Quality Control

TeonaJLove

Chapter6-Powerpoint.pptx

Home >Human Resource Management homework help >Quality Control

Chapter 6 Improving Readability with Style and Design

No reproduction or further distribution permitted without the prior written consent of McGraw Hill.

Because learning changes everything.®

Learning Objectives

6.1 Describe and apply the following principles of writing style that improve ease of reading: completeness, conciseness, and natural processing.

6.2 Explain and use navigational design to improve ease of reading.

6.3 Describe and apply the components of the reviewing stage, including a FAIR test, proofreading, and feedback.

Improving Ease of Reading with Completeness

Basic Strategies

Provide all relevant information.

Be accurate.

Be specific.

Most of your messages in the workplace have a clear goal: to update your team members, to promote a service to a client, to give an assignment, and so on. Your goal of completeness means that your message provides all the information necessary to meet that purpose. Your colleagues, clients, and other contacts expect complete information so they can act on your message immediately. Otherwise, they will need to contact you to get additional information or, worse yet, ignore your message altogether. You can achieve completeness with three basic strategies: (1) providing all relevant information; (2) being accurate; and (3) being specific.

Provide All Relevant Information

Plan, write, and review your message strategically.

Include only information necessary for the purpose of your message.

One challenge is to judge which information is relevant for your message. After all, providing too much information can distract your readers and weigh down your document. On the other hand, not providing enough information can leave your reader wondering how to respond. The key to providing all but only relevant information is to plan, write, and review your message strategically. Repeatedly asking yourself what information is necessary for the purpose of your message will help you accomplish this.

Be Accurate

Accuracy strongly impacts your readers’ perceptions of your credibility.

One inaccurate statement can:

Lead readers to dismiss your entire message.

Lower their trust in your future communications.

Accuracy is a basic objective of all business communication because your colleagues, customers, and clients base important decisions on your communications. In short, accurate information is true, correct, and exact. You should aim for accuracy in facts, figures, statistics, and word choice. Accuracy, like specificity, strongly impacts your readers’ perceptions of your credibility. Just one inaccurate statement can lead readers to dismiss your entire message and lower their trust in your future communications as well.

Table 6.1a Being Accurate

Less Effective	Those who are food insecure are generally in low-income (under $300000 per year) households, but that’s not always the case.	A typo (300000) implies an income level that is ten times too high. It’s an obvious mistake that will detract from the credibility of the message.
More Effective	Those who are food insecure are generally in low-income (under $30,000 per year) households, but that’s not always the case.	The revised version contains the corrected figure.

Table 6.1b Being Accurate

Less Effective	The average social ambassador increased donations by $2,312 – that’s enough to help a food-insecure family of four eat nutritious meals for nearly four weeks!	Incorrect word (weeks rather than months) leads to one of the figures dramatically underestimating the impact.
More Effective	The average social ambassador increased donations by $2,312 – that’s enough to help a food-insecure family of four eat nutritious meals for nearly four months!	The revised version contains the corrected phrase to show the true impact.

Be Specific

The more specific you are, the more likely your readers are to have their questions answered.

If you are not specific, your readers may become impatient and begin scanning and skimming for the information they want.

Your readers expect you to be precise and avoid vagueness in nearly all business situations. The more specific you are, the more likely your readers are to have their questions answered. If you are not specific, your readers may become impatient and begin scanning and skimming for the information they want. If they can’t find that information, they are unlikely to respond to your message as you intend.

Table 6.2a Being Specific

Less Effective	With very little time commitment, you can dramatically improve the lives of kids and their families in our community.	The phrase very little time commitment is not specific.
More Effective	In just one to two hours per week, you can dramatically improve the lives of kids and their families in our community.	The phrase one to two hours per week is specific and avoids ambiguity.

Table 6.2b Being Specific

Less Effective	Across the board, every metric has skyrocketed. Donations increased so much that we could serve many more families. On top of that, volunteer hours increased and we were able to receive far more clothing donations.	All these terms are vague.
More Effective	Since we started the social ambassadors program in 2018, cash donations have increased 32%; food donations, 18%; book donations, 42%; clothing donations, 55%; and volunteer hours, 155%.	By stating specific figures for increases in donations, the impacts are not open to interpretation.

Improving Ease of Reading with Conciseness

Omitting needless words so that readers can rapidly process your main ideas.

Say as much as you can in as few words as possible.

Strategies include:

Controlling paragraph length.

Using shorter sentences.

Avoiding redundancy.

Avoiding empty phrases.

Avoiding wordy phrases.

When you write concisely, your message is far easier to read. Conciseness does not imply removing relevant information. Rather, it implies omitting needless words so that readers can rapidly process your main ideas.

Control Paragraph Length

Long paragraphs can signal disorganization and disrespect for the reader’s time.

Typically, paragraphs should contain 40 to 80 words.

For routine messages, paragraphs as short as 20 to 30 words are common and appropriate.

Don’t place more than one main idea in a paragraph.

Before they even begin to read, readers form impressions about ease of reading by looking at paragraph length. When they see long paragraphs, they often enter skim mode—searching for certain words and ideas rather than reading. Long paragraphs can signal disorganization and even disrespect for the reader’s time. Typically, paragraphs should contain 40 to 80 words. For routine messages, paragraphs as short as 20 to 30 words are common and appropriate. As the level of information and analysis grows deeper, some paragraphs will be longer. Rarely should paragraphs exceed 150 words. In a matter of seconds, you can easily check how many words are in your paragraph with nearly all word processing software.

Table 6.3a Controlling Paragraph Length

Less Effective

A lot of people wonder exactly what we do. That’s a fair question. In an effort to support people in need, we provide food in a well-balanced and nutritious manner. We have an on-site food pantry and a food pantry truck to provide delivery. We also serve hot meals on-site for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. The food bank bestows our clients with bountiful and sustainable food. In 2019, we served 2,152 households, 5,327 children were served, another 986 senior citizens were served, and altogether we served 23,887 meals! Our food bank is also a dietary guidance organization. Generally, impoverished families simply don’t have the wherewithal to procure healthy foods. We have done research that shows 83 percent of the people we serve usually purchase inexpensive and unhealthy foods. As a result, many of our clients need more education about proper dietary needs. We also provide clothing assistance and give away books. We have supported thousands of members of the community get back on their feet. The charity watchdog group Charity Navigator has given us a perfect rating for the past five years because of our ability to serve our community with the resources we receive.

This paragraph contains 195 words. It also contains excessive numerical figures.

Table 6.3b Controlling Paragraph Length

More Effective

We provide well-balanced, nutritious foods to anyone in need. We have an on-site food pantry and a food pantry truck to provide delivery. We also serve hot meals on-site for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. We ensure all clients receive dairy products, fresh produce, meats, and breads. Impact 2019 Households served 2,152 Children served 5,327 Seniors served 986 Meals served 23,887 We also provide dietary guidance. Many low-income families can’t consistently afford healthy foods. Our research shows that 83 percent of our clients usually purchase inexpensive and unhealthy foods. As a result, many of our clients need more education about proper dietary needs. We also provide clothing assistance and give away books. We have supported thousands of members of the community get back on their feet. The charity watchdog group Charity Navigator has given us a perfect rating for the past five years because of excellent use of donations to support our clients.

This paragraph contains the same information but has been edited for conciseness and divided into three paragraphs (46, 51, and 41 words) and a table for numerical information.

Use Short Sentences in Most Cases

Allows your readers to comprehend your ideas more easily.

For routine messages, aim for average sentence length of 15 or fewer words.

For more analytical and complex business messages, you may have an average sentence length of 20 or fewer words.

Like relatively short paragraphs, short sentences allow your readers to comprehend your ideas more easily. As a rule of thumb, for routine messages, aim for average sentence length of 15 or fewer words. For more analytical and complex business messages, you may have an average sentence length of 20 or fewer words.

Figure 6.2 Comprehension Rate and Sentence Length

Access the text alternative for slide images.

Source: Figure adapted from Wylie, A. (2009, January 14). How to make your copy more readable: Make sentences shorter. Comprehension. Retrieved from http://comprehension.prsa.org/?p=217.

Consider Figure 6.2, which depicts the data from a study conducted by the American Press Institute. Readers were tested on their overall comprehension based on the length of sentences. When sentences had 10 words or fewer, readers had nearly 100 percent comprehension. Once sentence lengths reached around 20 words, comprehension dropped to about 80 percent. Thereafter, comprehension dropped rapidly. Sentence lengths of 28 words resulted in just 30 percent comprehension.

Table 6.4a Using Short Sentences

Less Effective	Experts examine food insecurity in many ways, and their definitions generally coalesce around the idea that people not only consistently don’t have enough money for food but it’s also not healthy food they eat.	This sentence contains 34 words.
More Effective	Generally, food insecurity means people don’t have enough money to consistently eat enough healthy food.	This sentence contains the same ideas in just 15 words.

Table 6.4b Using Short Sentences

Less Effective	More than ever, we’ve started to serve the senior citizen community, with nearly 15 percent of our clients who are retired without enough income for regular, nutritious meals and who often face extra challenges with diseases such as diabetes and high-blood pressure and who need dietary guidance as a result.	This sentence contains 50 words.
More Effective	Increasingly, seniors need support as well. Nearly 15 percent of our clients are retired without enough income for regular, nutritious meals. Many of these seniors require nutritional guidance as they face extra challenges with diseases such as diabetes and high-blood pressure.	The less effective sentence has been split into three sentences with 7, 15, and 20 words, respectively.

Avoid Redundancy

Reduce word count.

Avoid words or phrases that repeat the same meaning.

Table 6.5a Avoiding Redundancy

Less Effective	To help you succeed, we provide you with many resources so you can complete your role effectively.	This sentence has 17 words. “To help you reach your succeed” and “so you can complete your role effectively” are redundant phrases.
More Effective	To help you succeed, we provide you with many resources.	This sentence has 10 words. It removes redundancy.

Table 6.5b Avoiding Redundancy

Less Effective	You will receive weekly tips, suggestions, and examples about how to increase your impact each and every week.	This sentence has 18 words. “Weekly” and “each and every week” are redundant. “Tips” and “suggestions” are redundant.
More Effective	You will receive weekly tips and examples about how to increase your impact.	This sentence has 13 words. It removes redundancies.

Table 6.6a Avoiding Empty Phrases

Less Effective	Needless to say, you receive training about how to influence your followers on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, Twitter, and other social sites.	This sentence contains 21 words.
More Effective	You receive training about how to influence your followers on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, Twitter, and other social sites.	This revision contains 18 words.

Table 6.6b Avoiding Empty Phrases

Less Effective	With all due respect, we recommend you avoid posting unapproved content.	This sentence contains 11 words.
More Effective	We recommend you avoid posting unapproved content.	This revision contains 7 words.

Avoid Wordy Prepositional Phrases

Get your ideas across as efficiently as possible.

Reduce word count by 30 to 40 percent simply by converting many prepositional phrases into single-word verbs.

Eliminating extra words allows you to get your ideas across as efficiently as possible. You will often find that you can reduce word count by 30 to 40 percent simply by converting many of your prepositional phrases into single-word verbs.

Table 6.7a Avoiding Wordy Prepositional Phrases

Less Effective	In an effort to support people in need, we provide food in a well-balanced and nutritious manner.	This sentence contains 18 words.
More Effective	We provide well-balanced, nutritious foods to anyone in need.	This revision of the less effective sentence contains 10 words.

Table 6.7b Avoiding Wordy Prepositional Phrases

Less Effective	In all the research about food security, kids in food insecure households are much more likely on a path to poor school performance, much more likely in a condition of stress, and much more likely on the road to many lifelong challenges.	This sentence contains 42 words.
More Effective	Research shows that kids who face food insecurity experience more stress, perform more poorly at school, and face many lifelong challenges.	This revision of the less effective sentence contains 21 words.

Improving Ease of Reading with Natural Style

Use Action Verbs When Possible

First, find nouns that you can convert to action verbs.

Second, find forms of the verb to be (e.g., be verbs such as is, are, am) and convert them into action verbs.

Typically, then, you can focus on two types of revisions to achieve more effective action verbs. First, find nouns that you can convert to action verbs. For example, have a meeting becomes meet or have a discussion becomes discuss. Second, find forms of the verb to be and convert them to action verbs. For example, Sunrise is a great place to open a franchise with becomes Sunrise provides great opportunities for franchises.

Table 6.8a Using Action Verbs

Less Effective	Most of our social ambassadors are volunteers at the food bank.	This sentence contains 11 words.
More Effective	Most of our social ambassadors volunteer at the food bank.	This revision contains 10 words.

Table 6.8b Using Action Verbs

Less Effective	Our food bank is also a dietary guidance organization.	This sentence contains 9 words.
More Effective	We also provide dietary guidance.	This revision contains 5 words.

Use Active Voice

Grammatical Patterns

Active voice: doer as subject + verb + object

Passive voice: object as subject + be verb + verb + doer (optional)

Allows for faster processing.

Emphasizes the business orientation of the action.

Specifies the doer.

Results in fewer words.

One way to immediately improve your writing is use active rather than passive voice in most sentences. Active voice and passive voice contain the following grammatical patterns:

Active voice: Doer as Subject + Verb + Object

Passive voice: Object as Subject + Be Verb + Verb + Doer (Optional)

Consider the following examples:

Active voice: Sunrise provides free training for up to three people for each new store.

Passive voice: Free training is provided for up to three people for each new store.

In active voice, this sentence immediately identifies the doer (sunrise). It then uses a strong verb (provides) and proceeds to the object (free training).

Table 6.9a Using Active Voice Appropriately

Less Effective (passive voice)	Social ambassadors are provided with content to post and are also given suggestions about how to make it personalized.	This passive sentence de-emphasizes who provides the content and lacks an action-oriented tone. At 19 words, it is unnecessarily wordy.
More Effective (active voice)	We give you content to post and suggest how to personalize it.	The active verb construction in this sentence helps achieve a more engaging, action-oriented tone. At 12 words, it is easier to process.

Table 6.9b Using Active Voice Appropriately

Less Effective (passive voice)	By being in attendance at the monthly social ambassador meeting, there is a lot that can be learned about running a non-profit.	This sentence contains two sets of passive verbs. It de-emphasizes who will run the meeting and who will learn about non-profits. It lacks an action-oriented tone. At 22 words, it is wordy.
More Effective (active voice)	You can join the food bank’s monthly social ambassador meeting and learn about running a non-profit.	This sentences clearly identifies a benefit to you (social ambassadors). It is clear the food bank runs the meeting. At 16 words, it is easier to read.

Table 6.10a Using Passive Voice Appropriately

Less Effective (active voice)	Since you did not provide enough information in your application, we cannot provide a decision about you being a social ambassador.	This active verb construction emphasizes the applicant’s mistakes. It also emphasizes the controlling nature of the food bank in the decision.
More Effective (passive voice)	Since some application information wasn't completed, a decision about you being a social ambassador hasn't been made.	This passive verb construction provides the bad news without assigning blame or directly pointing out failure.

Table 6.10b Using Passive Voice Appropriately

Less Effective (active voice)	You need to complete the application forms carefully for us to seriously consider your application.	This active verb construction might be perceived as bossy (sounds like an order) or demeaning (implies the reader is not smart enough to understand basic procedures).
More Effective (passive voice)	Application forms that are completed carefully allow us to better determine the merit of your application.	This passive verb construction emphasizes the importance of carefully completing the forms without directly implying the reader is likely to make elementary mistakes.

Use Short and Familiar Words and Phrases

Choose short, conversational, and familiar words.

Using longer, less common words slows processing and distract from the message.

Whenever possible, choose short, conversational, and familiar words. Using longer, less common words to “sound smart” rarely pays off. They slow processing and distract from your message. They may even inadvertently send the signal that you are out of touch, quirky, or even arrogant.

Table 6.11a Using Short, Familiar Words and Phrases

Less Effective	Generally, impoverished families simply don’t have the wherewithal to procure wholesome foods.	Impoverished, wherewithal, procure, and wholesome are all words that are less familiar to many readers and take longer to process than words such as low-income, afford, and healthy.
More Effective	Generally, low-income families can’t always afford healthy foods.	This sentence contains short, familiar words that allow for ease of reading.

Table 6.11b Using Short, Familiar Words and Phrases

Less Effective	The food bank bestows our clients with bountiful and sustainable food.	This sentence contains infrequently used or exaggerated words (bestows, bountiful, sustainable). These terms sound overblown and will confuse many readers.
More Effective	We ensure all clients receive dairy products, fresh produce, meats, and breads.	This sentence contains shorter, more familiar terms and concrete items that capture the intended meaning.

Use Parallel Language

Apply a consistent grammatical pattern across sentences or paragraphs.

Parallelism is most important when you use series or lists.

Using parallel language means that you apply a consistent grammatical pattern across a sentence or paragraph. Parallelism is most important when you use series or lists. For example, when you describe a product with three characteristics, use the same grammatical pattern for each—that is, for example, choose adjectives or nouns or verbs for all of them.

Table 6.12a Using Parallel Language

Less Effective	Social ambassadors are generous and know how to influence others on social media sites.	The two characteristics of customers are not parallel. They are in the following pattern: adjective and verb–object.
More Effective	Social ambassadors are generous with their time and savvy with social media. OR Social ambassadors give their time freely and influence their followers on social media sites.	The two characteristics of customers are parallel. They are both adjectives. In the second example: The two characteristics of social ambassadors are parallel. They both follow verb–object patterns.

Table 6.12b Using Parallel Language

Less Effective	We will work directly with you to influence social media followers, select appropriate content, and personalized posts.	The three items in the list are not parallel. They are in the following pattern: verb–object, verb–object, noun.
More Effective	We will work directly with you to influence social media followers, select appropriate content, and personalize your posts. OR We will work directly with you to achieve the following: appropriate content selection, personalized posts, and widespread influence.	The three items in the list are parallel. They are each in a verb–object pattern. In the second example: The three items in the list are parallel. They are each in adjective–noun patterns.

Avoid Buzzwords and Figures of Speech

Overused or out-of-place words or phrases are distracting.

Buzzwords

Workplace terms that become trite because of overuse.

Can stir negative feelings among some readers.

Figures of Speech

Contain nonliteral meanings.

Are generally out of place or inappropriate in business writing.

To keep your writing natural and engaging, make sure you don’t distract your readers with overused or out-of-place words or phrases. Buzzwords, which are workplace terms that become trite because of overuse, can stir negative feelings among some readers. Figures of speech, such as idioms and metaphors, which contain non-literal meanings, are generally out of place or inappropriate in business writing. Since they are nonliteral, they lack the precise meanings needed in business.

Table 6.13 The Most Annoying Buzzwords

Leverage	At the end of the day
Reach out	Synergy
It is what it is	Solution
Viral	Think outside the box
Game changers	On the same page
Disconnect	Customer-centric
Value-add	Do more with less
Circle back	Downsizing
Cutting edge	Overworked

Source: “WHAT’S THE BUZZ? Survey Reveals Most Overused Workplace Terms,” online article retrieved July 2014.

In Table 6.13, you can see one list of annoying buzzwords cited in a recent survey of executives. Dozens of such lists exist because business professionals become so agitated by these overused words.

Table 6.14a Avoiding Buzzwords and Figures of Speech

Less Effective	Do you want to change the world? With very little time commitment, you can catapult the life opportunities of kids and their families in our community.	Change the world and catapult are figures of speech that sound unbelievable to most readers.
More Effective	Do you want to help the most vulnerable members of our community? In just one or two hours per week, you can dramatically improve the lives of kids and their families in our community.	This sentence is more believable. It avoids exaggerated figures of speech but remains extremely positive and future-oriented.

Table 6.14b Avoiding Buzzwords and Figures of Speech

Less Effective	We organize an annual retreat that is a total blast for our social ambassadors and that provides synergistic, win–win solutions and proactive approaches to managing their social media influence.	These sentences contain various figures of speech that readers may not receive well. A total blast is slang. Not only can slang be misunderstood, but it can also serve as a generation marker. Slang goes out of style and can make you look out of date. Other slang will highlight how young you are. The combination of buzzwords (synergistic, win–win, proactive) in the second portion of the sentence will annoy some readers.
More Effective	We organize a fun-filled annual retreat for social ambassadors where they can share and discuss problems, solutions, and opportunities to increase their social media influence.	This sentence, without the excessive slang and buzzwords, is easy to read. Readers can rapidly process this sentence and relate to its tone.

Avoid It Is and There Are

Readers naturally want to know precisely who or what the subject of a sentence is.

Most sentences that begin with it is or there are fail to provide a specific subject and generally contain more words than necessary.

Readers naturally want to know precisely who or what the subject of a sentence is, particularly in business writing, where specificity is so important. Most sentences that begin with it is or there are fail to provide a specific subject and generally contain more words than necessary. A message can be particularly awkward when many of the sentences begin with it is or there are. By rewording it is/there are statements, you generally liven up your writing.

Table 6.15a Avoiding It Is and There Are

Less Effective	There are many ways you can help out as a social ambassador.	This sentence contains 12 words.
More Effective	As a social ambassador, you can help in many ways.	This sentence contains 10 words.

Table 6.15b Avoiding It Is and There Are

Less Effective	It is wonderful to see kids not worrying about where their next meal comes from.	This sentence contains 15 words.
More Effective	Seeing kids not worrying about their next meal is wonderful.	This sentence contains 10 words.

Table 6.15c Avoiding It Is and There Are

Less Effective	It is great to be in a nonprofit where there are so many extremely loyal volunteers.	This sentence contains 16 words.
More Effective	In nonprofits, so many volunteers are extremely loyal.	This sentence contains 8 words.

Improving Ease of Reading with Navigational Design

Your primary goal for document design is making your message easy to navigate.

Use:

Headings.

Highlighting.

Lists.

White space.

Simplicity.

Your primary goal for document design is making your message easy to navigate. Ask yourself these questions: How can I get my readers to see my main ideas and messages quickly? How can I make sure my readers can find the information they are most interested in? Several features will help you improve navigational design, including headings, highlighting, lists, white space, and simplicity.

Use Headings

Headings help identify key ideas and navigate the document to areas of interest.

Be consistent in font style and formatting.

Use the formatting features in a word processor.

In information-rich and complex messages, headings can help your readers identify key ideas and navigate the document to areas of interest. As you create headings and subheadings, be consistent in font style and formatting throughout your document. One way to be consistent with your headings is to apply formatting features available in most word processing programs. As you develop your headings, make sure you concisely and accurately convey the contents of a section.

Highlight Key Words and Phrases

Use bold, italics, or underlining to draw and keep your readers’ attention.

However, if you use too much special formatting, your main ideas will not stand out.

Only apply one type of formatting to a word or words.

When you want to highlight ideas or phrases, consider using bold, italics, or underlining to draw and keep your readers’ attention. Typically, you will apply this type of formatting sparingly; if you use too much special formatting, your main ideas will not stand out.

Table 6.17a Applying Formatting to Key Words and Phrases

Less Effective	We have supported thousands of members of the community get back on their feet. The charity watchdog group Charity Navigator has given us a perfect rating for the past five years because of excellent use of donations to support our clients.	By italicizing everything, nothing is highlighted.
More Effective	We have supported thousands of members of the community get back on their feet. The charity watchdog group Charity Navigator has given us a perfect rating for the past five years because of excellent use of donations to support our clients.	By italicizing one short phrase, you emphasize it.

Table 6.17b Applying Formatting to Key Words and Phrases

Less Effective	We provide free training for all new social ambassadors.	Applying two formatting features (bold and underlining) may appear overbearing.
More Effective	We provide free training for all new social ambassadors.	Applying one formatting feature (bold) is sufficient to highlight the phrase.

Table 6.18 Using Bulleted and Numbered Lists

Less Effective	To help you succeed, we provide you with many resources. You receive training about how to influence your followers on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, Twitter, and other social sites. You receive weekly tips and examples about how to increase your impact. You receive content to post and suggestions for how to personalize it. You can join the food bank’s monthly social ambassador meeting and learn about running a non-profit.	Without bullets, this paragraph contains a lot of items that are difficult for the reader to remember. Furthermore, it takes longer for the reader to visualize the components of the brochure.
More Effective	To help you succeed, we provide you with many resources. You receive training about how to influence your followers on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, Twitter, and other social sites. You receive weekly tips and examples about how to increase your impact. You receive content to post and suggestions for how to personalize it. You can join the food bank’s monthly social ambassador meeting and learn about running a non-profit.	With bullets, this paragraph allows the reader to rapidly process the information and visualize the components of the brochure. Furthermore, the use of enumeration and bullets more clearly distinguishes the overarching goals of the brochure and the components of the brochure.

6.18

Other Suggestions

Use White Space Generously

Too much text is daunting.

Too much white space looks insufficient.

Keep It Simple

Focus first on easy navigation.

Avoid distracting formatting.

Reviewing Your Message

Conduct the FAIR test.

Proofread.

Get feedback.

To review your message, follow these three rules:

Conduct the FAIR test.

Proofread.

Get feedback.

Conduct a FAIR Test 1

Facts

Are you confident in your facts?

Are your assumptions clear?

Have you avoided slanting the facts or made other logical errors?

For important messages—particularly those that involve complicated business issues—apply the FAIR test. The first two components are the following:

Facts: Are you confident in your facts? Are your assumptions clear? Have you avoided slanting the facts or made other logical errors?

Conduct a FAIR Test 2

Access

Have you granted enough access to message recipients about decision making and information?

Have you granted enough access to the message recipients to provide input?

Are you open about your motives, or do you have a hidden agenda?

Access: Have you granted enough access to message recipients about decision making and information? Have you granted enough access to the message recipients to provide input? Are you open about your motives, or do you have a hidden agenda?

Conduct a FAIR Test 3

Impacts

Have you thought about how the message will impact various stakeholders?

Have you evaluated impacts on others from ethical, corporate, and legal perspectives?

Respect

Have you demonstrated respect for the inherent worth of others: their aspirations, thoughts, feelings, and well-being?

Have you shown that you value others?

Impacts: Have you thought about how the message will impact various stakeholders? Have you evaluated impacts on others from ethical, corporate, and legal perspectives?

Respect: Have you demonstrated respect for the inherent worth of others: their aspirations, thoughts, feelings, and well-being? Have you shown that you value others?

Business Communication: Developing Leaders for a Networked World, 4e Chapter 6

No reproduction or further distribution permitted without the prior written consent of McGraw Hill.

Because learning changes everything.®

www.mheducation.com

Accessibility Content: Text Alternatives for Images

Figure 6.2 Comprehension Rate and Sentence Length – Text Alternative

Return to parent-slide containing images.

The line graph charts comprehension rate (the percent of content) compared to the average words per sentence. The comprehension rate maintains a slow decline between 0 and 15 average words per sentence. Between a 15- to 20-word average, the comprehension rate begins to decline. More than 20 average words per sentence results in a steep decline in comprehension rate.

Return to parent-slide containing images.