Digital Key Concepts Management 102 Professor Estenson

1. Digital Key ConceptsManagement 102Professor Estenson PREPARING TO WRITE

2. Writing Apprehension • CAUSES • Early Efforts • Never Been Taught • Lack of Knowledge of purpose, audience or point of the effort • FIXES • Work Shops • Write then Right • Supportive Evaluation

3. PLANNING • WHAT • Nature of the message • What needs to be communicated? • WHY • Why bother? Does the receiver know why message is being sent? • WHO • Have I chosen the right person? • What channel is this person comfortable receiving? • WHEN • Too early or too late. Close to critical meetings • WHERE • Where should the message come from? • HOW • Channel (Letter, Memo, Report, Email, Phone Call, Brochure, Newsletter, Manual

4. PRINCIPLE ONE: Choose Words Precisely • DENOTIVE - Word has a common meaning. • Malapropism - Confusing one word for another • Allegory or Alligator Immoral or Immortal • CONNOTATIVE - Word’s meaning is subjective. • Euphemism (Intended positive connotation) • Slim or Slender versus Skinny or Scrawny • Friendly Fire • Surgical Air Strike • LANGUAGE IS FLUID NOT STATIC

5. PRINCIPLE TWOUse Short Rather Than Long Words • The goal is clarity and understanding not a chance to show how smart you are.

6. PRINCIPLE 3Use Concrete Rather Than Abstract Words • Concrete Specific at lower rung • General at the higher rungs

7. PRINCIPLE 4Economize on the Use of Words • Avoid Wordiness. • Break old writing habits. • Avoid use of old models of organizational writing.

8. PRINCIPLE 5AVOID OVERUSED OR HACKNEYED PHRASES OR JARGON • Hackneyed • At your earliest convenience • Pursuant to • Thank you in advance • Jargon • Buzzword Hell

9. PRINCIPLE 6Use Positive Words That Convey Courtesy • Minimize negative information • State information positively • Avoid gender terms

10. PRINCIPLE 7Use a Conversational Style • Everyday business language (face to face communication with receiver) • Check your understanding of receiver (knowledge, expertise, interests, culture, and value system)

11. PRINCPLE 8Keep Sentence Relatively Short • Most effective business sentences are between 15 to 20 words long. • Sentences express one main point

12. PRINCIPLE 9Prefer Active Voice to the Passive Voice • Subject - Verb - Object • David Leeper directed the meeting. (A) • The meeting was directed by David Leeper (P)

13. PRINCIPLE 10Develop Effective Paragraphs • One Main Idea Per Paragraph • Determine if Deductive or Inductive • If Deductive - Present main idea in lst sentence • If Inductive - Begin with details then main idea • Use a Variety of Sentence Structures • Emphasize Important Points • Keep Paragraphs Short

14. PRINCIPLE 11DEVELOP COHERENCE • Create a smooth flow between sentences • Transitions can be created by • Repeating Key Words • Use pronouns and synonyms to avoid repetition • Use transitional words or phrases

15. PRINCIPLE 12Edit and Rewrite • Read what was written • Exam for clarity, concreteness, and conversational tone • Determine grammatical accuracy • Check organization to assure coherence • Accept that multiple drafts are necessary

16. Specific Check Points • Look for “Plain English” terms • Eliminate Unneeded Words • Explain Abbreviations and Acronyms • Eliminate Jargon • Eliminate Unnatural Phrases • Use Small Words

17. EDITING (Continued) • Use Active Instead of Passive Verbs • Use a Fog Index • Correct Spelling and Grammatical Errors • Correct Sexist Errors

18. Work Products • Audience analysis for each letter or memo. • Refusal Letter • Persuasive Letter • Memo to your leader • Transmittal Letter • You are free to pick topic and audience. • Remember to write in a manner that matches your topic and audience.