunity
Generates customer interaction
◦ Receive feedback – good and bad
Place to respond instantly
(CSU-Global, 2013)
Helps brand recognition
Promotes growth
19.
Most common messages in workplace
Request and
Reply
Change or
Adjustment
Goodwill
•Usually written in email, letter, or memo
•Organized and detailed
•Positives explained immediately
•Maintain confidence throughout
•Expressions of thanks, recognition, or
sympathy
•Selfless, precise, sincere, and short
20.
Difficult to deliver and craft
◦ Necessary in all organizations
Goals of communicating negative messages
◦
◦
◦
◦
◦
◦
Clear and complete
Professional
Empathetic and sensitive to audience
Be fair
Maintain desire to have friendly relationship
(Guffey & Loewy, 2011)
21. Direct Strategy
Negative message
communicated initially
◦ Minor negative message
◦ Audience may overlook
negative message
◦ When strength and
firmness is necessary
Indirect Strategy
Introducing negative
message gradually
Buffering with good news
or message everybody
agrees upon
◦ Negative message is
personal
◦ Could create aggressive
negative reaction
◦ Affects customer
relationship
◦ Unexpected negative
message
22.
Presentations major part of organizational
growth and operation
◦ Quality speaking skills provide advantage
◦ A well developed presentation does the same
Three areas to focus on when developing a
business presentation
◦
◦
◦
◦
Preparation/Organization
Audience
Content
(Guffey & Loewy, 2011)
24.
Audience is a key component to presentation
Know your audience
◦ Why are they interested
◦ How will they react
◦ What is the best way to establish the main points
Build rapport with the audience
◦ Analogies
◦ Personal stories that relate to audience
◦ Statistics relating to audience
Nonverbal messages make a difference
◦ Look and sound professional
◦ Be enthusiastic and maintain eye contact
25.
Visual aids spark interest
◦ Help get the point across
◦ Use of color and pictures
◦ Handouts after presentation
Adapt content to audience
Use templates to add design
Revise and evaluate content
◦ Ensures most effective presentation
◦ Proper organization
26. Informal
Typically email, memo,
or letter
Everyday business
communication
◦ Progress reports
◦ Activity reports
Contain less amounts
of detail
Employee or customer
surveys (Howard, n.d.)
Formal
Well organized with
significant detail
◦ Information obtained
through extensive
research and analysis
Developed to address
problems and
recommend solutions
Presented to major
decision makers
(Guffey & Loewy, 2011)
27.
Plan a course of actions that will make a
business successful
Critical in obtaining financial support for a
new business
Should include:
Description of business
Product and/or services offered
Analysis of desired market
How business will operate and who will manage
Financial analysis of cost, revenue, existing and
needed capital
◦ (Guffey & Loewy, 2011)
◦
◦
◦
◦
◦
28.
Developed to provide products, services, or
solutions
◦ Goal – generate growth
Detailed and exact documents
Well organized
◦ Contain purpose, plan and schedule
◦ How proposal is executed
◦ Authorization of proposal
29.
Colorado State University-Global Campus. (2013). Module 1 – Effective,
ethical and professional business communication [Blackboard
ecourse]. In ORG 536 – Today’s changing workplace and
communication in today’s organizations (p. 1-2). Greenwood
Village, CO: Author.
Colorado State University-Global Campus. (2013). Module 2 -Intercultural
communications. [Blackboard ecourse]. In ORG
536 – The international workplace (p. 1). Greenwood Village, CO:
Author.
Colorado State University-Global Campus. (2013). Module 3 – The
writing process. [Blackboard ecourse]. In ORG 536 – Writing (p. 3).
Greenwood Village, CO: Author.
Colorado State University-Global Campus. (2013). Module 4 – Workplace
communication: Digital media and persuasive messages.
[Blackboard ecourse]. In ORG 536 – Technologies enhance
business communications (p. 1). Greenwood Village, CO: Author.
Guffey, M., & Loewy, D. (2011). Business communication: Process and
product. (7th ed.). Independence, KY: Cengage Learning.
Howard, R. M. (n.d.). Reports. Retrieved from http://wrthoward.syr.edu/Handouts/reports.htm
