Portfolio assign nicoleskoumal-final
- 1. Best Practices in Business Writing and Communication Presented by Nicole Skoumal
- 2. Effective and Ethical Business Communication Effective communication is one of the most desired skills of employers today. “A whopping 98 percent of employers surveyed said they consider communication skills to be essential” (Palmer, 2012). Reading, writing and listening are all necessary skills. Nonverbal communication skills are essential as well.
- 3. The Communication Process and Challenges Sender has idea Sender encodes idea in messag e Messag e travels over channel Receiver decodes messag e
- 4. Writing Skills Writing skills are highly desired by employers. Technology allows fast communication. “Among people with a two- or four-year college degree, those in the highest 20 percent in writing ability earn, on average, more than three times what those with the worst writing skills make” (Guffey, 2011).
- 5. Global Competition, Tight Economy, and Flat Management Structures Many factors add to the need for more effective communication skills. Global competition makes it difficult to stand out. Flattened management structures demand higher communication skills from employees.
- 6. Teams & Technology Changes Teams are being utilized more than ever in the workplace. For teams to be effective everyone must have communication skills. Teams are using more technology tools and employees need to understand these methods. Because of technology advances, employees are expected to communicate anytime and anywhere.
- 8. Ethical Communication Ethics is a description of the values and principles that are standards for right and wrong. Ethics in business must be clearly defined and complied with by employees. Ethics in communication is essential for businesses and business writing.
- 9. Ethical Challenges When situations arise that present ethical challenges employees should consider the following: Is the action legal? How would you see the problem from the opposite side? What are alternate solutions? Can you discuss the problem with someone whose advice you trust? How would you feel if family, friends or your employer learned of the action?
- 10. Professionalism in the Workplace Employers are looking at multiple criteria for employees including “soft skills” Soft skills include the ability to work with teams and exercise proper business etiquette.
- 11. Intercultural Business Communication Increasingly diverse workforce. Culture must be considered when operating in other countries. To target business firms may need to adapt or adjust to cultural context. Context, formality, communication style, and time orientation need to be observed and understood.
- 12. Writing Tips for the Business Professional Business writing should be Purposeful: solve problems and convey info Persuasive: message should be believed and accepted Economical: clear but concise Audience oriented: see the problem from audience perspective Your writing should appeal to the audience, be conversational and courteous.
- 13. Writing Tips for the Business Professional (cont’d) Prewriting Writing Revising • Prepare to write • Analyze and anticipate audience reaction • Adapt your message to the audience • Research • Organize the message and information • Composing your message • Proofread • Correct errors • Rearrange if necessary • Evaluate to decide if the message is effective
- 14. The Use of Electronic and Digital Media Electronic media used today can include email, instant message, texting, chats, podcast and social media. These tools allow for more immediate flow of information. There are many benefits to electronic media, but rules of business writing still apply.
- 15. The Use of Electronic and Digital Media (contd) Email messages are one of the most frequently used communication channels. Email may be in direct or indirect format. Email should be composed of: subject line, opening, body and closing. The writing should be professional including: Using correct case, spelling, grammar and tone.
- 16. Positive Messages Follow the 3x3 writing process Uses for positive messages may be: Business letter, requests, response to request, instructions and claims. Goodwill messages: Used to express thanks, answer or respond, or to convey sympathy
- 17. Negative Messages Negative messages need to be formatted to accomplish specific goals which include: Providing a clear explanation. Conveying a professional image for yourself and/ or your firm. Being sensitive and empathetic to the situation. Fairness. Maintaining the relationship. Follow the 3x3 writing process. Choose to use Direct or Indirect. Direct: the news may be overlooked, is not too damaging, or if it is preferred by the receiver. Indirect: the news is unexpected, threatens relations, or the news will be upsetting or generate hostility. The indirect method provides a buffer and may be better suited for these situations.
- 18. Negative Messages (cont’d) Negative messages should: Start with a positive statement or information. Include some type of compliment and appreciation. Show agreement with facts or common knowledge applicable to the situation. Provide facts and information regarding the message being delivered. Show understanding. An apology should be included in negative messages. Convey empathy and close with positive or pleasant information.
- 19. Business Presentations To prepare and effective presentation one must: Know the purpose and audience. Organize the content to be impactful. Be organized and capture attention. Summarize and Conclude. Other Tips: Build Rapport with the audience. Use nonverbal communication such as action and animation. Include visual aids and reference notes while speaking.
- 20. Business Presentations (cont’d) Design an effective power point or slide show for your presentation. Present information in a readable, understandable format. Keep text concise. Make the presentation visually appealing . Include graphics, animation, and color.
- 21. Business Presentations (cont’d) Keep the audience engaged and prepare handouts for following along. Rehearse and be prepared for questions. Conclude the presentation with confidence and appreciation.
- 22. Business Reports Formal business reports are prepared as a product of research and analysis resulting in conclusions or recommendations. A formal report should be prepared based on a work plan that involves data research and analysis. Business reports should be proofread and evaluated to determine if the report achieves the purpose. The report may study a problem and if so the recommendations should present solutions to this.
- 23. Business Reports (cont’d) A formal report should contain: Cover, title page, transmittal, letter, table of contents, list of exhibits or illustrations, executive summary, introduction, body, conclusion, recommendations, works cited, and an appendix. If the report is informal some of these may be omitted or excluded.
- 24. Business Plans A business plan is a form The pieces that should of a proposal for starting be included: a business and obtaining transmittal financing or backing. executive summary The plan will outline what mission statement, your specific business table of contents, proposal is. description of the company product description, market analysis operation management financial analysis appendix.
- 25. Business Proposals A business proposal is an offer made that is intended to solve a problem. The problem may be solved utilizing the product or service that is being offered. The proposal should include an introduction, the background or purpose, the proposal (inc budget and staff), budget and a request for the authorization. If the proposal is formal an RFP may also be included as well as a transmittal, executive summary, title page and table of contents.
- 26. Conclusion Business writing is essential, and can take many forms including: Electronic communication, positive and negative messages, reports, plans and proposals. Global competition, ethics and technology must be considered for effective communication. Teams are more frequently used in business and should be understood. Writing and Professionalism should be understood and follow best practices. Effective presentations will help to convey messages and should be utilized if possible.
Editor's Notes
- #3: Not only is communication essential, it is being demanded as a required skill set by employers. Statistics and studies show that it is one of the highest required demands.The skills are not writing alone, but the entire communication skill set including listening and reading. In addition, nonverbal skills are now being considered essential for employers. These nonverbal skills include understanding business etiquette, working with teams, and communication in a global environment.
- #4: The basic communication process includes the sender having an idea, choosing a media and encoding the message, the message travelling to the receiver and the receiver decoding the message. The receiver may also send feedback or a reply back through the same process. Many challenges can be found and encountered during this process and need to be mitigated. Challenges include: “noise”, bypassing, or a misunderstanding or misuse of words, language challenges, and other distractions such as typos or emotional communication. Communication skills needed today are also focused on interactive, mobile and instant situations.
- #5: Writing skills are essential in business today. Technology and digital communication tools have changed the way we communicate. Faster communication still needs to follow the traditional rules and employees need to have strong writing abilities. When people have stronger writing skills they are also more likely to earn more than those with lesser writing skills.
- #6: The economy in America is now diversified with global firms and employers. This diversification and increase in competition has made it more difficult for perspective employees to stand out. One way to stand out is to have more effective communication skills. The change in many organizational structures to a more flat or horizontal structure has created the need for employees to communicate more directly with higher level management and supervisors. Traditionally this communication had more levels to go through and could be refined.
- #7: Teams are becoming more widely utilized in organizations. By utilizing teams firms can pull together the employees which possess the needed skills to complete the tasks and projects. Teams make more effective work due to faster response times, increased morale and reduced risks for employees due to decisions being made by multiple individuals who can take responsibility and be accountable. Because of the need to work together, communication skills are essential. The fast paced environment of business does not allow for communication training once teams are formed, instead employers are seeking workers who already possess these skills. Smartphones, video conferencing, instant messaging, are all commonplace technologies in the workplace today. These tools allow for “virtual teams” which may exist with employees in different physical and geographic locations. Workers today are more connected and required to communicate on the go or at a moment’s notice. This requires strong communication skills and efficient writing.
- #8: In creating effective teams the process of forming, storming, norming and performing should be observed. In the forming stage team members get to know their teammates, begin to discover similarities and form bonds and develop relationships and trust. The storming phase is when roles begin to be defined among the members, this phase includes more conflicts and hopefully, the emergence of a leader and more clearly defined positions. Norming is when work takes place and there is progress and flow. This stage shows the beginnings of results on work product and tasks. In the performing stage the team grows and becomes productive. Results are produced and tasks are accomplished. Generally a team will be disbanded after work is completed or a project is finished. A new team will be assembled and go through the process again for other projects or assignments.
- #9: Businesses are increasingly paying attention to ethics and what it means for their firms. Because of the financial crisis, and multiple situations which called into questions unethical behaviors, firms are now required to adhere to more standards and regulations of behaviors that constitute ethics.Employees will generally be expected to know, understand and sign off on a firm’s code of ethics or ethical policies. This will include communication standards and policies. Laws prescribe acceptable behaviors but firms should also have policies for situations where ethics and communication may present challenges.
- #10: When an ethical challenge presents itself, the checklist of questions should be used to determine the best action: Is the action legal?How would you see the problem from the opposite side?What are alternate solutions?Can you discuss the problem with someone whose advice you trust?How would you feel if family, friends or your employer learned of the action?This can also be used in conjunction with the firm’s ethics code or if possible a board of ethics or manager.
- #11: Soft skills are now more than ever sought by employers. Soft skills include: listening skills, the ability and skills to participate on teams, skills in working in a diverse environment, and an understanding of proper business etiquette.
- #12: Today's workforce combines many different cultures, languages and customs. It is essential for employees to have communication skills which can work effectively in this environment. To function in the global business environment firms need to adjust and adapt to the cultures of those that they do business with. Certain things may be acceptable or not in other countries that firms may operate in. Countries may be high or low context, have different levels of formality, and varying communication styles. To do business or operate firms need to understand and be sensitive to these differences.
- #14: The steps to follow for the writing process are prewriting, writing and revising. You will need to identify your purpose and select the channel you will use to communicate you message. The anticipated response or perspective of the audience should be a factor in deciding how you will convey your message.
- #17: Positive message should follow the 3x3 writing – prewriting, writing and revising. Positive messages should be used for letters and memos, requests, delivering and receiving instructions, and to file claims. The purpose of positive messages is generally to express thanks, answer or respond to requests and to convey sympathy or gratitude.
- #18: Negative messages need to follow the 3x3 writing process, however the formatting must be more adapted to the news. The news needs to be delivered in such a way to give an explanation, remain professional, be sensitive and fair. The Direct or Indirect method choice is more important for negative messages. If the news is not too damaging the direct method may be appropriate. If the negative message is unexpected, will create hostility or may damage the relationship then the indirect method should be utilized.
- #25: A business plan is a form of business writing that outlines the plan for a new or changing business. The plan is what will be presented to investors or other key players when starting a business. The plan should include specific elements such as an executive summary, a market analysis, a description of the product and company and also a financial analysis. The plan is a proposal of sorts to gain interest and provide information, ultimately to secure financial backing or other support for the new business.