MGMT 350-Final Written Self-Reflection Report

Chapter 3 Organizing and Drafting Business Messages

The 3-x-3 Writing Process

Analyze audience & purpose

Research background, collect info

Edit for clarity

Anticipate audience and its reaction to message

Adapt message to audience

Organize info

Draft first version

Proofread

Evaluate whether the message will accomplish goals

Today’s Agenda

•Research

•Organizing Information

•Composing the First Draft

•Writing Techniques

•Effective Paragraphs

Today’s Agenda

•Research

•Organizing Information

•Composing the First Draft

•Writing Techniques

•Effective Paragraphs

The 3-x-3 Writing Process

Analyze audience & purpose

Research background, collect info

Edit for clarity

Anticipate audience and its reaction to message

Adapt message to audience

Organize info

Draft first version

Proofread

Evaluate whether the message will accomplish goals

Informal Research Methods

Search company digital or other files.

Conduct an informal survey.

Talk with the boss.

Interview the target audience.

Brainstorm for ideas.

Formal Research Methods

Investigate primary sources.

Search manually.Access electronically.

Conduct scientific experiments.

Today’s Agenda

•Research

•Organizing Information

•Composing the First Draft

•Writing Techniques

•Effective Paragraphs

The 3-x-3 Writing Process

Analyze audience & purpose

Research background, collect info

Edit for clarity

Anticipate audience and its reaction to message

Adapt message to audience

Organize info

Draft first version

Proofread

Evaluate whether the message will accomplish goals

Organizing Information to Show Relationships

•How do you organize your thoughts in order to begin writing?

Organizing Information to Show Relationships

Group similar ideas. Organize into lists or outlines.

Thought Web

Tips for Efficient Outlining

Define the main topic (purpose of message) in the title.

Divide the main topic into 3 to 5 major components.

Break major component into exclusive subpoints (no overlapping).

Use details, illustrations, and evidence subpoints.

Organizing Ideas Into Strategies

•Review: When should we use direct strategy and when indirect?

Organizing Ideas Into Strategies

Use the Direct Strategy if audience will be

• Pleased • Somewhat interested • Neutral

Organizing Ideas Into Strategies

Use the Indirect Strategy if audience will be

• Uninterested

• Displeased

• Disappointed

• Hostile

Please analyze the following email:

• Does it use the direct or indirect strategy? What sentence contains the most important information?

• Why did the author use that strategy? Was it the right strategy?

• Is there any “downside” to using this strategy?

Colleagues, In my brief tenure at CSUSB, I have been incredibly impressed by the quality and commitment of our faculty. On a campus that places student success as the lead initiative of its strategic plan, you embody that value in your scholarship, advising, teaching and research. I also recognize the inherent challenges associated with your individual workloads, reflected by a recommendation by the CSUSB Q2S Steering Committee to establish a 3/3 semester baseline schedule. Giving our faculty the resources they need to be successful stands as my highest priority, but this must be accomplished in a transparent system, where each of us can be accountable to one another. We are working with deans to develop a clear path for reassigned time, one that meets institutional priorities and keeps the campus fiscally accountable. I am in favor of a reduced workload for those that work to meet the mission and goals of CSUSB. However, I have also noticed a number of inconsistencies in the way releases have been handled. We currently approve an average of 2.6 courses of reassigned time per tenured/tenure-track faculty member each year with wide variability among colleges. The university estimates that the replacement costs associated with the current level of reassigned time is over $7 million annually, which sits inside the permanent budget allocations to the colleges and academic departments. As we convert to semesters, university leadership commits to carrying this financial commitment forward and has no intention of changing the ability of deans to review and grant reassigned time that meets institutional priorities and keeps the institution accountable for its actions. Providing equitable treatment to faculty is very important to me, therefore we will be establishing a baseline teaching load of 4/4 under the semester system with a promise that faculty will be provided ample opportunities through their college deans to have reassigned time. I imagine many of you are concerned with this decision, but let me be clear that opportunities for reassigned time will continue to be available at the present level in a process that is clear to everyone across campus. There should never be any ambiguity on why reassigned time is being given. Most importantly, thank you for your continued hard work and dedication to our students. I look forward to working with each of you as we bring clarity to this important process. As I begin my visits with departments, I will be happy to answer any specific questions that you have. Best, Shari Shari McMahan, Ph.D. Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs California State University San Bernardino 5500 University Parkway, San Bernardino, Ca. 92407

Today’s Agenda

•Research •Organizing Information •Composing the First Draft •Writing Techniques •Effective Paragraphs

The 3-x-3 Writing Process

Analyze audience & purpose

Research background, collect info

Edit for clarity

Anticipate audience and its reaction to message

Adapt message to audience

Organize info

Draft first version

Proofread

Evaluate whether the message will accomplish goals

Three Common Sentence Faults

1. Avoid fragments (broken-off parts of sentence).

Fragment: E-mail seems boring. When compared with Twitter.

Revision: E-mail seems boring when compared with Twitter.

Three Common Sentence Faults

2. Avoid run-ons (two independent clauses without coordinating conjunction or semicolon) Run-on: He’s addicted to social media he posts updates constantly.

Revision: He’s addicted to social media, and he posts updates constantly.

Revision: He’s addicted to social media; he posts updates constantly.

Three Common Sentence Faults

Comma splice: He prefers a tablet, she prefers her laptop.

Revision: He prefers a tablet; she prefers her laptop.

Revision: He prefers a tablet; however, she prefers her laptop.

Revision: He prefers a tablet, but she prefers her laptop.

3. Avoid comma splices (two clauses joined without proper punctuation)

Three Common Sentence Faults

•Let’s look at questions 21-25 in the book (page 79)

Prefer Short Sentences

8 words

15 words

19 words

28 words

100%

90%

80%

50%

Sentence Length

Comprehensi on Rate

•You should strive for sentences that average about 20 words.

Prefer Short Sentences

Prefer Short Sentences

•Readability scores and Goldman Sachs letter

Today’s Agenda

•Research

•Organizing Information

•Composing the First Draft

•Writing Techniques

•Effective Paragraphs

Use Parallelism to Achieve Balance

Lacks Parallelism Illustrates Parallelism

We focus on money – earning it, investing it, and how to spend it.

We focus on money – earning it, investing it, and spending it.

Applicants are interested in work environment and how they can advance their careers.

Applicants are interested in work environment and career advancement.

Use Parallelism to Achieve Balance

Lacks Parallelism Illustrates Parallelism

Our peanut butter spread (a) is all natural, (b) contains no hydrogenated oil, and (c) there’s no need to stir.

Our peanut butter spread (a) is all natural, (b) contains no hydrogenated oil, and (c) requires no stirring.

Today’s Agenda

•Research

•Organizing Information

•Composing the First Draft

•Writing Techniques

•Effective Paragraphs

Support Sentences

Drafting Effective Paragraphs

Topic Sentence Tells readers what to expect

Illustrate, explain, and strengthen the topic sentence

Explains central thought

Provide details and evidence

Controlling Paragraph Length

Compose short paragraphs.

Paragraphs with eight or fewer printed lines are most readable.

Enough Writing for Now?

Video Like, what do you think?

"Totally like whatever, you know" Taylor Mali

Taylor Mali:

Speaking with Conviction and Authority

Questions?