Planning Spoken and Written Messages

Planning Spoken and Written Messages Chapter 3

Learning Objectives • 1. Identify the purpose of the message and the appropriate channel. • 2. Develop clear perceptions of the audience to enhance the impact of the communication and human relations. • 3. Apply techniques for adapting messages to the audience, including strategies for communication ethically and responsibly. • 4. Recognize the importance of organizing a message before writing the first draft. • 5. Select the appropriate outline (deductive or inductive) for developing messages to achieve the desired response.

Learning Objective 1 • Identify the purpose of the message and the appropriate channel.

Process for Planning and Preparing Spoken and Written Messages

Step 1a: Determine the Purpose of the Message Whatdo you hope to accomplish with the message?

Step 1b: Select a Channel Telephone or face-to-face: Lends importance to the message; more personal Telephone or face-to-face: Lends importance to the message; more personal Email: Routine matter; mass distribution

Learning Objective 2 • Develop clear perceptions of the audience to enhance the impact of communication and human relations.

Step 2: Envision the Audience What should you learn about your audience?

Audience Perceptions Meaning an audience derives from a message is colored by:

Learning Objective 3 • Apply techniques for adapting messages to the audience, including strategies for communicating ethically and responsibly.

Step 3: Adapt the Message to the Audience Focus on the ________ point of view Communicate ________ and __________ Build and protect ________ Use ____________ language Use ______, informal words Project a positive, ______ tone Write ________ receiver’s ethically responsibly goodwill contemporary simple tactful concisely

Adapting: Focusing on Receiver’s Viewpoint Congratulations! You are the Employee of the Year. Please send me . . . (You is the understood subject.) You earned an extra day of vacation because of your performance.

Adapting: Communicating Ethically and Responsibly State information as truthfully and fairly as possible Do not exaggerate facts Express ideas understandably Support viewpoint with facts Respect and preserve receiver’s self-worth Design honest graphics

Adapting: Building and Protecting Goodwill Use ___________ cautiously Avoid _____________ or demeaning expressions Use __________ tone cautiously Use _______ language appropriately Use ________ language euphemisms condescending connotative specific bias-free

Common Occupational Euphemisms

Using Connotative Words May be more easily misinterpreted than denotative words Appropriateness varies with the audience and the context

Adapting: Using Contemporary, Easily Understood Language Eliminate outdated expressions Eliminate clichés Choose simple, informal words

Eliminating Clichés

Adapting: Writing Concisely Eliminate redundancies Use active voice Include only relevant details Eliminate clichés Do not restate ideas Tighten using prefixes, suffixes, and compound adjectives

Adapting: Projecting a Positive, Tactful Tone State ideas using _______ language Avoid using ______ person when stating negative ideas Use _______ voice to convey negative ideas Use __________ mood to de-emphasize negative ideas Include a ________ idea in the same sentence with a ________ one positive second passive subjunctive positive negative

Projecting a Positive, Tactful Tone

Learning Objective 4 • Recognize the importance of organizing a message before writing the first draft.

Sender Benefits from Outlining Encourages ________ and ______ Permits ____________ on one phase at a time Saves time in __________ ideas Provides a ___________ lift Facilitates appropriate ________ of ideas accuracy brevity concentration structuring psychological emphasis

Receiver Benefits from Outlining Makes messages more concise and accurate Makes relationships between ideas easier to distinguish and remember Promotes a positive reaction to the message and the sender

Learning Objective 5 • Select the appropriate message pattern (deductive or inductive) for developing messages to achieve the desired response.

Step 4: Select an Appropriate Outline

Planning Spoken and Written Messages