Business communication a problem solving approach rentz

Part OneCommunication in the World of Work Chapter 1 Communicating in the Workplace 2 Chapter 2 Writing Effectively for Your Audience, Purpose, and Medium 26 Essential Components of Bu

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Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Names: Rentz, Kathryn, author | Lentz, Paula, author

Title: Business communication : a problem-solving approach / Kathryn Rentz,

University of Cincinnati, Paula Lentz, University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire

Description: First edition | New York, NY : McGraw-Hill Education, [2018]

Identifiers: LCCN 2016052815 | ISBN 9781259565878 (alk paper) | ISBN

Kathy dedicates this book to Kitty O Locker, who taught the graduate seminar on teaching business and technical writing, and Robert Gieselman, who was executive director of the Association for Business Communication, when Kathy was a Ph.D student at the University of Illinois-Urbana They turned out to have determined the major focus of Kathy’s professional

work for the next 30+ years For that, she is deeply grateful.

Paula dedicates this book to business communication instructors where who work tirelessly to equip their students for the workplace and inspire these students to become their best professional selves She

every-is grateful for the instructors’ work and for their advocacy of business communication as an essential part of a 21st-century education.

Dr Rentz’s affiliation with the Association for Business Communication goes back to her nings as a business writing teacher She has performed many roles for the ABC, including serving

begin-on the board of directors and chairing the publicatibegin-ons board She served two terms as an

Associ-ate Editor of the Journal of Business Communication and was Interim Editor from 2000–2001,

for which she won the Francis W Weeks Award of Merit In 2008 she won the ABC’s Meada Gibbs Outstanding Teacher Award In 2011 she was elected Second Vice President for the as- sociation She served as President in 2013–2014 and Past President in 2014–2015. 

Dr Rentz has published articles on business communication pedagogy and research in such

jour-nals as Business Communication Quarterly, the Journal of Business Communication, Technical

participated in many professional meetings and seminars over the years and is always learning from her colleagues and her students.

Dr Paula Lentz

Dr Paula Lentz is an Associate Professor and Academic Program Director in the Department of Business Communication at the University of Wisconsin–Eau Claire She teaches Business Writ- ing, Business Writing II, Advanced Business Writing, and the MBA Communicating for Success course She is also a developer and coordinator of the department’s Business Writing Fundamen- tals Program, which ensures that students have basic writing skills essential for success in their first business writing course. 

Dr Lentz is particularly interested in qualitative research that explores narratives and tional cultures, genre theory, and writing pedagogy in online environments She has published

organiza-in such journals as Academy of Educational Leadership Journal, Wisconsorganiza-in Busorganiza-iness Education

Association Journal, Equal Opportunities International, Business and Professional

presented her research at several national and regional conferences, including those of the sociation for Business Communication and the Academy of Management.

As-Prior to becoming a full-time academic, she worked as a technical writer and publications editor She continues to do freelance editing and provides consulting and writing services She received

a BA from Coe College, an MA from UW–Eau Claire, and a PhD in Rhetoric and Scientific and Technical Communication from the University of Minnesota.

Combining the fundamentals of clear communication with

visual rhetoric and critical thinking, Kathy Rentz and Paula

Lentz’ problem-solving approach gets directly to the heart

of great business communication and helps students gain a

professional advantage.

A Unique Focus on Problem Solving

Business is all about solving problems, and communication

is part of every solution The students who will do well in

the workplace will be those who approach communication

tasks with an analytical, creative mindset. Rentz and Lentz

acquaint students with goals they’re likely to encounter on

the job—from resolving ethical issues, solving management

problems, and crafting company policies to reporting

infor-mation, selling a product or idea, and managing customer

relations—and provide students with the principles and

practice they’ll need to meet those goals. 

Good problem solvers don’t start from scratch They start

with what they know and then find the additional resources

they need to meet new challenges successfully That’s why

Business Communication: A Problem-Solving Approach

focuses on three overlapping areas: clear communication,

visual rhetoric, and critical thinking.

Clear Communication Students need basic writing and speaking skills to be able to solve

communication problems Rentz and Lentz make sure students get this “basic training.”

A chapter on  writing effective sentences and paragraphs provides thorough but accessible advice

on using an appropriate style free of grammatical problems Each chapter ends with a “ Power

chapter Connect also provides grammatical instruction and practice via LearnSmart Achieve

and other online activities A reference chapter on correctness supports these materials.

Another chapter focuses on the writing process, the conventions of different media, and

audi-ence analysis It teaches students to consider specific contextual factors as they craft their letters,

emails, proposals, reports, social media posts, or any form of communication.

This chapter also discusses helpful technologies for every phase of the writing process To plan

and communicate well, students must know what kinds of communication technologies are

avail-able, how their usage differs, and how to use them responsibly “ From the Tech Desk ” boxes

throughout the book, as well as related material in the later chapters, build on the technology

discussion in this chapter.

Because of the importance of trust in workplace relationships, a whole chapter is devoted to using

discussion by addressing the special challenges raised by cross-cultural communication

Numerous chapters provide examples of common types of workplace communication , and

of knowledge, students can start their professional careers with greater skill and efficiency

communications.

Clear Communication

Visual

Visual Rhetoric “Visual rhetoric” refers to the way the visual features of a message nicate These features include not only photos, drawings, charts, graphs, and tables but also fonts, colors, the placement of text on a page, and even paragraph length and use of headings.

commu-In our increasingly visual culture, good business communicators must understand how the visual presentation of their work affects the audience’s ability to understand and respond positively to

a message Good business communicators must also be aware of how the visual presentation of their work impacts their professional image.

With one chapter devoted to document design and another chapter to communicating with visuals , Rentz and Lentz provide practical strategies students can use to communicate visually Principles

of visual rhetoric are also discussed within chapters as they relate to topics such as  using visual appeal in sales messages

These principles have also been incorporated into the book’s design The exhibits, photos, fonts, colors, and layout engage readers and communicate key content Annotated examples of corre-

different business genres Students and instructors alike will find that this is a  visually friendly text  designed to promote reading and comprehension. 

Critical Thinking Essential to the problem-solving approach is a focus on critical thinking This is the element of effective communication that requires students to take the leap from known concepts and familiar territory to innovative, effective solutions.

Each chapter begins with a “ Problem-Solving Challenge ”—a real-life scenario that invites students to solve a communication problem This beginning prepares students to approach the chapter’s content thoughtfully rather than passively Instead of preaching, the chapters challenge students to anticipate how they will apply the concepts in different situations.

Reinforcing this effort are “ You Make the Call ” prompts throughout the text Each prompt asks students to think about the part of the chapter that they’re currently reading The questions thus encourage not only critical thinking but also more active reading, and they can serve as great discussion starters They also reinforce the point that there is rarely just one right answer to a communication-related question.

Each chapter also ends with “ Critical-Thinking Questions ” that ask students to delve more deeply into the “why” behind the book’s advice or explore exceptions to the rule The chapters that focus on preparing various kinds of communications also end with an extensive collection

carefully designed to accommodate different levels of knowledge and skill, but they all require both analysis and resourcefulness.

Where It All Comes Together

Never before has the workplace required so many different skills and so much flexibility

What-ever the course or curriculum, Business Communication: A Problem-Solving Approach will equip

your students for a successful professional journey while keeping them focused on the essentials

many dedicated business communication instructors and practitioners have contributed to this

book We extend our sincere thanks to them for their ideas and inspiration We’d also like to thank

our students, who never stop challenging and rewarding us.

We are particularly indebted to the reviewers and event participants who helped shape the first

edition of this book.

Reviewers: 

Colleen D Armstrong, Colorado State University–Pueblo

Cynthia Eve Ash, Oklahoma State University–Tulsa

Bev Augustine, Elgin Community College

Jeanine Elise Aune, Iowa State University

Lisa Bailey, University of South Carolina

Cynthia Barnes, Lamar University

Larry Barraza, Mt San Jacinto College

Judith Haywood Bello, Lander University

Roxanne Bengelink, Kalamazoo Valley Community College

Yvonne Block, College of Lake County

Gregory Brecht, University of South Florida–St Petersburg

Sheryl Broedel, University of North Dakota

Edward Brown, Alabama State University

Shanti Bruce, Nova Southeastern University

Suzanne Buck, University of Houston

Brennan J Carr, Long Beach City College

Annette Castagna, Long Beach City College

Debbie Cook, Utah State University

Mark Courtright, Elon University

Sandra G Ehrlich-Mathiesen, University of Alaska–Anchorage

Megan Lee Endres, Eastern Michigan University

Robert Goldberg, Prince George’s Community College

Constance Golden, Lakeland Community College

Heather Griffo, Portland Community College

Elizabeth R Guerrero, Texas State University

Karen Head, The Georgia Institute of Technology

Candy Henry, Westmoreland County Community College

Kathy L Hill, Sam Houston State University

Debra Hoffmann, Southeast Missouri State University

Cole E Holmes, University of Utah Matthew Houseworth, University of Central Missouri Harold A Hurry, Sam Houston State University Ralph Jagodka, Mt San Antonio College Norma Johansen, Scottsdale Community College William T Jones, State University of New York at Canton Stephanie Kelly, North Carolina A&T State University Susan Kendall, Arapahoe Community College Carolyn E Kerr, University of Pittsburgh Sonia Khatchadourian, University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee Arthur Khaw, Kirkwood Community College

Janet M King, Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis Lisa Kleiman, Boise State University

William R Kohler, University of Illinois at Chicago Melinda Kramer, Prince George’s Community College Daria LaFave, Wayne State University

Nancy K LeGrand, Southeast Missouri State University Kathy Leslie, California State University–Northridge Michael Levy, University of Wisconsin–Stout Holly Littlefield, University of Minnesota Mrs Joyce Lopez, Missouri State University

Jo Mackiewicz, Iowa State University Marla Mahar, Oklahoma State University Rebecca J Mahr, Western Illinois University Lara Mandrell, Texas Tech University Steve Merriam, San Diego State University Annie Laurie I Meyers, Northampton Community College Susan Meyers, Seattle University

Karl Mitchell, Queens College–CUNY Wayne Moore, Indiana University of Pennsylvania

Gwen H Moultrie, Midlands Technical College

Nancy Nygaard, University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee

Lisa O’Laughlin, Delta College

David M Owens, Valparaiso University

Ranu Paik, Santa Monica College

Audrey M Parajon, Wilmington University

Melinda L Phillabaum, Indiana University–Indianapolis

Greg Rapp, Portland Community College

Georgi Ann Rausch, University of Utah

Rob Rector, Delaware Technical Community College

Teeanna Rizkallah, California State University, Fullerton

Joseph A Rosendale, Indiana University of Pennsylvania

Sharon Rouse, University of Southern Mississippi

Kristina Schaap, Oklahoma State University

Nanette Shackelford, Hastings College

Michael Shuman, University of South Florida

Lucia Stretcher Sigmar, Sam Houston State University

Rachel V Smydra, Oakland University

Carolyn A Spillers, Fayetteville State University

Jo Ann Starkweather, Northeastern State University

Ann Still, Finger Lakes Community College

JoAnn Syverson, University of Minnesota

Cecil V Tarrant III, Western Illinois University

Elizabeth Tomlinson, West Virginia University

Kathleen Voge, University of Alaska Anchorage Jie Wang, University of Illinois at Chicago McClain Watson, University of Texas at Dallas Susan Hall Webb, University of West Georgia Teresa G Weldy, University of South Alabama Raholanda White, Middle Tennessee State University Elisabeth Wicker, Bossier Parish Community College Kadi Wills, Northwest Vista College

Brandon H Wood, College of DuPage

Event Participants:

Marilyn Chalupa, Ball State University Jennifer D’Alessandro, Niagara County Community College Debra Gosh, Cleveland State University

Mary Groves, University of Nevada–Reno Jeanette Heidewald, Indiana University–Bloomington

Jo Mackiewicz, Iowa State University Marla Mahar, Oklahoma State University–Stillwater Becky Mahr, Western Illinois University

Lisa O’Laughlin, Delta College Anita Satterlee, Liberty University Erik Timmerman, University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee Emil Towner, Saint Cloud State University

Doris Wright, Troy University

In addition, we would particularly like to thank Heather Smith for her excellent work on the iliary materials for this book. 

aux-We would like to recognize and thank the entire editorial and marketing teams at McGraw-Hill that have made this publication possible: Kelly Pekelder, Anke Weekes, Michael Gedatus, Mary Powers, Matt Backhaus, Deborah Nicholls, Kristine Janssens, and all of the talented McGraw-Hill publisher’s representatives.

On our respective home fronts, Kathy would like to thank her husband Dave for his wonderful patience and support during this project; and Paula is forever grateful to her husband John for his thoughtfulness and encouragement.

These acknowledgments would not be complete without our expression of thanks to Ray Lesikar and Marie Flatley, who brought Kathy on board as a co-author for the 11th edition of their text- book in 2006 While much has changed since then, their forward-thinking focus on audience adaptation, core structural patterns, stylistic clarity, and technological currency is as timely as ever and continues on in this product.

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Part One

Communication in the World of Work

Chapter 1 Communicating in the Workplace 2

Chapter 2 Writing Effectively for Your Audience, Purpose, and Medium 26

Essential Components of Business Communication

Chapter 3 Designing Documents with Visual Appeal 62 Chapter 4 Communicating with Visuals 102

Chapter 5 Crafting Effective Sentences and Paragraphs 134 Chapter 6 Building Positive Relationships through Communication 166 Chapter 7 Communicating across Cultures 192

Strategies for Oral Communication and the Job Search

Chapter 13 Delivering Business Presentations and Speeches 500 Chapter 14 Putting Interpersonal Communication Skills to Work in Conversations

Communication Matters: How to Spot a Professional 11

Communication Matters: What’s the Dominant Metaphor in Your Workplace? 17

Communication Matters: Channel Choice—It Matters in Business, Too 20

Power Charge Your Professionalism: Use the Right Word (Part I) 22

Key Terms 23 Critical-Thinking Questions 23 Skills-Building Exercises 24

Chapter 2 Writing Effectively for Your Audience, Purpose, and Medium 26

The Importance of Good Business-Writing Skills 28The Writing Process 28

Planning the Message 29Using Computer Tools to Plan a Writing Project 33Using Computer Tools to Gather and Organize Information 34

Using Computer Tools to Present Information 35Drafting 38

Computer Tools for Drafting 38Revising 40

Using Computer Tools to Revise and Edit 41

Letters 46

Letters Defined 46Letter Form 46Letter Formality 46

Memorandums (Memos) 48

Memorandums Defined 48Memorandum Form 48Memorandum Formality 48

Email 49

Email Defined 49Email Form 50Email Formality 52

Additional Media in Business Writing 53

Text Messaging 54Instant Messaging 55Social Media 55

A Look to the Future 57

the World of Work

Chapter 1 Communicating in the Workplace 2

The Role of Communication in Business 4

The Importance of Communication Skills 4

Business Communication as Problem Solving 5

Communication Skills—A Breakdown 6

Professionalism 101 9

The Business Communication Environment 11

Main Categories of Business Communication 11

Communication Networks of the Organization 14

Factors That Influence an Organization’s Communication 16

The Business Communication Process 17

A Model of Business Communication 18

Business Communication: The Bottom Line 22

Problem-Solving Challenge: Demonstrating Your Value on

a High-Profile Team 4

Communication Matters: Take It from Today’s Executives:

What You Can Do Is Even More Important Than What

Creating Searchable Content 78Making Your Web Writing Accessible 78

Format for Business Letters 80

Letterhead 80Return Address 80Date Line 80Inside Address 82Attention Line 82Salutation 82Mixed or Open Punctuation 82Subject Line 82

Second-Page Heading 83Complimentary Close 83Signature Block 83Information Notations 83Postscripts 84

Paper 84The Fold 84Envelope Address 85

Format for Memorandums (Memos) 86

Memo Headings 87Memo Body 87

Format for Letter and Memorandum (Memo) Reports 87

Format for Formal Reports 88

General Information on Report Presentation 88Mechanics and Format of the Report Parts 92

Format for Brochures 95

Brochure Content 95Brochure Design 95

Own Work Is Difficult 41

From the Tech Desk: Backing Up Frequently Is the Writer’s

Responsibility 44

Communication Matters: Email: Your Ticket to a Successful

Marketing Campaign 51

From the Tech Desk: Using Good Email Etiquette Helps

Writers Achieve Their Goals 54

Serif and Sans Serif Fonts 71

Number of Fonts per Document 72

Font Sizes 72

Font Choices 73

Color 73

Color Theory 74

Color and Meaning 74

Design Considerations for Online Text 75

Comparing Print and Online Text 75

Organizing Content 77

Presenting the Content 77

© Denis Krasavchikov/123RF

Maps 119Combination Charts 121Three-Dimensional Visuals 121Photographs 124

Clip Art 124Other Visuals 124Visual Integrity 125

Placing and Interpreting the Visuals 129

Problem-Solving Challenge: Choosing the Right Visuals for Your Data and Your Audience 104

Communication Matters: Telling Your Story with an Infographic 107

From the Tech Desk: Using Pivot Tables and Charts in Microsoft Excel 110

From the Tech Desk: Using Pictures to Chart Data in Excel 117

From the Tech Desk: Making the Most of Excel 123

Communication Matters: Avoiding Chartjunk 126

Communication Matters: The Periodic Table of Visualization Methods 128

Communication Matters: Practicing Visual Ethics 129

Correctly 130

Key Terms 131 Critical-Thinking Questions 131 Skills-Building Exercises 131

Chapter 5 Crafting Effective Sentences and Paragraphs 134

Adapting Your Style to Your Readers 136Selecting Appropriate Words 136

Use Familiar Words 137Prefer Short Words 137Use Slang and Popular Clichés with Caution 138

Problem-Solving Challenge: Promoting a Professional

Look 64

From the Tech Desk: Using Microsoft Word 2016’s Insert,

Position, and Text Wrap Features to Place Visuals on a

Page 69

From the Tech Desk: Fine-Tuning the Line Spacing in

Microsoft Word 2016 70

From the Tech Desk: Kerning in Microsoft Word 2016 71

Communication Matters: One Space or Two after a

Period? 72

Communication Matters: What Is Your Font Really

Communicating? 73

Communication Matters: What Does the Color of Your Logo

Say about Your Business? 75

From the Tech Desk: Modifying Styles in Microsoft

Word 2016 90

From the Tech Desk: Using Microsoft Word to Number Report

Pages 91

From the Tech Desk: Generating a Table of Contents and List

of Tables and Figures Using Microsoft Word 2016 94

Capitalization 98

Key Terms 98

Critical-Thinking Questions 98

Skills-Building Exercises 99

Chapter 4 Communicating with Visuals 102

Planning the Visuals 103

Constructing and Presenting Visuals 103

Size 104

Orientation 104

Type 105

Rules and Borders 105

Color and Cross-Hatching 105

Background 105

Numbering 105

Construction of Titles and Captions 106

Placement of Titles and Captions 106

Footnotes and Acknowledgments 106

Selecting and Using Textual Visuals 108

Tables 108

Pull Quotes 109

Bulleted or Numbered Lists 111

Flowcharts and Process Charts 112

Selecting and Using Charts, Graphs, and Other Visuals 113

Bar and Column Charts 113

Communication Matters: Is That a Surplus Word? 147

Communication Matters: Don’t Make Me Laugh 151

Communication Matters: Beware the Vague or Illogical This 155

Communication Matters: The Most Commonly Misused Transitional Expression? 156

Verbs Agree in Number 158

Key Terms 159 Critical-Thinking Questions 159 Skills-Building Exercises 160

Chapter 6 Building Positive Relationships through Communication 166

Showing Consideration for Your Message Recipients 168

Use the You-Viewpoint 168Use a Conversational Style 170

Be Courteous 172

Accentuating the Positive 176

Use Positive Words 176Focus on What You Can Do 176Manage Emphasis for a Positive Effect 177Use Positive Emphasis Ethically 178

Communicating Ethically 178

Communication-Related Ethical Issues 179Qualities to Cultivate 182

Resources for Ethical Reasoning 183

Problem-Solving Challenge: Affecting Human Relations through Writing 168

Communication Matters: Business Etiquette—It Depends on Where You Are 173

Communication Matters: Parent, Child, or Adult? 174

From the Tech Desk: Courtesy in the Age of Mobile Devices 175

Communication Matters: Exaggeration Will Get You Nowhere 176

Communication Matters: Three Ways to Avoid Sexist Pronouns 180

Communication Matters: Understanding the Different Generations in the Workplace 181

Communication Matters: How Much Self-Expression Is Allowed on the Job? 183

Antecedents Agree in Number 187

Key Terms 187 Critical-Thinking Questions 187 Skills-Building Exercises 189

Use Technical Words and Acronyms Appropriately 138

Use Precise Language 139

Select Words for Appropriate Usage 140

Prefer Action Verbs 141

Avoid Camouflaged Verbs 143

Writing Clear Sentences 143

Limit Sentence Content 144

Economize on Words 146

Manage Emphasis with Sentence Structure 147

Give Sentences Unity 149

Word Sentences Logically 149

Writing Clear Paragraphs 152

Keep Paragraphs Concise 152

Give Paragraphs Unity 153

Make Paragraphs Coherent 154

Make Each Paragraph Serve a Strategic Purpose 156

Problem-Solving Challenge: Learning from an Unclear

Communication Matters: Everything You Wanted to Know

about Active and Passive Voice 142

Communication Matters: Will the Real Verb Please

Stand Up? 143

Communication Matters: Avoiding Stringy and See-Saw

Sentences 145

From the Tech Desk: Readability Statistics Help Writers

Evaluate Their Documents’ Length and Difficulty 145

© PhotoDisc/Getty Images

Routine Inquiries 217

Beginning Directly 217Providing Information and Explanations 217Asking the Questions 218

Ending with Goodwill 218Reviewing the Pattern for Routine Inquiries 218Comparing Examples of a Routine Inquiry 218

Closing Cordially 223Reviewing the Pattern for Favorable Responses 223Comparing Examples of a Favorable Response 224

Writing Order Acknowledgments 228

Order Acknowledgments 228Being Direct and Building Goodwill in Order Acknowledgments 228

Being Tactful in Order Acknowledgments 228Using Strategies for Other Thank-You Messages 229Reviewing the Pattern for Order Acknowledgments and Other Thank-You Messages 230

Comparing Examples of an Order Acknowledgment 231

Claims 235

Using Directness for Claims 235Organizing the Direct Claim 235Reviewing the Pattern for Direct Claims 236Comparing Examples of a Direct Claim Message 236

Chapter 7 Communicating across Cultures 192

The Importance of Cross-Cultural Communication

Skills 194

Dimensions of Cultural Difference 195

Three Major Factors That Affect Culture 195

Body Positions and Movements 197

Views and Practices Concerning Human Relationships 199

Problems of Language 203

Lack of Language Equivalency 203

Difficulties with English 204

Advice for Communicating across Cultures 207

Do Your Research 207

Know Yourself and Your Company 208

Be Aware—and Wary—of Stereotypes 209

Adapt Your English to Your Audience 209

Communication Matters: Carefully Present and Receive a

Business Card in Japan 198

Communication Matters: High-Context versus Low-Context

Cultures: Edward T Hall 199

Communication Matters: Six Dimensions of Culture: Geert

Hofstede 200

From the Tech Desk: Get a Snapshot of Countries’ Cultural

Dimensions from the Hofstede Center 202

Communication Matters: They Have a Word for That! 203

Communication Matters: Blundering with Words 204

Pronoun 210

Key Terms 210

Critical-Thinking Questions 211

Skills-Building Exercises 213

Part Three Structures and

Strategies for Common Business

Documents

Chapter 8 Writing Good-News and Neutral

Messages 214

Approaches to Good-News and Neutral Messages 216

The General Direct Plan 216

Beginning with the Objective 216

Covering the Remaining Part of the Objective 216

Ending with Goodwill 216

© scyther/Shutterstock

Presenting the Bad News Objectively 265Offering an Alternative Solution 266Ending on a Positive Note 266Apologizing 266

Refused Requests 267

Developing the Strategy 267Setting Up the Buffer 267Presenting the Reasons for the Refusal 268Handling the Refusal Positively 268Offering an Alternative When Possible 268Closing with Goodwill 269

Reviewing the Pattern for Refusing a Request 269Comparing Examples of a Refused Request 269

Adjustment Refusals 273

Determining the Strategy 273Setting Up Your Buffer and Strategy 273Making Your Case 274

Refusing Positively and Closing Courteously 274Reviewing the Pattern for Refusing an Adjustment 274Comparing Examples of an Adjustment Refusal 274

Negative Announcements 277

Determining the Strategy 277Setting Up the Buffer 277Presenting the Justification and Bad News 277Focusing on Next Steps or Remaining Benefits 278Closing on a Positive or Encouraging Note 278Reviewing the Pattern for Negative Announcements 278Comparing Examples of a Negative Announcement 278Using Directness in Some Cases 281

Communication Matters: You Think Saying “No” in the United States Is Tricky 265

Problem-Solving Challenge: Denying a Request for a Donation 267

Communication Matters: Delivering Bad News: A Sign of Leadership 270

Using Indirectness in Claims 238

Reviewing the Strategy for the Indirect Claim Message 240

Comparing Ineffective and Effective Examples of an

Indirect Claim 240

Internal-Operational Messages 241

Writing Casual Operational Messages 242

Writing Moderately Formal Messages 242

Writing Formal Messages 243

Reviewing the Pattern for Internal-Operational Messages 243

Comparing Examples of an Internal-Operational Message 244

Other Direct Message Situations 245

Problem-Solving Challenge: Searching for New Regional

Communication Matters: How Routine Responses Were

Written in the Late 1800s 225

Problem-Solving Challenge: Building Goodwill with a

“Thank-You” Message 228

From the Tech Desk: Tables Help Writers Organize Data

for Easy Reading 229

Communication Matters: Personalizing Form Letters 230

Communication Matters: A Workplace without Email? One

Company’s Strategy 231

Problem-Solving Challenge: Requesting a Correct Shipment

and Revised Invoice 235

From the Tech Desk: Quick Parts Makes Quick Work for

Communication Matters: Gmail’s Smart Reply 242

Series, Phrases, and Clauses 246

Key Terms 246

Critical-Thinking Questions 246

Skills-Building Exercises 247

Problem-Solving Cases 249

Chapter 9 Writing Bad-News Messages 262

Approaches to Writing Bad-News Messages 264

The General Indirect Plan 264

Using a Strategic Buffer 264

Setting Up the Negative News 265

© Brand New Images/Getty Images

Problem-Solving Challenge: Raising Funds for a Worthy Cause 299

Communication Matters: The Ingredients of Successful Fundraising 302

Problem-Solving Challenge: Generating More Customers for Your Business 306

Communication Matters: Are Sales Letters Becoming Extinct? Absolutely Not! 307

From the Tech Desk: Learn about e-Selling from Chief Marketer and MailChimp 309

Communication Matters: Take It from Web Developers:

Problem-Solving Challenge: Blogging for Your Employer 324

From the Tech Desk: Rogue Marketing: When Going Social Gets Out of Hand 330

Problem-Solving Challenge: Selling Your Services through Proposal Writing 336

Audience (Denying an Artist’s Request) 271

Audience (Saying “No” to an Employee) 272

Problem-Solving Challenge: Denying a Customer’s Claim 273

General Advice about Persuasion 296

Know Your Readers 297

Choose and Develop Targeted Reader Benefits 297

Make Good Use of Three Kinds of Appeals 298

Make It Easy for Your Readers to Comply 299

Persuasive Requests 299

Determining Your Strategy 300

Gaining Attention in the Opening 300

Developing the Appeal 301

Making the Request Clearly and Positively 302

Reviewing the Strategy for Persuasive Requests 302

Comparing Bad and Good Examples of a Persuasive

Request 302

Sales Messages 306

Questioning the Ethics of Sales Messages 306

Preparing to Write a Sales Message 308

Determining the Central Appeal 310

Determining the Makeup of the Mailing 311

Gaining Attention before the Message Begins 312

Gaining Attention in the Opening of the Message 313

Building a Persuasive Case 313

Using a Persuasive Writing Style 318

Enhancing Your Message with Visuals 319

Making the Sales Request 321

Adding a Postscript 322

Offering Name Removal to Email Readers 322

Reviewing the Strategy for Sales Messages 322

Comparing Bad and Good Examples of a Sales

Interpreting the Findings 402

Avoiding Errors in Interpretation 403Contextualizing the Data 403Interpreting Numerical Data 404

Organizing the Report Information 405

The Nature and Benefits of Outlining 405Basic Guidelines for a Logical, Clear Structure 406Common Patterns of Organization 407

Combined Patterns 408From Outline to Table of Contents 408

Writing the Report 411

Beginning and Ending 411Being Objective 412Being Consistent with Time 413Including Transitions 413Maintaining Interest 415

Writing Reports Collaboratively 415

Determining the Group Makeup 415Creating the Ground Rules 415Choosing the Means of Collaboration 417Making a Project Plan 418

Researching and Writing the Report 418

Problem-Solving Challenge: Researching User-Testing Methods for Your Boss 370

Communication Matters: How Far Should Your Report Go? 373

From the Tech Desk: Report-Writing Tools Help Businesses Succeed 375

From the Tech Desk: Use Search Operators to Manage Your Search 380

From the Tech Desk: Web-Based Survey Tools Help Writers Design, Analyze, and Report Results of

From the Tech Desk: Tools for Collaborative Writing 417

Communication Matters: Three Methods of Collaborative Writing 419

Parallelism 420

Key Terms 420 Critical-Thinking Questions 421 Skills-Building Exercises 423

Chapter 12 Creating the Right Type

of Report 426

An Overview of Report Components 428

The Report-Components Grid 428The Report Components 429

From the Tech Desk: Web Resources for Proposal Writing 337

Communication Matters: Wise Words from a Professional

Who Writes Reports? 371

Determining the Report Problem and Purpose 372

The Preliminary Investigation 372

The Need for Clear Problem and Purpose

Statements 373

Determining the Factors 374

Use of Subtopics in Informative Reports 374

Possible Causes for Problems Requiring a Solution 374

Bases of Comparison in Evaluation Studies 374

Gathering the Information 376

Conducting Secondary Research on the Internet 376

Conducting Secondary Research in a Library 388

Conducting Primary Research with Surveys 392

Conducting Observations and Experiments 397

Conducting Qualitative Primary Research 400

Conducting Ethical Business Research 401

© Steve Cole/Getty Images RF

Entertaining or Ceremonial Presentations 505Hybrid Presentations 506

Planning the Content and Delivery 507

The Topic and Purpose 507The Structure 507

The Delivery Method 508The Means of Audience Interaction 509

Planning the Visuals to Support Your Talk 510

Using Presentation Software Effectively 510Creating a Storyboard 513

Preparing Handouts 513

Delivering Your Talk 516

Projecting Appealing Personal Traits 516Managing the Physical Elements 517Using a Pleasant Voice and Speaking Style 518Referring to Your Visuals as You Speak 519Managing the Interactions with Your Audience 521Reviewing Presentation Basics 521

Delivering Web-Based Presentations 522

Varieties of Web Presentations 522Special Guidelines for Web Presentations 522

Giving Team (Collaborative) Presentations 524

Problem-Solving Challenge: Meeting the Challenge of Formal Speaking 502

Communication Matters: 10 Types of Business Presentations 503

Communication Matters: Getting Your Speech Off on the Right Note 506

Communication Matters: Controlling Nervousness During Your Talk 517

From the Tech Desk: Look Like a Pro with PowerPoint Keyboard Shortcuts 519

Characteristics of the Shorter Reports 434

Little Need for Introductory Information 434

Predominance of the Direct Order 434

A More Personal Writing Style 437

Less Need for Coherence Helpers 437

Forms for Short to Mid-Length Reports 437

The Short Report 437

Letter Reports 439

Email and Memo Reports 445

Written Reports in Other Forms 445

Common Types of Short Reports 446

Routine Operational Reports 446

Progress Reports 447

Problem-Solving Reports 450

Meeting Minutes 451

Long, Formal Reports 453

Additional Components of Long, Formal Reports 453

The Formal Report Illustrated 457

Problem-Solving Challenge: Figuring Out What Kind of Report

to Prepare 428

Communication Matters: Creating a Report Title with the Five

Ws and One H 430

Communication Matters: Are Tweets, Blog Comments, and

Text Messages Undermining Your Report-Writing

From the Tech Desk: Using a Table of Contents Generator for

Speed and Accuracy 455

Communication and the Job Search

Chapter 13 Delivering Business Presentations and

From the Tech Desk: Collaborative Tools Support Virtual Meetings 549

From the Tech Desk: Telephobia: It’s a Thing 552

to Work 553

Key Terms 554 Critical-Thinking Questions 554 Skills-Building Exercises 555

Chapter 15 Communicating in the Job Search 558

Conducting the Job Search 560

Building a Network of Contacts 560Obtaining an Internship 561Identifying Appropriate Jobs 561Finding Your Employer 564

Preparing the Application Documents 566Constructing the Résumé 568

Résumé Content 568Printed (Hard Copy) Résumés 580Contrasting Examples of Résumés 581Electronic Résumés 584

Writing the Cover Message 592

Cover Messages 592Contrasting Examples of Cover Messages 600Email Cover Messages 601

Handling the Interview 601

Investigating the Company 601Making a Good Impression 601

From the Tech Desk: Presentation Delivery Tools Help You

Convey Your Message Effectively 520

From the Tech Desk: Virtual Presentations: The Next Best

Thing to Being There 523

Adverbs Correctly 525

Key Terms 525

Critical-Thinking Questions 526

Skills-Building Exercises 527

Chapter 14 Putting Interpersonal Communication

Skills to Work in Conversations

and Meetings 530

Communication and Organizational Cultures 532

Learning Your Organization’s Culture 532

Navigating Your Organization’s Culture 532

Nonverbal Communication 534

The Nature of Nonverbal Communication 534

Types of Nonverbal Communication 534

Listening 537

The Nature of Listening 537

Strategies for Improving Your Listening Ability 537

Conversation and Small Talk 539

Starting a Conversation 539

Approaching Difficult Conversations 540

Giving and Receiving Feedback 541

Conflict and Negotiation 543

Effective Phone Procedures 551

Effective Voice Mail Techniques 551

Courteous Use of Cell Phones 552

Problem-Solving Challenge: Getting Along in the

Workplace 532

Communication Matters: Can You Be Fired for Using Profanity

at Work? 533

Communication Matters: Introverts and Extraverts: Personality

Types and Interpersonal Communication 536

Communication Matters: The Ten Commandments of

Listening 538

Communication Matters: What’s in a Handshake? 540

Communication Matters: Thinking before You Speak 541

© Stockbyte/Veer RF

Cma 2–1 A-4Cma 2–2 A-4Cma 3 A-5Cma 4–1 A-6Cma 4–2 A-6Cma 4–3 A-6Cma 4–4 A-6Cma 5–1 A-7Cma 5–2 A-7Cma 6–1 A-7Cma 6–2 A-7Dash: Dsh 1 A-7Dsh 2 A-8Exclamation Mark: Ex A-8Hyphen: Hpn 1 A-8Hpn 2–1 A-8Hpn 2–2 A-8Hpn 2–3 A-8Italics: Ital 1 A-9Ital 2 A-9Ital 3 A-9

Anticipating Questions and Preparing Answers 602

Putting Yourself at Ease 604

Helping to Control the Dialog 605

Leading an Interview 605

Following Up and Ending the Application 607

Writing a Thank-You Message 607

Constructing a Follow-up to an Application 607

Planning the Job Acceptance 608

Writing a Message Refusing a Job 608

Writing a Resignation 609

Continuing Job-Search Activities 609

Problem-Solving Challenge: Finding Your First Post-College

Job 560

Communication Matters: Perfecting Your Elevator Pitch 561

Communication Matters: Are You Sure You’re Qualified?

Employers May Not Agree 563

From the Tech Desk: Make Your LinkedIn Profile Work for

You 565

Communication Matters: The Most Important Six Seconds in

Your Job Search 581

Communication Matters: Developing a Professional

The Importance of Correctness A-1

The Nature of Correctness A-1

Standards for Punctuation A-2

Apostrophe: Apos 1 A-2

Capitalization: CAP A-27Key Terms A-28Critical-Thinking Questions A-28

Punctuation A-30Apostrophes A-31Pronouns A-31

A Self-Administered Diagnostic Test of Correctness A-31Corrections for the Self-Administered Diagnostic Test of Correctness A-32

Problem-Solving Challenge: The Effects of Correctness on Communication A-1

Communication Matters: Can You Detect the Difference That Punctuation Makes? A-2

Communication Matters: Good Grammar: Your Ticket to Getting and Keeping a Job A-5

From the Tech Desk: Using the Internet to Improve Your Grammar A-11

From the Tech Desk: Hyphen, Small Dash, or Big Dash? A-12

Reference Chapter B Documentation of

Sources B-1

When to Acknowledge B-1How to Acknowledge B-3

The Three Main Citation Styles B-3The Two Systems of the Chicago Style B-4Preview of the Remaining Sections B-4

How to Cite Your Sources with Footnotes (Chicago Style) B-4

How to Cite Your Sources in Parentheses in the Text (APA and MLA Styles) B-12

The Reference List or Bibliography (Chicago, APA, and MLA) B-12

Communication Matters: Quotation Marks, Citation, Both, or Neither? B-2

From the Tech Desk: Using Microsoft Word 2016 to Add Footnotes B-5

Communication Matters: Citation Management Tools: Use with Caution B-19

Question Mark: Q A-10

Quotation Marks: QM 1 A-10

Standards for Grammar A-13

Adjective–Adverb Confusion: AA A-13

Subject–Verb Agreement: Agmt SV A-13

Adverbial Noun Clause: AN A-15

Awkward: Awk A-15

Dangling Modifiers: Dng A-15

Misplaced Modifiers: Mispl A-15

Mixed Construction: MixCon A-16

Incomplete Constructions: IncCon A-16

Sentence Fragment: Frag A-16

Run-on (Fused) Sentence: RO A-16

Comma Splice: CS A-17

Word Use: WU A-22

Wrong Word: WW A-22

Standards for the Use of Numbers A-23

Rules for Word Plurals A-26

Other Spelling Rules A-26

A Problem-Solving Approach

Business

Communicating in

the Workplace

© McGraw Hill Education/Mark Dierker, photographer

A s head of his own talent-development

company and former Director of ing for Facebook, Stuart Crabb knows what it takes to be an attractive job candidate and a successful employee He has over

Learn-20 years’ experience helping companies hire the right people and develop their talent.

What does it take to flourish in today’s place? According to Crabb, the answers are “critical thinking,” “problem solving,” “creativity,”

work-and “performance.” It also takes being vated,” “individually accountable,” and a “good fit” with the company culture.

“moti-These happen to be key traits of successful business communicators, too They understand that communicating well takes analysis,

One

judgment, and even ingenuity It takes being attuned to people and to each communication situation And it takes not only verbal skill but also technological and visual literacy.

Like business itself, business communication can be challenging But the challenge can be fun, and solving communication problems can bring enormous rewards This book will help prepare you for an exciting future as both a businessper- son and a communicator. 

Learning Objectives

LO1-1 Explain the importance of communication to you and to business

LO1-2 Explain the ways in which business communication is a form of problem solving

LO1-3 Describe the skills that are needed by today’s business communicators. 

LO1-4 Define professionalism and its importance to business communicators. 

LO1-5 Describe the three main categories

of business communication

LO1-6 Describe the two types of communication networks in an organization

LO1-7 Describe the main factors that affect the types and amount

of communicating that an organization does

LO1-8 Describe the contexts for each act of business communication

LO1-9 Describe the business communication process

Chapter

Stuart Crabb

Courtesy of Stuart Crabb

The Role of Communication

in Business

Your work in business will involve communication—a lot of it—because communication is critical to every area of an organization’s operations The overview that follows will help you prepare for the countless communication challenges ahead of you.

The Importance of Communication Skills

What assets will you need to bring with you into the job market? The first answer that might pop into your head is “everything I learned in my major.” Not a bad answer You’re working hard

to master an area of study, and that knowledge will certainly assist your entry into a profession But check out the Communication Matters box titled “Take It from Today’s Executives.” The knowledge needed for many jobs is changing so fast that employers are looking for skills that transcend particular jobs, industries, time, and places Communication ranks at or near the top of these skills.

For example, in the most recent annual survey conducted by the National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE), employers rated leadership, ability to work on a team, written communication skills, and problem-solving skills as the top attributes they look for in applicants’ résumés Oral communication skills and a strong work ethic were rated just under these top four choices.1 In another study, the 431 managers and executives who responded to a survey about graduates’ preparedness for the workforce named “oral communications,” “teamwork/collaboration,”

“professionalism/work ethic,” “written communications,” and “critical thinking/problem solving”

as the top “very important skills” job applicants should have.2Why is the ability to communicate effectively so highly valued? As one professional trainer explains, “You will need to request information, discuss problems, give instructions, work in

LO1-1 Explain the importance

of communication to you and

to business

You were thrilled to be hired a few months

ago  as a customer service representative for

OrgWare, a software developer that sells

man-agement platforms to professional associations

to help them run their operations and support

their members’ activities This is your first “real,”

professional job, and you intend to make a great

impression

The company is doing well In 12 years, it has

grown from a five-person business into one that

employs 120 people and has six regional U.S

sales teams, and there’s even a tech-development

team in Malaysia But this growth has created

a problem: The extensive face-to-face

communi-cation that helped make OrgWare a thriving

business has, in many cases, become difficult or impossible As a result, the sense of teamwork in the organization is weakening And it is clear that phone calls, emails, and instant messaging are not sufficient to keep employees engaged and well informed

The CEO has formed a task force to find an internal communication solution Will it be an in-tranet? An electronic newsletter? A secure social networking site? Virtual meetings? A combina-tion? Which would the employees be most likely

to read and use? How should the solution be plemented, and what will it cost?

im-To your surprise, you were asked to help find the answers The CEO felt that your familiarity

with new media could be an asset to the team You’ll also be expected to represent the customer service area and the viewpoints of young em-ployees like yourself

Everyone on the team will need to research the pros and cons of different media, acquire em-ployees’ opinions, write progress reports, share ideas, and ultimately help present the team’s rec-ommendation to the top executives

What will you need to know about nicating in business to meet this challenge? Chapter 1 will give you a good grounding for an-swering this question thoroughly and well

commu-Demonstrating Your Value on a High-Profile Team

teams, and interact with colleagues and clients” to achieve cooperation and team efficiency To

advance, you’ll also need to be able to think for yourself, “take initiative,” and “solve

prob-lems.”3 On the managerial level, you’ll find that communication skills are even more essential

In the words of an international business consultant, “nothing puts you in the ‘poor leader’

cate-gory more swiftly than inadequate communication skills.”4

Unfortunately, businesses’ need for employees with strong communication skills is often

unful-filled According to Solari Communications, “poor communication costs business millions of

dollars every single day” in the form of wasted time, misunderstandings, eroded customer

loyalty, and lost business.5 SIS International Research found that poor communication is a

prob-lem for small and midsize businesses, not just for big corporations In 2009 a business with

100 employees spent an average downtime of 17 hours a week on clarifying its communications,

which translated into an annual cost of $524,569.6 A recent study by the Project Management

Institute revealed that one in five projects is unsuccessful due to ineffective communication,

costing companies millions of dollars.7

The communication shortcomings of employees and the importance of communication in

busi-ness explain why you should develop your communication skills Whatever position you hold,

your performance will be judged largely on the basis of your ability to communicate If you

perform and communicate well, you are likely to be rewarded with advancement And the higher

you advance, the more you will need your communication ability The evidence is clear:

Improv-ing your communication skills makes you a better contributor and a more successful

professional.

Business Communication as Problem Solving

Communication is involved in everything businesses do Even in businesses based largely on

manual labor, somebody has to inform the employees how to run the machinery or perform their

jobs, and the employees need to be able to explain their needs and describe problems

Commu-nication is thus a huge problem solver in business; indeed, almost no business problem could be

solved without it.

But there’s another way in which communication is problem solving Every communication

challenge you will face will involve factors that require at least a somewhat unique solution For

this reason, business communication itself—that is, figuring out what to say or write, and how—

is a form of  problem solving

LO1-2 Explain the ways in which business communication

is a form of problem solving

In its latest two surveys of executives, the

Associ-ation of American Colleges and Universities found

that “cross-cutting capacities” like

communica-tion skills are now more valued than a particular

choice of major More specifically,

• Nearly all those surveyed (93%) agree that

“a candidate’s demonstrated capacity to think

critically, communicate clearly, and solve

com-plex problems is more important than their

undergraduate major”—and an even higher percentage (96%) believe that “all college students should have experiences that teach them how to solve problems with people whose views are different from their own.”

portant that those they hire demonstrate ethical judgment and integrity, intercultural skills, and the capacity for continued new learning

• More than 9 in 10 of those surveyed say it is im-• More than 3 in 4 employers say they want colleges to place more emphasis on helping students develop critical thinking, complex prob-lem solving, written and oral communication, and applied knowledge in real-world settings

Sources: “It Takes More than a Major: Employer Priorities for

College Learning and Student Success,” AACU, April 10, 2013, accessed February 2016, https://www.aacu.org; “Falling Short? College Learning and Career Success,” AACU, January 20,

2015, accessed February 2016, https://www.aacu.org.

Take It from Today’s Executives: What You Can Do Is Even More Important Than

What You Know

Communication Matters

Researchers in many fields—management, medicine, writing, psychology, and others—have

studied problem solving In general, they define problem as a gap between where you are now

and where you want to be.8 Some problems can be solved by following a set procedure These are well-defined problems When you find out how much money is left in your budget or fill in a report with routine data, you are solving a well-defined problem. But most significant business communication problems are ill-defined problems They involve too many unmeasurable factors and allow for too many possible options to be routinely solved With ill-defined problems, you

cannot find the answer; you have to develop one by gathering information, analyzing it, and

mak-ing decisions In fact, you often have to construct a definition of the problem before you can construct the solution.

One reason why so many business communication tasks are ill defined is that communication is

a transaction between people—and people are both complex and unique But the business text itself is complex, often presenting you with multiple ways to handle a situation For exam- ple, if a customer has complained, what will you do about it? Nothing? Apologize? Imply that the customer was at fault? Give a conciliatory discount? Refuse to adjust the bill? Even a “simple” ill-defined problem like this one requires thinking through not only how to solve the business problem (what to do with an unhappy customer) but also how to solve the communication problem (what to say and how to say it).

con-Fortunately, once you’ve studied this book, you’ll have several heuristics in your toolbox that’ll help you meet any communication challenge Heuristics are tools to think with They’re basic guidelines, rough models, previous scenarios, and other aids that keep you from having to treat each problem as a brand new problem Good problem solvers rely on heuristics When facing a problem, the first thing they ask is, “Have I seen this kind of problem before?” And then, depend- ing on the answer, they consider strategies they’ve already learned and used in other situations to see if some of those might apply This is the kind of problem solving we encourage you to use The concepts, structures, and strategies offered here are meant to save you time when planning communication solutions, but you must use your own good judgment to figure out how and when

to apply them.

Of course, people will handle communication tasks differently depending on who they are, how they interpret the situation, and who they imagine their recipients to be Does this mean that all communication solutions are equally good? Absolutely not While there is no perfect solution, there can be many bad ones that have been developed without enough effort Focused analysis, research, and planning will not guarantee success in the shifting, complex world of business communication, but they will make your chances of success as high as possible Fol- lowing the advice in this book, you can generate effective solutions for many common com- munication problems.

Communication Skills—A Breakdown

When you approach business communication as problem solving, you draw on skills that you may not have realized are necessary for effective workplace communication. 

Certainly verbal literacy is a core component of communication skill The greater the range of words and sentence patterns you’re familiar with, and the stronger your knowledge of grammar and mechanics, the better you can communicate appropriately with a given audience Chapter 5, Chapter 6, and Reference Chapter A will help you craft a correct, reader-focused style.

But these days, visual literacy is almost as important Extensive exposure to the Internet, with its graphics-rich content, has led readers to expect all types of written communication to look inviting and easy to read Anything that doesn’t look this way is likely to be ignored Visuals are also critical to conveying information Research indicates that 80 to 85% of all our perception is mediated through vision, and visually enhanced text has been proven to generate more effective learning than text alone.9 Chapters 3 and 4 will explain about how to boost your communica- tion’s effectiveness through purposeful visual design.

LO1-3 Describe the skills that

are needed by today’s business

communicators

While verbal and visual literacy will be your core communication skills, many other skills will

come into play as you solve business communication problems Listed below are the ones most

frequently mentioned by employers and by analysts of the contemporary workplace.

Interpersonal Skill Every business, even a one-person business, is a social enterprise

Some-one has to make or acquire what’s being sold, someSome-one has to sell it, and someSome-one has to manage

the whole operation—all of which involves communicating with others Being able to work with

people is thus a highly prized business skill.

Of particular interest to employers these days is employees’ ability to work on a team The

respon-dents to the latest NACE survey ranked this trait second in terms of the skills they like to see

indi-cated in a résumé, and it is similarly prized by many other employers.10 There is good reason for this:

As the hierarchical structure that characterized 20th-century businesses has given way to flatter, more

shifting organizational shapes, the workgroup approach to business has become widespread.

Many workplace groups manage a functional area of the company, such as sales or tech support

But others are cross-functional teams set up on a temporary basis to solve particular problems or

pursue particular initiatives And you’ll notice that even large companies sometimes refer to

their employees as the “team.” Putting together different types of people with different kinds of

expertise has become essential to most organizations’ success Chapter 14 will help you become

a valued contributor in this environment.

Analytical Ability When you communicate on the job, you will often be presenting your

analysis of a situation or a set of information Adapting to a quickly changing business landscape

requires being able to scan the available facts, focus on the relevant ones, and interpret them

reli-ably and usefully As data-gathering devices are built into more objects, there will be more

numerical data for us to process Thus, the need for  computational thinking —the ability “to

interact with data, see patterns in data, make data-based decisions, and use data to design for

desired outcomes”11—is increasing, and, with it, the need for the ability to create and read

data-based graphics.12

But your interpretive skills  need to go beyond interpreting numbers Being able to understand

situations and people—that is, to guess the meaning behind the facts you can see—is critical As

“smart machines” have automated many workplace tasks, employees are spending more time on

tasks that require “the ability to determine the deeper meaning or significance of what is being

expressed.”13 As one expert put it, “high-value work” has “an imaginative component.”14 This

quality is required to discern the key facts, to explore “what ifs,” and to choose the best

solution—all central components of successful business communication Every communication

task in this book draws on such analytical skills.

Media Literacy When email arrived on the scene in the late 1980s, it created something of a

revolution Instead of being restricted to letters, memos, and printed reports and proposals,

busi-ness writers could now correspond electronically As a result, many tasks formerly conducted via

print documents—memos in particular—were performed through email instead, and email

replaced many phone and face-to-face conversations as well. 

As you know, we now have many additional media options for our communication In addition to

instant messaging and text messaging, businesses are now using blogs, tweets, podcasts, virtual

meetings, videos, animation, simulations, and even

online games Collectively referred to as new

media , these forms of communication and the

mobile devices with which people access them are

causing another revolution.

The impacts of this change are many and far

reach-ing It is easy now to network with others, even on

the other side of the world, and to tap the

intelli-gence of those outside the boundaries of the

• Verbal and visual literacy

• Interpersonal/collaborative skill

• Analytical ability (computational thinking, interpretive skill) 

• Media literacy/social intelligence

• Cross-cultural competency

• Ethical awareness

organization Obviously, these “new ways for groups to come together and collaborate” require that employees be “highly conversant with digital networking and virtual collaboration.”15 But new media also increase the need for employees with  social intelligence —the ability “to quickly assess the emotions of those around them and adapt their words, tone, and gestures accordingly.”16

With information coming in so fast and from so many sources, organizations are becoming more brainlike, with each employee acting as a kind of sensor As a result, front-line employees now have a higher level of decision-making power than ever before.17 Performing well in such an envi- ronment takes “novel and adaptive thinking,”18 a willingness to “embrace change,” and “fierce problem-solving skills.”19 Chapter 2 and many of the later chapters will help you choose your media wisely and strengthen your ability to use them well.

Cultural Awareness Countries and cultures continue to grow more interconnected as nesses expand around the world. 

busi-Cross-cultural competency should thus be a part of your skillset.20 You will need to be aware that your assumptions about business and communication are not shared by everyone every- where As Chapter 7 explains, businesspeople from other countries may have distinctly different attitudes about punctuality and efficiency They can also differ from you in their preference, or lack thereof, for directness and the show of emotion And the core features of their culture—such

as their preference for individualism or collectivism, their religious beliefs, their political ronment, their ideas about social hierarchy, and their attitudes toward work itself—can make their view of how to do business quite different from yours.

envi-You will encounter other kinds of diversity as well To have adequate retirement income, the Baby Boomers—those born soon after World War II—are extending their careers This means that organizations are likely to have employees in their twenties, in their sixties and seventies, and every age in between The influx of women into the workplace has meant increased gender diversity Moreover, each generation of U.S workers has grown more ethnically diverse, with the youngest generation having the most ethnic diversity.21 You will definitely need to have cultural agility to communicate successfully in the workplace. 

Diversity programs are becoming widespread

Why? An article on OPENForum.com, a site offer-ing resources and advice for businesses, lists

these benefits:

1 It builds your employer brand You can attract

better talent from around the world Also, a

company that has a strong diversity program

will have a good reputation because it will be

seen as having fair employment practices

2 It increases creativity When you bring a

variety of different people from various

backgrounds together, you’ll end up getting better solutions to business problems

3 It encourages personal growth Employees,

especially younger ones, are striving to use their corporate experience to learn and to grow their careers Workplace diversity supports this profes-sional development because it helps employees learn new ideas and perspectives and connect intellectually and personally to different people

4 It makes employees think more dently If you have similar people at a

indepen-company, it will be harder to solve complex problems One study by Katherine Phillips, a professor at Kellogg, shows that adding even one employee from a different background can get people out of their comfort zones and thinking differently about a situation

Source: Dan Schawbel, “Why Diversity Matters in the Workplace,”

American Express OPEN Forum, November 8, 2012, https:// www.americanexpress.com/us/small-business/openforum/ articles/why-diversity-matters-in-the-workplace/ All rights reserved Used with permission.

Why Companies Promote Workplace Diversity

Communication Matters

Ethical Awareness One more widespread trend underway in business will likely affect your

work and the goals of the organization you work for: an increased focus on ethical, socially

responsible behavior.

Ethical scandals have plagued businesses throughout modern history, but several have

fueled particular concern In the 1990s, a series of articles about Nike’s outsourcing its

manufacturing operations to Asian countries focused the public’s attention on the

wide-spread problem of exploitation of foreign labor In 2001, Enron and WorldCom were found

to have falsified their accounting statements, which cost their shareholders and employees

millions of dollars and ultimately led to these companies’ bankruptcy (as well as to the

con-viction of one of the former “big five” U.S accounting firms, Arthur Andersen) In 2008

came unprecedented discoveries of mismanagement, predatory lending, and fraud on the

part of many of the United States’ largest financial institutions—discoveries that caused the

Great Recession, global economic panic, and the loss of countless homes and jobs The

explosion of a BP oil rig in the Gulf of Mexico in 2010 caused the worst oil spill in U.S

history, and Mexico is still trying to collect compensation for damage caused by the disaster

Walmart and other companies have recently been sued for wage theft and other types of

mistreatment of employees And companies are routinely taken to court for defective

prod-ucts and/or deceptive advertising.

On a moral level, doing business in a way that harms others is wrong On a practical level, doing

so undermines trust, which is critical to the success of business The more an organization

builds trust among its employees, its shareholders, its business partners, and its community, the

better for the business and for economic prosperity overall This helps explain why businesses

place a high premium on the ethical integrity of their members and on honest, trustworthy

communications.

But there’s another reason The Internet and social media have brought a new transparency to

companies’ business practices, with negative information traveling quickly and widely

Nongov-ernmental organizations (NGOs) such as CorpWatch, Consumer Federation of America, and

Greenpeace can exert a powerful influence on public opinion and even on governments

Busi-nesses now operate in an age of social accountability, and one of their responses has been the

development of corporate social responsibility (CSR) departments and initiatives Although

the business benefits of CSR have been debated, the public demand for such programs is strong

Accountability to the various groups affected by your organization will—and should—influence

how you work and communicate in business  

Professionalism 101

There’s one more highly valued trait to mention, and it should come into play during every

inter-action you have It’s professionalism

Like communication, professionalism seems a simple concept until you start to unpack it What

exactly is professionalism?

Surely a part of it is  business etiquette This is the set of behaviors that’s expected from you

as an employee when you’re in social situations, whether with your colleagues, your superiors,

or such outsiders as partners and customers Good table manners, polite conversation, and

appro-priate attire are part of business etiquette, but it goes deeper than this As one source puts it, the

ultimate goal of good manners “is to build positive relationships that enable a working

environ-ment to function in the most favorable way to all concerned.”22

Courtesy is a part of business etiquette In terms of communication, this means that you allow

others to speak, you listen carefully, you don’t interrupt, and you keep your tone of voice under

control Respect also plays a role You demonstrate awareness of and appreciation for others’

expertise and accomplishments, as well as their cultural norms. 

LO1-4 Define professionalism and its importance to business communicators

Nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) such as CorpWatch attest to the growing importance of social responsibility in business

adapt-Research shows that employees are now changing jobs at a faster rate than ever ing to Integral Talent Systems, recent graduates are staying at one organization only 1.8 years, and 60% of them are “résumé building” while working for their current employer.24 As you plot your upward path, be a professional in whatever job you hold It will lead to better learning on your part, more impressive accomplishments, and stronger letters of reference, as well as

before. Accord-rewarding relationships and a personal sense of pride Remember that people will know you

largely through your communications Make sure your content, your wording, and the look of

your written work all convey your professionalism.

The Business Communication

Environment

Seeing the big picture is an important part of communication success The Project

Manage-ment Institute reports that one of the main reasons projects fail is that the team members

don’t understand how the project fits into the company’s larger business strategy.25 Trying to

grasp a situation in its entirety before figuring out how to act is also what effective problem

solvers do.26

But social researchers and managers have noted that, compared to the generations before them,

today’s graduates tend to be weak at reading the big picture.27 Having grown up with information

overload, they have developed the habit of quickly assessing messages, spending as little time as

possible on each task before moving to the next one, and doing more than one thing at once

(a.k.a multitasking) In other words, they focus on the immediate and tend to work too fast on

too many things to pick up on the more subtle features of a situation, some of which can be

extremely important.

Efficiency is highly prized in business, but not taking the time to gather and think through all the

important facts will lead to inefficiency, as well as to decisions that backfire The discussions

that follow will help you identify communication factors that may be lurking behind the more

obvious ones.

Main Categories of Business Communication

All the communicating going on in your workplace can seem so overwhelming that you can be

tempted to ignore all messages that do not concern you directly But as mentioned, ignoring the

big picture can lead to poor communication choices. 

LO1-5 Describe the three main categories of business

communication

You’ve seen them, and probably worked with

them—they’re the ones who are responsible,

easy to work with, and under control without

be-ing stuffy or unfriendly They’re professionals

Here are some of their most noticeable

behaviors:

• When responding to others, especially in

sensi-tive situations, they do not blurt out the first

thing that comes to mind Instead, they listen

and think and then give a considered response

• They realize that they represent their

organiza-tion They don’t say anything to an external

party that they wouldn’t want their boss to overhear

• They do not needlessly make work for other people They answer messages appropriately and efficiently, come through with their part of a project, pay attention to instructions and feed-back, and try to find the information they need before asking others for it

• They’re willing to go beyond their own job scription to contribute something that will help the team When they pick up the slack for a co-worker, they don’t make a big deal out of it; they

de-realize that everyone is expected to give extra occasionally and that, at some point, a co-worker will return the favor

• When in important meetings or at important presentations, they put their phones on silent and do not look at them unless they’ve been invited to tweet their feedback to the speaker, they’re researching something for the group, or it’s clear that using one’s phone in such situa-tions is okay

What else do they do? See how many other professional behaviors you can add to this list

How to Spot a Professional

Communication Matters

A way to make sense of the big communication picture is to view all communications as being one of three types: internal operational, external operational, or personal This catego- rizing scheme is an oversimplification, of course For example, a blog post or tweet can fall into all three categories if it is read by people both inside and outside the company and has a distinctive personal voice Many business emails also include brief personal touches to help build goodwill.

Still, an understanding of these three primary categories can help you see where your cations fit in and decide what to say, how, why, and to whom.

communi-Internal-Operational Communication All the communication that occurs in conducting work within a business is internal operational This is the communication among the business’s employees that is done to perform the work of the business and track its success.

Internal-operational communication takes many forms It includes the ongoing discussions that senior management undertakes to determine the goals and processes of the business It

Top Navigation Bar

Primary navigational element with drop-down menus for users to access team and department intranet sections.

Quick Links Bar

Links to frequently-used employee apps, including payroll portal, company email, wellness programs and benefits information

Latest News Widget

Rotating carousel of secondary news stories

Chatter Activity Feed Widget

Displays the latest activity in Virgin America's enterprise social network, powered

by Salesforce Chatter

Unified Search Field

VXConnect Search indexes intranet pages, articles, documents and even posts from users

on Chatter.

Feature Carousel

Rotating carousel containing the top corporate news stories and promotions, such as new service announcements, companywide contests, events and benefits open enrollment

Performance Widget

Displays key metrics that play a large role in the airline's success—current fuel price, our load factor, on-time performance, and

on the job safety numbers

Companies often use carefully designed intranets, such as this one from Virgin America, to communicate with employees and enable them to communicate with each other.

Source: Virgin Atlantic Reprinted with permission.

includes the orders and instructions that supervisors give employees, as well as written and oral

exchanges among employees about work matters It includes reports that employees prepare

concerning sales, production, inventories, finance, maintenance, and so on It includes the

mes-sages that they write and speak in carrying out their assignments and contributing their ideas to

the business.

Most internal-operational messages should use the conversational style discussed in

Chap-ter 6 This style is pleasant without being too chummy and professional without being stiff

Another style can be appropriate depending on what kind of communication you’re engaging

in—for example, a chat with a co-worker can be more casual, while a report to your boss can

be more formal But none of your internal messages should lapse into profanity, goofiness, or

poor grammar.

External-Operational Communication The work-related communicating that a business

does with people and groups outside the business is external-operational communication

This is the business’s communication with suppliers, service companies, customers, government

agencies, the general public, and others.

External-operational communication includes all of the business’s efforts at selling—from sales

letters, emails, and phone calls to Web and television ads, trade-show displays, the company

website, and customer visits Also in this category is all that a business does to gain positive

publicity, such as promoting its community-service activities, preparing appealing materials for

current and prospective investors, writing press releases for the media, and contributing expert

insights at professional meetings and on webinars In fact, every act of communication with an

external audience can be regarded as a public-relations message, conveying a certain image of

the company For this reason, all such acts should be undertaken with careful attention to both

content and tone.

The importance of these kinds of external-operational communication hardly needs explaining

Because the success of a business depends on its ability to attract and satisfy customers, it must

com-municate effectively with them.

But businesses also depend on one

another in the production and

distribu-tion of goods and services

Coordinat-ing with contractors, consultants, and

suppliers requires skillful

communica-tion In addition, every business must

communicate to some extent with a

variety of other external parties, such

as  government agencies and

public-interest groups Some likely external

audiences for today’s businesses are

illustrated in Exhibit 1-2. 

Communication with such parties can

be friendly, but it is typically more

formal than internal communication

unless you know your co-communicator

well When conversing with outsiders,

you’ll want to be especially aware that

you are representing your organization

Be sure to do so with discretion and

professionalism.

Customers

(consumers, business customers, the government )

Industry Partners

(competitors, similar businesses, lobbyists )

Regulatory Agents

(the government, trade alliances, union officials, national and international legal experts )

Public Groups

(community groups, citizen groups, nongovernmental organizations, schools and foundations )

Core Business Partners

(suppliers, contract workers, manufacturers, shippers, distributors )

Your company

The Public at Large

(Internet surfers, social networkers, potential employees, potential investors )