管理沟通作业英文版

I NTERCULTURAL AND I NTERNATIONAL C OMMUNICATIONC HAPTER 10“Life in the 21st Century will not be ‘business as usual’.”I. The new century brings new intercultural challenges to communication at home.A. Profound population shifts in the next few decades will leave the U.S. older andfar more ethnically diverse that ever before.B. Although current population rates continue to rise, after 2025 the U.S. willexperience an all-time low growth rate because the aging baby boomers will begindying faster than new Americans are born.C. The average age of the American population is growing exponentially.D. The shape, size, and even the definition of American families has drasticallychanged over the last thirty years.E. More women are entering the workforce than at any time since the end of WorldWar II.1. Women are still paid about 75 percent of what men in comparablepositions receive.2. Working women still bear a disproportionate share of the burden of childcare and household duties.II. Cultural challenges faced abroad also affect our ability to communicate.A. Many changes have caused a new world order and thus have ignited theimportance of international business. The key to success in the globalmarketplace is understanding the culture of your suppliers, customers, andcompetitors.B. Customs and cultures abroad differ from those in the U.S., often causingunknowing Americans embarrassment, anger, and sometimes imprisonment.1. Nonverbal communication can be as much a source of misunderstandingas verbal communication.2. Being culturally sensitive is essential to your success. Failures in anoverseas business setting most frequently result from an inability tounderstand and adapt to foreign ways of thinking and acting.III. Culture is everything people have, think, and do as members of their society.A Culture is a central part of our society, our economy, and the organizations whichemploy us.B. Culture is composed of the following items:1. Material objects;2. Ideas, values, and attitudes;3. Expected patterns of behavior.C. Here are a few ideas about culture that have been shown to be true across timeand across both national and cultural boundaries:1. Culture is learned.2. Cultural is universal to human society.3. Cultural is constantly undergoing change.a. Changes due to internal forces, such as discovery, invention, andinnovation.b. Changes due to external forces, such as diffusion of innovationacross space and time, and borrowing the traits, habits, or customsof another culture.4. Some cultures move more quickly than others. Here are five factorswhich influence the rate of change as well as the kind of change a culturemay experience:a. Relative advantage;b. Compatibility;c. Complexity;d. Trialability;e. Observability.5. Culture is not value-neutral.6. Not all cultures are equally complex.7. Virtually all cultures permit the development of sub-cultures.8. Culture can influence biology and biology can influence culture.9. All cultures display ethnocentrism, or the tendency to evaluate aforeigner’s behavior by the standards of one’s own culture and to believethat one’s own culture is superior to others.IV. Cross-cultural communication skills are essential to success in the global economy. The skill set you need to sharpen your cross-cultural communication skills involves thefollowing personal capacities:A. The capacity to accept the relativity of your own knowledge and perceptions.B. The capacity to be nonjudgmental.C. A tolerance for ambiguity.D. The capacity to communicate respect for other people’s ways, their country, andtheir values without adopting or internalizing them.E. The capacity to display empathy, to be flexible, and to take turns.F. The humility to acknowledge what you do not know or understand.。

P ERSUASIONC HAPTER 6Virtually all organizational communication includes some element of persuasion.I. The Human Belief System: Two Schools of ThoughtA. Behaviorism1. Contends that human behavior will most clearly reveal what a person isthinking, and that persuasion is most effectively exercised at thebehavioral level.2. Emphasizes observable, measurable behavior and discounts the role orvalue of mental activity.3. Learning occurs when there is a measurable change in the frequency ofobservable events.4. If human behavior can be conditioned to respond to external influences, aninternal change in attitudes and beliefs may result.B. Cognitivism1. Cognitivists believe that it is possible to learn something without changingthe learner’s behavior.2. Knowledge is viewed as symbolic mental constructs in the learner’s mind,and the learning process is the means by which the symbolicrepresentations are committed to memory.3. Early cognitivist, Milton Rokeach, explored the human attitudinal system,examining the relationship among the elements that comprise our beliefsand the factors associated with attitudinal assimilation and behavioralchange.II. A Conceptual View of the Human Attitudinal SystemA. In Rokeach’s view of the human attitudinal system, three components help todefine what we believe, how we organize those beliefs, and how they influenceour day-to-day behavior.1. Beliefs are at the core of the system, are acquired early in life and are themost fundamental component of our values.2. Attitudes are outgrowths of our beliefs, are dependent on them and tendto be consistent with them.3. Opinions are among the least stable and are the most susceptible topersuasion.B. The Role of Beliefs, Attitudes, and Opinions1. Change in one layer may expose a more fundamental layer to re-examination, but will require no change in the more basic layer.2. Change in a basic layer will require change in all higher attitudinal layers.3. The more basic the change, the more profound the reordering throughoutthe system.4. The less rational the basis for adoption, the more difficult is the basis forchange in a given belief or attitude group.5. The c loser a structure is to the center of one’s belief system, the morecentral it becomes to one’s self-concept.III. Objectives of PersuasionA. Reinforcing positive opinion.B. Crystallizing latent opinion.C. Neutralizing hostile opinion.IV. Outcomes of PersuasionA. Reinforcement of existing attitudes.B. Modification or shifting of existing attitudes.C. Creation of new attitudes.V. The Science of PersuasionA. Liking. We tend to like those who like us, but we also tend to like those who arelike us.B. Reciprocity. People repay in kind, and expect to receive what they give.C. Social proof. People will follow the lead of similar others when they’re asked todo something.D. Consistency. People do what they say they will and appreciate staying withintheir own “comfort zone.”E. Authority. People readily defer to experts.F. Scarcity. The value of an object often rises as fewer become available.VI. Successful Attempts at PersuasionA. Gaining the attention of your audience.B. Providing the appropriate motivation for your audience.1. Human needs as motivationsa. Maslow’s Hierarchy of Human Needs1. Basic needs.2. Security needs.3. Belonging needs.4. Love or esteem needs.5. Self-actualization needs.b. ERG Theory1. Existence needs.2. Relatedness needs.3. Growth needs.c. Packard’s Eight Hidden Needs1. Need for emotional security.2. Need for reassurance of worth.3. Need for ego gratification.4. Need for creative outlets.5. Need for love objects.6. Need for a sense of power.7. Need for roots.8. Need for immortality.2. Relating needs theory to persuasive messagesa. A highly credible source gets a good response from a fear appeal.b. If a strong fear appeal threatens the welfare of a loved one, it tendsto be more effective than if it threatens the members of theaudience themselves.c. A strong fear appeal may be related to personality characteristicsof the audience.d. The arousal of fear in an audience seems to depend on thespeaker’s ability to convince the audience of the probability thatthe threat will materialize and the magnitude of the consequences.3. Social conformity as motivationa. Admired individuals.b. Peer groups.c. Societal norms.C. Channeling the motivation of your audience to take action1. Recommend a specific proposition or proposal.2. Show the high probability that the satisfactions will be forthcoming.D. Inducing resistance in the audience to counter-persuasion1. State opposing arguments and refute them.2. Encourage audience.3. Warn the audience that others will attempt to get them to change theirminds.VII. Should You Use a One-Sided Argument or Two?A. One-sided arguments work best:1. When the audience agrees with your position and your aim is simply tointensify agreement.2. When the audience is not well-educated or has relatively low self-esteem.3. When the audience will not later be exposed to any form of counter-persuasion.B. Two-sided arguments work best:1. When the audience initially disagrees with your proposal.2. When you know the audience will be exposed to subsequent counter-persuasion or propaganda.3. When the audience has a low level of knowledge or personal involvementwith the topic.4. When you hope to produce more enduring results.VIII. Managing Heads and Hearts to Change Behavioral HabitsA. You must create a new frame of reference through which information andmessages are interpreted.B. You must manage the emotions and expectations of your audience.C. You must provide constant reinforcement to prevent backsliding.IX. Being PersuasiveA. Know your audience.B. Know what you want and what they want.C. Select your evidence carefully.D. Keep the argument simple.E. Listen before you speak.F. Manage your emotions as well as theirs.G. Connect with your audience on a personal level.。

管理沟通英语作文初中Communication is a vital aspect of management, and it plays a crucial role in the success of any organization. Effective communication involves not only the exchange of information but also the understanding and interpretation of that information by all parties involved. In the context of management, this means that managers must be able to communicate clearly with their team members, stakeholders, and other departments.Importance of Communication in Management1. Clarity and Understanding: Clear communication ensuresthat everyone is on the same page. It helps in avoiding misunderstandings and misinterpretations that can lead to costly mistakes.2. Decision Making: Effective communication is essential for making informed decisions. It allows managers to gather all necessary information and perspectives before makingstrategic choices.3. Teamwork and Collaboration: Good communication fosters a sense of teamwork and collaboration. It allows team members to work together towards common goals and to share ideas and feedback.4. Conflict Resolution: Open and honest communication is keyto resolving conflicts. It enables managers to address issues before they escalate and to find solutions that are acceptable to all parties.5. Motivation and Engagement: When managers communicate well, they can motivate their team members and keep them engaged. This leads to higher productivity and job satisfaction.Strategies for Effective Communication in Management1. Active Listening: Managers should practice activelistening to understand the concerns and ideas of their team members.2. Feedback: Providing constructive feedback is crucial for performance improvement. It should be specific, timely, and focused on behavior rather than personality.3. Transparency: Being transparent about goals, expectations, and performance helps in building trust and credibility.4. Use of Technology: Leveraging communication tools and platforms can enhance the speed and efficiency of communication.5. Cultural Sensitivity: Managers should be aware of cultural differences and adapt their communication style accordingly.Challenges in Communication1. Language Barriers: In diverse teams, language can be abarrier to effective communication.2. Information Overload: The sheer volume of information can sometimes make it difficult for managers to communicate effectively.3. Emotional Biases: Emotions can cloud judgment and affectthe clarity and objectivity of communication.4. Time Constraints: Managers are often pressed for time, which can lead to rushed or incomplete communication.ConclusionEffective management communication is not just about speaking; it's also about listening, understanding, and responding appropriately. It requires a combination of goodinterpersonal skills, organizational skills, and the use of appropriate technology. By mastering these skills, managers can ensure that their team is well-informed, motivated, and working towards the organization's goals.。

M EETING T HE M EDIAC HAPTER 13“News is what you don’t want to tell me. Everything else is public relations.”I. Maintaining a positive, honest, accessible relationship with the news media who report onyour industry and your company will never be easy, but it will be essential.II. Your best interests will be well served if you choose to selectively cooperate with reporters and editors who wish to interview you.A. Here are six ways to prepare yourself for these interactions.1. Reflect upon why interviews are important.2. Decide whether or not you should accept the interview.3. Know what you are getting into with the media.4. Prepare for the interview .5. Use preparations to make it happen during the interview.6. Follow-up with the person who interviewed you.III. Interviews are important for a number of reasons:A. They are an unparalleled opportunity to reach a large audience.B. They represent an opportunity for you to tell your story.C. They are an opportunity to inform.1. As a manager, they give you a chance to establish yourself as an expert oncertain subjects, or at least as a specialist who knows something about themarket, the product category, or the industry.2. Being friendly with those who are in search of information to support anewsworthy story can buy some goodwill for you when times are moredifficult and the story is about you, rather than someone else.3. If you offer information about your company on a regular basis, chancesare much greater that the readers and viewers of those news outlets willassociate your name, your company’s name, and your product or serviceline with such important attributes as quality, currency, value, anddesirability.D. They offer an opportunity to address public concerns. This is particularlyimportant because, if the public loses confidence in you, your company’s businessis done.E. They give you an opportunity to set the record straight.F. They offer an opportunity to apologize – if an apology is called for. An apologymay or may not reduce the risk of litigation, and there are ways to say you’resorry without assuming blame. An apology can defuse a situation to youradvantage.G. They are an opportunity to reinforce credibility. It is important in your role as amanager to reinforce public belief in what you do, in what you make or provide,and in who you are as an organization.IV. Should you or shouldn’t you respond to a reporter’s request for an interview?A. Here are a few blanket rules:1. Do not talk to reporters you do not know.2. Find out who the reporter is and then take some time to gather information,consult with others, and formulate a decision about participating.3. Be especially wary of cooperating with CBS’s60 Minutes or other similarentertainment programs. They don’t play by the same set of rules thatlegitimate news-gathering organizations do.B. Ask your Public Affairs or Corporate Communication office for help.C. Get some background before committing.D. Remember that gut feelings are important. Do not agree to participate if:1. You don’t trust the reporter;2. You are not clear on the direction or intent of the story;3. A reporter tries to high-pressure or blackmail you into cooperation;4. The nature of the story is so strongly negative that you do not want yourname or your company’s name associated with the report.V. A look at the news media.A. Remember that the media are a business.1. Newspapers, magazines, television stations and networks, and radiobroadcasters make money not by selling news, but by selling air time andspace to commercial advertisers.2. They are willing to gain revenues by focusing on more controversialstories or by searching for “bad guys.”B. Different size markets promote different risks.1. Large markets:a. It is often more difficult to report good news than bad, especially ifthat news is routine or does not represent exceptional information.b. Reporters are much less sensitive to the relationshipbetween advertising and profits.2. Small markets:a. Rarely employ reporters who are specialists.b. A general assignment reporter may know nothing ofyour business or industry.C. Remember that reporters do make mistakes. Respond to this situation, but handleit carefully. A reporter’s most important asset is her credibility. Appeal to hersense of professionalism before you move on to the assignment editor or newsdirector.D. Never demand a retraction or threaten a reporter.E. It makes a difference if the error is a fact or opinion.1. If the mistake is an error-in-fact, editors and news directors will be quickto correct it, and will usually do so with an apology.2. If the mistake is a matter of opinion, it may be difficult or even impossibleto get a correction or response from a reporter or broadcaster.F. Note that very few reporters are influential enough to make key decisions aboutthe stories they cover.G. Get to know local management to avoid being surprised by bad news.VI. How to prepare to meet with a reporter or to be interviewed by a journalist.A. Develop a strategy that addresses the following issues:1. The goals you hope to achieve by working with local news professionals.2. The general content of your message.3. The intended audience for your message.4. The visuals or photo opportunities you intend to offer.5. The timing and sequence of events involved in your story.6. What makes this story different from others?7. What makes your story newsworthy?8. The media you plan to work with to tell your story.9. Review and revise as needed.B. Research the reporter with whom you have agreed to interview to learn about herstyle, background knowledge on your company, and other related issues.C. Refine and practice your message.D. Confirm the details and ground-rules of the interview.E. Review the news the day of your interview – you never want to be surprised.F. Remember, that you are the expert.VII. When the moment of the interview arrives, here is a final checklist to consider.A. A prepared pocket card containing key facts and figures, along with current,positive talking points may be of some help.B. Arrive early, check out the setting.C. Allow the make-up artists to apply a little light makeup if they offer.D. Get your points in early.E. Perform the “Mother-in-Law Test”: ask yourself whether or not your mother-in-law would understand the explanation you have just given.F. Be yourself.VIII. Stay in control during an interview because if you lose control you cannot determine the outcome; other people will do that for you.A. You must focus on your goals for the interview and offer responses that aredirected toward those goals.B. You do not have to accept a reporter’s premise; stick to what you know and repeatyour most important contentions.C. You do not need to reveal everything, but what you do say should be honest,accurate, and reliable.D. Avoid arguments by staying calm, under control, and professional.E. You are always on the record.F. Use examples, illustrations, and brief anecdotes that people can easily envision oridentify with.G. If you cannot speak to the questions, refocus the question or speak to the issue. IX. Follow-up with your press interview so that you can learn, grow, and improve your abilities.A. Review the article or tape and look carefully at the way the story came together.B. Keep the chain of command informed about every interview you do.C. Provide feedback to the reporter who interviewed you to either complement theirwork or to discuss what went wrong.D. Leave a record for your successor.1. Take a few minutes to draft a memo for the record explaining how therequest for the interview developed, what the key issues were, who wasinvolved, where the interview took place, and what your impressions were.2. Include a copy of the article or video tape.。

C OMMUNICATION E THICSC HAPTER 3Ethical business practice is a noble goal to which virtually all firms aspire.I. The ethical conduct of employers.A. Employees question the ethics of many of their managers today.B. Only one third of employees feel comfortable reporting ethical misconduct.There are three primary reasons employees do not report actual observedmisconduct.1. Believed the organization would not respond.2. Perceived lack of anonymous and confidential means of reporting.3. Fear of retaliation from management.C. Ethical misconduct by competitors causes the free marketplace to be undermined,expectations are destroyed, and trust is eliminated.D. Your ethical misconduct may very well cause you to be viewed as unreliable andself-centered, thus eventually isolating you from upstanding business practitioners. II. Defining business ethics.A. Business morality is what business ethics is about.1. The term “ethics” most often refers to a field of inquiry, or discipline, inwhich matters of right and wrong, good and evil, virtue and vice, aresystematically examined.2. The term “morality” is most often used to refer not to a discipline but topatterns of behavior common to everyday life.B. The phrases “corporate social responsibility” and “the social responsibility ofbusiness” are not synonymous with business ethics.1. They imply business ethics deal exclusively with relationships betweenbusiness organizations and their external constituencies.12. They do not include interaction with internal constituencies and otherethical issues.III. There are three levels of inquiry to business ethics:A. At the individual level, the concern is that the values by which self-interest andother motives are balanced with concern for fairness and the common good, bothinside and outside of a company.B. At the organization level, the concern is for the strength of the group consciencethat every company has as it pursues its economic objectives.C. At the business system level, the concern is for the pattern of social, political, andeconomic forces that drives individuals and businesses.IV. There are three views of decision making for the business communicator and all others who make business decisions.A. A moral point of view.1. Helps individuals establish a willingness to seek out and act on reasons.2. Requires individuals to act impartially.3. Under this view, the decisions to be made are not especially clear andmost often decision makers do not have adequate information.B. An economic point of view.1. Allocates resources based on the forces of supply and demand.2. Incorporates assumptions about the free market, such as honesty, theft,and fraud into decisions.3. Stresses that companies are not merely abstract economic entities, butlarge-scale organizations that involve human beings and must operate in acomplex environment.C. A legal point of view.1. Helps business activity stay in line with the extensive system of lawswhich govern our nation.2. Ignores a number of realities involving the law and decision making.a.The law is inappropriate for regulating certain aspects ofBusiness activity; not everything immoral is illegal.b. The law if often too slow to develop in new areas of concern.c. The law employs moral concepts which are not precisely defined,making it difficult to make decisions without considering morality.d. The law is often unsettled or in evolution on many issues.e. The law does not provide specific guidance in all possibleinstances.f. The law is generally seen as an inefficient and expensiveinstrument.D. An integrated approach.1. Many business ethicists advocate a decision-making process thatintegrates all three viewpoints.2. In cases where neither the issue at hand nor the answer is not clear, someethicists stress the use of open dialogue with the stakeholders to makebetter decisions.V. A few basic concepts may help us to understand the nature of moral judgments:A. Normative judgments are claims that state or imply that something is good or bad,right or wrong, better or worse.B. Moral norms are standards of behavior that require, prohibit, or allow certainkinds of behavior.C. Moral principles are much more general concepts used to evaluate both group andindividual behavior.VI. Distinguishing characteristics of moral principles from other standards.A. They have serious consequences to human well-being.B. Their validity rests on the adequacy of the reasons which are used to support andjustify them.3C. They override self-interest to accomplish things for the greater good of society orpeople at large.D. They are based on impartial considerations.VII. Four resources are available to every business communicator who is trying to make ethical decisions.A. Observations are descriptive statements that rely on correct presentations of facts,and can usually be verified by more research.1. Their usefulness can be evaluated by the degree of objectivity they contain.2. A statement qualifies as an observation if contrary evidence can bedisproved.3. Unlike assumptions, observations are usually specific and empirical innature.B. Assumptions are reflective statements that rely on culture, religion, social, andpersonal history.1. Their theoretical roots are in our attitudinal system.2. They can be evaluated by criteria such as relevance, consistency, andinclusiveness.C. Value judgments are normative statements that rely on assumptions and make theconnection between a proposal and an observation.1. They cannot be verified by empirical research.2. They can be evaluated by different ethical traditions.D. Proposals are prescriptive statements that can be evaluated by examiningsupporting reasons.VIII. Moral judgments seem to depend on decision makers having and using four separate capacities.A. Ethical sensibility is reflected in your capacity to impose ethical order on asituation. A person lacking in ethical sensibility is vulnerable to acting in waysthat are improper.B. Ethical reasoning involves careful reasoning about a situation to determine whatkind of ethical problem is present. Ethical reasoning then offers opportunities forsolution.C. Ethical conduct requires people to act upon the ethical issues they have identifiedand examined. This can also be described as moral courage. \D. Ethical leadership calls for all levels of the corporate ladder to maintain highlevels of integrity. This concept stresses that the moral education of those beneathyou in an organization depends on your willingness to engage in and rewardethical behavior.IX. A formal statement of ethical principles is the most important means of establishing moral leadership in a business organization.A. A written statement of ethics makes a company’s expectations more concrete.B. There are three predominant types of ethical statements.1. Corporate code of ethics.2. Values statement.3. Corporate credos. Ethics codes help promote tolerance of diversepractices and customers while doing business overseas.C. Many values, along with the roles and objectives that managers must follow, arein competition with one another. Managers must respond to these conflicts withcaution, sensitivity, and a sense of fairness to everyone concerned.D. There are seven imperatives for managers to follow in writing and living out theprinciples of a corporate code of ethics.1. Write it. A written document helps to guide the values of the firm and alsosignals to everyone that the company is serious about its ethical values.2. Tailor it. The process places special emphasis on common issues andallows a company to address those matters which it regards as especiallyimportant.3. Communicate it. This continuing process assures all stakeholders areaware of and understand the behavior that a company expects of them.54. Promote it. The ethics document should be promoted through as manypublications, events, and channels as possible.5. Revise it. This process will help to keep the document current andreflecting changing conditions.6. Live it. Members must follow the firm’s values on a daily basis; theyshould be rewarded for these positive actions by managers.7. Enforce/Reinforce it. Managers must penalize those employees whorefuse to live by the principles.X. The “Front Page” test.A. Here managers ask themselves the simple question, “Would you be pleased if thepolicies in your organization, or the behavior of your employees, were to appearin a story on the front page of a major newspaper?”B. This test helps managers to determine if a firm’s policies or actions arefundamentally sound.。

L ISTENING AND F EEDBACKC HAPTER 8“Listening is hard work.”I. Most recent studies have shown that adults now spend more than half of their dailycommunication listening to someone else speak.II. Studies of listening skill show that the average North American adult listens at an efficiency rate of 25 percent.III. There is a substantial difference between hearing and listening.A. Hearing is merely an involuntary physical response to the environment.B. Listening is a process that includes hearing, attending to, understanding,evaluating, and responding to spoken messages.IV. Why should we listen?A. Poor listening can cause simple mistakes, lawsuits, and even deadly disasters.B. Listening is the central skill in the establishment and maintenance of interpersonalrelationships.V. There are many good reasons to improve your listening.A. The act of listening to another person demonstrates that you value him or her andcare about what he or she is saying.B. Listening to your employees promotes problem solving activities. By listeningcarefully and reflectively, a supervisor can guide a subordinate to a solution thathas a greater chance for success and greater levels of employee buy-in.C. Listening increases your receptiveness to the thoughts and ideas of others.D. Listening helps you to increase the self-esteem of the speaker. Increasing youremployees’ self-esteem can help them to concentrate on the tasks at hand andcompete successfully.E. Listening helps you to overcome self-consciousness and self-centeredness.49F. By listening to the concerns and interests of the other person first, you are morelikely to get what you want sooner and with substantially less angst.VI. The first step in becoming a more effective listener is to identify poor listening habits we have developed over a lifetime and replace them with effective, productive habits.A. Here are a few poor listening habits you must recognize and correct to improveyour listening skills:1. Being preoccupied with talking, not listening.2. Calling the subject uninteresting.3. Letting bias or prejudice distort the messages you hear.4. Oversimplifying answers or explanations.5. Yielding to external distractions.6. Yielding to internal distractions.7. Avoiding difficult or demanding material.8. Rationalizing poor listening.9. Criticizing the speaker’s delivery.10. Jumping to conclusions before the speaker has made his/her point.11. Being overly concerned with your response instead of focusing on themessage of the speaker.12. Assigning the wrong meaning to words.13. Listening only for facts and not context, connections, and rhetoricalligatures that link facts to human experience.14. Trying to make an outline of everything you hear or trying to forceinformation into artificial patterns.15. Faking attention to the speaker.16. Letting your heightened emotions regarding word choice or subject matterdistract you from the conversation or speech.5017. Interrupting the speaker to express your own opinion.18. Wasting the differential between the rate at which we speak and the rate atwhich we think.B. Here are a few habits you may want to substitute to effectively improve yourlistening skills:1. Stop talking.2. Participate in only one conversation at a time.3. Empathize with the person speaking.4. Ask questions if you are confused, lost, or need information.5. Although asking questions is useful, don’t interrupt your conversationpartner for a bit.6. Show complete interest in what is being said to you.7. Attain the privacy or proper environment to discuss the matter at hand toensure you will give the speaker your undivided attention.8. Listen critically by evaluating all the facts and evidence.9. Look beyond your assessment of the speaker to the ideas contained in thespeech.10. Realize that just because you want to hear it, that does not mean that thespeaker is saying it.11. Match your expectations of the speaker’s content against what youactually hear and think carefully about what has not been said.12. Tune into the speaker’s mood and intention, as well as the content of thespeech.13. Focus, concentrate, ask questions, and pay attention to what is going on tomake sure you understand the message.VII. To become an effective, empathetic, and skilled listener, you must participate in dialogue.Here are five skills that may help to increase your chances for becoming a successful,active listener.51A. Paraphrase as others speak to show you are actually listening to their words.B. Summarize the feeling of the speaker.C. Reflect the cognitive or logical content of a discussion.D. Review what you have concluded.E. After you have listened, follow through with actions.VIII. Periodically review your communication practices, and your listening habits in particular, to monitor your improvement.A. Here is a four-step process you should use to complete this review:1. Review your listening inventory.2. Recognize your undesirable listening habits.3. Refuse to tolerate undesirable habits.4. Replace undesirable habits with effective ones.IX. You can significantly increase the probability of communication success if you understand the role of feedback in both personal and professional communication.A. Here are some guidelines for constructive feedback:1. Acknowledge the need for feedback to assist in bettering yourorganization.2. Give both positive and negative feedback.3. Understand the context of the feedback (i.e., where it happened, why ithappened, what led up to the event).4. Make sure you are using words whose meaning you both understand.5. Do not speak in a language your conversation partner is likely tomisunderstand, misconstrue, or misinterpret.6. Do not assume anything about the other person - ask for clarification.7. Defuse the hostility, minimize the fear, and depersonalize the conversationby focusing your comments on the behavior involved not the people.528. Know when to give feedback.9. Know how to give feedback.B. Here are a few specific instances when you should not attempt to give feedback:1. You do not know much about the circumstances of the behavior.2. You do not care about the person or will not be around long enough tofollow up the aftermath of you feedback.3. The feedback, positive or negative, is about something the person has nopower to change.4. The other person seems low in self-esteem.5. You are low in self-esteem.6. Your purpose is not really improvement, but to put someone on the spot,or demonstrate how smart or how much more responsible you are.7. The time, place, or circumstances are inappropriate.C. Here are a few suggestions to provide helpful feedback to another person:1. Be descriptive and provide examples.2. Be objective, if possible3. Be clear, specific, and unambiguous.4. Do not exaggerate.5. Do not be judgmental or at least do not use the rhetoric of judgment.6. Take responsibility for your own job - do not refer to absent, anonymouspeople.7. Try to use first-person statements (“I” or “we”) so the effectiveness ofyour comments is not lost in accusation.8. Phrase the issue as a statement, not as a question..9. Focus on issues that are both important to improvement and well withinthe power of the other person to change.5310. Restrict your feedback to things you know for certain.11. Use each opportunity for feedback to establish useful workingrelationships and build long-term trust.12. Help people hear and accept your compliments when giving positivefeedback.D. Here are a few ideas to help refashion criticism so that it conforms to the rules forconstructive feedback:1. Take full, deep breaths to force your body to relax and allow your brain tomaintain greater alertness.2. Listen carefully to the person delivering the criticism.3. Ask questions for clarity.4. Acknowledge the feedback with both verbal and nonverbal indicators.5. Agree to valid points.6. Do not be defensive.7. Try to understand the objectives of the other person.8. Ask the feedback-giver for time to think about what was said and how youfeel about it.54。

10-07 (TN) The Tiger Woods Foundation:When Values and Behavior CollideTEACHING NOTEPurpose of the Case Study1.To illustrate the problems that arise when the figurehead of a non-profit charitableorganization engages in behavior that directly conflicts with the mission and values of the organization.2.To highlight the problems associated with hypocrisy and how an organization can maintainits credibility and effectiveness.3.To encourage discussion about the alternatives a non-profit organization may pursue toensure that it receives financial support to continue its mission.Identify the Business ProblemOn Thanksgiving weekend 2009, Tiger Woods crashed his Cadillac Escalade into a tree and a fire hydrant in front of his house. The incident occurred two days after a tabloid newspaper alleged that he was involved in extramarital affairs. This accusation was quickly proven and led to Tiger’s subsequent public acknowledgement and apology. In order to address his personal failings, he took an indefinite leave of absence from professional golf and public life. Some of Tiger’s sponsors began dropping him as the bad news continued to unfold. As this story continued to evolve, the Tiger Woods Foundation faced two main problems. First, the Tiger This case was prepared by Research Assistants Danielle Van Dyk and Bill Rayball under the direction of James S. O’Rourke, Concurrent Professor of Management, as the basis for class discussion rather than to illustrate either effective or ineffective handling of an administrative situation. Information was gathered from corporate as well as public sources.Copyright ©2010. Eugene D. Fanning Center for Business Communication. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, used in a spreadsheet, or transmitted in any form by any means – electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise – without permission.Woods Foundation could potentially lose financial contributions from corporations and individuals who no longer want to associate themselves with Woods or his causes. Secondly, the Foundation must find a way to effectively run its operation while Woods is out of the public eye, and thus not taking an active approach in its work.Identify Critical Stakeholder IssuesTiger WoodsTiger’s choices will clearly affect the Foundation. The more quickly Tiger can rehabilitate his reputation, the better off the Foundation will be. On February 19, 2010, Tiger made a 14-minute public apology that included the following statements about the Foundation:“My behavior has caused considerable worry to my business partners, to everyoneinvolved in my foundation, including my staff, board of directors, sponsor, and mostimportantly the young students we reach. Our work is more important than ever.Thirteen years ago, my dad and I envisioned helping young people achieve their dreams through education. This work remains unchanged and will continue to grow. From thelearning center students in southern California to the Earl Woods scholars in WashingtonD.C. millions of kids have changed their lives and I am dedicated to making sure thatcontinues.”Initial reaction to his statement was mixed. Some found it to be a heartfelt attempt to fix what he had broken, while others found it to be a calculated and insincere public statement. Given Tiger’s strong desire to maintain a high degree of privacy in his personal life, it seemed unlikely that he would make many statements on this matter in the near future. It remained to be seen if this would help improve his now-damaged reputation or cause further harm to his brand.Tiger Woods Foundation Board and LeadershipThe Tiger Woods Foundation board and leadership will be tested during this time. Gregory McLaughlin, the Foundation’s CEO will have to pay extra close attention to fostering and maintaining relationships with corporate partners to ensure the Foundation remains financially sound. The Foundation leadership will also have to determine the extent to which they want to leverage the Tiger Woods “brand” now that his reputation has been severely damaged and lies in contrast to the values and mission of the organization.Corporate SponsorsCorporate sponsors are among the most critical stakeholders in this situation. The fact that some sponsors have dropped him indicates that the Foundation may be in danger of losing its sponsors as well. Since approximately 75% of the Foundation’s revenues come in the form of donations and from fundraising activities, it is critical that the Tiger Woods Foundation is able to maintain a positive relationship with corporate sponsors to ensure that its works are adequately funded. Recipients of the Foundation’s ServicesBecause the Foundation is largely based on the idea that it is a place that allows young people to reach for the kind of success that Tiger has achieved, the disillusionment of the scandal maycause a loss of interest in participating in the Foundation’s activities. The potential lack of funding in the future could also prevent the Foundation from offering as many grant opportunities or scholarships as it had in the past.Comparable Charitable OrganizationsAs some corporate sponsors attempt to distance themselves from Tiger Woods and his damaged reputation, they will continue to seek outlets for charitable giving. Organizations, such as the United Way, could potentially see an increase in corporate giving.Most Desirable Outcomes•The Foundation will be able to retain its corporate sponsors.•The Foundation will continue to hold the interest of youths and their families.•Tiger will be able to drastically improve his reputation, thereby benefitting the Foundation as well.Applying the Page PrinciplesArthur W. Page, Vice President of Public Relations at AT&T from 1927 to 1946, is often credited with creating the framework for what has become the modern practice of corporate public relations. The man who famously said, “All business in a democratic society begins with public permission and exists by public approval,” fashioned an ideal model of public relations performance to which companies still aspire. After his death, the Arthur Page Society created seven “Page Principles” based on his life’s teachings and example. These principles can be effectively applied to the Tiger Woods Foundation case as a means of evaluating their corporate communication.Tell the TruthThe Foundation must be honest with corporate sponsors about the difficulties that Tiger finds himself in. Since this story is widely known, all corporate sponsors know the personal struggles Tiger is facing. The Foundation, however, should advocate on behalf of all the good it continues to accomplish, despite Tiger’s failings. While it should acknowledge that Woods acted in contrast to the Foundation’s values, he did lay the groundwork for the organization to improve the lives of millions of children around the world. The Foundation must work to meet sponsors’ interests in a sincere way, openly acknowledging the uncertainty of what effect an association with Tiger will have on the sponsors’ reputations. The Foundation’s leadership team does not know how Tiger’s image will evolve as time progresses or what additional facts remain to be uncovered. They must emphasize that their mission as a foundation is to continue to provide needed services to young people.In addition, Tiger needs to be honest with the public about his transgressions. He did this in his public apology on February 19, 2010. He took full responsibility and asked for forgiveness.Prove it with ActionThe Foundation can show that it is fully committed to keeping the program running. It must show sponsors what it has planned for the future. The best way to accomplish this is to consistently deliver services that substantially improve the lives of the youths they serve. The Foundation’s public relations office must adequately showcase the Foundation’s accomplishments to ensure they remain relevant in the non-profit world.Tiger must also work to rebuild his own reputation. He must show the public that his mistakes are an issue of the past, and that he is committed and able to conduct his personal affairs in an honorable way. Doing so will enhance the impact of the Foundation’s message about the values it promotes. He is currently participating in therapy to help him address these issues. Seeking appropriate treatment demonstrates that he is highly motivated to change.Listen to the CustomerRegarding the scandal, the Foundation must carefully monitor the reactions of those who receive the Foundation’s services. Participants may be less interested in the Foundation’s programs due to disillusionment with Tiger as a person. If this is the case and it appears to be a long-term problem, the Foundation may need to consider disassociating itself from Tiger, if possible. Manage for TomorrowThe initial shock caused by the scandal will eventually subside. Over time, sponsors may become less fearful to associate themselves with Tiger Woods. At the same time, the Foundation should consider the possibility that retaining sponsors now may be easier than procuring new sponsors in the future. For this reason, it may be well worth the effort to reach out to current sponsors to persuade them to stay.Tiger showed an effort to manage for tomorrow by making a profuse public apology. It is clear that he would like to return to public life and professional golf in as dignified a manner as possible. His apology was the first step towards doing so.Conduct Public Relations as if the Entire Company Depends on ItThe Foundation has a strong interest in rebuilding Tiger’s reputation. For this reason, they should consider how they might possibly get involved in this effort. It may be possible to rehabilitate Tiger’s reputation by increasing his role in the organization. The American culture embraces a “comeback story.” The work of the Foundation could provide the outlet by which Tiger Woods can demonstrate his strong commitment to providing character-building services to young people while he regains his dominance on the golf course. While this necessarily involves further associating themselves with a highly scandalized Tiger Woods, their success is dependent on Tiger’s success, and the effort may pay off in the long run.To best ensure the future success of the Foundation, Tiger must employ all possible resources to demonstrate that he is a changed man.Remain Calm, Patient, and Good-HumoredEven in the aftermath of the Tiger Woods scandal, the Foundation has continued to function properly. The Foundation is meeting the needs of the stakeholders in which it serves. It appearsto be waiting for the chaos to subside before making any major decisions. It seems possible that Tiger will make a successful return to the golf course and that if he behaves himself he will eventually have a number of sponsors again. In the meantime, if Tiger chooses to do so, it does not seem as though it would be difficult for him to fund the Foundation with his own fortune.Discussion Questions1.How can the Foundation disassociate itself with Tiger’s personal behavior, but still beable to leverage his celebrity status to bring funding and awareness to its causes?2.Should the Foundation make any statements regarding the scandal?3.What could the Foundation do to retain its sponsors?4.How will the scandal affect public interest in the Foundation’s services?5.Should the Foundation disassociate itself entirely from Tiger?6.Could Tiger improve his reputation by increasing his personal involvement in theFoundation?。

M ANAGEMENT C OMMUNICATION IN T RANSITIONC HAPTER 1Communication is the work of managers, day in and day out.I. The daily work of managers.A. Managers are in constant action.1. Switch frequently from task to task.2. Change their focus of attention to respond to issues as they arise.3. Engage in a large volume of tasks of short duration.B. Managers spend most of their time interacting with others.1. Engage in interactions both inside and outside the organization.2. Talk and listen when in action.II. The majority of managers cluster around three core management roles.A. Interpersonal roles are the richest source of information for managers becauseof their immediate and personal nature.1. The figurehead role is exhibited when performing ceremonial duties oftheir position.2. The leader role is exhibited when demonstrating their responsibility for thework of the people in their unit and their actions. This is where theinfluence of managers is most clearly seen.3. The liaison role is exhibited when establishing and maintaining contactsoutside the vertical chain of command.B. Informational roles of managers are required because not even the mostexpensive management information system can match the speed and intuitivepower of a well-trained manager’s brain for information processing.1. The monitor role allows managers to scan the environment for information.2. The disseminator role allows managers to pass privileged informationdirectly to subordinates.3. The spokesperson role allows managers to send information to peopleoutside of their organizations.C. Decisional roles are used by managers to make decisions on behalf of theorganization and the stakeholders with an interest in the organization.1. Interpersonal and informational roles often aid the decision makingprocess.2. The entrepreneur role is shown when managers seek to improve theirbusinesses, to adapt to changing market conditions, and to react toopportunities as they present themselves.3. The disturbance or crisis handler role depicts managers who mustinvoluntarily react to conditions.4. The resource allocator role involves managers making decisions aboutwho gets what, how much, when, and why.5. The negotiator role is used to resolve disputes with people inside andoutside the organization.III. Although the specificity of managers’ work may differ, there ar e a few major characteristics relating to every job.A. The time of managers is fragmented. This often drives managers to overwork andcan force them to complete tasks superficially.B. Values compete and the various roles are in tension placing managers in themiddle when making many decisions. Managers cannot satisfy all partiesinvolved, thus decisions are often based on the urgency of the need and theproximity of the problem.C. The job of managers is overloaded due to significant reorganization efforts tomake businesses more efficient, nimble, and competitive. Downsizing, coupledwith high-speed data processing and remarkably efficient telecommunicationsystems has greatly increased the number of people directly reporting to managers.D. Efficiency becomes a core skill for successful managers.IV. The emphasis of management roles is what varies in a manager’s job.A. The role of the entrepreneur is gaining importance as managers becomeincreasingly aware of threats and opportunities in their environment. Managerswho are carefully attuned to the marketplace and competitive environment willlook for opportunities to gain an advantage.B. The leader role is gaining importance as managers must become moresophisticated as strategists and mentors. Managers need to become more activementors to attract and retain skilled employees.C. Managers must create a local vision as they help people within their organizationto grow.V. The 21st Century workplace will require three types of skills, each of which will be useful at different points in your career.A. Technical skills are most valuable at the entry level, but less valuable at the seniorlevels. These skills constantly change and become outdated.B. Relating skills are valuable across the managerial career span and are morelikely to help you progress and be promoted to higher levels of responsibility.These skills help you form relationships with people both inside and outside ofthe organization.C. Conceptual skills are the least valuable at the entry level, but more valuable atsenior levels in the organization. These skills permit you to look past the detailsof everyday work assignments and see the bigger picture.VI. Talking is the work of managers.A. One-on-one conversations allow an enormous exchange of information.B. Managers spend an astounding amount of time on the telephone. The amount oftime per telephone call is decreasing, but the number of calls per day is increasing.C. Video teleconferencing makes direct conversations to people around the world asimple matter. These exchanges can be informal, conversational, and not muchdifferent than if the parties were in the same room.D. Managers give many presentations to small groups of three-to-eight people inboth a formal and informal manner.E. Most managers are often required to speak to larger audiences of several dozen, orperhaps, even several hundred. These presentations are often more formal butstill involve one manager talking to others, framing, shaping, and passinginformation to an audience.VII. The major channels of management communication are talking and listening.VIII. The role of writing plays an important role in the life of any organization.A. Managers use writing as a career sifter; if you do not demonstrate your ability toput ideas on paper in a clear, unambiguous fashion, you will most likely not last.B. Managers at all levels of most organizations draft, review, edit, and dispatch theirown correspondence, reports, and proposals.C. When a document leaves your desk, it takes on a life of its own. Documentsbecome the property of the organization they are sent to and therefore they arefree to do as they see fit with your writing.D. Managers create meaning through communication, thus communication isinvention.IX. Information is socially constructed.A. Information is created, shared and interpreted by people.B. Information never speaks for itself; it almost always requires some sort ofinterpretation, explanation or context.C. The context of a message is always of paramount importance to the listener,viewer, or reader in reaching a reasonable conclusion about what she sees or hears.D. If the messages you send as a manager are to have the impact you hope they will,they must come from a source the receiver knows, respects, and understands.。

Eugene D. Fanning Center for Business Communication00-02Mendoza College of BusinessUniversity of Notre DameLaJolla Software, Inc.TEACHING NOTEPurpose of Case Study1.To introduce students to the communication issues involved in the global marketplace.2.To help students recognize the importance of intercultural communication skills inbusiness.3.To encourage students to think about strategies for communicating across cultures.This case study lends itself best to classroom discussion and is useful for highlighting the issues involved in communicating cross-culturally.Identify the Business ProblemAs LaJolla Software enters the global business arena, it must be careful not to alienate those with whom it wishes to do business. The quickest way to alienate a group of people is to ignore their customs and cultural norms. Not only does Todd Batey need to educate LaJolla’s workforce on Japanese customs and culture, but he must also tactfully convey relevant information about the American culture to LaJolla’s Japanese visitors. The success of LaJolla’s joint venture depends on its ability to understand and incorporate Japanese customs in its business dealings.This teaching note was prepared by Cynthia Maciejczyk under the direction of James O’Rourke, Concurrent Associate Professor of Management, as the basis for class discussion rather than to illustrate either effective or ineffective handling of an administrative situation.Copyright 2001. Revised 2005. Eugene D. Fanning Center for Business Communication. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, used in a spreadsheet, or transmitted in any form or by any means – electronic, photocopying, or otherwise – without permission.Forecast the Most Desirable OutcomeThe most desirable outcome in this situation is for Todd Batey to develop an education program that addresses not only the needs of the Japanese visitors, but also the information needs of LaJolla Software employees. Only through an understanding of each other's cultures will these two groups be able to form a successful business alliance.Identify the Critical IssuesThese are the main issues involved in this case:•LaJolla’s strategic business objectives;•LaJolla employees’ knowledge of Japanese culture;•The Japanese businessmen's knowledge of American culture;•How cultural differences may influence the development of a strong business relationship.Stakeholder perspectives include:•LaJolla Software, Inc.;•Ichi Ban Industries;•Shareholders;•Business partners;•Customers.Identify and Discuss Possible Solutions to the ProblemTodd Batey must develop a plan for educating LaJolla’s employees and also helping the visiting Japanese understand American culture.1.His first course of action is to research Japanese culture and in particular businesscustoms (possible sources for information include books, articles, Web sites).2.Todd should also spend time researching North American standard business socialpractices. As a young employee of a nontraditional company, it’s safe to assume thatTodd is not well versed in standard American business protocol. This is a goodopportunity for him to educate himself and his coworkers.3.Additionally, Todd should find out as much as he can about each of his visitors beforethey arrive. It is possible that Mr. Yakura, who has been to the U.S. before, can be aresource. This knowledge will help him design a more targeted program.24.Once he has a better understanding of what is important in Japanese culture, Todd canbegin to develop a plan for educating LaJolla employees. This plan may include adetailed memo to all employees, small-group meetings or training workshops, or a series of e-mail messages.5With regard to the Japanese businessmen, Todd will need to develop a more interactive plan. These visitors will need to be handled carefully so they do not feel overwhelmed.Todd’s plan should gradually introduce different aspects of American culture over aperiod of two to three weeks.Teaching the CaseAt the beginning of classBecause this case does not involve complex facts or events, you can distribute the case at the beginning of the class period in which it will be discussed. Give the students 10 minutes to read the case and ask them to think about the following issues:•What preparation can be accomplished in the limited time frame (one week)?•What are the company’s goals for the visit?•What might LaJolla employees know about Japanese culture?•What might the Japanese businessmen know about American culture?•What is important to know about each culture for a successful businesspartnership?•Worst-case scenario: what could possibly go wrong with the visit?For the remainder of the classHave the students discuss the issues listed above. The discussion questions that are included in the case offer an excellent starting point for students’ thoughts about this case. Some additional points to consider:What could go wrong. Have students think of worst-case scenarios and identify ways to prevent these scenarios.Have students think of specific events that would illustrate important aspects of American culture. (Sports and entertainment events, business presentations, university outings.)Students should consider how Todd will communicate his plan to LaJolla Softwaremanagement and employees. Is it important for the entire company to be involved? Identify the stakeholders in this case and their separate interests and concerns:3LaJolla Software, Inc. The company has a lot to lose if they do not successfully mergethe two cultures. In order to grow the company, LaJolla’s management must takeadvantage of a window of opportunity in the Far East. Without a strategic Asian business partner, the company will face an uphill struggle in that market.Ichi Ban Industries. Ichi Ban will work to make the partnership a success. After getting the blessing of shareholders, business partners, bankers, and Keiretsu executives, Ichi Ban does not want to risk a public failure.Shareholders and business partners. Both companies have a duty to shareholders andbusiness partners to make the venture work. Both groups will watch the partnershipclosely, and make investment decisions accordingly.Customers. LaJolla Software must continue to serve its customers in the same way it has in the past. Customers will be interested in this joint venture for the potential effect it will have on new product development and customer service.Last 5 minutes of classConclude the discussion.The key to this case, as with nearly all other management communication cases, is to let the students speak freely, but guide their comments toward the situation facing Todd Batey and the communication issues the case presents.Writing AssignmentsFollowing are a few suggested writing assignments for this case. These assignments call for students to do some research into Japanese business practices:1.Have students assume Todd Batey’s role and write a memo to LaJolla Software uppermanagement, outlining his plan for teaching the Japanese businessmen about Americanculture. Included in this memo should be a plan for teaching LaJolla employees aboutJapanese culture.2.Have students assume that Todd has just heard of the impending visit by LaJollaSoftware’s Japanese business partners but that management has not made any specialarrangements beyond the Zoo and a Padres game. Have students write a memo topersuade LaJolla management of the need for an education program for both the Japanese visitors and their own employees.3.Have students compose an “all-hands” memo to LaJolla Software employees informingthem of some important etiquette issues in Japanese culture and their implications forhow the employees should interact with their Japanese guests.4。

W RITINGC HAPTER 5The most important projects and decisions in the life of a business end up in writing.I. Writing is an important form of management communication because it:A. Provides a way to think about and organize a business;B. Provides analysis and justification for a manager’s best ideas;C. Provides documentation and discipline for an organization.II. An introduction to good business writing.A. Good business writing is simple, clear, and concise.B. It helps the reader focus on the idea the writer is trying to communicate, ratherthan on the words used to describe it.C. The evidence used to support a writer’s ideas is readily understandable.III. Here are fifteen ways to become a better business writer:A. Keep in mind that your reader does not have much time.B. Know where you are going before you start writing.C. Do not make any spelling or grammatical errors.D. Be responsive to the needs of the reader.E. Be clear and specific.F. Try to use the present tense.G. Make your writing vigorous and direct.H. Use short sentences and paragraphs.I. Use personal pronouns.J. Avoid cliches and jargon.K. Separate facts from opinion.L. Use numbers with restraint.M. Write the way you talk.N. Never be content with your first effort.O. Make it perfect!IV. The strategy of writing memos.A. Good memos get to the point, focus on just one issue, and support the writer’scentral ideas with coherent, relevant, convincing evidence.B. Memos are usually internal documents and therefore are used to pass information,ideas, and recommendations to other people in the same organization.C. The opening or overview paragraph of a memo should reveal a communicationstrategy for the entire document.1. Purpose: Why are you writing the memo?2. Main idea: What do you want to tell the reader? Or, what do you want thereader to do?3. Opinion: What is your point of view on the subject?V. When you know what you want to achieve – and what you want your reader to learn from your writing – you will need a communication strategy.A. Information strategies.1. To confirm agreement.2. To provide facts.3. To provide a point-of-view.B. Action strategies.1. To request assistance.2. To give direction.3. To seek agreement.VI. The overview is the first paragraph a reader will see and is one of the mostimportant elements of a memo.A. Keep the words simple and the sentences short so that anyone who receives thedocument will understand it.B. Keep the overview brief as it is to act as an “executive summary” of the memothat follows.C. Deal with “what” is being addressed, not “how” to fix it.D. Include and identify the writer’s opinion.E. Reflect the needs of the reader.F. Although brief, the overview should be thorough and complete.VII. Interoffice memos have two purposes: to inform or persuade. You will want to think about the following as you write:A.Make your reasons for writing clear to the readers.B.Write about just one subject.C.Begin with the big picture first, then move to the details.D.Provide just as much detail as you think your reader will need.E.Group similar information together.F.Provide a point-of-contact for your readers.G.Avoid gratuitous use of the first-person singularH.Stick to the facts.VIII. A persuasive memo must provide a complete, logical argument with which the reader cannot disagree.A. Consider your objective against the reader’s att itudes, perceptions, and knowledgeof the subject.B. Construct an outline on paper, focusing on the Situation Analysis and Rationalesections. This will help develop a logical argument and identify missinginformation.C. Include a plan of action to add credibility and practicality to the ideas presented inthe memo.D. Avoid controversial issues, opinions, and unsupported assertions in the SituationAnalysis. Stick to the facts to ensure the reader will agree with this section of thememo.E. Present your Recommendation and Rationale before you discuss other options thatyou have considered and rejected.F. Always lead from strength.1. Start the proposal with a strong, confident Overview.2. Bring important ideas to the beginning of each section.3. In the Rationale section, always present your arguments in order ofperformance.G. Use precedent to make the proposal appear less speculative.I.Gear the argument to the decision criteria of the reader.IX. The outlining of a proposal memo.A. The flow of the outline follows three basic steps.1. Situation Analysis: Where are we today and why are we here?2. Recommendation: What should we do about it?3. Rationale: Why is this a good thing to do?B. The seven-step outlining procedure helps the writer to improve their thinking andreduce confusion for the reader.1. Review the strategy to ensure the goal of the memo is established.2. Assemble all of the information that will go into the memo.3. Identify and separate the information the reader needs to know tounderstand the situation.4. Identify and separate the recommended course of action.5. Develop the rationale by eliminating invalid arguments andstrengthening areas that appear unclear.6. Rank the arguments from most powerful to least important.7. Test the argument against the reader’s decision criteria.X. Standard formats for memos.A. Help the writer to organize information and concepts quickly.B. Help the reader to know immediately where to find pieces of information and howthey fit together.C. A suggested format for business memos is The Business Strategy Memo, found inAppendix D at the end of the student textbook.1. This format is appropriate regardless of how long and complex thememo is.2. Note the format suggested here separates the contents of a memointo four or five sections, each no more than a paragraph or two, and eachclearly marked with a boldface heading.D. If you work for an organization that has a detailed correspondence manual, you needonly to follow the directions it provides.XI. Meeting and conference reports are used to record decisions made at a meeting.A. Avoid long descriptions of meeting events.B. Use a standard format that includes the name of a groups, persons attending, andsubjects covered.C. Briefly report on what was discussed or presented as well as what was decidedand why.D. Focus your report on these issues:1. What action is required.2. Who is responsible.3. What the timing will be.XII. Project lists keep track of current and proposed activities.A. Simple descriptions of what the organization is doing to achieve goals or serve itscustomers.B. Separate each project by category, then list projects in order of priority orimportance.C. Each project should include: a title and brief description, status, next steps,responsible parties, and dates due.D. Completed or terminated projects should be shown as such the following month,with a brief notation about why the project will not appear on future project lists. XIII. Make memos inviting and attractive.A. Grab attention up front by presenting a strong overview section.B. Vary sentence and paragraph length - but keep them short.C. Use headings to improve organization.D. Use bullets and numbers to identify groupings.E. Use parallel structure for lists.F. Underline or use boldface type to focus on topic sentences, key words, andphrases.G. Leave adequate margins to make the document more inviting.H. Don’t settle for a sloppy or illegible duplication.XIV. Editing your memo is necessary to produce quality writing.A. This process helps to trim, clarify, and simplify the document.B. To edit your memo, put yourself in the reader’s place and go through thedocument several times, each time asking yourself one of the following sevenbasic questions.1. Is it clear?2. Is it complete?3. Is it persuasive?4. Is it accurate?5. Is it concise?6. Is it inviting to read?7. Is it perfect?XV. Writing good business letters.A. Unlike memos, business letters are primarily external documents.B. Like memos, good letters are crisp, concise, spoken in tone, and organized so thatreaders can follow and understand with a minimum effort.C. Employ the following thoughts when writing a business letter:1. Answer the mail within three business days or drop the reader anote explaining the situation.2. Show by your words and actions that you are genuinely interestedin them and the issue they have written about.3. Do not be too short, brief, or curt.4. Soften the blow of bad news by saying you are sorry it happened,you regret the outcome, or some similar selection of words.5. Share in the reader’s good fortune if it is good news.6. Give the reader the benefit of the doubt if the issue is not clear.7. Never send off an angry letter.8. If an odd character crosses your path, be polite, do your job, andthey will usually go away.9. Show that you have a sense of humor if someone makes (orattempts) a joke.10. Make sure your letter answers all of the questions your audience islikely to have; respond to their fears, doubts, and concerns. Be carefulwith form letters because their one-size-fits-all approach often does notaddress all the issues.XVI. Guidelines to follow when you are required to explain something.A. Nothing is self-explanatory. Explain in simple, ordinary English what you wantyour reader to know.B. Explain any scientific or technical language used in the document.C. Be sequential in your explanations, moving step-by-step through processes thatare complex.D. Make certain you provide enough to answer questions, allay fears, and quelldoubts.E. Don’t overdo it. Provide enough detail to satisfy their curiosity, but not so muchthat you put them off.F. Illustrate. If you cannot explain it, perhaps you can show it.G. Answer expected questions.H. Caution the reader about items that can be easily misunderstood or misread. XVII. Guidelines to follow when you are required to apologize.A. Take the complaint seriously.B. For the most part, people will calm down and adopt a more understanding attitudeif you simply explain what happened and tell them why.C. Don’t shift the blame. Just accept responsibility for what has happened and offera solution.D. Don’t just write. Do something to fix the problem.XVIII. The style of your writing is important to your career development.A. Business writing is best received if it is compact, informal, and organized.B. This brand of writing leads to organizational efficiency, personal productivity,and upward movement in your career.XIX. Help to make your writing more efficient by eliminating common problems.A. Use plain English to replace big words.B. Don’t use words ending in “-wise.”C. Avoid doublings or words having the same meanings to describe what you wantyour reader to know.D. Avoid the use of noun modifiers.E. Avoid using the phrase “it is” unless it refers to something definite mentionedearlier.F. Avoid using legal-sounding language.G. Remember that two-word modifiers may need hyphens when two words act asone.H. Express ideas involving action with specific verbs.I. Try to avoid specialized terms with outsiders and use them no more than you mustwith insiders.J. More often than not, “that” and “which” do not help the meaning or flow of a sentence, so use them sparingly.K. Eliminate “the ___ion of...” construction whenever the conte xt permits.L. Simplify wordy expressions.XX. Try to make your writing more like your speaking.A. Write with personal pronouns.1. Use we, us, and our when speaking about the company.2. Use I, me, and my when speaking for yourself.B. Occasionally use contractions. Using negative contractions for instructions oftensoftens direct orders.C. Occasionally reach out to your reader by asking questions.D. Use short spoken transitions more often than long formal ones.E. Do not rework a sentence just to shift a preposition from the end.F. Keep sentences short, about twenty words on average.XXI. Use active verbs in place of passive verbs.A. Passive sentences are deadly in business memos for three reasons.1. They obscure responsibility by omitting a subject or human actorfrom the sentence.2. They are almost always longer sentences.3. They delay discussion of the subject.B. To write actively, remember this simple rule: put the doer before the verb.C. Passive sentences may be used in one of three circumstances:1. When the doer is obvious.2. When the doer is unknown.3. When the doer is unimportant.XXII. A few more organizational tips to improve your letters.A. Open with your main point, the one sentence you would keep if you could justkeep one.B. Give directions before reasons, requests before justifications, answers beforeexplanations, conclusions before details, and solutions before problems.C. Use headings and sub-headings to break-up information.D. Make reading easier by keeping paragraphs short.E. Do not clutter your first paragraph with unnecessary chatter.XXIII. Every manager has a responsibility to improve the communication skills of his or her subordinates.A. Show your people you want clear, concise writing by example.B. Know what you want before giving assignments and then proceed to give specificdirections.C. When projects are difficult or complex, break up the assignment into manageableparts.D. Read and review before discussing a memo.E. When you review a memo, start with big issues.1. Do not rewrite the memo.2. Remember to be positive in your suggestions.F. Be certain the writer understands and agrees with your comments.G. Give people flexibility and freedom to develop their own style.。