APA, 150 to 200 words or 1 page (Not Including The Title And Reference Pages). Assignment description below:

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Business Communication Today

THIRTEENTH EDITION

Courtland L. Bovée PROFESSOR OF BUSINESS COMMUNICATION C. ALLEN PAUL DISTINGUISHED CHAIR

GROSSMONT COLLEGE

John V. Thill CHAIRMAN AND CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER GLOBAL COMMUNICATION STRATEGIES

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PART 1 Understanding the Foundations of Business Communication

CHAPTER 1 Professional Communication in a Digital, Social, Mobile World (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch01#ch01)

CHAPTER 2 Collaboration, Interpersonal Communication, and Business Etiquette (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch02#ch02)

CHAPTER 3 Communication Challenges in a Diverse, Global Marketplace (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch03#ch03)

No other skill can help your career in as many ways as communication. Discover what business communication is all about, why communication skills are essential to your career, how social and mobile technologies are revolutionizing business communication, and how to adapt your communication experiences in life and college to the business world. Improve your skills in such vital areas as team interaction, etiquette, listening, and nonverbal communication. Explore the advantages and the challenges of a diverse workforce, and develop the skills that every communicator needs to succeed in today’s global, multicultural business environment.

Anatoly Tiplyashin/Shutterstock

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1 Professional Communication in a Digital, Social, Mobile World

LEARNING OBJECTIVES After studying this chapter, you will be able to

1 Explain the importance of effective communication to your career and to the companies where you will work 2 Explain what it means to communicate as a professional in a business context 3 Describe the communication process model and the ways social media are changing the nature of business communication 4 Outline the challenges and opportunities of mobile communication in business 5 List four general guidelines for using communication technology effectively 6 De�ine ethics, explain the difference between an ethical dilemma and an ethical lapse, and list six guidelines for making ethical communication choices

MyBCommLab®

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COMMUNICATION CLOSE-UP AT JetBlue If you have ever worked in retail, customer service, or a similar job, you know what a challenge it can be to make sure each customer has a great experience with your company. Imagine the challenge of keeping 25 million customers happy. That’s how many passengers JetBlue carries every year—an average of roughly 70,000 customers per day.

As a relatively new airline, taking its �irst �light in 2000, JetBlue has always tried to differentiate itself from the older carriers in the business. A great example is its pioneering use of Twitter as a customer service platform. JetBlue joined Twitter in 2007, only a year after the microblogging service launched and well before most companies were aware of its potential for business communication. The company views its website as the central hub of its online presence, but social media (the company is quite active on Facebook as well) provide a vital connection between customers and the website. In fact, digital communication of all forms is so important that the company considers itself a digital brand.

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JetBlue’s use of social media for customer support coincides perfectly with air travelers’ use of mobile devices.

The airline was also one of the �irst companies to truly get the social part of social media—that Twitter and other systems were about more than just pushing information outward. Morgan Johnstone, the JetBlue communications staffer who got the company started on Twitter, recognized early on the power of listening via social media. He wanted to hear what people were saying about the company, whether it was plea for help during travel, a compliment for a company employee, or even an unpleasant criticism. This interaction became so valuable to the company that its Twitter team now has more than two dozen agents, all ready to interact in real time with the nearly 2 million travelers who follow the company on Twitter. They answer questions, resolve problems and complaints, and even rebook �lights on the spot if needed. Travelers who need assistance don’t have time to wait, and JetBlue boasts the fastest Twitter response time in the industry.

For a company that is all about moving people from point A to point B, it’s no surprise that mobile communication has become an essential part of JetBlue’s connection with its customers. Customers who ask for help or who post complaints on Twitter often do so on their mobile devices, whether they’re on their way to catch a �light, stuck in an airport trying to rebook on a different �light, or even on board an aircraft waiting to take off. Mobile is now a core element in the company’s communication strategy, with a mobile-friendly website and JetBlue smartphone apps. The company is considering adding such nifty features as augmented reality, which would let travelers hold up their smartphones in airports and see where restrooms, coffee shops, gates, and other vital facilities are located. However the company innovates as it moves forward, its focus will be on using digital, social, and mobile communication to make sure customers have the best possible experience.1 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch1lev1sec28#ch1note1)

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1 LEARNING OBJECTIVE Explain the importance of effective communication to your career and to the companies where you will work.

1.1 Understanding Why Communication Matters Whether it’s as simple as a smile or as ambitious as a social media customer support program (see the chapter opener on JetBlue), communication (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch1lev1sec28#ch1term3) is the process of transferring information and meaning between senders and receivers, using one or more written, oral, visual, or electronic media. The essence of communication is sharing—providing data, information, insights, and inspiration in an exchange that bene�its both you and the people with whom you are communicating.2 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch1lev1sec28#ch1note2) As Figure 1.1 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch1lev1sec1#ch1�ig1) indicates, this sharing can happen in a variety of ways, including simple and successful transfers of information, negotiations in which the sender and receiver arrive at an agreed-upon meaning, and unsuccessful attempts in which the receiver creates a different message than the one the sender intended.

Communication is the process of transferring information and meaning between senders and receivers.

You will invest a lot of time and energy in this course developing your communication skills, so it’s fair to ask whether the effort will be worthwhile. This section outlines the many ways in which good communication skills are critical for your career and for any company you join.

COMMUNICATION IS IMPORTANT TO YOUR CAREER You can have the greatest ideas in the world, but they’re no good to your company or your career if you can’t express them clearly and persuasively. Some jobs, such as sales and customer support, are primarily about communicating. In �ields such as engineering or �inance, you often need to share complex ideas with executives, customers, and colleagues, and your ability to connect with people outside your �ield can be as important as your technical expertise. If you have the entrepreneurial urge, you will need to communicate with a wide range of audiences—from investors, bankers, and government regulators to employees, customers, and business partners.

Ambition and great ideas aren’t enough; you need to be able to communicate with people in order to succeed in business.

The changing nature of employment is putting new pressure on communication skills, too. Many companies now supplement their permanent workforces with independent contractors who are brought on for a short period or even just a single project. Chances are you will spend some of your career as one of these independent freelancers, working without the support network that an established company environment provides. You will have to “sell yourself” into each new contract, communicate successfully in a wide range of work situations, and take full responsibility for your career growth and success.

If you launch a company or move into an executive role in an existing organization, you can expect communication to consume the majority of your time. Top executives spend most of their workdays communicating, and businesspeople who can’t communicate well don’t stand much chance of reaching the top.

In fact, improving your communication skills may be the single most important step you can take in your career. The world is full of good marketing strategists, good accountants, good engineers, and good attorneys—but it is not full of good communicators. View this as an opportunity to stand out from your competition in the job market.

Figure 1.1 Sharing Information

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These three exchanges between a software project manager (left) and his boss (right) illustrate the variety of ways in which information is shared between senders and receivers. In the top exchange, the sender’s meaning is transmitted intact to the receiver, who accepts what the sender says at face value. In the middle exchange, the sender and receiver negotiate the meaning by discussing the situation. The negotiated meaning is that everything is �ine so far, but the risk of a schedule slip is now higher than it was before. In the bottom exchange, the receiver has a negative emotional reaction to the word “think” and as a result creates her own meaning—that everything probably is not �ine, in spite of what the sender says.

Employers sometimes express frustration at the poor communication skills of many employees—particularly recent college graduates who haven’t yet learned how to adapt their communication styles to a professional business environment.3 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch1lev1sec28#ch1note3) If you learn to write well, speak well, listen well, and recognize the appropriate way to communicate in any situation, you’ll gain a major advantage that will serve you throughout your career.4 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch1lev1sec28#ch1note4)

Strong communication skills give you an advantage in the job market.

COMMUNICATION IS IMPORTANT TO YOUR COMPANY Aside from the personal bene�its, communication should be important to you because it is important to your company. Effective communication helps businesses in numerous ways. It provides5 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch1lev1sec28#ch1note5)

REAL-TIME UPDATES

LEARN MORE BY VISITING THIS WEBSITE

Check out the cutting edge of business communication

This Pinterest board created by the authors highlights some of the most important changes taking place in the �ield of business communication. Go to http://real-timeupdates.com/bct13 (http://real-timeupdates.com/bct13) . Under “Students,” click on “Learn More.”

Effective communication yields numerous business bene�its.

Closer ties with important communities in the marketplace

Opportunities to in�luence conversations, perceptions, and trends

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Increased productivity and faster problem solving

Better �inancial results and higher return for investors

Earlier warning of potential problems, from rising business costs to critical safety issues

Stronger decision making based on timely, reliable information

Clearer and more persuasive marketing messages

Greater employee engagement with their work, leading to higher employee satisfaction and lower employee turnover

WHAT MAKES BUSINESS COMMUNICATION EFFECTIVE? Effective communication strengthens the connections between a company and all of its stakeholders (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch1lev1sec28#ch1term28) —those groups affected in some way by the company’s actions: customers, employees, shareholders, suppliers, neighbors, the community, the nation, and the world as a whole.6 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch1lev1sec28#ch1note6) To make your communication efforts as effective as possible, focus on making them practical, factual, concise, clear, and persuasive:

Provide practical information. Give recipients useful information, whether it’s to help them perform a desired action or understand a new company policy.

Give facts rather than vague impressions. Use concrete language, speci�ic detail, and information that is clear, convincing, accurate, and ethical. Even when an opinion is called for, present compelling evidence to support your conclusion.

Present information in a concise, ef�icient manner. Concise messages show respect for people’s time, and they increase the chances of a positive response.

Clarify expectations and responsibilities. Craft messages to generate a speci�ic response from a speci�ic audience. When appropriate, clearly state what you expect from audience members or what you can do for them.

Offer compelling, persuasive arguments and recommendations. Show your readers precisely how they will bene�it by responding the way you want them to respond to your message.

Keep these �ive important characteristics in mind as you compare the ineffective and effective versions of the message in Figure 1.2 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch1lev1sec5#ch1�ig2) .

Effective messages are practical, factual, concise, clear, and persuasive.

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2 LEARNING OBJECTIVE Explain what it means to communicate as a professional in a business context.

1.2 Communicating as a Professional You’ve been communicating your entire life, of course, but if you don’t have a lot of work experience yet, meeting the expectations of a professional environment might require some adjustment. A good place to start is to consider what it means to be a professional. Professionalism (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch1lev1sec28#ch1term25) is the quality of performing at a high level and conducting oneself with purpose and pride. It means doing more than putting in the hours and collecting a paycheck: True professionals go beyond minimum expectations and commit to making meaningful contributions. Professionalism can be broken down into six distinct traits: striving to excel, being dependable and accountable, being a team player, demonstrating a sense of etiquette, making ethical decisions, and maintaining a positive outlook (see Table 1.1 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch1lev1sec5#ch1tab1) ).

TABLE 1.1 Elements of Professionalism Trait What It Means

Be the best Pros strive to excel, to be the best they can be at everything they do.

Excelling at every level is how pros build a great career.

Be dependable Pros keep their promises and meet their commitments.

Pros learn from their mistakes and take responsibility for their errors.

Be a team player Pros know how to contribute to a larger cause.

Team players make others around them better.

Be respectful Pros know that good business etiquette is a sign of respect for those around them.

Respecting others is not only good etiquette, it’s good for one’s career.

Be ethical Responsible professionals strive to avoid ethical lapses.

Pros weigh their options carefully when facing ethical dilemmas.

Be positive Successful people believe in what they’re doing and in themselves.

Pros don’t complain about problems; they �ind them and �ix them.

Figure 1.2 Effective Professional Communication

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At �irst glance, this email message looks like a reasonable attempt at communicating with the members of a project team. However, review the blue annotations to see just how many problems the message really has.

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A key message to glean from Table 1.1 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch1lev1sec5#ch1tab1) is how much these elements of professionalism depend on effective communication. For example, to be a team player, you have to be able to collaborate, resolve con�licts, and interact with a wide variety of personalities. Without strong communication skills, you won’t be able to perform to your potential—and others won’t recognize you as the professional you’d like to be.

Communication is an essential part of being a successful professional.

This section offers a brief look at the skills employers will expect you to have, the nature of communication in an organizational environment, and the importance of adopting an audience-centered approach.

UNDERSTANDING WHAT EMPLOYERS EXPECT FROM YOU Today’s employers expect you to be competent at a wide range of communication tasks. Fortunately, the skills employers expect from you are the same skills that will help you advance in your career:7 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch1lev1sec28#ch1note7)

Recognizing information needs, using ef�icient search techniques to locate reliable sources of information, particularly from online sources, and using gathered information ethically; this collection of skills is often referred to as digital information �luency8 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch1lev1sec28#ch1note8)

Organizing ideas and information logically and completely

Expressing ideas and information coherently and persuasively

Actively listening to others

Communicating effectively with people from diverse backgrounds and experiences

Using communication technologies effectively and ef�iciently

Following accepted standards of grammar, spelling, and other aspects of high-quality writing and speaking

Communicating in a civilized manner that re�lects contemporary expectations of business etiquette, even when dealing with indifferent or hostile audiences

Communicating ethically, even when choices aren’t crystal clear

Managing your time wisely and using resources ef�iciently

You’ll have the opportunity to practice these skills throughout this course—but don’t stop there. Successful professionals continue to hone communication skills throughout their careers.

Employers expect you to possess a wide range of communication skills.

COMMUNICATING IN AN ORGANIZATIONAL CONTEXT

THE ART OF PROFESSIONALISM

Maintaining a Con�ident, Positive Outlook

Spend a few minutes around successful people in any �ield, and chances are you’ll notice how optimistic they are. They believe in what they’re doing, and they believe in themselves and their ability to solve problems and overcome obstacles.

Being positive doesn’t mean displaying mindless optimism or spewing happy talk all the time. It means acknowledging that things may be dif�icult but then buckling down and getting the job done anyway. It means no whining and no slacking off, even when the going gets tough. We live in an imperfect world, no question—jobs can be boring or dif�icult, customers can be unpleasant, and bosses can be unreasonable. But when you’re a pro, you �ind a way to power through.

Your energy, positive or negative, is contagious. Both in person and online, you’ll spend as much time with your colleagues as you spend with family and friends. Personal demeanor is, therefore, a vital element of workplace harmony. No one expects (or wants) you to be arti�icially upbeat and bubbly every second of the day, but one negative personality can make an entire of�ice miserable and unproductive. Every person in a company has a responsibility to contribute to a positive, energetic work environment.

CAREER APPLICATIONS

1. Do you have an ethical obligation to maintain a positive outlook on the job? Why or why not?

2. How can you lift your spirits when work is dragging you down?

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The formal communication network mirrors the company’s organizational structure.

In addition to having the proper skills, you need to learn how to apply those skills in the business environment, which can be quite different from the social and scholastic environments you are accustomed to. Every organization has a formal communication network (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch1lev1sec28#ch1term19) , in which ideas and information �low along the lines of command (the hierarchical levels) in the company’s organization structure (see Figure 1.3 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch1lev1sec5#ch1�ig3) ). Throughout the formal network, information �lows in three directions. Downward communication �lows from executives to employees, conveying executive decisions and providing information that helps employees do their jobs. Upward communication �lows from employees to executives, providing insight into problems, trends, opportunities, grievances, and performance, thus allowing executives to solve problems and make intelligent decisions. Horizontal communication �lows between departments to help employees share information, coordinate tasks, and solve complex problems.9 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch1lev1sec28#ch1note9)

Figure 1.3 Formal Communication Network

The formal communication network is de�ined by the relationships between the various job positions in the organization. Messages can �low upward (from a lower-level employee to a higher-level employee), downward (from a higher-level employee to a lower-level employee), and horizontally (across the organization, between employees at the same or similar levels).

Every organization also has an informal communication network (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch1lev1sec28#ch1term20) , often referred to as the grapevine or the rumor mill, which encompasses all communication that occurs outside the formal network. Some of this informal communication takes place naturally as a result of employee interaction on the job and in social settings, and some of it takes place when the formal network doesn’t provide information that employees want. In fact, the inherent limitations of formal communication networks helped spur the growth of social media in the business environment.

ADOPTING AN AUDIENCE-CENTERED APPROACH An audience-centered approach (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch1lev1sec28#ch1term1) involves understanding and respecting the members of your audience and making every effort to get your message across in a way that is meaningful to them. This approach is also known as adopting the “you” attitude (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch1lev1sec28#ch1term30) , in contrast to messages that are about “me.” Learn as much as possible about the biases, education, age, status, style, and personal and professional concerns of your receivers. If you’re addressing people you don’t know and you’re unable to �ind out more about them, try to project yourself into their position by using common sense and imagination. This ability to relate to the needs of others is a key part of emotional intelligence, which is widely considered to be a vital characteristic of successful managers and leaders.10 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch1lev1sec28#ch1note10) The more you know about the people you’re communicating with, the easier it will be to concentrate on their needs—which, in turn, will make it easier for them to hear your message, understand it, and respond positively.

An audience-centered approach involves understanding, respecting, and meeting the needs of your audience members.

Etiquette, the expected norms of behavior in any particular situation, can have a profound in�luence on your company’s success and your career.

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A vital element of audience-centered communication is etiquette (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch1lev1sec28#ch1term17) , the expected norms of behavior in any particular situation. In today’s hectic, competitive world, etiquette might seem a quaint and outdated notion. However, the way you conduct yourself and interact with others can have a profound in�luence on your company’s success and your career. When executives hire and promote you, they expect your behavior to protect the company’s reputation. The more you understand such expectations, the better chance you have of avoiding career- damaging mistakes. The principles of etiquette discussed in Chapter 2 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch02#ch02) will help you communicate with an audience-centered approach in a variety of business settings.

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3 LEARNING OBJECTIVE Describe the communication process model and the ways social media are changing the nature of business communication.

1.3 Exploring the Communication Process Even with the best intentions, communication efforts can fail. Messages can get lost or simply ignored. The receiver of a message can interpret it in ways the sender never imagined. In fact, two people receiving the same information can reach different conclusions about what it means.

Fortunately, by understanding communication as a process with distinct steps, you can improve the odds that your messages will reach their intended audiences and produce their intended effects. This section explores the communication process in two stages: �irst by following a message from one sender to one receiver in the basic communication model and then by expanding on that approach with multiple messages and participants in the social communication model.

Viewing communication as a process helps you identify steps you can take to improve your success as a communicator.

THE BASIC COMMUNICATION MODEL By viewing communication as a process (Figure 1.4 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch1lev1sec9#ch1�ig4) ), you can identify and improve the skills you need to be more successful. Many variations on this process model exist, but these eight steps provide a practical overview:

1. The sender has an idea. Whether a communication effort will ultimately be effective starts right here and depends on the nature of the idea and the motivation for sending it. For example, if your motivation is to offer a solution to a problem, you have a better chance of crafting a meaningful message than if your motivation is merely to complain about a problem.

2. The sender encodes the idea as a message. When someone puts an idea into a message (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch1lev1sec28#ch1term23) —which you can think of as the “container” for an idea—he or she is encoding (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch1lev1sec28#ch1term11) it, or expressing it in words or images. Much of the focus of this course is on developing the skills needed to successfully encode your ideas into effective messages.

3. The sender produces the message in a transmittable medium. With the appropriate message to express an idea, the sender now needs a communication medium (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch1lev1sec28#ch1term6) to present that message to the intended audience. To update your boss on the status of a project, for instance, you might have a dozen or more media choices, from a phone call to an instant message to a slideshow presentation.

The medium is the form a message takes and the channel is the system used to deliver the message.

Figure 1.4 The Basic Communication Process

This eight-step model is a simpli�ied view of how communication works in real life; understanding this basic model is vital to improving your communication skills.

4. The sender transmits the message through a channel. Just as technology continues to increase the number of media options at your disposal, it continues to provide new communication channels (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch1lev1sec28#ch1term5) you can use to transmit your messages. The distinction between medium and channel can get a bit murky, but think of the medium as the form a message takes (such as a Twitter update) and the channel as the system used to deliver the message (such as a mobile phone).

5. The audience receives the message. If the channel functions properly, the message reaches its intended audience. However, mere arrival at the destination is no guarantee that the message will be noticed or understood correctly. As “How Audiences Receive Messages” (page 12 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch1lev1sec9#page_12) ) explains, many messages are either ignored or misinterpreted as noise.

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Figure 1.5 Competing for the Audience’s Attention

Most business messages have to compete for an audience’s attention, and the situation is even more challenging with mobile audiences.

Source: Maridav/Shutterstock

6. The audience decodes the message. After a message is received, the receiver needs to extract the idea from the message, a step known as decoding (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch1lev1sec28#ch1term9) . “How Audiences Decode Messages” (page 13 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch1lev1sec9#page_13) ) takes a closer look at this complex and subtle step in the process.

7. The audience responds to the message. By crafting messages in ways that show the bene�its of responding, senders can increase the chances that recipients will respond in positive ways. However, as “How Audiences Respond to Messages” (page 14 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch1lev1sec9#page_14) ) points out, whether a receiver responds as the sender hopes depends on the receiver (a) remembering the message long enough to act on it, (b) being able to act on it, and (c) being motivated to respond.

8. The audience provides feedback to the sender. In addition to responding (or not responding) to the message, audience members may give feedback (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch1lev1sec28#ch1term18) that helps the sender evaluate the effectiveness of the communication effort. Feedback can be verbal (using written or spoken words), nonverbal (using gestures, facial expressions, or other signals), or both. Just like the original message, however, this feedback from the receiver also needs to be decoded carefully. A smile, for example, can have many meanings.

Considering the complexity of this process—and the barriers and distractions that often stand between sender and receiver—it should come as no surprise that communication efforts often fail to achieve the sender’s objective. Fortunately, the better you understand the process, the more successful you’ll be.

The following sections take a closer look at two important aspects of the process: environmental barriers that can block or distort messages and the steps audiences take to receive, decode, and respond to messages.

Barriers in the Communication Environment

Within any communication environment, messages can be disrupted by a variety of communication barriers (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch1lev1sec28#ch1term4) . These barriers include noise and distractions, competing messages, �ilters, and channel breakdowns:

A number of barriers can block or distort messages before they reach the intended audience.

Noise and distractions. External distractions range from uncomfortable meeting rooms to computer screens cluttered with instant messages and reminders popping up all over the place. Internal distractions are thoughts and emotions that prevent audiences from focusing on incoming messages. The common habit of multitasking— attempting more than one task at a time—is practically guaranteed to create communication distractions. Moreover, research suggests that “chronic multitasking” can reduce productivity and increase errors.11 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch1lev1sec28#ch1note11) As more communication takes place on mobile devices, the need to insulate yourself from noise and distractions is going to keep growing.

Competing messages. Having your audience’s undivided attention is a rare luxury. In most cases, you must compete with other messages that are trying to reach your audience at the same time—particularly for mobile audiences (see Figure 1.5 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch1lev1sec9#ch1�ig5) on the next page).

Filters. Messages can be blocked or distorted by �ilters, any human or technological interventions between the sender and the receiver. Filtering can be both intentional (such as automatically �iling incoming messages based on sender or content) or unintentional (such as an overly aggressive spam �ilter that deletes legitimate emails). As mentioned earlier, the structure and culture of an organization can also inhibit the �low of vital messages. And, in some cases, the people or companies you rely on to deliver your message can distort it or �ilter it to meet their own needs.

Channel breakdowns. Sometimes the channel simply breaks down and fails to deliver your message at all. A colleague you were counting on to deliver a message to your boss might have forgotten to do so, or a computer server might have crashed and prevented your blog from updating.

Everyone in an organization can help minimize barriers and distractions. As a communicator, try to be aware of any barriers that could prevent your messages from reaching their intended audiences. As a manager, keep an eye out for any organizational barriers that could be inhibiting the �low of information. In any situation, a small dose of common sense and courtesy goes a long way. Turn off that mobile phone before you step into a meeting. Don’t talk across the tops of other people’s cubicles. Be sensitive to personal differences, too; for instance, some people enjoy working with music on, but music is a huge distraction for others.12 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch1lev1sec28#ch1note12)

Finally, take steps to insulate yourself from distractions. Don’t let messages interrupt you every minute of the day. Instead, set aside time to attend to messages all at once so that you can focus the rest of the time.

Minimizing barriers and distractions in the communication environment is everyone’s responsibility.

Inside the Mind of Your Audience

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After a message works its way through the communication channel and reaches the intended audience, it encounters a whole new set of challenges. Understanding how audiences receive, decode, and respond to messages will help you create more effective messages.

How Audiences Receive Messages For an audience member to receive a message, three events need to occur: The receiver has to sense the presence of a message, select it from all the other messages clamoring for attention, and perceive it as an actual message (as opposed to random, pointless noise).13 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch1lev1sec28#ch1note13) You can appreciate the magnitude of this challenge by driving down any busy street in a commercial section of town. You’ll encounter hundreds of messages—billboards, posters, store window displays, car stereos, pedestrians waving or talking on mobile phones, car horns, street signs, traf�ic lights, and so on. However, you’ll sense, select, and perceive only a small fraction of these messages.

To actually receive a message, audience members need to sense it, select it, then perceive it as a message.

Today’s business audiences are much like drivers on busy streets. They are inundated with so many messages and so much noise that they can miss or ignore many of the messages intended for them. Through this course, you will learn a variety of techniques to craft messages that get noticed. In general, follow these �ive principles to increase your chances of success:

To improve the odds that your messages will be successfully perceived by your audience, pay close attention to expectations, ease of use, familiarity, empathy, and technical compatibility.

Consider audience expectations. Deliver messages using the media and channels that the audience expects. If colleagues expect meeting notices to be delivered by email, don’t suddenly switch gears and start delivering the notices via blog postings without telling anyone. Of course, sometimes going against expectations can stimulate audience attention, which is why advertisers sometimes do wacky and creative things to get noticed. However, for most business communication efforts, following the expectations of your audience is the most ef�icient way to get your message across.

Ensure ease of use. Even if audiences are actively looking for your messages, they probably won’t see the messages if you make them hard to �ind, hard to navigate, or hard to read.

Emphasize familiarity. Use words, images, and designs that are familiar to your audience. For example, most visitors to company websites expect to see information about the company on a page called “About” or “About Us.”

Practice empathy. Make sure your messages speak to the audience by clearly addressing their wants and needs—not yours. People are inclined to notice messages that relate to their individual concerns.14 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch1lev1sec28#ch1note14)

Design for compatibility. For the many messages delivered electronically these days, be sure to verify technological compatibility with your audience. For instance, if your website requires visitors to have a particular video capability in their browsers, you won’t reach those audience members who don’t have that software installed or updated.

How Audiences Decode Messages A received message doesn’t “mean” anything until the recipient decodes it and assigns meaning to it, and there is no guarantee the receiver will assign the same meaning the sender intended. Even well-crafted, well-intentioned communication efforts can fail at this stage because assigning meaning through decoding is a highly personal process that is in�luenced by culture, individual experience, learning and thinking styles, hopes, fears, and even temporary moods. Moreover, audiences tend to extract the meaning they expect to get from a message, even if it’s the opposite of what the sender intended.15 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch1lev1sec28#ch1note15) In fact, rather than “extract” your meaning, it’s more accurate to say that your audience members re-create their own meaning—or meanings—from the message.

Decoding is a complex process; receivers often extract different meanings from messages than what the sender intended.

Cultural and personal beliefs and biases in�luence the meaning audiences get from messages. For instance, the human brain organizes incoming sensations into a mental “map” that represents the person’s individual perception (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch1lev1sec28#ch1term24) of reality. If an incoming detail doesn’t �it into that perception, a message recipient may simply distort the information to make it �it rather than rearrange his or her mental map—a phenomenon known as selective perception (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch1lev1sec28#ch1term26) .16 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch1lev1sec28#ch1note16) For example, an executive who has staked her reputation on a particular business strategy might distort or ignore evidence that suggests the strategy is failing.

Selective perception occurs when people ignore or distort incoming information to �it their preconceived notions of reality.

Differences in language and usage also in�luence received meaning. If you ask an employee to send you a report on sales �igures “as soon as possible,” does that mean within 10 seconds, 10 minutes, or 10 days? By clarifying expectations and resolving potential ambiguities in your messages, you can minimize such uncertainties. In general, the more experiences you share with another person, the more likely you are to share perception and thus share meaning (see Figure 1.6 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch1lev1sec9#ch1�ig6) ).

Individual thinking styles are another important factor in message decoding. For example, someone who places a high value on objective analysis and clear logic might interpret a message differently than someone who values emotion or intuition (reaching conclusions without using rational processes).

Figure 1.6 How Shared Experience Affects Understanding

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The more two people or two groups of people share experiences—personal, professional, and cultural—the more likely it is that receivers will extract the intended meanings senders encode into the messages.

How Audiences Respond to Messages Your message has been delivered, received, and correctly decoded. Now what? Will audience members respond in the way you’d like them to? Only if three events occur.

First, the recipient has to remember the message long enough to act on it. Simplifying greatly, memory works in several stages: Sensory memory momentarily captures incoming data from the senses; then, whatever the recipient pays attention to is transferred to short-term memory. Information in short-term memory will quickly disappear if it isn’t transferred to long-term memory, which can be done either actively (such as when a person memorizes a list of items) or passively (such as when a new piece of information connects with something else the recipient already has stored in long-term memory). Finally, the information needs to be retrieved when the recipient wants to act on it.17 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch1lev1sec28#ch1note17) In general, people �ind it easier to remember and retrieve information that is important to them personally or professionally. Consequently, by communicating in ways that are sensitive to your audience’s wants and needs, you greatly increase the chance that your messages will be remembered and retrieved.

Audiences will likely respond to a message if they remember it, if they’re able to respond, and if they’re properly motivated to respond.

Second, the recipient has to be able to respond as you wish. Obviously, if recipients simply cannot do what you want them to do, they will not respond according to your plan. By understanding your audience (you’ll learn more about audience analysis in Chapter 4 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch04#ch04) ), you can work to minimize these unsuccessful outcomes.

Third, the recipient has to be motivated to respond. You’ll encounter many situations in which your audience has the option of responding but isn’t required to. For instance, a record company may or may not offer your band a contract, or your boss may or may not respond to your request for a raise. Throughout this course, you’ll learn techniques for crafting messages that can help motivate readers to respond positively to your messages.

By explaining how audiences will bene�it by responding positively to your messages, you’ll increase their motivation to respond.

THE SOCIAL COMMUNICATION MODEL The basic model presented in Figure 1.4 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch1lev1sec9#ch1�ig4) illustrates how a single idea moves from one sender to one receiver. In a larger sense, it also helps represent the traditional nature of much business communication, which was primarily de�ined by a publishing or broadcasting mindset. Externally, a company issued carefully scripted messages to a mass audience that often had few options for responding to those messages or initiating messages of their own. Customers and other interested parties had few ways to connect with one another to ask questions, share information, or offer support. Internally, communication tended to follow the same “we talk, you listen” model, with upper managers issuing directives to lower- level supervisors and employees.

However, in recent years, a variety of technologies have enabled and inspired a new approach to business communication. In contrast to the publishing mindset, this social communication model (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch1lev1sec28#ch1term27) is interactive, conversational, and usually open to all who wish to participate. Audience members are no longer passive recipients of messages but active participants in a conversation. Social media have given customers and other stakeholders a voice they did not have in the past. And businesses are listening to that voice. In fact, one of the most common uses of social media among U.S. businesses is monitoring online discussions about a company and its brands.18 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch1lev1sec28#ch1note18)

The conversational and interactive social communication model is revolutionizing business communication.

Instead of transmitting a �ixed message, a sender in a social media environment initiates a conversation by sharing valuable information. This information is often revised and reshaped by the web of participants as they share it and comment on it. People can add to it or take pieces from it, depending on their needs and interests.

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Just as the term “Web 2.0” has been applied to the second generation of World Wide Web technologies (blogs, wikis, and other social media tools), “Business Communication 2.0” is a convenient label for this approach to business communication. Figure 1.7 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch1lev1sec9#ch1�ig7) lists some of the signi�icant differences between traditional and social models of business communication.

The Business Communication 2.0 approach can increase the speed of communication, lower cost, improve access to expertise, and boost employee satisfaction.

The social communication model offers many advantages, but it has a number of disadvantages as well. Potential problems include information overload, fragmented attention, information security risks, distractions that hurt productivity, the need to monitor and respond to numerous conversational threads, and blurring of the line between personal and professional lives, which can make it dif�icult for people to disconnect from work.19 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch1lev1sec28#ch1note19)

For all their advantages, social media tools also present a number of communication challenges.

Figure 1.7 Business Communication: 1.0 versus 2.0

Business Communication 2.0 differs from conventional communication strategies and practices in a number of signi�icant ways. You’re probably already an accomplished user of many new-media tools, and this experience will help you on the job.

Of course, no company, no matter how enthusiastically it embraces the social communication model, is going to be run as a club in which everyone has a say in every business matter. Instead, a hybrid approach is emerging in which some communications (such as strategic plans and policy documents) follow the traditional approach, while others (such as project management updates and customer support messages) follow the social model.

You can learn more about business uses of social media in Chapter 8 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch08#ch08) .

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4 LEARNING OBJECTIVE Outline the challenges and opportunities of mobile communication in business.

1.4 The Mobile Revolution As much of a game-changer as social media have been, some experts predict that mobile communication will change the nature of business and business communication even more. Venture capitalist Joe Schoendorf says that “Mobile is the most disruptive technology that I have seen in 48 years in Silicon Valley.”20 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch1lev1sec28#ch1note20) Researcher Maribel Lopez calls mobile “the biggest technology shift since the Internet.”21 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch1lev1sec28#ch1note21)

Companies recognize the value of integrating mobile technology, from internal communication to banking to retail. Mobile apps and communication systems can boost employee productivity, help companies form closer relationships with customers and business partners, and spur innovation in products and services. Given the advantages and the rising expectations of employees and customers, �irms on the leading edge of the mobile revolution are working to integrate mobile technology throughout their organizations.22 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch1lev1sec28#ch1note22)

This section offers a high-level view of the mobile revolution, and you’ll see coverage of speci�ic topics integrated throughout the book, in everything from collaborative writing and research to presentations and job search strategies.

Mobile devices are rapidly taking over as the primary communication platform for many business professionals.

THE RISE OF MOBILE AS A COMMUNICATION PLATFORM

REAL-TIME UPDATES

LEARN MORE BY WATCHING THIS VIDEO

The mobile business advantage

Hear how leading-edge companies are adapting to take advantage of mobile communication. Go to http://real-timeupdates.com/bct13 (http://real- timeupdates.com/bct13) . Under “Students,” click on “Learn More.”

Whether it’s emailing, social networking, watching video, or doing research, the percentage of communication and media consumption performed on mobile devices continues to grow. For millions of people around the world, a mobile device is their primary way, if not their only way, to access the Internet. Globally, roughly 80 percent of Internet users access the web at least some of the time with a mobile device.23 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch1lev1sec28#ch1note23)

REAL-TIME UPDATES

LEARN MORE BY VISITING THIS WEBSITE

The mobile revolution by the numbers

Explore dozens of statistical measures that show the impact of mobile communication. Go to http://real-timeupdates.com/bct13 (http://real- timeupdates.com/bct13) . Under “Students,” click on “Learn More.”

Mobile has become the primary communication tool for many business professionals, including a majority of executives under age 40.24 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch1lev1sec28#ch1note24) Email and web browsing rank �irst and second in terms of the most common nonvoice uses of smart-phones, and more email messages are now opened on mobile devices than on PCs.25 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch1lev1sec28#ch1note25) Roughly half of U.S. consumers use a mobile device exclusively for their online search needs, and many online activities that eventually migrate to a PC screen start out on a mobile screen.26 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch1lev1sec28#ch1note26) For many people, the fact that a smartphone can make phone calls is practically a secondary consideration; data traf�ic from mobile devices far outstrips voice traf�ic.27 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch1lev1sec28#ch1note27)

Moreover, mobile phones—particularly smartphones—have become intensely personal devices in ways that PCs never did. For many users, the connection is so close they can feel a sense of panic when they don’t have frequent access to their phones.28

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Figure 1.8 The In�luence of Mobile Technology on Business Communication

When people are connected to information sources for most of their waking hours, either through a mobile device or wearable technology, the communication experience can start to resemble an endless conversation.

Source: Sergio Azenha/Alamy

(http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch1lev1sec28#ch1note28) When people are closely connected to their phones, day and night, they are more closely connected to all the information sources, conversations, and networks that those phones can connect to. As a result, mobile connectivity can start to resemble a continuous stream of conversations that never quite end, which in�luences the way businesses need to interact with their stakeholders. If wearable technologies such as Google Glass become mainstream devices, they will contribute even more to this shift in behaviors (see Figure 1.8 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch1lev1sec16#ch1�ig8) ).

The parallels between social media and mobile communication are striking: Both sets of technologies change the nature of communication, alter the relationships between senders and receivers, create opportunities as well as challenges, and force business professionals to hone new skills. In fact, much of the rise in social communication can be attributed to the connectivity made possible by mobile devices. Companies that work to understand and embrace mobile, both internally and externally, stand the best chance of capitalizing on this monumental shift in the way people communicate.

People who grew up with mobile phones often expect to have the same level of connectivity as customers and as employees.

HOW MOBILE TECHNOLOGIES ARE CHANGING BUSINESS COMMUNICATION The rise of mobile communication has some obvious implications, such as the need for websites to be mobile friendly. If you’ve ever tried to browse a conventional website on a tiny screen or �ill in complicated online forms using the keypad on your phone, you know how frustrating the experience can be. Increasingly, users expect websites to be mobile friendly, and they’re likely to avoid sites that aren’t optimized for mobile.29 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch1lev1sec28#ch1note29) As mobile access overtakes computer-based access, some companies now take a mobile-�irst approach, in which websites are designed for optimum viewing on smart-phones and tablets.30 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch1lev1sec28#ch1note30) Another successful approach is creating mobile apps that offer a more interactive and mobile-friendly experience than a conventional website can offer.

However, device size and portability are only the most obvious changes. Just as with social media, the changes brought about by mobile go far deeper than the technology itself. Mobile changes the way people communicate, which has profound implications for virtually every aspect of business communication.

Social media pioneer Nicco Mele coined the term radical connectivity to describe “the breathtaking ability to send vast amounts of data instantly, constantly, and globally.”31 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch1lev1sec28#ch1note31) Mobile plays a major and ever-expanding role in this phenomenon by keeping people connected 24/7, wherever they may be. People who’ve grown up with mobile communication technology expect to have immediate access to information and the ability to stay connected to their various social and business networks.32 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch1lev1sec28#ch1note32)

Here are the most signi�icant ways mobile technology is changing the practice of business communication:

Constant connectivity is a mixed blessing. As with social media, mobile connectivity can blur the boundaries between personal and professional time and space, preventing people from fully disengaging from work during personal and family time. On the other hand, it can give employees more �lexibility to meet their personal and professional obligations.33 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch1lev1sec28#ch1note33) In this regard, mobile plays an important role in efforts to reduce operating costs through telecommuting and other nontraditional work models.34 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch1lev1sec28#ch1note34)

Constant connectivity is a mixed blessing; you can work from anywhere at any time, but it’s more dif�icult to disconnect from work and recharge yourself.

Small mobile displays and sometimes-awkward input technologies present challenges for creating and consuming content, whether it’s typing an email message or watching a video. As you’ll read in Chapter 6 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch06#ch06) , for example, email messages need to be written and formatted differently to make them easier to read on mobile devices.

Mobile users are often multitasking—roughly half of mobile phone usage happens while people are walking, for instance—so they can’t give full attention to the information on their screens.35 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch1lev1sec28#ch1note35) Moreover, mobile use often occurs in environments with multiple distractions and barriers to successful communication.

Mobile communication, particularly text messaging, has put pressure on traditional standards of grammar, punctuation, and writing in general. Chapter 4 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch04#ch04) has more on this topic.

Mobile devices can serve as sensory and cognitive extensions.36 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch1lev1sec28#ch1note36) For example, they can help people experience more of their environment (such as augmented reality apps that superimpose information on a live camera view) and

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have instant access to information without relying on faulty and limited human memory. The addition of location-aware content, such as facility maps and property information, enhances the mobile experience.

Mobile devices create a host of security and privacy concerns, for end users and corporate technology managers alike.37 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch1lev1sec28#ch1note37) Companies are wrestling with the “bring your own device” or “BYOD” phenomenon, in which employees want to be able to access company networks and �iles with their personal smartphones and tablets, both in the of�ice and away from it. However, these devices don’t always have the rigorous security controls that corporate networks need, and users don’t always use the devices in secure ways.

Mobile tools can enhance productivity and collaboration by making it easier for employees to stay connected and giving them access to information and work tasks during forced gaps in the workday or while traveling.38 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch1lev1sec28#ch1note38)

Mobile apps can assist in a wide variety of business tasks, from research to presentations (see Figure 1.9 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch1lev1sec16#ch1�ig9) ).39 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch1lev1sec28#ch1note39)

Figure 1.9 Mobile Communication: Opportunities and Challenges

From 24/7 connectivity to business-oriented apps that let professionals perform work tasks on the go (such as making notes for a presentation, as shown here on the mobile version of PowerPoint), mobile technology is revolutionizing business communication.

Source: Microsoft Of�ice 365 app

Mobile connectivity can accelerate decision making and problem solving by putting the right information in the hands of the right people at the right time. For example, if the people in a decision-making meeting need more information, they can do the necessary research on the spot.40 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch1lev1sec28#ch1note40) Mobile communication also makes it easier to quickly tap into pockets of expertise within a company.41 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch1lev1sec28#ch1note41) Customer service can be improved by making sure technicians and other workers always have the information they need right at hand.42 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch1lev1sec28#ch1note42) Companies can also respond and communicate faster during crises.43 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch1lev1sec28#ch1note43)

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With interactivity designed to take advantage of the capabilities of mobile devices (including cameras, accelerometers, compasses, and GPS), companies can create more engaging experiences for customers and other users.44 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch1lev1sec28#ch1note44)

The mobile revolution complicates business communication in some ways, but it can enhance communication in many ways if done thoughtfully. You’ll read more about mobile in the chapters ahead.

Collaboration and problem solving are two key areas where mobile connectivity can boost productivity by enabling real-time interaction and access to vital information.

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5 LEARNING OBJECTIVE List four general guidelines for using communication technology effectively.

1.5 Using Technology to Improve Business Communication Today’s businesses rely heavily on technology to enhance communication. In fact, many of the technologies you might use in your personal life, from microblogs to video games, are also used in business. You will �ind technology discussed extensively throughout this book, with speci�ic advice on using both common and emerging tools. The four-page photo essay “Powerful Tools for Communicating Ef�iciently” (see pages 20 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch1lev1sec19#page_20) –23 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch1lev1sec19#page_23) ) provides an overview of the technologies that connect people in of�ices, factories, and other business settings.

However, anyone who has used advanced technology knows the bene�its are not automatic. Poorly designed or inappropriately used technology can hinder communication more than help. To communicate effectively, learn to keep technology in perspective, guard against information overload and information addiction, use technological tools productively, and disengage from the computer frequently to communicate in person.

MOBILE APPS

Pocket collects content you’d like to read or view later and syncs it across your mobile devices.

KEEPING TECHNOLOGY IN PERSPECTIVE Perhaps the single most important point to remember about technology is that it is simply a tool, a means by which you can accomplish certain tasks. Technology is an aid to interpersonal communication, not a replacement for it. Technology can’t think for you or communicate for you, and if you lack some essential skills, technology can’t �ill in the gaps. Throughout the text, you’ll see advice on keeping the focus on your messages and your audiences, and using technology to enhance the communication process.

Don’t rely too much on technology or let it overwhelm the communication process.

GUARDING AGAINST INFORMATION OVERLOAD The overuse or misuse of communication technology can lead to information overload (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch1lev1sec28#ch1term21) , in which people receive more information than they can effectively process. Information overload makes it dif�icult to discriminate between useful and useless information, lowers productivity, and ampli�ies employee stress both on the job and at home—even to the point of causing health and relationship problems.45 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch1lev1sec28#ch1note45)

Information overload results when people receive more information than they can effectively process.

You often have some level of control over the number and types of messages you choose to receive. Use the �iltering features of your communication systems to isolate high-priority messages that deserve your attention. Also, be wary of subscribing to too many Twitter streams and other sources. Focus on the information you truly need in order to do your job.

As a sender, you can help reduce information overload by making sure you don’t send unnecessary messages. In addition, when you send messages that aren’t urgent or crucial, let people know so they can prioritize. Also, most communication systems let you mark messages as urgent; however, use this feature only when it is truly needed. Its overuse leads to annoyance and anxiety, not action.

An important step in reducing information overload is to avoid sending unnecessary messages.

DIGITAL + SOCIAL + MOBILE: TODAY’S COMMUNICATION ENVIRONMENT:

It’s All Fun and Games—and Effective Business Communication

The fact that millions of people spend billions of hours playing games on their mobile devices is not lost on companies looking for ways to enhance communication with employees and customers. Whether they feature skill, chance, or compelling storylines, successful games try to engage users intellectually and emotionally—just as successful business communicators try to do.

Gami�ication is the addition of game-playing aspects to an activity or a process with the goal of increasing user engagement, and it’s a natural for social media and mobile devices. Foursquare’s check-in competitions, in which the person who “checks in” using Foursquare the most times during a 60-day window is crowned the “mayor” of that location, are one of the best-known uses of gami�ication. Foursquare wasn’t invented as a way for people to become imaginary

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mayors of places they shop or eat, of course. It is an advertising platform that relies on user activity and user-generated content, and the game element encourages people to use the app more frequently.

Foursquare is a simple example of gami�ication, but other companies are pushing the concept in new ways to engage and motivate employees and other stakeholders. For example, Bunchball’s Nitro software applies gami�ication concepts to a number of business communication platforms. On a customer- service system, the software rewards employees for increasing their productivity, meeting their service commitments to customers, and sharing knowledge with their colleagues. On several collaboration and brainstorming systems, gami�ication encourages people to make more connections, share ideas, and boost their in�luence within a community.

Gami�ication is also a key strategy for many companies trying to improve customer loyalty. Badgeville’s Reputation Mechanics system, for example, boosts the pro�ile of knowledgeable customers who share expertise on social media sites and other online forums. By rewarding their product champions (see page 329 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch12lev1sec22#page_329) ) this way, companies encourage them to keep contributing their expertise, thereby helping other customers be successful and satis�ied.

Incidentally, if you are in the Millennial generation, those born between 1981 and 1995, you’re a special target of gami�ication in the workplace and the marketplace, given your generation’s enthusiasm for video games. Don’t be surprised to �ind more gami�ied apps and systems on the job and everywhere you turn as a consumer.

CAREER APPLICATIONS

1. Gami�ication is about in�luencing employee and customer behaviors in ways that bene�it a company. Is this ethical? Explain your answer.

2. Assume a company provides a job-search game app that helps you navigate your way through applying for a job, explore various job openings, and understand what it would be like to work there. Would the app make you feel more positively about the company, or would you �ind that using a game for this purpose would trivialize something as important as your job search? Explain you answer.

Sources: Bunchball website, accessed 23 February 2014, www.bunchball.com (http://www.bunchball.com) ; Badgeville website, accessed 23 February 2014, http://badgeville.com (http://badgeville.com) ; Foursquare for Business website, accessed 23 February 2014, http://business.foursquare.com (http://business.foursquare.com) ; Christopher Swan, “Gami�ication: A New Way to Shape Behavior,” Communication World, May–June 2012, 13–14.

USING TECHNOLOGICAL TOOLS PRODUCTIVELY Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and other technologies are key parts of what has been called the “information technology paradox,” in which information tools can waste as much time as they save. Concerns over inappropriate use of social networking sites, for example, have led many companies to ban employees from accessing them during work hours.46 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch1lev1sec28#ch1note46)

Inappropriate web use not only distracts employees from work responsibilities, it can leave employers open to lawsuits for sexual harassment if inappropriate images are displayed in or transmitted around the company.47 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch1lev1sec28#ch1note47) Social media have created another set of managerial challenges, given the risk that employee blogs or social networking pages can expose con�idential information or damage a �irm’s reputation in the marketplace. With all these technologies, the best solution lies in developing clear policies that are enforced evenly for all employees.48 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch1lev1sec28#ch1note48)

MOBILE APPS

WhatsApp lets you send and receive messages, videos, and other content via your phone’s Internet connection.

Managers need to guide their employees in productive use of information tools because the speed and simplicity of these tools is also one of their greatest weaknesses. The �lood of messages from an expanding array of electronic sources can signi�icantly affect employees’ ability to focus on their work. In one study, workers exposed to a constant barrage of email, IM, and phone calls experienced an average 10-point drop in their functioning intelligence quotient (IQ).49 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch1lev1sec28#ch1note49)

Communicating in today’s business environment requires at least a basic level of technical competence.

In addition to using your tools appropriately, knowing how to use them ef�iciently can make a big difference in your productivity. You don’t have to become an expert in most cases, but you need to be familiar with the basic features and functions of the tools you are expected to use on the job. As a manager, you also need to ensure that your employees have suf�icient training to productively use the tools you expect them to use.

Powerful Tools for Communicating Effectively The tools of business communication evolve with every advance in digital technology. The 20 technologies highlighted on the next four pages help businesses rede�ine the of�ice, collaborate and share information, connect with stakeholders, and build communities of people with shared interests and needs. For more examples of business uses of social media tools in particular, see pages 200 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch8lev1sec2#page_200) –204 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch8lev1sec2#page_204) in Chapter 8 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch08#ch08) .

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REDEFINING THE OFFICE

Thanks to advances in mobile and distributed communication, the “of�ice” is no longer what it used to be. Technology lets today’s professionals work on the move while staying in close contact with colleagues, customers, and suppliers. These technologies are also rede�ining the very nature of some companies, as they replace traditional hierarchies with highly adaptable, virtual networks.

Shared Online Workspaces

Online workspaces help teams work productively, even if they are on the move or spread out across the country. In addition to providing controlled access to shared �iles and other digital resources, some systems include such features as project management tools and real-time document sharing (letting two or more team members view and edit a document on screen at the same time).

Web-Based Meetings

Web-based meetings allow team members from all over the world to interact in real time. Meetings can also be recorded for later playback and review. Various systems support instant messaging, video, collaborative editing tools, and more.

Videoconferencing and Telepresence

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Videoconferencing provides many of the bene�its of in-person meetings at a fraction of the cost. Advanced systems feature telepresence, in which the video images of meeting participants are life-sized and extremely realistic.

Voice Technologies

Speech recognition (converting human speech to computer commands) and speech synthesis (converting computer commands to human speech) can enhance communication in many ways, including simplifying mobile computing, assisting workers who are unwilling or unable to use keyboards, and allowing “one- sided” conversations with information systems. Speech analytics software can evaluate conversations to improve customer service and other interactions. Mobile VoIP lets people make voice calls on WiFi networks to save connection and roaming charges.

Mobile Business Apps

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As the range of business software applications on smartphones and tablet computers continues to expand, almost anything that can be accomplished on a regular computer can be done on a mobile device (although not always as ef�iciently or with the same feature sets).

COLLABORATING AND SHARING INFORMATION

The need to work with and share information quickly and easily is a constant in business. A wide variety of tools have been developed to facilitate collaboration and sharing, from general purpose systems such as instant messaging to more specialized capabilities such as data visualization.

Instant Messaging

Instant messaging (IM) is one of the most widely used digital communication tools in the business world, replacing many conversations and exchanges that once took place via email or phone calls. Enterprise IM systems are similar to consumer IM systems in many respects but have additional security and collaboration features.

Wikis

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Wikis promote collaboration by simplifying the process of creating and editing online content. Anyone with access (some wikis are private; some are public) can add and modify pages as new information becomes available.

Data Visualization

Data visualization is a powerful tool for presenting and exploring sets of data that are very large, complex, or dynamic. As more companies rely on “big data” to identify and capitalize on market opportunities, the ability to extract insights from these large data sets can be an important competitive advantage.

Crowdsourcing and Collaboration Platforms

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Crowdsourcing, inviting input from groups of people inside or outside the organization, can give companies access to a much wider range of ideas, solutions to problems, and insights into market trends.

Interactive Websites

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Interactivity can make online communication much more engaging and effective, such as by personalizing the presentation of information or allowing website visitors to isolate and focus on speci�ic topics.

CONNECTING WITH STAKEHOLDERS

Electronic media and social media in particular have rede�ined the relationships businesses have with internal and external stakeholders. Any groups affected by a company’s decisions now have tools to give voice to their opinions and needs, and companies have many more conversational threads that need to be monitored and managed.

Applicant Tracking Systems

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Applicant tracking systems now play a huge role in employment-related communications. At virtually all large companies and many medium and small companies, your résumé and application information will be entered into one of these systems. Recruiters use various tools to identify promising candidates and manage the interview and selection process. After hiring, some �irms use talent management systems to track employee development through workers’ entire careers at the company.

Blogging

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Blogs let companies connect with customers and other audiences in a fast and informal way. Commenting features let readers participate in the conversation, too.

Content Curation

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Content curation, selecting videos and other items of interest to followers of a website or blog, has become one of the most popular ways to connect with stakeholders. Pinterest and Scoop.it (http://Scoop.it) are among the leading technologies in this area.

Online Video

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The combination of low-cost digital video cameras and video-sharing websites such as YouTube has spurred a revolution in business video. Product demonstrations, company overviews, promotional presentations, and training seminars are among the most popular applications of business video. Branded channels allow companies to present their videos as an integrated collection in a customized user interface.

Podcasting

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With the portability and convenience of downloadable audio and video recordings, podcasts have become a popular means of delivering everything from college lectures to marketing messages. Podcasts are also used for internal communication, replacing conference calls, newsletters, and other media.

User-Generated Content Sites

User-generated content sites let businesses host photos, videos, software programs, technical solutions, and other valuable content for their customer communities.

Microblogging

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Microblogging services (of which Twitter is by far the best known) are a great way to share ideas, solicit feedback, monitor market trends, and announce special deals and events.

BUILDING COMMUNITIES

One of the most signi�icant bene�its of new communication technologies is the ease with which companies can foster a sense of community among customers, enthusiasts, and other groups. In some instances, the company establishes and manages the online community, while in others the community is driven by product champions or other enthusiasts.

Gaming Technologies

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Encouraging people to play games, even games as simple as “checking in” at various retail locations, can build interest in a company and its brands.

Social Networking

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Businesses use a variety of social networks as specialized channels to engage customers, �ind new employees, attract investors, and share ideas and challenges with peers.

Community Q&A Sites

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Many companies now rely heavily on communities of customers to help each other with product questions and other routine matters.

REAL-TIME UPDATES

LEARN MORE BY VISITING THIS WIKI

Get the latest news on gami�ication

The Gami�ication Wiki offers information on gami�ication concepts and examples across a variety of industries. Go to http://real-timeupdates.com/bct13 (http://real-timeupdates.com/bct13) . Under “Students,” click on “Learn More.”

RECONNECTING WITH PEOPLE Even the best technologies can hinder communication if they are overused. For instance, a common complaint among employees is that managers rely too heavily on email and don’t communicate face-to-face often enough.50 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch1lev1sec28#ch1note50) Speaking with people over the phone or in person can take more time and effort and can sometimes force you to confront unpleasant situations directly, but it is often essential for solving tough problems and maintaining productive relationships.51 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch1lev1sec28#ch1note51)

No matter how much technology is involved, communication is still about people connecting with people.

Moreover, even the best communication technologies can’t show people who you really are. Remember to step out from behind the technology frequently to learn more about the people you work with—and to let them learn more about you.

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6 LEARNING OBJECTIVE De�ine ethics, explain the difference between an ethical dilemma and an ethical lapse, and list six guidelines for making ethical communication choices.

1.6 Committing to Ethical and Legal Communication Ethics (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch1lev1sec28#ch1term15) are the accepted principles of conduct that govern behavior within a society. Ethical behavior is a companywide concern, but because communication efforts are the public face of a company, they are subjected to particularly rigorous scrutiny from regulators, legislators, investors, consumer groups, environmental groups, labor organizations, and anyone else affected by business activities. Ethical communication (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch1lev1sec28#ch1term12) includes all relevant information, is true in every sense, and is not deceptive in any way. In contrast, unethical communication can distort the truth or manipulate audiences in a variety of ways:52 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch1lev1sec28#ch1note52)

Plagiarizing. Plagiarism is presenting someone else’s words or other creative product as your own. Note that plagiarism can be illegal if it violates a copyright (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch1lev1sec28#ch1term8) , which is a form of legal protection for the expression of creative ideas.53 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch1lev1sec28#ch1note53)

Omitting essential information. Information is essential if your audience needs it to make an intelligent, objective decision.

Selective misquoting. Distorting or hiding the true intent of someone else’s words is unethical.

Misrepresenting numbers. Statistics and other data can be unethically manipulated by increasing or decreasing numbers, exaggerating, altering statistics, or omitting numeric data.

Distorting visuals. Images can be manipulated in unethical ways, such as altering photos in order to deceive audiences or changing the scale of graphs and charts to exaggerate or conceal differences.

Failing to respect privacy or information security needs. Failing to respect the privacy of others or failing to adequately protect information entrusted to your care can also be considered unethical (and is sometimes illegal).

Any time you try to mislead your audience, the result is unethical communication.

The widespread adoption of social media has increased the attention given to the issue of transparency (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch1lev1sec28#ch1term29) , which in this context refers to a sense of openness, of giving all participants in a conversation access to the information they need in order to accurately process the messages they are receiving. In addition to the information itself, audiences deserve to know when they are being marketed to and who is behind the messages they read or hear. For example, with stealth marketing, companies recruit people to promote products to friends and other contacts in exchange for free samples or other rewards, without requiring them to disclose the true nature of the communication. Critics, including the U.S. Federal Trade Commission (FTC), assert that such techniques are deceptive because they don’t give targets the opportunity to raise their instinctive defenses against the persuasive powers of marketing messages.54 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch1lev1sec28#ch1note54)

Transparency gives audience members access to all the information they need in order to process messages accurately.

Aside from ethical concerns, trying to fool the public is simply bad for business. As LaSalle University communication professor Michael Smith puts it, “The public backlash can be long, deep, and damaging to a company’s reputation.”55 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch1lev1sec28#ch1note55)

DISTINGUISHING ETHICAL DILEMMAS FROM ETHICAL LAPSES Some ethical questions are easy to recognize and resolve, but others are not. Deciding what is ethical can be a considerable challenge in complex business situations. An ethical dilemma (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch1lev1sec28#ch1term13) involves choosing among alternatives that aren’t clear-cut. Perhaps two con�licting alternatives are both ethical and valid, or perhaps the alternatives lie somewhere in the gray area between clearly right and clearly wrong. Every company has responsibilities to multiple groups of people inside and outside the �irm, and those groups often have competing interests. For instance, employees naturally want higher wages and more bene�its, but investors who have risked their money in the company want management to keep costs low so that pro�its are strong enough to drive up the stock price. Both sides have a valid ethical position.

An ethical dilemma is a choice between alternatives that may all be ethical and valid.

In contrast, an ethical lapse (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch1lev1sec28#ch1term14) is a clearly unethical choice. With both internal and external communication efforts, the pressure to produce results or justify decisions can make unethical communication a tempting choice. Telling a potential customer you can complete a project by a certain date when you know you can’t is simply dishonest, even if you need the contract to save your career or your company. There is no ethical dilemma here.

An ethical lapse is making a choice you know to be unethical.

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Compare the messages in Figures 1.10 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch1lev1sec24#ch1�ig10) and 1.11 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch1lev1sec24#ch1�ig11) for examples of how business messages can be unethically manipulated.

Figure 1.10 Unethical Communication

The writers of this memo clearly want the company to continue funding their pet project, even though the marketing research doesn’t support such a decision. By comparing this memo with the version shown in Figure 1.11 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch1lev1sec24#ch1�ig11) , you can see how the writers twisted the truth and omitted evidence in order to put a positive “spin” on the research.

Figure 1.11 Ethical Communication

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This version of the memo from Figure 1.10 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch1lev1sec24#ch1�ig10) presents the evidence in a more honest and ethical manner.

ENSURING ETHICAL COMMUNICATION Ensuring ethical business communication requires three elements: ethical individuals, ethical company leadership, and the appropriate policies and structures to support employees’ efforts to make ethical choices.56 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch1lev1sec28#ch1note56) Moreover, these three elements need to work in harmony. If employees see company executives making unethical decisions and �louting company guidelines, they might conclude that the guidelines are meaningless and emulate their bosses’ unethical behavior.

Responsible employers establish clear ethical guidelines for their employees to follow.

Employers have a responsibility to establish clear guidelines for ethical behavior, including ethical business communication. Many companies establish an explicit ethics policy by using a written code of ethics (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch1lev1sec28#ch1term2) to help employees determine what is acceptable. A code is often part of a larger program of employee training and communication channels that allow employees to ask questions and report instances of questionable ethics. To ensure ongoing compliance with their codes of ethics, many companies also conduct ethics audits (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch1lev1sec28#ch1term16) to monitor ethical progress and to point out any weaknesses that need to be addressed.

MOBILE APPS

The PRSA Ethics app is a mobile version of the Publish Relations Society of America’s code of ethics.

However, whether or not formal guidelines are in place, every employee has a responsibility to communicate in an ethical manner. In the absence of clear guidelines, ask yourself the following questions about your business communications:57 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch1lev1sec28#ch1note57)

If you can’t decide whether a choice is ethical, picture yourself explaining your decision to someone whose opinion you value.

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Have you de�ined the situation fairly and accurately?

What is your intention in communicating this message?

What impact will this message have on the people who receive it or who might be affected by it?

Will the message achieve the greatest possible good while doing the least possible harm?

Will the assumptions you’ve made change over time? That is, will a decision that seems ethical now seem unethical in the future?

Are you comfortable with your decision? Would you be embarrassed if it were printed in tomorrow’s newspaper or spread across the Internet? Think about a person whom you admire and ask yourself what he or she would think of your decision.

ENSURING LEGAL COMMUNICATION In addition to ethical guidelines, business communication is also bound by a wide variety of laws and regulations, including the following areas:

Promotional communication. Marketing specialists need to be aware of the many laws that govern truth and accuracy in advertising. These laws address such issues as product reviews written by bloggers who receive compensation from the companies involved, false and deceptive advertising, misleading or inaccurate labels on product packages, and “bait and switch” tactics in which a store advertises a lower-priced product to lure consumers into a store but then tries to sell them a more expensive item.58 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch1lev1sec28#ch1note58) Chapter 12 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch12#ch12) explores this area in more detail.

Business communication is governed by a wide variety of laws designed to ensure accurate, complete messages.

Contracts (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch1lev1sec28#ch1term7) . A contract is a legally binding promise between two parties in which one party makes a speci�ied offer and the other party accepts. Contracts are fundamental to virtually every aspect of business, from product sales to property rental to credit cards and loans to professional service agreements.59 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch1lev1sec28#ch1note59)

Employment communication. A variety of local, state, and federal laws govern communication between employers and both potential and current employees. For example, job descriptions must be written in a way that doesn’t intentionally or unintentionally discriminate against women, minorities, or people with disabilities.60 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch1lev1sec28#ch1note60)

Intellectual property (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch1lev1sec28#ch1term22) . In an age when instant global connectivity makes copying and retransmitting electronic �iles effortless, the protection of intellectual property (IP) has become a widespread concern. Intellectual property (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch1lev1sec28#ch1term22) includes patents, copyrighted materials, trade secrets, and even Internet domain names.61 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch1lev1sec28#ch1note61) Bloggers in particular need to be careful about IP protection, given the carefree way that some post the work of others without offering proper credit.

Financial reporting. Finance and accounting professionals who work for publicly traded companies (those that sell stock to the public) must adhere to stringent reporting laws. For instance, a number of corporations have recently been targets of both government investigations and shareholder lawsuits for offering misleading descriptions of �inancial results and revenue forecasts.

Defamation (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch1lev1sec28#ch1term10) . Negative comments about another party raise the possibility of defamation, the intentional communication of false statements that damage character or reputation.62 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch1lev1sec28#ch1note62) (Written defamation is called libel; spoken defamation is called slander.) Someone suing for defamation must prove (1) that the statement is false, (2) that the language is injurious to the person’s reputation, and (3) that the statement has been published.

Transparency requirements. Governments around the world are taking steps to help ensure that consumers and other parties know who is behind the information they receive, particularly when it appears online. The European Union, for instance, outlaws a number of online marketing tactics, including “�logs,” short for “fake blogs,” in which an employee or a paid agent posing as an independent consumer posts positive stories about a company’s products.63 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch1lev1sec28#ch1note63) In the United States, the FTC requires product-review bloggers to disclose any relationship—such as receiving payments or free goods—they have with the companies whose products they discuss in their blogs.64 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch1lev1sec28#ch1note64)

If you have any doubts about the legality of a message you intend to distribute, ask for advice from your company’s legal department. A small dose of caution can prevent huge legal headaches and protect your company’s reputation in the marketplace.

For the latest information on ethical and legal issues in business communication, visit http://real-timeupdates.com/bct13 (http://real-timeupdates.com/bct13) and click on Chapter 1 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch01#ch01) .

REAL-TIME UPDATES

LEARN MORE BY VISITING THIS WEBSITE

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Guidelines for trouble-free blogging

The Electronic Frontier Foundation offers a free Legal Guide for Bloggers. Go to http://real-timeupdates.com/bct13 (http://real-timeupdates.com/bct13) .

Under “Students,” click on “Learn More.”

COMMUNICATION CHALLENGES AT JetBlue Imagine that you’ve joined the Twitter team at JetBlue, one of the more than two dozen communication specialists tasked with monitoring conversations about the company in the Twitter-sphere and responding to questions, requests, and complaints from passengers. Use what you’ve learned in this chapter to address the following challenges.

INDIVIDUAL CHALLENGE: Find a recent Twitter conversation between a passenger and JetBlue. It can be a compliment, a complaint, or a question. How well do you think the JetBlue team handled the conversation? Does the conversation re�lect well on JetBlue? If you had been the passenger, would you have been satis�ied with the outcome? Why or why not?

TEAM CHALLENGE: With a team assigned by your instructor, analyze the writing style of several dozen JetBlue tweets. Next, choose another well-known company that is on Twitter and analyze a series of its tweets. How do the two companies compare in terms of the general tone of their social media writing? Is one more formal than the other? Does one emphasize self-promotion more than the other? Does one engage with customers more, answering queries and resolving complaints? Summarize your analysis, with examples from both companies.

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Quick Learning Guide

KEY TERMS audience-centered approach Understanding and respecting the members of your audience and making every effort to get your message across in a way that is

meaningful to them code of ethics A written set of ethical guidelines that companies expect their employees to follow communication The process of transferring information and meaning using one or more written, oral, visual, or electronic media communication barriers Forces or events that can disrupt communication, including noise and distractions, competing messages, �ilters, and channel

breakdowns communication channels Systems used to deliver messages communication medium The form in which a message is presented; the four categories of media are oral, written, visual, and electronic contract A legally binding promise between two parties, in which one party makes a speci�ied offer and the other party accepts copyright A form of legal protection for the expression of creative ideas decoding Extracting the idea from a message defamation The intentional communication of false statements that damage character or reputation encoding Putting an idea into a message (words, images, or a combination of both) ethical communication Communication that includes all relevant information, is true in every sense, and is not deceptive in any way ethical dilemma Situation that involves making a choice when the alternatives aren’t completely wrong or completely right ethical lapse A clearly unethical choice ethics The accepted principles of conduct that govern behavior within a society ethics audits Ongoing efforts to monitor ethical progress and to point out any weaknesses that need to be addressed etiquette The expected norms of behavior in any particular situation feedback Information from receivers regarding the quality and effectiveness of a message formal communication network Communication channels that �low along the lines of command informal communication network All communication that takes place outside the formal network; often referred to as the grapevine or the rumor mill information overload Condition in which people receive more information than they can effectively process intellectual property Assets including patents, copyrighted materials, trade secrets, and even Internet domain names message The “container” for an idea to be transmitted from a sender to a receiver perception A person’s awareness or view of reality; also, the process of detecting incoming messages professionalism The quality of performing at a high level and conducting oneself with purpose and pride selective perception The inclination to distort or ignore incoming information rather than change one’s beliefs social communication model An interactive, conversational approach to communication in which formerly passive audience members are empowered to

participate fully stakeholders Groups affected by a company’s actions: customers, employees, shareholders, suppliers, neighbors, the community, and the world at large transparency Giving all participants in a conversation access to the information they need to accurately process the messages they are receiving “you” attitude Communicating with an audience-centered approach; creating messages that are about “you,” the receiver, rather than “me,” the sender

SUMMARY OF LEARNING OBJECTIVES 1 Explain the importance of effective communication to your career and to the companies where you will work. Effective communication is important to your career because no matter what line of work you pursue, you need to be able to share information with other people. You can have the greatest business ideas in the world, but they’re no good to anyone if you can’t express them clearly and persuasively. In addition to bene�iting you personally, your communication skills will help your company in multiple ways, offering (1) closer ties with important communities in the marketplace; (2) opportunities to in�luence conversations, perceptions, and trends; (3) increased productivity and faster problem solving; (4) better �inancial results; (5) earlier warning of potential problems; (6) stronger decision making; (7) clearer and more persuasive marketing messages; and (8) greater employee engagement with work.

2 Explain what it means to communicate as a professional in a business context. Communicating as a professional starts with being a professional, which embodies striving to excel, being dependable and accountable, being a team player, demonstrating a sense of etiquette, making ethical decisions, and maintaining a positive outlook.

As a professional, you will be expected to bring a wide range of communication skills, including organizing ideas and information; expressing yourself coherently and persuasively in a variety of media; building persuasive arguments; evaluating data and information critically; actively listening to others; communicating effectively with diverse audiences; using communication technologies; following accepted standards of grammar, spelling, and other aspects of high-quality writing and speaking; adapting your messages and communication styles as needed; demonstrating strong business etiquette; communicating ethically; respecting con�identiality; following applicable laws and regulations; and managing your time wisely and using resources ef�iciently.

Applying these skills effectively in an organizational context involves learning how to use both the formal and informal communication networks in your organization. The formal network mirrors the of�icial hierarchy and structure of the organization; the informal network involves all the communication among members of the organization, regardless of their job positions. Adopting an audience-centered approach involves understanding and respecting the members of your audience and making every effort to get your message across in a way that is meaningful to them. This approach is also known as adopting the “you” attitude (where “you” is the recipient of the message you are sending).

3 Describe the communication process model and the ways that social media are changing the nature of business communication. Communication is a complex and subtle process, and any attempt to model it will involve some simpli�ication, but it is helpful to view the process as eight steps: (1) the sender starts with an idea to share; (2) the sender encodes the meaning of that idea as a message; (3) the sender produces the message in a transmittable medium; (4) the

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sender transmits the message through a channel; (5) the audience receives the message; (6) the audience decodes the message to extract its meaning; (7) the audience responds to the message; and (8) the audience provides feedback to sender.

Social media are transforming the practice of business communication and changing the nature of the relationships between companies and their stakeholders. Traditional business communication can be thought of as having a “publishing” mindset, in which a company produces carefully scripted messages and distributes them to an audience that has few options for responding to the company or interacting with one another. In contrast, the “Business Communication 2.0” approach uses social media tools to create an interactive and participative environment in which all parties have a chance to join the conversation. Many of the old rules and expectations, including tight control of the content and distribution of the message, no longer apply in this new environment.

4 Outline the challenges and opportunities of mobile communication in business. The challenges of mobile communications in business include the need for websites to be mobile-friendly, the dif�iculty of creating and consuming content on small screens and keyboards, the potential for always-on connectivity to blur the lines between personal and professional time, the dif�iculty of getting and keeping the attention of multitasking audiences, and a variety of security and privacy concerns. The opportunities include giving employees more �lexibility to meet their personal and professional obligations, using mobile devices as sensory and cognitive extensions, enhancing productivity and collaboration, assisting in a wide variety of business tasks, accelerating decision making and problem solving, and creating more engaging experiences for customers and other users.

5 List four general guidelines for using communication technology effectively. First, keep technology in perspective. Make sure it supports the communication effort rather than overwhelming or disrupting it. Second, guard against information overload and information technology addiction. Third, learn how to use technological tools productively—and avoid using them in deliberately unproductive ways. Fourth, reconnect in person from time to time to ensure that communication is successful and that technology doesn’t come between you and the people you need to reach.

6 De�ine ethics, explain the difference between an ethical dilemma and an ethical lapse, and list six guidelines for making ethical communication choices. Ethics are the accepted principles of conduct that govern behavior within a society. Ethical communication is particularly important in business because communication is the public face of a company, which is why communication efforts are intensely scrutinized by company stakeholders. The difference between an ethical dilemma and an ethical lapse is a question of clarity. An ethical dilemma occurs when the choice is unclear because two or more alternatives seem equally right or equally wrong. In contrast, an ethical lapse occurs when a person makes a conscious choice that is clearly unethical.

To make ethical choices in any situation, ask yourself these six questions: (1) Have I de�ined the situation fairly and accurately? (2) What is my intention in communicating this message? (3) What impact will this message have on the people who receive it, or who might be affected by it? (4) Will the message achieve the greatest possible good while doing the least possible harm? (5) Will the assumptions I’ve made change over time? That is, will a decision that seems ethical now seem unethical in the future? (6) Am I truly comfortable with my decision?

MyBCommLab

Go to mybcommlab.com (http://mybcommlab.com) to complete the problems marked with this icon .

Test Your Knowledge To review chapter content related to each question, refer to the indicated Learning Objective.

1-1. What bene�its does effective communication give you and your organization? [LO-1]

1-2. What are the �ive attributes of effective business communication? [LO-1] 1-3. What are the

six traits of professionalism? [LO-2] 1-4. Why should communicators take an audience-centered approach to communication? [LO-2] 1-5. What steps have to occur before an audience member perceives the presence of an incoming message? [LO-3] 1-6. What are the most common barriers to successful communication? [LO-3] 1-7. What does BYOD refer to, and what are the implications of this phenomenon? [LO-4] 1-8. How is communication affected by information overload? [LO-5] 1-9. What is an ethical dilemma? [LO-6]

1-10. What is an ethical lapse? [LO-6]

Apply Your Knowledge To review chapter content related to each question, refer to the indicated Learning Objective.

1-11. Why do you think communication is vital to the success of every business organization? Explain brie�ly. [LO-1]

1-12. How does the presence of a reader comments feature on a corporate blog re�lect audience-centered communication? [LO-2] 1-13. What changes would you make to your email messages if you know your recipients are typically walking or riding on mass transit when they read your

messages? [LO-4]

1-14. Is it possible for companies to be too dependent on communication technology? Explain brie�ly. [LO-5]

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1-15. You’re the CEO of a company whose sales are declining, and there is a 50-50 chance you will need to lay off some of your employees sometime in the next two to three months. You have to decide whether to tell them now so they can look for new jobs as soon as possible, even though you’re not yet sure layoffs will be necessary, or wait until you are sure layoffs will occur. Explain why this is an ethical dilemma. Be sure to consider the effect a sudden exodus of valuable employees could have on the company’s prospects. [LO-6]

Practice Your Skills 1-16. Message for Analysis: Analyzing Communication Effectiveness [LO-1] Read the following blog posting and then (a) analyze whether the message is

effective or ineffective (be sure to explain why) and (b) revise the message so that it follows this chapter’s guidelines.

It has come to my attention that many of you are lying on your time cards. If you come in late, you should not put 8:00 on your card. If you take a long lunch, you should not put 1:00 on your time card. I will not stand for this type of cheating. I simply have no choice but to institute an employee monitoring system. Beginning next Monday, video cameras will be installed at all entrances to the building, and your entry and exit times will be logged each time you use electronic key cards to enter or leave.

Anyone who is late for work or late coming back from lunch more than three times will have to answer to me. I don’t care if you had to take a nap or if you girls had to shop. This is a place of business, and we do not want to be taken advantage of by slackers who are cheaters to boot.

It is too bad that a few bad apples always have to spoil things for everyone.

Exercises

Each activity is labeled according to the primary skill or skills you will need to use. To review relevant chapter content, you can refer to the indicated Learning Objective. In some instances, supporting information will be found in another chapter, as indicated.

1-17. Writing: Compositional Modes: Summaries [LO-1], Chapter 4 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch04#ch04) Write a paragraph introducing yourself to your instructor and your class. Address such areas as your background, interests, achievements, and goals. Submit your paragraph using email, blog, or social network, as indicated by your instructor.

1-18. Media Skills: Microblogging [LO-1], Chapter 7 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch07#ch07) Write four effective messages of no more than 140 characters each (short enough to work as Twitter tweets, in other words) to persuade other college students to take the business communication course. Think of the �irst message as the “headline” of an advertisement that makes a bold promise regarding the value this course offers every aspiring business professional. The next three messages should be support points that provide evidence to back up the promise made in the �irst message.65 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch1lev1sec28#ch1note65)

1-19. Fundamentals: Analyzing Communication Effectiveness [LO-1] Identify a video clip (on YouTube or another online source) that you believe represents an example of effective communication. It can be in any context, business or otherwise, but make sure it is something appropriate to discuss in class. Post a link to the video on your class blog, along with a brief written summary of why you think this example shows effective communication in action.

1-20. Planning: Assessing Audience Needs [LO-2], Chapter 3 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch03#ch03) Choose a business career that sounds interesting to you and imagine that you are getting ready to apply for jobs in that �ield. Naturally, you want to create a compelling, audience-focused résumé that answers the key questions a hiring manager is most likely to have. Identify three personal or professional qualities you have that would be important for someone in this career �ield. Write a brief statement (one or two sentences) regarding each quality, describing in audience-focused terms how you can contribute to a company in this respect. Submit your statements via email or class blog.

1-21. Communication Etiquette: Communicating with Sensitivity and Tact [LO-2] Potential customers frequently visit your production facility before making purchase decisions. You and the people who report to you in the sales department have received extensive training in etiquette issues because you deal with high-pro�ile clients so often. However, the rest of the workforce has not received such training, and you worry that someone might inadvertently say or do something that would offend one of these potential customers. In a two-paragraph email, explain to the general manager why you think anyone who might come in contact with customers should receive basic etiquette training.

1-22. Collaboration: Team Projects; Planning: Assessing Audience Needs [LO-2], Chapter 2 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch02#ch02) , Chapter 4 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch04#ch04) Your boss has asked your work group to research and report on corporate child-care facilities. Of course, you’ll want to know who (besides your boss) will be reading your report. Working with two team members, list four or �ive other things you’ll want to know about the situation and about your audience before starting your research. Brie�ly explain why each of the items on your list is important.

1-23. Planning: Constructing a Persuasive Argument [LO-2], Chapter 12 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch12#ch12) Blogging has become a popular way for employees to communicate with customers and other parties outside the company. In some cases, employee blogs have been quite bene�icial for both companies and their customers by providing helpful information and “putting a human face” on other formal and imposing corporations. However, in some other cases, employees have been �ired for posting information that their employers said was inappropriate. One particular area of concern is criticism of the company or individual managers. Should employees be allowed to criticize their employers in a public forum such as a blog? In a brief email message, argue for or against company policies that prohibit critical information in employee blogs.

1-24. Fundamentals: Analyzing Communication Effectiveness [LO-3] Use the eight phases of the communication process to analyze a miscommunication you’ve recently had with a coworker, supervisor, classmate, teacher, friend, or family member. What idea were you trying to share? How did you encode and transmit it? Did the receiver get the message? Did the receiver correctly decode the message? How do you know? Based on your analysis, identify and explain the barriers that prevented your successful communication in this instance.

1-25. Fundamentals: Analyzing Communication Effectiveness [LO-4] Using a mobile device, visit the websites of �ive companies that make products or provide services you buy or might buy in the future. Which of the websites is the most user-friendly? How does it differ from the other sites? Do any of the companies offer a mobile shopping app for your device?

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1-26. Technology: Using Communication Tools [LO-5] Find a free online communication service that you have no experience using as a content creator or contributor. Services to consider include blogging (such as Blogger), microblogging (such as Twitter), community Q&A sites (such as Yahoo! Answers), and user-generated content sites (such as Flickr). Perform a basic task such as opening an account or setting up a blog. Was the task easy to perform? Were the instructions clear? Could you �ind help online if you needed it? Is there anything about the experience that could be improved? Summarize your conclusions in a brief email message to your instructor.

1-27. Communication Ethics: Distinguishing Ethical Dilemmas and Ethical Lapses [LO-6] Knowing that you have numerous friends throughout the company, your boss relies on you for feedback concerning employee morale and other issues affecting the staff. She recently asked you to start reporting any behavior that might violate company policies, from taking home of�ice supplies to making personal long-distance calls. List the issues you’d like to discuss with her before you respond to her request.

1-28. Communication Ethics: Distinguishing Ethical Dilemmas and Ethical Lapses [LO-6] In less than a page, explain why you think each of the following is or is not ethical.

a. Keeping quiet about a possible environmental hazard you’ve just discovered in your company’s processing plant

b. Overselling the bene�its of instant messaging to your company’s managers; they never seem to understand the bene�its of technology, so you believe it’s the only way to convince them to make the right choice

c. Telling an associate and close friend that she needs to pay more attention to her work responsibilities, or management will �ire her

d. Recommending the purchase of equipment your department doesn’t really need in order to use up your allocated funds before the end of the �iscal year so that your budget won’t be cut next year—when you might have a real need for the money

1-29. Communication Ethics: Providing Ethical Leadership [LO-6] Cisco, a leading manufacturer of equipment for the Internet and corporate networks, has developed a code of ethics that it expects employees to abide by. Visit the company’s website and �ind its code of conduct. In a brief paragraph, describe three speci�ic examples of things you could do that would violate these provisions; then list at least three opportunities that Cisco provides its employees to report ethics violations or ask questions regarding ethical dilemmas.

Expand Your Skills Critique the Professionals

Locate an example of professional communication from a reputable online source. It can re�lect any aspect of business communication, from an advertisement or a press release to a company blog or website. Evaluate this communication effort in light of any aspect of this chapter that is relevant to the sample and interesting to you. For example, is the piece effective? Audience-centered? Ethical? Using whatever medium your instructor requests, write a brief analysis of the piece (no more than one page), citing speci�ic elements from the piece and support from the chapter.

Sharpening Your Career Skills Online

Bovée and Thill’s Business Communication Web Search, at http://websearch.businesscommunicationnetwork.com (http://websearch.businesscommunicationnetwork.com) , is a unique research tool designed speci�ically for business communication research. Use the Web Search function to �ind an online video, a presentation, a website, or an article that describes an innovative use of mobile technology in business communication. Write a brief email message to your instructor or a post for your class blog, describing the item that you found and summarizing the information you found.

MyBCommLab Go to mybcommlab.com (http://mybcommlab.com) for Auto-graded writing questions as well as the following Assisted-graded writing questions:

1-30. How does the social communication model differ from traditional business communication practices? [LO-3]

1-31. How is mobile technology changing the practice of business communication? [LO-4]

Endnotes 1. JetBlue website, accessed 23 February 2014, www.jetblue.com (http://www.jetblue.com) ; “5 Social Media All-Stars,” CNNMoney, 29 August 2013, http://money.cnn.com (http://money.cnn.com) ; JetBlue Twitter account, accessed 22 February 2014, https://twitter.com/JetBlue (http://twitter.com/JetBlue) ; Todd Wasserman, “How JetBlue’s Social Media Strategy Took Flight,” Mashable, 1 June 2011, http://mashable.com (http://mashable.com) ; “A Day In The Life: Social Media,” BlueTales blog, 19 January 2012, http://blog.jetblue.com (http://blog.jetblue.com) , Chantal Tode, “JetBlue Exec: Mobile Is Discovery Piece for Travelers,” Mobile Marketer, 22 January 2013, www.mobilemarketer.com (http://www.mobilemarketer.com) .

2. Richard L. Daft, Management, 6th ed. (Cincinnati: Thomson South-Western, 2003), 580.

3. “Employers: 13 Common Complaints About Recent Grads,” Youturn, 2 October 2012, www.youturn.com (http://www.youturn.com) .

4. Julie Connelly, “Youthful Attitudes, Sobering Realities,” New York Times, 28 October 2003, E1, E6; Nigel Andrews and Laura D’Andrea Tyson, “The Upwardly Global MBA,” Strategy + Business 36 (Fall 2004): 60–69; Jim McKay, “Communication Skills Found Lacking,” Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, 28 February 2005, www.delawareonline.com (http://www.delawareonline.com) .

5. Brian Solis, Engage! (Hoboken, N.J.: John Wiley & Sons, 2010), 11–12; “Majority of Global Companies Face an Engagement Gap,” Internal Comms Hub website, 23 October 2007, www.internalcommshub.com (http://www.internalcommshub.com) ; Gary L. Neilson, Karla L. Martin, and Elizabeth Powers, “The Secrets to Successful Strategy Execution,” Harvard Business Review, June 2008, 61–70; Nicholas Carr, “Lessons in Corporate Blogging,” BusinessWeek, 18 July 2006, 9; Susan Meisinger, “To Keep Employees, Talk—and Listen—to Them!” HR Magazine, August 2006, 10.

6. Daft, Management, 147.

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7. “CEOs to Communicators: ‘Stick to Common Sense,’” Internal Comms Hub website, 23 October 2007, www.internalcommshub.com (http://www.internalcommshub.com) ; “A Writing Competency Model for Business,” BizCom101.com (http://BizCom101.com) , 14 December 2007, www.business- writing-courses.com (http://www.business-writing-courses.com) ; Sue Dewhurst and Liam FitzPatrick, “What Should Be the Competency of Your IC Team?” white paper, 2007, http://competentcommunicators.com (http://competentcommunicators.com) .

8. “Digital Information Fluency Model,” 21cif.com (http://21cif.com) , accessed 11 February 2014, http://21cif.com (http://21cif.com) .

9. Philip C. Kolin, Successful Writing at Work, 6th ed. (Boston: Houghton Mif�lin, 2001), 17–23.

10. Laura L. Myers and Mary L. Tucker, “Increasing Awareness of Emotional Intelligence in a Business Curriculum,” Business Communication Quarterly, March 2005, 44–51.

11. Pete Cashmore, “10 Web Trends to Watch in 2010,” CNN Tech, 3 December 2009, www.cnn.com (http://www.cnn.com) .

12. Stephanie Armour, “Music Hath Charms for Some Workers—Others It Really Annoys,” USA Today, 24 March 2006, B1–B2.

13. Paul Martin Lester, Visual Communication: Images with Messages (Belmont, Calif.: Thomson South-Western, 2006), 6–8.

14. Michael R. Solomon, Consumer Behavior: Buying, Having, and Being, 6th ed. (Upper Saddle River, N.J.: Pearson Prentice Hall, 2004), 65.

15. Anne Field, “What You Say, What They Hear,” Harvard Management Communication Letter, Winter 2005, 3–5.

16. Chuck Williams, Management, 2nd ed. (Cincinnati: Thomson South-Western, 2002), 690.

17. Charles G. Morris and Albert A. Maisto, Psychology: An Introduction, 12th ed. (Upper Saddle River, N.J.: Pearson Prentice Hall, 2005), 226–239; Saundra K. Ciccarelli and Glenn E. Meyer, Psychology (Upper Saddle River, N.J.: Prentice Hall, 2006), 210–229; Mark H. Ashcraft, Cognition, 4th ed. (Upper Saddle River, N.J.: Prentice Hall, 2006), 44–54.

18. Ben Hanna, 2009 Business Social Media Benchmarking Study (published by Business.com (http://Business.com) ), 2 November 2009, 11.

19.Michael Killian, “The Communication Revolution—’Deep Impact’ About to Strike,” Avaya Insights blog, 4 December 2009, www.avayablog.com (http://www.avayablog.com) .

20. “The Mobile Revolution Is Just Beginning,” press release, World Economic Forum, 13 September 2013, www.weforum.org (http://www.weforum.org) .

21. Maribel Lopez, “Three Trends That Change Business: Mobile, Social and Cloud,” Forbes, 28 January 2012, www.forbes.com (http://www.forbes.com) .

22. Kevin Custis, “Three Ways Business Can Be Successful on Mobile,” Forbes, 15 November 2013, www.forbes.com (http://www.forbes.com) ; “IBM Survey: Speed and Analytics Key Drivers in Mobile Adoption for Organizations,” press release, IBM, 19 November 2013, www.ibm.com (http://www.ibm.com) .

23. “More Than Nine in 10 Internet Users Will Go Online via Phone,” eMarketer, 6 January 2014, www.emarketer.com (http://www.emarketer.com) .

24. Christina “CK” Kerley, The Mobile Revolution & B2B, white paper, 2011, www.b2bmobilerevolution.com (http://www.b2bmobilerevolution.com) .

25. Jordie can Rijn, “The Ultimate Mobile Email Statistics Overview,” Emailmonday.com (http://Emailmonday.com) , accessed 9 February 2014, www.emailmonday.com (http://www.emailmonday.com) .

26. Jessica Lee, “46% of Searchers Now Use Mobile Exclusively to Research [Study],” Search Engine Watch, 1 May 2013, http://searchenginewatch.com (http://searchenginewatch.com) .

27. Dennis McCafferty, “10 Awesome Facts About the Mobile Revolution,” CIO Insight, 6 December 2013, www.cioinsight.com (http://www.cioinsight.com) .

28. Yun-Sen Chan, “Smartphones Are Changing Person-to-Person Communication,” Modern Media Mix, 23 April 2013, http://modernmediamix.com (http://modernmediamix.com) .

29. “Mobile Facts and Market Stats,” Mocapay, accessed 10 February 2014, www.mocapay.com (http://www.mocapay.com) .

30. Mobile Revolution, ebook, Extron, 2011.

31. Nicco Mele, The End of Big: How the Internet Makes David the New Goliath (New York: St. Martin’s Press: 2013), 1–2.

32. “JWT’s 13 Mobile Trends for 2013 and Beyond,” J. Walter Thompson website, 2 April 2013, www.jwt.com (http://www.jwt.com) .

33. The Changing Role of Mobile Communications in the Workplace, white paper, Frost & Sullivan, accessed 8 February 2014, www.frost.com (http://www.frost.com) .

34. Top 10 Ways Successful Small Businesses Use Mobile Tech, white paper, T-Mobile, 2012.

35. Armen Ghazarian, “How Do Users Interact with Mobile Devices,” Medium.com (http://Medium.com) , 29 November 2013, http://medium.com (http://medium.com) .

36. “JWT’s 13 Mobile Trends for 2013 and Beyond.”

37. “Bring Your Own Device: BYOD Is Here and You Can’t Stop It,” Garner, accessed 9 February 2014, www.garner.com (http://www.garner.com) .

38. Jessica Twentyman, “Deploying Smartphones, Tables, and Apps for a New Employee Communication Era,” SCM, January/February 2013, 28–29;The Changing Role of Mobile Communications in the Workplace, Frost & Sullivan.

39. Aaref Hilaly, “The Biggest Opportunity in Mobile That No One Is Talking About,” LinkedIn, 17 December 2013, www.linkedin.com (http://www.linkedin.com) .

40. Michael Saylor, The Mobile Wave: How Mobile Intelligence Will Change Everything (New York: Vanguard Press, 2012), 10.

41. The Changing Role of Mobile Communications in the Workplace, Frost & Sullivan.

42. Top 10 Ways Successful Small Businesses Use Mobile Tech, T-Mobile.

43. Milton Kazmeyer, “The Impact of Wireless Communication in the Workplace,” Houston Chronicle, accessed 10 February 2014, http://smallbusiness.chron.com (http://smallbusiness.chron.com) .

44. Gregg Hano, “The Power of Corporate Communications on Mobile Apps,” Mag+, 1 August 2013, www.magplus.com (http://www.magplus.com) .

45. Tara Craig, “How to Avoid Information Overload,” Personnel Today, 10 June 2008, 31; Jeff Davidson, “Fighting Information Overload,” Canadian Manager, Spring 2005, 16+.

46. “The Top Ten Ways Workers Waste Time Online,” 24/7 Wall St., 30 September 2010, http://247wallst.com (http://247wallst.com) .

47. Eric J. Sinrod, “Perspective: It’s My Internet—I Can Do What I Want,” News.com (http://News.com) , 29 March 2006, www.news.com (http://www.news.com) .

48. Eric J. Sinrod, “Time to Crack Down on Tech at Work?” News.com (http://News.com) , 14 June 2006, www.news.com (http://www.news.com) .

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49. Jack Trout, “Beware of ‘Infomania,’” Forbes, 11 August 2006, www.forbes.com (http://www.forbes.com) .

50. “Many Senior Managers Communicate Badly, Survey Says,” Internal Comms Hub, 6 August 2007, www.internalcommshub.com (http://www.internalcommshub.com) .

51. Mike Schaffner, “Step Away from the Computer,” Forbes, 7 August 2009, www.forbes.com (http://www.forbes.com) .

52. Philip C. Kolin, Successful Writing at Work, 6th ed. (Boston: Houghton Mif�lin, 2001), 24–30.

53. Nancy K. Kubasek, Bartley A. Brennan, and M. Neil Browne, The Legal Environment of Business, 3rd ed. (Upper Saddle River, N.J.: Prentice Hall, 2003), 172.

54. Word of Mouth Marketing Association, “WOM 101,” accessed 2 June 2010, http://womma.org (http://womma.org) ; Nate Anderson, “FTC Says Stealth Marketing Unethical,” Ars Technica, 13 December 2006, http://arstechnica.com (http://arstechnica.com) ; “Undercover Marketing Uncovered,” CBSnews.com (http://CBSnews.com) , 25 July 2004, www.cbsnews.com (http://www.cbsnews.com) ; Stephanie Dunnewind, “Teen Recruits Create Word-of-Mouth ‘Buzz’ to Hook Peers on Products,” Seattle Times, 20 November 2004, www.seattletimes.com (http://www.seattletimes.com) .

55. Linda Pophal, “Tweet Ethics: Trust and Transparency in a Web 2.0 World,” CW Bulletin, September 2009.

56. Daft, Management, 155.

57. Based in part on Robert Kreitner, Management, 9th ed. (Boston: Houghton Mif�lin, 2004), 163.

58. Henry R. Cheeseman, Contemporary Business and E-Commerce Law, 4th ed. (Upper Saddle River, N.J.: Prentice Hall, 2003), 841–843.

59. Cheeseman, Contemporary Business and E-Commerce Law, 201.

60. John Jude Moran, Employment Law: New Challenges in the Business Environment, 2nd ed. (Upper Saddle River, N.J.: Prentice Hall, 2002), 186–187; Kubasek et al., The Legal Environment of Business, 562.

61. Cheeseman, Contemporary Business and E-Commerce Law, 325.

62. Kubasek et al., The Legal Environment of Business, 306.

63. Robert Plummer, “Will Fake Business Blogs Crash and Burn?” BBC News, 22 May 2008, http://news.bbc.co.uk (http://news.bbc.co.uk) .

64. Tim Arango, “Soon, Bloggers Must Give Full Disclosure,” New York Times, 5 October 2009, www.nytimes.com (http://www.nytimes.com) .

65. The concept of a four-tweet summary is adapted from Cliff Atkinson, The Backchannel (Berkeley, Calif.: New Riders, 2010), 120–121.

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An innovative collaboration platform helps the global cement company Cemex operate with the agility and �lexibility of a small company.

2 Collaboration, Interpersonal Communication, and Business Etiquette

LEARNING OBJECTIVES After studying this chapter, you will be able to

1 List the advantages and disadvantages of working in teams, describe the characteristics of effective teams, and highlight four key issues of group dynamics 2 Offer guidelines for collaborative communication, identify major collaboration technologies, and explain how to give constructive feedback 3 List the key steps needed to ensure productive team meetings 4 Identify the major technologies used to enhance or replace in-person meetings 5 Identify three major modes of listening, describe the listening process, and explain the problem of selective listening 6 Explain the importance of nonverbal communication, and identify six major categories of nonverbal expression 7 Explain the importance of business etiquette, and identify four key areas in which good etiquette is essential

MyBCommLab®

Improve Your Grade! Over 10 million students improved their results using the Pearson MyLabs. Visit mybcommlab.com (http://mybcommlab.com) for simulations, tutorials, and end-of-chapter problems.

COMMUNICATION CLOSE-UP AT Cemex You have probably been on a lab team or other project team that had trouble collaborating. Maybe you couldn’t get everyone in the same room at the same time, or important messages got buried in long email threads, or good ideas were lost because the right information didn’t get to the right people at the right time.

Imagine trying to collaborate when you have thousands of potential team members spread across dozens of countries. The Mexican company Cemex is one of the world’s largest producers of concrete and its two primary components, cement and aggregates (crushed stone, sand, and gravel). Cemex faces teamwork challenges on a global scale, with 44,000 employees in more than 50 countries. After a period of worldwide expansion that began in the 1990s, the century-old company now operates quarries, cement plants, and other facilities on every continent except Antarctica.

Concrete and cement are two of the oldest products on earth and might not spring to mind when most people think of innovation. However, innovation is key to Cemex’s long-term success, for several reasons. First, architects and builders continue to push the envelope by creating designs that require concrete with new performance and handling qualities. Second, Cemex’s ability to operate pro�itably depends on running ef�icient operations, from raw material extraction to processing to transportation. Third, the production and distribution of concrete-related products have signi�icant environmental impacts, including the acquisition and consumption of heating fuels required by high-temperature cement kilns.

To stay competitive and pro�itable and to minimize the environmental effects of its operations, Cemex knew it needed to accelerate the pace of innovation. Company leaders �igured the way to do that was to enable better collaboration, and the way to do that was to enable better communication.

The company’s response to this multilayered challenge is a comprehensive online collaboration platform called Shift, which combines social networking, wikis, blogs, a Twitter-like microblog-ging system, social bookmarking, videoconferencing, a trend-spotting tool called Shift Radar, and more. By connecting people and information quickly and easily, Shift helps overcome the barriers of geography, time zones, and organizational boundaries. Employees and managers can tap into expertise anywhere in the company, workers with similar responsibilities can share ideas on improving operations, and problems and opportunities can be identi�ied and brought to management attention in much less time.

Technology is only part of the solution, however. Many companies that have implemented social platforms struggle to get employees to change ingrained behaviors and use the new tools. By getting top-level executives on board early, Cemex achieved nearly universal adoption, with 95 percent of employees using Shift and forming more than 500 online communities based on technical specialties and shared interests. That level of engagement is paying off in numerous ways, such as launching a new global brand of ready-mix concrete in one-third the expected time, nearly tripling the company’s use of renewable energy, and reducing carbon dioxide emissions by almost 2 million metric tons.

Perhaps most impressive, Shift has lived up to its name by shifting the entrenched hierarchical culture of a large, old-school company to a more agile and responsive social business that is better prepared to face the future in its highly competitive markets. As Gilberto Garcia, Cemex’s innovation director puts it,

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social collaboration “can make a big company look like small company,” by connecting people and ensuring the free exchange of ideas.1 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch2lev1sec33#ch2note1)

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1 LEARNING OBJECTIVE List the advantages and disadvantages of working in teams, describe the characteristics of effective teams, and highlight four key issues of group dynamics.

2.1 Communicating Effectively in Teams The interactions among the employees at Cemex (pro�iled in the chapter-opening Communication Close-Up) represent one of the most essential elements of interpersonal communication. Collaboration (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch2lev1sec33#ch2term2) —working together to meet complex challenges—is a prime skill expectation in a wide range of professions. No matter what career path you pursue, it’s a virtual guarantee that you will be expected to collaborate in at least some of your work activities. Your communication skills will pay off handsomely in these interactions because the productivity and quality of collaborative efforts depend heavily on the communication skills of the professionals involved.

Collaboration, working together to solve complex problems, is an essential skill for workers in nearly every profession.

A team (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch2lev1sec33#ch2term24) is a unit of two or more people who share a mission and the responsibility for working to achieve a common goal.2 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch2lev1sec33#ch2note2) Problem-solving teams (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch2lev1sec33#ch2term18) and task forces (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch2lev1sec33#ch2term22) assemble to resolve speci�ic issues and then disband when their goals have been accomplished. Such teams are often cross-functional, pulling together people from a variety of departments who have different areas of expertise and responsibility. The diversity of opinions and experiences can lead to better decisions, but competing interests can lead to tensions that highlight the need for effective communication. Committees (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch2lev1sec33#ch2term3) are formal teams that usually have a long life span and can become a permanent part of the organizational structure. Committees typically deal with regularly recurring tasks, such as an executive committee that meets monthly to plan strategies and review results.

Team members have a shared mission and are collectively responsible for their work.

ADVANTAGES AND DISADVANTAGES OF TEAMS

When teams are successful, they can improve productivity, creativity, employee involvement, and even job security.3 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch2lev1sec33#ch2note3) Teams are often at the core of participative management (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch2lev1sec33#ch2term17) , the effort to involve employees in the company’s decision making. A successful team can provide a number of advantages:4 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch2lev1sec33#ch2note4)

Effective teams can pool knowledge, take advantage of diverse viewpoints, and increase acceptance of solutions the team proposes.

Increased information and knowledge. By pooling the experience of several individuals, a team has access to more information.

Increased diversity of views. Team members can bring a variety of perspectives to the decision-making process—as long as these diverse viewpoints are guided by a shared goal.5 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch2lev1sec33#ch2note5)

Increased acceptance of a solution. Those who participate in making a decision are more likely to support it and encourage others to accept it.

ETHICS DETECTIVE

Solving the Case of the Missing Team

Your entire team has been looking forward to this meeting for weeks. When the company president assembled the team to �ind creative solutions to the company’s cash �low problems, few people thought it would succeed. However, through plenty of hard work, you and your colleagues have found new sources of investment capital. Now it’s time to present your accomplishments to the board of directors. Because appearing in front of the board can be a major career boost, the team planned to present the results together, giving each person a few minutes in the limelight.

However, Jackson Mueller, the chief �inancial of�icer and leader of your team, had a surprise for you this morning. He’d received word at the last minute that the board wanted a short, concise presentation, and he said the best way to comply was with a single presenter. No one was happy about the change, but Mueller is the highest-ranking employee on the team and the only one with experience presenting to the board.

Disappointment turned to dismay as you and your teammates watched from the back of the conference room. Mueller deftly compressed your 60-minute presentation down to 20 minutes, and the board showered him with praise. However, he never introduced any of the other team members, so your potential moment in the sun passed without recognition.

ANALYSIS

1. Did Mueller behave unethically by not introducing you and your colleagues to the board? Explain your answer.

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2. Later on, you complain to a colleague that by stressing “my team” so often, Mueller actually made the presentation all about him, not the team. But one of your colleagues argues that the team’s assignment was to solve the problem, not to score career points with the board, so that goal shouldn’t have been such a top priority. Explain why you agree or disagree.

Higher performance levels. Working in teams can unleash new levels of creativity and energy in workers who share a sense of purpose and mutual accountability. Effective teams can be better than top-performing individuals at solving complex problems.6 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch2lev1sec33#ch2note6)

Although teamwork has many advantages, it also has a number of potential disadvantages. At the worst, working in teams can be a frustrating waste of time. Teams need to be aware of and work to counter the following potential disadvantages:

Groupthink (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch2lev1sec33#ch2term11) . Like other social structures, business teams can generate tremendous pressures to conform with accepted norms of behavior. Groupthink (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch2lev1sec33#ch2term11) occurs when peer pressures cause individual team members to withhold contrary or unpopular opinions. The result can be decisions that are worse than the choices the team members might have made individually.

Hidden agendas (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch2lev1sec33#ch2term12) . Some team members may have a hidden agenda (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch2lev1sec33#ch2term12) —a private, counterproductive motive, such as a desire to take control of the group, to undermine someone else on the team, or to pursue a business goal that runs counter to the team’s mission.

Cost. Aligning schedules, arranging meetings, and coordinating individual parts of a project can eat up a lot of time and money.

Teams need to avoid the negative impact of groupthink, hidden agendas, and excessive costs.

CHARACTERISTICS OF EFFECTIVE TEAMS The most effective teams have a clear objective and shared sense of purpose, have a strong sense of trust, communicate openly and honestly, reach decisions by consensus, think creatively, and know how to resolve con�lict.7 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch2lev1sec33#ch2note7) Teams that have these attributes can focus their time and energy on their work, without being disrupted by destructive con�lict (see page 39 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch2lev1sec1#page_39) ).

Effective teams have a clear sense of purpose, open and honest communication, consensus-based decision making, creativity, and effective con�lict resolution.

In contrast, teams lacking one or more of these attributes can get bogged down in con�lict or waste time and resources pursuing unclear goals. Two of the most common reasons cited for unsuccessful teamwork are lack of trust and poor communication. A lack of trust can result from team members being suspicious of one another’s motives or ability to contribute.8 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch2lev1sec33#ch2note8) Communication breakdowns are most likely to occur when teams operate across cultures, countries, or time zones.9 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch2lev1sec33#ch2note9)

GROUP DYNAMICS The interactions and processes that take place among the members of a team are called group dynamics (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch2lev1sec33#ch2term10) . Productive teams tend to develop clear norms (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch2lev1sec33#ch2term15) , informal standards of conduct that members share and that guide member behavior. Group dynamics are in�luenced by several factors: the roles team members assume, the current phase of team development, the team’s success in resolving con�lict, and the team’s success in overcoming resistance.

Group dynamics are the interactions and processes that take place in a team.

TABLE 2.1 Team Roles—Functional and Dysfunctional Dysfunctional: Self-Oriented Roles Functional: Team-Maintenance Roles Functional: Task-Oriented Roles

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Dysfunctional: Self-Oriented Roles Functional: Team-Maintenance Roles Functional: Task-Oriented Roles

Controlling: Dominating others by exhibiting superiority or authority

Withdrawing: Retiring from the team either by becoming silent or by refusing to deal with a particular aspect of the team’s work

Attention seeking: Calling attention to oneself and demanding recognition from others

Diverting: Focusing the team’s discussion on topics of interest to the individual rather than on those relevant to the task

Encouraging: Drawing out other members by showing verbal and nonverbal support, praise, or agreement

Harmonizing: Reconciling differences among team members through mediation or by using humor to relieve tension

Compromising: Offering to yield on a point in the interest of reaching a mutually acceptable decision

Initiating: Getting the team started on a line of inquiry

Information giving or seeking: Offering (or seeking) information relevant to questions facing the team

Coordinating: Showing relationships among ideas, clarifying issues, summarizing what the team has done

Procedure setting: Suggesting decision- making procedures that will move the team toward a goal

Assuming Team Roles

Members of a team can play various roles, which fall into three categories (see Table 2.1 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch2lev1sec1#ch2tab1) ). Members who assume self-oriented roles (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch2lev1sec33#ch2term20) are motivated mainly to ful�ill personal needs, so they tend to be less productive than other members. “Dream teams” composed of multiple superstars often don’t perform as well as one might expect because high-performing individuals can have trouble putting the team’s needs ahead of their own.10 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch2lev1sec33#ch2note10) In addition, highly skilled and experienced people with dif�icult personalities might not contribute, for the simple reason that other team members may avoid interacting with them.11 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch2lev1sec33#ch2note11) Far more likely to contribute to team goals are members who assume team-maintenance roles (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch2lev1sec33#ch2term25) to help everyone work well together and those who assume task-oriented roles (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch2lev1sec33#ch2term23) to help the team reach its goals.12 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch2lev1sec33#ch2note12)

Each member of a group plays a role that affects the outcome of the group’s activities.

Allowing for Team Evolution

Teams typically evolve through a number of phases on their way to becoming productive (see Figure 2.1 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch2lev1sec1#ch2�ig1) ). A variety of models have been proposed to describe the evolution toward becoming a productive team. Here is how one commonly used model identi�ies the phases a problem-solving team goes through as it evolves:13 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch2lev1sec33#ch2note13)

Teams typically evolve through a variety of phases, such as orientation, con�lict, brainstorming, emergence, and reinforcement.

1. Orientation. Team members socialize, establish their roles, and begin to de�ine their task or purpose. Team-building exercises and activities can help teams break down barriers and develop a sense of shared purpose.14 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch2lev1sec33#ch2note14) For geographically dispersed virtual teams, creating a “team operating agreement” that sets expectations for online meetings, communication processes, and decision making can help overcome the disadvantages of distance.15 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch2lev1sec33#ch2note15)

2. Con�lict. Team members begin to discuss their positions and become more assertive in establishing their roles. Disagreements and uncertainties are natural in this phase.

3. Brainstorming. Team members air all the options and fully discuss the pros and cons. At the end of this phase, members begin to settle on a single solution to the problem. Note that while group brainstorming remains a highly popular activity in today’s companies, it may not always be the most productive way to generate new ideas. Some research indicates that having people brainstorm individually and then bring their ideas to a group meeting is more successful.16 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch2lev1sec33#ch2note16)

4. Emergence. Consensus is reached when the team �inds a solution that all members are willing to support (even if they have reservations).

5. Reinforcement. The team clari�ies and summarizes the agreed-upon solution. Members receive their assignments for carrying out the group’s decision, and they make arrangements for following up on those assignments.

Figure 2.1 Phases of Group Development

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Groups generally progress through several stages on their way to becoming productive and reaching their objectives.

Sources: B. Aubrey Fisher, Small Group Decision Making: Communication and the Group Process, 2nd ed. (New York: McGraw-Hill, 1980), 145-149; Stephen P. Robbins and David A. DeCenzo, Fundamentals of Management, 4th ed. (Upper Saddle River, N.J.: Prentice Hall, 2004), 334-335; Richard L. Daft, Management, 6th ed. (Cincinnati: Thomson South-Western, 2003), 602-603.

You may also hear the process de�ined as forming, storming, norming, performing, and adjourning, the phases identi�ied by researcher Bruce Tuckman when he proposed one of the earliest models of group development.17 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch2lev1sec33#ch2note17) Regardless of the model you consider, these stages are a general framework for team development. Some teams may move forward and backward through several stages before they become productive, and other teams may be productive right away, even while some or all members are in a state of con�lict.18 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch2lev1sec33#ch2note18)

Resolving Con�lict

Con�lict in team activities can arise for a number of reasons: competition for resources, disagreement over goals or responsibilities, poor communication, power struggles, or fundamental differences in values, attitudes, and personalities.19 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch2lev1sec33#ch2note19) Although the term con�lict sounds negative, con�lict isn’t necessarily bad. Con�lict can be constructive if it forces important issues into the open, increases the involvement of team members, and generates creative ideas for solving a problem. Teamwork isn’t necessarily about happiness and harmony; even teams that have some interpersonal friction can excel with effective leadership and team players committed to strong results. As teamwork experts Andy Boynton and Bill Fischer put it, “Virtuoso teams are not about getting polite results.”20 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch2lev1sec33#ch2note20)

Con�lict in teams can be either constructive or destructive.

In contrast, con�lict is destructive if it diverts energy from more important issues, destroys the morale of teams or individual team members, or polarizes or divides the team.21 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch2lev1sec33#ch2note21) Destructive con�lict can lead to win-lose or lose-lose outcomes, in which one or both sides lose, to the detriment of the entire team. If you approach con�lict with the idea that both sides can satisfy their goals to at least some extent (a win-win strategy), you can minimize losses for everyone. For a win-win strategy to work, everybody must believe that (1) it’s possible to �ind a solution that both parties can accept, (2) cooperation is better for the organization than competition, (3) the other party can be trusted, and (4) greater power or status doesn’t entitle one party to impose a solution.

Destructive con�lict can lead to win-lose or lose-lose outcomes.

The following seven measures can help team members successfully resolve con�lict:

Proactive behavior. Deal with minor con�lict before it becomes major con�lict.

Communication. Get those directly involved in a con�lict to participate in resolving it.

Openness. Get feelings out in the open before dealing with the main issues.

Research. Seek factual reasons for a problem before seeking solutions.

Flexibility. Don’t let anyone lock into a position before considering other solutions.

Fair play. Insist on fair outcomes and don’t let anyone avoid a fair solution by hiding behind the rules.

Alliance. Get opponents to �ight together against an “outside force” instead of against each other.

Overcoming Resistance

One particular type of con�lict that can affect team progress is resistance to change. Sometimes this resistance is clearly irrational, such as when people resist any kind of change, whether the change makes sense or not. Sometimes, however, resistance is perfectly logical. A change may require someone to relinquish authority or give up comfortable ways of doing things. If someone is resisting change, you can be persuasive with calm, reasonable communication:

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Use these insights to manage adversarial relationships in the workplace and keep them from getting destructive. Go to http://real- timeupdates.com/bct13 (http://real-timeupdates.com/bct13) . Under “Students,” click on “Learn More.”

Express understanding. You might say, “I understand that this change might be dif�icult, and if I were in your position, I might be reluctant myself.” Help the other person relax and talk about his or her anxiety so that you have a chance to offer reassurance.22 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch2lev1sec33#ch2note22)

Bring resistance out into the open. When people are noncommittal and silent, they may be tuning you out without even knowing why. Continuing with your argument is futile. Deal directly with the resistance, without accusing. You might say, “You seem to have reservations about this idea. Have I made some faulty assumptions?” Such questions force people to face and de�ine their resistance.23 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch2lev1sec33#ch2note23)

Evaluate others’ objections fairly. Use active listening to focus on what the other person is expressing, both the words and the feelings. Get the person to open up so that you can understand the basis for the resistance. Others’ objections may raise legitimate points that you’ll need to discuss, or they may reveal problems that you’ll need to minimize.24 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch2lev1sec33#ch2note24)

Hold your arguments until the other person is ready for them. Getting your point across depends as much on the other person’s frame of mind as it does on your arguments. You can’t assume that a strong argument will speak for itself. By becoming more audience centered, you will learn to address the other person’s emotional needs �irst.

When you encounter resistance or hostility, try to maintain your composure and address the other person’s emotional needs.

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2 LEARNING OBJECTIVE Offer guidelines for collaborative communication, identify major collaboration technologies, and explain how to give constructive feedback.

2.2 Collaborating on Communication Efforts When a team collaborates on reports, websites, presentations, and other communication projects, the collective energy and expertise of the various members can produce results that transcend what each individual could do alone.25 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch2lev1sec33#ch2note25) However, collaborating on team messages requires special effort and planning.

GUIDELINES FOR COLLABORATIVE WRITING In any collaborative effort, team members coming from different backgrounds may have different work habits or priorities: A technical expert may focus on accuracy and scienti�ic standards, an editor may be more concerned about organization and coherence, and a manager may focus on schedules, cost, and corporate goals. In addition, team members differ in writing styles, work habits, and personality traits.

MOBILE APPS

Freedcamp is a free collaboration and project management system.

To collaborate effectively, everyone must be �lexible and open to other opinions, focusing on team objectives rather than on individual priorities.26 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch2lev1sec33#ch2note26) Successful writers know that most ideas can be expressed in many ways, so they avoid the “my way is best” attitude. The following guidelines will help you collaborate more successfully:27 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch2lev1sec33#ch2note27)

Successful collaboration on writing projects requires a number of steps, from selecting the right partners and agreeing on project goals to establishing clear processes and avoiding writing as a group.

Select collaborators carefully. Whenever possible, choose a combination of people who together have the experience, information, and talent needed for each project.

Agree on project goals before you start. Starting without a clear idea of what the team hopes to accomplish inevitably leads to frustration and wasted time.

Give your team time to bond before diving in. If people haven’t had the opportunity to work together before, make sure they can get to know each other before being asked to collaborate.

Clarify individual responsibilities. Because members will be depending on each other, make sure individual responsibilities are clear.

Establish clear processes. Make sure everyone knows how the work will be managed from start to �inish.

Avoid composing as a group. The actual composition is the only part of developing team messages that does not usually bene�it from group participation. Brainstorming the wording of short pieces of text, particularly headlines, slogans, and other high-visibility elements, can be an effective way to stimulate creative word choices. However, for longer projects, it is usually more ef�icient to plan, research, and outline together but assign the task of writing to one person or divide larger projects among multiple writers. If you divide the writing, try to have one person do a �inal revision pass to ensure a consistent style.

Make sure tools and techniques are ready and compatible across the team. Even minor details such as different versions of software can delay projects.

Check to see how things are going along the way. Don’t assume that everything is working just because you don’t hear anything negative.

TECHNOLOGIES FOR COLLABORATIVE WRITING A variety of tools and systems are available to help writers collaborate on everything from short documents to entire websites. The simplest tools are software features such as commenting (which lets colleagues write comments in a document without modifying the document text) and change tracking (which lets one or more writers propose changes to the text while keeping everyone’s edits separate and reversible). The widely used Adobe Acrobat electronic document system (PDF �iles) also has group review and commenting features, including the option for live collaboration.

A wide variety of collaboration tools now exist to help professionals work on reports, presentations, and other communication efforts.

Collaboration Systems

Writing for websites often involves the use of a content management system (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch2lev1sec33#ch2term6) , which organizes and controls website content and can include features

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that help team members work together on webpages and other documents. These tools range from simple blogging systems on up to enterprise systems that manage web content across an entire corporation. Many systems include work�low features that control how pages or documents can be created, edited, and published.

In contrast to the formal controls of a content management system, a wiki (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch2lev1sec33#ch2term28) , from the Hawaiian word for quick, is a website that allows anyone with access to add new material and edit existing material. Public wikis (Wikipedia is the best known of these) allow any registered user to edit pages; private wikis are accessible only with permission. A key bene�it of wikis is the freedom to post new or revised material without prior approval. Chapter 8 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch08#ch08) offers guidelines for effective wiki collaboration.

Wiki bene�its include simple operation and the ability to post new or revised material instantly without a formal review process.

Teams and other work groups can also take advantage of a set of broader technologies often referred to as groupware or collaboration platforms. These technologies let people communicate, share �iles, review previous message threads, work on documents simultaneously, and connect using social networking tools. These systems help companies capture and share knowledge from multiple experts, bringing greater insights to bear on tough challenges.28 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch2lev1sec33#ch2note28) Collaboration systems often take advantage of cloud computing, a somewhat vague term that refers to “on-demand” capabilities delivered over the Internet, rather than through conventional on-site software.29 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch2lev1sec33#ch2note29)

Shared workspaces (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch2lev1sec33#ch2term21) are online “virtual of�ices” that give everyone on a team access to the same set of resources and information (see Figure 2.2 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch2lev1sec9#ch2�ig2) on the next page). You may see some of these workspaces referred to as intranets (restricted-access websites that are open to employees only) or extranets (restricted sites that are available to employees and to outside parties by invitation only). Many intranets have now evolved into social networking systems that include a variety of communication and collaboration tools, from microblogging to video clip libraries. For example, the performance troupe Blue Man Group uses a social intranet to help its 500 employees plan, stage, and promote shows all over the world.30 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch2lev1sec33#ch2note30)

Social Networks and Virtual Communities

Social networking technologies are rede�ining teamwork and team communication by helping erase the constraints of geographic and organization boundaries. Some companies use social networks to form virtual communities or communities of practice that link employees with similar professional interests throughout the company and sometimes with customers and suppliers as well.

A community of practice links professionals with similar job interests; a key bene�it is accumulating long-term organizational knowledge.

Figure 2.2 Shared Workspaces

Shared workspaces give employees instant access to all the �iles they need.

Source: Copyright © 2011 by Wize Hive. Reprinted with permission.

The huge advantage that social networking brings to these team efforts is in identifying the best people to collaborate on each problem or project, no matter where they are around the world or what their of�icial roles are in the organization. Such communities are similar to teams in many respects, but one major difference is in the responsibility for accumulating organizational knowledge over the long term. For example, the pharmaceutical company P�izer has a number

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of permanent product-safety communities that provide specialized advice on drug safety issues to researchers throughout the organization.31 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch2lev1sec33#ch2note31)

Internal social networks help companies assemble the best resources for a given task, regardless of where the employees are located.

Social networking can also help a company maintain a sense of community even as it grows beyond the size that normally permits a lot of daily interaction. At the online retailer Zappos, fostering a supportive work environment is the company’s top priority. To encourage the sense of community among its expanding workforce, Zappos uses social networking tools to track employee connections and encourage workers to reach out and build relationships.32 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch2lev1sec33#ch2note32)

Collaboration via Mobile Devices

Mobile devices add another layer of options for collaborative writing and other communication projects, particularly when used with cloud computing. Today’s mobile systems can do virtually everything that �ixed-web collaboration systems can do, from writing on virtual whiteboards to sharing photos, videos, and other multimedia �iles.33 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch2lev1sec33#ch2note33) Mobility lets workers participate in online brainstorming sessions, seminars, and other formal or informal events from wherever they happen to be at the time. This �lexibility can be particularly helpful during the review and production stages of major projects, when deadlines are looming and decisions and revisions need to be made quickly.

Collaboration apps for mobile devices support nearly all the features of computer-based platforms.

An important aspect of mobile collaboration and mobile communication in general is uni�ied communication (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch2lev1sec33#ch2term26) , which integrates such capabilities as voice and video calling, voice and video conferencing, instant messaging, and real-time collaboration software into a single system. By minimizing or eliminating the need to manage multiple communication systems and devices, uni�ied communication promises to improve response times, productivity, and collaboration efforts.34 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch2lev1sec33#ch2note34)

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The bene�its of mobile collaboration

Going mobile helps teams get work faster and more effectively. Go to http://real-timeupdates.com/bct13 (http://real-timeupdates.com/bct13) . Under “Students,” click on “Learn More.”

GIVING—AND RESPONDING TO—CONSTRUCTIVE FEEDBACK Aside from processes and tools, collaborative communication often involves giving and receiving feedback about writing efforts. Constructive feedback (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch2lev1sec33#ch2term4) , sometimes called constructive criticism, focuses on the process and outcomes of communication, not on the people involved (see Table 2.2 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch2lev1sec9#ch2tab2) ). In contrast, destructive feedback (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch2lev1sec33#ch2term8) delivers criticism with no guidance to stimulate im-provement.35 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch2lev1sec33#ch2note35) For example, “This proposal is a confusing mess, and you failed to convince me of anything” is destructive feedback. The goal is to be more constructive: “Your proposal could be more effective with a clearer description of the manufacturing process and a well-organized explanation of why the positives outweigh the negatives.” When giving feedback, avoid personal attacks and give the person clear guidelines for improvement.

When you give writing feedback, make it constructive by focusing on how the material can be improved.

TABLE 2.2 Giving Constructive Feedback How to Be Constructive Explanation

Think through your suggested changes carefully.

Many business documents must illustrate complex relationships between ideas and other information, so isolated and super�icial edits can do more harm than good.

Discuss improvements rather than �laws.

Instead of saying “this is confusing,” for instance, explain how the writing can be improved to make it clearer.

Focus on controllable behavior. The writer may not have control over every variable that affected the quality of the message, so focus on those aspects the writer can control.

Be speci�ic. Comments such as “I don’t get this” or “Make this clearer” don’t give the writer much direction.

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How to Be Constructive Explanation

Keep feedback impersonal. Focus comments on the message, not on the person who created it.

Verify understanding. If in doubt, ask for con�irmation from the recipient to make sure that the person understood your feedback.

Time your feedback carefully. Respond in a timely fashion so that the writer will have suf�icient time to implement the changes you suggest.

Highlight any limitations your feedback may have.

If you didn’t have time to give the document a thorough edit, or if you’re not an expert in some aspect of the content, let the writer know so that he or she can handle your comments appropriately.

When you receive constructive feedback, resist the understandable urge to defend your work or deny the validity of the feedback. Remaining open to criticism isn’t easy when you’ve invested lots of time and energy in a project, but good feedback provides a valuable opportunity to learn and to improve the quality of your work.

When you receive constructive feedback on your writing, keep your emotions in check and view it as an opportunity to improve.

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3 LEARNING OBJECTIVE List the key steps needed to ensure productive team meetings.

2.3 Making Your Meetings More Productive Much of your workplace communication will occur during in-person or online meetings, so to a large degree, your ability to contribute to the company—and to be recognized for your contributions—will depend on your meeting skills. Well-run meetings can help companies solve problems, develop ideas, and identify opportunities. Meetings can also be a great way to promote team building through the experience of social interaction.36 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch2lev1sec33#ch2note36) As useful as meetings can be, though, they can be a waste of time if they aren’t planned and managed well. You can help ensure productive meetings by preparing carefully, conducting meetings ef�iciently, and using meeting technologies wisely.

PREPARING FOR MEETINGS The �irst step in preparing for a meeting is to make sure the meeting is really necessary. Meetings can consume hundreds or thousands of dollars of productive time while taking people away from other work, so don’t hold a meeting if some other form of communication (such as a blog post) can serve the purpose as effectively.37 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch2lev1sec33#ch2note37) If a meeting is truly necessary, proceed with these four planning tasks:

To ensure a successful meeting, decide on your purpose ahead of time, select the right participants, choose the venue and time, and set a clear agenda.

De�ine your purpose. Meetings can focus on exchanging information, reaching decisions, or collaborating to solve problems or identify opportunities. Whatever your purpose, de�ine the best possible result of the meeting (such as “we carefully evaluated all three product ideas and decided which one to invest in”). Use this hoped-for result to shape the direction and content of the meeting.38 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch2lev1sec33#ch2note38)

Figure 2.3 Typical Meeting Agenda

Agenda formats vary widely, depending on the complexity of the meeting and the presentation technologies that will be used. One good approach is to �irst distribute a detailed planning agenda so that presenters know what they need to prepare, then create a simpler display agenda such as this PowerPoint slide to guide the progress of the meeting. Note how the agenda includes the time limit for each topic.

Select participants for the meeting. The rule here is simple: Invite everyone who really needs to be involved, and don’t invite anyone who doesn’t. For decision-making meetings, for example, invite only those people who are in a direct position to help the meeting reach its objective. The more people you have, the longer it will take to reach consensus. Meetings with more than 10 or 12 people can become unmanageable if everyone is expected to participate in the discussion and decision making.

Choose the venue and the time. Online meetings are often the best way and sometimes the only way to connect people in multiple locations or to reach large audiences. For in-person meetings, review the facility and the seating arrangements. Is theater-style seating suitable, or do you need a conference

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table or some other arrangement? Pay attention to room temperature, lighting, ventilation, acoustics, and refreshments; these details can make or break a meeting. If you have control over the timing, morning meetings are often more productive because people are generally more alert and not yet engaged with the work of the day.

Set the agenda. The success of a meeting depends on the preparation of the participants. Distribute a carefully written agenda to participants, giving them enough time to prepare as needed (see Figure 2.3 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch2lev1sec16#ch2�ig3) ). A productive agenda answers three key questions: (1) What do we need to do in this meeting to accomplish our goals? (2) What issues will be of greatest importance to all participants? (3) What information must be available in order to discuss these issues?39 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch2lev1sec33#ch2note39)

CONDUCTING AND CONTRIBUTING TO EFFICIENT MEETINGS Everyone in a meeting shares the responsibility for making the meeting productive. If you’re the leader, however, you have an extra degree of responsibility and accountability. The following guidelines will help leaders and participants contribute to more effective meetings:

Everyone shares the responsibility for successful meetings.

Keep the discussion on track. A good meeting draws out the best ideas and information the group has to offer. Good leaders occasionally need to guide, mediate, probe, stimulate, summarize, and redirect discussions that have gotten off track.

Follow agreed-upon rules. The larger the meeting, the more formal you need to be to maintain order. Formal meetings use parliamentary procedure (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch2lev1sec33#ch2term16) , a time-tested method for planning and running effective meetings. The best-known guide to this procedure is Robert’s Rules of Order.

Encourage participation. You may discover that some participants are too quiet and others are too talkative. Draw out nonparticipants by asking for their input. For the overly talkative, you can say that time is limited and others need to be heard.

Participate actively. Make a point to contribute to the progress of the meeting and the smooth interaction of participants. Use your listening skills and powers of observation to size up the interpersonal dynamics of the group, then adapt your behavior to help the group achieve its goals. Speak up if you have something useful to say, but don’t talk or ask questions just to demonstrate how much you know about the subject at hand.

Use mobile devices respectfully. Tweeting key points from a convention speech or using your phone or tablet to jot down essential ideas and follow-up questions can be productive and respectful ways to use a device during a meeting. Checking Facebook or working on unrelated tasks is not. If you intend to use your device to take notes during a meeting, consider letting the meeting leader know that’s what you’re doing.40 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch2lev1sec33#ch2note40)

Close effectively. At the conclusion of the meeting, verify that the objectives have been met or arrange for follow-up work, if needed. Either summarize the general conclusion of the discussion or the actions to be taken. Make sure all participants have a chance to clear up any misunderstandings.

PUTTING MEETING RESULTS TO PRODUCTIVE USE In most cases, the value of a meeting doesn’t end when the meeting ends. For example, problems or opportunities brought up during a meeting need to be addressed, any action items assigned during the meeting need to be acted on, and key decisions and announcements should be distributed to anyone who is affected but was unable to attend. Having a written, audio, or video record of a meeting also gives the participants a chance to verify their impressions and conclusions.

The conventional method of recording meetings is through written minutes (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch2lev1sec33#ch2term13) , a summary of the important information presented and the decisions made (see Figure 2.4 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch2lev1sec16#ch2�ig4) on the next page). One person is usually assigned to keep notes as the meeting progresses and then to share them afterward. The speci�ic format of the minutes is less important than making sure you record all the key information, particularly regarding responsibilities that were assigned during the meeting. Typical elements include a list of those present and a list of those who were invited but didn’t attend, followed by the times the meeting started and ended, all major decisions reached at the meeting, all assignments of tasks to meeting participants, and all subjects that were deferred to a later meeting. In addition, the minutes objectively summarize important discussions, noting the names of those who contributed major points. Any handouts, electronic slides, or supporting documents can be attached to the minutes when they are distributed.

Minutes are written summaries of important information presented and the decisions made in meetings.

Depending on the meeting technologies at your disposal (see next section), you may have software speci�ically designed to record, distribute, and store meeting minutes. Some systems automatically forward action items to each employee, record audio discussions for future playback, and make all the relevant documents and �iles available in one convenient place.41 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch2lev1sec33#ch2note41)

To review the tasks that contribute to productive meetings, refer to “Checklist: Improving Meeting Productivity.”

Figure 2.4 Typical Meeting Minutes

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The speci�ic format of meeting minutes is less important than making sure you record all the key information, particularly regarding responsibilities assigned during the meeting. No matter what medium is used, key elements of meeting minutes include a list of those present and a list of those who were invited but didn’t attend, followed by the times the meeting started and ended, all major decisions reached at the meeting, all assignments of tasks to meeting participants, and all subjects that were deferred to a later meeting. Minutes objectively summarize important discussions, noting the names of those who contributed major points. Outlines, subheadings, and lists help organize the minutes; additional documentation is noted in the minutes and attached.

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4 LEARNING OBJECTIVE Identify the major technologies used to enhance or replace inperson meetings.

2.4 Using Meeting Technologies Today’s companies use a number of technologies to enhance or even replace traditional inperson meetings. Holding virtual meetings (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch2lev1sec33#ch2term27) can dramatically reduce costs and resource usage, reduce wear and tear on employees, and give teams access to a wider pool of expertise.

CHECKLIST ✓ Improving Meeting Productivity A. Prepare carefully.

Make sure the meeting is necessary.

Decide on your purpose.

Select participants carefully.

Choose the venue and the time.

Establish and distribute a clear agenda.

B. Lead effectively and participate fully.

Keep the meeting on track.

Follow agreed-upon rules.

Encourage participation.

Participate actively.

Close effectively.

C. Put the results to effective use.

Distribute meeting minutes to participants and other interested parties.

Make sure task assignments are clearly communicated.

Instant messaging (IM) and teleconferencing are the simplest forms of virtual meetings. Videoconferencing lets participants see and hear each other, demonstrate products, and transmit other visual information. Telepresence (see Figure 2.5 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch2lev1sec20#ch2�ig5) ) enables realistic conferences in which participants thousands of miles apart almost seem to be in the same room.42 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch2lev1sec33#ch2note42) The ability to convey nonverbal subtleties such as facial expressions and hand gestures makes these systems particularly good for negotiations, collaborative problem solving, and other complex discussions.43 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch2lev1sec33#ch2note43)

The most sophisticated web-based meeting systems combine the best of real-time communication, shared workspaces, and videoconferencing with other tools, such as virtual whiteboards, that let teams collaborate in real time. Such systems are used for everything from spontaneous discussions among small groups to carefully planned formal events such as press conferences, training sessions, sales presentations, and webinars (web-based seminars).44 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch2lev1sec33#ch2note44) One of the newest virtual tools is online brainstorming, in which a company can conduct “idea campaigns” to generate new ideas from people across the organization.

Conducting successful virtual meetings requires extra planning beforehand and more diligence during the meeting. Recognizing the limitations of the virtual meeting format is a key to using it successfully.45 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch2lev1sec33#ch2note45) Because virtual meetings offer less visual contact and nonverbal communication than in-person meetings, leaders need to make sure everyone stays engaged and has the opportunity to contribute. Paying attention during online meetings takes greater effort as well. Participants need to stay committed to the meeting and resist the temptation to work on unrelated tasks.46 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch2lev1sec33#ch2note46)

Conducting successful virtual meetings requires extra planning and more diligence during the meeting.

For the latest information on meeting technologies, visit http://real-timeupdates.com/bct13 (http://real-timeupdates.com/bct13) and click on Chapter 2 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch02#ch02) .

MOBILE APPS

WebEx Mobile gives you mobile access to one of the world’s most popular online meeting platforms.

Figure 2.5 Telepresence

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How many people are actually in this conference room in Chicago? Only the two people in the foreground are in the room; the other six are in Atlanta and London. Virtual meeting technologies such as this telepresence system connect people spread across the country or around the world.

Source: Peter Wynn Thompson/Redux Pictures

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5 LEARNING OBJECTIVE Identify three major modes of listening, describe the listening process, and explain the problem of selective listening.

2.5 Improving Your Listening Skills Your long-term career prospects are closely tied to your ability to listen effectively. In fact, some 80 percent of top executives say listening is the most important skill needed to get things done in the workplace.47 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch2lev1sec33#ch2note47) Plus, today’s younger employees place a high premium on being heard, so listening is becoming even more vital for managers.48 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch2lev1sec33#ch2note48)

Effective listening strengthens organizational relationships, alerts the organization to opportunities for innovation, and allows the organization to manage growing diversity both in the workforce and in the customers it serves.49 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch2lev1sec33#ch2note49) Companies whose employees and managers listen effectively are able to stay informed, up to date, and out of trouble. Conversely, poor listening skills can cost companies millions of dollars per year as a result of lost opportunities, legal mistakes, and other errors. Effective listening is also vital to the process of building trust between organizations and between individuals.50 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch2lev1sec33#ch2note50)

Listening is one of the most important skills in the workplace.

RECOGNIZING VARIOUS TYPES OF LISTENING

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Effective listeners adapt their listening approaches to different situations. The primary goal of content listening (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch2lev1sec33#ch2term5) is to understand and retain the information in the speaker’s message. Because you’re not evaluating the information at this point, it doesn’t matter whether you agree or disagree, approve or disapprove—only that you understand. Try to overlook the speaker’s style and any limitations in the presentation; just focus on the information.51 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch2lev1sec33#ch2note51)

To be a good listener, adapt the way you listen to suit the situation.

The goal of critical listening (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch2lev1sec33#ch2term7) is to understand and evaluate the meaning of the speaker’s message on several levels: the logic of the argument, the strength of the evidence, the validity of the conclusions, the implications of the message, the speaker’s intentions and motives, and the omission of any important or relevant points. If you’re skeptical, ask questions to explore the speaker’s point of view and credibility. Be on the lookout for bias that could color the way the information is presented, and be careful to separate opinions from facts.52 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch2lev1sec33#ch2note52)

The goal of empathic listening (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch2lev1sec33#ch2term9) is to understand the speaker’s feelings, needs, and wants so that you can appreciate his or her point of view, regardless of whether you share that perspective. By listening with empathy, you help the individual vent the emotions that prevent a calm, clear-headed approach to the subject. Avoid the temptation to jump in with advice unless the person speci�ically asks for it. Also, don’t judge the speaker’s feelings, and don’t try to tell people they shouldn’t feel this or that emotion. Instead, let the speaker know that you appreciate his or her feelings and understand the situation. After you establish that connection, you can help the speaker move on to search for a solution.53 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch2lev1sec33#ch2note53)

No matter what mode they are using at any given time, effective listeners try to engage in active listening (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch2lev1sec33#ch2term1) , making a conscious effort to turn off their own �ilters and biases to truly hear and understand what the other party is saying. They ask questions to verify key points and encourage the speaker through positive body language.54 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch2lev1sec33#ch2note54)

Listening actively means making the effort to turn off your internal “�ilters” and biases to truly hear and understand what the other person is saying.

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UNDERSTANDING THE LISTENING PROCESS Listening is a far more complex process than most people think—and most of us aren’t very good at it. People typically listen at no better than a 25 percent ef�iciency rate, remember only about half of what’s said during a 10-minute conversation, and forget half of that within 48 hours.55 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch2lev1sec33#ch2note55) Furthermore, when questioned about material they’ve just heard, they are likely to get the facts mixed up.56 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch2lev1sec33#ch2note56)

Why is such a seemingly simple activity so dif�icult? The reason is that listening is not a simple process, by any means. Listening follows the same sequence as the general communication process model described in Chapter 1 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch01#ch01) (page 10 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch1lev1sec5#page_10) ), with the added challenge that it happens in real time. To listen effectively, you need to successfully complete �ive steps:57 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch2lev1sec33#ch2note57)

Listening involves �ive steps: receiving, decoding, remembering, evaluating, and responding.

1. Receiving. You start by physically hearing the message and acknowledging it. Physical reception can be blocked by noise, impaired hearing, or inattention. Some experts also include nonverbal messages as part of this stage because these factors in�luence the listening process as well.

2. Decoding. Your next step is to assign meaning to sounds, which you do according to your own values, beliefs, ideas, expectations, roles, needs, and personal history.

3. Remembering. Before you can act on the information, you need to store it for future processing. As you learned in Chapter 1 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch01#ch01) , incoming messages must �irst be captured in short-term memory before being transferred to long-term memory for more permanent storage.

4. Evaluating. Your next step is to evaluate the message by applying critical thinking skills to separate fact from opinion and evaluate the quality of the evidence.

5. Responding. After you’ve evaluated the speaker’s message, you react. If you’re communicating one-on-one or in a small group, the initial response generally takes the form of verbal feedback. If you’re one of many in an audience, your initial response may take the form of applause, laughter, or silence. Later on, you may act on what you have heard.

If any one of these steps breaks down, the listening process becomes less effective or may even fail entirely. As both a sender and a receiver, you can reduce the failure rate by recognizing and overcoming a variety of physical and mental barriers to effective listening.

OVERCOMING BARRIERS TO EFFECTIVE LISTENING

Good listeners actively try to overcome barriers to successful listening.

Good listeners look for ways to overcome potential barriers throughout the listening process (see Table 2.3 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch2lev1sec21#ch2tab3) ). You may not be able to control some factors, such as conference room acoustics or poor phone reception. However, you can control other factors, such as not interrupting speakers and not creating distractions that make it dif�icult for others to pay attention. And don’t think you’re not interrupting just because you’re not talking. Such actions as texting or checking your watch can interrupt a speaker and lead to communication breakdowns.

TABLE 2.3 What Makes an Effective Listener? Effective Listeners Ineffective Listeners

Listen actively. Listen passively.

Take careful and complete notes, when applicable. Take no notes or ineffective notes.

Make frequent eye contact with the speaker (depends on culture to some extent). Make little or no eye contact—or inappropriate eye contact.

Stay focused on the speaker and the content. Allow their minds to wander, are easily distracted, work on unrelated tasks.

Mentally paraphrase key points to maintain attention level and ensure comprehension. Fail to paraphrase.

Adjust listening style to the situation. Listen with the same style, regardless of the situation.

Give the speaker nonverbal cues (such as nodding to show agreement or raising eyebrows to show surprise or skepticism).

Fail to give the speaker nonverbal feedback.

Save questions or points of disagreement until an appropriate time. Interrupt whenever they disagree or don’t understand.

Overlook stylistic differences and focus on the speaker’s message. Are distracted by or unduly in�luenced by stylistic differences; are judgmental.

Make distinctions between main points and supporting details. Are unable to distinguish main points from details.

Look for opportunities to learn. Assume they already know everything that’s important to know.

Sources: Adapted from Madelyn Burley-Allen, Listening: The Forgotten Skill (New York: Wiley, 1995), 70–71, 119–120; Judi Brownell, Listening: Attitudes, Principles, and Skills (Boston: Allyn & Bacon, 2002); 3, 9, 83, 89, 125; Larry Barker and Kittie Watson, Listen Up (New York: St. Martin’s, 2000), 8, 9, 64.

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Selective listening (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch2lev1sec33#ch2term19) is one of the most common barriers to effective listening. If your mind wanders, you may stay tuned out until you hear a word or phrase that gets your attention again. But by that time, you’re unable to recall what the speaker actually said; instead, you remember what you think the speaker probably said.58 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch2lev1sec33#ch2note58)

One reason listeners’ minds tend to wander is that people think faster than they speak. Most people speak at about 120 to 150 words per minute, but listeners can process audio information at up to 500 words per minute or more.59 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch2lev1sec33#ch2note59) Consequently, your brain has a lot of free time whenever you’re listening, and if left unsupervised, it will �ind a thousand other things to think about. Make the effort to focus on the speaker and use the extra time to analyze and paraphrase what you hear or to take relevant notes.

Your mind can process information much faster than most speakers talk, so you need to focus to listen effectively.

Overcoming interpretation barriers can be dif�icult because you may not even be aware of them. As Chapter 1 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch01#ch01) notes, selective perception leads listeners to mold messages to �it their own conceptual frameworks. Listeners sometimes make up their minds before fully hearing the speaker’s message, or they engage in defensive listening—protecting their egos by tuning out anything that doesn’t con�irm their beliefs or their view of themselves.

Even when your intentions are good, you can still misinterpret incoming messages if you and the speaker don’t share enough language or experience. When listening to a speaker whose native language or life experience is different from yours, try to paraphrase that person’s ideas. Give the speaker a chance to con�irm what you think you heard or to correct any misinterpretation.

If the information you hear will be important to use later, write it down or otherwise record it. Don’t rely on your memory. If you do need to memorize, you can hold information in short-term memory by repeating it silently or organizing a long list of items into several shorter lists. To store information in long-term memory, four techniques can help: (1) associate new information with something closely related (such as the restaurant in which you met a new client), (2) categorize the new information into logical groups (such as alphabetizing a list of names), (3) visualize words and ideas as pictures, and (4) create mnemonics such as acronyms or rhymes.

For a reminder of the steps you can take to overcome listening barriers, see “Checklist: Overcoming Barriers to Effective Listening.”

CHECKLIST ✓ Overcoming Barriers to Effective Listening

Lower barriers to physical reception whenever you can (such as avoiding interrupting speakers by asking questions or by exhibiting disruptive nonverbal behaviors).

Avoid selective listening by focusing on the speaker and carefully analyzing what you hear.

Keep an open mind by avoiding any prejudgment and by not listening defensively.

Don’t count on your memory; write down or record important information.

Improve your short-term memory by repeating information or breaking it into shorter lists.

Improve your long-term memory by using association, categorization, visualization, and mnemonics.

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6 LEARNING OBJECTIVE Explain the importance of nonverbal communication, and identify six major categories of nonverbal expression.

2.6 Improving Your Nonverbal Communication Skills Nonverbal communication (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch2lev1sec33#ch2term14) is the interpersonal process of sending and receiving information, both intentionally and unintentionally, without using written or spoken language. Nonverbal signals play a vital role in communication because they can strengthen a verbal message (when the nonverbal signals match the spoken words), weaken a verbal message (when nonverbal signals don’t match the words), or replace words entirely. For example, you might tell a client that a project is coming along nicely, but your forced smile and nervous glances will send an entirely different message.

Nonverbal communication can supplement or even replace verbal messages (those that use words).

RECOGNIZING NONVERBAL COMMUNICATION You’ve been tuned in to nonverbal communication since your �irst contact with other human beings. Paying special attention to nonverbal signals in the workplace will enhance your ability to communicate successfully. Moreover, as you work with a diverse range of people in the global marketplace, you’ll also need to grasp the different meanings of common gestures, expressions, and other signals in various cultures. Six types of signals are particularly important:

Nonverbal signals include facial expression, gesture and posture, vocal characteristics, personal appearance, touch, and time and space.

Facial expression. Your face is the primary vehicle for expressing your emotions; it reveals both the type and the intensity of your feelings.60 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch2lev1sec33#ch2note60) Your eyes are especially effective for indicating attention and interest, in�luencing others, regulating interaction, and establishing dominance.61 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch2lev1sec33#ch2note61)

Gesture and posture. The way you position and move your body expresses both speci�ic and general messages, some voluntary and some involuntary. Many gestures—a wave of the hand, for example—have speci�ic and intentional meanings. Other types of body movement are unintentional and express more general messages. Slouching, leaning forward, �idgeting, and walking briskly are all unconscious signals that can reveal whether you feel con�ident or nervous, friendly or hostile, assertive or passive, powerful or powerless.

Vocal characteristics. Voice carries both intentional and unintentional messages. A speaker can intentionally control pitch, pace, and stress to convey a speci�ic message. For instance, compare “What are you doing?” and “What are you doing?” Unintentional vocal characteristics can convey happiness, surprise, fear, and other emotions (for example, fear often increases the pitch and pace of your speaking voice).

Personal appearance. People respond to others on the basis of their physical appearance, sometimes fairly and other times unfairly. Although an individual’s body type and facial features impose some limitations on appearance, you can control grooming, clothing, accessories, piercings, tattoos, and hairstyle. To make a good impression, adopt the style of the people you want to impress. Many employers also have guidelines concerning attire, body art, and other issues, so make sure you understand and follow them.62 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch2lev1sec33#ch2note62)

Touch. Touch is an important way to convey warmth, comfort, and reassurance—as well as control. Touch is so powerful, in fact, that it is governed by cultural customs that establish who can touch whom and how in various circumstances. Even within each culture’s norms, however, individual attitudes toward touch vary widely. A manager might be comfortable using hugs to express support or congratulations, but his or her subordinates could interpret those hugs as a show of dominance or sexual interest.63 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch2lev1sec33#ch2note63) Touch is a complex subject. The best advice: When in doubt, don’t touch.

Time and space. Like touch, time and space can be used to assert authority, imply intimacy, and send other nonverbal messages. For instance, some people try to demonstrate their own importance or disregard for others by making other people wait; others show respect by being on time. Similarly, taking care not to invade private space, such as standing too close when talking, is a way to show respect for others. Keep in mind that expectations regarding both time and space vary by culture.

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Send these nonverbal signals to build credibility in conversations. Go to http://real-timeupdates.com/bct13 (http://real-timeupdates.com/bct13) . Under “Students,” click on “Learn More.”

USING NONVERBAL COMMUNICATION EFFECTIVELY

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Paying attention to nonverbal cues will make you a better speaker and a better listener. When you’re talking, be more conscious of the nonverbal cues you could be sending. Are they effective without being manipulative? Consider a situation in which an employee has come to you to talk about a raise. This situation is stressful for the employee, so don’t say you’re interested in what she has to tell you and then spend your time glancing at your computer or checking your watch. Conversely, if you already know you won’t be able to give her the raise, be honest in your expression of emotions. Don’t overcompensate for your own stress by smiling too broadly or shaking her hand too vigorously. Both nonverbal signals would raise her hopes without justi�ication. In either case, match your nonverbal cues to the tone of the situation.

Work to make sure your nonverbal signals match the tone and content of your spoken communication.

Also consider the nonverbal signals you send when you’re not talking—the clothes you wear, the way you sit, the way you walk. Are you talking like a serious business professional but dressing like you belong in a dance club or a frat house? Whether or not you think it is fair to be judged on super�icial matters, the truth is that you are judged this way. Don’t let careless choices or disrespectful habits undermine all the great work you’re doing on the job.

What signals does your personal appearance send?

When you listen, be sure to pay attention to the speaker’s nonverbal cues. Do they amplify the spoken words or contradict them? Is the speaker intentionally using nonverbal signals to send you a message that he or she can’t put into words? Be observant, but don’t assume that you can “read someone like a book.” Nonverbal signals are powerful, but they aren’t infallible, particularly if you don’t know a person’s normal behavioral patterns.64 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch2lev1sec33#ch2note64) For example, contrary to popular belief, avoiding eye contact and covering one’s face while talking are not reliable clues that someone is lying. Even when telling the truth, most people don’t make uninterrupted eye contact with the listeners, and various gestures such as touching one’s face might be normal behavior for particular people.65 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch2lev1sec33#ch2note65) Moreover, these and other behaviors may be in�luenced by culture (in some cultures, sustained eye contact can be interpreted as a sign of disrespect) or might just be ways of coping with stressful situations.66 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch2lev1sec33#ch2note66)

If something doesn’t feel right, ask the speaker an honest and respectful question; doing so may clear everything up, or it may uncover issues you need to explore further. See “Checklist: Improving Nonverbal Communication Skills” for a summary of key ideas regarding nonverbal skills.

CHECKLIST ✓ Improving Nonverbal Communication Skills

Understand the roles that nonverbal signals play in communication, complementing verbal language by strengthening, weakening, or replacing words.

Note that facial expressions (especially eye contact) reveal the type and intensity of a speaker’s feelings.

Watch for cues from gestures and posture.

Listen for vocal characteristics that can signal the emotions underlying the speaker’s words.

Recognize that listeners are in�luenced by physical appearance.

Be careful with physical contact; touch can convey positive attributes but can also be interpreted as dominance or sexual interest.

Pay attention to the use of time and space.

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7 LEARNING OBJECTIVE Explain the importance of business etiquette, and identify four key areas in which good etiquette is essential.

2.7 Developing Your Business Etiquette You may have noticed a common thread running through the topics of successful teamwork, productive meetings, effective listening, and nonverbal communication: All these activities depend on mutual respect and consideration among all participants. Nobody wants to work with someone who is rude to colleagues or an embarrassment to the company. Moreover, shabby treatment of others in the workplace can be a huge drain on morale and productivity.67 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch2lev1sec33#ch2note67) Poor etiquette can drive away customers, investors, and other critical audiences—and it can limit your career potential.

This section addresses some key etiquette points to remember when you’re in the workplace, out in public, online, and using mobile devices. Long lists of etiquette rules can be dif�icult to remember, but you can get by in most every situation by remembering to be aware of your effect on others, treating everyone with respect, and keeping in mind that the impressions you leave behind can have a lasting effect on you and your company. As etiquette expert Cindy Post Senning points out, “The principles of respect, consideration, and honesty are universal and timeless.”68 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch2lev1sec33#ch2note68)

Etiquette is an essential element of every aspect of business communication.

BUSINESS ETIQUETTE IN THE WORKPLACE Workplace etiquette includes a variety of behaviors, habits, and aspects of nonverbal communication. Although it isn’t always thought of as an element of etiquette, your personal appearance in the workplace sends a strong signal to managers, colleagues, and customers (see Figure 2.6 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch2lev1sec28#ch2�ig6) ). Pay attention to the style of dress where you work and adjust your style to match. Expectations for speci�ic jobs, companies, and industries can vary widely. The �inancial industries tend to be more formal than high-tech �irms, for instance, and sales and executive positions usually involve more formal expectations than positions in engineering or manufacturing. Observe others, and don’t be afraid to ask for advice. If you’re not sure, dress modestly and simply—earn a reputation for what you can do, not for what you wear. Table 2.4 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch2lev1sec28#ch2tab4) offers some general guidelines on assembling a business wardrobe that’s cost-effective and �lexible.

Personal appearance can have considerable impact on your success in business.

Grooming is as important as attire. Pay close attention to cleanliness, and avoid using products with powerful scents, such as perfumed soaps, colognes, shampoos, and aftershave lotions (many people are bothered by these products, and some are allergic to them).

IM and other text-based tools have taken over many exchanges that used to take place over the phone, but phone skills are still essential. Because phone calls lack the visual richness of face-to-face conversations, you have to rely on your attitude and tone of voice to convey con�idence and professionalism. Here are some important tips for using phones at work (for etiquette points speci�ically about mobile devices, see page 55 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch2lev1sec28#page_55) ):69 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch2lev1sec33#ch2note69)

Your telephone skills will be vital to your business success.

Be conscious of how your voice sounds. Don’t speak in a monotone; vary your pitch and in�lections so people know you’re interested. Slow down when conversing with people whose native language isn’t the same as yours.

Be courteous when you call someone. Identify yourself and your organization, brie�ly describe why you’re calling, and verify that you’ve called at a good time. Minimize the noise level in your environment as much as possible. For important or complicated conversations, plan what you want to say before calling.

Figure 2.6 Showing Respect for Organizational Culture

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Being aware of expectations for personal appearance in a business setting is not only a sign of respect, it will help keep you from making career-limiting mistakes.

Source: Paul Bradbury/OJO Images Ltd/Alamy

Convey a positive, professional attitude when you answer the phone. Answer promptly and with a smile so that you sound welcoming. Identify yourself and your company (some companies have speci�ic instructions for what to say when you answer). Establish the needs of your caller by asking, “How may I help you?” If you know the caller’s name, use it. If you can’t answer the caller’s questions, either forward the call to a colleague who can or advise the caller on how to get his or her questions resolved. If you do forward a call, put the caller on hold and call the next person yourself to verify that he or she is available.

Basic courtesy on the phone makes communication more ef�icient and more pleasant for everyone involved.

TABLE 2.4 Assembling a Business Wardrobe 1 Smooth and Finished (Start with This)

2 Elegant and Re�ined (To Column 1, Add This)

3 Crisp and Starched (To Column 2, Add This)

4 Up-to-the-Minute Trendy (To Column 3, Add This)

Choose well-tailored clothing that �its well; it doesn’t have to be expensive, but it does have to �it and be appropriate for business.

Keep buttons, zippers, and hemlines in good repair.

Select shoes that are comfortable enough for long days but neither too casual nor too dressy for the of�ice; keep shoes clean and in good condition.

Make sure the fabrics you wear are clean, are carefully pressed, and do not wrinkle easily.

Choose colors that �latter your height, weight, skin tone, and style; sales advisors in good clothing stores can help you choose.

Choose form-�itting (but not skin- tight) clothing—not swinging or �lowing fabrics, frills, or fussy trimmings.

Choose muted tones and soft colors or classics, such as a dark blue suit or a basic black dress.

If possible, select a few classic pieces of jewelry (such as a string of pearls or diamond cuff links) for formal occasions.

Wear jackets that complement an out�it and lend an air of formality to your appearance. Avoid jackets with more than two tones; one color should dominate.

Wear blouses or shirts that are or appear starched.

Choose closed top-button shirts or button-down shirt collars, higher-neckline blouses, or long sleeves with French cuffs and cuff links.

Wear creased trousers or a longer skirt hemline.

Supplement your foundation with pieces that re�lect the latest styles.

Add a few pieces in bold colors but wear them sparingly to avoid a garish appearance.

Embellish your look with the latest jewelry and hairstyles but keep the overall effect looking professional.

COMMUNICATING ACROSS CULTURES

Whose Skin Is This, Anyway?

Generational differences abound in the workplace, but few are quite as visible as body art: tattoos, piercings (other than ear lobes), and hair dyes in unconventional colors. According to survey data from the Pew Research Center, people younger than 40 are much more inclined than those over 40 to display some form of body art. For example, people 26 to 40 years old are four times more likely to have tattoos than people who are 41 to 64 years old.

With such profound differences, it’s no surprise that body art has become a contentious issue in many workplaces, between employees wanting to express themselves and employers wanting to maintain particular standards of professional appearance. As employment law attorney Danielle S. Urban notes, the issue gets even more complicated when religious symbolism is involved.

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Who is likely to win this battle? Will the body art a�icionados who continue to join the workforce and who are now rising up the managerial ranks force a change in what is considered acceptable appearance in the workplace? Or will they be forced to cover up in order to meet traditional standards?

So far, most companies appear to be relying on the judgment of their employees and managers, rather than enforcing strict guidelines. Many seem to accept that tastes and norms are changing and that body art has become a widespread form of self-expression rather than a mode of rebellion. The semiconductor giant Intel even featured photos of employee tattoos in its online technology newsletter.

Job seekers are still advised to be discreet, however, particularly with facial piercings and large, visible tattoos. The nonverbal signals you think you are sending might not be the signals a hiring manager receives.

CAREER APPLICATIONS

1. Should companies have stricter standards of appearance for “customer-facing” employees than for employees who do not interact with customers? Why or why not?

2. Should companies allow their employees the same freedom of expression and appearance latitude as their customers exhibit? For example, if a �irm’s clientele tends to be heavily tattooed, should employees be allowed the same freedom? Why or why not?

Sources: Adapted from: “Intel Tattoos Speak Volumes” 17 March 2011, Intel Free Press, www.intelfreepress.com (http://www.intelfreepress.com) ; Rita Pyrillis, “Body of Work,” Workforce Management, November 2010, www.workforce.com (http://www.workforce.com) ; Danielle S. Urban, “What to Do About ‘Body Art’ at Work,” Workforce Management, March 2010, www.workforce.com (http://www.workforce.com) ; “36%—Tattooed Gen Nexters,” Pew Research Center, http://pewresearch.org (http://pewresearch.org) .

End calls with courtesy and clarity. Close in a friendly, positive manner and doublecheck all vital information such as meeting times and dates.

Use your own voicemail features to help callers. Record a brief, professional-sounding outgoing message for regular use. When you will be away or unable to answer the phone for an extended period, record a temporary greeting that tells callers when you will respond to their messages. If you don’t check your messages regularly or at all, disable your voicemail. Letting messages pile up for days or weeks without answering them is extremely thoughtless.

Be considerate when leaving voicemail messages. Retrieving voicemail messages can be a chore, so be thoughtful about leaving them. Unless voicemail is the best or only choice, consider leaving a message through other means, such as text messaging or email. If you do leave a voicemail message, make it as brief as possible. Leave your name, number (don’t assume the recipient has caller ID), reason for calling, and times you can be reached. State your name and telephone number slowly so the other person can easily write them down; repeat both if the other person doesn’t know you.

If you never or rarely check your voicemail, disable it or record an outgoing message advising callers to reach you another way.

BUSINESS ETIQUETTE IN SOCIAL SETTINGS From business lunches to industry conferences, you may be asked to represent your company in public. Make sure your appearance and actions are appropriate to the situation. Get to know the customs of other cultures when it comes to meeting new people. For example, in North America, a �irm handshake is expected when two people meet, whereas a respectful bow of the head is more appropriate in Japan. If you are expected to shake hands, be aware that the passive “dead �ish” handshake creates an extremely negative impression. If you are physically able, always stand when shaking someone’s hand.

Etiquette is particularly important when you represent your company out in public.

When introducing yourself, include a brief description of your role in the company. When introducing two other people, speak their �irst and last names clearly and then try to offer some information (perhaps a shared professional interest) to help the two people ease into a conversation.70 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch2lev1sec33#ch2note70) Generally speaking, the lower-ranking person is introduced to the senior-ranking person, without regard to gender.71 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch2lev1sec33#ch2note71)

MOBILE APPS

The Etiquette App helps you make appropriate choices in a variety of social and business situations.

Business is often conducted over meals, and knowing the basics of dining etiquette will make you more effective in these situations.72 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch2lev1sec33#ch2note72) Start by choosing foods that are easy to eat. Avoid alcoholic beverages in most instances, but if drinking one is appropriate, save it for the end of the meal. Leave business documents under your chair until entrée plates have been removed; the business aspect of the meal doesn’t usually begin until then.

Remember that business meals are a forum for business. Don’t discuss politics, religion, or any other topic that’s likely to stir up emotions. Don’t complain about work, don’t ask deeply personal questions, avoid profanity, and be careful with humor—a joke that entertains some people could easily offend others.

BUSINESS ETIQUETTE ONLINE

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Electronic media seem to be a breeding ground for poor etiquette. Learn the basics of professional online behavior to avoid mistakes that could hurt your company or your career. Here are some guidelines to follow whenever you are representing your company while using electronic media:73 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch2lev1sec33#ch2note73)

When you represent your company online, you must adhere to a high standard of etiquette and respect for others.

Avoid personal attacks. The anonymous and instantaneous nature of online communication can cause even level-headed people to strike out in blog postings, social networks, and other media.

Stay focused on the original topic. If you want to change the subject of an email exchange, a forum discussion, or a blog comment thread, start a new message.

Don’t present opinions as facts, and support facts with evidence. This guideline applies to all communication, of course, but online venues in particular seem to tempt people into presenting their beliefs and opinions as unassailable truths.

Follow basic expectations of spelling, punctuation, and capitalization. Sending careless, acronym-�illed messages that look like you’re texting your high school buddies makes you look like an amateur.

Use virus protection and keep it up to date. Sending or posting a �ile that contains a computer virus puts others at risk.

Use dif�icult-to-break passwords on email, Twitter, and other accounts. If someone hacks your account, it can create spam headaches—or worse— for your contacts and followers.

REAL-TIME UPDATES

LEARN MORE BY READING THIS ARTICLE

Simple steps to improve social media etiquette

Follow these �ive tips for a more professional online presence. Go to http://real-timeupdates.com/bct13 (http://real-timeupdates.com/bct13) . Under “Students,” click on “Learn More.”

Ask if this is a good time for an IM chat. Don’t assume that just because a person is showing as “available” on your IM system, he or she wants to chat at this moment.

Watch your language and keep your emotions under control. A single indiscretion could haunt you forever.

Avoid multitasking while using IM and other tools. You might think you’re saving time by doing a dozen things at once, but you’re probably making the other person wait while you bounce back and forth between IM and your other tasks.

Never assume privacy. Assume that anything you type will be stored forever, could be forwarded to other people, and might be read by your boss or the company’s security staff.

Don’t use “Reply All” in email unless everyone can bene�it from your reply. If one or more recipients of an email message don’t need the information in your reply, remove their addresses before you send.

Don’t waste others’ time with sloppy, confusing, or incomplete messages. Doing so is disrespectful.

Respect boundaries of time and virtual space. For instance, don’t start using an employee’s personal Facebook page for business messages unless you’ve discussed it beforehand, and don’t assume people are available to discuss work matters around the clock, even if you do �ind them online in the middle of the night.

Be careful of online commenting mechanisms. For example, many blogs and websites now use your Facebook login to let you comment on articles. If your Facebook pro�ile includes your job title and company name, those could show up along with your comment.

Respect personal and professional boundaries when using Facebook and other social networking tools.

BUSINESS ETIQUETTE USING MOBILE DEVICES Like every other aspect of communication, your mobile device habits say a lot about how much respect you have for the people around you. Selecting obnoxious ringtones, talking loudly in open of�ices or public places, using your phone right next to someone else, making excessive or unnecessary personal calls during work hours, invading someone’s privacy by using your phone’s camera without permission, taking or making calls in restrooms and other inappropriate places, texting during a meal or while someone is talking to you, allowing incoming calls to interrupt meetings or discussions—these are all disrespectful choices that will re�lect negatively on you.74 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch2lev1sec33#ch2note74) In general, older employees, managers, and customers

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are less tolerant of mobile device use than are younger people, so don’t assume that your habits will be universally acceptable.75 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch2lev1sec33#ch2note75)

Your mobile phone habits send a signal about the degree of respect you have for those around you.

MOBILE APPS

Locale can “geofence” your smart-phone, automatically changing settings based on your location—such as activating silent mode when you arrive at the your of�ice.

Virtual assistants, such as the Siri voice recognition system in Apple iPhones, raise another new etiquette dilemma. From doing simple web searches to dictating entire memos, these systems may be convenient for users, but they can create distractions and annoyances for other people.76 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch2lev1sec33#ch2note76) As with other public behaviors, think about the effect you have on others before using these technologies.

Virtual assistants and other mobile phone voice features can annoy and disrupt the workplace and social settings if not used with respect for others.

Note that expectations and policies regarding mobile device use vary widely from company to company. At one extreme, venture capitalist Ben Horowitz �ines his employees if they even look at a mobile device while an entrepreneur is making a business plan pitch, because he considers it disrespectful to people making presentations.77 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch2lev1sec33#ch2note77) Not all bosses are quite so strict, but make sure you understand the situation in your workplace.

REAL-TIME UPDATES

LEARN MORE BY READING THIS INFOGRAPHIC

Whatever happened to live conversation?

See the impact of mobile devices on our conversational habits. Go to http://real-timeupdates.com/bct13 (http://real-timeupdates.com/bct13) . Under “Students,” click on “Learn More.”

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Quick Learning Guide

KEY TERMS active listening Making a conscious effort to turn off �ilters and biases to truly hear and understand what someone is saying collaboration Working together to meet complex challenges committees Formal teams that usually have a long life span and can become a permanent part of the organizational structure constructive feedback Focuses on the process and outcomes of communication, not on the people involved content listening Listening to understand and retain the speaker’s message content management systems Computer systems that organize and control the content for websites critical listening Listening to understand and evaluate the meaning of the speaker’s message destructive feedback Delivers criticism with no guidance to stimulate improvement empathic listening Listening to understand the speaker’s feelings, needs, and wants so that you can appreciate his or her point of view group dynamics The interactions and processes that take place among the members of a team groupthink Situation in which peer pressure causes individual team members to withhold contrary or unpopular opinions hidden agenda Private, counterproductive motives, such as a desire to take control of the group minutes Written summary of the important information presented and the decisions made during a meeting nonverbal communication Sending and receiving information, both intentionally and unintentionally, without using written or spoken language norms Informal standards of conduct that members share and that guide member behavior parliamentary procedure A time-tested method for planning and running effective meetings; the best-known guide to this procedure is Robert’s Rules of Order participative management The effort to involve employees in the company’s decision making problem-solving teams Teams that assemble to resolve speci�ic issues and then disband when their goals have been accomplished selective listening Listening to only part of what a speaker is saying; ignoring the parts one doesn’t agree with or �ind interesting self-oriented roles Unproductive team roles in which people are motivated mainly to ful�ill personal needs shared workspaces Online “virtual of�ices” that give everyone on a team access to the same set of resources and information task forces Another form of problemsolving teams, often with members from more than one organization task-oriented roles Productive team roles directed toward helping the team reach its goals team A unit of two or more people who share a mission and the responsibility for working to achieve a common goal team-maintenance roles Productive team roles directed toward helping everyone work well together uni�ied communication Integrates voice and video calling, voice and video conferencing, instant messaging, real-time collaboration software, and other

capabilities into a single system virtual meetings Meetings that take place online rather than in person wiki Special type of website that allows anyone with access to add new material and edit existing material

SUMMARY OF LEARNING OBJECTIVES 1 List the advantages and disadvantages of working in teams, describe the characteristics of effective teams, and highlight four key issues of group dynamics. Teams can achieve a higher level of performance than individuals because of the combined intelligence and energy of the group. Motivation and creativity can �lourish in team settings. Moreover, individuals tend to perform better because they achieve a sense of purpose by belonging to a group. Teams also bring more input and a greater diversity of views, which tends to result in better decisions. And because team members participate in the decision process, they are more committed to seeing the team succeed. Teams are not without disadvantages, however. Poorly managed teams can be a waste of everyone’s time. For example, if members are pressured to conform, they may develop groupthink, which can lead to poor-quality decisions and ill-advised actions. Some members may let their private motives get in the way.

Four important aspects of group dynamics are assuming team roles, allowing for team evolution, resolving con�lict, and overcoming resistance.

2 Offer guidelines for collaborative communication, identify major collaboration technologies, and explain how to give constructive feedback. Key guidelines for collaborative writing include (1) selecting collaborators carefully, (2) agreeing on project goals before starting, (3) giving the team time to bond before starting the work, (4) clarifying individual responsibilities, (5) establishing clear processes, (6) avoiding composing as a group, (7) making sure tools and techniques are ready and compatible, and (8) checking to see how things are going along the way.

Major collaboration technologies include web content management systems, wikis, groupware, and shared workspaces.

To give constructive feedback, focus on the work and how it can be improved, rather than on the person and the mistakes.

3 List the key steps needed to ensure productive team meetings. The most important step in planning a meeting is to make sure that a meeting is necessary and is the best way to accomplish the given objective. If it is, proceed by identifying the purpose of the meeting, selecting the right mix of participants to accomplish the goal, choosing the venue and time carefully, and setting a clear agenda.

Once the meeting is under way, work to keep the discussion on track, follow agreed-upon rules, encourage participation, participate actively yourself, and close the meeting effectively to make sure all decisions and action items are clearly understood.

4 Identify the major technologies used to enhance or replace in-person meetings. Meeting enhancement and replacement technologies range from simple audio teleconferencing and IM chat sessions to videoconferences, telepresence systems, web-based meetings, and virtual worlds such as realistic-looking online conference rooms.

5

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5 Identify three major modes of listening, describe the listening process, and explain the problem of selective listening. Content listening is listening to understand and retain the information in the speaker’s message. Critical listening is listening to understand and evaluate the meaning of the speaker’s message on several levels, including the logic of the argument and the strength of the speaker’s evidence. Empathic listening is listening to understand the speaker’s feelings, needs, and wants. Regardless of the mode used, effective listeners try to engage in active listening, making a conscious effort to turn off their own �ilters and biases to truly hear and understand what the other party is saying.

The listening process involves �ive activities: (1) receiving (physically hearing the message), (2) decoding (assigning meaning to what you hear), (3) remembering (storing the message for future reference), (4) evaluating (thinking about the message), and (5) responding (reacting to the message, taking action, or giving feedback).

The listening process can be hampered by a variety of barriers, one of the most common of which is selective listening. When people listen selectively, they hear only parts of the speaker’s message, either because they allow their minds to wander or engage in defensive listening by tuning out information that threatens their beliefs or egos.

6 Explain the importance of nonverbal communication, and identify six major categories of nonverbal expression. Nonverbal communication is important because nonverbal signals can strengthen, weaken, or even replace verbal messages. The major categories of nonverbal signals are facial expression, gestures and posture, vocal characteristics, personal appearance, touch, and the use of time and space.

7 Explain the importance of business etiquette, and identify four key areas in which good etiquette is essential. Attention to etiquette is essential to success in every form of business communication—so much so that etiquette is considered an important business skill. Poor etiquette can hinder team efforts, drain morale and productivity, drive away customers and investors, and limit your career potential. Four key areas in which good etiquette is essential are the workplace, social settings in which you represent your employer, online interactions in which you represent your employer, and when using mobile devices.

COMMUNICATION CHALLENGES AT Cemex You recently joined Cemex and quickly became an enthusiastic user of the company’s Shift collaboration platform, particularly its wiki capability. In your brief time being involved with the wiki, you have observed some behavior that runs counter to the spirit of collaborative writing. Study these two scenarios and decide how to respond.

INDIVIDUAL CHALLENGE: One particular employee in Spain keeps editing your pages on the wiki, often making changes that appear to add no value as far as you can see. She doesn’t seem to be editing other employees’ pages nearly so often, so you are beginning to wonder if she has a personal grudge against you. You want to address this uncomfortable situation without dragging your boss into it. First, decide how to approach your contentious colleague. Should you call her on the phone, send her an email message, or perhaps insert a sarcastic comment about excessive editing on one of her wiki pages? Second, whichever mode of communication you’ve chosen, outline the message you think you should share with her.

TEAM CHALLENGE: A common dilemma in every form of collaborative writing is deciding how soon to share early drafts with your colleagues in order to get their feedback and contributions. Should you send out an unpolished rough draft for the team’s input before investing a lot of time in polishing and formatting, or should you do a second or third draft to enhance readability—knowing the team might delete entire sections you’ve worked hard to polish? On one of the Cemex wikis where you collaborate with colleagues, some contributors seem to go into “grammar attack mode” whenever a rough draft appears. They seem to ignore the message and content altogether and instead focus on punctuation, grammar, and formatting concerns. With a small team of fellow students, draft some brief guidelines for wiki contributors, conveying these three points: (1) Punctuation, grammar, and formatting are de�initely important, but worrying about them too early in the writing process can hamper the free exploration of ideas and information; (2) when reviewing early drafts, wiki users need to make a conscious effort to look past the presentation and focus on the information; and (3) contributors who post rough drafts seeking input should make the pages at least minimally readable so that reviewers can focus on the content and ideas. (To learn more about editing and working with wikis, you can peek ahead to page 212 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch8lev1sec12#page_212) in Chapter 8 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch08#ch08) .)

MyBCommLab

Go to mybcommlab.com (http://mybcommlab.com) to complete the problems marked with this icon .

Test Your Knowledge To review chapter content related to each question, refer to the indicated Learning Objective.

2-1. How can organizations and employees bene�it from successful teamwork? [LO-1] 2-2. What is groupthink, and how can it affect an organization? [LO-1]

2-3. How can employees and companies take advantage of social networking technologies to promote teamwork? [LO-2] 2-4. What are the advantages of virtual meetings? [LO-4] 2-5. What are the main activities that make up the listening process? [LO-5]

2-6. How does content listening differ from critical listening and empathic listening? [LO-5] 2-7. What are the six major categories of nonverbal communication? [LO-6] 2-8. Why do mobile devices present unique etiquette challenges? [LO-7]

Apply Your Knowledge

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To review chapter content related to each question, refer to the indicated Learning Objective.

2-9. You head up the interdepartmental design review team for a manufacturer of high-performance motorcycles, and things are not going well at the moment. The design engineers and marketing strategists keep arguing about which should be a higher priority, performance or aesthetics, and the accountants say both groups are driving up the cost of the new model by adding too many new features. Everyone has valid points to make, but the team is bogging down in con�lict. Explain how you could go about resolving the stalemate. [LO-1]

2-10. You and another manager in your company disagree about whether employees should be encouraged to create online pro�iles on LinkedIn and other business-oriented social networking websites. You say these connections can be valuable to employees by helping them meet their peers throughout the industry and valuable to the company by identifying potential sales leads and business partners. The other manager says that encouraging employees to become better known in the industry will only make it easier for competitors to lure them away with enticing job offers. Write a brief email message that outlines your argument. (Make up any information you need about the company and its industry.) [LO-2]

2-11. How can nonverbal communication help you run a meeting? How can it help you call a meeting to order, emphasize important topics, show approval, express reservations, regulate the �low of conversation, and invite a colleague to continue with a comment? [LO-3], [LO-6]

2-12. Why do you think people are more likely to engage in rude behaviors during online communication than during inperson communication? [LO-7]

2-13. You’re giving your �irst major presentation at your new job and you notice at least half the people in the small conference room are looking at their mobile devices more than they are looking at you. How should you handle the situation? [LO-7]

Practice Your Skills Message for Analysis: Planning Meetings [LO-30]

A project leader has made notes about covering the following items at the quarterly budget meeting. Prepare a formal agenda by putting these items into a logical order and rewriting, where necessary, to give phrases a more consistent sound.

Budget Committee Meeting to be held on December 12, 2015, at 9:30 a.m., and we have allotted one hour for the meeting

I will call the meeting to order.

Real estate director’s report: A closer look at cost overruns on Greentree site. (10 minutes)

The group will review and approve the minutes from last quarter’s meeting. (5 minutes)

I will ask the �inance director to report on actual versus projected quarterly revenues and expenses. (15 minutes)

I will distribute copies of the overall divisional budget and announce the date of the next budget meeting.

Discussion: How can we do a better job of anticipating and preventing cost overruns? (20 minutes)

Meeting will take place in Conference Room 3, with WebEx active for remote employees.

What additional budget issues must be considered during this quarter?

Exercises Each activity is labeled according to the primary skill or skills you will need to use. To review relevant chapter content, you can refer to the indicated Learning Objective. In some instances, supporting information will be found in another chapter, as indicated.

2-14. Collaboration: Working in Teams [LO-1], [LO-2] In teams assigned by your instructor, prepare a 10-minute presentation on the potential disadvantages of using social media for business communication. When the presentation is ready, discuss how effective the team was using the criteria of (a) having a clear objective and a shared sense of purpose, (b) communicating openly and honestly, (c) reaching decisions by consensus, (d) thinking creatively, and (e) knowing how to resolve con�lict. Be prepared to discuss your �indings with the rest of the class.

2-15. Negotiation and Con�lict Resolution: Resolving Con�licts; Communication Ethics: Providing Ethical Leadership [LO-1], Chapter 1 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch01#ch01) During team meetings, one member constantly calls for votes or decisions before all the members have voiced their views. As the leader, you asked this member privately about his behavior. He replied that he is trying to move the team toward its goals, but you are concerned that he is really trying to take control. How can you deal with this situation without removing the member from the group?

2-16. Collaboration: Collaborating on Writing Projects; Media Skills: Blogging [LO-2] In this project, you will conduct research on your own and then merge your results with those of the rest of your team. Search Twitter for messages on the subject of workplace safety. (You can use Twitter’s advanced search function or use the site “twitter.com (http://twitter.com) ” quali�ier on a regular search engine.) Compile at least �ive general safety tips that apply to any of�ice setting, and then meet with your team to select the �ive best tips from all those the team has collected. Collaborate on a blog post that lists the team’s top �ive tips.

2-17. Communication Etiquette: Etiquette in the Workplace, Participating in Meetings [LO-3], [LO-7] In group meetings, some of your colleagues have a habit of interrupting and arguing with the speaker, taking credit for ideas that aren’t theirs, and shooting down ideas they don’t agree with. As the newest person in the group, you’re not sure if this is accepted behavior in this company, but it concerns you both personally and professionally. Should you go with the �low and adopt their behavior or stick with your own communication style, even though you might get lost in the noise? In a two- paragraph email message or post for your class blog, explain the pros and cons of both approaches.

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2-18. Collaboration: Participating in Meetings [LO-3] With a classmate, attend a local community or campus meeting where you can observe a group discussion, vote, or take other group action. During the meeting, take notes individually and, afterward, work together to answer the following questions.

a. What is your evaluation of this meeting? In your answer, consider (1) the leader’s ability to articulate the meeting’s goals clearly, (2) the leader’s ability to engage members in a meaningful discussion, (3) the group’s dynamics, and (4) the group’s listening skills.

b. How did group members make decisions? Did they vote? Did they reach decisions by consensus? Did those with dissenting opinions get an opportunity to voice their objections?

c. How well did the individual participants listen? How could you tell?

d. Did any participants change their expressed views or their votes during the meeting? Why might that have happened?

e. Did you observe any of the communication barriers discussed in Chapter 1 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch01#ch01) ? Identify them.

f. Compare the notes you took during the meeting with those of your classmate. What differences do you notice? How do you account for these differences?

2-19. Collaboration: Leading Meetings [LO-3], Chapter 3 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch03#ch03) Every month, each employee in your department is expected to give a brief oral presentation on the status of his or her project. However, your department has recently hired an employee who has a severe speech impediment that prevents people from understanding most of what he has to say. As department manager, how will you resolve this dilemma? Please explain.

2-20. Collaboration: Using Collaboration Technologies [LO-4] In a team assigned by your instructor, use Zoho (free for personal use) or a comparable system to collaborate on a set of directions that out-of-town visitors could use to reach a speci�ic point on your campus, such as a stadium or dorm. The team should choose the location and the mode(s) of transportation involved. Be creative—brainstorm the best ways to guide �irst-time visitors to the selected location using all the media at your disposal.

2-21. Interpersonal Communication: Listening Actively [LO-5] For the next several days, take notes on your listening performance during at least a half- dozen situations in class, during social activities, and at work, if applicable. Referring to the traits of effective listeners in Table 2.3 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch2lev1sec21#ch2tab3) , rate yourself using always, frequently, occasionally, or never on these positive listening habits. In a report no longer than one page, summarize your analysis and identify speci�ic areas in which you can improve your listening skills.

2-22. Nonverbal Communication: Analyzing Nonverbal Signals [LO-6] Select a business letter and envelope you have received at work or home. Analyze their appearance. What nonverbal messages do they send? Are these messages consistent with the content of the letter? If not, what could the sender have done to make the nonverbal communication consistent with the verbal communication? Summarize your �indings in a post on your class blog or in an email message to your instructor.

2-23. Communication Etiquette: Etiquette in the Workplace [LO-7] As the regional manager of an international accounting �irm, you place high priority on professional etiquette. Not only does it communicate respect to your clients, it also instills con�idence in your �irm by showing that you and your staff are aware of and able to meet the expectations of almost any audience. Earlier today, you took four recently hired college graduates to lunch with an important client. You’ve done this for years, and it’s usually an upbeat experience for everyone, but today’s lunch was a disaster. One of the new employees made not one, not two, but three calls on his mobile phone during lunch. Another interrupted the client several times and even got into a mild argument. The third employee kept making sarcastic jokes about politics, making everyone at the table uncomfortable. And the fourth showed up dressed like she was expecting to bale hay or work in a coal mine, not have a business lunch in a posh restaurant. You’ve already called the client to apologize, but now you need to coach these employees on proper business etiquette. Draft a brief memo to these employees, explaining why etiquette is so important to the company’s success—and to their individual careers.

Expand Your Skills Critique the Professionals

Celebrities can learn from successful businesses when it comes to managing their careers, but businesses can learn from successful celebrities, too—particularly when it comes to building communities online using social media. For instance, social media guru Dan Schawbel cites Vin Diesel, Ashton Kutcher, Lady Gaga, Lenny Kravitz, and Michael Phelps as celebrities who have used Facebook to build their personal brands.78 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch2lev1sec33#ch2note78) Locate three celebrities (musicians, actors, authors, or athletes) who have sizable fan bases on Facebook and analyze how they use the social network. Using whatever medium your instructor requests, write a brief analysis (no more than one page) of the lessons, positive or negative, that a business could learn from these celebrities. Be sure to cite speci�ic elements from the Facebook pages you’ve chosen, and if you think any of the celebrities have made mistakes in their use of Facebook, describe those as well.

Sharpening Your Career Skills Online

Bovée and Thills Business Communication Web Search, at http://websearch.businesscommunicationnetwork.com (http://websearch.businesscommunicationnetwork.com) , is a unique research tool designed speci�ically for business communication research. Use the Web Search function to �ind a website, video, PDF document, podcast, or presentation that offers advice on improving your active listening skills in business situations. Write a brief email message to your instructor, describing the item you found and summarizing the career skills information you learned from it.

MyBCommLab Go to mybcommlab.com (http://mybcommlab.com) for Auto-graded writing questions as well as the following Assisted-graded writing questions:

2-24. As a team or department leader, what steps can you take to ensure that your meetings are successful and ef�icient? [LO-3]

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2-25. Considering what you’ve learned about nonverbal communication, what are some of the ways in which communication might break down during an online meeting in which the participants can see video images of only the person presenting at any given time—and then only his or her head? [LO-6]

Endnotes 1. “Company Pro�ile,” Cemex website, accessed 11 May 2013, www.cemex.com (http://www.cemex.com) ; “What Is Shift,” Cemex website, accessed 11 May 2013, www.cemex.com (http://www.cemex.com) ; Cemex: Building the Future, accessed 11 May 2013, www.cemex.com (http://www.cemex.com) ; Cemex Shift Twitter account, https://twitter.com/CX_Shift (https://twitter.com/CX_Shift) , accessed 11 May 2013; Dion Hinchcliffe, “Social Business Success: CEMEX,” ZDNet, 1 February 2012, www.zdnet.com (http://www.zdnet.com) ; “Cemex and Becoming a Social Business with IBM Software,” video embedded in Jesus Gilberto Garcia, Miguel Angel Lozano Martinez, and Arturo San Vicente, “Shift Changes the Way Cemex Works,” Management Exchange, 15 July 2011, www.managementexchange.com (http://www.managementexchange.com) ; Debra Donston-Miller, “Social Business Leader Cemex Keeps Ideas Flowing,” InformationWeek, 6 November 2012, www.informationweek.co.uk (http://www.informationweek.co.uk) .

2. Courtland L. Bovée and John V. Thill, Business in Action, 5th ed. (Upper Saddle River, N.J.: Pearson Prentice Hall, 2011), 172.

3. “Five Case Studies on Successful Teams,” HR Focus, April 2002, 18+.

4. Stephen R. Robbins, Essentials of Organizational Behavior, 6th ed. (Upper Saddle River, N.J.: Prentice Hall, 2000), 98.

5. Max Landsberg and Madeline Pfau, “Developing Diversity: Lessons from Top Teams,” Strategy [plus] Business, Winter 2005, 10–12.

6. “Groups Best at Complex Problems,” Industrial Engineer, June 2006, 14.

7. Nicola A. Nelson, “Leading Teams,” Defense AT&L, July–August 2006, 26–29; Larry Cole and Michael Cole, “Why Is the Teamwork Buzz Word Not Working?” Communication World, February–March 1999, 29; Patricia Buhler, “Managing in the 90s: Creating Flexibility in Today’s Workplace,” Supervision, January 1997, 241; Allison W. Amason, Allen C. Hochwarter, Wayne A. Thompson, and Kenneth R. Harrison, “Con�lict: An Important Dimension in Successful Management Teams,” Organizational Dynamics, Autumn 1995, 201.

8. Geoffrey Colvin, “Why Dream Teams Fail,” Fortune, 12 June 2006, 87–92.

9. Vijay Govindarajan and Anil K. Gupta, “Building an Effective Global Business Team,” MIT Sloan Management Review, Summer 2001, 631.

10. Colvin, “Why Dream Teams Fail,” 87–92.

11. Tiziana Casciaro and Miguel Sousa Lobo, “Competent Jerks, Lovable Fools, and the Formation of Social Networks,” Harvard Business Review, June 2005, 92– 99.

12. Stephen P. Robbins and David A. DeCenzo, Fundamentals of Management, 4th ed. (Upper Saddle River, N.J.: Prentice Hall, 2004), 266–267; Jerald Greenberg and Robert A. Baron, Behavior in Organizations, 8th ed. (Upper Saddle River, N.J.: Prentice Hall, 2003), 279–280.

13. B. Aubrey Fisher, Small Group Decision Making: Communication and the Group Process, 2nd ed. (New York: McGraw-Hill, 1980), 145–149; Robbins and De Cenzo, Fundamentals of Management, 334–335; Richard L. Daft, Management, 6th ed. (Cincinnati: Thomson South-Western, 2003), 602–603.

14. Michael Laff, “Effective Team Building: More Than Just Fun at Work,” Training [plus] Development, August 2006, 24–35.

15. Claire Sookman, “Building Your Virtual Team,” Network World, 21 June 2004, 91.

16. Jared Sandberg, “Brainstorming Works Best if People Scramble for Ideas on Their Own,” Wall Street Journal, 13 June 2006, B1.

17. Mark K. Smith, “Bruce W. Tuckman—Forming, Storming, Norming, and Performing in Groups,” Infed.org (http://Infed.org) , accessed 5 July 2005, www.infed.org (http://www.infed.org) .

18. Robbins and DeCenzo, Fundamentals of Management, 258–259.

19. Daft, Management, 609–612.

20. Andy Boynton and Bill Fischer, Virtuoso Teams: Lessons from Teams That Changed Their Worlds (Harrow, UK: FT Prentice Hall, 2005), 10.

21. Thomas K. Capozzoli, “Con�lict Resolution—A Key Ingredient in Successful Teams,” Supervision, November 1999, 14–16.

22. Jesse S. Nirenberg, Getting Through to People (Paramus, N.J.: Prentice Hall, 1973), 134–142.

23. Nirenberg, Getting Through to People, 134–142.

24. Nirenberg, Getting Through to People, 134–142.

25. Jon Hanke, “Presenting as a Team,” Presentations, January 1998, 74–82.

26. William P. Galle Jr., Beverly H. Nelson, Donna W. Luse, and Maurice F. Villere, Business Communication: A Technology-Based Approach (Chicago: Irwin, 1996), 260.

27. Mary Beth Debs, “Recent Research on Collaborative Writing in Industry,” Technical Communication, November 1991, 476–484.

28. Rob Koplowitz, “Building a Collaboration Strategy,” KM World, November/December 2009, 14–15.

29. Eric Knorr and Galen Gruman, “What Cloud Computing Really Means,” InfoWorld, 3 May 2012, www.infoworld.com (http://www.infoworld.com) ; Lamont Wood, “Cloud Computing Poised to Transform Communication,” LiveScience, 8 December 2009, www.livescience.com (http://www.livescience.com) .

30. “How Blue Man Group Gets Creative with Its Social Intranet,” Socialtext website, accessed 1 May 2012, www.socialtext.com (http://www.socialtext.com) .

31. Richard McDermott and Douglas Archibald, “Harnessing Your Staff’s Informal Networks,” Harvard Business Review, March 2010, 82–89.

32. Tony Hsieh, “Why I Sold Zappos,” Inc., 1 June 2010, www.inc.com (http://www.inc.com) .

33. “Adobe Connect Mobile,” Adobe website, accessed 27 February 2014, www.adobe.com (http://www.adobe.com) .

34. Parks Associates, “Mobile Collaborative Communications for Business,” white paper, accessed 27 February 2014, www.parksassociates.com (http://www.parksassociates.com) .

35. Chuck Williams, Management, 2nd ed. (Cincinnati: Thomson South-Western, 2002), 706–707.

36. Ron Ashkenas, “Why We Secretly Love Meetings,” Harvard Business Review blogs, 5 October 2010, http://blogs.hbr.org (http://blogs.hbr.org) .

37. Douglas Kimberly, “Ten Pitfalls of Pitiful Meetings,” Payroll Manager’s Report, January 2010, 1, 11; “Making the Most of Meetings,” Journal of Accountancy, March 2009, 22.

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38. Cyrus Farivar, “How to Run an Effective Meeting,” BNET website, accessed 12 August 2008, www.bnet.com (http://www.bnet.com) .

39. “Better Meetings Bene�it Everyone: How to Make Yours More Productive,” Working Communicator Bonus Report, July 1998, 1.

40. Janine Popick, “Business Meeting Etiquette: 8 Pet Peeves,” Inc., 9 April 2012, www.inc.com (http://www.inc.com) .

41. “Features Overview,” MeetingSense website, accessed 11 May 2013, www.meetingsense.com (http://www.meetingsense.com) .

42. Roger O. Crockett, “The 21st Century Meeting,” BusinessWeek, 26 February 2007, 72–79.

43. Steve Lohr, “As Travel Costs Rise, More Meetings Go Virtual,” New York Times, 22 July 2008, www.nytimes.com (http://www.nytimes.com) .

44. GoToMeeting website, accessed 3 May 2012, www.gotogmeeting.com (http://www.gotogmeeting.com) ; “Unlock the Full Power of the Web Conferencing,” CEOworld.biz, 20 November 2007, www.ceoworld.biz (http://www.ceoworld.biz) .

45. Nick Morgan, “How to Conduct a Virtual Meeting,” Harvard Business Review blogs, 1 March 2011, http://blogs.hbr.org (http://blogs.hbr.org) .

46. “17 Tips for More Productive Conference Calls,” AccuConference, accessed 30 January 2008, www.accuconference.com (http://www.accuconference.com) .

47.Judi Brownell, Listening, 2nd ed. (Boston: Allyn & Bacon, 2002), 9, 10.

48. Carmine Gallo, “Why Leadership Means Listening,” BusinessWeek, 31 January 2007, www.businessweek.com (http://www.businessweek.com) .

49. Augusta M. Simon, “Effective Listening: Barriers to Listening in a Diverse Business Environment,” Bulletin of the Association for Business Communication 54, no. 3 (September 1991): 73–74.

50. Robyn D. Clarke, “Do You Hear What I Hear?” Black Enterprise, May 1998, 129.

51. Dennis M. Kratz and Abby Robinson Kratz, Effective Listening Skills (New York: McGraw-Hill, 1995), 45–53; J. Michael Sproule, Communication Today (Glenview, Ill.: Scott Foresman, 1981), 69.

52. Brownell, Listening, 230–231.

53. Kratz and Kratz, Effective Listening Skills, 78–79; Sproule, Communication Today, 69.

54. Bill Brooks, “The Power of Active Listening,” American Salesman, June 2003, 12; “Active Listening,” Study Guides and Strategies website, accessed 5 February 2005, www.studygs.net (http://www.studygs.net) .

55. Bob Lamons, “Good Listeners Are Better Communicators,” Marketing News, 11 September 1995, 13[plus]; Phillip Morgan and H. Kent Baker, “Building a Professional Image: Improving Listening Behavior,” Supervisory Management, November 1985, 35–36.

56. Clarke, “Do You Hear What I Hear?”; Dot Yandle, “Listening to Understand,” Pryor Report Management Newsletter Supplement 15, no. 8 (August 1998): 13.

57. Brownell, Listening, 14; Kratz and Kratz, Effective Listening Skills, 8–9; Sherwyn P. Morreale and Courtland L. Bovée, Excellence in Public Speaking (Orlando, Fla.: Harcourt Brace, 1998), 72–76; Lyman K. Steil, Larry L. Barker, and Kittie W. Watson, Effective Listening: Key to Your Success (Reading, Mass.: Addison Wesley, 1983), 21–22.

58. Patrick J. Collins, Say It with Power and Con�idence (Upper Saddle River, N.J.: Prentice Hall, 1997), 40–45.

59. Morreale and Bovée, Excellence in Public Speaking, 296.

60. Dale G. Leathers, Successful Nonverbal Communication: Principles and Applications (New York: Macmillan, 1986), 19.

61. Gerald H. Graham, Jeanne Unrue, and Paul Jennings, “The Impact of Nonverbal Communication in Organizations: A Survey of Perceptions,” Journal of Business Communication 28, no. 1 (Winter 1991): 45–62.

62. Danielle S. Urban, “What to Do About ‘Body Art’ at Work,” Workforce Management, March 2010, www.workforce.com (http://www.workforce.com) .

63. Virginia P. Richmond and James C. McCroskey, Nonverbal Behavior in Interpersonal Relations (Boston: Allyn & Bacon, 2000), 153–157.

64. Mary Ellen Slayter, “Pamela Meyer on the Science Behind ‘Liespotting,’” SmartBlog on Workforce, 14 September 2010, http://smartblogs.com (http://smartblogs.com) .

65. Slayter, “Pamela Meyer on the Science Behind ‘Liespotting.’”

66. Joe Navarro, “Body Language Myths,” Psychology Today, 25 October 2009, www.psychologytoday.com (http://www.psychologytoday.com) ; Richmond and McCroskey, Nonverbal Behavior in Interpersonal Relations, 2–3.

67. John Hollon, “No Tolerance for Jerks,” Workforce Management, 12 February 2007, 34.

68. Linton Weeks, “Please Read This Story, Thank You,” NPR, 14 March 2012, www.npr.org (http://www.npr.org) .

69. Alan Cole, “Telephone Etiquette at Work,” Work Etiquette website, 14 March 2012, www.worketiquette.co.uk (http://www.worketiquette.co.uk) ; Alf Nucifora, “Voice Mail Demands Good Etiquette from Both Sides,” Puget Sound Business Journal, 5–11 September 2003, 24; Ruth Davidhizar and Ruth Shearer, “The Effective Voice Mail Message,” Hospital Material Management Quarterly, 45–49; “How to Get the Most Out of Voice Mail,” The CPA Journal, February 2000, 11; Jo Ind, “Hanging on the Telephone,” Birmingham Post, 28 July 1999, PS10; Larry Barker and Kittie Watson, Listen Up (New York: St. Martins Press, 2000), 64–65; Lin Walker, Telephone Techniques, (New York: Amacom, 1998), 46–47; Dorothy Neal, Telephone Techniques, 2nd ed. (New York: Glencoe McGraw-Hill, 1998), 31; Jeannie Davis, Beyond “Hello” (Aurora, Col.: Now Hear This Inc., 2000), 2–3; “Ten Steps to Caller-Friendly Voice Mail,” Managing Of�ice Technology, January 1995, 25; Rhonda Finniss, “Voice Mail: Tips for a Positive Impression,” Administrative Assistant’s Update, August 2001, 5.

70. Dana May Casperson, Power Etiquette: What You Don’t Know Can Kill Your Career (New York: AMACOM, 1999), 10–14; Ellyn Spragins, “Introducing Politeness,” Fortune Small Business, November 2001, 30.

71. Tanya Mohn, “The Social Graces as a Business Tool,” New York Times, 10 November 2002, sec. 3, 12.

72. Casperson, Power Etiquette, 44–46.

73. “Are You Practicing Proper Social Networking Etiquette?” Forbes, 9 October 2009, www.forbes.com (http://www.forbes.com) ; Pete Babb, “The Ten Commandments of Blog and Wiki Etiquette,” InfoWorld, 28 May 2007, www.infoworld.com (http://www.infoworld.com) ; Judith Kallos, “Instant Messaging Etiquette,” NetM@nners blog, accessed 3 August 2008, www.netmanners.com (http://www.netmanners.com) ; Michael S. Hyatt, “E-Mail Etiquette 101,” From Where I Sit blog, 1 July 2007, www.michaelhyatt.com (http://www.michaelhyatt.com) .

74. J. J. McCorvey, “How to Create a Cell Phone Policy,” Inc., 10 February 2010, www.inc.com (http://www.inc.com) ; “Use Proper Cell Phone Etiquette at Work.”

75. Chad Brooks, “Poor Mobile Manners Not Lost on Bosses,” Fox Business, 29 October 2013, http://smallbusiness.foxbusiness.com (http://smallbusiness.foxbusiness.com) .

76. Nick Wing�ield, “Oh, for the Good Old Days of Rude Cellphone Gabbers,” New York Times, 2 December 2011, www.nytimes.com (http://www.nytimes.com) .

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77. Cromwell Schubarth, “VC Ben Horowitz on What He Wants in a Startup and Why Rap Genius Is It,” Silicon Valley Business Journal, 4 February 2014, www.bizjournals.com (http://www.bizjournals.com) .

78. Dan Schawbel, “5 Lessons Celebrities Can Teach Us About Facebook Pages,” Mashable, 15 May 2009, http://mashable.com (http://mashable.com) .

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Working with colleagues and customers from diverse backgrounds and life experiences can present new communication challenges.

3 Communication Challenges in a Diverse, Global Marketplace

LEARNING OBJECTIVES After studying this chapter, you will be able to

1 Discuss the opportunities and challenges of intercultural communication 2 De�ine culture, explain how culture is learned, and de�ine ethnocentrism and stereotyping 3 Explain the importance of recognizing cultural variations, and list eight categories of cultural differences 4 List four general guidelines for adapting to any business culture 5 Identify seven steps you can take to improve your intercultural communication skills

MyBCommLab®

Improve Your Grade! Over 10 million students improved their results using the Pearson MyLabs. Visit mybcommlab.com (http://mybcommlab.com) for simulations, tutorials, and end-of-chapter problems.

COMMUNICATION CLOSE-UP AT EY With 167,000 employees spread across 140 countries, the member �irms of the global professional services organization EY have deep experience with the rewards and challenges of intercultural communication. With business operations in virtually every corner of the world, the organization’s ability to communicate across cultures is vital to its success.

As you’ll read in this chapter, cultural background in�luences almost every aspect of communication, and cultural differences are among the most common barriers to successful communication. However, those differences can also enrich communication, decision making, and other aspects of business by bringing a broader range of perspectives and experiences to the table. Guiding the communication process in ways that minimize the barriers and maximize the bene�its is one of the most important tasks for every business manager.

The keys are recognizing and appreciating the diversity of today’s workforces and making sure all those diverse voices have the opportunity to be heard. Karyn Twaronite, Americas Inclusive Of�icer, who oversees the EY organization’s diversity and inclusiveness strategies in North and South America, puts it this way: “Diversity and inclusiveness are not an appendage to our business strategy—both are central to the success of our people and our markets. All of our people bring diverse talents we can leverage, so we expect, reinforce, and reward inclusive leadership. Differences matter in our business and make us better.”

EY has taken numerous steps to make its member �irm leaders understand their diverse workforces and incorporate EY viewpoints into strategic planning and day-to-day business operations. Soon after she moved into her current role, for example, Twaronite went on a “listening tour” of EY member �irm of�ices in nearly 20 cities, from São Paulo to Mexico City, to hear what made the EY employees feel included or excluded, how their team leaders factored into their feelings, and if they felt they could bring their “whole selves” to work.

In addition to giving employees a voice, Ernst & Young LLP, the U.S. unit of the global EY organization, also encourages collaboration and support through a variety of professional networks throughout the company. These include networks for women, working parents, veterans, people with differing abilities, LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender) professionals, and members of speci�ic ethnic groups. In addition to offering employees a sense of belonging, the networks aid in mentoring, recruiting, and fostering positive relationships with various external stakeholder groups, as well as helping the U.S. �irm’s people connect with their colleagues, clients, and communities. And in the spirit of inclusiveness, these networks are open to any employee or manager with an interest in the needs and perspectives of a particular employee community.

EY’s proactive approach to diversity and inclusiveness pays off in multiple ways, from bottom-line pro�its to high levels of employee satisfaction and engagement. For example, Ernst & Young LLP was among Fortune magazine’s “100 Best Companies to Work For” for the 15th consecutive year in 2013, and DiversityInc ranked the �irm fourth on the “2013 DiversityInc Top 50 Companies for Diversity” list, marking the �ifth consecutive year the �irm appeared in the top 10. DiversityInc also frequently spotlights Ernst & Young LLP as one of the best places to work for women, people with disabilities, and LGBT employees.

As Steve Howe, the top executive in the EY organization’s Americas Area, summarizes, inclusiveness is “critical to us performing at a consistent, exceptional level all around the globe. It makes us better, more insightful; it helps us solve problems, manage risk and seize opportunities that much better.”1 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch3lev1sec28#ch3note1)

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1 LEARNING OBJECTIVE Discuss the opportunities and challenges of intercultural communication.

3.1 Understanding the Opportunities and Challenges of Communication in a Diverse World EY (pro�iled in the chapter-opening Communication Close-Up) illustrates the opportunities and the challenges for business professionals who know how to communicate with diverse audiences. Although the concept is often framed in terms of ethnic background, a broader and more useful de�inition of diversity (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch3lev1sec28#ch3term5) includes “all the characteristics and experiences that de�ine each of us as individuals.”2 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch3lev1sec28#ch3note2) As one example, the pharmaceutical company Merck identi�ies 19 separate dimensions of diversity in its discussions of workforce diversity, including race, age, military experience, parental status, marital status, and thinking style.3 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch3lev1sec28#ch3note3) As you’ll learn in this chapter, these characteristics and experiences can have a profound effect on the way businesspeople communicate.

Diversity includes all the characteristics that de�ine people as individuals.

Intercultural communication (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch3lev1sec28#ch3term9) is the process of sending and receiving messages between people whose cultural backgrounds could lead them to interpret verbal and nonverbal signs differently. Every attempt to send and receive messages is in�luenced by culture, so to communicate successfully, you need a basic grasp of the cultural differences you may encounter and how you should handle them. Your efforts to recognize and bridge cultural differences will open up business opportunities throughout the world and maximize the contributions of all the employees in a diverse workforce.

MOBILE APPS

The Diversity Now app serves up the latest news and insights in the �ield of diversity.

THE OPPORTUNITIES IN A GLOBAL MARKETPLACE Chances are good that you’ll be working across international borders sometime in your career. Thanks to communication and transportation technologies, natural boundaries and national borders are no longer the impassable barriers they once were. Local markets are opening to worldwide competition as businesses of all sizes look for new growth opportunities outside their own countries. Thousands of U.S. businesses depend on exports for signi�icant portions of their revenues. Every year, these companies export hundreds of billions of dollars worth of materials and merchandise, along with billions more in personal and professional services. If you work in one of these companies, you may well be called on to visit or at least communicate with a wide variety of people who speak languages other than English and who live in cultures quite different from what you’re used to. Of the top 10 export markets for U.S. products, only 2, Canada and Great Britain, have English as an of�icial language—and Canada also has French as an of�icial language.4 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch3lev1sec28#ch3note4)

You will communicate with people from other cultures throughout your career.

Not surprisingly, effective communication is key to cross-cultural and global business. In a recent survey, nearly 90 percent of executives said their companies’ pro�it, revenue, and market share would all improve with better international communication skills. In addition, half of these executives said communication or collaboration breakdowns had affected major international business efforts in their companies.5 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch3lev1sec28#ch3note5) The good news here is that improving your cultural communication skills could make you a more valuable job candidate at every stage of your career.

THE ADVANTAGES OF A DIVERSE WORKFORCE Even if you never visit another country or transact business on a global scale, you will interact with colleagues from a variety of cultures, with a wide range of characteristics and life experiences. Over the past few decades, many innovative companies have changed the way they approach diversity, from seeing it as a legal requirement (providing equal opportunities for all) to seeing it as a strategic opportunity to connect with customers and take advantage of the broadest possible pool of talent.6 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch3lev1sec28#ch3note6) Smart business leaders recognize the competitive advantages of a diverse workforce that offers a broader spectrum of viewpoints and ideas, helps businesses understand and identify with diverse markets, and enables companies to bene�it from a wider range of employee talents. “It just makes good business sense,” says Gord Nixon, CEO of Royal Bank of Canada.7 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch3lev1sec28#ch3note7)

The diversity of today’s workforce brings distinct advantages to businesses:

A broader range of views and ideas

A better understanding of diverse, fragmented markets

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A broader pool of talent from which to recruit

Diversity is simply a fact of life for all companies. The United States has been a nation of immigrants from the beginning, and that trend continues today. The western and northern Europeans who made up the bulk of immigrants during the nation’s early years now share space with people from across Asia, Africa, eastern Europe, and other parts of the world. Even the term minority, as it applies to nonwhite residents, makes less and less sense every year as Caucasian Americans make up less than half the population in a growing number of U.S. counties.8 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch3lev1sec28#ch3note8)

However, you and your colleagues don’t need to be recent immigrants to constitute a diverse workforce. Differences in everything from age and gender to religion and ethnic heritage to geography and military experience enrich the workplace. Immigration and workforce diversity create advantages—and challenges—for business communicators throughout the world.

THE CHALLENGES OF INTERCULTURAL COMMUNICATION Today’s increasingly diverse workforce encompasses a wide range of skills, traditions, backgrounds, experiences, outlooks, and attitudes toward work—all of which can affect communication in the workplace. Supervisors face the challenge of connecting with these diverse employees, motivating them, and fostering cooperation and harmony among them. Teams face the challenge of working together closely, and companies are challenged to coexist peacefully with business partners and with the community as a whole.

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The interaction of culture and communication is so pervasive that separating the two is virtually impossible. The way you communicate is deeply in�luenced by the culture in which you were raised. The meaning of words, the signi�icance of gestures, the importance of time and space, the rules of human relationships— these and many other aspects of communication are de�ined by culture. To a large degree, your culture in�luences the way you think, which naturally affects the way you communicate as both a sender and a receiver.9 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch3lev1sec28#ch3note9) Intercultural communication is much more complicated than simply matching language between sender and receiver—it goes beyond mere words to beliefs, values, and emotions.

A company’s cultural diversity affects how its business messages are conceived, composed, delivered, received, and interpreted.

Elements of human diversity can affect communication at every stage of the communication process, from the ideas a person deems important enough to share to the habits and expectations of giving feedback. In particular, your instinct is to encode your message using the assumptions of your culture. However, members of your audience decode your message according to the assumptions of their culture. The greater the difference between cultures, the greater the chance for misunderstanding.10 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch3lev1sec28#ch3note10)

Culture in�luences everything about communication, including

Language

Nonverbal signals

Word meaning

Time and space issues

Rules of human relationships

Throughout this chapter, you’ll see examples of how communication styles and habits vary from one culture to another. These examples are intended to illustrate the major themes of intercultural communication, not to give an exhaustive list of styles and habits of any particular culture. With an understanding of these major themes, you’ll be prepared to explore the speci�ics of any culture.

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2 LEARNING OBJECTIVE De�ine culture, explain how culture is learned, and de�ine ethnocentrism and stereotyping.

3.2 Developing Cultural Competency Cultural competency (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch3lev1sec28#ch3term1) includes an appreciation for cultural differences that affect communication and the ability to adjust one’s communication style to ensure that efforts to send and receive messages across cultural boundaries are successful. In other words, it requires a combination of attitude, knowledge, and skills.11 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch3lev1sec28#ch3note11)

The good news is that you’re already an expert in culture, at least in the culture in which you grew up. You understand how your society works, how people are expected to communicate, what common gestures and facial expressions mean, and so on. The bad news is that because you’re such an expert in your own culture, your communication is largely automatic; that is, you rarely stop to think about the communication rules you’re following. An important step toward successful intercultural communication is becoming more aware of these rules and of the way they in�luence your communication.

Cultural competency requires a combination of attitude, knowledge, and skills.

UNDERSTANDING THE CONCEPT OF CULTURE Culture (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch3lev1sec28#ch3term4) is a shared system of symbols, beliefs, attitudes, values, expectations, and norms for behavior. Your cultural background in�luences the way you prioritize what is important in life, helps de�ine your attitude toward what is appropriate in a situation, and establishes rules of behavior.12 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch3lev1sec28#ch3note12)

Culture is a shared system of symbols, beliefs, attitudes, values, expectations, and behavior norms.

Actually, you belong to several cultures. In addition to the culture you share with all the people who live in your own country, you belong to other cultural groups, including an ethnic group, possibly a religious group, and perhaps a profession that has its own special language and customs. With its large population and long history of immigration, the United States is home to a vast array of cultures. As one indication of this diversity, the inhabitants of this country now speak more than 170 languages (see Figure 3.1 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch3lev1sec5#ch3�ig1) ).13 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch3lev1sec28#ch3note13) In contrast, Japan is much more homogeneous, having only a few distinct cultural groups.14 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch3lev1sec28#ch3note14)

You belong to several cultures, each of which affects the way you communicate.

Members of a given culture tend to have similar assumptions about how people should think, behave, and communicate, and they all tend to act on those assumptions in much the same way. Cultures can vary in their rate of change, degree of complexity, and tolerance toward outsiders. These differences affect the level of trust and openness you can achieve when communicating with people of other cultures.

People learn culture directly and indirectly from other members of their group. As you grow up in a culture, you are taught by the group’s members who you are and how best to function in that culture. Sometimes you are explicitly told which behaviors are acceptable; at other times you learn by observing which values work best in a particular group. In these ways, culture is passed on from person to person and from generation to generation.15 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch3lev1sec28#ch3note15)

You learn culture both directly (by being instructed) and indirectly (by observing others).

Cultures tend to offer views of life that are both coherent (internally logical) and complete (able to answer all of life’s big questions).

In addition to being automatic, culture tends to be coherent; that is, a culture appears to be fairly logical and consistent when viewed from the inside. Certain norms within a culture may not make sense to someone outside the culture, but they probably make sense to those inside. Such coherence generally helps a culture function more smoothly internally, but it can create disharmony between cultures that don’t view the world in the same way.

Figure 3.1 Language Diversity in the United States

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Language is one of the distinguishing factors of population diversity. This chart shows the trend in relative ranking of languages other than English spoken in the United States since 1980.

Source: “Top Languages Other than English Spoken in 1980 and Changes in Relative Rank, 1990–2010,” U.S. Census Bureau, accessed 17 March 2014, www.census.gov (http://www.census.gov)

Finally, cultures tend to be complete; that is, they provide their members with most of the answers to life’s big questions. This idea of completeness dulls or even suppresses curiosity about life in other cultures. Not surprisingly, such completeness can complicate communication with other cultures.16 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch3lev1sec28#ch3note16)

OVERCOMING ETHNOCENTRISM AND STEREOTYPING Ethnocentrism (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch3lev1sec28#ch3term6) is the tendency to judge other groups according to the standards, behaviors, and customs of one’s own group. Given the automatic in�luence of one’s own culture, when people compare their culture to others, they often conclude that their own is superior.17 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch3lev1sec28#ch3note17) An even more extreme reaction is xenophobia (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch3lev1sec28#ch3term12) , a fear of strangers and foreigners. Clearly, businesspeople who take these views are not likely to communicate successfully across cultures.

Ethnocentrism is the tendency to judge all other groups according to the standards, behaviors, and customs of one’s own group.

Distorted views of other cultures or groups also result from stereotyping (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch3lev1sec28#ch3term11) , assigning a wide range of generalized attributes to an individual on the basis of membership in a particular culture or social group. For instance, assuming that an older colleague will be out of touch with the youth market or that a younger colleague can’t be an inspiring leader would be stereotyping age groups.

Stereotyping is assigning generalized attributes to an individual on the basis of membership in a particular group.

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Cultural pluralism is the acceptance of multiple cultures on their own terms.

Those who want to show respect for others and to communicate effectively in business need to adopt a more positive viewpoint, in the form of cultural pluralism (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch3lev1sec28#ch3term3) —the practice of accepting multiple cultures on their own terms. When crossing cultural boundaries, you’ll be even more effective if you move beyond simple acceptance and adapt your communication style to that of the new cultures you encounter—even integrating aspects of those cultures into your own.18 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch3lev1sec28#ch3note18) A few simple habits can help:

Avoid assumptions. Don’t assume that others will act the same way you do, use language and symbols the same way you do, or even operate from the same values and beliefs. For instance, in a comparison of the 10 most important values in three cultures, people from the United States had no values in common with people from Japanese or Arab cultures.19 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch3lev1sec28#ch3note19)

You can avoid ethnocentrism and stereotyping by avoiding assumptions and judgments and by accepting differences.

Avoid judgments. When people act differently, don’t conclude that they are in error or that their way is invalid or inferior.

Acknowledge distinctions. Don’t ignore the differences between another person’s culture and your own.

Unfortunately, overcoming ethnocentrism and stereotyping is not a simple task, even for people who are highly motivated to do so. Moreover, research suggests that people often have beliefs and biases that they’re not even aware of—and that may even con�lict with the beliefs they think they have.20 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch3lev1sec28#ch3note20)

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3 LEARNING OBJECTIVE Explain the importance of recognizing cultural variations, and list eight categories of cultural differences.

3.3 Recognizing Variations in a Diverse World You can begin to learn how people in other cultures want to be treated by recognizing and accommodating eight main types of cultural differences: contextual, legal and ethical, social, nonverbal, age, gender, religious, and ability.

CONTEXTUAL DIFFERENCES Every attempt at communication occurs within a cultural context (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch3lev1sec28#ch3term2) , the pattern of physical cues, environmental stimuli, and implicit understanding that convey meaning between two members of the same culture. However, cultures around the world vary widely in the role that context plays in communication.

Cultural context is the pattern of physical cues, environmental stimuli, and implicit understanding that conveys meaning between members of the same culture.

High-context cultures rely heavily on nonverbal actions and environmental setting to convey meaning; low-context cultures rely more on explicit verbal communication.

In a high-context culture (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch3lev1sec28#ch3term7) , people rely less on verbal communication and more on the context of nonverbal actions and environmental setting to convey meaning. For instance, a Chinese speaker expects the receiver to discover the essence of a message and uses indirectness and metaphor to provide a web of meaning.21 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch3lev1sec28#ch3note21) The indirect style can be a source of confusion during discussions with people from low-context cultures, who are more accustomed to receiving direct answers. Also, in high-context cultures, the rules of everyday life are rarely explicit; instead, as individuals grow up, they learn how to recognize situational cues (such as gestures and tone of voice) and how to respond as expected.22 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch3lev1sec28#ch3note22) The primary role of communication in high-context cultures is building relationships, not exchanging information.23 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch3lev1sec28#ch3note23)

In a low-context culture (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch3lev1sec28#ch3term10) such as the United States, people rely more on verbal communication and less on circumstances and cues to convey meaning. In such cultures, rules and expectations are usually spelled out through explicit statements such as “Please wait until I’m �inished” or “You’re welcome to browse.”24 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch3lev1sec28#ch3note24)

The primary task of communication in low-context cultures is exchanging information.25 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch3lev1sec28#ch3note25)

Contextual differences are apparent in the way businesspeople approach situations such as decision making, problem solving, negotiating, interaction among levels in the organizational hierarchy, and socializing outside the workplace.26 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch3lev1sec28#ch3note26) For instance, in low-context cultures, businesspeople tend to focus on the results of the decisions they face, a re�lection of the cultural emphasis on logic and progress (for example, “Will this be good for our company? For my career?”). In comparison, higher-context cultures emphasize the means or the method by which a decision will be made. Building or protecting relationships can be as important as the facts and information used in making the decisions.27 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch3lev1sec28#ch3note27) Consequently, negotiators working on business deals in such cultures may spend most of their time together building relationships rather than hammering out contractual details.

The distinctions between high and low context are generalizations, of course, but they are important to keep in mind as guidelines. Communication tactics that work well in a high-context culture may back�ire in a low-context culture, and vice versa.

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A business-focused model for identifying cultural differences

The Lewis model is designed to help business professionals communicate across cultural boundaries. Go to http://real-timeupdates.com/bct13 (http://real-timeupdates.com/bct13) . Under “Students,” click on “Learn More.”

LEGAL AND ETHICAL DIFFERENCES

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Cultural context in�luences legal and ethical behavior, which in turn can affect communication. For example, the meaning of business contracts can vary from culture to culture. While a manager from a U.S. company would tend to view a signed contract as the end of the negotiating process, with all the details resolved, his or her counterpart in many Asian cultures might view the signed contract as an agreement to do business—and only then begin to negotiate the details of the deal.28 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch3lev1sec28#ch3note28)

As you conduct business around the world, you’ll �ind that both legal systems and ethical standards differ from culture to culture. Making ethical choices across cultures can seem complicated, but you can keep your messages ethical by applying four basic principles:29 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch3lev1sec28#ch3note29)

Actively seek mutual ground. To allow the clearest possible exchange of information, both parties must be �lexible and avoid insisting that an interaction take place strictly in terms of one culture or another.

Send and receive messages without judgment. To allow information to �low freely, both parties must recognize that values vary from culture to culture, and they must trust each other.

Send messages that are honest. To ensure that information is true, both parties must see things as they are—not as they would like them to be. Both parties must be fully aware of their personal and cultural biases.

Honesty and respect are cornerstones of ethical communication, regardless of culture.

Show respect for cultural differences. To protect the basic human rights of both parties, each must understand and acknowledge the other’s needs and preserve each other’s dignity by communicating without deception.

SOCIAL DIFFERENCES The nature of social behavior varies among cultures, sometimes dramatically. Some behavioral rules are formal and speci�ically articulated (table manners are a good example), whereas others are informal and learned over time (such as the comfortable distance to stand from a colleague during a discussion). The combination of formal and informal rules in�luences the overall behavior of most people in a society most of the time. In addition to the factors already discussed, social norms can vary from culture to culture in the following areas:

Formal rules of etiquette are explicit and well de�ined, but informal rules are learned through observation and imitation.

Attitudes toward work and success. In the United States, for instance, a widespread view is that material comfort earned by individual effort is a sign of superiority and that people who work hard are better than those who don’t.

Roles and status. Culture in�luences the roles people play, including who communicates with whom, what they communicate, and in what way. For example, in some countries women still don’t play a prominent role in business, so women executives who visit these countries may �ind they’re not taken seriously as businesspeople.30 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch3lev1sec28#ch3note30) Culture also dictates how people show respect and signify rank. For example, people in the United States show respect by addressing top managers as “Mr. Roberts” or “Ms. Gutierrez.” However, people in China are addressed according to their of�icial titles, such as “President” or “Manager.”31 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch3lev1sec28#ch3note31)

Respect and rank are re�lected differently from culture to culture in the way people are addressed and in their working environment.

Use of manners. What is polite in one culture may be considered rude in another. For instance, asking a colleague “How was your weekend?” is a common way of making small talk in the United States, but the question sounds intrusive to people in cultures in which business and private lives are seen as separate spheres.

The rules of polite behavior vary from country to country.

Concepts of time. People in low-context cultures see time as a way to plan the business day ef�iciently, often focusing on only one task during each scheduled period and viewing time as a limited resource. However, executives from high-context cultures often see time as more �lexible. Meeting a deadline is less important than building a business relationship.32 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch3lev1sec28#ch3note32)

Attitudes toward time, such as strict adherence to meeting schedules, can vary throughout the world.

Future orientation. Successful companies tend to have a strong future orientation, planning for and investing in the future, but national cultures around the world vary widely in this viewpoint. Some societies encourage a long-term outlook that emphasizes planning and investing—making sacri�ices in the short term for the promise of better outcomes in the future. Others are oriented more toward the present, even to the point of viewing the future as hopelessly remote and not worth planning for.33 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch3lev1sec28#ch3note33)

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Openness and inclusiveness. At the national level as well as within smaller groups, cultures vary on how open they are to accepting people from other cultures and people who don’t necessarily �it the prevailing norms within the culture. An unwillingness to accommodate others can range from outright exclusion to subtle pressures to conform to majority expectations.

Cultures around the world exhibit varying degrees of openness toward both outsiders and people whose personal identities don’t align with prevailing social norms.

Use of communication technologies. Don’t assume that colleagues and customers around the world use the same communication tools you use. For example, although mobile phone usage is high in most countries around the world, the percentage of users with smartphones and the broadband service required for communication services such as video varies widely.34 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch3lev1sec28#ch3note34)

NONVERBAL DIFFERENCES As discussed in Chapter 2 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch02#ch02) , nonverbal communication can be a helpful guide to determining the meaning of a message—but this situation holds true only if the sender and receiver assign the same meaning to nonverbal signals. For instance, the simplest hand gestures have different meanings in different cultures. A gesture that communicates good luck in Brazil is the equivalent of giving someone “the �inger” in Colombia.35 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch3lev1sec28#ch3note35) Don’t assume that the gestures you grew up with will translate to another culture; doing so could lead to embarrassing mistakes.

The meaning of nonverbal signals can vary widely from culture to culture, so you can’t rely on assumptions.

When you have the opportunity to interact with people in another culture, the best advice is to study the culture in advance and then observe the way people behave in the following areas:

Greetings. Do people shake hands, bow, or kiss lightly (on one side of the face or both)? Do people shake hands only when �irst introduced or every time they say hello or goodbye?

Personal space. When people are conversing, do they stand closer together or farther away than you are accustomed to?

Touching. Do people touch each other on the arm to emphasize a point or slap each other on the back to show congratulations? Or do they refrain from touching altogether?

Facial expressions. Do people shake their heads to indicate “no” and nod them to indicate “yes”? This is what people are accustomed to in the United States, but it is not universal.

Eye contact. Do people make frequent eye contact or avoid it? Frequent eye contact is often taken as a sign of honesty and openness in the United States, but in other cultures it can be a sign of aggressiveness or disrespect.

Posture. Do people slouch and relax in the of�ice and in public, or do they sit up and stand up straight?

Formality. In general, does the culture seem more or less formal than yours?

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Seven common hand gestures that will stir up trouble in other cultures

Find out what gestures that have positive meanings in the United States can have intensively negative meanings in other cultures. Go to http://real- timeupdates.com/bct13 (http://real-timeupdates.com/bct13) . Under “Students,” click on “Learn More.”

Following the lead of people who grew up in the culture is not only a great way to learn but a good way to show respect as well.

AGE DIFFERENCES In U.S. culture, youth is often associated with strength, energy, possibilities, and freedom, and age is sometimes associated with declining powers and the inability to keep pace. However, older workers can offer broader experience, the bene�its of important business relationships nurtured over many years, and high degrees of “practical intelligence”—the ability to solve complex, poorly de�ined problems.36 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch3lev1sec28#ch3note36)

A culture’s views on youth and aging affect how people communicate with one another.

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In contrast, in cultures that value age and seniority, longevity earns respect and increasing power and freedom. For instance, in many Asian societies, the oldest employees hold the most powerful jobs, the most impressive titles, and the greatest degrees of freedom and decision-making authority. If a younger employee disagrees with one of these senior executives, the discussion is never conducted in public. The notion of “saving face”—avoiding public embarrassment—is too strong. Instead, if a senior person seems to be in error about something, other employees will �ind a quiet, private way to communicate whatever information they feel is necessary.37 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch3lev1sec28#ch3note37)

COMMUNICATING ACROSS CULTURES

Us Versus Them: Generational Con�lict in the Workplace

The way people view the world as adults is profoundly shaped by the social and technological trends they experienced while growing up, so it’s no surprise that each generation entering the workforce has a different perspective than the generations already at work. Throw in the human tendencies to resist change and to assume that whatever way one is doing something must be the best way to do it, and you have a recipe for con�lict. Moreover, generations in a workplace sometimes feel themselves competing for jobs, resources, in�luence, and control. The result can be tension, mistrust, and communication breakdowns.

Lumping people into generations is an imprecise science at best, but it helps to know the labels commonly applied to various age groups and to have some idea of their broad characteristics. These labels are not of�icial, and there is no general agreement on when some generations start and end, but you will see and hear references to the following groups (approximate years of birth shown in parentheses):

The Radio Generation (1925 to 1945). People in this group are beyond what was once considered the traditional retirement age of 65, but some want or need to continue working.

Baby Boomers (1946 to 1964). This large segment of the workforce, which now occupies many mid- and upper-level managerial positions, got its name from the population boom in the years following World War II. The older members of this generation are now reaching retirement age, but many will continue to work beyond age 65—meaning that younger workers waiting for some of these management spots to open up might have to wait a while longer.

Generation X (1965 to 1980). This relatively smaller “MTV generation” is responsible for many of the innovations that have shaped communication habits today but sometimes feels caught between the large mass of baby boomers ahead of them and the younger Generation Y employees entering the workforce. When Generation X does �inally get the chance to take over starting in 2015 or 2020, it will be managing in a vastly different business landscape, one in which virtual organizations and networks of independent contractors replace much of the hierarchy inherited from the baby boomers.

Generation Y (1981 to 1995). Also known as millennials, this youngest generation currently in the workforce is noted for its entrepreneurial instincts and technological savvy. This generation’s comfort level with social media and other communication technologies is helping to change business communication practices—but is also a source of concern for managers worried about information leaks and employee productivity.

Generation Z (after 1996). If you’re a member of Generation Y, those footsteps you hear behind you are coming from Generation Z, also known as Generation I (for Internet) or the Net Generation. The �irst full generation to be born after the World Wide Web was invented will be entering the workforce soon.

These brief summaries can hardly do justice to entire generations of workers, but they give you some idea of the different generational perspectives and the potential for communication problems. As with all cultural con�licts, successful communication starts with recognizing and understanding these differences.

CAREER APPLICATIONS

1. How would you resolve a con�lict between a baby boomer manager who worries about the privacy and productivity aspects of social networking and a Generation Y employee who wants to use these tools on the job?

2. Consider the range of labels from the Radio Generation to the Net Generation. What does this tell you about the possible in�luence of technology on business communication habits?

Sources: Anne Fisher, “When Gen X Runs the Show,” Time, 14 May 2009, www.time.com (http://www.time.com) ; Deloitte, “Generation Y: Powerhouse of the Global Economy,” research report, 2009, www.deloitte.com (http://www.deloitte.com) ; “Generation Y,” Nightly Business Report website, 30 June 2010, www.pbs.org (http://www.pbs.org) ; Sherry Posnick-Goodwin, “Meet Generation Z,” California Educator, February 2010, www.cta.org (http://www.cta.org) ; Ernie Stark, “Lost in a Time Warp,” People & Strategy 32 no. 4 (2009): 58–64.

The multiple generations within a culture present another dimension of diversity. Today’s workplaces can have three or even four generations working side by side. Each has been shaped by dramatically different world events, social trends, and technological advances, so it is not surprising that they often have different values, expectations, and communication habits. For instance, Generation Y workers (see “Us Versus Them: Generational Con�lict in the Workplace”) have a strong preference for communicating via short electronic messages, but baby boomers and Generation Xers sometimes �ind these brief messages abrupt and impersonal.38 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch3lev1sec28#ch3note38)

GENDER DIFFERENCES Gender in�luences workplace communication in several important ways. First, the perception of men and women in business varies from culture to culture, and gender bias can range from overt discrimination to subtle and even unconscious beliefs.

Second, although the ratio of men and women in entry-level professional positions is roughly equal, the percentage of management roles held by men increases steadily the further one looks up the corporate ladder. This imbalance can signi�icantly affect communication in such areas as mentoring, which is a vital development opportunity for lower and middle managers who want to move into senior positions. In one recent survey, for example, some men in executive

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positions expressed reluctance to mentor women, partly because they �ind it easier to bond with other men and partly out of concerns over developing relationships that might look inappropriate.39 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch3lev1sec28#ch3note39)

Third, evidence suggests that men and women tend to have somewhat different communication styles. Broadly speaking, men emphasize content and outcomes in their communication efforts, whereas women place a higher premium on relationship maintenance.40 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch3lev1sec28#ch3note40) As one example, men are more likely than women to try to negotiate a pay raise. Moreover, according to research by Linda Babcock of Carnegie Mellon University, both men and women tend to accept this disparity, viewing assertiveness as a positive quality in men but a negative quality in women. Changing these perceptions could go a long way toward improving communication and equity in the workplace.41 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch3lev1sec28#ch3note41)

Broadly speaking, men tend to emphasize content in their messages, while women tend to emphasize relationship maintenance.

RELIGIOUS DIFFERENCES As one of the most personal and in�luential aspects of life, religion brings potential for controversy and con�lict in the workplace setting—as evidenced by a signi�icant rise in the number of religious discrimination lawsuits in recent years.42 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch3lev1sec28#ch3note42) Many employees believe they should be able to follow and express the tenets of their faith in the workplace. However, companies may need to accommodate employee behaviors that can con�lict with each other and with the demands of operating the business. The situation is complicated, with no simple answers that apply to every situation. As more companies work to establish inclusive workplaces, you can expect to see this issue being discussed more often in the coming years.

U.S. law requires employers to accommodate employees’ religious beliefs to a reasonable degree.

ABILITY DIFFERENCES Colleagues and customers with disabilities that affect communication represent an important aspect of the diversity picture. People whose hearing, vision, cognitive ability, or physical ability to operate electronic devices is impaired can be at a signi�icant disadvantage in today’s workplace. As with other elements of diversity, success starts with respect for individuals and sensitivity to differences.

Assistive technologies help employers create more inclusive workplaces and bene�it from the contribution of people with physical or cognitive impairments.

Employers can also invest in a variety of assistive technologies that help people with disabilities perform activities that might otherwise be dif�icult or impossible. These technologies include devices and systems that help workers communicate orally and visually, interact with computers and other equipment, and enjoy greater mobility in the workplace. For example, designers can emphasize web accessibility, taking steps to make websites more accessible to people whose vision is limited. Assistive technologies create a vital link for thousands of employees with disabilities, giving them opportunities to pursue a greater range of career paths and giving employers access to a broader base of talent.43 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch3lev1sec28#ch3note43)

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4 LEARNING OBJECTIVE List four general guidelines for adapting to any business culture.

3.4 Adapting to Other Business Cultures Whether you’re trying to work productively with members of another generation in your own of�ice or with a business partner on the other side of the world, adapting your approach is essential to successful communication. This section offers general advice on adapting to any business culture and speci�ic advice for professionals from other cultures on adapting to U.S. business culture.

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GUIDELINES FOR ADAPTING TO ANY BUSINESS CULTURE You’ll �ind a variety of speci�ic tips in “Improving Intercultural Communication Skills,” starting on the next page, but here are four general guidelines that can help all business communicators improve their cultural competency:

Become aware of your own biases. Successful intercultural communication requires more than just an understanding of the other party’s culture; you need to understand your own culture and the way it shapes your communication habits.44 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch3lev1sec28#ch3note44) For instance, knowing that you value independence and individual accomplishment will help you communicate more successfully in a culture that values consensus and group harmony.

An important step in understanding and adapting to other cultures is to recognize the in�luences that your own culture has on your communication habits.

Ignore the “Golden Rule.” You probably heard this growing up: “Treat people the way you want to be treated.” The problem with the Golden Rule is that other people don’t always want to be treated the same way you want to be treated, particularly across cultural boundaries. The best approach: Treat people the way they want to be treated.

Exercise tolerance, �lexibility, and respect. As IBM’s Ron Glover puts it, “To the greatest extent possible, we try to manage our people and our practices in ways that are respectful of the core principles of any given country or organization or culture.”45 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch3lev1sec28#ch3note45)

Practice patience and maintain a sense of humor. Even the most committed and attuned business professionals can make mistakes in intercultural communication, so it is vital for all parties to be patient with one another. As business becomes ever more global, even people in the most tradition- bound cultures are learning to deal with outsiders more patiently and overlook occasional cultural blunders.46 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch3lev1sec28#ch3note46) A sense of humor is a helpful asset as well, allowing people to move past awkward and embarrassing moments. When you make a mistake, simply apologize and, if appropriate, ask the other person to explain the accepted way; then move on.

GUIDELINES FOR ADAPTING TO U.S. BUSINESS CULTURE If you are a recent immigrant to the United States or grew up in a culture outside the U.S. mainstream, you can apply all the concepts and skills in this chapter to help adapt to U.S. business culture. Here are some key points to remember as you become accustomed to business communication in this country:47 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch3lev1sec28#ch3note47)

Individualism. In contrast to cultures that value group harmony and group success, U.S. culture generally expects individuals to succeed by their own efforts, and it rewards individual success. Even though teamwork is emphasized in many companies, competition between individuals is expected and even encouraged in many cases.

The values espoused by American culture include individualism, equality, and privacy.

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Equality. Although the country’s historical record on equality has not always been positive and some inequalities still exist, equality is considered a core American value. This principle applies to race, gender, social background, and even age. To a greater degree than people in many other cultures, Americans believe that every person should be given the opportunity to pursue whatever dreams and goals he or she has in life.

Privacy and personal space. Although this appears to be changing somewhat with the popularity of social networking and other personal media, people in the United States are accustomed to a fair amount of privacy. That also applies to their “personal space” at work. For example, they expect you to knock before entering a closed of�ice and to avoid asking questions about personal beliefs or activities until they get to know you well.

Time and schedules. U.S. businesses value punctuality and the ef�icient use of time. For instance, meetings are expected to start and end at designated times.

Religion. The United States does not have an of�icial state religion. Many religions are practiced throughout the country, and people are expected to respect each other’s beliefs.

Communication style. Communication tends to be direct and focused more on content and transactions than on relationships or group harmony.

As with all observations about culture, these are generalizations, of course. Any nation of more than 300 million people will exhibit a wide variety of behaviors. However, following these guidelines will help you succeed in most business communication situations.

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5 LEARNING OBJECTIVE Identify seven steps you can take to improve your intercultural communication skills.

3.5 Improving Intercultural Communication Skills Communicating successfully between cultures requires a variety of skills (see Figure 3.2 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch3lev1sec20#ch3�ig2) ). You can improve your intercultural skills throughout your career by studying other cultures and languages, respecting preferences for communication styles, learning to write and speak clearly, listening carefully, knowing when to use interpreters and translators, and helping others adapt to your culture.

Figure 3.2 Components of Successful Intercultural Communication

Communicating in a diverse business environment is not always an easy task, but you can continue to improve your sensitivity and build your skills as you progress in your career.

STUDYING OTHER CULTURES Effectively adapting your communication efforts to another culture requires not only knowledge about the culture but also the ability and motivation to change your personal habits as needed.48 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch3lev1sec28#ch3note48) Fortunately, you don’t need to learn about the whole world all at once. Many companies appoint specialists for countries or regions, giving employees a chance to focus on just one culture at a time. And if your employer conducts business internationally, it may offer training and support for employees who need to learn more about speci�ic cultures.

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Even a small amount of research and practice will help you get through many business situations. In addition, most people respond positively to honest effort and good intentions, and many business associates will help you along if you show an interest in learning more about their cultures. Don’t be afraid to ask

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questions. People will respect your concern and curiosity. You will gradually accumulate considerable knowledge, which will help you feel comfortable and be effective in a wide range of business situations.

Numerous websites and books offer advice on traveling to and working in speci�ic cultures. Also try to sample newspapers, magazines, and even the music and movies of another country. For instance, a movie can demonstrate nonverbal customs even if you don’t grasp the language. (However, be careful not to rely solely on entertainment products. If people in other countries based their opinions of U.S. culture only on the silly teen �licks and violent action movies that the United States exports around the globe, what sort of impression do you imagine they’d get?) For some of the key issues to research before doing business in another country, refer to Table 3.1 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch3lev1sec20#ch3tab1) .

TABLE 3.1 Doing Business in Other Cultures Action Details to Consider

Understand social customs How do people react to strangers? Are they friendly? Hostile? Reserved?

How do people greet each other? Should you bow? Nod? Shake hands?

How do you express appreciation for an invitation to lunch, dinner, or someone’s home? Should you bring a gift? Send �lowers? Write a thank-you note?

Are any phrases, facial expressions, or hand gestures considered rude?

How do you attract the attention of a waiter? Do you tip the waiter?

When is it rude to refuse an invitation? How do you refuse politely?

What topics may or may not be discussed in a social setting? In a business setting?

How do social customs dictate interaction between men and women? Between younger people and older people?

Learn about clothing and food preferences What occasions require special attire?

What colors are associated with mourning? Love? Joy?

Are some types of clothing considered taboo for one gender or the other?

How many times a day do people eat?

How are hands or utensils used when eating?

Where is the seat of honor at a table?

Assess political patterns How stable is the political situation?

Does the political situation affect businesses in and out of the country?

Is it appropriate to talk politics in social or business situations?

Understand religious and social beliefs Do which religious groups do people belong?

Which places, objects, actions, and events are sacred?

Do religious beliefs affect communication between men and women or between any other groups?

Is there a tolerance for minority religions?

How do religious holidays affect business and government activities?

Does religion require or prohibit eating speci�ic foods? At speci�ic times?

Learn about economic and business institutions Is the society homogeneous or heterogeneous?

What languages are spoken?

What are the primary resources and principal products?

Are businesses generally large? Family controlled? Government controlled?

What are the generally accepted working hours?

How do people view scheduled appointments?

Are people expected to socialize before conducting business?

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Action Details to Consider

Appraise the nature of ethics, values, and laws

Is money or a gift expected in exchange for arranging business transactions?

Do people value competitiveness or cooperation?

What are the attitudes toward work? Toward money?

Is politeness more important than factual honesty?

STUDYING OTHER LANGUAGES As commerce continues to become more globalized and many countries become more linguistically diverse, the demand for multilingual communicators continues to grow as well. The ability to communicate in more than one language can make you a more competitive job candidate and open up a wider variety of career opportunities.

Successful intercultural communication can require the modi�ication of personal communication habits.

Even if your colleagues or customers in another country speak your language, it’s worth the time and energy to learn common phrases in theirs. Doing so not only helps you get through everyday business and social situations but also demonstrates your commitment to the business relationship. After all, the other person probably spent years learning your language.

Making an effort to learn about another person’s culture is a sign of respect.

Mobile devices can be a huge help in learning another language and in communicating with someone in another language. A wide variety of apps and websites are available that help with essentials words and phrases, grammar, pronunciation, text translation, and even real-time audio translation.

MOBILE APPS

iTranslate translates more than 80 languages and features voice input and output.

Finally, don’t assume that people from two countries who speak the same language speak it the same way. The French spoken in Quebec and other parts of Canada is often noticeably different from the French spoken in France. Similarly, it’s often said that the United States and the United Kingdom are two countries divided by a common language. For instance, period (punctuation), elevator, and gasoline in the United States are full stop, lift, and petrol in the United Kingdom.

English is the most prevalent language in international business, but don’t assume that everyone understands it or speaks it the same way.

RESPECTING PREFERENCES FOR COMMUNICATION STYLE Communication style—including the level of directness, the degree of formality, media preferences, and other factors—varies widely from culture to culture (see Figures 3.3a (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch3lev1sec20#ch3�ig3a) through 3.3d (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch3lev1sec20#ch3�ig3d) ). Knowing what your communication partners expect can help you adapt to their particular style. Once again, watching and learning are the best ways to improve your skills. However, you can infer some generalities by learning more about the culture. For instance, U.S. workers typically prefer an open and direct communication style; they �ind other styles frustrating or suspect. Directness is also valued in Sweden as a sign of ef�iciency, but heated debates and confrontations are unusual. Italian, German, and French executives usually don’t put colleagues at ease with praise before they criticize; doing so seems manipulative to them. Meanwhile, professionals from high-context cultures, such as Japan or China, tend to be less direct.49 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch3lev1sec28#ch3note49) Finally, in general, business correspondence in other countries is often more formal than the style used by U.S. businesspeople.

WRITING CLEARLY Writing clearly is always important, of course, but it is essential when you are writing to people whose �irst language is not English. Follow these recommendations to make sure your message can be understood:50 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch3lev1sec28#ch3note50)

Clarity and simplicity are essential when writing to or speaking with people who don’t share your native language.

Choose words carefully. Use precise words that don’t have the potential to confuse with multiple meanings. For instance, the word right has several dozen different meanings and usages, so look for a synonym that conveys the speci�ic meaning you intend, such as correct, appropriate, desirable, moral, authentic, or privilege.51 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch3lev1sec28#ch3note51)

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Be brief. Use simple sentences and short paragraphs, breaking information into smaller chunks that are easier for readers to process.

Use plenty of transitions. Help readers follow your train of thought by using transitional words and phrases. For example, tie related points together with expressions such as in addition and �irst, second, and third.

Address international correspondence properly. Refer to Tables A.1 through A.5 in Appendix A (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/bm01#bm01) for an explanation of different address elements and salutations commonly used in various countries.

Cite numbers and dates carefully. In the United States, 12-05-15 means December 5, 2015, but in many other countries, it means May 12, 2015. Dates in Japan and China are usually expressed with the year �irst, followed by the month and then the day; therefore, to write December 5, 2015, in Japan, write it as 2015-12-05. Similarly, in the United States and Great Britain, 1.000 means one with three decimal places, but it means one thousand in many European countries.

Figure 3.3a Intercultural Business Letter: Ineffective Original Draft

This letter (from a Kentucky company that designs radio-controlled airplanes) exhibits a number of problems that would create dif�iculties for its intended reader (the manager of a contract manufacturing company in China). Follow the changes in Figures 3.3b (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch3lev1sec20#ch3�ig3b) , 3.3c (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch3lev1sec20#ch3�ig3c) , and 3.3d (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch3lev1sec20#ch3�ig3d) to see how the letter was adapted and then translated for its target audience.

Avoid slang, idiomatic phrases, and business jargon. Everyday speech and writing are full of slang and idiomatic phrases (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch3lev1sec28#ch3term8) —phrases that mean more than the sum of their literal parts. Examples from U.S. English include “Knocked one out of the park” and “More bang for the buck.” Your audience may have no idea what you’re talking about when you use such phrases.

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Humor does not “travel well” because it usually relies on intimate knowledge of a particular culture.

Avoid humor and references to popular culture. Jokes and references to popular entertainment usually rely on culture-speci�ic information that might be completely unknown to your audience.

Figure 3.3b Intercultural Business Letter: First Revision

This version eliminates most of the problems with overly informal phrases and potentially offensive language. However, while it would function well as a message between native speakers of English, it still has some wording and formatting issues that could create dif�iculties for a Chinese reader. Compare with Figure 3.3c (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch3lev1sec20#ch3�ig3c) .

Although some of these differences may seem trivial, meeting the expectations of an international audience illustrates both knowledge of and respect for the other cultures (see Figure 3.4 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch3lev1sec20#ch3�ig4) on page 81 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch3lev1sec20#page_81) ).

SPEAKING AND LISTENING CAREFULLY Languages vary considerably in the signi�icance of tone, pitch, speed, and volume, which can create challenges for people trying to interpret the explicit meaning of words themselves as well as the overall nuance of a message. The English word progress can be a noun or a verb, depending on which syllable you emphasize. In Chinese, the meaning of the word mà changes depending on the speaker’s tone; it can mean mother, pileup, horse, or scold. And routine Arabic speech can sound excited or angry to an English-speaking U.S. listener.52 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch3lev1sec28#ch3note52)

Figure 3.3c Intercultural Business Letter: Final Revision

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Here is the �inal English version, revised to ensure more successful translation into Chinese and to conform to standard practices in Chinese business communication (including removing the inside address).

To ensure successful conversations between parties who speak different native languages or even regional variations of the same language, speakers and listeners alike need to make accommodations.53 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch3lev1sec28#ch3note53) Speakers should adjust the content of their messages and the style of their delivery to accommodate the needs of their listeners and the circumstances of the conversation. For example, if you are speaking in person or over an electronic connection that includes a video component, you can use hand gestures and other nonverbal signals to clarify your spoken message. However, when you don’t have a visual connection, you must take extra care to convey your meaning through words and vocal characteristics alone. Conversely, listeners need to be tolerant of accents, vocabulary choices, gestures, and other factors that might distract them from hearing the meaning of a speaker’s message.

Speaking clearly and getting plenty of feedback are two of the keys to successful intercultural conversations.

Figure 3.3d Intercultural Business Letter: Translated Version

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Here is the translated version, formatted in accordance with Chinese business communication practice.

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When talking with people whose native language is different from yours, remember that the processing of even everyday conversations can be dif�icult. For instance, speakers from the United States sometimes string together multiple words into a single, mystifying pseudoword, such as turning “Did you eat yet?” into

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“Jeetyet?” In spoken French, many word pairs are joined as a matter of rule, and the pronunciation can change depending on which words are next to one another. In these instances, non-native French speakers can have a hard time telling when one word ends and the next one begins.

Figure 3.4 Writing for Multilingual Audiences

In today’s global and diversi�ied work environment, chances are many of your messages will be read by people whose native language is not English. Follow the guidelines on pages 76 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch3lev1sec20#page_76) –77 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch3lev1sec20#page_77) to help ensure successful communication. (Notice how following these guidelines makes the message easier for everybody to read, including native English speakers.)

To be more effective in intercultural conversations, remember these tips: (1) Speak slowly and clearly; (2) don’t rephrase until it’s obviously necessary (immediately rephrasing something you’ve just said doubles the translation workload for the listener); (3) look for and ask for feedback to make sure your message is getting through; (4) don’t talk down to the other person by overenunciating words or oversimplifying sentences; and (5) at the end of the conversation, double-check to make sure you and the listener agree on what has been said and decided.

As a listener, you’ll need some practice to get a sense of vocal patterns. The key is simply to accept what you hear �irst, without jumping to conclusions about meaning or motivation. Let other people �inish what they have to say. If you interrupt, you may miss something important. You’ll also show a lack of respect. If you do not understand a comment, ask the person to repeat it. Any momentary awkwardness you might feel in asking for extra help is less important than the risk of unsuccessful communication.

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To listen more effectively in intercultural situations, accept what you hear without judgment and let people �inish what they have to say.

USING INTERPRETERS, TRANSLATORS, AND TRANSLATION SOFTWARE You may encounter business situations that require using an interpreter (for spoken communication) or a translator (for written communication). Interpreters and translators can be expensive, but skilled professionals provide invaluable assistance for communicating in other cultural contexts.54 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch3lev1sec28#ch3note54) Keeping up with current language usage in a given country or culture is also critical in order to avoid embarrassing blunders. Some companies use back-translation to ensure accuracy. Once a translator encodes a message into another language, a different translator retranslates the same message into the original language. This back-translation is then compared with the original message to discover any errors or discrepancies.

For important business communication, use a professional interpreter (for oral communication) or translator (for written communication).

The time and cost required for professional translation has encouraged the development of computerized translation tools. Dedicated software tools, mobile apps, and online services such as WorldLingo offer various forms of automated translation. Major search engines let you request translated versions of the websites you �ind. Although none of these tools can translate as well as human translators, they are getting better all the time.

HELPING OTHERS ADAPT TO YOUR CULTURE Everyone can contribute to successful intercultural communication. Whether a younger person is unaccustomed to the formalities of a large corporation or a colleague from another country is working on a team with you, look for opportunities to help people �it in and adapt their communication style. For example, if a non-native English speaker is making mistakes that could hurt his or her credibility, you can offer advice on the appropriate words and phrases to use. Most language learners truly appreciate this sort of assistance, as long as it is offered in a respectful manner. Moreover, chances are that while you’re helping, you’ll learn something about the other person’s culture and language, too.

Help others adapt to your culture; it will create a more productive workplace and teach you about their cultures as well.

You can also take steps to simplify the communication process. For instance, oral communication in a second language is usually more dif�icult than written forms of communication, so instead of asking a foreign colleague to provide information in a conference call, you could ask for a written response instead of or in addition to the live conversation.

For a brief summary of ideas to improve intercultural communication in the workplace, see “Checklist: Improving Intercultural Communication Skills.” For additional information on communicating in a world of diversity, visit http://real-timeupdates.com/bct13 (http://real-timeupdates.com/bct13) and click on Chapter 3 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch03#ch03) .

CHECKLIST ✓ Improving Intercultural Communication Skills

Understand your own culture so that you can recognize its in�luences on your communication habits.

Study other cultures so that you can appreciate cultural variations.

Study the languages of people with whom you communicate, even if you can learn only a few basic words and phrases.

Help non-native speakers learn your language.

Respect cultural preferences for communication style.

Write clearly, using brief messages, simple language, generous transitions, and appropriate international conventions.

Avoid slang, humor, and references to popular culture.

Speak clearly and slowly, giving listeners time to translate your words.

Ask for feedback to verify that communication was successful.

Listen carefully and ask speakers to repeat anything you don’t understand.

Use interpreters and translators for important messages.

COMMUNICATION CHALLENGES AT EY Karyn Twaronite is responsible for workforce diversity and inclusiveness across EY’s Americas region, but every manager throughout the company is expected to foster a climate of inclusion and support for employees of every cultural background. As a team leader in one of EY’s U.S. of�ices, you’re learning to exercise sound business judgment and use good listening skills to help resolve situations that arise within your diverse group of employees. How would you address these challenges?

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INDIVIDUAL CHALLENGE: Fabio Silva joined your of�ice after immigrating from Brazil three years ago. He is a brilliant �inancial analyst, but he resists working with other employees, even in team settings where collaboration is expected. Given the importance that you place on teamwork, how should you handle the situation? List several alternatives for addressing this dilemma, identify which one you would choose, and explain why you would choose this approach.

TEAM CHALLENGE: Your employees are breaking into ethnically based cliques. Members of ethnic groups eat together, socialize together, and often chat in their native languages while they work. You appreciate how these groups give their members a sense of community, but you worry that these informal communication channels are alienating nonmembers and fragmenting the �low of information. How can you encourage a stronger sense of community and teamwork across your department? Brainstorm at least three steps you can take to encourage better cross-cultural communication in your group.

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Quick Learning Guide

KEY TERMS cultural competency An appreciation for cultural differences that affect communication and the ability to adjust one’s communication style to ensure that

efforts to send and receive messages across cultural boundaries are successful cultural context The pattern of physical cues, environmental stimuli, and implicit understanding that convey meaning between two members of the same

culture cultural pluralism The practice of accepting multiple cultures on their own terms culture A shared system of symbols, beliefs, attitudes, values, expectations, and norms for behavior diversity All the characteristics and experiences that de�ine each of us as individuals ethnocentrism The tendency to judge other groups according to the standards, behaviors, and customs of one’s own group high-context culture Culture in which people rely less on verbal communication and more on the context of nonverbal actions and environmental setting to

convey meaning idiomatic phrases Phrases that mean more than the sum of their literal parts; such phrases can be dif�icult for non-native speakers to understand intercultural communication The process of sending and receiving messages between people whose cultural backgrounds could lead them to interpret verbal

and nonverbal signs differently low-context culture Culture in which people rely more on verbal communication and less on circumstances and nonverbal cues to convey meaning stereotyping Assigning a wide range of generalized attributes to an individual on the basis of membership in a particular culture or social group xenophobia Fear of strangers and foreigners

SUMMARY OF LEARNING OBJECTIVES 1 Discuss the opportunities and challenges of intercultural communication. The global marketplace spans natural boundaries and national borders, allowing worldwide competition between businesses of all sizes. Therefore, today’s businesspeople are likely to communicate across international borders with people who live in different cultures. Moreover, even domestic workforces are becoming more and more diverse, with employees having different national, religious, and ethnic backgrounds. In this environment, companies can bene�it from a broad range of viewpoints and ideas, get a good understanding of diverse markets, and recruit workers from the broadest possible pool of talent. However, intercultural communication presents challenges as well, including motivating diverse employees to cooperate and to work together in teams as well as understanding enough about how culture affects language to prevent miscommunication.

2 De�ine culture, explain how culture is learned, and de�ine ethnocentrism and stereotyping. Culture is a shared system of symbols, beliefs, attitudes, values, expectations, and norms for behavior. Culture is learned by listening to advice from other members of a society and by observing their behaviors. This double-edged method uses direct and indirect learning to ensure that culture is passed from person to person and from generation to generation.

Ethnocentrism is the tendency to judge other groups according to the standards, behaviors, and customs of one’s own group. Stereotyping is assigning a wide range of generalized attributes to individuals on the basis of their membership in a particular culture or social group, without considering an individual’s unique characteristics. To overcome ethnocentrism and stereotyping, work to avoid assumptions, avoid judgments, and acknowledge distinctions.

3 Explain the importance of recognizing cultural variations, and list eight categories of cultural differences. People from different cultures encode and decode messages differently, increasing the chances of misunderstanding. By recognizing and accommodating cultural differences, we avoid automatically assuming that everyone’s thoughts and actions are just like ours. Begin by focusing on eight categories of differences: contextual differences (the degree to which a culture relies on verbal or nonverbal actions to convey meaning), legal and ethical differences (the degree to which laws and ethics are regarded and obeyed), social differences (how members value work and success, recognize status, de�ine manners, and think about time), nonverbal differences (differing attitudes toward greetings, personal space, touching, facial expression, eye contact, posture, and formality), age differences (how members think about youth, seniority, and longevity), gender differences (how men and women communicate), religious differences (how beliefs affect workplace relationships), and ability differences (inclusive strategies that enable people with disabilities to more fully communicate with the rest of the workforce).

4 List four general guidelines for adapting to any business culture. You can adapt to any business culture by (1) becoming aware of your own cultural biases so that you can understand how these forces shape your communication habits; (2) ignoring the Golden Rule (treating people the way you want them to treat you) and instead treating them the way they want to be treated; (3) exercising tolerance, �lexibility, and respect; and (4) practicing patience and maintaining a sense of humor to get you through the bumpy spots.

5 Identify seven steps you can take to improve your intercultural communication skills. Communicating successfully between cultures requires a variety of skills, all of which you can continue to improve throughout your career. Make your intercultural communication effective by (1) studying other cultures; (2) studying other languages; (3) respecting your audience’s preferences for communication style; (4) writing as clearly as possible; (5) speaking as clearly as you can; (6) listening carefully; using interpreters, translators, and translation software when necessary; and (7) helping others adapt to your own culture.

MyBCommLab

Go to mybcommlab.com (http://mybcommlab.com) to complete the problems marked with this icon .

Test Your Knowledge To review chapter content related to each question, refer to the indicated Learning Objective.

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3-1. What are the potential advantages of a diverse workforce? [LO-1] 3-2. How do high-context cultures differ from low-context cultures? [LO-2] 3-3. What is ethnocentrism, and how can it be overcome in communication? [LO-2] 3-4. In addition to contextual differences, what other categories of cultural differences exist? [LO-3] 3-5. How does a sense of humor come in handy during intercultural communication? [LO-4]

3-6. How can the Golden Rule cause problems in intercultural communication? [LO-4] 3-7. What are the risks of using computerized translation when you need to read a document written in another language? [LO-5] 3-8. What steps can you take to help someone from another culture adapt to your culture? [LO-5]

Apply Your Knowledge To review chapter content related to each question, refer to the indicated Learning Objective.

3-9. Make a list of the top �ive priorities in your life (for example, fame, wealth, family, spirituality, peace of mind, individuality, artistic expression). Compare your list with the priorities that appear to be valued in the culture in which you are currently living. (You can be as broad or as narrow as you like in de�ining culture for this exercise, such as overall U.S. culture or the culture in your college or university.) Do your personal priorities align with the culture’s priorities? If not, how might this disparity affect your communication with other members of the culture? [LO-2]

3-10. How does making an effort to avoid assumptions contribute to the practice of cultural pluralism? [LO-3]

3-11. Why is it important to understand your own culture when attempting to communicate with people from other cultures? [LO-4]

3-12. Think about the last three movies or television shows set in the United States that you’ve watched. In what ways would these entertainment products be helpful or unhelpful for people from other countries trying to learn about U.S. culture? [LO-5]

3-13. How can helping someone adapt to your culture help you gain a better understand of it yourself?

Practice Your Skills Message for Analysis: Adapting to Cultural Differences [LO-5]

Your boss wants to send a brief email message welcoming employees recently transferred to your department from the company’s Hong Kong branch. These employees, all of whom are Hong Kong natives, speak English, but your boss asks you to review his message for clarity. What would you suggest your boss change in the following email message, and why? Would you consider this message to be audience centered? Why or why not? (Hint: Do some quick research on Hong Kong to identify the style of English that people in Hong Kong are likely to speak.)

I wanted to welcome you ASAP to our little family here in the States. It’s high time we shook hands in person and not just across the sea. I’m pleased as punch about getting to know you all, and I for one will do my level best to sell you on America.

Exercises Each activity is labeled according to the primary skill or skills you will need to use. To review relevant chapter content, you can refer to the indicated Learning Objective. In some instances, supporting information will be found in another chapter, as indicated.

3-14. Intercultural Communication: Recognizing Cultural Variations [LO-1], [LO-3], [LO-4] Review the de�initions of the generations on page 71 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch3lev1sec8#page_71) . Based on your year of birth, in which generation do you belong? Do you feel a part of this generation? Why or why not? If you were born outside the United States, do the generational boundaries seem accurate to you? Now consider the biases that you might have regarding other generations. For example, if you are a member of Generation Y, what do you think about the baby boomers and their willingness to embrace new ideas? Identify several of your generational biases that could create friction in the workplace. Summarize your responses to these questions in a post on your class blog or an email message to your instructor.

3-15. Intercultural Communication: Adapting to Cultural Variations [LO-2] You are a new manager at K & J Brick, a masonry products company that is now run by the two sons of the man who founded it 50 years ago. For years, the co-owners have invited the management team to a wilderness lodge for a combination of outdoor sports and annual business planning meetings. You don’t want to miss the event, but you know that the outdoor activities weren’t designed for someone like you, whose physical impairments prevent participation in the sporting events. Draft a short email message to the rest of the management team, suggesting changes to the annual event that will allow all managers to participate.

3-16. Intercultural Communication: Writing for Multiple-Language Audiences [LO-5] Reading English-language content written by non-native speakers of English can be a good reminder of the challenges of communicating in another language. The writing can be confusing or even amusing at �irst glance, but the key to remember here is that your writing might sound just as confusing or amusing to someone else if your roles were reversed.

Identify a company that is based in a non-English speaking country but that includes English-language text on its website. (The “Advanced” search capabilities of your favorite search engine can help you locate websites from a particular country.) Study the language on this site. Does it sound as though it was written by someone adept at English? If the �irst site you’ve found does have writing that sounds natural to a native U.S. English speaker, �ind another company whose website doesn’t. Select a section of text, at least several sentences long, and rewrite it to sound more “American.” Submit the original text and your rewritten version to your instructor.

3-17. Intercultural Communication: Writing for Multiple-Language Audiences; Collaboration: Team Projects [LO-5], Chapter 2 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch02#ch02) With a team assigned by your instructor, review the Facebook pages of �ive companies, looking for words and phrases that might be confusing to a non-native speaker of English. If you (or someone on the team) are a non-native speaker, explain to the team why those word choices could be confusing. Choose three sentences, headlines, company slogans, or other pieces of text that

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contain potentially confusing words and rewrite them to minimize the chances of misinterpretation. As much as possible, try to retain the tone of the original—although you may �ind that this is impossible in some instances. Use Google Docs to compile the original selections and your revised versions, then email the documents to your instructor.

3-18. Intercultural Communication: Speaking with Multiple-Language Audiences; Collaboration: Team Projects [LO-5], Chapter 2 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch02#ch02) Working with two other students, prepare a list of 10 examples of slang (in your own language) that might be misinterpreted or misunderstood during a business conversation with someone from another culture. Next to each example, suggest other words you might use to convey the same message. Do the alternatives mean exactly the same as the original slang or idiom? Submit your list of original words and suggested replacements, with an explanation of why each replacement is better than the original.

3-19. Intercultural Communication: Writing for Multiple-Language Audiences [LO-5] Explore the powers and limitations of free online translation services such as Google Translate. Enter a sentence from this chapter, such as “Local markets are opening to worldwide competition as businesses of all sizes look for new growth opportunities outside their own countries.” First, translate the sentence from English to Spanish and click to complete the translation. Next, copy the Spanish version and paste it into the translation entry box and back-translate it from Spanish to English. Now repeat this test for German, French, Italian, or another language. Did the sentence survive the round trip? Does it still sound like normal business writing when translated back into English?

(1) What are the implications for the use of automated translation services for international correspondence? (2) Would you feel comfortable using an online tool such as this to translate an important business message? (3) How might you use this website to sharpen your intercultural communication skills? Summarize your �indings in a brief report.

3-20. Intercultural Communication: Speaking with Multiple-Language Audiences; Media Skills: Podcasting [LO-5], Chapter 7 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch07#ch07) Your company was one of the �irst to use podcasting as a business communication tool. Executives frequently record messages (such as monthly sales summaries) and post them on the company’s intranet site; employees from the 14 of�ices in Europe, Asia, and North America then download the �iles to their music players or other devices and listen to the messages while riding the train to work, eating lunch at their desks, and so on. Your boss asks you to draft the opening statement for a podcast that will announce a revenue drop caused by intensive competitive pressure. She reviews your script and hands it back with a gentle explanation that it needs to be revised for international listeners. Improve the following statement in as many ways as you can:

Howdy, comrades. Shouldn’t surprise anyone that we took a beating this year, given the insane pricing moves our knucklehead competitors have been making. I mean, how those clowns can keep turning a pro�it is beyond me, what with steel costs still going through the roof and labor costs heating up— even in countries where everybody goes to �ind cheap labor—and hazardous waste disposal regs adding to operating costs, too.

Expand Your Skills Critique the Professionals

Find an online business document—such as a company webpage, blog post, Facebook Info tab, or LinkedIn pro�ile—that you believe commits an intercultural communication blunder by failing to consider the needs of at least some of its target readers. For example, a website might use slang or idiomatic language that could confuse some readers, or it might use language that offends some readers. In a post on your class blog, share the text you found and explain why you think it does not succeed as effective intercultural communication. Be sure to include a link back to the original material.

Sharpening Your Career Skills Online

Bovée and Thill’s Business Communication Web Search, at http://websearch.businesscommunicationnetwork.com (http://websearch.businesscommunicationnetwork.com) , is a unique research tool designed speci�ically for business communication research. Use the Web Search function to �ind a website, video, PDF document, podcast, or presentation that offers advice on communicating with business contacts in another country or culture. Write a brief email message to your instructor, describing the item you found and summarizing the career skills information you learned from it.

MyBCommLab Go to mybcommlab.com (http://mybcommlab.com) for Auto-graded writing questions as well as the following Assisted-graded writing questions:

3-21. How have market globalization and cultural diversity contributed to the increased importance of intercultural communication? [LO-1]

3-22. What four principles apply to ethical intercultural communication? [LO-3]

Endnotes 1. Ernst & Young website, accessed 21 January 2013, www.ey.com (http://www.ey.com) ; “8 CEOs Whose Inclusive Styles Change Corporate Cultures,” DiversityInc, accessed 21 January 2013, www.diversityinc.com (http://www.diversityinc.com) ; “E&Y’s Karyn Twaronite Interviewed by HBA’s Marianne Fray,” Healthcare Businesswomen’s Association, accessed 21 January 2013, www.youtube.com (http://www.youtube.com) ; “No. 6: Ernst & Young,” DiversityInc, accessed 21 January 2013, www.diversityinc.com (http://www.diversityinc.com) ; “How Ernst & Young Improved Engagement, Innovation for 167,000 Employees,” DiversityInc, accessed 21 January 2013, www.diversityinc.com (http://www.diversityinc.com) ; HR & Communications: How Ernst & Young Gets Its Diversity Message to 50,000 Employees Every Day,” DiversityInc, accessed 21 January 2013.

2. Michael R. Carrell, Everett E. Mann, and Tracey Honeycutt-Sigler, “De�ining Workforce Diversity Programs and Practices in Organizations: A Longitudinal Study,” Labor Law Journal, Spring 2006, 5–12.

3. “Dimensions of Diversity—Workforce,” Merck website, accessed 4 January 2011, www.merck.com (http://www.merck.com) .

4. “Top Ten Countries with Which the U.S. Trades,” U.S. Census Bureau website, accessed 29 December 2010, www.census.gov (http://www.census.gov) .

5. Competing Across Borders: How Cultural and Communication Barriers Affect Business, Economist Intelligence Unit Ltd., 2012, 4.

6. Nancy R. Lockwood, “Workplace Diversity: Leveraging the Power of Difference for Competitive Advantage,” HR Magazine, June 2005, special section, 1–10.

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7. Alan Kline, “The Business Case for Diversity,” USBanker, May 2010, 10–11.

8. “More Than 300 Counties Now ‘Majority–Minority,’” press release, U.S. Census Bureau website, 9 August 2007, www.census.gov (http://www.census.gov) ; Robert Kreitner, Management, 9th ed. (Boston: Houghton Mif�lin, 2004), 84.

9. Tracy Novinger, Intercultural Communication, A Practical Guide (Austin, Tex.: University of Texas Press, 2001), 15.

10. Larry A. Samovar and Richard E. Porter, “Basic Principles of Intercultural Communication,” in Intercultural Communication: A Reader, 6th ed., edited by Larry A. Samovar and Richard E. Porter (Belmont, Calif.: Wadsworth, 1991), 12.

11. Arthur Chin, “Understanding Cultural Competency,” New Zealand Business, December 2010/January 2011, 34–35; Sanjeeta R. Gupta, “Achieve Cultural Competency,” Training, February 2009, 16–17; Diane Shannon, “Cultural Competency in Health Care Organizations: Why and How,” Physician Executive, September–October 2010, 15–22.

12. Linda Beamer and Iris Varner, Intercultural Communication in the Workplace, 2nd ed. (New York: McGraw-Hill Irwin, 2001), 3.

13. “Languages of the United States,” Ethnologue website, accessed 29 December 2010, www.ethnologue.com (http://www.ethnologue.com) .

14. Philip R. Harris and Robert T. Moran, Managing Cultural Differences, 3rd ed. (Houston: Gulf, 1991), 394–397, 429–430.

15. Lillian H. Chaney and Jeanette S. Martin, Intercultural Business Communication, 2nd ed. (Upper Saddle River, N.J.: Prentice Hall, 2000), 6.

16. Beamer and Varner, Intercultural Communication in the Workplace, 4.

17. Chaney and Martin, Intercultural Business Communication, 2nd ed., 9.

18. Richard L. Daft, Management, 6th ed. (Cincinnati: Thomson South-Western, 2003), 455.

19. Lillian H. Chaney and Jeanette S. Martin, Intercultural Business Communication, 4th ed. (Upper Saddle River, N.J.: Pearson Prentice Hall, 2007), 53.

20. Project Implicit website, accessed 29 December 2010, http://implicit.harvard.edu/implicit (http://implicit.harvard.edu/implicit) .

21. Linda Beamer, “Teaching English Business Writing to Chinese-Speaking Business Students,” Bulletin of the Association for Business Communication 57, no. 1 (1994): 12–18.

22. Edward T. Hall, “Context and Meaning,” in Intercultural Communication, 6th ed., edited by Larry A. Samovar and Richard E. Porter (Belmont, Calif.: Wadsworth, 1991), 46–55.

23. Daft, Management, 459.

24. Charley H. Dodd, Dynamics of Intercultural Communication, 3rd ed. (Dubuque, Ia.: Brown, 1991), 69–70.

25. Daft, Management, 459.

26. Hannah Seligson, “For American Workers in China, a Culture Clash,” New York Times, 23 December 2009, www.nytimes.com (http://www.nytimes.com) .

27. Beamer and Varner, Intercultural Communication in the Workplace, 230–233.

28. Ed Marcum, “More U.S. Businesses Abandon Outsourcing Overseas,” Seattle Times, 28 August 2010, www.seattletimes.com (http://www.seattletimes.com) .

29. Guo-Ming Chen and William J. Starosta, Foundations of Intercultural Communication (Boston: Allyn & Bacon, 1998), 288–289.

30. Mary A. DeVries, Internationally Yours (New York: Houghton Mif�lin, 1994), 194.

31. Robert O. Joy, “Cultural and Procedural Differences That In�luence Business Strategies and Operations in the People’s Republic of China,” SAM Advanced Management Journal, Summer 1989, 29–33.

32. Chaney and Martin, Intercultural Business Communication, 2nd ed., 122–123.

33. Mansour Javidan, “Forward-Thinking Cultures,” Harvard Business Review, July–August 2007, 20.

34. “The 100 Million Club 2013: the Top 14 Mobile Markets by Number of Mobile Subscriptions And 3G/4G Subscribers,” MobiThinking, 26 November 2013, www.mobithinking.com (http://www.mobithinking.com) .

35. Tracy Novinger, Intercultural Communication, A Practical Guide (Austin: University of Texas Press, 2001), 54.

36. Peter Coy, “Old. Smart. Productive.” BusinessWeek, 27 June 2005, www.businessweek.com (http://www.businessweek.com) ; Beamer and Varner, Intercultural Communication in the Workplace, 107–108.

37. Beamer and Varner, Intercultural Communication in the Workplace, 107–108.

38.Steff Gelston, “Gen Y, Gen X and the Baby Boomers: Workplace Generation Wars,” CIO, 30 January 2008, www.cio.com (http://www.cio.com) .

39. Joanna Barsh and Lareina Yee, “Changing Companies’ Minds About Women,” McKinsey Quarterly, 2011, Issue 4, 48–59.

40. John Gray, Mars and Venus in the Workplace (New York: HarperCollins, 2002), 10, 25–27, 61–63.

41. Jennifer Luden, “Ask for a Raise? Most Women Hesitate,” NPR, 14 February 2011, www.npr.org (http://www.npr.org) .

42. “Religious Bias a Growing Issue,” Business Insurance, 13 February 2012, 8; Mark D. Downey, “Keeping the Faith,” HR Magazine, January 2008, 85–88.

43. IBM Accessibility Center, accessed 24 August 2006, www-03.ibm.com/able (http://www-03.ibm.com/able) ; AssistiveTech.net (http://AssistiveTech.net) , accessed 24 August 2006, www.assistivetech.net (http://www.assistivetech.net) ; Business Leadership Network website, accessed 24 August 2006, www.usbln.org (http://www.usbln.org) ; National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research website, accessed 24 August 2006, www.ed.gov/about/of�ices/list/osers/nidrr (http://www.ed.gov/about/of�ices/list/osers/nidrr) ; Rehabilitation Engineering & Assistive Technology Society of North America website, accessed 24 August 2006, www.resna.org (http://www.resna.org) .

44. Daphne A. Jameson, “Reconceptualizing Cultural Identity and Its Role in Intercultural Business Communication,” Journal of Business Communication, July 2007, 199–235.

45. Leslie Knudson, “Diversity on a Global Scale,” HR Management, accessed 17 August 2008, www.hrmreport.com (http://www.hrmreport.com) .

46. Craig S. Smith, “Beware of Green Hats in China and Other Cross-Cultural Faux Pas,” New York Times, 30 April 2002, C11.

47. Sana Reynolds and Deborah Valentine, Guide for Internationals: Culture, Communication, and ESL (Upper Saddle River, N.J.: Pearson Prentice Hall, 2006), 3– 11, 14–19, 25.

48. P. Christopher Earley and Elaine Mosakowsi, “Cultural Intelligence,” Harvard Business Review, October 2004, 139–146.

49. Bob Nelson, “Motivating Workers Worldwide,” Global Workforce, November 1998, 25–27.

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50. Mona Casady and Lynn Wasson, “Written Communication Skills of International Business Persons,” Bulletin of the Association for Business Communication 57, no. 4 (1994): 36–40.

51. Lynn Gaertner-Johnston, “Found in Translation,” Business Writing blog, 25 November 2005, www.businesswritingblog.com (http://www.businesswritingblog.com) .

52. Myron W. Lustig and Jolene Koester, Intercultural Competence, 4th ed. (Boston: Allyn & Bacon, 2003), 196.

53. “‘Can You Spell That for Us Nonnative Speakers?’ Accommodation Strategies in International Business Meetings,” Pamela Rogerson-Revell, Journal of Business Communication 47, no. 4 (October 2010): 432–454.

54. James Wilfong and Toni Seger, Taking Your Business Global (Franklin Lakes, N.J.: Career Press, 1997), 232.

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PART 2 Applying the Three-Step Writing Process

CHAPTER 4 Planning Business Messages (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch04#ch04) CHAPTER 5 Writing Business Messages (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch05#ch05) CHAPTER 6 Completing Business Messages (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch06#ch06)

Every professional can learn to write more effectively while spending less time and energy in creating effective messages. Discover a proven writing process that divides the challenge of communicating into three simple steps: planning, writing, and completing messages. The process works for everything from blog posts to formal reports to your résumé. With a bit of practice, you’ll be using the process to write more effectively without even thinking about it.

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4 Planning Business Messages

LEARNING OBJECTIVES After studying this chapter, you will be able to

1 Describe the three-step writing process 2 Explain why it’s important to analyze a communication situation in order to de�ine your purpose and pro�ile your audience before writing a message 3 Discuss information-gathering options for simple messages, and identify three attributes of quality information 4 List the factors to consider when choosing the most appropriate medium for a message 5 Explain why good organization is important to both you and your audience, and list the tasks involved in organizing a message

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H&R Block makes extensive use of social media and mobile apps to connect with customers and simplify the chore of �iling tax returns.

COMMUNICATION CLOSE-UP AT H&R Block Many taxpayers don’t think about their taxes until they absolutely have to, and then they want to think about taxes as little as possible. In this context of extreme apathy, H&R Block certainly has a challenge on its hands when it wants to communicate with taxpayers about tax preparation products and services.

H&R Block is the leading tax-preparation �irm in the United States, with a range of options for virtually every class of taxpayer. Those who want to avoid the chore of doing their own taxes can hand the job over to one of the company’s 90,000 tax specialists. Those taxpayers who are willing to do most or all of the work themselves can choose from a variety of digital alternatives, including both PC software and web-based solutions.

Although tax preparation is one of the least exciting consumer experiences, H&R Block has developed a reputation for creative communication efforts that make use of the latest innovations in social media. For example, for one product launch that noted media expert Shel Israel characterized as “among the most extensive business-to-consumer social media campaigns in history,” the company used a variety of techniques to connect with potential customers: videos on YouTube (including a contest for user-created videos), a pro�iles on Facebook, Twitter microblogging, and an “H&R Block Island” in the virtual world Second Life.

The innovations aren’t simply about technology, however. In the spirit of the social communication model (see Chapter 1 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch01#ch01) ), the company emphasizes a conversational, two-way approach in which it listens as carefully as it speaks. For example, staffers follow a large number of Twitter users who have asked tax questions in the past, with the goal of maintaining an open channel of communication. It has also embraced mobile in a big way, with an app for completing tax returns on tablets and smartphones.

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Particularly coming from a company that has a stodgy, old-school image in the minds of many people, this cutting-edge communication has surprised more than a few social media observers. Perhaps even more amazing is that H&R Block has actually generated some public interest in the �ield of tax preparation.1 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch4lev1sec33#ch4note1)

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1 LEARNING OBJECTIVE Describe the three-step writing process.

4.1 Understanding the Three-Step Writing Process The emphasis that H&R Block (pro�iled in the chapter-opening Communication Close-Up) puts on connecting with customers is a lesson that applies to business messages for all stakeholders. By following the process introduced in this chapter, you can create successful messages that meet audience needs and highlight your skills as a perceptive business professional.

The three-step writing process consists of planning, writing, and completing your messages.

The three-step writing process (see Figure 4.1 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch4lev1sec1#ch4�ig1) ) helps ensure that your messages are both effective (meeting your audience’s needs and getting your points across) and ef�icient (making the best use of your time and your audience’s time):

Step 1: Planning business messages. To plan any message, �irst analyze the situation by de�ining your purpose and developing a pro�ile of your audience. When you’re sure what you need to accomplish with your message, gather the information that will meet your audience’s needs. Next, select the right medium (oral, written, visual, or electronic) to deliver your message. Then organize the information by de�ining your main idea, limiting your scope, selecting the direct or indirect approach, and outlining your content. Planning messages is the focus of this chapter.

Step 2: Writing business messages. After you’ve planned your message, adapt to your audience with sensitivity, relationship skills, and an appropriate writing style. Then you’re ready to compose your message by choosing strong words, creating effective sentences, and developing coherent paragraphs. Writing business messages is discussed in Chapter 5 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch05#ch05) .

Figure 4.1 The Three-Step Writing Process

This three-step process will help you create more effective messages in any medium. As you get more practice with the process, it will become easier and more automatic.

Sources: Kevin J. Harty and John Keenan, Writing for Business and Industry: Process and Product (New York: Macmillan Publishing Company, 1987), 3–4; Richard Hatch, Business Writing (Chicago: Science Research Associates, 1983), 88–89; Richard Hatch, Business Communication Theory and Technique (Chicago: Science Research Associates, 1983), 74–75; Center for Humanities, Writing as a Process: A Step-by-Step Guide (Mount Kisco, N.Y.: Center for Humanities, 1987); Michael L. Keene, Effective Professional Writing (New York: D. C. Heath, 1987), 28–34.

Step 3: Completing business messages. After writing your �irst draft, revise your message by evaluating the content, reviewing readability, and editing and rewriting until your message comes across concisely and clearly, with correct grammar, proper punctuation, and effective format. Next, produce your message. Put it into the form that your audience will receive and review all design and layout decisions for an attractive, professional appearance. Proofread the �inal product to ensure high quality and then distribute your message. Completing business messages is discussed in Chapter 6 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch06#ch06) .

Throughout this book, you’ll learn how to apply these steps to a wide variety of business messages.

OPTIMIZING YOUR WRITING TIME

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The more you use the three-step writing process, the more intuitive and automatic it will become. You’ll also get better at allotting time for each task during a writing project. Start by �iguring out how much time you have to spend. Then, as a general rule, set aside roughly 50 percent of that time for planning, 25 percent for writing, and 25 percent for completing.

Reserving half your time for planning might seem excessive, but as the next section explains, careful planning usually saves time overall by focusing your writing and reducing rework. Of course, the ideal time allocation varies from project to project. Simpler and shorter messages require less planning than long reports, websites, and other complex projects. Also, the time required to produce and distribute messages can vary widely, depending on the media, the size of the audience, and other factors. However, start with the 50–25–25 split as a guideline, and use your best judgment for each project.

As a starting point, allot roughly half your available time for planning, one quarter for writing, and one quarter for completing a message.

PLANNING EFFECTIVELY As soon as the need to create a message appears, inexperienced communicators are often tempted to dive directly into writing. However, skipping or shortchanging the planning stage often creates extra work and stress later in the process. First, thoughtful planning is necessary to make sure you provide the right information in the right format to the right people. Taking the time to understand your audience members and their needs helps you �ind and assemble the facts they’re looking for and deliver that information in a concise and compelling way. Second, with careful planning, the writing stage is faster, easier, and a lot less stressful. Third, planning can save you from embarrassing blunders that could hurt your company or your career.

For everything beyond brief and simple messages, resist the urge to skip the planning step.

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2 LEARNING OBJECTIVE Explain why it’s important to analyze a communication situation in order to de�ine your purpose and pro�ile your audience before writing a message.

4.2 Analyzing the Situation Every communication effort takes place in a particular situation, meaning you have a speci�ic message to send to a speci�ic audience under a speci�ic set of circumstances. For example, describing your professional quali�ications in an email message to an executive in your own company differs signi�icantly from describing your quali�ications in your LinkedIn pro�ile. The email message is likely to be focused on one speci�ic goal, such as explaining why you would be a good choice to head up a major project, and you have the luxury of focusing on the needs of a single, personally identi�iable reader. In contrast, your social networking pro�ile could have multiple goals, such as connecting with your peers in other companies and presenting your quali�ications to potential employers, and it might be viewed by hundreds or thousands of readers, each with his or her own needs.

The underlying information for these two messages could be roughly the same, but the level of detail to include, the tone of the writing, the speci�ic word choices —these and other choices you need to make will differ from one situation to another. Making the right choices starts with de�ining your purpose clearly and understanding your audience’s needs.

DEFINING YOUR PURPOSE

Business messages have both a general purpose and a speci�ic purpose.

All business messages have a general purpose: to inform, to persuade, or to collaborate with the audience. This purpose helps de�ine the overall approach you’ll need to take, from gathering information to organizing your message. Within the scope of its general purpose, each message also has a speci�ic purpose (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch4lev1sec33#ch4term10) , which identi�ies what you hope to accomplish with your message and what your audience should do or think after receiving your message. For instance, is your goal simply to update your audience about some upcoming event, or do you want people to take immediate action? State your speci�ic purpose as precisely as possible, even to the point of identifying which audience members should respond, how they should respond, and when.

After de�ining your purpose, verify that the message will be worth the time and effort required to create, send, and receive it.

After you have de�ined your speci�ic purpose, take a moment for a reality check. Decide whether that purpose merits the time and effort required for you to prepare and send the message—and for your audience to spend the time required to read it, view it, or listen to it. Test your purpose by asking these four questions:

Will anything change as a result of your message? Don’t contribute to information overload by sending messages that won’t change anything. For instance, if you don’t like your company’s latest advertising campaign but you’re not in a position to in�luence it, sending a critical message to your colleagues won’t change anything and won’t bene�it anyone.

Is your purpose realistic? Recognizing whether a goal is realistic is an important part of having good business sense. For example, if you request a raise while the company is struggling, you might send the message that you’re not tuned into the situation around you.

Is the time right? People who are busy or distracted when they receive your message are less likely to pay attention to it. Many professions and departments have recurring cycles in their workloads, for instance, and messages sent during peak times may be ignored.

Is your purpose acceptable to your organization? Your company’s business objectives and policies, and even laws that apply to your particular industry, may dictate whether a particular purpose is acceptable.

When you are satis�ied that you have a clear and meaningful purpose and that this is a smart time to proceed, your next step is to understand the members of your audience and their needs.

DEVELOPING AN AUDIENCE PROFILE

Ask yourself some key questions about your audience:

Who are they?

How many people do you need to reach?

How much do they already know about the subject?

What is their probable reaction to your message?

If audience members have different levels of understanding of the topic, aim your message at the most in�luential decision makers.

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Before audience members will take the time to read or listen to your messages, they have to be interested in what you’re saying. They need to know the message is relevant to their needs—even if they don’t necessarily want to read or see it. The more you know about your audience members, their needs, and their expectations, the more effectively you’ll be able to communicate with them. Follow these steps to conduct a thorough audience analysis (see Figure 4.2 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch4lev1sec4#ch4�ig2) ):

Identify your primary audience. For some messages, certain audience members may be more important than others. Don’t ignore the needs of less in�luential members, but make sure you address the concerns of the key decision makers.

Determine audience size and geographic distribution. A message aimed at 10,000 people spread around the globe will probably require a different approach than one aimed at a dozen people down the hall.

Determine audience composition. Look for similarities and differences in culture, language, age, education, organizational rank and status, attitudes, experience, motivations, biases, beliefs, and any other factors that might affect the success of your message (see Figure 4.3 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch4lev1sec4#ch4�ig3) ).

Gauge audience members’ level of understanding. If audience members share your general background, they’ll probably understand your material without dif�iculty. If not, your message will need an element of education to help people understand your message.

Figure 4.2 Using Audience Analysis to Plan a Message

For simple, routine messages, you usually don’t need to analyze your audience in depth. However, for complex messages or messages for indifferent or hostile audiences, take the time to study their information needs and potential reactions to your message.

Source: Microsoft Of�ice 365 Microsoft Corporation.

Figure 4.3 Predicting the Effects of Audience Composition

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As just one example of why it’s important to analyze the composition of your audience, the attitudes and beliefs of individual audience members can have a signi�icant impact on the success of a message. In this scenario, for instance, a seemingly positive message about employee bene�its can generate a wide range of responses from employees with different beliefs and concerns.

REAL-TIME UPDATES

LEARN MORE BY READING THIS PDF

Dig deep into audience needs with this planning tool

This in-depth audience analysis tool can help you analyze audiences for even the most complex communication scenarios. Go to http://real- timeupdates.com/bct13 (http://real-timeupdates.com/bct13) . Under “Students,” click on “Learn More.”

Understand audience expectations and preferences.

For example, will members of your audience expect complete details or just a summary of the main points? In general, for internal communication, the higher up the organization your message goes, the fewer details people want to see.

Forecast probable audience reaction. As you’ll read later in the chapter, potential audience reaction affects message organization. If you expect a favorable response, you can state conclusions and recommendations up front and offer minimal supporting evidence. If you expect skepticism, you can introduce conclusions gradually and with more proof.

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3 LEARNING OBJECTIVE Discuss information-gathering options for simple messages, and identify three attributes of quality information.

4.3 Gathering Information When you have a clear picture of your audience, your next step is to assemble the information to include in your message. For simple messages, you may already have all the information at hand, but for more complex messages, you may need to do considerable research and analysis before you’re ready to begin writing. Chapter 13 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch13#ch13) explores formal techniques for �inding, evaluating, and processing information, but you can often use a variety of informal techniques to gather insights and guide your research efforts:

If a project doesn’t require formal research techniques, or you need answers in a hurry, you can use a variety of informal techniques to gather the information your audience needs.

MOBILE APPS

The note-taking apps Evernote and Notebook help you collect, organize, and retrieve the information for planning writing projects.

Consider the audience’s perspective. Put yourself in the audience’s position. What are these people thinking, feeling, or planning? What information do they need in order to move forward? If you are initiating a conversation in a social media context, what information will stimulate discussion in your target communities?

Listen to the community. For almost any subject related to business these days, chances are there is a community of customers, product enthusiasts, or other people who engage in online discussions. Find them and listen to what they have to say.

Read reports and other company documents. Annual reports, �inancial statements, news releases, blogs by industry experts, marketing reports, and customer surveys are just a few of the many potential sources. Find out whether your company has a knowledge management system, a centralized database that collects the experiences and insights of employees throughout the organization.

Talk with supervisors, colleagues, or customers. Fellow workers and customers may have information you need, or they may have good insights into the needs of your target audience.

Ask your audience for input. If you’re unsure what audience members need from your message, ask them, if at all possible. Admitting you don’t know but want to meet their needs will impress an audience more than guessing and getting it wrong.

UNCOVERING AUDIENCE NEEDS

Audience members might not be able to describe all the information they need, or you might not have the opportunity to ask them, so you may have to engage in some detective work.

In many situations, your audience’s information needs will be obvious, or readers will be able to tell you what they need. In other situations, though, people may be unable to articulate exactly what they want. If someone makes a vague or broad request, ask questions to narrow the focus. If your boss says, “Find out everything you can about Interscope Records,” narrow the investigation by asking which aspect of the company and its business is most important. Asking a question or two often forces the person to think through the request and de�ine more precisely what is required.

In addition, try to think of relevant information needs that your audience may not have expressed. Suppose you’ve been asked to compare two health insurance plans for your �irm’s employees, but your research has uncovered a third alternative that might be even better. You could then expand your report to include a brief explanation of why the third plan should be considered and compare it to the two original plans. Use judgment, however; in some situations you need to provide only what the audience expects and nothing more.

FINDING YOUR FOCUS You may encounter situations in which the assignment or objective is so vague that you have no idea how to get started in determining what the audience needs to know. In such cases, you can use some discovery techniques to help generate ideas and uncover possible avenues to research. One popular technique is free writing (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch4lev1sec33#ch4term2) , in which you write whatever comes to mind, without stopping to make any corrections, for a set period of time. The big advantage of free writing is that you silence your “inner critic” and just express ideas as they come to you. You might end up with a rambling mess by any conventional measure, but that’s not important. Within that tangle of expressions, you might also �ind some useful ideas and angles that hadn’t occurred to you yet—perhaps the crucial idea that will jumpstart the entire project.

The best discovery option in some cases might not be writing at all, but rather sketching. If you’re unable to come up with any words, grab a sketchpad and start drawing. While you’re thinking visually, your brain might release some great ideas that were trapped behind words.

The techniques listed under “De�ining Your Main Idea” on page 106 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch4lev1sec24#page_106) can also be helpful if you don’t know where to start.

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Use free writing and other discovery techniques if you need to �ind the focus of a new writing project.

PROVIDING REQUIRED INFORMATION After you have de�ined your audience’s information needs, your next step is to satisfy those needs completely. One good way to test the thoroughness of your message is to use the journalistic approach (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch4lev1sec33#ch4term5) : Check to see whether your message answers who, what, when, where, why, and how. Using this method, you can quickly tell whether a message fails to deliver. For example, consider this message requesting information from employees:

The journalistic approach asks who, what, when, where, why, and how.

We are exploring ways to reduce our of�ice space leasing costs and would like your input on a proposed plan in which employees who telecommute on alternate days could share of�ices. Please let me know what you think of this proposal.

The message fails to tell employees everything they need to know in order to provide meaningful responses. The what could be improved by identifying the speci�ic information points the writer needs from employees (such as whether individual telecommuting patterns are predictable enough to allow scheduling of shared of�ices). The writer also doesn’t specify when the responses are needed or how the employees should respond. By failing to address such points, the request is likely to generate a variety of responses, some possibly helpful but some probably not.

Be Sure the Information Is Accurate

The quality of the information you provide is every bit as important as the quantity. Inaccurate information in business messages can cause a host of problems, from embarrassment and lost productivity to serious safety and legal issues. You may commit the organization to promises it can’t keep—and the error could harm your reputation as a reliable businessperson. Thanks to the Internet, inaccurate information may persist for years after you distribute it.

You can minimize mistakes by double-checking every piece of information you collect. If you are consulting sources outside the organization, ask yourself whether the information is current and reliable. As Chapter 13 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch13#ch13) notes, you must be particularly careful when using sources you �ind online. Be sure to review any mathematical or �inancial calculations. Check all dates and schedules and examine your own assumptions and conclusions to be certain they are valid.

You have a responsibility to provide quality information to your readers.

Be Sure the Information Is Ethical

By working hard to ensure the accuracy of the information you gather, you’ll also avoid many ethical problems in your messages. If you do make an honest mistake, such as delivering information you initially thought to be true but later found to be false, contact the recipients of the message immediately and correct the error. No one can reasonably fault you in such circumstances, and people will respect your honesty.

Messages can also be unethical if important information is omitted (see “Ethics Detective: Solving the Case of the Missing Safety Warning”). Of course, as a business professional, you may have legal or other sound business reasons for not including every detail about every matter. Just how much detail should you include? Make sure you include enough to avoid misleading your audience. If you’re unsure how much information your audience needs, offer as much as you believe best �its your de�inition of complete and then offer to provide more upon request.

Omitting important information can be an unethical decision.

Be Sure the Information Is Pertinent

Select the information you include based on how pertinent it is to your readers.

When gathering information for your message, remember that some points will be more important to your audience than others. Audience members will appreciate your efforts to prioritize the information they need and �ilter out the information they don’t. Moreover, by focusing on the information that concerns your audience the most, you increase your chances of accomplishing your own communication goals.

If you don’t know your audience or if you’re communicating with a large group of people who have diverse interests, use common sense to identify points of interest. Audience factors such as age, job, location, income, and education can give you clues. If you’re trying to sell memberships in a health club, you might adjust your message for athletes, busy professionals, families, and people in different locations or in different income brackets. The comprehensive facilities and professional trainers would appeal to athletes, whereas the low monthly rates would appeal to college students on tight budgets.

Some messages necessarily reach audiences with a diverse mix of educational levels, subject awareness, and other variables. If possible, provide each audience segment with its own targeted information, such as by using sections in a brochure or links on a webpage.

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ETHICS DETECTIVE

Solving the Case of the Missing Safety Warning

Your company, Furniture Formations, creates a variety of home furniture products, with extensive use of �ine woods. To preserve the look and feel of the wood, your craftspeople use a linseed oil–based �inish that you purchase from a local wholesaler. The workers apply the �inish with rags, which are thrown away after each project. After a news report about spontaneous combustion of waste rags occurring in other furniture shops, you grow concerned enough to contact the wholesaler and ask for veri�ication of the product’s safety. The wholesaler knows you’ve been considering a non�lammable, water-based alternative from another source but tries to assure you with the following message:

Seal the rags in an approved container and dispose of it according to local regulations. As you probably already know, county regulations require all commercial users of oil-based materials to dispose of leftover �inishes at the county’s hazardous waste facility.

You’re still not satis�ied. You visit the website of the oil’s manufacturer and �ind the following cautionary statement about the product you’re currently using:

Finishes that contain linseed oil or tung oil require speci�ic safety precautions to minimize the risk of �ire. Oil-soaked rags and other materials such as steel wool must be sealed in water-�illed metal containers and then disposed of in accordance with local waste management regulations. Failure to do so can lead to spontaneous combustion that results from the heat-producing chemical reaction that takes place as the �inish dries. In particular, DO NOT leave wet, oil-soaked rags in a pile or discard them with other waste.

ANALYSIS

Was the wholesaler guilty of an ethical lapse in this case? If yes, explain what you think the lapse is and why you believe it is unethical. If no, explain why you think the statement quali�ies as ethical.

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4 LEARNING OBJECTIVE List the factors to consider when choosing the most appropriate medium for a message.

4.4 Selecting the Best Combination of Media and Channels With the necessary information in hand, your next decision involves the best combination of media and channels to reach your target audience. As you recall from Chapter 1 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch01#ch01) , the medium is the form a message takes and the channel is the system used to deliver the message. The distinction between the two isn’t always crystal clear, and some people use the terms in different ways, but these de�initions are a useful way to think about the possibilities for business communication.

Most media can be distributed through more than one channel, so whenever you have a choice, think through your options to select the optimum combination. For example, a brief written message could be distributed as a printed letter or memo, or it could be distributed through a variety of digital channels, from email to blogging to social networking.

THE MOST COMMON MEDIA AND CHANNEL OPTIONS The simplest way to categorize media choices is to divide them into oral (spoken), written, and visual. Each of these media can be delivered through digital and nondigital channels, which creates six basic combinations, discussed in the following sections. Table 4.1 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch4lev1sec14#ch4tab1) on the next page summarizes the general advantages and disadvantages of the six medium/channel combinations. Speci�ic options within these categories have their own strengths and weaknesses to consider as well.

Media can be divided into oral, written, and visual forms, and all three can be distributed through digital and nondigital channels.

Oral Medium, In-Person Channel

The oral medium, in-person combo involves talking with people who are in the same location, whether it’s a one-on-one conversation over lunch or a more formal speech or presentation. Being in the same physical space is a key distinction because it enables the nuances of nonverbal communication more than any other media-channel combo. As Chapter 2 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch02#ch02) points out, these nonverbal signals can carry as much weight in the conversation as the words being spoken.

By giving people the ability to see, hear, and react to each other, in-person communication is useful for encouraging people to ask questions, make comments, and work together to reach a consensus or decision. Face-to-face interaction is particularly helpful in complex, emotionally charged situations in which establishing or fostering a business relationship is important.2 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch4lev1sec33#ch4note2) Managers who engage in frequent “walk-arounds,” chatting with employees face-to-face, can get input, answer questions, and interpret important business events and trends.3 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch4lev1sec33#ch4note3)

The nonverbal and interactive aspects of in-person communication are dif�icult to replicate in most other media/channel combinations.

Oral Medium, Digital Channel

Oral media via digital channels include any transmission of voice via electronic means, both live and recorded, including telephone calls, podcasts, and voicemail messages. Live phone conversations offer the give-and-take of in-person conversations and can be the best alternative to talking in person. However, without a video component, they can’t provide the nuances of nonverbal communication. Podcasts can be a good way to share lectures, commentary, and other spoken content. You can read about podcasting in Chapter 7 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch07#ch07) .

Written Medium, Print Channel

Written, printed documents are the classic format of business communication. Memos (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch4lev1sec33#ch4term8) are brief printed documents traditionally used for the routine, day-to- day exchange of information within an organization. Letters (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch4lev1sec33#ch4term6) are brief written messages sent to customers and other recipients outside the organization. Reports and proposals are usually longer than memos and letters, although both can be created in memo or letter format. These documents come in a variety of lengths, ranging from a few pages to several hundred, and are usually fairly formal in tone.

While still a useful format, printed documents have been replaced by digital alternatives in many instances. However, here are several situations in which you should consider a printed message over electronic alternatives:

When you want to make a formal impression

When you are legally required to provide information in printed form

Digital media/channel formats have replaced printed documents in many instances, but print is still the best choice for some messages and situations.

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TABLE 4.1 Medium/Channel Combinations: Advantages and Disadvantages Medium/ChannelAdvantages Disadvantages

Oral, In-person Provide opportunity for immediate feedback

Easily resolve misunderstandings and negotiate meanings

Involve rich nonverbal cues (both physical gesture and vocal in�lection)

Allow you to express the emotion behind your message

Restrict participation to those physically present

Unless recorded, provide no permanent, veri�iable record of the communication

Reduce communicator’s control over the message

Oral, Digital Can provide opportunity for immediate feedback (live phone or online conversations)

Not restricted to participants in the same location

Allow time-shifted consumption (e.g., podcasts)

Lack nonverbal cues other than voice in�lections

Can be tedious to listen to if not audience focused (recorded messages)

Written, Printed Allow writers to plan and control their messages

Can reach geographically dispersed audiences

Offer a permanent, veri�iable record

Minimize the distortion that can accompany oral messages

Can be used to avoid immediate interactions

Deemphasize any inappropriate emotional components

Give recipients time to process messages before responding (compared to oral communication)

Offer limited opportunities for timely feedback

Lack the rich nonverbal cues provided by oral media

Often take more time and more resources to create and distribute

Can require special skills in preparation and production if document is elaborate

Written, Digital Generally, all the advantages of written printed documents plus:

Fast delivery

Can reach geographically dispersed audiences

Flexibility of multiple formats and channels, from microblogs to wikis

Flexibility to structure messages in creative ways, such as writing a headline on Twitter and linking to the full message on a blog

Ability to link to related and more in-depth information

Can increase accessibility and openness in an organization through broader sharing

Enable audience interaction through social media features Ease of integrating with other media types, such as embedded videos or photos

Can be limited in terms of reach and capability (e.g., on Twitter you can reach only those people who follow you or search for you)

Require Internet or mobile phone connectivity

Vulnerable to security and privacy problems

Are easy to overuse (sending too many messages to too many recipients)

Create privacy risks and concerns (exposing con�idential data; employer monitoring; accidental forwarding)

Entail security risks (viruses, spyware; network breaches)

Create productivity concerns (frequent interruptions; nonbusiness usage)

Visual, Printed Can convey complex ideas and relationships quickly

Often less intimidating than long blocks of text

Can reduce the burden on the audience to �igure out how the pieces of a message or concept �it

Can be easy to create in spreadsheets and other software (simple charts and graphs), then integrate with reports

Can require artistic skills to design

Require some technical skills to create

Can require more time to create than equivalent amount of text

Can be expensive to print

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Medium/ChannelAdvantages Disadvantages

Visual, Digital

Generally, all the advantages of visual printed documents and all the advantages of written digital formats plus:

Can personalize and enhance the experience for audience members

Offer the persuasive power of multimedia formats, particularly video

Potential time, cost, and skills needed to create

Can require large amounts of bandwidth

When you want to stand out from the �lood of electronic messages

When you need a permanent, unchangeable, or secure record

Obviously, if you can’t reach a particular audience electronically, you’ll need to use a printed message. Appendix A (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/bm01#bm01) offers guidelines on formatting printed memos and letters.

Written Medium, Digital Channel

Most of your business communication efforts will involve the combination of written medium and digital channel.

Most of your business communication efforts will involve written digital messages, with everything from 140-character tweets to website content to book-length reports distributed as portable document format (PDF) �iles (see Figure 4.4 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch4lev1sec14#ch4�ig4) ). Business uses of written, digital messages keeps involving as companies look for ways to communicate more effectively. For example, email has been a primary business medium for the past decade or two, but it is being replaced in many cases by a variety of other digital formats.4 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch4lev1sec33#ch4note4) Chapters 7 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch07#ch07) and 8 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch08#ch08) take a closer look at various written-digital combinations, from email to IM to social networks.

Figure 4.4 Media and Channel Choices: Written + Digital

The online video game magazine GamesRadar.com (http://GamesRadar.com) uses Twitter as a platform for announcing new articles. These tweets are written as teasers (see page 178 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch7lev1sec1#page_178) ) to entice readers to click through to full articles on the GamesRadar.com (http://GamesRadar.com) website.

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Source: Screenshot of Games Radar Twitter account, Author: Future US, Inc.

Visual Medium, Print Channel

Photographs and diagrams can be effective communication tools for conveying emotional content, spatial relationships, technical processes, and other content than can be dif�icult to describe using words alone. You may occasionally create visual, printed message as standalone items, but most will be used as supporting material in printed documents.

Visual Medium, Digital Channel

Business messages can really come alive when conveyed by visual media in digital channels. Infographics, interactive diagrams, animation, and digital video have the potential to engage audiences in ways that other formats can’t, which is why the use of visual elements in business communication continues to grow.

The combination of the visual medium and a digital channel can be the most compelling and engaging choice for many messages, although it is not always the easiest or cheapest format.

Traditional business messages rely primarily on text, with occasional support from graphics such as charts, graphs, or diagrams to help illustrate points discussed in the text. However, many business communicators are discovering the power of messages in which the visual element is dominant and supported by small amounts of text. For the purposes of this discussion, you can think of visual media as formats in which one or more visual elements play a central role in conveying the message content.

Messages that combine powerful visuals with supporting text can be effective for a number of reasons. Today’s audiences are pressed for time and bombarded with messages, so anything that communicates quickly is welcome. Visuals are also effective at describing complex ideas and processes because they can reduce the work required for an audience to identify the parts and relationships that make up the whole. Also, in a multilingual business world, diagrams, symbols, and other images can lower communication barriers by requiring less language processing. Finally, visual images can be easier to remember than purely textual descriptions or explanations. Chapter 9 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch09#ch09) offers tips on using visual-digital combinations.

The mobile digital channel has become signi�icant in business communication of all types, but it presents some challenges that must be considered.

The Unique Challenges of Communication on Mobile Devices

Mobile devices can be used to create and consume virtually every digital form of oral, written, and visual media. Thanks to the combination of portability and the �lexibility enabled by a wide array of business-focused apps, mobile devices have become a primary tool in business communication. In addition to the factors discussed on pages 16 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch1lev1sec16#page_16) –18 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch1lev1sec16#page_18) in Chapter 1 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch01#ch01) , consider these issues whenever your messages are likely to be viewed on mobile devices:

Screen size and resolution. The screen resolution of phones and tablets has improved considerably in recent years, but the limited size of these screens still presents a challenge simply because many messages are signi�icantly larger than the screens they will be viewed on. The result is a dilemma that pits clarity again context. Readers can zoom in to make text readable and visuals understandable, but particularly on phone screens, the inability to see an entire document page or visual at once can limit a reader’s ability to grasp its full meaning. This can be particularly troublesome if you are collaborating on writing or presentation projects and team members need to review documents or slides.

Input technologies. Even for accomplished texters, typing on mobile keyboards can be a challenge. Voice recognition is one way around the keyboard limitation, but anyone using it in public areas or shared of�ices runs the risk of sharing private message content and annoying anyone within earshot. In addition, even with a stylus, selecting items on a touchscreen can be more dif�icult than doing so on a PC screen using a mouse. If your website content or other messages and materials require a signi�icant amount of input activity from recipients, try to make it as easy as possible for them. Even simple steps such as increasing the size of buttons and text-entry �ields can help.

Bandwidth, speed, and connectivity limitations. The speed and quality of mobile connectivity varies widely by device, carrier, service plan, and geographic location. Even users with higher bandwidth service don’t always enjoy the advertised transfer speeds they are paying for. Moreover, mobile users can lose connectivity while traveling, passing through network “dead spots,” or during peak-demand hours or events (trade shows and conventions are notorious for this). Don’t assume that your mobile recipients will be able to satisfactorily consume the content that you might be creating on a fast, reliable, in-of�ice network.

Data usage and operational costs. As the amount of video traf�ic in particular increases (video requires much higher bandwidth than text or audio), data consumption is becoming a key concern for mobile carriers and customers alike. Many mobile users do not have unlimited data-usage plans and have to manage their data consumption carefully to avoid excess fees. Some carriers offer unlimited data plans, but even those can come with restrictions such as bandwidth throttling that reduces the speed of a user’s connection.5 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch4lev1sec33#ch4note5) Given these factors, be careful about expecting or requiring mobile users to consume a lot of video or other data-intensive content.

Media vary widely in terms of richness, which encompasses the number of information cues, feedback mechanisms, and opportunities for personalization.

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FACTORS TO CONSIDER WHEN CHOOSING MEDIA AND CHANNELS You don’t always have the option of choosing which medium or channel to use for a particular message. For example, many companies have internal instant messaging (IM) or social networking systems that you are expected to use for certain types of communication, such as project updates. However, when you do have a choice, consider these factors:

Richness. Richness is a medium’s ability to (1) convey a message through more than one informational cue (visual, verbal, vocal), (2) facilitate feedback, and (3) establish personal focus. The richest medium is face-to-face communication; it’s personal, it provides immediate feedback (verbal and nonverbal), and it conveys the emotion behind a message.6 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch4lev1sec33#ch4note6) At the other extreme are the leanest media, such as texting and IM—those that communicate in the simplest ways, provide no opportunity for audience feedback, and aren’t personalized. In general, use richer media to send nonroutine or complex messages, to humanize your presence throughout the organization, to communicate caring to employees, and to gain employee commitment to company goals. Use leaner media to send routine messages or to transfer information that doesn’t require signi�icant explanation.7 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch4lev1sec33#ch4note7)

Formality. Your media choice is a nonverbal signal that affects the style and tone of your message. For example, a printed memo or letter is likely to be perceived as a more formal gesture than an IM or email message.

Media and channel limitations. Every medium and channel has limitations. For instance, IM is perfect for communicating simple, straightforward messages between two people, but it is less effective for complex messages or conversations that involve three or more people.

Urgency. Some media establish a connection with the audience faster than others, so choose wisely if your message is urgent. However, be sure to respect audience members’ time and workloads. If a message isn’t urgent and doesn’t require immediate feedback, choose a medium such as email or blogging that allows people to respond at their convenience.

Many types of media/channel combinations offer instantaneous delivery, but take care not to interrupt people unnecessarily (e.g., with IM or phone calls) if you don’t need an immediate answer.

Cost. Cost is both a real �inancial factor and a perceived nonverbal signal. For example, depending on the context, extravagant (and expensive) video or multimedia presentations can send a nonverbal signal of sophistication and professionalism—or careless disregard for company budgets.

Remember that media and channel choices can also send a nonverbal signal regarding costs; make sure your choices are �inancially appropriate.

When choosing media and channels, don’t forget to consider your audience’s expectations and preferences.

Audience preferences. If you know that your audience prefers a particular media and channel combination, use that format if it works well for the message and the situation. Otherwise you risk annoying the audience or having your message missed or ignored.

Security and privacy. Your company may have restrictions on the media and channels that can be used for certain types of messages, but even if it doesn’t think carefully whenever your messages include sensitive information. Never assume that your email, IM, and other digital communications are private. Many companies monitor these channels, and there is always the risk that networks could get hacked or that messages will be forwarded beyond their original recipients.

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5 LEARNING OBJECTIVE Explain why good organization is important to both you and your audience, and list the tasks involved in organizing a message.

4.5 Organizing Your Information Organization can make the difference between success and failure. Good organization helps your readers or listeners in three key ways. First, it helps them understand your message. In a well-organized message, you make the main point clear at the outset, present additional points to support that main idea, and satisfy all the information needs of the audience. But if your message is poorly organized, your meaning can be obscured, and your audiences may form inaccurate conclusions about what you’ve written or said.

Second, good organization helps receivers accept your message. If your writing appears confused and disorganized, people will likely conclude that the thinking behind the writing is also confused and disorganized. Moreover, effective messages often require a bit more than simple, clear logic. A diplomatic approach helps receivers accept your message, even if it’s not exactly what they want to hear. In contrast, a poorly organized message on an emotionally charged topic can alienate the audience before you have the chance to get your point across.

Good organization bene�its your audiences by helping them understand and accept your message in less time.

Good organization helps you by reducing the time and creative energy needed to create effective messages.

Third, good organization saves your audience time. Well-organized messages are ef�icient. They contain only relevant ideas, and they are brief. Moreover, each piece of information is located in a logical place in the overall �low; each section builds on the one before to create a coherent whole, without forcing people to look for missing pieces.

In addition to saving time and energy for your readers, good organization saves you time and consumes less of your creative energy. Writing moves more quickly because you don’t waste time putting ideas in the wrong places or composing material that you don’t need. You spend far less time rewriting, trying to extract sensible meaning from disorganized rambling. Last but far from least, organizational skills are good for your career because they help you develop a reputation as a clear thinker who cares about your readers.

REAL-TIME UPDATES

LEARN MORE BY VIEWING THIS PRESENTATION

Smart advice for brainstorming sessions

Generate better ideas in less time with these helpful tips. Go to http://real-timeupdates.com/bct13 (http://real-timeupdates.com/bct13) . Under “Students,” click on “Learn More.”

Business Communicators Innovating with Mobile As the third major revolution in business communication in the past two decades (after the World Wide Web and social media), mobile communication has the potential to change nearly every aspect of business communication. Here is a small sample of the ways companies are putting mobile to work.

Training In the face of changing markets, government regulations, and other forces in the business environment, developing and maintaining employee skill sets is an ongoing challenge for most companies. The challenge is made even more dif�icult when employees are constantly on the move or geographically dispersed. With training materials developed speci�ically for mobile devices, companies can deliver training content when and where it helps employees the most.8 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch4lev1sec33#ch4note8)

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Distributed Decision Making A complementary aspect to managing remote workers via mobile apps is giving employees the authority to make decisions in the �ield, rather than relying on managers back in the of�ice. In the oil and gas industry, for instance, specialized mobile apps include tools for data visualization, collaboration, and data collection to help on-site employees and supervisors communicate and coordinate their efforts. This capability can be particularly vital after accidents or other crisis events, because it lets employees who are on the scene choose the best course of action without delay.9 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch4lev1sec33#ch4note9)

Mobile Glossary

In addition to terms de�ined elsewhere in the book, here are some helpful mobile terms.

3G, 4G, and 5G

Successive generations of mobile phone technology, although the generational boundaries are loosely de�ined and each generation includes a number of competing technologies; roughly speaking, we’re in a transition from 3G to 4G now, and 5G (whatever it ends up being) won’t arrive for at least several more years.

Android and iOS

The two major operating systems/platforms for mobile devices. Android devices are made by a wide variety of manufacturers, but iOS devices are made only by Apple.

Bandwidth

A measure of the data-carrying capacity of a mobile, Wi-Fi, or other network connection; streaming video and other demanding applications require a broadband connection, but there’s no general agreement on exactly what constitutes broadband.

Cellular Versus Mobile

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Two terms for the same concept; cellular (derived from the way phone networks are con�igured) is used mainly in the United States, whereas mobile is used more generally around the world and is also more descriptive, so that’s the term used in this book.

Remote Workforce Management

Dispersed workforces also present a variety of supervision and management dif�iculties. Mobile workforce management apps can address many of these problems, from basic functions such as ensuring that workers show up on time at remote job sites to rescheduling customer appointments on the �ly to collecting information to share with technical support staff. Sales managers can give just-in-time coaching and encouragement to representatives who are about to call on potential customers. Some systems can even embed information on best practices from experienced workers and deliver virtual coaching to less-experienced workers in the �ield.10 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch4lev1sec33#ch4note10)

Recruiting

With a target population that is often on the move, companies are responding by integrating mobile into their recruiting processes. These efforts include mobile-friendly job postings, mobile application and recruiting apps, and interviewing systems that let candidates and recruiters connect using their mobile devices.11 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch4lev1sec33#ch4note11)

Project Management

Work teams are often dispersed over wide geographic ranges and frequently on the move, so mobile communication is an essential element of contemporary project management. Instant access to task status and other vital information helps project managers stay on top of rapidly moving projects and helps team members communicate ef�iciently.

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Context Awareness

A mobile device’s ability to modify its operation based on knowledge of where it is; silencing the ringer when you arrive at your of�ice is a simple example.

Geofencing

Using the location-sensing capabilities of mobile devices to remotely monitor and control the device and its user; delivery companies, for example, can monitor where their drivers are and make sure they stay within designated areas.

Over-the-Top (OTT) Application

A digital service that bypasses a traditional distribution network to provide similar capability, often by using cloud capabilities; an example is WhatsApp using Internet connections to create services traditionally provided by mobile phone carriers.12 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch4lev1sec33#ch4note12)

Phablet

A rather ungainly name for mobile devices that are larger than phones but smaller than tablets.

Quick Response (QR) Codes and Near-Field Communication (NFC)

Two ways for a mobile device to access additional information; QR codes are square, phone-scannable barcodes that connect the phone to a website; NFC is a short-distance radio technology that enables a data link between a phone and tags that can be attached to products or other locations.

The topic is the broad subject; the main idea makes a statement about the topic.

DEFINING YOUR MAIN IDEA The topic (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch4lev1sec33#ch4term11) of your message is the overall subject, and your main idea (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch4lev1sec33#ch4term7) is a speci�ic statement about that topic (see Table 4.2 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch4lev1sec24#ch4tab2) ). For example, if you believe that the current system of using paper forms for �iling employee insurance claims is expensive and slow, you might craft a message in which the topic is employee insurance claims and the main idea is that a new web-based system would reduce costs for the company and reduce reimbursement delays for employees.

In longer documents and presentations, you often need to unify a mass of material with a main idea that encompasses all the individual points you want to make. Finding a common thread through all these points can be a challenge. Sometimes you won’t even be sure what your main idea is until you sort through the information. For tough assignments like these, consider a variety of techniques to generate creative ideas:

Brainstorming. Working alone or with others, generate as many ideas and questions as you can, without stopping to criticize or organize. After you capture all these pieces, look for patterns and connections to help identify the main idea and the groups of supporting ideas. For example, if your main idea concerns whether to open a new restaurant in Denver, you’ll probably �ind a group of ideas related to �inancial return, another related to competition, and so on. Identifying such groups helps you see the major issues that will lead you to a conclusion you can feel con�ident about.

Journalistic approach. The journalistic approach (see page 97 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch4lev1sec7#page_97) ) asks who, what, when, where, why, and how questions to distill major ideas from unorganized information.

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Question-and-answer chain. Start with a key question, from the audience’s perspective, and work back toward your message. In most cases, you’ll �ind that each answer generates new questions until you identify the information that needs to be in your message.

Storyteller’s tour. Some writers �ind it best to talk through a communication challenge before they try to write. Record yourself as you describe what you intend to write. Then listen to the playback, identify ways to tighten and clarify the message, and repeat the process until you distill the main idea down to a single concise message.

Mind mapping. You can generate and organize ideas using a graphic method called mind mapping. Start with a main idea and then branch out to connect every other related idea that comes to mind. You can �ind a number of free mind-mapping tools online.

MOBILE APPS

With Mindjet Maps, you can quickly build mind maps to brainstorm a writing project, using text boxes, photos, and more.

Limit the scope of your message so that you can convey your main idea as brie�ly as possible.

LIMITING YOUR SCOPE The scope (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch4lev1sec33#ch4term9) of your message is the range of information you present, the overall length, and the level of detail—all of which need to correspond to your main idea. The length of some business messages has a preset limit, whether from a boss’s instructions, the technology you’re using, or a time frame such as individual speaker slots during a seminar. Even if you don’t have a preset length, it’s vital to limit yourself to the scope needed to convey your main idea—and no more.

TABLE 4.2 De�ining Topic and Main Idea General Purpose (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch4lev1sec33#ch4term3)

Example of Speci�ic Purpose

Example of Topic

Example of Main Idea

To inform Teach customer service representatives how to edit and expand the technical support wiki

Technical support wiki

Careful, thorough edits and additions to the wiki help the entire department provide better customer support.

To persuade Convince top managers to increase spending on research and development

Funding for research and development

Competitors spend more than we do on research and development, enabling them to create more innovative products.

To collaborate

Solicit ideas for a companywide incentive system that ties wages to pro�its

Incentive pay

Tying wages to pro�its motivates employees and reduces compensation costs in tough years.

Whatever the length of your message, limit the number of major supporting points to half a dozen or so—and if you can get your idea across with fewer points, all the better. Listing 20 or 30 supporting points might feel as though you’re being thorough, but your audience is likely to view such detail as rambling and mind numbing. Instead, group your supporting points under major headings, such as �inance, customers, competitors, employees, or whatever is appropriate for your subject. Look for ways to combine your supporting points so that you have a smaller number with greater impact.

The ideal length of a message depends on your topic, your audience members’ familiarity with the material, their receptivity to your conclusions, and your credibility. You’ll need fewer words to present routine information to a knowledgeable audience that already knows and respects you. You’ll need more words to build a consensus about a complex and controversial subject, especially if the members of your audience are skeptical or hostile strangers.

CHOOSING BETWEEN DIRECT AND INDIRECT APPROACHES After you’ve de�ined your main idea and supporting points, you’re ready to decide on the sequence you will use to present your information. You have two basic options:

The direct approach (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch4lev1sec33#ch4term1) starts with the main idea (such as a recommendation, a conclusion, or a request) and follows that with supporting evidence.

The indirect approach (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch4lev1sec33#ch4term4) starts with the evidence and builds up to the main idea.

To choose between these two alternatives, analyze your audience’s likely reaction to your purpose and message (see Figure 4.5 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch4lev1sec24#ch4�ig5) ). Bear in mind, however, that Figure 4.5 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch4lev1sec24#ch4�ig5) presents only general guidelines; always consider the unique circumstances of each message and audience situation. The following sections offer more insight on choosing the best approach for routine and positive messages, negative messages, and persuasive messages.

The type of message also in�luences the choice of the direct or indirect approach. In the coming chapters, you’ll get speci�ic advice on choosing the best approach for a variety of communication challenges.

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With the direct approach, you open with the main idea of your message and support it with reasoning, evidence, and examples.

With the indirect approach, you withhold the main idea until you have built up to it logically and persuasively with reasoning, evidence, and examples.

Figure 4.5 Choosing Between the Direct and Indirect Approaches

Think about the way your audience is likely to respond before choosing your approach.

OUTLINING YOUR CONTENT

Outlining saves time and helps you create more effective messages.

MOBILE APPS

Outliner is one of several apps that make it easy to create and modify writing outlines.

After you have chosen the best approach, it’s time to �igure out the most logical and effective way to present your major points and supporting details. Get into the habit of creating outlines when you’re preparing business messages. You’ll save time, get better results, and do a better job of navigating through complicated business situations. Even if you’re just jotting down three or four key points, making an outline will help you organize your thoughts for faster writing. When you’re preparing a longer, more complex message, an outline is indispensable because it helps you visualize the relationships among the various parts.

You’re no doubt familiar with the basic outline formats that identify each point with a number or letter and that indent certain points to show which ones are of equal status. A good outline divides a topic into at least two parts, restricts each subdivision to one category, and ensures that each subdivision is separate and distinct (see Figure 4.6 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch4lev1sec24#ch4�ig6) ).

Another way to visualize the outline of your message is to create an organization chart similar to the charts used to show a company’s management structure. Put the main idea in the highest-level box to establish the big picture. The lower-level ideas, like lower-level employees, provide the details. All the ideas should be logically organized into divisions of thought, just as a company is organized into divisions and departments.13 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch4lev1sec33#ch4note13) Using a visual chart instead of a traditional outline has many bene�its. Charts help you (1) see the various levels of ideas and how the parts �it together, (2) develop new ideas, and (3) restructure your information �low. The mind-mapping technique used to generate ideas works in a similar way.

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Whichever outlining or organizing scheme you use, start your message with the main idea, follow that with major supporting points, and then illustrate these points with evidence.

REAL-TIME UPDATES

LEARN MORE BY VIEWING THIS PRESENTATION

Get helpful tips on creating an outline for any project

Learn these proven steps for creating robust, practical outlines. Go to http://real-timeupdates.com/bct13 (http://real-timeupdates.com/bct13) . Under “Students,” click on “Learn More.”

The main idea establishes what you want your readers to do or think and why they should do so.

Start with the Main Idea

The main idea helps you establish the goals and general strategy of the message, and it summarizes two vital considerations: (1) what you want your audience members to do or think and (2) why they should do so. Everything in your message should either support the main idea or explain its implications. As discussed earlier, the direct approach states the main idea quickly and directly, whereas the indirect approach delays the main idea until after the evidence is presented.

Figure 4.6 Structuring an Outline

No matter what outlining format you use, think through your major supporting points and the examples and evidence that can support each point.

State the Major Points

You need to support your main idea with major points that clarify and explain the main idea in concrete terms. If your purpose is to inform and the material is factual, your major points may be based on something physical or �inancial—something you can visualize or measure, such as activities to be performed, functional units, spatial or chronological relationships, or parts of a whole. When you’re describing a process, the major points are almost inevitably steps in the process. When you’re describing an object, the major points often correspond to the parts of the object. When you’re giving a historical account, major points represent events in the chronological chain of events. If your purpose is to persuade or to collaborate, select major points that develop a line of reasoning or a logical argument that proves your central message and motivates your audience to act.

Choose supporting points, evidence, and examples carefully; a few strong points will make your case better than a large collection of weaker points.

Provide Examples and Evidence

After you’ve de�ined the main idea and identi�ied major supporting points, think about examples and evidence that can con�irm, illuminate, or expand on your supporting points. Choose examples and evidence carefully so that these elements support your overall message without distracting or overwhelming your audience. One good example, particularly if it is conveyed through a compelling story (see the next section), is usually more powerful than several weaker

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examples. Similarly, a few strong points of evidence are usually more persuasive than a large collection of minor details. Keep in mind that you can back up your major supporting points in a variety of ways, depending on the subject material and the available examples and evidence (see Table 4.3 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch4lev1sec24#ch4tab3) ).

If your schedule permits, put your outline aside for a day or two before you begin composing your �irst draft. Then review it with a fresh eye, looking for opportunities to improve the �low of ideas.

Figure 4.7 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch4lev1sec24#ch4�ig7) on the next page illustrates several of the key themes about organizing a message: helping readers get the information they need quickly, de�ining and conveying the main idea, limiting the scope of the message, choosing the approach, and outlining your information.

TABLE 4.3 Six Types of Detail Type of Detail

Example Comment

Facts and �igures

Sales are strong this month. We have two new contracts worth $5 million and a good chance of winning another worth $2.5 million.

Enhances credibility more than any other type, but can become boring if used excessively.

Example or illustration

We’ve spent four months trying to hire recent accounting graduates, but so far, only one person has joined our �irm. One candidate told me that she would love to work for us, but she can get $10,000 more a year elsewhere.

Adds life to a message, but one example does not prove a point. Idea must be supported by other evidence as well.

Description Upscale hamburger restaurants target burger lovers who want more than the convenience and low prices of a McDonald’s burger. These places feature wine and beer, half-pound burgers, and generous side dishes (nachos, potato skins). Atmosphere is key.

Helps audience visualize the subject by creating a sensory impression. Does not prove a point but clari�ies it and makes it memorable. Begins with an overview of the function, de�ines its purpose, lists major parts, and explains how it operates.

Narration (storytelling)

When Rita Longworth took over as CEO, she faced a tough choice: shut down the tablet PC division entirely or outsource manufacturing as a way to lower costs while keeping the division alive. As her �irst step, she convened a meeting with all the managers in the division to get their input on the two options. (Story continues from there.)

Stimulates audience interest through the use of dramatic tension. In many instances, must be supplemented with statistical data in order to prove a point convincingly.

Reference to authority

I discussed this idea with Jackie Loman in the Chicago plant, and she was very supportive. As you know, Jackie has been in charge of that plant for the past six years. She is con�ident that we can speed up the number 2 line by 150 units an hour if we add another worker.

Bolsters a case while adding variety and credibility. Works only if authority is recognized and respected by audience.

Visual aids Graphs, charts, tables, infographics, data visualization, photos, video Helps audience grasp the key points about sets of data or visualize connections between ideas.

Figure 4.7 Improving the Organization of a Message

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This writer is following up on a conversation from the previous day, in which he and the recipient discussed which of two forms of ownership, a partnership or a corporation, they should use for their new company. (Partnership has a speci�ic legal meaning in this context.) That question is the topic of the message; the main idea is the recommendation that they incorporate, rather than form a partnership. Notice how the Improved version uses the direct approach to quickly get to the main idea and then supports that by comparing the advantages and disadvantages of both forms of ownership. In contrast, the Poor version contains irrelevant information, makes the comparison dif�icult to follow, and buries the main idea in the middle of the message.

BUILDING READER INTEREST WITH STORYTELLING TECHNIQUES Storytelling might seem like an odd subject for a business communication course, but narrative techniques can be an effective way to organize messages in a surprising number of business situations, from recruiting and training employees to enticing investors and customers. Storytelling is such a vital means of communicating that, in the words of management consultant Steve Tobak, “It’s hard to imagine your career going anywhere if you can’t tell a story.”14 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch4lev1sec33#ch4note14) Fortunately, you’ve been telling stories all your life, so narrative techniques already come naturally to you; now it’s just a matter of adapting those techniques to business situations.

You’ve already been on the receiving end of thousands of business stories: Storytelling is one of the most common structures used in television commercials and other advertisements. People love to share stories about themselves and others, too, which makes social media ideal for storytelling.15

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(http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch4lev1sec33#ch4note15)

Career-related stories, such as how someone sought and found the opportunity to work on projects he or she is passionate about, can entice skilled employees to consider joining a �irm. Entrepreneurs use stories to help investors see how their new ideas have the potential to affect people’s lives (and therefore generate lots of sales). Stories can be cautionary tales as well, dramatizing the consequences of career blunders, ethical mistakes, and strategic missteps.

A key reason storytelling can be so effective is that stories help readers and listeners imagine themselves living through the experience of the person in the story. Chip Heath of Stanford University and his brother, Dan Heath of Duke University, have spent years exploring the question of why some ideas “stick” and others disappear. One of their conclusions is that ideas conveyed through storytelling tend to thrive because stories “put knowledge into a framework that is more lifelike, more true to our day-to-day existence.”16 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch4lev1sec33#ch4note16)

Storytelling is an effective way to organize many business messages because it helps readers personalize the message and understand causes and consequences.

In addition, stories can demonstrate cause-and-effect relationships in a compelling fashion.17 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch4lev1sec33#ch4note17) Imagine attending a new employee orientation and listening to the trainer read off a list of ethics rules and guidelines. Now imagine the trainer telling the story of someone who sounded a lot like you in the very near future, fresh out of college and full of energy and ambition. Desperate to hit demanding sales targets, the person in the story began entering transactions before customers had actually agreed to purchase, hoping the sales would eventually come through and no one would be the wiser. However, the scheme was exposed during a routine audit, and the rising star was booted out of the company with an ethical stain that would haunt him for years. You may not remember all the rules and guidelines, but chances are you will remember what happened to that person who sounded a lot like you. This ability to share organizational values is one of the major bene�its of using storytelling in business communication, particularly across diverse workforces.18 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch4lev1sec33#ch4note18)

Organize stories in three parts: a beginning that introduces a sympathetic person with a dream or a challenge, a middle that shows the obstacles to be overcome, and an ending that resolves the situation and shows the moral or message of the story.

A classic story has three basic parts. The beginning of the story presents someone whom the audience can identify with in some way, and this person has a dream to pursue or a problem to solve. (Think of how movies and novels often start by introducing a likable character who immediately gets into danger, for example.) The middle of the story shows this character taking action and making decisions as he or she pursues the goal or tries to solve the problem. The storyteller’s objective here is to build the audience’s interest by increasing the tension: Will the “hero” overcome the obstacles in his or her path and defeat whatever adversary is keeping him or her away from her goal?19 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch4lev1sec33#ch4note19) The end of the story answers that question and usually offers a lesson to be learned about the outcome as well.

By the way, even though these are “stories,” they must not be made-up tales. Telling stories that didn’t happen to people who don’t exist while presenting them as real-life events is a serious breach of ethics that damages a company’s credibility.20 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch4lev1sec33#ch4note20)

Consider adding an element of storytelling whenever your main idea involves the opportunity to inspire, to persuade, to teach, or to warn readers or listeners about the potential outcomes of a particular course of action.

For fresh ideas and media materials on planning messages, visit http://real-timeupdates.com/bct13 (http://real-timeupdates.com/bct13) and click on Chapter 4 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch04#ch04) . For a quick refresher on message-planning tasks, see “Checklist: Planning Business Messages.”

CHECKLIST ✓ Planning Business Messages A. Analyze the situation.

Determine whether the purpose of your message is to inform, persuade, or collaborate.

Identify what you want your audience to think or do after receiving the message.

Make sure your purpose is worthwhile and realistic.

Make sure the time is right for your message.

Make sure your purpose is acceptable to your organization.

Identify the primary audience.

Determine the size and composition of your audience.

Estimate your audience’s level of understanding and probable reaction to your message.

B. Gather information.

Decide whether to use formal or informal techniques for gathering information.

Find out what your audience needs to know.

Provide all required information and make sure it’s accurate, ethical, and pertinent.

C. Select the best combination of medium and channel for your message.

Understand the advantages and disadvantages of oral, written, and visual medium distributed through both digital and nondigital channels.

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Consider media richness, formality, media limitations, urgency, cost, and audience preference.

D. Organize your information.

De�ine your main idea.

Limit your scope.

Choose the direct or indirect approach.

Outline content by starting with the main idea, adding major points, and illustrating with evidence.

Look for opportunities to use storytelling to build audience interest.

COMMUNICATION CHALLENGES AT H&R Block Robert Turtledove, H&R Block’s chief marketing of�icer, was impressed enough with your communication skills and social media experience to add you to the team that markets H&R Block’s digital tax-preparation solutions. Using the insights you gained in this chapter, address these two communication challenges.

INDIVIDUAL CHALLENGE: Your �irst assignment is to write a 50-word introduction to the H&R Block tax software that can be used whenever the company needs a concise summary. For example, your text will be loaded into the IM chat system so that whenever anyone asks about the software, customer service representatives can send your text with just one mouse click. Visit the HR Block website to learn more about the various versions of its software. Use this information to write your 50-word summary and then email it to your instructor.

TEAM CHALLENGE: An ongoing dilemma for marketers in many industries is trying to offer targeted products and services that meet the needs of speci�ic market segments without creating so many versions that the range of choices overwhelms the consumer. For example, H&R Block can help taxpayers in a variety of ways: several versions of web-based tax software, several versions of downloadable software, professional preparation, and a hybrid service called Best of Both, in which the taxpayer does most of the work using the software and an H&R Block professional helps with advice and veri�ication. Simply helping consumers understand the choices available can become a considerable communication challenge in its own right.

With your team, analyze the company’s website in terms of its ability to help a taxpayer understand the various options and choose the one that meets his or her unique needs. For example, are the services clearly distinguished from one another, and can the average taxpayer understand the distinctions being made? What improvements might you suggest? Prepare a brief summary of your analysis as a class presentation or a post on your class blog, as your instructor directs.

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Quick Learning Guide

KEY TERMS direct approach Message organization that starts with the main idea (such as a recommendation, a conclusion, or a request) and follows that with your

supporting evidence free writing An exploratory technique in which you write whatever comes to mind, without stopping to make any corrections, for a set period of time general purpose The broad intent of a message—to inform, to persuade, or to collaborate with the audience indirect approach Message organization that starts with the evidence and builds your case before presenting the main idea journalistic approach Verifying the completeness of a message by making sure it answers the who, what, when, where, why, and how questions letters Brief written messages sent to customers and other recipients outside the organization main idea A speci�ic statement about the topic memos Brief printed documents traditionally used for the routine, day-to-day exchange of information within an organization scope The range of information presented in a message, its overall length, and the level of detail provided speci�ic purpose Identi�ies what you hope to accomplish with your message and what your audience should do or think after receiving your message topic The overall subject of a message

SUMMARY OF LEARNING OBJECTIVES 1 Describe the three-step writing process. (1) Planning consists of four tasks: analyzing the situation (de�ining your purpose and pro�iling your audience), gathering the information to meet your audience’s needs, selecting the best combination of medium and channel for the message and the situation, and organizing the information (de�ining your main idea, limiting your scope, selecting an approach, and outlining your content). (2) The writing step consists of two tasks: adapting to your audience and composing the message. Adapt your message to your audience by being sensitive to audience needs, building a strong relationship with your audience, and controlling your style. Compose your message by drafting your thoughts with strong words, effective sentences, and coherent paragraphs. (3) Completing your message consists of four tasks: revising your message by evaluating content and then rewriting and editing for clarity and conciseness, producing your message by using effective design elements and suitable delivery methods, proofreading your message for mistakes in spelling and mechanics, and distributing it in a way that meets both your needs and your audience’s needs.

2 Explain why it’s important to analyze a communication situation in order to de�ine your purpose and pro�ile your audience before writing a message. You must know enough about your purpose to shape your message in a way that will achieve your goal. Moreover, without a clear purpose to guide you, you are bound to waste time and energy. To decide whether you should proceed with your message, answer four questions: (1) Will anything change as a result of this message? (2) Is my purpose realistic? (3) Is this the right time for this message? (4) Is the purpose acceptable to my organization? Developing an audience pro�ile is essential as well because doing so helps you identify the information you need to include in your message and is the most effective way to structure your message.

3 Discuss information-gathering options for simple messages, and identify three attributes of quality information. Gathering the information that will ful�ill your audience’s needs is a vital step before you attempt to organize your content. For more complex documents, you may need to plan a research project to acquire all the necessary information. However, for simple messages, if you don’t already have all the information you need, you can often gather it by using informal methods, such as considering the audience’s perspective, reading existing reports and other company documents, talking with supervisors and others who have information and insight, and asking your audience members directly for their input. To determine whether the information you’ve gathered is good enough, verify that it is accurate, ethical, and pertinent to the audience’s needs.

4 List the factors to consider when choosing the most appropriate medium for a message. The �irst factor to consider is media richness. Richness is determined by the medium’s ability to (1) convey a message using more than one informational cue, such as sound, motion, nonverbal cues, and so on; (2) facilitate feedback; and (3) establish personal focus. Other factors to consider when selecting media include the level of formality, the speci�ic limitations of each medium, the level of urgency, the cost of various media options, and your audience’s preferences.

5 Explain why good organization is important to both you and your audience, and list the tasks involved in organizing a message. When you organize messages carefully, you save time and conserve creative energy because the writing process is quicker and you spend less time rewriting. Good organization also helps your audience members understand your message, it helps them accept your message, and it saves them time as well. The tasks involved in organizing your message include de�ining your main idea, limiting your scope to the information needed to convey and support that main idea, choosing the direct or indirect approach, and then outlining your content.

MyBCommLab

Go to mybcommlab.com (http://mybcommlab.com) to complete the problems marked with this icon .

Test Your Knowledge To review chapter content related to each question, refer to the indicated Learning Objective.

4-1. What are the three major steps in the writing process? [LO-1]

4-2. What are the bene�its of planning your messages carefully, particularly longer and more complex messages? [LO-1] 4-3. What two types of purposes do all business messages have? [LO-2] 4-4. What do you need to know in order to develop an audience pro�ile? [LO-2]

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4-5. What is the value of free writing and other discovery techniques? [LO-3]

4-6. Why are in-person conversations considered a rich medium? [LO-4] 4-7. What three factors determine media richness? [LO-4] 4-8. How does the topic of a message differ from its main idea? [LO-5] 4-9. Why is it important to limit the scope of a message? [LO-5]

4-10. What three elements do you need to consider when choosing between the direct and indirect approaches? [LO-5]

Apply Your Knowledge To review chapter content related to each question, refer to the indicated Learning Objective.

4-11. Some writers argue that planning messages wastes time because they inevitably change their plans as they proceed. How would you respond to this argument? Brie�ly explain. [LO-1]

4-12. A day after sending an email to all 1,800 employees in your company regarding income tax implications of the company’s retirement plan, you discover that one of the sources you relied on for your information plagiarized from other sources. You quickly double-check all the information in your message and con�irm that it is accurate. However, you are concerned about using plagiarized information, even though you did nothing wrong. Write a brief email message to your instructor, explaining how you would handle the situation. [LO-3]

4-13. You are organizing an exploratory in-person meeting with engineering representatives from a dozen manufacturers around the world to discuss updates to a technical standard that all the companies’ products must adhere to. The representatives have a wide range of �irmly held opinions on the subject, because the changes could help some companies and hurt others. They can’t even agree on what should be addressed in the �irst meeting, so you need to develop a minimum level of consensus on what should be on the agenda. Which combination of media and channels would you use to move the conversation forward and �inalize the agenda? Each company has one representative, and any discussions need to be kept con�idential. [LO-4]

4-14. You have been invited to speak at an annual industry conference. After preparing the outline for your presentation, you see that you’ve identi�ied 14 different points to support your main idea. Should you move ahead with creating the slides for your presentation or move back and rethink your outline? Why? [LO-5]

Practice Your Skills Message for Analysis: Outlining Your Content [LO-5]

A writer is working on an insurance information brochure and is having trouble grouping the ideas logically into an outline. Using the following information, prepare the outline, paying attention to the appropriate hierarchy of ideas. If necessary, rewrite phrases to make them all consistent.

Accident Protection Insurance Plan

Coverage is only pennies a day

Bene�it is $100,000 for accidental death on common carrier

Bene�it is $100 a day for hospitalization as result of motor vehicle or common carrier accident

Bene�it is $20,000 for accidental death in motor vehicle accident

Individual coverage is only $17.85 per quarter; family coverage is just $26.85 per quarter

No physical exam or health questions

Convenient payment—billed quarterly

Guaranteed acceptance for all applicants

No individual rate increases

Free, no-obligation examination period

Cash paid in addition to any other insurance carried

Covers accidental death when riding as fare-paying passenger on public transportation, including buses, trains, jets, ships, trolleys, subways, or any other common carrier

Covers accidental death in motor vehicle accidents occurring while driving or riding in or on automobile, truck, camper, motor home, or nonmotorized bicycle

Exercises

Each activity is labeled according to the primary skill or skills you will need to use. To review relevant chapter content, you can refer to the indicated Learning Objective. In some instances, supporting information will be found in another chapter, as indicated.

4-15. Planning: Identifying Your Purpose [LO-2] For each of the following communication tasks, state a speci�ic purpose (if you have trouble, try beginning with “I want to . . .”).

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a. A report to your boss, the store manager, about the outdated items in the warehouse

b. A memo to clients about your booth at the upcoming trade show

c. A letter to a customer who hasn’t made a payment for three months

d. A memo to employees about the department’s high phone bills

e. A phone call to a supplier, checking on an overdue parts shipment

f. A report to future users of the computer program you have chosen to handle the company’s mailing list

4-16. Planning: Assessing Audience Needs [LO-2] For each communication task that follows, write brief answers to three questions: Who is the audience? What is the audience’s general attitude toward my subject? What does the audience need to know?

A �inal-notice collection letter from an appliance manufacturer to an appliance dealer that is 3 months behind on payments, sent 10 days before initiating legal collection procedures

An advertisement for smartphones

A proposal to top management, suggesting that the four sales regions in the United States be combined into just two regions

Fliers to be attached to doorknobs in the neighborhood, announcing reduced rates for chimney cleaning or repairs

A cover letter sent along with your résumé to a potential employer

A website that describes the services offered by a consulting �irm that helps accounting managers comply with government regulations

4-17. Planning: Assessing Audience Needs [LO-2] Choose a fairly simple electronic device (such as a digital music player) that you know how to operate well. Write two sets of instructions for operating the device: one set for a reader who has never used that type of device and one set for someone who is generally familiar with that type of machine but has never operated the speci�ic model. Brie�ly explain how your two audiences affect your instructions.

4-18. Planning: Analyzing the Situation; Collaboration: Planning Meetings [LO-2], Chapter 2 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch02#ch02) How can the material discussed in this chapter also apply to meetings, as discussed in Chapter 2 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch02#ch02) ? Outline your ideas in a brief presentation or a post for your class blog.

4-19. Planning: Creating an Audience Pro�ile; Collaboration: Team Projects [LO-2], [LO-3], Chapter 2 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch02#ch02) With a team assigned by your instructor, compare the Facebook pages of three companies in the same industry. Analyze the content on all the available tabs. What can you surmise about the intended audience for each company? Which of the three does the best job of presenting the information its target audience is likely to need? Prepare a brief presentation, including slides that show samples of the Facebook content from each company.

4-20. Planning: Analyzing the Situation, Selecting Media; Media Skills: Email [LO-2], [LO-4], Chapter 11 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch11#ch11) You are the head of public relations for a cruise line that operates out of Miami. You are shocked to read a letter in a local newspaper from a disgruntled passenger, complaining about the service and entertainment on a recent cruise. You need to respond to these publicized criticisms in some way. What audiences will you need to consider in your response? What medium or media should you choose? If the letter had been published in a travel publication widely read by travel agents and cruise travelers, how might your course of action have differed? In an email message to your instructor, explain how you will respond.

4-21. Planning: Assessing Audience Needs; Media Skills: Blogging; Communication Ethics: Making Ethical Choices [LO-3], Chapter 1 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch01#ch01) Your supervisor has asked you to withhold important information that you think should be included in a report you are preparing. Disobeying him could be disastrous for your working relationship and your career. Obeying him could violate your personal code of ethics. What should you do? On the basis of the discussion in Chapter 1 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch01#ch01) , would you consider this situation to be an ethical dilemma or an ethical lapse? Explain your analysis in a brief email message to your instructor.

4-22. Planning: Limiting Your Scope [LO-5] Suppose you are preparing to recommend that top management install a new heating system that uses the cogeneration process. The following information is in your �iles. Eliminate topics that aren’t essential and then arrange the other topics so that your report will give top managers a clear understanding of the heating system and a balanced, concise justi�ication for installing it.

History of the development of the cogeneration heating process

Scienti�ic credentials of the developers of the process

Risks assumed in using this process

Your plan for installing the equipment in the headquarters building

Stories about the successful use of cogeneration technology in comparable facilities

Speci�ications of the equipment that would be installed

Plans for disposing of the old heating equipment

Costs of installing and running the new equipment

Advantages and disadvantages of using the new process

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Detailed 10-year cost projections

Estimates of the time needed to phase in the new system

Alternative systems that management might want to consider

4-23. Planning: Choosing the Direct or Indirect Approach [LO-5] Indicate whether the direct or indirect approach would be best in each of the following situations and brie�ly explain why. Would any of these messages be inappropriate for email? Explain.

a. A message to the owner of an automobile dealership, complaining about poor service work

b. A message from a recent college graduate, requesting a letter of recommendation from a former instructor

c. A message turning down a job applicant

d. A message announcing that because of high air-conditioning costs, the plant temperature will be held at 78°F during the summer

e. A message from an advertising agency to a troublesome long-term client, explaining that the agency will no longer be able to work on the client’s account

4-24. Planning: Using Storytelling Techniques; Communication Ethics: Providing Ethical Leadership: Media Skills: Podcasting [LO-5], Chapter 1 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch01#ch01) Research recent incidents of ethical lapses by a business professional or executive in any industry. Choose one example that has a clear story “arc” from beginning to end. Outline a cautionary tale that explains the context of the ethical lapse, the choice the person made, and the consequences of the ethical lapse. Script a podcast (aim for roughly 3 to 5 minutes) that tells the story. If your instructor directs, record your podcast and post to your class blog.

Expand Your Skills Critique the Professionals

Locate an example of professional communication in any medium-channel that you think would work equally well—or perhaps better—in another medium. Using the information in this chapter and your understanding of the communication process, write a brief analysis (no more than one page) of the company’s media-channel choice and explain why your choice would be at least as effective. Use whatever medium your instructor requests for your report and be sure to cite speci�ic elements from the piece and support from the chapter.

Sharpening Your Career Skills Online

Bovée and Thill’s Business Communication Web Search, at http://websearch.businesscommunicationnetwork.com (http://websearch.businesscommunicationnetwork.com) , is a unique research tool designed speci�ically for business communication research. Use the Web Search function to �ind a website, video, PDF document, podcast, or presentation that offers advice on planning a report, speech, or other business message. Write a brief email message to your instructor, describing the item you found and summarizing the career skills information you learned from it.

MyBCommLab Go to mybcommlab.com (http://mybcommlab.com) for Auto-graded writing questions as well as the following Assisted-graded writing questions:

4-25. As a member of the public relations department, which medium (or media) would you recommend using to inform the local community that your toxic-waste cleanup program has been successful? Why? [LO-4]

4-26. Would you use the direct or indirect approach to ask employees to work overtime to meet an important deadline? Please explain. [LO-5]

Endnotes 1. H&R Block website, accessed 18 March 2014, www.hrblock.com (http://www.hrblock.com) ; Paula Drum, “I Got People (Online): How H&R Block Connects by Using Social Media,” presentation at BlogWell conference, 22 January 2009, www.socialmedia.org (http://www.socialmedia.org) ; Shel Israel, “Twitterville Notebook: H&R Block’s Paula Drum,” Global Neighbourhoods blog, 22 December 2008, http://redcouch.typepad.com/weblog (http://redcouch.typepad.com/weblog) ; “H&R Block’s Paula Drum Talks Up Value of Online ‘Presence,’” The Deal website, video interview, 6 June 2008, www.thedeal.com (http://www.thedeal.com) ; Shel Israel, “SAP Global Survey: H&R Block’s Paula Drum,” Global Neighbourhoods blog, 4 April 2008, http://redcouch.typepad.com/weblog (http://redcouch.typepad.com/weblog) ; “Tango in Plain English,” video, accessed 27 August 2008, www.youtube.com (http://www.youtube.com) ; “H&R Block, Inc.,” Hoovers, accessed 27 August 2008, www.hoovers.com (http://www.hoovers.com) ; Linda Zimmer, “H&R Block Tangoes into Second Life,” Business Communicators of Second Life blog, 17 March 2007, http://freshtakes.typepad.com/sl_communicators (http://freshtakes.typepad.com/sl_communicators) ; “H&R Block Launches First Virtual Tax Experience in Second Life,” press release, 27 August 2008, www.hrblock.com (http://www.hrblock.com) .

2. Carol Kinsey Gorman, “What’s So Great About Face-to-Face?” Communication World, May–June 2011, 38–39.

3. Linda Duyle, “Get Out of Your Of�ice,” HR Magazine, July 2006, 99–101.

4. Caroline McCarthy, “The Future of Web Apps Will See the Death of Email,” Webware blog, 29 February 2008, http://news.cnet.com (http://news.cnet.com) ; Kris Maher, “The Jungle,” Wall Street Journal, 5 October 2004, B10; Kevin Maney, “Surge in Text Messaging Makes Cell Operators,” USA Today, 28 July 2005, B1–B2.

5. Roger Cheng, “Verizon CEO: Unlimited Data Plans Just Aren’t Sustainable,” CNET, 24 September 2013, http://news.cnet.com (http://news.cnet.com) ; Brian Bennet, “Sprint Of�icially Outs New Unlimited Plans,” CNET, 11 July 2013, http://reviews.cnet.com (http://reviews.cnet.com) ; footnotes on Sprint website, accessed 2 March 2014, http://shop.sprint.com (http://shop.sprint.com) .

6. Laurey Berk and Phillip G. Clampitt, “Finding the Right Path in the Communication Maze,” IABC Communication World, October 1991, 28–32.

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7. Samantha R. Murray and Joseph Peyre�itte, “Knowledge Type and Communication Media Choice in the Knowledge Transfer Process,” Journal of Managerial Issues, Spring 2007, 111–133.

8. “Mobile Learning Adds Value to BFSI Industry,” DRONA Mobile Blog, 11 October 2013, http://blog.dronamobile.com (http://blog.dronamobile.com) .

9. “Enterprise Mobility Accelerates ROI for Oil & Gas Industry,” DRONA Mobile Blog, 7 March 2013, http://blog.dronamobile.com (http://blog.dronamobile.com) .

10.ClickSoftware website, accessed 6 March 2014, www.clicksoftware.com (http://www.clicksoftware.com) ; Sarah Fister Gale, “One Roof Energy: We Promise Not to Stalk You,” Talent Management, 20 February 2014, http://talentmgt.com (http://talentmgt.com) ; Sarah Fister Gale, “Tracking Remote Workers? There an App for That,” Talent Management, 20 February 2014, http://talentmgt.com (http://talentmgt.com) .

11. HireVue website, accessed 7 March 2014, http://hirevue.com (http://hirevue.com) ; Jennifer Kahn, “Mobile Recruiting Apps: A Gimmick or Here to Stay?” Talent Management, 19 April 2013, http://talentmgt.com (http://talentmgt.com) .

12. “Over-the-Top Application (OTT),” Techopedia, accessed 26 February 2014, www.techopedia.com (http://www.techopedia.com) .

13. Holly Weeks, “The Best Memo You’ll Ever Write,” Harvard Management Communication Letter, Spring 2005, 3–5.

14. Steve Tobak, “How to Be a Great Storyteller and Win Over Any Audience,” BNET, 12 January 2011, www.bnet.com (http://www.bnet.com) .

15. Debra Askanase, “10 Trends in Sustainable Social Media,” Community Organizer 2.0 blog, 13 May 2010, www.communityorganizer20.com (http://www.communityorganizer20.com) .

16. Chip Heath and Dan Heath, Made to Stick: Why Some Ideas Survive and Others Die (New York: Random House, 2008), 214.

17. Heath and Heath, Made to Stick: Why Some Ideas Survive and Others Die, 206, 214.

18. Randolph T. Barker and Kim Gower, “Strategic Application of Storytelling in Organizations,” Journal of Business Communication 47, no. 3 (July 2010): 295– 312.

19. David Meerman Scott, “Effective Storytelling for Business,” WebInkNow blog, 18 February 2013, www.webinknow.com (http://www.webinknow.com) .

20. Jennifer Aaker and Andy Smith, “7 Deadly Sins of Business Storytelling,” American Express Open Forum, accessed 21 March 2011, www.openforum.com (http://www.openforum.com) .

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Women who run or aspire to run their own businesses are the target audience for She Takes on the World, a blog that offers advice on all aspects of launching and managing a company.

5 Writing Business Messages

LEARNING OBJECTIVES After studying this chapter, you will be able to

1 Identify the four aspects of being sensitive to audience needs when writing business messages 2 Explain how establishing your credibility and projecting your company’s image are vital aspects of building strong relationships with your audience 3 Explain how to achieve a tone that is conversational but businesslike, explain the value of using plain language, and de�ine active and passive voice 4 Describe how to select words that are both correct and effective 5 De�ine the four types of sentences, and explain how sentence style affects emphasis within a message 6 De�ine the three key elements of a paragraph, and list �ive ways to develop uni�ied, coherent paragraphs 7 List �ive techniques for writing effective messages for mobile readers

MyBCommLab®

Improve Your Grade! Over 10 million students improved their results using the Pearson MyLabs. Visit mybcommlab.com (http://mybcommlab.com) for simulations, tutorials, and end-of-chapter problems.

COMMUNICATION CLOSE-UP AT She Takes on the World Natalie MacNeil Writes Her Way to a Better World

Natalie MacNeil is not a dreamer of small dreams. Here’s how she introduces herself on one of her online pro�iles: “My name is Natalie MacNeil, and I want to change the world.” For MacNeil, that change means inspiring and helping women launch their own businesses and take more control over their careers. As she puts it, “I want to see more women leading companies, organizations, and countries.”

MacNeil knows a thing or two about launching a business. She started her �irst when she was 18 and by her mid-20s had founded or cofounded a small portfolio of companies, including an Emmy-winning digital media production company whose clients include Disney and Sony Music, a collaborative workspace for entrepreneurs in the early startup phase, and She Takes on the World, which MacNeil describes as “a business blog for career-oriented women.”

Communication is at the heart of MacNeil’s world-changing quest. On the She Takes on the World site and in a book by the same name, MacNeil shares �irsthand knowledge on everything from �inding investors to expanding a company internationally. Her writing has appeared in a variety of other popular forums as well, including AllBusiness, American Express OPEN Forum, Mashable, Forbes, Entrepreneur.com (http://Entrepreneur.com) , and The Wall Street Journal.

Plenty of entrepreneurs, executives, and other experts offer advice on launching businesses, so what sets MacNeil apart? One key element is a clear idea of who her audience is and the type of information these readers are likely to need. When promoting her book, for example, she emphasizes that no business book can appeal to every reader, and she lists the speci�ic types of readers who can bene�it from her book. She also does something that many business “how-to” writers don’t: She addresses the personal side of being a successful entrepreneur.

Another key element is her positive writing style. The editor of ForbesWoman calls MacNeil’s blog and book “smart, upbeat, inspirational, and full of practical advice for women who want to own their dream careers.” As someone who came of age in the postdigital economy, MacNeil is also tuned into the new world of work, where individuals must manage their personal brands and take control of their careers. In fact, one of her target audiences is college students who might want to create their own companies right out of college, without ever pursuing traditional employment.

The content and style of her messages is clearly connecting with readers. She Takes on the World has grown to include several dozen bloggers who cover every aspect of managing an entrepreneurial career in the new economy. The site was named one of Forbes magazine’s top 10 entrepreneurial websites for women, among numerous other awards and recognitions it has received. MacNeil shows no signs of slowing down, either, with new investors behind her and ambitious expansion plans.1 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch5lev1sec27#ch5note1)

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1 LEARNING OBJECTIVE Identify the four aspects of being sensitive to audience needs when writing business messages.

5.1 Adapting to Your Audience: Being Sensitive to Audience Needs Natalie MacNeil (pro�iled in the chapter-opening Communication Close-Up) knows it takes more than just a great idea to change the way people think. Expressing ideas clearly and persuasively starts with adapting to one’s audience.

Whether consciously or not, audiences greet most incoming messages with a sel�ish question: “What’s in this for me?” If your readers or listeners don’t think you understand or care about their needs, they won’t pay attention, plain and simple. You can improve your audience sensitivity by adopting the “you” attitude, maintaining good standards of etiquette, emphasizing the positive, and using bias-free language.

Readers and listeners are more likely to respond positively when they believe messages address their concerns.

USING THE “YOU” ATTITUDE Chapter 1 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch01#ch01) introduced the notion of audience-centered communication and the “you” attitude—speaking and writing in terms of your audience’s wishes, interests, hopes, and preferences. On the simplest level, you can adopt the “you” attitude by replacing terms such as I, me, mine, we, us, and ours with you and yours:

Adopting the “you” attitude means speaking and writing in terms of your audience’s wishes, interests, hopes, and preferences.

Instead of This Write This

Tuesday is the only day that we can promise quick response to purchase order requests; we are swamped the rest of the week.

If you need a quick response, please submit your purchase order requests on Tuesday.

We offer MP3 players with 50, 75, or 100 gigabytes of storage capacity. You can choose an MP3 player with 50, 75, or 100 gigabytes of storage.

However, the “you” attitude is more than simply using particular pronouns. It’s a matter of demonstrating genuine interest in your readers and concern for their needs (see Figure 5.1 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch5lev1sec1#ch5�ig1) ). You can use you 25 times in a single page and still offend your audience or ignore readers’ true concerns. If you’re writing to a retailer, try to think like a retailer; if you’re dealing with a production supervisor, put yourself in that position; if you’re writing to a dissatis�ied customer, imagine how you would feel at the other end of the transaction.

Be aware that on some occasions, it’s better to avoid using you, particularly if doing so will sound overly authoritative or accusing:

Avoid using you and your when doing so

Makes you sound dictatorial

Makes someone else feel guilty

Goes against your organization’s style

Instead of This Write This

You failed to deliver the customer’s order on time.The customer didn’t receive the order on time.

You must correct all �ive copies by noon. All �ive copies must be corrected by noon.

As you practice using the “you” attitude, be sure to consider the attitudes of other cultures and the policies of your organization. In some cultures, it is improper to single out one person’s achievements, because the whole team is responsible for the outcome; in that case, using the pronoun we or our (when you and your audience are part of the same team) would be more appropriate. Similarly, some companies have a tradition of avoiding references to you and I in most messages and reports.

Figure 5.1 Fostering a Positive Relationship with an Audience

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CD Baby, the world’s largest retailer of independent music, uses clear, positive language to help musicians understand the process of selling their music through the company and its af�iliates. By making the effort to communicate clearly and succinctly, the company encourages a positive response from its target readers.

Source: CD Baby

MAINTAINING STANDARDS OF ETIQUETTE Good etiquette not only indicates respect for your audience but also helps foster a more successful environment for communication by minimizing negative emotional reaction:

Instead of This Write This

Once again, you’ve managed to bring down the entire website through your incompetent programming.

Let’s review the last website update to explore ways to improve the process.

You’ve been sitting on our order for two weeks, and we need it now!

Our production schedules depend on timely delivery of parts and supplies, but we have not yet received the order you promised to deliver two weeks ago. Please respond today with a �irm delivery commitment.

Of course, some situations require more diplomacy than others. If you know your audience well, a less formal approach may be more appropriate. However, when you are communicating with people who outrank you or with people outside your organization, an added measure of courtesy is usually needed.

Even if a situation calls for you to be brutally honest, express the facts of the matter in a kind and thoughtful manner.

Use extra tact when communicating with people higher up the organization chart or outside the company.

Written communication and most forms of digital communication generally require more tact than oral communication does. When you’re speaking, your words are softened by your tone of voice and facial expression. Plus, you can adjust your approach according to the feedback you get. If you inadvertently offend someone in writing or in a podcast, for example, you don’t usually get the immediate feedback you would need in order to resolve the situation. In fact, you may never know that you offended your audience.

EMPHASIZING THE POSITIVE

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You can communicate negative news without being negative.

During your career, you will have many occasions in which you need to communicate bad news. However, there is a big difference between delivering negative news and being negative. When the tone of your message is negative, you put unnecessary strain on business relationships. Never try to hide negative news, but always be on the lookout for positive points that will foster a good relationship with your audience:2 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch5lev1sec27#ch5note2)

Instead of This Write This

It is impossible to repair your laptop today. Your computer can be ready by Tuesday. Would you like a loaner until then?

We wasted $300,000 advertising in that magazine.

Our $300,000 advertising investment did not pay off. Let’s analyze the experience and apply the insights to future campaigns.

If you �ind it necessary to criticize or correct, don’t dwell on the other person’s mistakes. Avoid referring to failures, problems, or shortcomings. Focus instead on what the audience members can do to improve the situation:

Instead of This Write This

The problem with this department is a failure to control costs.

The performance of this department can be improved by tightening cost controls.

You failed to provide all the necessary information on the previous screen.

Please review the items marked in red on the previous screen so that we can process your order as quickly as possible.

If you’re trying to persuade audience members to buy a product, pay a bill, or perform a service for you, emphasize what’s in it for them. When people recognize the bene�its of doing so, they are more likely to respond positively to your appeal:

Show audience members how they will bene�it by responding to your message.

Instead of This Write This

We will notify all three credit reporting agencies if you do not pay your overdue bill within 10 days.

Paying your overdue bill within 10 days will prevent a negative entry on your credit record.

I am tired of seeing so many errors in the customer service blog. Proofreading your blog postings will help you avoid embarrassing mistakes that generate more customer service complaints.

In general, try to state your message without using words that may hurt or offend your audience. Look for appropriate opportunities to use euphemisms (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch5lev1sec27#ch5term12) —words or phrases that express a thought in milder terms—that convey your meaning without carrying negative or unpleasant connotations. For example, one common euphemism is referring to people beyond a certain age as “senior citizens” rather than “old people.” Senior conveys respect in a way that old doesn’t.

Euphemisms are milder synonyms that can express an idea while triggering fewer negative connotations, but they should never be used to obscure the truth.

Euphemisms can bring a tone of civility to unpleasant communication, but they must be used with great care because they are so easy—and so tempting—to misuse. Euphemisms can be annoying if they force readers to “read between the lines” to get the message, and they can be unethical if they obscure the truth. For instance, one of the toughest messages a manager ever has to write is an internal memo or email announcing layoffs. This is a dif�icult situation for everyone involved, and managers can be tempted to resort to euphemisms such as streamlining, restructuring, improving ef�iciency, reducing layers, or eliminating redundancies to avoid using the word layoff.3 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch5lev1sec27#ch5note3) Doing so might ease the emotional burden on the writer and promote the illusion that the message isn’t as negative as it really is. However, these euphemisms can fail the “you” attitude test, as well as the standards of ethical information, by failing to answer the question every reader in these situations has, which is simply: Am I going to lose my job?

If you are considering using a euphemism, ask yourself this question: Are you trying to protect the reader’s feelings or your own feelings? Even if it is unpleasant, people generally respond better to an honest message delivered with integrity than they do to a sugar-coated message that obscures the truth.

USING BIAS-FREE LANGUAGE Bias-free language (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch5lev1sec27#ch5term3) avoids words and phrases that unfairly and even unethically categorize or stigmatize people in ways related to gender, race, ethnicity, age, disability, or other personal characteristics. Contrary to what some may think, biased language is not simply about “labels.” To a signi�icant degree, language re�lects the way we think and what we believe, and biased language may well perpetuate the underlying stereotypes and prejudices it represents.4 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch5lev1sec27#ch5note4) Moreover, because communication is all about perception, simply being fair and objective isn’t enough. To establish a good relationship with your audience, you must also appear to be fair.5 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch5lev1sec27#ch5note5) Good communicators make every effort to change biased language (see Table 5.1 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch5lev1sec1#ch5tab1) ). Bias can come in a variety of forms:

Bias-free language avoids words and phrases that unfairly and even unethically categorize or stigmatize people.

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TABLE 5.1 Overcoming Bias in Language Examples Unacceptable Preferable

Gender Bias

Using words containing man Man-made Arti�icial, synthetic, manufactured, constructed, human- made

Mankind Humanity, human beings, human race, people

Manpower Workers, workforce

Businessman Executive, manager, businessperson, professional

Salesman Sales representative, salesperson

Foreman Supervisor

Using female-gender words Actress, stewardess Actor, �light attendant

Using special designations Woman doctor, male nurse Doctor, nurse

Using he to refer to “everyone” The average worker . . . he The average worker . . . he or she OR Average workers . . . they

Identifying roles with gender The typical executive spends four hours of his day in meetings. Most executives spend four hours a day in meetings.

the consumer . . . she consumers . . . they

the nurse/teacher . . . she nurses/teachers . . . they

Identifying women by marital status

Mrs. Norm Lindstrom Maria Lindstrom OR Ms. Maria Lindstrom

Norm Lindstrom and Ms. Drake Norm Lindstrom and Maria Drake OR Mr. Lindstrom and Ms. Drake

Racial and Ethnic Bias

Assigning stereotypes Not surprisingly, Shing-Tung Yau excels in mathematics. Shing-Tung Yau excels in mathematics.

Identifying people by race or ethnicity

Mario M. Cuomo, Italian American politician and ex-governor of New York

Mario M. Cuomo, politician and ex-governor of New York

Age Bias

Including age when irrelevant Mary Kirazy, 58, has just joined our trust department. Mary Kirazy has just joined our trust department.

Disability Bias

Putting the disability before the person

Disabled workers face many barriers on the job. Workers with physical disabilities face many barriers on the job.

An epileptic, Tracy has no trouble doing her job. Tracy’s epilepsy has no effect on her job performance.

Gender bias. Avoid sexist language by using the same labels for everyone, regardless of gender. Don’t refer to a woman as chairperson and then to a man as chairman. Use chair, chairperson, or chairman consistently. (Note that it is not uncommon to use chairman when referring to a woman who heads a board of directors. Archer Daniels Midland’s Patricia Woertz and Xerox’s Ursula Burns, for example, both refer to themselves as “chairman.”6 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch5lev1sec27#ch5note6) ) Reword sentences to use they or to use no pronoun at all rather than refer to all individuals as he. Note that the preferred title for women in business is Ms. unless the individual asks to be addressed as Miss or Mrs. or has some other title, such as Dr.

Racial and ethnic bias. Avoid identifying people by race or ethnic origin unless such a label is relevant to the matter at hand—and it rarely is.

Age bias. Mention the age of a person only when it is relevant. Moreover, be careful of the context in which you use words that refer to age; such words carry a variety of positive and negative connotations. For example, young can imply energy, youthfulness, inexperience, or even immaturity, depending on how it’s used.

Disability bias. Physical, mental, sensory, or emotional impairments should never be mentioned in business messages unless those conditions are directly relevant to the subject. If you must refer to someone’s disability, put the person �irst and the disability second.7 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch5lev1sec27#ch5note7) For example, by saying “employees with physical handicaps,” not “handicapped employees,” you focus on the whole person, not the disability. Finally, never use outdated terminology such as crippled or retarded.

REAL-TIME UPDATES

LEARN MORE BY READING THIS PDF

Get detailed advice on using bias-free language

This in-depth guide offers practical tips for avoiding many types of cultural bias in your writing and speaking. Go to http://real-timeupdates.com/bct13 (http://real-timeupdates.com/bct13) . Under “Students,” click on “Learn More.”

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2 LEARNING OBJECTIVE Explain how establishing your credibility and projecting your company’s image are vital aspects of building strong relationships with your audience.

5.2 Adapting to Your Audience: Building Strong Relationships Successful communication relies on a positive relationship between sender and receiver. Establishing your credibility and projecting your company’s image are two vital steps in building and fostering positive business relationships.

ESTABLISHING YOUR CREDIBILITY Audience responses to your messages depend heavily on your credibility (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch5lev1sec27#ch5term10) , a measure of your believability based on how reliable you are and how much trust you evoke in others. With audiences who don’t know you and trust you already, you need to establish credibility before they’ll accept your messages (see Figure 5.2 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch5lev1sec6#ch5�ig2) ). On the other hand, when you do establish credibility, communication becomes much easier because you no longer have to spend time and energy convincing people that you are a trustworthy source of information and ideas. To build, maintain, or repair your credibility, emphasize the following characteristics:

People are more likely to react positively to your message when they have con�idence in you.

To enhance your credibility, emphasize such factors as honesty, objectivity, and awareness of audience needs.

Honesty. Demonstrating honesty and integrity will earn you the respect of your audiences, even if they don’t always agree with or welcome your messages.

Objectivity. Show that you can distance yourself from emotional situations and look at all sides of an issue.

Awareness of audience needs. Directly or indirectly, let your audience members know that you understand what’s important to them.

Credentials, knowledge, and expertise. Audiences need to know that you have whatever it takes to back up your message, whether it’s education, professional certi�ication, special training, past successes, or simply the fact that you’ve done your research.

Endorsements. An endorsement is a statement on your behalf by someone who is accepted by your audience as an expert.

Performance. Demonstrating impressive communication skills is not enough; people need to know they can count on you to get the job done.

Sincerity. When you offer praise, don’t use hyperbole, such as “you are the most fantastic employee I could ever imagine.” Instead, point out speci�ic qualities that warrant praise.

Figure 5.2 Building Credibility

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Gregg Fraley is a highly regarded expert in the �ield of creativity and business innovation, but because his services are intangible, potential clients can’t “test drive” those services before making a purchase decision. He therefore takes special care to build credibility as part of his communication efforts.

Source: Gregg Fraley

In addition, audiences need to know that you believe in yourself and your message. If you lack faith in yourself, you’re likely to communicate an uncertain attitude that undermines your credibility. In contrast, if you are convinced that your message is sound, you can state your case with authority. Look out for phrases containing words such as hope and trust, which can drain the audience’s con�idence in your message:

Instead of This Write This

We hope this recommendation will be helpful. We’re pleased to make this recommendation.

We trust that you’ll want to extend your service contract.

By extending your service contract, you can continue to enjoy top-notch performance from your equipment.

Finally, keep in mind that credibility can take a long time to establish—and it can be wiped out in an instant. An occasional mistake or letdown is usually forgiven, but major lapses in honesty or integrity can destroy your reputation. On the other hand, when you do establish credibility, communication becomes much easier because you no longer have to spend time and energy convincing people that you are a trustworthy source of information and ideas.

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Your company’s interests and reputation take precedence over your personal views and communication style.

PROJECTING YOUR COMPANY’S IMAGE When you communicate with anyone outside your organization, it is more than a conversation between two individuals. You represent your company and therefore play a vital role in helping the company build and maintain positive relationships with all its stakeholders. Most successful companies work hard to

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foster a speci�ic public image, and your external communication efforts need to project that image. As part of this responsibility, the interests and preferred communication style of your company must take precedence over your own views and personal communication style.

THE ART OF PROFESSIONALISM

Being dependable and Accountable

By any de�inition, a “pro” is somebody who gets the job done. Develop a reputation as somebody people can count on. This means meeting your commitments, including keeping on schedule and staying within budgets. These are skills that take some time to develop as you discover how much time and money are required to accomplish various tasks and projects. With experience, you’ll learn to be conservative with your commitments. You don’t want to be known as someone who overpromises and underdelivers.

If you can’t con�idently predict how long a project will take or how much it will cost, be sure to let your client, colleagues, or supervisor know that. And if changing circumstances threaten your ability to meet a previous commitment, be sure to share that information with anyone who might be affected by your performance.

Being accountable also means owning up to your mistakes and learning from failure so that you can continue to improve. Pros don’t make excuses or blame others. When they make mistakes—and everybody does—they face the situation head on, make amends, and move on.

CAREER APPLICATIONS

1. What steps could you take to make realistic commitments on tasks and projects in which you have little or no experience?

2. Does being accountable mean you never make mistakes? Explain your answer.

Many organizations have speci�ic communication guidelines that show everything from the correct use of the company name to preferred abbreviations and other grammatical details. Specifying a desired style of communication is more dif�icult, however. Observe more experienced colleagues, and never hesitate to ask for editorial help to make sure you’re conveying the appropriate tone. For instance, with clients entrusting thousands or millions of dollars to it, an investment �irm communicates in a style quite different from that of a clothing retailer. And a clothing retailer specializing in high-quality business attire communicates in a different style than a store catering to the latest trends in casual wear.

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3 LEARNING OBJECTIVE Explain how to achieve a tone that is conversational but businesslike, explain the value of using plain language, and de�ine active and passive voice.

5.3 Adapting to Your Audience: Controlling Your Style and Tone Your communication style (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch5lev1sec27#ch5term15) involves the choices you make to express yourself: the words you select, the manner in which you use those words in sentences, and the way you build paragraphs from individual sentences. Your style creates a certain tone (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch5lev1sec27#ch5term16) , or overall impression, in your messages. The right tone depends on the nature of your message and your relationship with the reader.

CREATING A CONVERSATIONAL TONE

Most business messages aim for a conversational style that is warm but businesslike.

The tone of your business messages can range from informal to conversational to formal. When you’re communicating with your superiors or with customers, your tone may tend to be more formal and respectful.8 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch5lev1sec27#ch5note8) However, that formal tone might sound distant and cold if used with close colleagues.

Compare the three versions of the message in Table 5.2 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch5lev1sec9#ch5tab2) . The �irst is too formal and stuffy for today’s audiences, whereas the third is inappropriately casual for business. The second message demonstrates the conversational tone (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch5lev1sec27#ch5term9) used in most business communication—plain language that sounds businesslike without being stuffy at one extreme or too laid-back and informal at the other extreme. You can achieve a tone that is conversational but still businesslike by following these guidelines:

Understand the difference between texting and writing. The casual, acronym-laden language used in text messaging and instant messaging between friends is not considered professional business writing. Texting style is an ef�icient way for friends to communicate—particularly taking into account the limitations of a phone keypad—but if you want to be taken seriously in business, you simply cannot write like this on the job.

TABLE 5.2 Finding the Right Tone Tone (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch5lev1sec27#ch5term16)

Example

Stuffy: too formal for today’s audiences Dear Ms. Navarro:

Enclosed please �ind the information that was requested during our telephone communication of May 14. As was mentioned at that time, Midville Hospital has signi�icantly more doctors of exceptional quality than any other health facility in the state.

As you were also informed, our organization has quite an impressive network of doctors and other health-care professionals with of�ices located throughout the state. In the event that you should need a specialist, our professionals will be able to make an appropriate recommendation.

In the event that you have questions or would like additional information, you may certainly contact me during regular business hours.

Most sincerely yours,

Samuel G. Berenz

Conversational: just right for most business communication Dear Ms. Navarro:

Here’s the information you requested during our phone conversation on Friday. As I mentioned, Midville Hospital has the highest-rated doctors and more of them than any other hospital in the state.

In addition, we have a vast network of doctors and other health professionals with of�ices throughout the state. If you need a specialist, they can refer you to the right one.

If you would like more information, please call any time between 9:00 and 5:00, Monday through Friday.

Sincerely,

Samuel G. Berenz

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Tone (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch5lev1sec27#ch5term16)

Example

Unprofessional: too casual for business communication

Here’s the 411 you requested. IMHO, we have more and better doctors than any other hospital in the state.

FYI, we also have a large group of doctors and other health professionals w/of�ices close to U at work/home. If U need a specialist, they’ll refer U to the right one.

Any? just ring or msg.

L8R,

S

Avoid stale and pompous language. Most companies now shy away from such dated phrases as “attached please �ind” and “please be advised that.” Similarly, avoid using obscure words, stale or clichéd expressions, and overly complicated sentences designed only to impress others (see Table 5.3 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch5lev1sec9#ch5tab3) ).

TABLE 5.3 Weeding Out Obsolete Phrases Obsolete Phrase Up-to-Date Replacement

we are in receipt of we received

kindly advise please let me/us know

attached please �ind enclosed is or I/we have enclosed

it has come to my attention I have just learned or [someone] has just informed me

the undersigned I/we

in due course (specify a time or date)

permit me to say that (omit; just say whatever you need to say)

pursuant to (omit; just say whatever you need to say)

in closing, I’d like to say (omit; just say whatever you need to say)

we wish to inform you that (omit; just say whatever you need to say)

please be advised that (omit; just say whatever you need to say)

Avoid preaching and bragging. Readers tend to get irritated by know-it-alls who like to preach or brag. However, if you need to remind your audience of something that should be obvious, try to work in the information casually, perhaps in the middle of a paragraph, where it will sound like a secondary comment rather than a major revelation.

Be careful with intimacy. Business messages should generally avoid intimacy, such as sharing personal details or adopting a casual, unprofessional tone. However, when you have a close relationship with audience members, such as among the members of a close-knit team, a more intimate tone is sometimes appropriate and even expected.

Be careful with humor. Humor can easily back�ire and divert attention from your message. If you don’t know your audience well or you’re not skilled at using humor in a business setting, don’t use it at all. Avoid humor in formal messages and when you’re communicating across cultural boundaries.

Audiences can understand and act on plain language without reading it over and over.

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USING PLAIN LANGUAGE An important aspect of creating a conversational tone is using plain language (or plain English speci�ically when English is involved). Plain language presents information in a simple, unadorned style that allows your audience to easily grasp your meaning—language that recipients “can read, understand and act upon the �irst time they read it.”9 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch5lev1sec27#ch5note9) You can see how this de�inition supports using the “you” attitude and shows respect for your audience. In addition, plain language can make companies more productive and more pro�itable because people spend less

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time trying to �igure out messages that are confusing or aren’t written to meet their needs.10 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch5lev1sec27#ch5note10) Finally, plain language helps nonnative speakers read your messages.

Creative Commons, a not-for-pro�it organization that provides content creators with an alternative to traditional copyright law, offers a great example of adapting to readers with plain language. Its licensing terms are available in three versions: a complete “legal code” document that spells out contractual details in speci�ic legal terms that meet the needs of legal professionals, a “human readable” version that explains the licensing terms in nontechnical language that anyone can understand, and a “machine readable” version �ine-tuned for search engines and other systems (see Figure 5.3 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch5lev1sec9#ch5�ig3) ).11 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch5lev1sec27#ch5note11)

Figure 5.3 Plain Language at Creative Commons

Creative Commons uses this diagram and text to explain the differences among its three versions of content licenses.

Source: Creative Commons

TABLE 5.4 Choosing Active or Passive Voice In general, avoid passive voice in order to make your writing lively and direct.

Dull and Indirect in Passive Voice Lively and Direct in Active Voice

The new procedure was developed by the operations team. The operations team developed the new procedure.

Legal problems are created by this contract. This contract creates legal problems.

Reception preparations have been undertaken by our PR people for the new CEO’s arrival.

Our PR people have begun planning a reception for the new CEO.

However, passive voice is helpful when you need to be diplomatic or want to focus attention on problems or solutions rather than on people.

Accusatory or Self-Congratulatory in Active Voice More Diplomatic in Passive Voice

You lost the shipment. The shipment was lost.

I recruited seven engineers last month. Seven engineers were recruited last month.

We are investigating the high rate of failures on the �inal assembly line. The high rate of failures on the �inal assembly line is being investigated.

SELECTING THE ACTIVE OR PASSIVE VOICE Your choice of the active or passive voice affects the tone of your message. In active voice (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch5lev1sec27#ch5term2) , the subject performs the action and the object receives the action: “Jodi sent the email message.” In passive voice (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch5lev1sec27#ch5term13) , the subject receives the action: “The email message was sent by Jodi.” As you can see, the passive voice combines the helping verb to be with a form of the verb that is usually similar to the past tense.

Using the active voice helps make your writing more direct, livelier, and easier to read (see Table 5.4 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch5lev1sec9#ch5tab4) ). In contrast, the passive voice is often cumbersome, can be unnecessarily

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vague, and can make sentences overly long. In most cases, the active voice is your best choice.12 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch5lev1sec27#ch5note12) Nevertheless, using the passive voice can help you demonstrate the “you” attitude in some situations:

When you want to be diplomatic about pointing out a problem or an error of some kind (the passive version seems less like an accusation)

Active sentences are usually stronger than passive ones.

When you want to point out what’s being done without taking or attributing either the credit or the blame (the passive version shifts the spotlight away from the person or persons involved)

When you want to avoid personal pronouns in order to create an objective tone (the passive version may be used in a formal report, for example)

Use passive sentences to soften bad news, to put yourself in the background, or to create an impersonal tone when needed.

The second half of Table 5.4 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch5lev1sec9#ch5tab4) illustrates several other situations in which the passive voice helps you focus your message on your audience.

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4 LEARNING OBJECTIVE Describe how to select words that are both correct and effective.

5.4 Composing Your Message: Choosing Powerful Words After you have decided how to adapt to your audience, you’re ready to begin composing your message. As you write your �irst draft, let your creativity �low. Don’t try to write and edit at the same time or worry about getting everything perfect. Make up words if you can’t think of the right word, draw pictures, talk out loud —do whatever it takes to get the ideas out of your head and onto screen or paper. If you’ve scheduled carefully, you should have time to revise and re�ine the material later. In fact, many writers �ind it helpful to establish a personal rule of never showing a �irst draft to anyone. By working in this “safe zone,” away from the critical eyes of others, your mind will stay free to think clearly and creatively.

If you get stuck and feel unable to write, try to overcome writer’s block by jogging your brain in creative ways. The introduction is often the hardest part to write, so put it aside and work on whichever parts of the document you’re most comfortable with at any given moment. In most cases, you don’t need to write the sections in any particular order.13 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch5lev1sec27#ch5note13) Work on nontext elements such as graphics or your cover page. Revisit your purpose and con�irm your intent in writing the message. Give yourself a mental break by switching to a different project. Sometimes all you need to do is start writing without worrying about the words you’re using or how they will sound to the audience. Words will start �lowing, your mind will engage, and the writing will come easier.

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You may �ind it helpful to hone your craft by viewing your writing at three levels: strong words, effective sentences, and coherent paragraphs. Starting at the word level, successful writers pay close attention to the correct use of words.14 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch5lev1sec27#ch5note14) If you make errors of grammar or usage, you lose credibility with your audience—even if your message is otherwise correct. Poor grammar suggests to readers that you’re unprofessional, and they may choose not to trust you as a result. Moreover, poor grammar may imply that you don’t respect your audience enough to get things right.

Correctness is the �irst consideration when choosing words.

The rules of grammar and usage can be a source of worry for writers because some of them are complex and some evolve over time. Even professional editors and grammarians occasionally have questions about correct usage, and they may disagree about the answers. For example, the word data is the plural form of datum, yet some experts now prefer to treat data as a singular noun when it’s used in nonscienti�ic material to refer to a body of facts or �igures.

With practice, you’ll become more skilled in making correct choices over time. If you have doubts about what is correct, you have many ways to �ind the answer. Check the Handbook of Grammar, Mechanics, and Usage at the end of this book, or consult the many special reference books and resources available in libraries, in bookstores, and on the Internet.

MOBILE APPS

Dragon Dictation uses voice recognition to convert speech to text at up to �ive times faster than typing.

In addition to using words correctly, successful writers and speakers take care to use the most effective words and phrases. Selecting and using words effectively is often more challenging than using words correctly because doing so is a matter of judgment and experience. Careful writers continue to work at their craft to �ind words that communicate with power (see Figure 5.4 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch5lev1sec13#ch5�ig4) ).

Effectiveness is the second consideration when choosing words.

UNDERSTANDING DENOTATION AND CONNOTATION A word may have both a denotative and a connotative meaning. The denotative meaning (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch5lev1sec27#ch5term11) is the literal, or dictionary, meaning. The connotative meaning (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch5lev1sec27#ch5term8) includes all the associations and feelings evoked by the word.

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The denotative meaning of desk is “a piece of furniture with a �lat work surface and various drawers for storage.” The connotative meaning of desk may include thoughts associated with work or study, but the word desk has fairly neutral connotations—neither strong nor emotional. However, some words have much stronger connotations than others and should be used with care. For example, the connotations of the word fail are negative and can have a dramatic emotional impact. If you say the sales department failed to meet its annual quota, the connotative meaning suggests that the group is inferior, incompetent, or below some standard of performance. However, the reason for not achieving 100 percent might be an inferior product, incorrect pricing, or some other factor outside the control of the sales department. In contrast, by saying the sales department achieved 85 percent of its quota, you clearly communicate that the results were less than expected without triggering all the negative emotions associated with failure.

BALANCING ABSTRACT AND CONCRETE WORDS

The more abstract a word is, the more it is removed from the tangible, objective world of things that can be perceived with the senses.

Words vary dramatically in their degree of abstraction or concreteness. An abstract word (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch5lev1sec27#ch5term1) expresses a concept, quality, or characteristic. Abstractions are usually broad, encompassing a category of ideas, and they are often intellectual, academic, or philosophical. Love, honor, progress, tradition, and beauty are abstractions, as are such important business concepts as productivity, pro�its, quality, and motivation. In contrast, a concrete word (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch5lev1sec27#ch5term7) stands for something you can touch, see, or visualize. Most concrete terms are anchored in the tangible, material world. Chair, table, horse, rose, kick, kiss, red, green, and two are concrete words; they are direct, clear, and exact. Incidentally, technology continues to generate new words and new meanings that describe things that don’t have a physical presence but are nonetheless concrete: software, database, and website are all concrete terms as well.

Figure 5.4 Choosing Powerful Words

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Notice how careful word choices help this excerpt from a report published by the American Institute of Certi�ied Public Accountants make a number of important points. The tone is formal, which is appropriate for a report with global, public readership. (GAAP refers to accounting standards currently used in the United States; IFRS refers to international standards.)

As you can imagine, abstractions tend to cause more trouble for writers and readers than concrete words. Abstractions tend to be “fuzzy” and can be interpreted differently, depending on the audience and the circumstances. The best way to minimize such problems is to blend abstract terms with concrete ones, the general with the speci�ic. State the concept, then pin it down with details expressed in more concrete terms. Save the abstractions for ideas that cannot be expressed any other way. In addition, abstract words such as small, numerous, sizable, near, soon, good, and �ine are imprecise, so try to replace them with terms that are more accurate. Instead of referring to a sizable loss, give an exact number.

Try to use words that are powerful and familiar.

FINDING WORDS THAT COMMUNICATE WELL By practicing your writing, learning from experienced writers and editors, and reading extensively, you’ll �ind it easier to choose words that communicate exactly what you want to say. When you compose your business messages, think carefully to �ind the most powerful words for each situation and to avoid obscure words, clichés, and buzzwords that are turning into clichés (see Table 5.5 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch5lev1sec13#ch5tab5) ):

TABLE 5.5 Selected Examples of Finding Powerful Words Potentially Weak Words and Phrases Stronger Alternatives (Effective Usage Depends on the Situation)

Increase (as a verb) Accelerate, amplify, augment, enlarge, escalate, expand, extend, magnify, multiply, soar, swell

Decrease (as a verb) Curb, cut back, depreciate, dwindle, shrink, slacken

Large, small (use a speci�ic number, such as $100 million)

Good Admirable, bene�icial, desirable, �lawless, pleasant, sound, superior, worthy

Bad Abysmal, corrupt, de�icient, �lawed, inadequate, inferior, poor, substandard, worthless

We are committed to providing . . . We provide . . .

It is in our best interest to . . . We should . . .

Unfamiliar Words Familiar Words

Ascertain Find out, learn

Consummate Close, bring about

Peruse Read, study

Circumvent Avoid

Unequivocal Certain

Clichés and Buzzwords Plain Language

An uphill battle A challenge

Writing on the wall Prediction

Call the shots Lead

Take by storm Attack

Costs an arm and a leg Expensive

A new ball game Fresh start

Fall through the cracks Be overlooked

Think outside the box Be creative

Run it up the �lagpole Find out what people think about it

Eat our own dog food Use our own products

Mission-critical Vital

Disintermediate Get rid of

Green light (as a verb) Approve

Architect (as a verb) Design

Space (as in, “we compete in the XYZ space”)Market or industry

Blocking and tackling Basic skills

Trying to boil the ocean Working frantically but without focus

Human capital People, employees, workforce

Low-hanging fruit Tasks that are easy to complete or sales that are

easy to close

Pushback Resistance

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Choose strong, precise words. Choose words that express your thoughts clearly, speci�ically, and dynamically. If you �ind yourself using a lot of adjectives and adverbs, you’re probably trying to compensate for weak nouns and verbs. Saying that sales plummeted is stronger and more ef�icient than saying sales dropped dramatically or sales experienced a dramatic drop.

Choose familiar words. You’ll communicate best with words that are familiar to both you and your readers. Efforts to improve a situation certainly can be ameliorative, but saying they are helpful is a lot more effective. Moreover, trying to use an unfamiliar word for the �irst time in an important document can lead to embarrassing mistakes.

Avoid clichés and be careful with buzzwords. Although familiar words are generally the best choice, avoid clichés—terms and phrases so common that they have lost some of their power to communicate. Buzzwords, newly coined terms often associated with technology, business, or cultural changes, are slightly more dif�icult to handle than clichés, but in small doses and in the right situation, they can be useful. The careful use of a buzzword can signal that you’re an insider, someone in the know.15 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch5lev1sec27#ch5note15) However, buzzwords quickly become clichés, and using them too late in their “life cycle” can mark you as an outsider desperately trying to look like an insider. When people use clichés and overuse buzzwords, they often sound as though they don’t know how to express themselves otherwise and don’t invest the energy required for original writing.16 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch5lev1sec27#ch5note16)

Use jargon carefully. Jargon, the specialized language of a particular profession or industry, has a bad reputation, but it’s not always bad. Using jargon is usually an ef�icient way to communicate within the speci�ic groups that understand these terms. After all, that’s how jargon develops in the �irst place, as people with similar interests devise ways to communicate complex ideas quickly. For instance, when a recording engineer wants to communicate that a particular piece of music is devoid of reverberation and other sound effects, it’s a lot easier to simply describe the track as “dry.” Of course, to people who aren’t familiar with such insider terms, jargon is meaningless and intimidating—one more reason it’s important to understand your audience before you start writing.

Avoid clichés, be extremely careful with trendy buzzwords, and use jargon only when your audience is completely familiar with it.

MOBILE APPS

The Advanced English Dictionary and Thesaurus helps you �ind the right word by organizing words according to their relationship with other words.

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5 LEARNING OBJECTIVE De�ine the four types of sentences, and explain how sentence style affects emphasis within a message.

5.5 Composing Your Message: Creating Effective Sentences Arranging your carefully chosen words in effective sentences is the next step in creating powerful messages. Start by selecting the best type of sentence to communicate each point you want to make.

CHOOSING FROM THE FOUR TYPES OF SENTENCES Sentences come in four basic varieties: simple, compound, complex, and compound-complex. A simple sentence (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch5lev1sec27#ch5term14) has one main clause (a single subject and a single predicate), although it may be expanded by nouns and pronouns that serve as objects of the action and by modifying phrases. Here’s an example with the subject noun underlined once and the predicate verb underlined twice:

A simple sentence has one main clause.

Pro�its increased in the past year.

A compound sentence (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch5lev1sec27#ch5term5) has two main clauses that express two or more independent but related thoughts of equal importance, usually joined by and, but, or or. In effect, a compound sentence is a merger of two or more simple sentences (independent clauses) that are related. For example:

A compound sentence has two main clauses.

Wage rates have declined by 5 percent, and employee turnover has been high.

The independent clauses in a compound sentence are always separated by a comma or by a semicolon (in which case the conjunction—and, but, or—is dropped).

A complex sentence (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch5lev1sec27#ch5term4) expresses one main thought (the independent clause) and one or more subordinate, related thoughts (dependent clauses that cannot stand alone as valid sentences). Independent and dependent clauses are usually separated by a comma. In this example, “Although you may question Gerald’s conclusions” is a subordinate thought expressed in a dependent clause:

A complex sentence has one main clause and one subordinate clause.

Although you may question Gerald’s conclusions, you must admit that his research is thorough.

A compound-complex sentence (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch5lev1sec27#ch5term6) has two main clauses, at least one of which contains a subordinate clause:

A compound-complex sentence has two main clauses and at least one dependent clause.

Pro�its increased 35 percent in the past year, so although the company faces long-term challenges, I agree that its short-term prospects look quite positive.

When constructing sentences, choose the form that matches the relationship of the ideas you want to express. If you have two ideas of equal importance, express them as two simple sentences or as one compound sentence. However, if one of the ideas is less important than the other, place it in a dependent clause to form a complex sentence. For example, although the following compound sentence uses a conjunction to join two ideas, they aren’t truly equal:

The chemical products division is the strongest in the company, and its management techniques should be adopted by the other divisions.

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By making the �irst thought subordinate to the second, you establish a cause-and-effect relationship and emphasize the more important idea (that the other divisions should adopt the chemical division’s management techniques):

Because the chemical products division is the strongest in the company, its management techniques should be adopted by the other divisions.

In addition to selecting the best type for each thought you want to express, using a variety of sentence types throughout a document can make your writing more interesting and effective. For example, if you use too many simple sentences in a row, you may struggle to properly express the relationships among your ideas, and your writing will sound choppy and abrupt. At the other extreme, a long series of compound, complex, or compound-complex sentences can be tiring to read.

Maintain some variety among the four sentence types to keep your writing from getting choppy (too many short, simple sentences) or exhausting (too many long sentences).

Emphasize speci�ic parts of sentences by

Devoting more words to them

Putting them at the beginning or at the end of the sentence

Making them the subject of the sentence

USING SENTENCE STYLE TO EMPHASIZE KEY THOUGHTS In every message of any length, some ideas are more important than others. You can emphasize these key ideas through your sentence style. One obvious technique is to give important points the most space. When you want to call attention to a thought, use extra words to describe it. Consider this sentence:

The chairperson called for a vote of the shareholders.

To emphasize the importance of the chairperson, you might describe her more fully:

Having considerable experience in corporate takeover battles, the chairperson called for a vote of the shareholders.

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Practical tips for more-effective sentences

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You can increase the emphasis even more by adding a separate, short sentence to augment the �irst:

The chairperson called for a vote of the shareholders. She has considerable experience in corporate takeover battles.

You can also call attention to a thought by making it the subject of the sentence. In the following example, the emphasis is on the person:

I can write letters much more quickly by using voice dictation.

However, by changing the subject, the voice dictation capability takes center stage:

Using voice dictation enables me to write letters much more quickly.

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Another way to emphasize an idea (in this instance, the idea of stimulating demand) is to place it either at the beginning or at the end of a sentence:

Less emphatic: We are cutting the price to stimulate demand.

More emphatic: To stimulate demand, we are cutting the price.

In complex sentences, the placement of the dependent clause hinges on the relationship between the ideas expressed. If you want to emphasize the subordinate idea, put the dependent clause at the end of the sentence (the most emphatic position) or at the beginning (the second most emphatic position). If you want to downplay the idea, put the dependent clause within the sentence:

The best placement of the dependent clause depends on the relationship between the ideas in the sentence.

Most emphatic: The electronic parts are manufactured in Mexico, which has lower wage rates than the United States.

Emphatic: Because wage rates are lower in Mexico than in the United States, the electronic parts are manufactured there.

Least emphatic: Mexico, which has lower wage rates than the United States, was selected as the production site for the electronic parts.

Techniques such as these give you a great deal of control over the way your audience interprets what you have to say.

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6 LEARNING OBJECTIVE De�ine the three key elements of a paragraph, and list �ive ways to develop uni�ied, coherent paragraphs.

5.6 Composing Your Message: Crafting Uni�ied, Coherent Paragraphs Paragraphs organize sentences related to the same general topic. Readers expect every paragraph to be uni�ied—focusing on a single topic—and coherent— presenting ideas in a logically connected way. By carefully arranging the elements of each paragraph, you help your readers grasp the main idea of your document and understand how the speci�ic pieces of support material back up that idea.

CREATING THE ELEMENTS OF A PARAGRAPH Paragraphs vary widely in length and form, but a typical paragraph contains three basic elements: a topic sentence, support sentences that develop the topic, and transitional words and phrases.

MOBILE APPS

Pages is a full-featured word processing app for iOS devices.

Topic Sentence

Figure 5.5 Topic Sentences

In this blog post, informative subheadings function as topic sentences for the paragraphs that follow.

Source: Ignite Social Media

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An effective paragraph deals with a single topic, and the sentence that introduces that topic is called the topic sentence (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch5lev1sec27#ch5term17) (see Figure 5.5 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch5lev1sec20#ch5�ig5) ). In informal and creative writing, the topic sentence may be implied rather than stated. In business writing, the topic sentence is generally explicit and is often the �irst sentence in the paragraph. The topic sentence gives readers a summary of the general idea that will be covered in the rest of the paragraph. The following examples show how a topic sentence can introduce the subject and suggest the way the subject will be developed:

The medical products division has been troubled for many years by public relations problems. [In the rest of the paragraph, readers will learn the details of the problems.]

To get a refund, please supply us with the following information. [The details of the necessary information will be described in the rest of the paragraph.]

Most paragraphs consist of

A topic sentence that reveals the subject of the paragraph

Related sentences that support and expand the topic

Transitions that help readers move between sentences and paragraphs

In addition to helping your readers, topic sentences help you as a writer because they remind you of the purpose of each paragraph and thereby encourage you to stay focused. In fact, a good way to test the effectiveness of your writing is to prepare a summary version that consists of only the �irst sentences of all your paragraphs. If this summary communicates the essence of your message in a sensible, compelling way, you’ve probably done a good job of presenting your information.17 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch5lev1sec27#ch5note17)

Support Sentences

In most paragraphs, the topic sentence needs to be explained, justi�ied, or extended with one or more support sentences. These related sentences must all have a bearing on the general subject and must provide enough speci�ic details to make the topic clear:

The medical products division has been troubled for many years by public relations problems. Since 2014, the local newspaper has published 15 articles that portray the division in a negative light. We have been accused of everything from mistreating laboratory animals to polluting the local groundwater. Our facility has been described as a health hazard. Our scientists are referred to as “Frankensteins,” and our pro�its are considered “obscene.”

The support sentences are all more speci�ic than the topic sentence. Each one provides another piece of evidence to demonstrate the general truth of the main thought. Also, each sentence is clearly related to the general idea being developed, which gives the paragraph unity. A paragraph is well developed if it contains enough information to make the topic sentence understood and convincing, and if it doesn’t contain any extraneous, unrelated sentences.

Transitions

Transitions (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch5lev1sec27#ch5term18) connect ideas by showing how one thought is related to another. They also help alert the reader to what lies ahead so that shifts and changes don’t cause confusion. In addition to helping readers understand the connections you’re trying to make, transitions give your writing a smooth, even �low.

Depending on the speci�ic need within a document, transitional elements can range in length from a single word to an entire paragraph or more. You can establish transitions in a variety of ways:

Use connecting words. Use conjunctions such as and, but, or, nevertheless, however, in addition, and so on.

Echo a word or phrase from a previous paragraph or sentence. “A system should be established for monitoring inventory levels. This system will provide . . .”

Use a pronoun that refers to a noun used previously. “Ms. Arthur is the leading candidate for the president’s position. She has excellent quali�ications.”

Use words that are frequently paired. “The machine has a minimum output of . . . Its maximum output is . . .”

Transitional elements include

Connecting words (conjunctions)

Repeated words or phrases

Pronouns

Words that are frequently paired

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Some transitions serve as mood changers, alerting the reader to a change in mood from the previous material. Some announce a total contrast with what’s gone on before, some announce a causal relationship, and some signal a change in time. Here is a list of transitions frequently used to move readers smoothly between clauses, sentences, and paragraphs:

Additional detail: moreover, furthermore, in addition, besides, �irst, second, third, �inally

Cause-and-effect relationship: therefore, because, accordingly, thus, consequently, hence, as a result, so

Comparison: similarly, here again, likewise, in comparison, still

Contrast: yet, conversely, whereas, nevertheless, on the other hand, however, but, nonetheless

Condition: although, if

Illustration: for example, in particular, in this case, for instance

Time sequence: formerly, after, when, meanwhile, sometimes

Intensi�ication: indeed, in fact, in any event

Summary: in brief, in short, to sum up

Repetition: that is, in other words, as mentioned earlier

Consider using a transition whenever it could help the reader understand your ideas and follow you from point to point. You can use transitions inside paragraphs to tie related points together and between paragraphs to ease the shift from one distinct thought to another. In longer reports, a transition that links major sections or chapters may be a complete paragraph that serves as a mini-introduction to the next section or as a summary of the ideas presented in the section just ending. Here’s an example:

Given the nature of this product, our alternatives are limited. As the previous section indicates, we can stop making it altogether, improve it, or continue with the current model. Each of these alternatives has advantages and disadvantages, which are discussed in the following section.

This paragraph makes it clear to the reader that the analysis of the problem (offered in the previous section) is now over and that the document is making a transition to an analysis of the possible solutions (to be offered in the next section).

CHOOSING THE BEST WAY TO DEVELOP EACH PARAGRAPH

Five ways to develop paragraphs:

Illustration

Comparison or contrast

Cause and effect

Classi�ication

Problem and solution

You have a variety of options for developing paragraphs, each of which can convey a speci�ic type of idea. Five of the most common approaches are illustration, comparison or contrast, cause and effect, classi�ication, and problem and solution (see Table 5.6 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch5lev1sec26#ch5tab6) ).

In some instances, combining approaches in a single paragraph is an effective strategy. Notice how the example provided for “Problem and solution” in Table 5.6 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch5lev1sec26#ch5tab6) also includes an element of illustration by listing some of the unique products that could be part of the proposed solution. However, when combining approaches, do so carefully so that you don’t lose readers partway through the paragraph.

In addition, before settling for the �irst approach that comes to mind, consider the alternatives. Think through various methods before committing yourself, or even write several test paragraphs to see which method works best. By avoiding the easy habit of repeating the same old paragraph pattern time after time, you can keep your writing fresh and interesting.

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7 LEARNING OBJECTIVE List �ive techniques for writing effective messages for mobile readers.

5.7 Writing Messages for Mobile Devices One obvious adaptation to make for audiences using mobile devices is to modify the design and layout of your messages to �it smaller screen sizes and different user interface features (see Chapter 6 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch06#ch06) ). However, modifying your approach to writing is also an important step. Reading is more dif�icult on small screens, and consequently users’ ability to comprehend what they read on mobile devices is lower than it is on larger screens.18 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch5lev1sec27#ch5note18) Use these �ive techniques to make your mobile messages more effective:

TABLE 5.6 Five Techniques for Developing Paragraphs Technique Description Example

Illustration Giving examples that demonstrate the general idea

Some of our most popular products are available through local distributors. For example, Everett & Lemmings carries our frozen soups and entrees. The J. B. Green Company carries our complete line of seasonings, as well as the frozen soups. Wilmont Foods, also a major distributor, now carries our new line of frozen desserts.

Comparison or contrast

Using similarities or differences to develop the topic

When the company was small, the recruiting function could be handled informally. The need for new employees was limited, and each manager could comfortably screen and hire her or his own staff. However, our successful bid on the Owens contract means that we will be doubling our labor force over the next six months. To hire that many people without disrupting our ongoing activities, we will create a separate recruiting group within the human resources department.

Cause and effect

Focusing on the reasons for something

The heavy-duty fabric of your Wanderer tent probably broke down for one of two reasons: (1) a sharp object punctured the fabric, and without reinforcement, the hole was enlarged by the stress of pitching the tent daily for a week or (2) the �ibers gradually rotted because the tent was folded and stored while still wet.

Classi�icationShowing how a general idea is broken into speci�ic categories

Successful candidates for our supervisor trainee program generally come from one of several groups. The largest group by far consists of recent graduates of accredited business management programs. The next largest group comes from within our own company, as we try to promote promising staff workers to positions of greater responsibility. Finally, we occasionally accept candidates with outstanding supervisory experience in related industries.

Problem and solution

Presenting a problem and then discussing the solution

Selling handmade toys online is a challenge because consumers are accustomed to buying heavily advertised toys from major chain stores or well-known websites such as Amazon.com (http://Amazon.com) . However, if we develop an appealing website, we can compete on the basis of product novelty and quality. In addition, we can provide unusual crafts at a competitive price: a rocking horse of birch, with a hand-knit tail and mane; a music box with the child’s name painted on the top; and a real teepee, made by Native American artisans.

Use a linear organization. In a printed document or on a larger screen, readers can easily take in multiple elements on a page, such as preview or summary boxes, tables and other supporting visuals, and sidebars with related information. All these elements are in view at the same time, so readers can jump around the page to read various parts without feeling lost. However, with small mobile device screens, a complicated organization requires readers to zoom in and out and pan around to see all these elements at readable text sizes. This makes reading slower and raises the odds that readers will get disoriented and lose the thread of the message because they can’t see the big picture. To simplify reading, organize with a linear �low from the top to the bottom of the message or article.

To write effectively for mobile devices

Use a linear organization

Prioritize information

Write short, focused messages

Use short subject lines and headings

Use short paragraphs

Prioritize information. Small screens make it dif�icult for readers to scan the page to �ind the information they want most. Prioritize the information based on what you know about their needs and put that information �irst.19 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch5lev1sec27#ch5note19) Use the inverted pyramid style favored by journalists, in which you reveal the most important information brie�ly at �irst and then provide successive layers of detail that readers can consume if they want. Note that you may need to avoid using the indirect approach (see page 107 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch4lev1sec24#page_107) ) if your message is complicated, because it will be more dif�icult for readers to follow your chain of reasoning.

Write shorter and more-focused messages and documents. Mobile users often lack the patience or opportunity to read lengthy messages or documents, so keep it short.20 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch5lev1sec27#ch5note20) In some cases, this could require you to write

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two documents, a shorter executive summary (see page 400 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch15lev1sec12#page_400) ) for mobile use and a longer supporting document that readers can access with their PCs if they want more details.

Use shorter subject lines and headings. Mobile devices, particularly phones, can’t display as many characters in a single line of text as the typical computer screen can. Depending on the app or website, email subject lines and page headings will be truncated or will wrap around to take up multiple lines. Both formats make reading more dif�icult.

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Usability experts at Nielsen Norman Group offer dozens of research-based articles on effective communication using mobile devices and other technologies. Go to http://real-timeupdates.com/bct13 (http://real-timeupdates.com/bct13) .

Under “Students,” click on “Learn More.”

Figure 5.6 Writing for Mobile Devices

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Messages and documents created for printed pages and full-sized screen can be dif�icult and frustrating on mobile devices (Figures 5.6 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch5lev1sec26#ch5�ig6) a and 5.6 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch5lev1sec26#ch5�ig6) b). For mobile audiences, rewrite with short headlines and concise, linear content (Figure 5.6 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch5lev1sec26#ch5�ig6) c).

Source: Microsoft Of�ice 365

A good rule of thumb is to keep subject lines and headlines to around 25 characters.21 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch5lev1sec27#ch5note21) This doesn’t give you much text to work with, so make every word count and make sure you start with the key words so readers can instantly see what the subject line or heading is about.22 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch5lev1sec27#ch5note22)

Use shorter paragraphs. In addition to structuring a message according to discrete blocks of information, paragraphs have a visual role in written communication as well. Shorter paragraphs are less intimidating and let readers take frequent “micro rests” as they move through a document. Because far less text is displayed at once on a mobile screen, keep paragraphs as short as possible so readers don’t have to swipe through screen after screen before getting to paragraph breaks.

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Compare the two messages in Figure 5.6 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch5lev1sec26#ch5�ig6) to get a sense of how to write reader-friendly mobile content.

For a reminder of the tasks involved in writing messages, see “Checklist: Writing Business Messages.”

CHECKLIST ✓ Writing Business Messages A. Adapt to your audience.

Use the “you” attitude.

Maintain good etiquette through polite communication.

Emphasize the positive whenever possible.

Use bias-free language.

Establish credibility in the eyes of your audience.

Project your company’s preferred image.

Use a conversational but still professional and respectful tone.

Use plain language for clarity.

B. Compose your message.

Choose strong words that communicate ef�iciently.

Pay attention to the connotative meaning of your words.

Balance abstract and concrete terms to convey your meaning accurately.

Avoid clichés and trendy buzzwords.

Use jargon only when your audience understands it and prefers it.

Vary your sentence structure for impact and interest.

Develop coherent, uni�ied paragraphs.

Use transitions generously to help your audience follow your message.

As needed adapt your writing for the limitations of mobile devices.

COMMUNICATION CHALLENGES AT She Takes on the World Natalie MacNeil recently hired you as an assistant editor at her multiauthor blog, She Takes on the World. One of your responsibilities is to review the work of guest bloggers and suggest improvements. Use what you’ve learned in this chapter to address these writing challenges.

INDIVIDUAL CHALLENGE: A guest blogger included the following sentence in a draft that aims to give entrepreneurs a realistic expectation about getting funding from venture capitalists: “Venture capitalists, who fund only a tiny percentage of all new companies, can provide valuable management expertise and industry connections in addition to start-up funds.” How would you rewrite the sentence to put more emphasis on the fact that venture capitalists fund very few companies and most entrepreneurs can’t count on getting funding from them?

TEAM CHALLENGE: You’re reviewing a draft that encourages college students who are about to graduate to consider starting a business rather than applying for conventional jobs. The writer has two main reasons for making this suggestion. First, the current job market is tough in many professions, and some graduates will be forced to take jobs that are outside their intended �ields and perhaps below the level of their quali�ications. Second, the nature of employment is changing in many professions and industries, and many companies now engage independent contractors (also known as freelancers) for short durations, rather than hiring employees for the long term. Which of these statements is the most sensitive to the audience’s needs as they relate to this speci�ic topic? What speci�ic words and phrases make it the most sensitive?

a. The job market remains slow in many industries and professions, so you should seriously consider creating your own job by starting a small company and setting up shop as an independent contractor.

b. The job market remains slow in many industries and professions, and many of those jobs aren’t coming back even when the economy fully recovers. Chances are you’ll end up working as an independent contractor at some point anyway, so you might as well do it now.

c. What could be more fun than creating your own job the minute you graduate?

d. Chances are you’ll be facing a tough job market when you graduate, and many traditional jobs are converting to contract work. Why not convert a challenge into opportunity and create your own job?

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Quick Learning Guide

KEY TERMS abstract word Word that expresses a concept, quality, or characteristic; abstractions are usually broad active voice Sentence structure in which the subject performs the action and the object receives the action bias-free language Language that avoids words and phrases that categorize or stigmatize people in ways related to gender, race, ethnicity, age, or disability complex sentence Sentence that expresses one main thought (the independent clause) and one or more subordinate, related thoughts (dependent clauses that

cannot stand alone as valid sentences) compound sentence Sentence with two main clauses that express two or more independent but related thoughts of equal importance, usually joined by and,

but, or or compound-complex sentence Sentence with two main clauses, at least one of which contains a subordinate clause concrete word Word that represents something you can touch, see, or visualize; most concrete terms related to the tangible, material world connotative meaning All the associations and feelings evoked by a word conversational tone The tone used in most business communication; it uses plain language that sounds businesslike without being stuffy at one extreme or too

laid-back and informal at the other extreme credibility A measure of your believability, based on how reliable you are and how much trust you evoke in others denotative meaning The literal, or dictionary, meaning of a word euphemisms Words or phrases that express a thought in milder terms passive voice Sentence structure in which the subject receives the action simple sentence Sentence with one main clause (a single subject and a single predicate) style The choices you make to express yourself: the words you select, the manner in which you use those words in sentences, and the way you build paragraphs

from individual sentences tone The overall impression in your messages, created by the style you use topic sentence Sentence that introduces that topic of a paragraph transitions Words or phrases that tie together ideas by showing how one thought is related to another

SUMMARY OF LEARNING OBJECTIVES 1 Identify the four aspects of being sensitive to audience needs when writing business _ messages. First, the “you” attitude refers to speaking and writing in terms of your audience’s wishes, interests, hopes, and preferences rather than your own. Writing with this attitude is essential to effective communication because it shows your audience that you have their needs in mind, not just your own. Second, good etiquette not only indicates respect for your audience, but also helps foster a more successful environment for communication by minimizing negative emotional reaction. Third, sensitive communicators understand the difference between delivering negative news and being negative. Without hiding the negative news, they look for ways to emphasize positive aspects. Fourth, being sensitive includes taking care to avoid biased language that unfairly and even unethically categorizes or stigmatizes people in ways related to gender, race, ethnicity, age, or disability.

2 Explain how establishing your credibility and projecting your company’s image are vital aspects of building strong relationships with your audience. Whether a one-time interaction or a series of exchanges over the course of many months or years, successful communication relies on a positive relationship existing between sender and receiver. Audience responses to your messages depend heavily on your credibility—a measure of your believability, based on how reliable you are and how much trust you evoke in others. When you have established credibility with an audience, communication becomes much easier because you no longer have to spend time and energy convincing people that you are a trustworthy source of information and ideas. Project your company’s desired image when communicating with external audiences. You represent your company and therefore play a vital role in helping the company build and maintain positive relationships with all of its stakeholders.

3 Explain how to achieve a tone that is conversational but businesslike, explain the value of using plain language, and de�ine active and passive voice. To achieve a tone that is conversational but still businesslike, avoid obsolete and pompous language, avoid preaching and bragging, be careful with intimacy (sharing personal details or adopting an overly casual tone), and be careful with humor. Plain language is a way of presenting information in a simple, unadorned style so that your audience can easily grasp your meaning. By writing and speaking in plain terms, you demonstrate the “you” attitude and show respect for your audience. In the active voice, the subject performs the action and the object receives the action. In the passive voice, the subject receives the action. The passive voice combines the helping verb to be with a form of the verb that is usually in the past tense.

4 Describe how to select words that are both correct and effective. To select the best words, �irst make sure they are correct by checking grammar and usage guides. Then choose words that have few connotations (to reduce the chance of misinterpretation) and no unintended negative connotations (to reduce the chance of offending your audience). Select words that communicate clearly, speci�ically, and dynamically. Choose words that are strong and familiar, avoid clichés, be extremely careful with buzzwords, and use jargon only when your audience will understand it.

5 De�ine the four types of sentences, and explain how sentence style affects emphasis within a message. The four types of sentences are simple (one main clause), compound (two main clauses that express independent but related ideas of equal importance), complex (one main clause and one subordinate clause of lesser importance), and compound-complex (two main clauses, at least one of which contains a subordinate clause). Sentence style affects emphasis by playing up or playing down speci�ic parts of a sentence. To emphasize a certain point, you can place it at the end of the sentence or make it the subject of the sentence. To deemphasize a point, put it in the middle of the sentence.

6 De�ine the three key elements of a paragraph, and list �ive ways to develop uni�ied, coherent paragraphs. The three key elements of a paragraph are a topic sentence that identi�ies the subject of the paragraph, support sentences that develop the topic and provide examples and evidence, and transitional words and phrases that help readers connect one thought to the next. Effective paragraphs are both uni�ied (focused on a single idea) and coherent (logically organized). You can develop paragraphs through illustration (giving examples), comparison or contrast (pointing out similarities or differences), cause and effect (giving reasons), classi�ication (discussing categories), and problem and solution (stating a problem and showing how to solve it).

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7 List �ive techniques for writing effective messages for mobile readers. Five techniques for writing effective messages for mobile readers are using a linear organization so readers don’t have to jump around the screen to �ind important message elements; prioritizing information and deliver the most important information �irst; writing short, focused messages; using short subject lines and headings; and using short paragraphs.

MyBCommLab

Go to mybcommlab.com (http://mybcommlab.com) to complete the problems marked with this icon .

Test Your Knowledge To review chapter content related to each question, refer to the indicated Learning Objective.

5-1. What is meant by the “you” attitude? [LO-1] 5-2. Why is it important to establish your credibility when communicating with an audience of strangers? [LO-2] 5-3. In what three situations is the passive voice appropriate? [LO-3] 5-4. How does an abstract word differ from a concrete word? [LO-4] 5-5. How does the denotative meaning of a word differ from its connotative meaning? [LO-4] 5-6. How can you use sentence style to emphasize key thoughts? [LO-5] 5-7. How can topic sentences help readers? [LO-6] 5-8. What functions do transitions serve? [LO-6]

Apply Your Knowledge To review chapter content related to each question, refer to the indicated Learning Objective.

5-9. Millions of people in the United States are allergic to one or more food ingredients. Each year, thousands of these people end up in the emergency room after suffering allergic reactions, and hundreds of them die. Many of these tragic events are tied to poorly written food labels that either fail to identify dangerous allergens or use scienti�ic terms that most consumers don’t recognize.23 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch5lev1sec27#ch5note23) Do food manufacturers have a responsibility to ensure that consumers read, understand, and follow warnings on food products? Explain your answer. [LO-1]

5-10. When composing business messages, how can you communicate with an authentic voice and project your company’s image at the same time? [LO-2]

5-11. Does using plain language make you come across as less of an expert? Explain your answer. [LO-3]

5-12. Should you bother using transitions if the logical sequence of your message is obvious? Why or why not? [LO-6]

5-13. Why can it be dif�icult to use the indirect approach for a complex message that will be read on mobile devices? [LO-7]

Practice Your Skills 5-14. Messages for Analysis: Creating a Businesslike Tone [LO-1], [LO-3] Read the following email draft and then (a) analyze the strengths and weaknesses

of each sentence and (b) revise the document so that it follows this chapter’s guidelines. The message was written by the marketing manager of an online retailer of baby-related products in the hope of becoming a retail outlet for Inglesina strollers and high chairs. As a manufacturer of stylish, top- quality products, Inglesina (based in Italy) is extremely selective about the retail outlets through which it allows its products to be sold.

Our e-tailing site, www.BestBabyGear.com (http://www.BestBabyGear.com) , specializes in only the very best products for parents of newborns, infants, and toddlers. We constantly scour the world looking for products that are good enough and well-built enough and classy enough—good enough to take their place alongside the hundreds of other carefully selected products that adorn the pages of our award-winning website, www.bestbabygear.com (http://www.bestbabygear.com) . We aim for the fences every time we select a product to join this portfolio; we don’t want to waste our time with onesey- twosey products that might sell a half dozen units per annum—no, we want every product to be a top-drawer success, selling at least one hundred units per speci�ic model per year in order to justify our expense and hassle factor in adding it to the above mentioned portfolio. After careful consideration, we thusly concluded that your Inglesina lines meet our needs and would therefore like to add it.

Exercises

Each activity is labeled according to the primary skill or skills you will need to use. To review relevant chapter content, you can refer to the indicated Learning Objective. In some instances, supporting information will be found in another chapter, as indicated.

Writing: Communicating with Sensitivity and Tact [LO-1]

Substitute a better phrase for each of the following:

5-15. You claim that

5-16. It is not our policy to

5-17. You neglected to

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5-18. In which you assert

5-19. We are sorry you are dissatis�ied

5-20. You failed to enclose

5-21. We request that you send us

5-22. Apparently you overlooked our terms

5-23. We have been very patient

5-24. We are at a loss to understand

Writing: Demonstrating the “You” Attitude [LO-1]

Rewrite these sentences to re�lect your audience’s viewpoint:

5-25. Your email order cannot be processed; we request that you use the order form on our website instead.

5-26. We insist that you always bring your credit card to the store.

5-27. We want to get rid of all our 15-inch LCD screens to make room in our warehouse for the new 19-, 23-, and 35-inch monitors. Thus, we are offering a 25 percent discount on all sales of 15-inch models this week.

5-28. I am applying for the position of bookkeeper in your of�ice. I feel my grades prove that I am bright and capable, and I think I can do a good job for you.

5-29. As requested, we are sending the refund for $25.

5-30. If you cared about doing a good job, you would’ve made the extra effort required to learn how to use the machinery properly.

5-31. Your strategy presentation this morning absolutely blew me away; there’s no way we can fail with all the brilliant ideas you’ve pulled together—I’m so glad you’re running the company now!

5-32. Regarding your email message from September 28 regarding the slow payment of your invoice, it’s important for you to realize that we’ve just undergone a massive upgrade of our accounts payable system and payments have been delayed for everybody, not just you.

5-33. I know I’m late with the asset valuation report, but I haven’t been feeling well and I just haven’t had the energy needed to work through the numbers yet.

5-34. With all the online news sources available today, I can’t believe you didn’t know that MyTravel and Thomas Cook were in merger talks—I mean, you don’t even have to get up from your computer to learn this!

Writing: Emphasizing the Positive [LO-1]

Revise these sentences to be positive rather than negative:

5-35. To avoid damage to your credit rating, please remit payment within 10 days.

5-36. We don’t offer refunds on returned merchandise that is soiled.

5-37. Because we are temporarily out of Baby Cry dolls, we won’t be able to ship your order for 10 days.

5-38. You failed to specify the color of the blouse that you ordered.

5-39. You should have realized that waterbeds will freeze in unheated houses during winter. Therefore, our guarantee does not cover the valve damage, and you must pay the $9.50 valve-replacement fee (plus postage).

Writing: Using Unbiased Language [LO-1]

Rewrite each of the following to eliminate bias:

5-40. For an Indian, Maggie certainly is outgoing.

5-41. He needs a wheelchair, but he doesn’t let his handicap affect his job performance.

5-42. A pilot must have the ability to stay calm under pressure, and then he must be trained to cope with any problem that arises.

5-43. Candidate Renata Parsons, married and the mother of a teenager, will attend the debate.

5-44. Senior citizen Sam Nugent is still an active salesman.

5-45. Writing: Establishing Your Credibility; Microblogging Skills [LO-2], Chapter 7 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch07#ch07) Search LinkedIn for the pro�ile of an expert in any industry or profession. Now imagine that you are going to introduce this person as a speaker at a convention. You will make an in-person introduction at the time of the speech, but you decide to introduce him or her the day before on Twitter. Write four tweets: one that introduces the expert and three that cover three key supporting points that will enhance the speaker’s credibility in the minds of potential listeners. Make up any information you need to complete this assignment, then email the text of your proposed tweets to your instructor.

5-46. Writing: Using Plain Language; Communication Ethics: Making Ethical Choices [LO-3], Chapter 1 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch01#ch01) Your company has been a major employer in the local community for years,

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but shifts in the global marketplace have forced some changes in the company’s long-term direction. In fact, the company plans to reduce local staf�ing by as much as 50 percent over the next 5 to 10 years, starting with a small layoff next month. The size and timing of future layoffs have not been decided, although there is little doubt that more layoffs will happen at some point. In the �irst draft of a letter aimed at community leaders, you write that “this �irst layoff is part of a continuing series of staff reductions anticipated over the next several years.” However, your boss is concerned about the vagueness and negative tone of the language and asks you to rewrite that sentence to read “this layoff is part of the company’s ongoing efforts to continually align its resources with global market conditions.” Do you think this suggested wording is ethical, given the company’s economic in�luence in the community? Explain your answer in an email message to your instructor.

5-47. Writing: Creating Effective Sentences: Media Skills: Social Networking [LO-4], Chapter 8 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch08#ch08) If you are interested in business, chances are you’ve had an idea or two for starting a company. If you haven’t yet, go ahead and dream up an idea now. Make it something you are passionate about, something you could really throw yourself into. Now write a four-sentence summary that could appear on the Info tab on a Facebook pro�ile. Make sure the �irst sentence is a solid topic sentence, and make sure the next three sentences offer relevant evidence and examples. Feel free to make up any details you need. Email your summary to your instructor or post it on your class blog.

Writing: Choosing Powerful Words [LO-4]

Write a concrete phrase for each of these vague phrases:

5-48. Sometime this spring

5-49. A substantial savings

5-50. A large number attended

5-51. Increased ef�iciency

5-52. Expanded the work area

5-53. Flatten the website structure

Writing: Choosing Powerful Words [LO-4]

List terms that are stronger than the following:

5-54. Ran after

5-55. Seasonal ups and downs

5-56. Bright

5-57. Suddenly rises

5-58. Moves forward

Writing: Choosing Powerful Words [LO-4]

As you rewrite these sentences, replace the clichés and buzzwords with plain language (for any terms you don’t recognize, you can �ind de�initions online):

5-59. Being a jack-of-all-trades, Dave worked well in his new general manager job.

5-60. Moving Leslie into the accounting department, where she was literally a �ish out of water, was like putting a square peg into a round hole, if you get my drift.

5-61. My only takeaway from the offsite was that Laird threw his entire department under the bus for missing the deadline.

5-62. I’d love to help with that project, but I’m bandwidth-constrained.

5-63. The board green-lighted our initiative to repurpose our consumer products for the commercial space.

Writing: Choosing Powerful Words [LO-4]

Suggest short, simple words to replace each of the following:

5-64. Inaugurate

5-65. Terminate

5-66. Utilize

5-67. Anticipate

5-68. Assistance

5-69. Endeavor

5-70. Ascertain

5-71. Procure

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5-72. Consummate

5-73. Advise

5-74. Alteration

5-75. Forwarded

5-76. Fabricate

5-77. Nevertheless

5-78. Substantial

Writing: Choosing Powerful Words [LO-4]

Write up-to-date, less-stuffy versions of these phrases; write none if you think there is no appropriate substitute or “delete” if the phrase should simply be deleted:

5-79. As per your instructions

5-80. Attached herewith

5-81. In lieu of

5-82. In reply I wish to state

5-83. Please be advised that

Writing: Creating Effective Sentences [LO-5]

Rewrite each sentence so that it is active rather than passive:

5-84. The raw data are entered into the customer relationship management system by the sales representative each Friday.

5-85. High pro�its are publicized by management.

5-86. The policies announced in the directive were implemented by the staff.

5-87. Our computers are serviced by the Santee Company.

5-88. The employees were represented by Janet Hogan.

5-89. Writing: Crafting Uni�ied, Coherent Paragraphs; Collaboration: Evaluating the Work of Others [LO-6], Chapter 6 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch06#ch06) Working with four other students, divide the following �ive topics among yourselves and each write one paragraph on your selected topic. Be sure each student uses a different technique when writing his or her paragraph: One student should use the illustration technique, one the comparison or contrast technique, one a discussion of cause and effect, one the classi�ication technique, and one a discussion of problem and solution. Then exchange paragraphs within the team and pick out the main idea and general purpose of the paragraph one of your teammates wrote. Was everyone able to correctly identify the main idea and purpose? If not, suggest how the paragraph could be rewritten for clarity.

Types of phablets available for sale

Advantages and disadvantages of eating at fast-food restaurants

Finding that �irst full-time job

Good qualities of my car (or house, or apartment, or neighborhood)

How to make a dessert (or barbecue a steak or make coffee)

Writing: Using Transitions [LO-6]

Add transitional elements to the following sentences to improve the �low of ideas. (Note: You may need to eliminate or add some words to smooth out your sentences.)

5-90. Facing some of the toughest competitors in the world, Harley-Davidson had to make some changes. The company introduced new products. Harley’s management team set out to rebuild the company’s production process. New products were coming to market and the company was turning a pro�it. Harley’s quality standards were not on par with those of its foreign competitors. Harley’s costs were still among the highest in the industry. Harley made a U-turn and restructured the company’s organizational structure. Harley’s efforts have paid off.

5-91. Whether you’re indulging in a doughnut in New York or California, Krispy Kreme wants you to enjoy the same delicious taste with every bite. The company maintains consistent product quality by carefully controlling every step of the production process. Krispy Kreme tests all raw ingredients against established quality standards. Every delivery of wheat �lour is sampled and measured for its moisture content and protein levels. Krispy Kreme blends the ingredients. Krispy Kreme tests the doughnut mix for quality. Krispy Kreme delivers the mix to its stores. Financial critics are not as kind to the company as food critics have been. Allegations of improper �inancial reporting have left the company’s future in doubt.

5-92. Media Skills: Writing for Mobile Devices [LO-7] Find an interesting website article on any business topic. Write a three-paragraph summary that would be easy to read on a phone screen.

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Expand Your Skills Critique the Professionals

Locate an example of professional communication from a reputable online source. Choose a paragraph that has at least three sentences. Evaluate the effectiveness of this paragraph at three levels, starting with the paragraph structure. Is the paragraph uni�ied and cohesive? Does it have a clear topic sentence and suf�icient support to clarify and expand on that topic? Second, evaluate each sentence. Are the sentences easy to read and easy to understand? Did the writer vary the types and lengths of sentences to produce a smooth �low and rhythm? Is the most important idea presented prominently in each sentence? Third, evaluate at least six word choices. Did the writer use these words correctly and effectively? Using whatever medium your instructor requests, write a brief analysis of the piece (no more than one page), citing speci�ic elements from the piece and support from the chapter.

Sharpening Your Career Skills Online

Bovée and Thill’s Business Communication Web Search, at http://websearch.businesscommunicationnetwork.com (http://websearch.businesscommunicationnetwork.com) , is a unique research tool designed speci�ically for business communication research. Use the Web Search function to �ind a website, video, PDF document, podcast, or presentation that offers advice on writing effective sentences. Write a brief email message to your instructor, describing the item that you found and summarizing the career skills information you learned from it.

MyBCommLab Go to mybcommlab.com (http://mybcommlab.com) for Auto-graded writing questions as well as the following Assisted-graded writing questions:

5-93. One of your employees has asked to be considered for the next management position that opens up. However, you believe he currently lacks the emotional maturity needed to be an effective leader. Which of these responses would best demonstrate the “you” attitude: sparing his feelings by simply saying that you’ll consider all applications carefully or explaining that you don’t think he is ready for a leadership role? Explain your answer. [LO-1]

5-94. What steps can you take to make abstract concepts such as opportunity feel more concrete in your messages? [LO-4]

Endnotes 1. She Takes on the World website, accessed 9 June 2013, http://shetakesontheworld.com (http://shetakesontheworld.com) ; Prashanth Gopalan, “Natalie MacNeil Vs. the World,” TechVibes, 29 September 2010, www.techvibes.com (http://www.techvibes.com) ; Natalie MacNeil website, accessed 9 June 2013, http://nataliemacneil.com (http://nataliemacneil.com) ; product page for She Takes on the World: A Guide to Being Your Own Boss, Working Happy, and Living on Purpose, accessed 9 June 2013, www.amazon.com (http://www.amazon.com) ; Natalie MacNeil bio, Huf�ington Post, accessed 9 June 2013, http://www.huf�ingtonpost.com/natalie-macneil (http://www.huf�ingtonpost.com/natalie-macneil) .

2. Annette N. Shelby and N. Lamar Reinsch Jr., “Positive Emphasis and You Attitude: An Empirical Study,” Journal of Business Communication 32, no. 4 (1995): 303–322.

3. Quinn Warnick, “A Close Textual Analysis of Corporate Layoff Memos,” Business Communication Quarterly 73, no. 3 (September 2010): 322–326.

4. Sherryl Kleinman, “Why Sexist Language Matters,” Qualitative Sociology 25, no. 2 (Summer 2002): 299–304.

5. Judy E. Pickens, “Terms of Equality: A Guide to Bias-Free Language,” Personnel Journal, August 1985, 24.

6. Xerox website, accessed 12 March 2014, www.xerox.com (http://www.xerox.com) ; ADM website, accessed 12 March 2014, www.adm.com (http://www.adm.com) .

7. Lisa Taylor, “Communicating About People with Disabilities: Does the Language We Use Make a Difference?” Bulletin of the Association for Business Communication 53, no. 3 (September 1990): 65–67.

8. Susan Benjamin, Words at Work (Reading, Mass.: Addison Wesley, 1997), 136–137.

9. Plain English Campaign website, accessed 28 June 2010, www.plainenglish.co.uk (http://www.plainenglish.co.uk) .

10. Plain Language website; Irene Etzkorn, “Amazingly Simple Stuff,” presentation 7 November 2008, www.slideshare.net (http://www.slideshare.net) .

11. Creative Commons website, accessed 16 January 2011, www.creativecommons.org (http://www.creativecommons.org) .

12. Susan Jaderstrom and Joanne Miller, “Active Writing,” Of�ice Pro, November/December 2003, 29.

13. Mary Munter, Guide to Managerial Communication, 7th ed. (Upper Saddle River, N.J.: Pearson Prentice Hall, 2006), 41.

14. Portions of this section are adapted from Courtland L. Bovée, Techniques of Writing Business Letters, Memos, and Reports (Sherman Oaks, Calif.: Banner Books International, 1978), 13–90.

15. Catherine Quinn, “Lose the Of�ice Jargon; It May Sunset Your Career,” The Age (Australia), 1 September 2007, www.theage.com.au (http://www.theage.com.au) .

16. Robert Hartwell Fiske, The Dimwit’s Dictionary (Oak Park, Ill.: Marion Street Press, 2002), 16–20.

17. Beverly Ballaro and Christina Bielaszka-DuVernay, “Building a Bridge over the River Boredom,” Harvard Management Communication Letter, Winter 2005, 3– 5.

18. Jakob Nielsen, “Mobile Content Is Twice as Dif�icult,” NN/g, 28 February 2011, www.nngroup.com (http://www.nngroup.com) .

19. “Mobile Web Best Practices,” W3C website, accessed 12 March 2014, www.w3.org (http://www.w3.org) .

20. “Mobile Message Mayhem,” Verne Ordman & Associates, accessed 12 March 2014, www.businesswriting.biz (http://www.businesswriting.biz) .

21. “Mobile Message Mayhem.”

22. Marieke McCloskey, “Writing Hyperlinks: Salient, Descriptive, Start with Keyword,” NN/g, 9 March 2014, www.nngroup.com (http://www.nngroup.com) .

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23. Food Allergy Initiative website, accessed 5 September 2008, www.foodallergyinitiative.org (http://www.foodallergyinitiative.org) ; Diana Keough, “Snacks That Can Kill; Schools Take Steps to Protect Kids Who Have Severe Allergies to Nuts,” Plain Dealer, 15 July 2003, E1; “Dawdling over Food Labels,” New York Times, 2 June 2003, A16; Sheila McNulty, “A Matter of Life and Death,” Financial Times, 10 September 2003, 14.

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Authors such as Monica Ali still rely on personal contact with readers to promote books, but websites and other digital media have become an increasingly important element in book promotion.

6 Completing Business Messages

LEARNING OBJECTIVES After studying this chapter, you will be able to

1 Discuss the value of careful revision, and describe the tasks involved in evaluating your �irst drafts and the work of other writers 2 List four techniques you can use to improve the readability of your messages 3 Describe eight steps you can take to improve the clarity of your writing, and give four tips on making your writing more concise 4 List four principles of effective design, and explain the role of major design elements in document readability 5 Explain the importance of proofreading, and give eight tips for successful proofreading 6 Discuss the most important issues to consider when distributing your messages

MyBCommLab®

Improve Your Grade! Over 10 million students improved their results using the Pearson MyLabs. Visit mybcommlab.com (http://mybcommlab.com) for simulations, tutorials, and end-of-chapter problems.

COMMUNICATION CLOSE-UP AT Jefferson Rabb Web Design

As a composer, game designer, photographer, programmer, and website developer, Jefferson Rabb epitomizes the “multi” in multimedia. For all the technical and creative skills he brings, however, Rabb’s work never loses sight of audiences and their desire to be informed and entertained when they visit a website.

Rabb’s career history includes stints at MTV.com (http://MTV.com) and Sephora.com (http://Sephora.com) , but most of his current work as an independent designer involves projects in the publishing industry. The best-selling authors he has helped bring to the web include Dan Brown, Gary Shteyngart, Jhumpa Lahiri, Laura Hillenbrand, and Anita Shreve.

For every project, Rabb starts his design work with an in-depth analysis of the audience. The questions he asks about site visitors include their familiarity with the author’s work, the range of their reading interests, and their general demographics. He also wants to know whether a site needs to serve book reviewers, bookstore buyers, and other industry professionals in addition to readers.

With some insight into who the target visitors are, Rabb puts himself in their place and imagines the knowledge and experiences they hope to gain during their visits. These needs can vary from biographical information about the author to multimedia exhibits (such as video interviews and photographs depicting locations mentioned in a book) to complex games that extend a novel’s storylines. Rabb makes a point of �inding compelling visual connections between a book and a website, too, such as basing the design of the site for Shteyngart’s Super Sad True Love Story on the portable communication device featured in the story. Completing the multimedia experience, he often composes music to create a speci�ic mood that re�lects the themes of a book.1 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch6lev1sec22#ch6note1)

Your business communication efforts may not always be as elaborate as Rabb’s, but you can always apply his strategy of combining methodical analysis with creative design and implementation. This chapter addresses the third step in the three-step writing process, completing your messages—which includes the important tasks of revising, producing, proofreading, and distributing your messages.

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1 LEARNING OBJECTIVE Discuss the value of careful revision, and describe the tasks involved in evaluating your �irst drafts and the work of other writers.

6.1 Revising Your Message: Evaluating the First Draft Successful communicators like Jefferson Rabb (pro�iled in the chapter-opening Communication Close-Up) recognize that the �irst draft is rarely as tight, clear, and compelling as it needs to be. Careful revision can mean the difference between a rambling, unfocused message and a lively, direct message that gets results.

The revision task can vary somewhat, depending on the medium and the nature of your message. For informal messages to internal audiences, particularly when using instant messaging, text messaging, email, or blogging, the revision process is often as simple as quickly looking over your message to correct any mistakes before sending or posting it. However, don’t fall into the common trap of thinking that you don’t need to worry about grammar, spelling, clarity, and other fundamentals of good writing when you use such media. These qualities can be especially important in digital media, particularly if these messages are the only contact your audience has with you. Audiences are likely to equate the quality of your writing with the quality of your thinking. Poor-quality messages create an impression of poor-quality thinking and can cause confusion, frustration, and costly delays.

With more complex messages, try to put your draft aside for a day or two before you begin the revision process so that you can approach the material with a fresh eye. Then start with the “big picture,” making sure that the document accomplishes your overall goals before moving to �iner points, such as readability, clarity, and conciseness. Compare the letters in Figures 6.1 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch6lev1sec1#ch6�ig1) and 6.2 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch6lev1sec1#ch6�ig2) on the next two pages for an example of how careful revision improves a customer letter.

For important messages, schedule time to put your draft aside for a day or two before you begin the revision process.

EVALUATING YOUR CONTENT, ORGANIZATION, STYLE, AND TONE When you begin the revision process, focus your attention on content, organization, style, and tone. To evaluate the content of your message, answer these questions:

Is the information accurate?

Is the information relevant to the audience?

Is there enough information to satisfy the readers’ needs?

Is there a good balance between general information (giving readers enough background information to appreciate the message) and speci�ic information (giving readers the details they need to understand the message)?

When you are satis�ied with the content of your message, you can review its organization. Answer another set of questions:

Are all the points covered in the most logical order?

Do the most important ideas receive the most space, and are they placed in the most prominent positions?

Figure 6.1 Improving a Customer Letter Through Careful Revision

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Careful revision makes this draft shorter, clearer, and more focused. The proofreading symbols you see here are still widely used whenever printed documents are edited and revised; you can �ind a complete list of symbols in Appendix C (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/bm03#bm03) . Note that many business documents are now “marked up” using such technological tools as revision marks in Microsoft Word and comments in Adobe Acrobat. No matter what the medium, however, careful revision is key to more effective messages.

Figure 6.2 Professional Business Letter

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Here is the revised and �inished version of the edited letter from Figure 6.1 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch6lev1sec1#ch6�ig1) . Note that the block format used here is just one of several layout options; Appendix A (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/bm01#bm01) also describes the modi�ied block format and the simpli�ied format.

Would the message be more convincing if it were arranged in a different sequence?

Are any points repeated unnecessarily?

Are details grouped together logically, or are some still scattered through the document?

Next, consider whether you have achieved the right tone for your audience. Is your writing formal enough to meet the audience’s expectations without being too formal or academic? Is it too casual for a serious subject?

Spend a few extra moments on the beginning and end of your message; these sections usually have the greatest impact on the audience. Be sure that the opening is relevant, interesting, and geared to the reader’s probable reaction. In longer messages, ensure that the �irst few paragraphs establish the subject, purpose, and organization of the material. Review the conclusion to be sure that it summarizes the main idea and leaves the audience with a positive impression.

EVALUATING, EDITING, AND REVISING THE WORK OF OTHERS At many points in your career, you will be asked to evaluate, edit, or revise the work of others. Whether you’re suggesting improvements or actually making the improvements yourself (as you might on a wiki site, for example), you can make a contribution by using all the skills you are learning in Chapters 4 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch04#ch04) through 6 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch06#ch06) .

When you evaluate, edit, or revise someone else’s work, remember that your job is to help that person succeed, not to impose your own style.

Before you dive into someone else’s work, recognize the dual responsibility that doing so entails. First, unless you’ve been speci�ically asked to rewrite something in your own style or to change the emphasis of the message, remember that your job is to help the other writer succeed at his or her task, not to impose your writing style or pursue your own agenda. In other words, make sure your input focuses on making the piece more effective, not on making it more like something you would’ve written. Second, make sure you understand the writer’s intent before you begin suggesting or making changes. If you try to edit or revise without knowing what the writer hoped to accomplish, you run the risk of making the piece less effective, not more. With those thoughts in mind, answer the following questions as you evaluate someone else’s writing:

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What is the purpose of this document or message?

Who is the target audience?

What information does the audience need?

Does the document provide this information in a well-organized way?

Does the writing demonstrate the “you” attitude toward the audience?

Is the tone of the writing appropriate for the audience?

Can the readability be improved?

Is the writing clear? If not, how can it be improved?

Is the writing as concise as it could be?

Does the design support the intended message?

You can read more about using these skills in the context of wiki writing in Chapter 8 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch08#ch08) .

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2 LEARNING OBJECTIVE List four techniques you can use to improve the readability of your messages.

6.2 Revising to Improve Readability After con�irming the content, organization, style, and tone of your message, make a second pass to improve readability. Most professionals are inundated with more reading material than they can ever hope to consume, and they’ll appreciate your efforts to make your documents easier to read. You’ll bene�it from this effort, too: If you earn a reputation for creating well-crafted documents that respect the audience’s time, people will pay more attention to your work.

You may be familiar with one of the many indexes that have been developed over the years in an attempt to measure readability. For example, the Flesch-Kincaid Grade Level score computes reading dif�iculty relative to grade-level achievement, with, for instance, a score of 10 suggesting that a document can be read and understood by the average 10th grader. Most business documents score in the 8–11 range. Technical documents often score in the 12–14 range. A similar scoring system, the Flesch Reading Ease score, ranks documents on a 100-point scale; the higher the score, the easier the document is to read. If these measurements aren’t built into your word processing software, you can �ind a number of calculators for various indexes online.

Readability indexes offer a useful reference point, but they are limited by what they are able to measure: word length, number of syllables, sentence length, and paragraph length. They can’t measure any of the other factors that affect readability, such as document design, the “you” attitude, clear sentence structure, smooth transitions, and proper word usage. Compare these two paragraphs:

Readability indexes offer a useful reference point, but they are all limited by what they are able to measure: word length, number of syllables, sentence length, and paragraph length. They can’t measure any of the other factors that affect readability, from “you” orientation to writing clarity to document design.

Readability indexes can help. But they don’t measure everything. They don’t measure whether your writing clarity is good. They don’t measure whether your document design is good or not. Reading indexes are based on word length, syllables, sentences, and paragraphs.

The second paragraph scores much better on both grade level and reading ease, but it is choppy, unsophisticated, and poorly organized. As a general rule, then, don’t assume that a piece of text is readable if it scores well on a readability index—or that it is dif�icult to read if it doesn’t score well.

Beyond using shorter words and simpler sentences, you can improve the readability of a message by making the document interesting and easy to skim. Most business audiences—particularly in�luential senior managers—tend to skim documents, looking for key ideas, conclusions, and recommendations. If they determine that a document contains valuable information or requires a response, they will read it more carefully when time permits. Four techniques will make your message easier to read and easier to skim: varying sentence length, using shorter paragraphs, using lists and bullets instead of narrative, and adding effective headings and subheadings.

VARYING YOUR SENTENCE LENGTH

To keep readers’ interest, look for ways to combine a variety of short, medium, and long sentences.

Varying the length of your sentences is a creative way to make your messages interesting and readable. By choosing words and sentence structure with care, you can create a rhythm that emphasizes important points, enlivens your writing style, and makes information more appealing to your reader. For example, a short sentence that highlights a conclusion at the end of a substantial paragraph of evidence makes your key message stand out. Try for a mixture of sentences that are short (up to 15 words or so), medium (15–25 words), and long (more than 25 words).

Each sentence length has its advantages. Short sentences can be processed quickly and are easier for nonnative speakers and translators to interpret. Medium- length sentences are useful for showing the relationships among ideas. Long sentences are often the best for conveying complex ideas, listing multiple related points, or summarizing or previewing information.

Of course, each sentence length also has disadvantages. Too many short sentences in a row can make your writing choppy. Medium sentences can lack the punch of short sentences and the informative power of longer sentences. Long sentences can be dif�icult to understand because they contain more information and usually have a more complicated structure. Because readers can absorb only a few words per glance, longer sentences are also more dif�icult to skim. By choosing the best sentence length for each communication need and remembering to mix sentence lengths for variety, you’ll get your points across while keeping your messages lively and interesting.

KEEPING YOUR PARAGRAPHS SHORT

Short paragraphs have the major advantage of being easy to read.

Large blocks of text can be visually daunting, particularly on screen, so the optimum paragraph length is short to medium in most cases. Unless you break up your thoughts somehow, you’ll end up with lengthy paragraphs that are guaranteed to intimidate even the most dedicated reader. Short paragraphs, generally 100 words or fewer (this paragraph has 84 words), are easier to read than long ones, and they make your writing look inviting. You can also emphasize ideas by isolating them in short, forceful paragraphs.

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However, don’t go overboard with short paragraphs. In particular, be careful to use one-sentence paragraphs only occasionally and only for emphasis. Also, if you need to divide a subject into several pieces to keep paragraphs short, be sure to help your readers keep the ideas connected by guiding them with plenty of transitional elements.

THE ART OF PROFESSIONALISM

Striving to Excel

Pros are good at what they do, and they never stop improving. No matter what your job might be at any given time—even if it is far from where you aspire to be—strive to perform at the highest possible level. Not only do you have an ethical obligation to give your employer and your customers your best effort, but excelling at each level in your career is the best way to keep climbing up to new positions of responsibility. Plus, being good at what you do delivers a sense of satisfaction that is hard to beat.

In many jobs and in many industries, performing at a high level requires a commitment to continuous learning and improvement. The nature of the work often changes as markets and technologies evolve, and expectations of quality tend to increase over time as well. View this constant change as a positive thing, as a way to avoid stagnation and boredom.

Striving to excel can be a challenge when there is a mismatch between the job’s requirements and your skills and knowledge. If you are underquali�ied for a job, you need to identify your weaknesses quickly and come up with a plan to address them. A supportive manager will help you identify these areas and encourage improvement through training or mentoring. Don’t wait for a boss to tell you your work is sub-par, however. If you know you’re �loundering, don’t wait until you’ve failed to get help.

If you are overquali�ied for a job, it’s easy to slip into a rut and eventually underperform simply because you aren’t being challenged. However, current and future bosses aren’t going to judge you on how well you performed relative to your needs and expectations; they’re going to judge you on how well you performed relative to the job’s requirements. Work with your boss to �ind ways to make your job more challenging if possible, or start looking for a better job if necessary, but be sure to maintain your level of performance until you can bring your responsibilities and talents into closer alignment.

CAREER APPLICATIONS

1. Should you ever try to sell yourself into a job for which you are not yet 100 percent quali�ied? Explain your answer.

2. Do you agree that you have an ethical obligation to excel at your job? Why or why not?

USING LISTS TO CLARIFY AND EMPHASIZE An effective alternative to using conventional sentences is to set off important ideas in a list—a series of words, names, or other items. Lists can show the sequence of your ideas, heighten their impact visually, and increase the likelihood that a reader will �ind key points. In addition, lists help simplify complex subjects, highlight main points, break up a page or screen visually, ease the skimming process for busy readers, and give readers a breather. Compare these two treatments of the same information:

Lists are effective tools for highlighting and simplifying material.

Narrative List

Owning your own business has many potential advantages. One is the opportunity to pursue your own personal passion. Another advantage is the satisfaction of working for yourself. As a sole proprietor, you also have the advantage of privacy because you do not have to reveal your �inancial information or plans to anyone.

Owning your own business has three advantages:

Opportunity to pursue personal passion

Satisfaction of working for yourself

Financial privacy

You can separate list items with numbers, letters, or bullets (a general term for any kind of graphical element that precedes each item). Bullets are generally preferred over numbers, unless the list is in some logical sequence or ranking or you need to refer to speci�ic list items elsewhere in the document.

Lists are easier to locate and read if the entire numbered or bulleted section is set off by a blank line before and after, as the preceding examples demonstrate. Furthermore, make sure to introduce lists clearly so that people know what they’re about to read. One way to introduce lists is to make them a part of the introductory sentence:

The board of directors met to discuss the revised annual budget. To keep expenses in line with declining sales, the directors voted to

Cut everyone’s salary by 10 percent

Close the employee cafeteria

Reduce travel expenses

Another way to introduce a list is to precede it with a complete introductory sentence, followed by a colon:

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The decline in company pro�it is attributable to four factors:

Slower holiday sales

Increased transportation and fuel costs

Higher employee wages

Slower inventory turnover

Regardless of the format you choose, the items in a list should be parallel; that is, they should all use the same grammatical pattern. For example, if one list item begins with a verb, every item should begin with a verb. If one item is a noun phrase, every one should be a noun phrase:

Nonparallel List Items (a mix of verb and noun phrases) Parallel List Items (all verb phrases)

Improve our bottom line

Identi�ication of new foreign markets for our products

Global market strategies

Issues regarding pricing and packaging size

Improving our bottom line

Identifying new foreign markets for our products

Developing our global market strategies

Resolving pricing and packaging issues

Parallel forms are easier to read and skim. You can create parallelism by repeating the pattern in words, phrases, clauses, or entire sentences (see Table 6.1 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch6lev1sec4#ch6tab1) ).

ADDING HEADINGS AND SUBHEADINGS A heading (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch6lev1sec22#ch6term2) is a brief title that tells readers about the content of the section that follows. Subheadings (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch6lev1sec22#ch6term6) are subordinate to headings, indicating subsections with a major section. Headings and subheadings serve these important functions:

Use headings to grab the reader’s attention and organize material into short sections.

Organization. Headings show your reader at a glance how the document is organized. They act as labels to group related paragraphs and organize lengthy material into shorter sections.

Attention. Informative, inviting, and in some cases intriguing headings grab the reader’s attention, make the text easier to read, and help the reader �ind the parts he or she needs to read—or skip.

Connection. Using headings and subheadings together helps readers see the relationship between main ideas and subordinate ones so that they can understand your message more easily. Moreover, headings and subheadings visually indicate shifts from one idea to the next.

TABLE 6.1 Achieving Parallelism Method Example

Parallel words The letter was approved by Clausen, Whittaker, Merlin, and Carlucci.

Parallel phrases We are gaining market share in supermarkets, in department stores, and in specialty stores.

Parallel clauses I’d like to discuss the issue after Vicki gives her presentation but before Marvin shows his slides.

Parallel sentencesIn 2012 we exported 30 percent of our production. In 2013 we exported 50 percent.

Headings and subheadings fall into two categories. Descriptive headings (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch6lev1sec22#ch6term1) , such as “Cost Considerations,” identify a topic but do little more. Informative headings (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch6lev1sec22#ch6term3) , such as “Redesigning Material Flow to Cut Production Costs,” guide readers to think in a certain way about the topic. They are also helpful in guiding your work as a writer, especially if cast as questions you plan to address in your document. Well-written informative headings are self-contained, which means readers can read just the headings and subheadings and understand them without reading the rest of the document. For example, “Introduction” conveys little information, whereas the heading “Staf�ing Shortages Cost the Company $150,000 Last Year” provides a key piece of information and captures the reader’s attention. Whatever types of headings you choose, keep them brief and use parallel construction throughout the document.

Informative headings are generally more helpful than descriptive ones.

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3 LEARNING OBJECTIVE Describe eight steps you can take to improve the clarity of your writing, and give four tips on making your writing more concise.

6.3 Editing for Clarity and Conciseness After you’ve reviewed and revised your message for readability, your next step is to make sure your message is as clear and as concise as possible.

EDITING FOR CLARITY Make sure every sentence conveys the message you intend and that readers can extract that meaning without needing to read it more than once. To ensure clarity, look closely at your paragraph organization, sentence structure, and word choices. Can readers make sense of the related sentences in a paragraph? Is the meaning of each sentence easy to grasp? Is each word clear and unambiguous (meaning it doesn’t have any risk of being interpreted in more than one way)?

Clarity is essential to getting your message across accurately and ef�iciently.

See Table 6.2 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch6lev1sec9#ch6tab2) on the following page for examples of the following tips:

Break up overly long sentences. If you �ind yourself stuck in a long sentence, you’re probably trying to make the sentence do more than it can reasonably do, such as expressing two dissimilar thoughts or peppering the reader with too many pieces of supporting evidence at once. (Did you notice how dif�icult this long sentence was to read?)

Rewrite hedging sentences. Hedging means pulling back from making a con�ident, de�initive statement about a topic. Granted, sometimes you have to write may or seems to avoid stating a judgment or prediction as a fact. However, when you hedge too often or without good reason, you come across as being unsure of what you’re saying.

Impose parallelism. When you have two or more similar ideas to express, make them parallel by using the same grammatical construction. Parallelism shows that the ideas are related, of similar importance, and on the same level of generality.

Hedging is appropriate when you can’t be absolutely sure of a statement, but excessive hedging undermines your authority.

When you use parallel grammatical patterns to express two or more ideas, you show that they are comparable thoughts.

Correct dangling modi�iers. Sometimes a modi�ier is not just an adjective or an adverb but an entire phrase modifying a noun or a verb. Be careful not to leave this type of modi�ier dangling, with no connection to the subject of the sentence.

Reword long noun sequences. When multiple nouns are strung together as modi�iers, the resulting sentence can be hard to read. See if a single well- chosen word will do the job. If the nouns are all necessary, consider moving one or more to a modifying phrase, as shown in Table 6.2 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch6lev1sec9#ch6tab2) .

TABLE 6.2 Revising for Clarity Issues to Review Ineffective Effective

Overly Long Sentences

Taking compound sentences too far

The magazine will be published January 1, and I’d better meet the deadline if I want my article included because we want the article to appear before the trade show.

The magazine will be published January 1. I’d better meet the deadline because we want the article to appear before the trade show.

Hedging Sentences

Over-qualifying sentences I believe that Mr. Johnson’s employment record seems to show that he may be capable of handling the position.

Mr. Johnson’s employment record shows that he is capable of handling the position.

Unparallel Sentences

Using dissimilar construction for similar ideas

Mr. Simms had been drenched with rain, bombarded with telephone calls, and his boss shouted at him.

Mr. Sims had been drenched with rain, bombarded with telephone calls, and shouted at by his boss.

To waste time and missing deadlines are bad habits. Wasting time and missing deadlines are bad habits.

Dangling Modi�iers

Placing modi�iers close to the wrong nouns and verbs

Walking to the of�ice, a red sports car passed her. [suggests that the car was walking to the of�ice]

A red sports car passed her while she was walking to the of�ice.

Reduced by 25 percent, Europe had its lowest semiconductor output in a decade. [suggests that Europe shrank by 25 percent]

Europe reduced semiconductor output by 25 percent, its lowest output in a decade.

Long Noun Sequences

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Issues to Review Ineffective Effective

Stringing too many nouns together

The window sash installation company will give us an estimate on Friday.

The company that installs window sashes will give us an estimate on Friday.

Camou�laged Verbs

Changing verbs into nouns The manager undertook implementation of the rules. The manager implemented the rules.

Veri�ication of the shipments occurs weekly. We verify shipment weekly.

reach a conclusion about conclude

give consideration to consider

Sentence Structure

Separating subject and predicate

A 10% decline in market share, which resulted from quality problems and an aggressive sales campaign by Armitage, the market leader in the Northeast, was the major problem in 2010.

The major problem in 2010 was a 10% loss of market share, which resulted from quality problems and an aggressive sales campaign by Armitage, the market leader in the Northeast.

Separating adjectives, adverbs, or prepositional phrases from the words they modify

Our antique desk lends an air of strength and substance with thick legs and large drawers.

With its thick legs and large drawers, our antique desk lends an air of strength and substance.

Awkward References The Law Of�ice and the Accounting Of�ice distribute computer supplies for legal secretaries and beginning accountants, respectively.

The Law Of�ice distributes computer supplies for legal secretaries; the Accounting Of�ice distributes those for beginning accountants.

Replace camou�laged verbs. Watch for words that end in -ion, -tion, -ing, -ment, -ant, -ent, -ence, -ance, and -ency. These endings often change verbs into nouns and adjectives, requiring you to add a verb to get your point across.

Clarify sentence structure. Keep the subject and predicate of a sentence as close together as possible. When the subject and predicate are far apart, readers may need to read the sentence twice to �igure out who did what. Similarly, adjectives, adverbs, and prepositional phrases usually make the most sense when they’re placed as close as possible to the words they modify.

Clarify awkward references. If you want readers to refer to a speci�ic point in a document, avoid vague references such as the above-mentioned, as mentioned above, the aforementioned, the former, the latter, and respectively. Use a speci�ic pointer such as “as described in the second paragraph on page 22 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch1lev1sec19#page_22) .”

Subject and predicate should be placed as close together as possible, as should modi�iers and the words they modify.

EDITING FOR CONCISENESS Many of the changes you make to improve clarity also shorten your message by removing unnecessary words. The next step is to examine the text with the speci�ic goal of reducing the number of words. Readers appreciate conciseness and are more likely to read your documents if you have a reputation for ef�icient writing. See Table 6.3 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch6lev1sec12#ch6tab3) for examples of the following tips:

Make your documents tighter by removing unnecessary words, phrases, and sentences.

Delete unnecessary words and phrases. To test whether a word or phrase is essential, try the sentence without it. If the meaning doesn’t change, leave it out.

Shorten long words and phrases. Short words and phrases are generally more vivid and easier to read than long ones. Also, by using in�initives (the “to” form of a verb) in place of some phrases, you can often shorten sentences while making them clearer.

Eliminate redundancies. In some word combinations, the words say the same thing. For instance, “visible to the eye” is redundant because visible is enough without further clari�ication; “to the eye” adds nothing.

Rewrite “It is/There are” starters. If you start a sentence with an inde�inite pronoun such as it or there, chances are the sentence could be shorter and more active. For instance, “We believe . . .” is a stronger opening than “It is believed that . . .” because it is shorter and because it identi�ies who is doing the believing.

As you rewrite, concentrate on how each word contributes to an effective sentence and on how each sentence helps build a coherent paragraph. For a reminder of the tasks involved in revision, see “Checklist: Revising Business Messages.”

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4 LEARNING OBJECTIVE List four principles of effective design, and explain the role of major design elements in document readability.

6.4 Producing Your Message Now it’s time to put your hard work on display. The production quality of your message—the total effect of page or screen design, graphical elements, typography, and so on—plays an important role in the effectiveness of your message. A polished, inviting design not only makes your material easier to read but also conveys a sense of professionalism and importance.2 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch6lev1sec22#ch6note2)

DESIGNING FOR READABILITY Design affects readability in two important ways. First, if used carefully, design elements can improve the effectiveness of your message. In contrast, poor design decisions, such as using distracting background images behind text, pointless animations, or tiny typefaces, act as barriers to communication. Second, the visual design sends a nonverbal message to your readers, in�luencing their perceptions of the communication before they read a single word.

The quality of your document design, both on paper and on screen, affects readability and audience perceptions.

CHECKLIST ✓ Revising Business Messages A. Evaluate content, organization, style, and tone.

Make sure the information is accurate, relevant, and suf�icient.

Check that all necessary points appear in logical order.

Verify that you present enough support to make the main idea convincing and compelling.

Be sure the beginning and ending of the message are effective.

Make sure you’ve achieved the right tone for the audience and the situation.

B. Review for readability.

Consider using a readability index, but be sure to interpret the answer carefully.

Use a mix of short, medium, and long sentences.

Keep paragraphs short.

Use bulleted and numbered lists to emphasize key points.

Make the document easy to skim with headings and subheadings.

C. Edit for clarity.

Break up overly long sentences and rewrite hedging sentences.

Impose parallelism to simplify reading.

Correct dangling modi�iers.

Reword long noun sequences and replace camou�laged verbs.

Clarify sentence structure and awkward references.

D. Edit for conciseness.

Delete unnecessary words and phrases.

Shorten long words and phrases.

Eliminate redundancies.

Rewrite sentences that start with “It is” or “There are.”

TABLE 6.3 Revising for Conciseness Issues to Review Ineffective Effective

Unnecessary Words and Phrases

Using wordy phrases for the sum of for

in the event that if

prior to the start of before

in the near future soon

at this point in time now

due to the fact that because

in view of the fact that because

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Issues to Review Ineffective Effective

until such time as when

with reference to about

Using too many relative pronouns

Cars that are sold after January will not have a six-month warranty. Cars sold after January will not have a six-month warranty.

Employees who are driving to work should park in the underground garage.

Employees driving to work should park in the underground garage.

OR

Employees should park in the underground garage.

Using too few relative pronouns

The project manager told the engineers last week the speci�ications were changed.

The project manager told the engineers last week that the speci�ications were changed.

The project manager told the engineers that last week the speci�ications were changed.

Long Words and Phrases

Using overly long words During the preceding year, the company accelerated productive operations.

Last year the company sped up operations.

The action was predicated on the assumption that the company was operating at a �inancial de�icit.

The action was based on the belief that the company was losing money.

Using wordy phrases rather than in�initives

If you want success as a writer, you must work hard. He went to the library for the purpose of studying.

To succeed as a writer, you must work hard. He went to the library to study.

The employer increased salaries so that she could improve morale. The employer increased salaries to improve morale.

Redundancies

Repeating meanings absolutely complete complete

basic fundamentals fundamentals

follows after follows

free and clear free

refer back refer

repeat again repeat

collect together collect

future plans plans

return back return

important essentials essentials

end result result

actual truth truth

�inal outcome outcome

uniquely unusual unique

surrounded on all sides surrounded

Using double modi�iers modern, up-to-date equipment modern equipment

It Is/There Are Starters It would be appreciated if you would sign the lease today. Please sign the lease today.

Starting sentences with It or There

There are �ive employees in this division who were late to work today. Five employees in this division were late to work today.

Figure 6.3 Designing for Readability

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The website of the web development �irm Iron to Iron is a model of elegant design that promotes easy reading.

Source: Iron to Iron, LLC

Good design enhances the readability of your material.

For effective design, pay attention to

Consistency

Balance

Restraint

Detail

Effective design helps you establish the tone of your document and helps guide your readers through your message (see Figure 6.3 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch6lev1sec12#ch6�ig3) ). To achieve an effective design, pay careful attention to the following design elements:

Consistency. Throughout each message, be consistent in your use of margins, typeface, type size, and space. Also be consistent when using recurring design elements, such as vertical lines, columns, and borders. In many cases, you’ll want to be consistent from message to message as well; that way, audiences who receive multiple messages from you recognize your documents and know what to expect.

Balance. Balance is an important but subjective issue. One document may have a formal, rigid design in which the various elements are placed in a grid pattern, whereas another may have a less formal design in which elements �low more freely across the page—and both could be in balance. Like the tone of your language, visual balance can be too formal, just right, or too informal for a given message.

Restraint. Strive for simplicity in design. Don’t clutter your message with too many design elements, too many typeface treatments, too many colors, or too many decorative touches. Let “simpler” and “fewer” be your guiding concepts.

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Detail. Pay attention to details that affect your design and thus your message. For instance, extremely wide columns of text can be dif�icult to read; in many cases a better solution is to split the text into two narrower columns.

Even without special training in graphic design, you can make your printed and electronic messages more effective by understanding the use of white space, margins and line justi�ication, typefaces, and type styles.

White Space (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch6lev1sec22#ch6term9)

Any space that doesn’t contain text or artwork, both in print and online, is considered white space. (Note that “white space” isn’t necessarily white; it is simply blank.) These unused areas provide visual contrast and important resting points for your readers. White space includes the open area surrounding headings, margins, paragraph indents, space around images, vertical space between columns, and horizontal space between paragraphs or lines of text. To increase the chance that readers will read your messages, be generous with white space; it makes pages and screens feel less intimidating and easier to read.3 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch6lev1sec22#ch6note3)

White space separates elements in a document and helps guide the reader’s eye.

Margins and Justi�ication

Margins de�ine the space around text and between text columns. In addition to their width, the look and feel of margins is in�luenced by the way you arrange lines of text, which can be set (1) justi�ied (which means they are �lush, or aligned vertically, on both the left and the right), (2) �lush left with a ragged-right margin, (3) �lush right with a ragged-left margin, or (4) centered. This paragraph is justi�ied, whereas the paragraphs in Figure 6.2 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch6lev1sec1#ch6�ig2) on page 152 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch6lev1sec4#page_152) are �lush left with a ragged-right margin.

Magazines, newspapers, and books often use justi�ied type because it can accommodate more text in a given space. However, justi�ied type needs to be used with care. First, it creates a denser look because the uniform line lengths decrease the amount of white space along the right margin. Second, it produces a more formal and less personalized look. Third, unless it is used with some skill and attention, justi�ied type can be more dif�icult to read because it can produce large gaps between words and excessive hyphenation at the ends of lines. The publishing specialists who create magazines, newspapers, and books have the time and skill needed to carefully adjust character and word spacing to eliminate these problems. (In some cases, sentences are even rewritten in order to improve the appearance of the printed page.) Because most business communicators don’t have that time or skill, it’s best to avoid justi�ied type in routine business documents.

In contrast to justi�ied type, �lush-left, ragged-right type creates a more open appearance on the page, producing a less formal and more contemporary look. Spacing between words is consistent, and only long words that fall at the ends of lines are hyphenated.

Centered type is rarely used for text paragraphs but is commonly used for headings and subheadings. Flush-right, ragged-left type is rarely used in business documents.

Most business documents use a �lush left margin and a ragged right margin.

Typefaces

Typeface (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch6lev1sec22#ch6term8) refers to the physical design of letters, numbers, and other text characters. (Font and typeface are often used interchangeably, although strictly speaking, a font is a set of characters in a given typeface.) Typeface in�luences the tone of your message, making it look authoritative or friendly, businesslike or casual, classic or modern, and so on (see Table 6.4 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch6lev1sec12#ch6tab4) ). Be sure to choose fonts that are appropriate for your message; many of the fonts on your computer are not appropriate for business use.

Serif typefaces (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch6lev1sec22#ch6term5) have small crosslines (called serifs) at the ends of each letter stroke. Sans serif typefaces (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch6lev1sec22#ch6term4) , in contrast, lack these serifs. For years, the conventional wisdom in typography was that serif faces were easier to read in long blocks of text, because the serifs made it easier for the eye to pick out individual letters. Accordingly, the standard advice was to use serif faces for the body of a document and sans serif for headings and subheadings.

However, the research behind the conventional wisdom is not as conclusive as once thought.4 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch6lev1sec22#ch6note4) In fact, many sans serif typefaces work as well or better for body text than some serif typefaces. This seems to be particularly true on screens, which often have lower resolution than printed text. Many contemporary documents and webpages now use sans serif for body text.

The classic style of document design uses a sans serif typeface for headings and a serif typeface for regular paragraph text; however, many contemporary documents and webpages now use all sans serif.

TABLE 6.4 Typeface Personalities: Serious to Casual to Playful

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For most documents, you shouldn’t need more than two typefaces, although if you want to make captions or other text elements stand out, you can use another font.5 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch6lev1sec22#ch6note5) Using more typefaces can clutter a document and produce an amateurish look.

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Improve your document designs by learning the fundamentals of typography

Knowing the basics of type usage will help you create more effective page and screen layouts. Go to http://real-timeupdates.com/bct13 (http://real- timeupdates.com/bct13) . Under “Students,” click on “Learn More.”

Type Styles

Type style (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch6lev1sec22#ch6term7) refers to any modi�ication that lends contrast or emphasis to type, including boldface, italic, underlining, color, and other highlighting and decorative styles. Using boldface type for subheads breaks up long expanses of text. You can also boldface individual words or phrases to draw more attention to them. For example, the key terms in each chapter in this book are set in bold. Italic type also creates emphasis, although not as pronounced as boldface. Italic type has speci�ic uses as well, such as highlighting quotations and indicating foreign words, irony, humor, book and movie titles, and unconventional usage.

Avoid using any type style that inhibits your audience’s ability to read your messages.

As a general rule, avoid using any style in a way that slows your audience’s progress through the message. For instance, underlining or using all-uppercase letters can interfere with a reader’s ability to recognize the shapes of words, and shadowed or outlined type can seriously hinder legibility. Also, avoid overusing any type style. For example, putting too many words in boldface dilutes the impact of the special treatment by creating too many focal points in the paragraph.

Type size is an important consideration as well. For most printed business messages, use a size of 10 to 12 points for regular text and 12 to 18 points for headings and subheadings (1 point is approximately 1/72 inch). Resist the temptation to reduce type size too much in order to squeeze in extra text or to enlarge it to �ill up space. Type that is too small is hard to read, whereas extra-large type looks unprofessional. Be particularly careful with small type online. Small type that looks �ine on a medium-resolution screen can be hard to read on both low-resolution screens (because these displays can make letters look jagged or fuzzy) and high-resolution screens (because these monitors reduce the apparent size of the type even further).

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See the newest designs from some of the brightest minds in typography

Type design is a fascinating and dynamic �ield; this portfolio shows dozens of innovative new typefaces. Go to http://real-timeupdates.com/bct13 (http://real-timeupdates.com/bct13) . Under “Students,” click on “Learn More.”

FORMATTING FORMAL LETTERS AND MEMOS Formal business letters usually follow certain design conventions, as the letter in Figure 6.2 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch6lev1sec1#ch6�ig2) illustrates. Most business letters are printed on letterhead stationery, which includes the company’s name, address, and other contact information. The �irst element to appear after the letterhead is the date, followed by the inside address, which identi�ies the person receiving the letter. Next is the salutation, usually in the form of Dear Mr. or Ms. Last Name. The message comes next, followed by the complimentary close, usually Sincerely or Cordially. And last comes the signature block: space for the signature, followed by the sender’s printed name and title. Your company will probably have a standard format to follow for letters, possibly along with a template in Microsoft Word or whatever word processor is standard in the organization. For in-depth information on letter formats, see Appendix A (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/bm01#bm01) , “Format and Layout of Business Documents.”

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Like letters, business memos usually follow a preset design. Memos have largely been replaced by electronic media in many companies, but if they are still in use at the �irm you join, the company may have a standard format or template for you to use. Most memos begin with a title such as Memo, Memorandum, or Interof�ice Correspondence. Following that are usually four headings: Date, To, From, and Subject. (Re:, short for Regarding, is sometimes used instead of Subject.) Memos usually don’t use a salutation, complimentary close, or signature, although signing your initials next to your name on the From line is standard practice in most companies. Bear in mind that memos are often distributed without sealed envelopes, so they are less private than most other message formats.

DESIGNING MESSAGES FOR MOBILE DEVICES In addition to making your content mobile-friendly using the writing tips in Chapter 4 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch04#ch04) (see page 102 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch4lev1sec14#page_102) ), you can follow these steps to format that content for mobile devices:

Think in small chunks. Remember that mobile users consume information one screen at a time, so try to divide your message into independent, easy- to-consume bites. If readers have to scroll through a dozen screens to piece together your message, they might miss your point or just give up entirely.

Make generous use of white space. White space is always helpful, but it’s critical on small screens because readers are trying to get the point of every message as quickly as possible. Keep your paragraphs short (4–6 lines), and separate them with blank lines so the reader’s eyes can easily jump from one point to the next.6 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch6lev1sec22#ch6note6)

Format simply. Avoid anything that is likely to get in the way of fast, easy reading, including busy typefaces, complex graphics, and complicated layouts.

Consider horizontal and vertical layouts. Most phones and tablets can automatically rotate their screen content from horizontal to vertical as the user rotates the device. A layout that doesn’t work well with the narrow vertical perspective might be acceptable at the wider horizontal perspective.

Compare the two messages in Figure 6.4 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch6lev1sec20#ch6�ig4) ; notice how much more dif�icult the screen in Figure 6.4 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch6lev1sec20#ch6�ig4) a is to read.

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5 LEARNING OBJECTIVE Explain the importance of proofreading, and give eight tips for successful proofreading.

6.5 Proofreading Your Message Proofreading is the quality inspection stage for your documents, your last chance to make sure that your document is ready to carry your message—and your reputation—to the intended audience. Even a small mistake can doom your efforts, so take proofreading seriously.

Look for two types of problems: (1) undetected mistakes from the writing, design, and layout stages and (2) mistakes that crept in during production. For the �irst category, you can review format and layout guidelines in Appendix A (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/bm01#bm01) on page 549 (appa.xhtml#page_549) and brush up on writing basics with the Handbook of Grammar, Mechanics, and Usage on page 575 (hb.xhtml#page_575) . The second category can include anything from computer glitches such as missing fonts to broken web links to problems with the ink used in printing. Be particularly vigilant with complex documents and complex production processes that involve multiple colleagues and multiple computers. Strange things can happen as �iles move from computer to computer, especially when lots of fonts and multimedia elements are involved.

Your credibility is affected by your attention to the details of mechanics and form.

The types of details to look for when proofreading include language errors, missing material, design errors, and typographical errors.

Resist the temptation to treat proofreading as a casual scan up and down the page or screen. Instead, approach it as a methodical procedure in which you look for speci�ic problems that may occur. Use these techniques from professional proofreaders to help ensure high-quality output:

Figure 6.4 Designing for Mobile Devices

Even simple changes such as revising with shorter paragraphs, choosing cleaner typefaces, and making generous use of white space in and around the text can dramatically improve readability on mobile screens.

Source: Microsoft Word, Microsoft Of�ice 365

Make multiple passes. Go through the document several times, focusing on a different aspect each time. For instance, look for content errors the �irst time and layout errors the second time.

Use perceptual tricks. You’ve probably experienced the frustration of reading over something a dozen times and still missing an obvious error. This happens because your brain has developed a wonderful skill of subconsciously supplying missing pieces and correcting mistakes when it knows what is supposed to be on the page. To keep your brain from tricking you, you need to trick it by changing the way you process the visual information. Try (1) reading each page backward, from the bottom to the top, (2) placing your �inger under each word and reading it silently, (3) making a slit in a sheet of paper that reveals only one line of type at a time, and (4) reading the document aloud and pronouncing each word carefully.

Double-check high-priority items. Double-check the spelling of names and the accuracy of dates, addresses, and any number that could cause grief if incorrect (such as telling a potential employer that you’d be happy to work for $5,000 a year when you meant to say $50,000).

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Give yourself some distance. If possible, don’t proofread immediately after �inishing a document; let your mind wander off to new topics and then come back fresh later on.

Be vigilant. Avoid reading large amounts of material in one sitting and try not to proofread when you’re tired.

Stay focused. Concentrate on what you’re doing. Try to block out distractions and focus as completely as possible on your proofreading task.

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Tips for proo�ing your papers

This advice for class assignments will help you on the job, too. Go to http://real-timeupdates.com/bct13 (http://real-timeupdates.com/bct13) . Under “Students,” click on “Learn More.”

Review complex electronic documents on paper. Some people have trouble proofreading webpages, online reports, and other electronic documents on-screen. If you have trouble, try to print the materials so you can review them on paper.

Take your time. Quick proofreading is not careful proofreading.

The amount of time you need to spend on proo�ing depends on the length and complexity of the document and the situation. A typo in an email message to your team may not be a big deal, but a typo in a �inancial report, a contract, or a medical �ile certainly could be serious. See “Checklist: Proo�ing Business Messages” for a handy list of items to review during proo�ing.

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6 LEARNING OBJECTIVE Discuss the most important issues to consider when distributing your messages.

6.6 Distributing Your Message With the production �inished, you’re ready to distribute your message. As with every other aspect of business communication, your options for distribution multiply with every advance in technology. In some cases, the choice is obvious: Just click the Send button in your email program or the Publish button on your blog. In other cases, such as when you have a 100-page report with full-color graphics or a massive multimedia �ile, you need to plan the distribution carefully so that your message is received by everyone who needs it. When choosing a means to distribute messages, consider the following factors:

Consider cost, convenience, time, security, and privacy when choosing a distribution method.

Cost. Cost isn’t a concern for most messages, but for lengthy reports or multimedia productions, it may well be. Printing, binding, and delivering reports can be expensive, so weigh the cost versus the bene�its. Be sure to consider the nonverbal message you send regarding cost as well. Overnight delivery of a printed report could look responsive in one situation but wasteful in another, for example.

Convenience. How much work is involved for you and your audience? For instance, if you use a �ile-compression utility to shrink the size of email attachments, make sure your recipients have the means to expand the �iles on arrival. For extremely large �iles, consider recordable media such as DVDs or one of the many free or low-cost �ilehosting sites now available.

Time. How soon does the message need to reach the audience? Don’t waste money on overnight delivery if the recipient won’t read the report for a week. And speaking of time, don’t mark any messages, printed or electronic, as “urgent” if they aren’t truly urgent.

CHECKLIST ✓ Proo�ing Business Messages A. Look for writing errors.

Typographical mistakes

Misspelled words

Grammatical errors

Punctuation mistakes

B. Look for missing elements.

Missing text sections

Missing exhibits (drawings, tables, photographs, charts, graphs, online images, and so on)

Missing source notes, copyright notices, or other reference items

C. Look for design, formatting, and programming mistakes.

Incorrect or inconsistent font selections

Problems with column sizing, spacing, and alignment

Incorrect margins

Incorrect special characters

Clumsy line and page breaks

Problems with page numbers

Problems with page headers and footers

Lack of adherence to company standards

Inactive or incorrect links

Missing �iles

Security and privacy. The convenience offered by electronic communication needs to be weighed against security and privacy concerns. For the most sensitive messages, your company will probably restrict both the people who can receive the messages and the means you can use to distribute them. In addition, most computer users are wary of opening attachments these days. Instead of sending word processor �iles, you can use Adobe Acrobat or an equivalent product to convert your documents to PDF �iles (which are more immune to viruses).

Chapters 7 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch07#ch07) and 8 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch08#ch08) offer more advice on distributing podcasts, blogs, and other messages in electronic formats. For more advice on revision, proofreading, and other topics related to this chapter, visit http://real-timeupdates.com/bct13 (http://real- timeupdates.com/bct13) and click on Chapter 6 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch06#ch06) .

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SignEasy solves the problem of signing digital documents such as contracts; you can sign right on your phone screen.

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COMMUNICATION CHALLENGES AT Jefferson Rabb Web Design Jefferson Rabb’s web business is doing so well that he has hired you to help with a variety of writing and design tasks. Use what you’ve learned in this chapter about revising messages and designing for readability.

INDIVIDUAL CHALLENGE: The writer Alexander McCall Smith, one of Rabb’s clients, is so proli�ic that summarizing his career is a challenge—and being a best-selling novelist is only one aspect of his varied life’s work. Review the biography on McCall Smith’s website, which currently runs about 650 words. Rewrite the bio so that it will �it on a book referral website that limits author bios to 200 words.

TEAM CHALLENGE: With a team of classmates assigned by your instructor, visit the websites of three published authors. Evaluate and compare the sites’ readability based on the advice given in the chapter regarding white space, margins, typefaces, and type styles. Prepare a class presentation of your analysis.

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Quick Learning Guide

KEY TERMS descriptive headings Headings that simply identify a topic heading A brief title that tells readers about the content of the section that follows informative headings Headings that guide readers to think in a certain way about the topic sans serif typefaces Typefaces whose letters lack serifs serif typefaces Typefaces with small crosslines (called serifs) at the ends of letter strokes subheadings Titles that are subordinate to headings, indicating subsections with a major section type style Any modi�ication that lends contrast or emphasis to type, including boldface, italic, underlining, color, and other highlighting and decorative styles typeface The physical design of letters, numbers, and other text characters (font and typeface are often used interchangeably, although strictly speaking, a font is

a set of characters in a given typeface) white space Space (of any color) in a document or screen that doesn’t contain any text or artwork

SUMMARY OF LEARNING OBJECTIVES 1 Discuss the value of careful revision, and describe the tasks involved in evaluating your �irst drafts and the work of other writers. Revision is a vital step in producing effective business messages; even if the �irst draft conveys the necessary information, chances are it can be made tighter, clearer, and more compelling—making it more successful for you. Careful revision also helps you locate and correct errors that can reduce the effectiveness of messages and damage your reputation as a communicator.

When evaluating your �irst drafts, check the content (is the content accurate, relevant, complete, and well balanced between general and speci�ic information?), the organization (are your points grouped and sequenced logically, with focus on the most important ideas?), and the tone (is the tone appropriate for the audience and the speci�ic situation?).

2 List four techniques you can use to improve the readability of your messages. Four techniques that help improve readability are varying sentence length, keeping paragraphs short, using lists, and adding headings and subheadings. Varying sentence length helps keep your writing fresh and dynamic while giving you a chance to emphasize the most important points. Paragraphs, on the other hand, are usually best kept short to make it easier for readers to consume your information in manageable chunks. Lists are effective devices for delineating sets of items, steps in a procedure, or other collections of related information. Headings and subheadings organize your message, call attention to important information, and help readers make connections between related pieces of information.

3 Describe eight steps you can take to improve the clarity of your writing, and give four tips on making your writing more concise. To clarify your writing, (1) break up overly long sentences, (2) rewrite hedging sentences, (3) impose parallelism, (4) correct dangling modi�iers, (5) reword long noun sequences, (6) replace camou�laged verbs, (7) clarify sentence structure, and (8) clarify awkward references. To make messages more concise, (1) delete unnecessary words and phrases, (2) shorten overly long words and phrases, (3) eliminate redundancies, and (4) recast sentences that begin with “It is” and “There are.”

4 List four principles of effective design, and explain the role of major design elements in document readability. Four important principles of effective design are consistency (using design elements in a consistent and predictable way throughout a document), balance (creating a balanced effect on page or screen, whether that balance is dynamic and informal or symmetrical and formal), restraint (striving for visual simplicity to avoid drawing attention away from your ideas), and detail (making sure that details are handled correctly so that errors or design misjudgments don’t detract from your message).

The major design elements for textual messages include white space, margins, typefaces, and type styles. White space provides contrast and gives readers a resting point. Margins de�ine the space around the text and contribute to the amount of white space. Margins can affect both readability and the overall visual appeal of your messages. Typefaces in�luence the tone of the message and should be chosen carefully for each use to ensure maximum readability. Type styles such as boldface, italics, and underlining provide contrast or emphasis.

5 Explain the importance of proofreading, and give eight tips for successful proofreading. Proofreading is essential because it is your �inal opportunity to verify the quality of your communication efforts and to make sure that no errors in writing, design, or production will undo all the hard work you’ve put in. Proofreading should be more than just a quick glance through the document. Use the techniques the pros use to make sure your documents are top quality: (1) Make multiple passes, looking for speci�ic types of problems each time; (2) use perceptual tricks such as reading aloud or reading backward to prevent your brain from fooling you by �illing in pieces or correcting errors; (3) double-check high-priority items such as names, dates, addresses, and �inancial data; (4) give yourself some distance by putting the document aside for a few hours or even a few days if possible; (5) stay vigilant by proo�ing only small sections at a time and not proo�ing when you are tired; (6) stay focused on your work; (7) review complex electronic documents on paper if possible; and (8) take your time.

6 Discuss the most important issues to consider when distributing your messages. Consider cost, convenience, time, security, and privacy when choosing the method to distribute your messages. Cost isn’t a major issue for most messages, although production, printing, and distribution of lengthy or complex reports can be a concern. In general, balance the cost with the importance and urgency of the message. Make sure the distribution method is convenient for your audience. For example, attaching a document to an email message might be easy for you, but that might not be the best approach for a given audience. As with cost, balance the time factor with your needs and the needs of your audience. Finally, consider security and privacy issues before distributing documents that contain sensitive or con�idential information. Your company may have restrictions on the type of information that can be distributed through various media and channels.

MyBCommLab

Go to mybcommlab.com (http://mybcommlab.com) to complete the problems marked with this icon .

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Test Your Knowledge To review chapter content related to each question, refer to the indicated Learning Objective.

6-1. What are the three main tasks involved in revising a business message? [LO-1]

6-2. What are your two primary responsibilities when editing or revising the work of another writer? [LO-1] 6-3. What are the relative advantages of short, medium, and long sentences? [LO-2] 6-4. What functions do headings serve? [LO-2] 6-5. What are some ways you can make a document more concise? [LO-3]

6-6. What are hedging sentences, and why should they be avoided unless truly necessary? [LO-4] 6-7. Why is proofreading an important part of the writing process? [LO-5] 6-8. What perceptual tricks can you use to improve your chances of spotting errors during proofreading? [LO-5] 6-9. What factors should you consider when choosing a distribution method for your messages (other than for systems where you don’t have a choice)? [LO-

6]

Apply Your Knowledge To review chapter content related to each question, refer to the indicated Learning Objective.

6-10. How does careful revision re�lect the “you” attitude? [LO-1]

6-11. Why should you limit the number of typefaces and type styles in most business documents? [LO-4]

6-12. Why is white space particularly critical when designing documents for mobile devices? [LO-4]

6-13. How can you demonstrate good business sense in the choices you make regarding message distribution? [LO-6]

Practice Your Skills 6-14. Message for Analysis 6.A: Revising to Improve Readability [LO-2] Analyze the strengths and weaknesses of this message, then revise it so that it

follows the guidelines in Chapters 4 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch04#ch04) through 6 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch06#ch06) :

As an organization, the North American Personal Motorsports Marketing Association has committed ourselves to helping our members—a diverse group comprising of dealers of motorcycles, all-terrain vehicles, Snowmobiles, and personal watercraft—achieve their business objectives. Consequently, our organization, which usually goes under the initials NAPMMA, has the following aims, goals, and objectives. Firstly, we endeavor to aid or assist our members in reaching their business objectives. Second, NAPMMA communicates (“lobbying” in slang terms) with local, state, and national governmental agencies and leaders on issues of importance to our members. And lastly, we educate the motorsports public, that being current motorsports vehicle owners, and prospective owners of said vehicles, on the safe and enjoyable operation of they’re vehicles.

6-15. Message for Analysis 6.B: Designing for Readability [LO-4] To access this message, visit http://real-timeupdates.com/bct13 (http://real- timeupdates.com/bct13) , click on Student Assignments, select Chapter 6 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch06#ch06) , and then select Message 6.B. Download and open the Microsoft Word document. Using the various page, paragraph, and font formatting options available in your word processor, modify the formatting of the document so that its visual tone matches the tone of the message.

6-16. Message for Analysis 6.C: Evaluating the Work of Another Writer [LO-1] To access this message, visit http://real-timeupdates.com/bct13 (http://real-timeupdates.com/bct13) , click on Student Assignments, select Chapter 6 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch06#ch06) , and then select Message 6.C. Download and open the Microsoft Word document. Using your knowledge of effective writing and the tips on page 151 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch6lev1sec1#page_151) for evaluating the work of other writers, evaluate this message. After you set Microsoft Word to track changes, make any necessary corrections. Insert comments, as needed, to explain your changes to the author.

Exercises Active links for all websites in this chapter can be found on MyBCommLab; see your User Guide for instructions on accessing the content for this chapter. Each activity is labeled according to the primary skill or skills you will need to use. To review relevant chapter content, you can refer to the indicated Learning Objective. In some instances, supporting information will be found in another chapter, as indicated.

6-17. Evaluating the Work of Other Writers [LO-1] Find a blog post (at least three paragraphs long) on any business-related topic. Evaluate it using the 10 questions on page 151 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch6lev1sec1#page_151) . Email your analysis to your instructor, along with a permalink (a permanent link to this speci�ic post, rather than to the blog overall) to the blog post.

6-18. Revising for Readability (Sentence and Paragraph Length) [LO-2] Rewrite the following paragraph to vary the length of the sentences and to shorten the paragraph so it looks more inviting to readers:

Although major league baseball remains popular, more people are attending minor league baseball games because they can spend less on admission, snacks, and parking and still enjoy the excitement of America’s pastime. Connecticut, for example, has three AA minor league teams, including the New Haven Ravens, who are af�iliated with the St. Louis Cardinals; the Norwich Navigators, who are af�iliated with the New York Yankees; and the New

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Britain Rock Cats, who are af�iliated with the Minnesota Twins. These teams play in relatively small stadiums, so fans are close enough to see and hear everything, from the swing of the bat connecting with the ball to the thud of the ball landing in the out�ielder’s glove. Best of all, the cost of a family outing to see rising stars play in a local minor league game is just a fraction of what the family would spend to attend a major league game in a much larger, more crowded stadium.

Revising for Readability (Sentence Length) [LO-2]

Break the following sentences into shorter ones by adding more periods and revise as needed for smooth �low:

6-19. The next time you write something, check your average sentence length in a 100-word passage, and if your sentences average more than 16 to 20 words, see whether you can break up some of the sentences.

6-20. Don’t do what the village blacksmith did when he instructed his apprentice as follows: “When I take the shoe out of the �ire, I’ll lay it on the anvil, and when I nod my head, you hit it with the hammer.” The apprentice did just as he was told, and now he’s the village blacksmith.

6-21. Unfortunately, no gadget will produce excellent writing, but using a yardstick like the Fog Index gives us some guideposts to follow for making writing easier to read because its two factors remind us to use short sentences and simple words.

6-22. Know the �lexibility of the written word and its power to convey an idea, and know how to make your words behave so that your readers will understand.

6-23. Words mean different things to different people, and a word such as block may mean city block, butcher block, engine block, auction block, or several other things.

Editing for Conciseness (Unnecessary Words) [LO-3]

Cross out unnecessary words in the following phrases:

6-24. Consensus of opinion

6-25. New innovations

6-26. Long period of time

6-27. At a price of $50

6-28. Still remains

Editing for Conciseness (Long Words) [LO-3]

Revise the following sentences, using shorter, simpler words:

6-29. The antiquated calculator is ineffectual for solving sophisticated problems.

6-30. It is imperative that the pay increments be terminated before an inordinate de�icit is accumulated.

6-31. There was unanimity among the executives that Ms. Jackson’s idiosyncrasies were cause for a mandatory meeting with the company’s personnel director.

6-32. The impending liquidation of the company’s assets was cause for jubilation among the company’s competitors.

6-33. The expectations of the president for a stock dividend were accentuated by the preponderance of evidence that the company was in good �inancial condition.

Editing for Conciseness (Lengthy Phrases) [LO-3]

Use in�initives as substitutes for the overly long phrases in these sentences:

6-34. For living, I require money.

6-35. They did not �ind suf�icient evidence for believing in the future.

6-36. Bringing about the destruction of a dream is tragic.

Editing for Conciseness (Lengthy Phrases) [LO-3]

Rephrase the following in fewer words:

6-37. In the near future

6-38. In the event that

6-39. In order that

6-40. For the purpose of

6-41. With regard to

6-42. It may be that

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6-43. In very few cases

6-44. With reference to

6-45. At the present time

6-46. There is no doubt that

Editing for Conciseness (Lengthy Phrases) [LO-3]

Revise to condense these sentences to as few words as possible:

6-47. We are of the conviction that writing is important.

6-48. In all probability, we’re likely to have a price increase.

6-49. Our goals include making a determination about that in the near future.

6-50. When all is said and done at the conclusion of this experiment, I’d like to summarize the �inal windup.

6-51. After a trial period of three weeks, during which time she worked for a total of 15 full working days, we found her work was suf�iciently satisfactory so that we offered her full-time work.

Editing for Conciseness (Unnecessary Modi�iers) [LO-3]

Remove all the unnecessary modi�iers from these sentences:

6-52. Tremendously high pay increases were given to the extraordinarily skilled and extremely conscientious employees.

6-53. The union’s proposals were highly in�lationary, extremely demanding, and exceptionally bold.

Editing for Clarity (Hedging) [LO-3]

Rewrite these sentences so that they no longer contain any hedging:

6-54. It would appear that someone apparently entered illegally.

6-55. It may be possible that sometime in the near future the situation is likely to improve.

6-56. Your report seems to suggest that we might be losing money.

6-57. I believe Nancy apparently has somewhat greater in�luence over employees in the e-marketing department.

6-58. It seems as if this letter of resignation means you might be leaving us.

Editing for Clarity (Inde�inite Starters) [LO-3]

Rewrite these sentences to eliminate the inde�inite starters:

6-59. There are several examples here to show that Elaine can’t hold a position very long.

6-60. It would be greatly appreciated if every employee would make a generous contribution to Mildred Cook’s retirement party.

6-61. It has been learned in Washington today from generally reliable sources that an important announcement will be made shortly by the White House.

6-62. There is a rule that states that we cannot work overtime without permission.

6-63. It would be great if you could work late for the next three Saturdays.

Editing for Clarity (Parallelism) [LO-3]

Revise these sentences to present the ideas in parallel form:

6-64. Mr. Hill is expected to lecture three days a week, to counsel two days a week, and must write for publication in his spare time.

6-65. She knows not only accounting, but she also reads Latin.

6-66. Both applicants had families, college degrees, and were in their thirties, with considerable accounting experience but few social connections.

6-67. This book was exciting, well written, and held my interest.

6-68. Don is both a hard worker and he knows bookkeeping.

Editing for Clarity (Awkward References) [LO-3]

Revise the following sentences to delete the awkward references:

6-69. The vice president in charge of sales and the production manager are responsible for the keys to 34A and 35A, respectively.

6-70. The keys to 34A and 35A are in executive hands, with the former belonging to the vice president in charge of sales and the latter belonging to the production manager.

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6-71. The keys to 34A and 35A have been given to the production manager, with the aforementioned keys being gold embossed.

6-72. A laser printer and an inkjet printer were delivered to John and Megan, respectively.

6-73. The walnut desk is more expensive than the oak desk, the former costing $300 more than the latter.

Editing for Clarity (Dangling Modi�iers) [LO-3]

Rewrite these sentences to clarify the dangling modi�iers:

6-74. Full of trash and ripped-up newspapers, we left Dallas on a plane that apparently hadn’t been cleaned in days.

6-75. Lying on the shelf, Ruby found the operations manual.

6-76. With leaking plumbing and outdated wiring, I don’t think we should buy that property.

6-77. Being cluttered and �ilthy, Sandy took the whole afternoon to clean up her desk.

6-78. After proofreading every word, the letter was ready to be signed.

Editing for Clarity (Noun Sequences) [LO-3]

Rewrite the following sentences to eliminate the long strings of nouns:

6-79. The focus of the meeting was a discussion of the bank interest rate deregulation issue.

6-80. Following the government task force report recommendations, we are revising our job applicant evaluation procedures.

6-81. The production department quality assurance program components include employee training, supplier cooperation, and computerized detection equipment.

6-82. The supermarket warehouse inventory reduction plan will be implemented next month.

6-83. The State University business school graduate placement program is one of the best in the country.

Editing for Clarity (Sentence Structure) [LO-3]

Rearrange the following sentences to bring the subjects closer to their verbs:

6-84. Trudy, when she �irst saw the bull pawing the ground, ran.

6-85. It was Terri who, according to Ted, who is probably the worst gossip in the of�ice (Tom excepted), mailed the wrong order.

6-86. William Oberstreet, in his book Investment Capital Reconsidered, writes of the mistakes that bankers through the decades have made.

6-87. Judy Schimmel, after passing up several sensible investment opportunities, despite the warnings of her friends and family, invested her inheritance in a jojoba plantation.

6-88. The president of U-Stor-It, which was on the brink of bankruptcy after the warehouse �ire, the worst tragedy in the history of the company, prepared a press announcement.

Editing for Clarity (Camou�laged Verbs) [LO-3]

Rewrite each sentence so that the verbs are no longer camou�laged:

6-89. Adaptation to the new rules was performed easily by the employees.

6-90. The assessor will make a determination of the tax due.

6-91. Veri�ication of the identity of the employees must be made daily.

6-92. The board of directors made a recommendation that Mr. Ronson be assigned to a new division.

6-93. The auditing procedure on the books was performed by the vice president.

6-94. Completing: Designing for Readability; Media Skills: Blogging [LO-4], Chapter 8 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch08#ch08) Compare the home pages of Bloomberg and MarketWatch, two websites that cover �inancial markets. What are your �irst impressions of these two sites? How do their overall designs compare in terms of information delivery and overall user experience? Choose three pieces of information that a visitor to these sites would be likely to look for, such as a current stock price, news from international markets, and commentary from market experts. Which site makes it easier to �ind this information? Why? Present your analysis in a post for your class blog.

6-95. Communication Ethics: Making Ethical Choices; Media Skills: Blogging [LO-3], Chapter 8 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch08#ch08) The time and energy required for careful revision can often bene�it you or your company directly, such as by increasing the probability that website visitors will buy your products. But what about situations in which the quality of your writing and revision work really doesn’t stand to bene�it you directly? For instance, assume that you are putting a notice on your website, informing the local community about some upcoming construction to your manufacturing plant. The work will disrupt traf�ic for nearly a year and generate a signi�icant amount of noise and air pollution, but knowing the speci�ic dates and times of various construction activities will allow people to adjust their commutes and other activities to minimize the negative impact on their daily lives. However, your company does not sell products in the

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local area, so the people affected by all this are not potential customers. Moreover, providing accurate information to the surrounding community and updating it as the project progresses will take time away from your other job responsibilities. Do you have an ethical obligation to keep the local community informed with accurate, up-to-date information? Why or why not?

6-96. Proofreading [LO-5] Proofread the following email message, and revise it to correct any problems you �ind:

Our �inal company orrientation of the year will be held on Dec. 20. In preparation for this sesssion, please order 20 copies of the Policy handbook, the con�indentiality agreenemt, the employee bene�its Manual, please let me know if you anticipate any delays in obtaining these materials.

Expand Your Skills Critique the Professionals

Identify a company website that in your opinion violates one or more of the principles of good design discussed on pages 157 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch6lev1sec9#page_157) –162 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch6lev1sec12#page_162) . Using whatever medium your instructor requests, write a brief analysis of the site (no more than one page), citing speci�ic elements from the piece and support from the chapter.

Sharpening Your Career Skills Online

Bovée and Thill’s Business Communication Web Search, at http://websearch.businesscommunicationnetwork.com (http://websearch.businesscommunicationnetwork.com) , is a unique research tool designed speci�ically for business communication research. Use the Web Search function to �ind a website, video, PDF document, podcast, or presentation that offers advice on effective proofreading. Write a brief email message to your instructor, describing the item you found and summarizing the career skills information you learned from it.

MyBCommLab Go to mybcommlab.com (http://mybcommlab.com) for Auto-graded writing questions as well as the following Assisted-graded writing questions:

6-97. Why is it helpful to put your �irst draft aside for a while before you begin the editing process? [LO-1]

6-98. How do your typeface selections help determine the personality of your documents and messages? [LO-4]

Endnotes 1. Jefferson Rabb website, accessed 21 January 2013, www.jeffersonrabb.com (http://www.jeffersonrabb.com) ; Joshua Bodwell, “Artful Author Web Sites,” Poets & Writers, January/February 2011, 79–84; Super Sad True Love Story website, accessed 22 January 2011, http://supersadtruelovestory.com (http://supersadtruelovestory.com) ; Beat the Reaper website, accessed 22 January 2011, www.beatthereaper.com (http://www.beatthereaper.com) .

2. Deborah Gunn, “Looking Good on Paper,” Of�ice Pro, March 2004, 10–11.

3. Jacci Howard Bear, “Desktop Publishing Rules of Page Layout,” About.com (http://About.com) , accessed 22 August 2005, www.about.com (http://www.about.com) .

4. Kas Thomas, “The Serif Readability Myth,” assertTrue blog, 18 January 2013, asserttrue.blogspot.com (http://asserttrue.blogspot.com) ; Ole Lund, “Knowledge Construction in Typography: The Case of Legibility Research and the Legibility of Sans Serif Typefaces,” doctoral dissertation, University of Reading, October 1999.

5. Jacci Howard Bear, “Desktop Publishing Rules for How Many Fonts to Use,” About.com (http://About.com) , accessed 22 August 2005, www.about.com (http://www.about.com) .

6. “Mobile Message Mayhem,” Verne Ordman & Associates, accessed 12 March 2014, www.businesswriting.biz (http://www.businesswriting.biz) .

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PART 3 Digital, Social, and Visual Media

CHAPTER 7 Digital Media (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch07#ch07) CHAPTER 8 Social Media (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch08#ch08) CHAPTER 9 Visual Media (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch09#ch09)

Choosing the best medium for every business message and using it effectively are essential communication skills. Fortunately, you probably have a fair amount of experience with various digital, social, and visual media. The three chapters in this part will help you adapt that experience to the unique demands of business communication.

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7 Digital Media

LEARNING OBJECTIVES After studying this chapter, you will be able to

1 Identify the major digital media formats available for business messages, and list nine compositional modes used in electronic media 2 Describe the evolving role of email in business communication, and explain how to adapt the three-step writing process to email messages 3 Describe the business bene�its of instant messaging (IM), and identify guidelines for effective IM in the workplace 4 Explain why organizing website content is so challenging, and explain the concept of information architecture 5 Explain how to adapt the three-step writing process to podcasting

MyBCommLab®

Improve Your Grade! Over 10 million students improved their results using the Pearson MyLabs. Visit mybcommlab.com (http://mybcommlab.com) for simulations, tutorials, and end-of-chapter problems.

COMMUNICATION CLOSE-UP AT The U.S. Small Business Administration Imagine that you need to provide information to all these audiences:

People who are considering starting a business and would like more information about it; they may be looking for articles, online training courses, or in-person counseling

Small-business owners who are struggling with everything from personnel management to �inancing

Homeowners and small-business owners seeking �inancial assistance in the wake of natural disasters

Business owners who want to learn more about negotiating contracts to sell goods and services to the federal government

Whistleblowers looking to report fraud, waste, or abuse

Companies looking for advice on exporting their products

Financial institutions wanting to know more about lending money to small businesses through various government-backed programs

Journalists and other stakeholders who want information about your organization

Taken individually, these writing projects wouldn’t be terribly dif�icult to organize because each one is fairly narrow and has a clearly de�ined audience. However, the catch in this case is that all these audiences and more are coming to the same website.

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The website of the U.S. Small Business Administration serves the information needs of a diverse range of visitors. Carefully devised information architecture helps ensure that every visitor can �ind what he or she is looking for.

Source: The U.S. Small Business Administration

If you were in charge of organizing the content and navigational linkages on this site, your challenge would be to make sure every user can �ind the information he or she is looking for in the fastest, most logical way.

Such is the task facing the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA), whose website has well over 700 individual pages on dozens of topics. It’s a challenge shared by all organizations with massive websites—the sites of multinational corporations can run to many thousands of individual pages.

In addition to the sheer amount of content on these large sites, some information is “evergreen,” meaning it stays current for months or years after publication, whereas other information is dynamic and might change every day. Moreover, the information on large sites can’t always be split cleanly into parallel categories. In addition, some site visitors know exactly what they’re looking for, but others may have only a vague idea of what they need. Finally, levels of computer experience, education, and comfort with written English can vary widely across the target audience.

Designing a satisfying web experience in the face of these challenges starts with the information architecture, a plan that shows the organization of a website’s content and the navigational linkages that let individual users map their own path through the site. Unlike letters, reports, email messages, and other linear media, the web is a nonlinear medium in which readers can jump from location to location—forward, backward, and sideways. This �lexibility can be tremendously helpful if readers can easily choose their paths to get the speci�ic information they need, but it can also irritate readers if the navigation is confusing or needlessly complicated. Knowing the needs of each audience segment is crucial to designing navigational paths that are as short and logical as possible.

The SBA website’s architecture is built around six high-level divisions. Three of these are parallel categories of information that re�lect the various challenges and opportunities a business owners is likely to face: “Starting & Managing,” which offers advice on launching and managing a small business; “Loans & Grants,” which offers guidance on applying for �inancial support; and “Contracting,” which advises business owners on selling to the U.S. government. Visitors can start with these general categories and drill down to �ind speci�ic topics. The other three categories are the “Learning Center,” which provides access to training videos and other resources; “Local Assistance,” which connects visitors to a variety of resources available through local SBA of�ices around the country; and “SBA Direct,” which lets visitors �ilter the information they see according to personal preferences.

By structuring the site content by these information and activity categories, the SBA website does an effective job of making a vast collection of information accessible to a wide range of audience members.1 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch7lev1sec18#ch7note1)

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1 LEARNING OBJECTIVE Identify the major digital media formats available for business messages, and list nine compositional modes used in electronic media.

7.1 Digital Media for Business Communication The website challenges faced by the Small Business Administration (pro�iled in the chapter-opening Communication Close-Up) highlight one of the most important considerations in using digital media. In addition to providing quality content, you need to use your chosen medium/channel combination wisely to maximize its potential and minimize its drawbacks.

DIGITAL AND SOCIAL MEDIA OPTIONS The considerable range of electronic media available for business messages continues to grow as communication technologies evolve:

Email. Conventional email has long been a vital medium for business communication, although it is being replaced in many instances by other tools that provide better support for instant communication and real-time collaboration.

Business communicators use the full range of electronic media options, from conventional email and IM to newer social networking tools.

Instant messaging (IM) (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch7lev1sec18#ch7term3) . IM usage now rivals email in many companies. IM offers even greater speed than email, as well as simple operation and fewer problems with unwanted messages or security and privacy problems.

Text messaging (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch7lev1sec18#ch7term6) . Phone-based text messaging has a number of applications in business communication, including order and status updates, marketing and sales messages, electronic coupons, and customer service.2 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch7lev1sec18#ch7note2)

Web content. Websites are one of the most important electronic media types, from small business sites with a few pages up to large corporate sites with hundreds or thousands of pages.

Podcasting (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch7lev1sec18#ch7term4) . You may be familiar with podcasts as the online equivalent of recorded radio or video broadcasts. Businesses are now using podcasts to replace or supplement some conference calls, newsletters, training courses, and other communication activities.

Social networks. Social networks have evolved into a major business communication technology, from well-known public networks to the private, internal networks that many companies now use.

Information and media sharing sites. In addition to social networks, a variety of systems have been designed speci�ically for sharing content, including user-generated content sites, media curation sites, and community Q&A sites.

Wikis. The collaborative nature of wikis—websites that can be expanded and edited by teams, user communities, or the public at large—make them a natural for aggregating “crowd knowledge.”

Blogging and microblogging. The ability to update content quickly and easily makes blogs and microblogs (such as Twitter) a natural medium when communicators want to get messages out in a hurry.

Online video. Now that YouTube and similar websites have made online video available to hundreds of millions of web users, video has been transformed from a fairly specialized tool to a mainstream business communication medium. More than half of the world’s largest companies now have their own branded channels on YouTube, for example.3 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch7lev1sec18#ch7note3)

The �irst �ive of these—email, IM, text messaging, web content, and podcasting—are covered in this chapter. The various social media, from social networks to microblogs, are addressed in Chapter 8 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch08#ch08) . Online video is covered in Chapter 9 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch09#ch09) along with other visual media.

Note that the lines between these media often get blurred as systems expand their capabilities or people use them in new ways. For example, Facebook Messages integrates IM, text messages, and email capabilities, in addition to being a social networking system.4 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch7lev1sec18#ch7note4) Moreover, the mobile variants of all these technologies add another layer of challenges and opportunities for business communicators. For example, the ability to scan coded labels such as barcodes or the similar Quick Response (QR) codes attached to printed materials, products, or store windows (or the ability to pick up radio signals from near-�ield communication tags) gives smartphone users a way to get more information—from the companies themselves and from other consumers providing reviews on social websites.

Even with the widespread use of electronic media, printed memos and letters still play an important role in business communication.

Most of your business communication is likely to be via electronic means, but don’t overlook the bene�its of printed messages. (For more on formatting printed letters and memos, see Chapter 6 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch06#ch06) and Appendix A (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/bm01#bm01) .) Here are several situations in which you should consider using a printed message rather than electronic alternatives:

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When you want to make a formal impression. For special messages, such as sending congratulations or condolences, the formality of printed documents usually makes them a much better choice than electronic messages.

When you are legally required to provide information in printed form. Business contracts and government regulations sometimes require that information be provided on paper.

When you want to stand out from the �lood of electronic messages. If your audience’s computers are over�lowing with Twitter updates, email, and IM, sometimes a printed message can stand out enough to get noticed.

When you need a permanent, unchangeable, or secure record. Letters and memos are reliable. Once printed, they can’t be erased with a single keystroke or surreptitiously modi�ied the way some electronic messages can be. Printed documents are also more dif�icult to copy and forward.

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Should you email, text, or pick up the phone?

These tips will help you make the best choice in various business situations. Go to http://real-timeupdates.com/bct13 (http://real-timeupdates.com/bct13) . Under “Students,” click on “Learn More.”

COMPOSITIONAL MODES FOR DIGITAL AND SOCIAL MEDIA As you practice using various media and channels in this course, it’s best to focus on the fundamentals of planning, writing, and completing messages, rather than on the speci�ic details of any one medium or system.5 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch7lev1sec18#ch7note5) Fortunately, the basic communication skills required usually transfer from one system to another. You can succeed with written communication in virtually all electronic media by using one of nine compositional modes:

Communicating successfully with electronic media requires a wide range of writing approaches.

Conversations. IM is a great example of a written medium that mimics spoken conversation. And just as you wouldn’t read a report to someone sitting in your of�ice, you wouldn’t use conversational modes to exchange large volumes of information or to communicate with more than a few people at once.

Comments and critiques. One of the most powerful aspects of social media is the opportunity for interested parties to express opinions and provide feedback, whether by leaving comments on a blog post or reviewing products on an e-commerce site. Sharing helpful tips and insightful commentary is also a great way to build your personal brand. To be an effective commenter, focus on short chunks of information that a broad spectrum of other site visitors will �ind helpful. Rants, insults, jokes, and blatant self-promotion are usually of little bene�it to others.

Orientations. The ability to help people �ind their way through an unfamiliar system or subject is a valuable writing skill and a talent that readers greatly appreciate. Unlike summaries (see next item), orientations don’t give away the key points in the collection of information but rather tell readers where to �ind those points. Writing effective orientations can be a delicate balancing act because you need to know the material well enough to guide others through it while being able to step back and view it from the inexperienced perspective of a “newbie.”

Summaries. At the beginning of an article or webpage, a summary functions as a miniature version of the document, giving readers all the key points while skipping over details. At the end of an article or webpage, a summary functions as a review, reminding readers of the key points they’ve just read. A series of key points extracted from an article or webpage can also serve as a summary (see the discussion later of tweetables).

Reference material. One of the greatest bene�its of the Internet is the access it can provide to vast quantities of reference materials—numerical or textual information that people typically don’t read in a linear way but rather search through to �ind particular data points, trends, or other details. One of the challenges of writing reference material is that you can’t always know how readers will want to access it. Making the information accessible via search engines is an important step. However, readers don’t always know which search terms will yield the best results, so consider an orientation and organize the material in logical ways with clear headings that promote skimming.

Narratives. The storytelling techniques covered in Chapter 4 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch04#ch04) can be effective in a wide variety of situations. Narratives work best when they have an intriguing beginning that ignites readers’ curiosity, a middle section that moves quickly through the challenges that an individual or company faced, and an inspiring or instructive ending that gives readers information they can apply in their own lives and jobs.

Teasers. Teasers intentionally withhold key pieces of information as a way to pull readers or listeners into a story or other document. Teasers are widely used in marketing and sales messages, such as a bit of copy on the outside of an envelope that promises important information on the inside. In digital media, the space limitations and URL linking capabilities of Twitter and other microblogging systems make them a natural tool for the teaser approach (see Figure 7.1 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch7lev1sec1#ch7�ig1) ). Although they can certainly be effective, teasers need to be used with respect for readers’ time and information needs. Be sure that the payoff, the information a teaser links to, is valuable and legitimate. You’ll quickly lose credibility if readers think they are being tricked into clicking through to information they don’t really want. (Tweetables are Twitter- ready bites of information extracted from a blog post or other messages. They often serve as teasers, although a series of them can make an effective summary as well.)

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Status updates and announcements. If you use social media frequently, much of your writing will involve status updates and announcements. However, don’t post trivial information that only you are likely to �ind interesting. Post only those updates that readers will �ind useful, and include only the information they need.

Tutorials. Given the community nature of social media, the purpose of many messages is to share how-to advice. Becoming known as a reliable expert is a great way to build customer loyalty for your company while enhancing your own personal value.

Figure 7.1 Compositional Modes: Writing Teasers

The global accounting and consulting �irm Deloitte uses Twitter to announce and promote a variety of topics and resources. Rather than relying on the 140- character tweets to convey the entire message, the company’s tweets instead serve as teasers, encouraging readers to click through for more detailed information.

Source: Deloitte Global Services Twitter page. Copyright © 2012 Deloitte Global Services Limited. Reprinted with permission.

As you approach a new communication task using electronic media, ask yourself what kind of information audience members are likely to need and then choose the appropriate compositional mode. Of course, many of these modes are also used in written media, but over time, you may �ind yourself using all of them in various electronic and social media contexts.

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Telling compelling stories on social media

Storytelling is an effective business communication strategy, and social media can be the idea platform for it. Go to http://real-timeupdates.com/bct13 (http://real-timeupdates.com/bct13) . Under “Students,” click on “Learn More.”

OPTIMIZING CONTENT FOR MOBILE DEVICES

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Figure 7.2 Wearable Technology

Smartwatches and other wearable technologies can simplify and enhance everyday tasks such as note taking and brainstorming.

Source: Alissa Holland/Contributor/Moment Mobile/Getty Images

Chapters 4 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch04#ch04) and 5 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch05#ch05) offer tips on writing and formatting messages for mobile devices. While keeping the limitations of small screens and alternative input methods in mind, look for opportunities to take advantage of mobile-speci�ic capabilities via apps and mobile- friendly websites. Mobile expands your options as a content creator, and it gives your audience members a wider range of more-engaging ways to consume your content:

Mobile offers a range of exciting ways to enhance the audience experience.

Location-based services. Location-based social networking links the virtual world of online social networking with the physical world of retail stores and other locations. As mobile web use in general continues to grow, location-based networking promises to become an important business communication medium because mobile consumers are a signi�icant economic force—through the purchases they make directly and through their ability to in�luence other consumers.6 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch7lev1sec18#ch7note6)

Gami�ication. The addition of game-playing aspects to apps and web services, known as gami�ication, can increase audience engagement and encourage repeat use. Examples include Foursquare’s “check-in” competitions and Bunchball’s Nitro competitions for sales teams.7 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch7lev1sec18#ch7note7)

Augmented reality. Superimposing data on live camera images can help mobile consumers learn about companies and services in the immediate vicinity, for example. Another potential business use is on-the-job training, in which training content is provided as workers are learning or performing various tasks.

Wearable technology. From virtual-reality goggles to smart-watches to body-movement sensors, wearable technology pushes the radical connectivity of mobile to the next level. Some of these items work as auxiliary screens and controls for other mobile devices, but others are meant for independent use. One of the key promises of wearable technology is simplifying and enhancing everyday tasks for consumers and employees alike (see Figure 7.2 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch7lev1sec1#ch7�ig2) ).8 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch7lev1sec18#ch7note8)

Mobile blogging. Smartphones and tablets are idea for mobile blogs, sometimes referred to as moblogs. The mobile capability is great for workers whose jobs keep them on the move, and for special-event coverage such as live-blogging trade shows and industry conventions.

Mobile podcasting. Similarly, smartphone-based podcasting tools make it easy to record audio on the go and post �inished podcasts to your blog or website.

Cloud-based services. Mobile communication is ideal for cloud-based services—digital services that rely on resources stored in the cloud.

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2 LEARNING OBJECTIVE Describe the evolving role of email in business communication, and explain how to adapt the three-step writing process to email messages.

7.2 Email Email has been a primary medium for many companies for several decades, and in the beginning it offered a huge advantage in speed and ef�iciency over the media it frequently replaced (printed and faxed messages). Over the years, email began to be used for many communication tasks simply because it was the only widely available electronic medium for written messages and millions of users were comfortable with it. However, other tools—such as instant messaging, blogs, microblogs, social networks, and shared workspaces—are taking over speci�ic tasks for which they are better suited.9 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch7lev1sec18#ch7note9) For example, email is not usually the best choice for conversational communication (IM is better for this) or project management discussions and updates (blogs, wikis, and various purpose-built systems are often better for this).

Overuse is one of the major complaints about email.

In addition to the widespread availability of better alternatives for many communication purposes, the indiscriminate use of email has lowered its appeal in the eyes of many professionals. In a sense, email is too easy to use—it’s too easy to send low-value messages to multiple recipients and to trigger long message chains that become impossible to follow as people chime in along the way. In fact, frustration with email is so high in some companies that managers are making changes to reduce or even eliminate its use for internal communication.10 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch7lev1sec18#ch7note10)

In spite of its shortcomings, email remains a major business communication medium.

However, email still has compelling advantages that will keep it in steady use in many companies. First, email is universal. Anybody with an email address can reach anybody else with an email address, no matter which systems the senders and receivers are on. Second, email is still the best medium for many private, short- to medium-length messages, particularly when the exchange is limited to two people. Unlike with microblogs or IM, for instance, midsize messages are easy to compose and easy to read on email. Third, email’s noninstantaneous nature is an advantage when used properly. Email lets senders compose substantial messages in private and on their own schedule, and it lets recipients read those messages at their leisure.

PLANNING EMAIL MESSAGES

Cut down on message overload by making sure every email message you send has a valid business purpose.

The solution to email overload starts in the planning step, by making sure every message has a valid, business-related purpose. Also, be aware that many companies now have formal email policies that specify how employees can use email, including restrictions against using company email service for personal messages, sending con�idential information, or sending material that might be deemed objectionable. In addition, many employers now monitor email, either automatically with software programmed to look for sensitive content or manually via security staff actually reading selected email messages. Regardless of formal policies, though, every email user has a responsibility to avoid actions that could cause trouble, from downloading virus-infected software to sending inappropriate photographs. Email hygiene refers to all the efforts that companies are making to keep email clean and safe—from spam blocking and virus protection to content �iltering.11 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch7lev1sec18#ch7note11)

Even with fairly short messages, spend a moment or two on the message planning tasks described in Chapter 4 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch04#ch04) : analyzing the situation, gathering necessary information for your readers, and organizing your message. You’ll save time in the long run because you will craft a more effective message on the �irst attempt. Your readers will get the information they need and won’t have to generate follow-up messages asking for clari�ication or additional information.

WRITING EMAIL MESSAGES Business email is a more formal medium than you are probably accustomed to with email for personal communication (see Figure 7.3 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch7lev1sec5#ch7�ig3) ). The expectations of writing quality for business email are higher than for personal email, and the consequences of bad writing or poor judgment can be much more serious. For example, email messages and other electronic documents have the same legal weight as printed documents, and they are often used as evidence in lawsuits and criminal investigations.12 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch7lev1sec18#ch7note12)

Business email messages are more formal than the email messages you send to family and friends.

Figure 7.3 Email for Business Communication

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In this response to an email query from a colleague, Elaine Burgman takes advantage of her email system’s features to create an ef�icient and effective message.

Source: Microsoft Outlook 2013, Microsoft Corporation

The email subject line might seem like a small detail, but it is actually one of the most important parts of an email message because it helps recipients decide which messages to read and when to read them. To capture your audience’s attention, make your subject lines informative and compelling. Go beyond simply describing or classifying your message; use the opportunity to build interest with keywords, quotations, directions, or questions.13 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch7lev1sec18#ch7note13) For example, “July sales results” accurately describes the content of the message, but “July sales results: good news and bad news” is more intriguing. Readers will want to know why some news is good and some is bad.

The subject line is often the most important part of an email message because it can determine whether the message gets read.

In addition, many email programs display the �irst few words or lines of incoming messages, even before the recipient opens them. As noted by social media public relations expert Steve Rubel, you can “tweetify” the opening lines of your email messages to make them stand out. In other words, choose the �irst few words carefully to grab your reader’s attention.14 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch7lev1sec18#ch7note14) Think of the �irst sentence as an extension of your subject line.

Attitudes about emoticons in business communication are changing; you’ll have to use your best judgment in every case.

As a lean medium, email can present challenges when you need to express emotional nuances, whether positive or negative. For years, users of email (as well as IM and text messaging) have used a variety of emoticons to express emotions in casual communication. For example, to express sympathy as a way to take some of the sting out of negative news, one might use a “frowny face,” either the :(character string or a graphical emoticon such as

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or one of the colorful and sometimes animated characters available in some systems.

DIGITAL + SOCIAL + MOBILE: TODAY’S COMMUNICATION ENVIRONMENT

Will Emoticons Give Your Career a Frowny Face?

Your project team has just been reprimanded by the boss for missing a deadline. Your colleagues left the meeting grumbling about being criticized in public after working nights and weekends, and you fear that morale will slip.

You could craft an inspirational message to soothe the bruised egos and get the team’s energy turned around in a positive direction. However, writing such a message could be risky, because world-weary teammates might just brush it off as happytalk and resent you for trying to be a cheerleader.

Alternatively, you could suggest that your colleagues lighten up and stay focused on the ultimate goal of the project. However, you already know that telling grumpy people to cheer up is a sure�ire way to make most of them even grumpier.

Instead, you opt for a quick bit of gentle sarcasm, designed to help release the negative emotions in a collegial way. When you get back to your desk, you write the following instant message:

Well, let’s pick up the pieces of our shattered lives and move on;-)

The over-the-top phrasing is a subtle way to remind everyone that the criticism wasn’t all that traumatic, and that winking emoticon tells everyone to lighten up without actually saying so. The apparent sarcasm connects with people who are marinating in their negative emotions, but it’s really a pep talk disguised as sarcasm.

Then you worry that the emoticon will seem unprofessional, so you replace it with a simple period:

Well, let’s pick up the pieces of our shattered lives and move on.

Oops. That one minor change to make the message more professional turned it into a statement of resigned sadness. You search your keyboard for any acceptable symbol that might help:

Well, let’s pick up the pieces of our shattered lives and move on!

Great, now you’ve managed to sound bitter and demanding at the same time.

Given the dif�iculty of communicating emotional nuance in lean media such as IM and email, are emoticons really all that bad? The answer depends on the situation, your relationship with your audience, and the company culture. Until emoticons become more widely accepted in business communication, it’s wise to err on the side of caution.

CAREER APPLICATIONS

1. As a manager, what reaction would you have to job applicants who use emoticons in their email messages?

2. Are emoticons just a generational difference in perspective, or is there more to the issue? Explain your answer.

In past years, the use of emoticons was widely regarded as unprofessional and therefore advised against in business communication. Recently, though, an increasing number of professionals seem to be using them, particularly for communication with close colleagues, even as other professionals continue to view them as evidence of lazy or immature writing.15 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch7lev1sec18#ch7note15) In the face of these con�licting perspectives, the best advice is to use caution. Avoid emoticons for all types of external communication and for formal internal communication, and avoid those bright yellow graphical emoticons (and particularly animated emoticons) in all business communication.

COMPLETING EMAIL MESSAGES Particularly for important messages, taking a few moments to revise and proofread might save you hours of headaches and damage control. The more important the message, the more carefully you need to proof. Also, favor simplicity when it comes to producing your email messages. A clean, easily readable font, in black on a white background, is suf�icient for nearly all email messages. Take advantage of your email system’s ability to include an email signature (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch7lev1sec18#ch7term1) , a small �ile that automatically includes such items as your full name, title, company, and contact information at the end of your messages.

Think twice before hitting “Send.” A simple mistake in your content or distribution can cause major headaches.

When you’re ready to distribute your message, pause to verify what you’re doing before you click “Send.” Make sure you’ve included everyone necessary—and no one else. Don’t click “Reply All” when you mean to click only “Reply.” The difference could be embarrassing or even career threatening. Don’t include people in the cc (courtesy copy or “carbon copy,” historically) or bcc (blind courtesy copy) �ields unless you know how these features work. (Everyone who receives the message can see who is on the cc line but not who is on the bcc line.) Also, don’t set the message priority to “high” or “urgent” unless your message is truly urgent. And if you intend to include an attachment, be sure that it is indeed attached.

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To review the tips and techniques for successful email, see Table 7.1 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch7lev1sec5#ch7tab1) and “Checklist: Creating Effective Email Messages” or click on Chapter 7 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch07#ch07) at http://real- timeupdates.com/bct13 (http://real-timeupdates.com/bct13) .

TABLE 7.1 Tips for Effective Email Messages Tip Why It’s Important

When you request information or action, make it clear what you’re asking for, why it’s important, and how soon you need it; don’t make your reader write back for details.

People will be tempted to ignore your messages if they’re not clear about what you want or how soon you want it.

When responding to a request, either paraphrase the request or include enough of the original message to remind the reader what you’re replying to.

Some businesspeople get hundreds of email messages a day and may need reminding what your speci�ic response is about.

If possible, avoid sending long, complex messages via email. Long messages are easier to read as attached reports or web content.

Adjust the level of formality to the message and the audience. Overly formal messages to colleagues can be perceived as stuffy and distant; overly informal messages to customers or top executives can be perceived as disrespectful.

Activate a signature �ile, which automatically pastes your contact information into every message you create.

A signature saves you the trouble of retyping vital information and ensures that recipients know how to reach you through other means.

Don’t let unread messages pile up in your in-basket. You’ll miss important information and create the impression that you’re ignoring other people.

Never type in all caps. ALL CAPS ARE INTERPRETED AS SCREAMING.

Don’t overformat your messages with background colors, multicolored type, unusual fonts, and so on.

Such messages can be dif�icult and annoying to read on screen.

Remember that messages can be forwarded anywhere and saved forever. Don’t let a moment of anger or poor judgment haunt you for the rest of your career.

Use the “return receipt requested” feature only for the most critical messages.

This feature triggers a message back to you whenever someone receives or opens your message; many consider this an invasion of privacy.

Make sure your computer has up-to-date virus protection. One of the worst breaches of “netiquette” is infecting other computers because you haven’t bothered to protect your own system.

Pay attention to grammar, spelling, and capitalization. Some people don’t think email needs formal rules, but careless messages make you look unprofessional and can annoy readers.

Use acronyms sparingly. Shorthand such as IMHO (in my humble opinion) and LOL (laughing out loud) can be useful in informal correspondence with colleagues, but avoid using them in more formal messages.

CHECKLIST ✓ Creating Effective Email Messages A. Planning email messages

Make sure every email message you send is necessary.

Don’t cc or bcc anyone who doesn’t really need to see the message.

Follow company email policy; understand the restrictions your company places on email usage.

Practice good email hygiene by not opening suspicious messages, keeping virus protection up to date, and following other company guidelines.

Follow the chain of command.

B. Writing email messages

Remember that business email is more formal than personal email.

Recognize that email messages carry the same legal weight as other business documents.

Pay attention to the quality of your writing and use correct grammar, spelling, and punctuation.

Make your subject lines informative by clearly identifying the purpose of your message.

Make your subject lines compelling by wording them in a way that intrigues your audiences.

Use the �irst few words of the email body to catch the reader’s attention.

C. Completing email messages

Revise and proofread carefully to avoid embarrassing mistakes.

Keep the layout of your messages simple and clean, particularly for mobile recipients.

Use an email signature �ile to give recipients your contact information.

Double-check your recipient list before sending.

Don’t mark messages as “urgent” unless they truly are urgent.

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3 LEARNING OBJECTIVE Describe the business bene�its of instant messaging (IM), and identify guidelines for effective IM in the workplace.

7.3 Instant Messaging and Text Messaging Computer-based instant messaging (IM) (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch7lev1sec18#ch7term3) , in which users’ messages appear on each other’s screens instantly, is used extensively for internal and external communication. IM is available in standalone systems and as a function embedded in online meeting systems, collaboration systems, social networks, and other platforms. For conversational exchanges, it’s hard to top the advantages of IM, and the technology is replacing both email and voicemail in many situations.16 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch7lev1sec18#ch7note16) Business-grade IM systems, often referred to as enterprise IM, offer a range of capabilities, including basic chat, presence awareness (the ability to quickly see which people are at their desks and available to IM), remote display of documents, video capabilities, remote control of other computers, automated newsfeeds from blogs and websites, and automated bot (derived from the word robot) capabilities in which a computer can carry on simple conversations.17 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch7lev1sec18#ch7note17)

Phone-based text messaging (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch7lev1sec18#ch7term6) has a number of applications in business as well, including marketing (alerting customers about new sale prices, for example), customer service (such as airline �light status, package tracking, and appointment reminders), security (for example, authenticating mobile banking transactions), crisis management (such as updating all employees working at a disaster scene), and process monitoring (alerting computer technicians to system failures, for example).18 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch7lev1sec18#ch7note18) As it becomes more tightly integrated with other communication media, text messaging is likely to �ind even more widespread use in business communication. For example, texting is now integrated into systems such as Facebook Messages and Gmail, and branded “StarStar numbers” can deliver web-based content such as videos, software apps, and electronic coupons to mobile phones.19 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch7lev1sec18#ch7note19)

The advice offered in this section applies primarily to IM but is relevant to text messaging as well.

IM offers many bene�its:

Rapid response

Low cost

Ability to mimic conversation

Wide availability

UNDERSTANDING THE BENEFITS AND RISKS OF IM The bene�its of IM include rapid response to urgent messages, lower cost than phone calls, ability to mimic conversation more closely than email, and availability on a wide range of devices and systems.20 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch7lev1sec18#ch7note20) In addition, because it more closely resembles one-on-one conversation, IM doesn’t get misused as a one-to-many broadcast method as often as email does.21 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch7lev1sec18#ch7note21)

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Etiquette guidelines for instant messaging

As a lean medium, IM is particularly vulnerable to misunderstandings; learn how to avoid them. Go to http://real-timeupdates.com/bct13 (http://real- timeupdates.com/bct13) . Under “Students,” click on “Learn More.”

The potential drawbacks of IM include security problems (computer viruses, network in�iltration, and the possibility that sensitive messages might be intercepted by outsiders), the need for user authentication (making sure that online correspondents are really who they appear to be), the challenge of logging messages for later review and archiving (a legal requirement in some industries), incompatibility between competing IM systems, and spim (unsolicited commercial messages, similar to email spam). And as with email, IM is a lean medium with little opportunity to convey nonverbal signals, which increases the chances of message misinterpretation.22 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch7lev1sec18#ch7note22)

ADAPTING THE THREE-STEP PROCESS FOR SUCCESSFUL IM Although instant messages are often conceived, written, and sent within a matter of seconds, the principles of the three-step process still apply:

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Although you don’t plan individual instant messages in the usual way, view important IM exchanges as conversations with speci�ic goals in mind.

MOBILE APPS

LINE is a free IM app that offers one-on-one and group chat capabilities.

Planning instant messages. View every IM exchange as a conversation; while you may not deliberately plan every individual statement you make or question you pose, take a moment to plan the overall exchange. If you’re requesting something, think through exactly what you need and the most effective way to ask for it. If someone is asking you for something, consider his or her needs and your ability to meet them before you respond. And although you rarely need to organize instant messages in the sense of creating an outline, try to deliver information in a coherent, complete way that minimizes the number of individual messages required.

Writing instant messages. As with email, the appropriate writing style for business IM is more formal than the style you may be accustomed to with personal IM or text messaging. You should generally avoid IM acronyms (such as FWIW for “for what it’s worth” or HTH for “hope that helps”) except when communicating with close colleagues. In the IM exchange in Figure 7.4 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch7lev1sec9#ch7�ig4) , notice how the participants communicate quickly and rather informally but still maintain good etiquette and a professional tone. This style is even more important if you or your staff use IM to communicate with customers and other outside audiences.

Completing instant messages. One of the biggest attractions of IM is that the completing step is so easy. You don’t have to produce the message in the usual sense, and distribution is as simple as hitting “Enter” or clicking a “Send” button. However, don’t skip over the revising and proofreading tasks. Quickly scan each message before you send it, to make sure you don’t have any missing or misspelled words and that your message is clear and complete.

Regardless of the system you’re using, you can make IM more ef�icient and effective by following these tips:23 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch7lev1sec18#ch7note23)

Understand the guidelines for successful business IM before you begin to use it.

Be courteous in your use of IM; if you don’t need an answer instantly, you can avoid interrupting someone by sending an email or other type of message instead.

Figure 7.4 Instant Messaging for Business Communication

Instant messaging is widely used in business, but you should not use the same informal style of communication you probably use for IM with your friends and family.

MyBCommLab Apply Figure 7.4 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch7lev1sec9#ch7�ig4) ’s key concepts by going to mybcommlab.com (http://mybcommlab.com)

CHECKLIST ✓ Using IM Productively

Pay attention to security and privacy issues and be sure to follow all company guidelines.

Treat IM as a professional communication medium, not an informal, personal tool; avoid using IM slang with all but close colleagues.

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Maintain good etiquette, even during simple exchanges.

Protect your own productivity by making yourself unavailable when you need to focus.

In most instances, don’t use IM for con�idential messages, complex messages, or personal messages.

Unless an IM conversation or meeting is scheduled, make yourself unavailable when you need to focus on other work.

If you’re not on a secure system, don’t send con�idential information.

Be extremely careful about sending personal messages—they have a tendency to pop up on other people’s computers at embarrassing moments.

Don’t use IM for impromptu meetings if you can’t verify that everyone concerned will be available.

Unless your system is set up for it, don’t use IM for lengthy, complex messages; email is better for those.

Try to avoid carrying on multiple IM conversations at once, to minimize the chance of sending messages to the wrong people or making one person wait while you tend to another conversation.

Follow all security guidelines designed to keep your company’s information and systems safe from attack.

To review the advice for effective IM in the workplace, see “Checklist: Using IM Productively” or click on Chapter 7 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch07#ch07) at http://real-timeupdates.com/bct13 (http://real-timeupdates.com/bct13) .

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4 LEARNING OBJECTIVE Explain why organizing website content is so challenging, and explain the concept of information architecture.

7.4 Website Content You probably won’t develop web content as often as you use email, social networks, and other media, but most companies have at least a basic website, and you might be involved in planning or expanding on it. Most of what you’re learning about using other digital media is relevant to website content as well, although the unique nature of websites presents some special challenges. (The information here applies to conventional web content. Blogs and wikis are covered in Chapter 8 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch08#ch08) .)

ORGANIZING WEBSITE CONTENT

MOBILE APPS

Weebly offers a simple way to create mobile-friendly websites.

As the SBA vignette at the beginning of the chapter suggests, the versatility of websites can be both a blessing and a curse. It’s a blessing because a single web presence can serve multiple purposes for multiple audiences. For example, a company website can have sections for potential employees, investors, future customers, current customers, business partners, news reporters, and members of the local community. Anyone who wants to learn more about the company can visit the website and �ind what he or she needs.

The versatility of websites can make them a challenge to organize because different visitors want different types of information.

That versatility can also be a curse, however, because it makes websites more dif�icult to plan and organize than virtually any other type of communication. Each of the target audiences has unique information needs and often little interest in the other material that might be on the site. Visitors also enter the site at different points. Some will type in the top-level URL, some will link through to lower-level pages from other websites (a product review in a blog, for example), and many will land on speci�ic pages after using a search engine.

Because the web is a multidimensional medium, readers move around in any order they please; there often is no beginning, middle, or end. When organizing a website, you need to anticipate the various paths your readers will want to follow and make sure you provide the right hyperlinks in the right places to help readers explore successfully. Professional website designers often use the term information architecture (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch7lev1sec18#ch7term2) to describe the content structure, labeling, and navigational �low of all the parts of a website.

In a sense, the information architecture is a three-dimensional outline of the site, showing (1) the vertical hierarchy of pages from the homepage down to the lower level, (2) the horizontal division of pages across the various sections of the site, and (3) the links that tie all these pages together, both internally (between various pages on the site) and externally (between your site and other websites).

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Effective examples of one-page web design

One Page Love has a large gallery of one-page webs designs. Go to http://real-timeupdates.com/bct13 (http://real-timeupdates.com/bct13) . Under “Students,” click on “Learn More.”

On simpler sites with few content categories, the information architecture is fairly straightforward. A recent trend toward one-page websites, in which all the content is presented on a single, scrolling page, represents the ultimate in website simplicity (see Figure 7.5 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch7lev1sec12#ch7�ig5) ). These sites can be particularly good for mobile devices because navigating them requires nothing more than simple scrolling action by the user. Companies also use one-page designs for individual sections of a larger website.

Start developing the information architecture by brainstorming how all your potential visitors will want to use the site.

However, on large corporate or organizational websites (such as your college or university’s website), the architecture can be extremely complex, and it is the information architect’s job to make each visitor’s experience as simple as possible.

To organize a site effectively, follow these tips:24 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch7lev1sec18#ch7note24)

Brainstorm all the likely usage scenarios—who will visit the site, where will they be coming from, what will they be looking for, and what terms will they use to identify the information they need?

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Identify all the likely entry points to the site and the target information for each visitor segment.

Create a map or other visual tool that shows all the pathways between entry points and target information, then organize the content and links in the simplest, most direct way possible.

Make sure visitors can always �ind their way back to the top level of the site, even if a search engine link plunked them onto a page deep within the site.

Give visitors options for �inding what they want. Some will want to search by key terms, for example, whereas others will prefer to follow clearly de�ined paths that drill down into more speci�ic information (such as Products -> Consumer Products -> Tools -> Handheld Power Tools, for example).

Be consistent with labels and link behaviors, and use commonly accepted terminology. For example, web visitors now expect information about a company to be on a page titled “About Us.”

Think of your website as an information-delivery machine that visitors must learn how to operate in order to use ef�iciently. By making your machine as easy to use as possible, you’ll help visitors �ind what they want quickly and encourage them to come back for more.

Figure 7.5 One-Page Web Design

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Putting all the content on a single, scrollable page is the ultimate in simple website architecture, although the approach is limited to smaller websites or sections of websites. Web designer Josh Gross used this technique to promote his consulting services, telling his story quickly and effectively.

Source: One-Page Web Design from https://onehour.me (https://onehour.me) . Copyright © by Joshua B Gross. Used by permission of Joshua B Gross.

DRAFTING WEBSITE CONTENT Everything you know about effective writing applies to web content, but keep these extra points in mind as well:

Take special care to build trust with your intended audiences, as careful readers can be skeptical of online content. Make sure your content is accurate, current, complete, and authoritative.

Wherever you can, use the inverted pyramid style, in which you cover the most important information brie�ly at �irst and then gradually reveal successive layers of detail—letting readers choose to see those additional layers if they want to.

Help readers absorb information by breaking it into small, self-contained, easily readable chunks that are linked together logically. Many readers don’t have the patience to read lengthy pages online.

Present your information in a concise, skimmable format. Effective websites use a variety of means to help readers skim pages quickly, including lists, careful use of color and boldface, informative headings, and helpful summaries that give readers a choice of learning more if they want to (see Figure 7.6 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch7lev1sec12#ch7�ig6) ).

Figure 7.6 Writing for the Web

This page from the Google Help feature for Gmail demonstrates several important points about effective web writing.

Source: Google, Inc.

Use direct and concise link names that serve for both site navigation and content skimming. Above all else, clearly identify where a link will take readers. Don’t use cute wordplay that obscures the content, and don’t force readers to click through in order to �igure out where they’re going.

As much as possible, adapt your content for a global audience. Translating content is expensive, however, so some companies compromise by localizing the homepage while keeping the deeper, more detailed content in its original language.

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Intrigued by the challenge of designing effective websites?

The Information Architecture Institute can help you learn more about the IA profession. Go to http://real-timeupdates.com/bct13 (http://real- timeupdates.com/bct13) . Under “Students,” click on “Learn More.”

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5 LEARNING OBJECTIVE Explain how to adapt the three-step writing process to podcasting.

7.5 Podcasting Podcasting is the process of recording audio or video �iles and distributing them online via RSS subscriptions, in the same way that blog posts are automatically fed to subscribers. Podcasting combines the media richness of voice or visual communication with the convenience of portability. Audiences can listen to or watch podcasts on a blog or website, or they can download them to phones or portable music players to consume on the go. Particularly with audio podcasts, the hands-off, eyes-off aspect makes them great for listening while driving or exercising.

UNDERSTANDING THE BUSINESS APPLICATIONS OF PODCASTING

Podcasting can be used to deliver a wide range of audio and video messages.

Podcasting is a good choice to replace existing audio and video messages, such as one-way teleconferences in which a speaker provides information without expecting to engage in conversation with the listeners. Training is another good use of podcasting; you may have already taken a college course via podcasts. Marketing departments can replace expensive printed brochures with video podcasts that demonstrate new products in action. Sales representatives who travel to meet with potential customers can listen to audio podcasts or view video podcasts to get the latest information on their companies’ products. Human resources departments can offer video tours of their companies to entice new recruits. Podcasts are also an increasingly common feature on blogs, letting audiences listen to or watch recordings of their favorite bloggers. Some services can even transcribe blogs into podcasts and vice versa.25 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch7lev1sec18#ch7note25)

ADAPTING THE THREE-STEP PROCESS FOR SUCCESSFUL PODCASTING

The three-step process adapts quite well to podcasting.

Although it might not seem obvious at �irst, the three-step writing process adapts quite nicely to podcasting. First, focus the planning step on analyzing the situation, gathering the information you’ll need, and organizing your material. One vital planning step depends on whether you intend to create podcasts for limited use and distribution (such as a weekly audio update to your virtual team) or a podcasting channel (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch7lev1sec18#ch7term5) with regular recordings on a consistent theme, designed for a wider public audience. If you intend to create a podcasting channel, be sure to think through the range of topics you want to address over time to verify that you have a sustainable purpose.26 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch7lev1sec18#ch7note26) If you bounce from one theme to another, you risk losing your audience.27 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch7lev1sec18#ch7note27) Maintaining a consistent schedule is also important; listeners will stop paying attention if they can’t count on regular updates.28 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch7lev1sec18#ch7note28)

Steering devices such as transitions, previews, and reviews are vital in podcasts.

As you organize the content for a podcast, pay close attention to previews, transitions, and reviews. These steering devices are especially vital in audio recordings because audio lacks the headings and other elements that audiences rely on in print media. Moreover, scanning back and forth to �ind speci�ic parts of an audio or video message is much more dif�icult than with textual messages, so you need to do everything possible to make sure your audience successfully receives and interprets your message on the �irst try.

Plan your podcast content carefully; editing is more dif�icult with podcasts than with textual messages.

One of the attractions of podcasting is the conversational, person-to-person feel of the recordings, so unless you need to capture exact wording, speaking from an outline and notes rather than a prepared script is often the best choice. However, no one wants to listen to rambling podcasts that take several minutes to get to the topic or struggle to make a point, so don’t try to make up your content on the �ly. Effective podcasts, like effective stories, have a clear beginning, middle, and end.

MOBILE APPS

Mobile Podcaster lets you record audio podcasts on your mobile devices and instantly post them on your WordPress blog.

The completing step is where podcasting differs most dramatically from written communication, for the obvious reason that you are recording and distributing audio or video �iles. Particularly for more formal podcasts, start by revising your script or thinking through your speaking notes before you begin to record. The closer you can get to recording your podcasts in one take, the more productive you’ll be.

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For basic podcasts, your computer and perhaps even your smart-phone might have the hardware you already need, and you can download free recording software.

Most personal computers, smartphones, and other devices now have basic audio recording capability, including built-in microphones, and free editing software such as Audacity is available online. If you need higher production quality or greater �lexibility, you’ll need additional pieces of hardware and software, such as an audio processor (to �ilter out extraneous noise and otherwise improve the audio signal), a mixer (to combine multiple audio or video signals), a better microphone, more sophisticated recording and editing software, and perhaps some physical changes in your recording location to improve the acoustics.

Podcasts can be distributed in several ways, including through media stores such as iTunes, by dedicated podcast hosting services, or on a blog with content that supports the podcast channel. If you distribute your podcast on a blog, you can provide additional information and use the commenting feature of the blog to encourage feedback from your audience.29 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch7lev1sec18#ch7note29)

For a quick review of the key points of business podcasting, see “Checklist: Planning and Producing Business Podcasts.” For more news on podcasting, visit http://real-timeupdates.com/bct13 (http://real-timeupdates.com/bct13) and click on Chapter 7 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch07#ch07) .

CHECKLIST ✓ Planning and Producing Business Podcasts

Consider podcasting whenever you have the opportunity to replace existing audio or video messages.

If you plan a podcast channel with a regular stream of new content, make sure you’ve identi�ied a theme or purpose that is rich enough to sustain your effort.

Pay close attention to previews, transitions, and reviews to help prevent your audience from getting lost.

Decide whether you want to improvise or speak from a written script.

If you improvise, do enough planning and organization to avoid �loundering and rambling in search of a point.

Remember that editing is much more dif�icult to do with audio or video than with textual media, and plan your content and recording carefully.

COMMUNICATION CHALLENGES AT SBA You’ve become intrigued by the challenge of information architecture and recently joined the SBA’s web team. Apply what you’ve learned in this chapter to these two challenges.

INDIVIDUAL CHALLENGE: A friend of yours is an experienced manager in a major U.S. corporation who has been bitten by the entrepreneurial bug. Rather than starting a business from the ground up, however, she would like to buy an existing business. She wants to know if SBA-backed loans can be used for this purpose. Find the answer to this question on the SBA website. How long did it take you? Did you consider this a satisfying web experience? Did you use the search box or “drill down” through the content structure? Summarize your experience in an email message to your instructor.

TEAM CHALLENGE: A colleague suggested that college and university websites face many of the same challenges the SBA faces with its website, including a diverse audience and the need to communicate a wide range of information. In teams assigned by your instructor, visit your college or university’s website and �ind the following information:

The current academic calendar

A description of the business communication course you are currently taking

A map of the main campus

Information about ordering tickets to school sporting events (if applicable)

A biography of the school president

For each task, record how long it took to �ind the information and how many screens you had to click through to reach the target. Based on these data, how would you assess the organization and navigation of your school’s website? How could the experience be improved for students, parents, and other website audiences? Summarize your �indings in a brief presentation.

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Quick Learning Guide

KEY TERMS email signature A small �ile that automatically includes such items as your full name, title, company, and contact information at the end of your messages information architecture Plan or map of the content structure, labeling, and navigational �low of all the parts of a website instant messaging (IM) Communication system in which users’ messages appear on each other’s screens instantly, without the need to be opened individually,

as with email podcasting The process of recording audio or video �iles and distributing them online podcasting channel Series of regular recordings on a consistent theme text messaging Phone-based messaging capability

SUMMARY OF LEARNING OBJECTIVES 1 Identify the major digital media formats available for business messages, and list nine compositional modes used in electronic media. Major digital media for business messages include email, instant messaging (IM), text messaging, web content, podcasting, social networks, information and media sharing sites, wikis, blogging and microblogging, and online video. The nine compositional modes used in electronic communication are conversations, comments and critiques, orientations, summaries, reference materials, narratives, teasers, status updates and announcements, and tutorials.

2 Describe the evolving role of email in business communication, and explain how to adapt the three-step writing process to email messages. As the earliest widely available electronic written medium, email was applied to a broad range of communication tasks—some it was well suited for and some it wasn’t. Over time, newer media such as instant messaging, blogs, and social networks have been taking over some of these tasks, but email remains a vital medium that is optimum for many private, short- to medium-length messages.

The three-step process adapts easily to email communication. One of the most important planning decisions in crafting email is making sure every message has a valuable purpose. Any key planning decision is to follow the chain of command in your organization in most instances; emailing over your boss’s head is a good way to stir up resentment. When writing email messages, bear in mind that the expectations of writing quality and formality are higher in business email. Also, pay close attention to the wording of an email message’s subject line; it often determines whether and when recipients open and read the message. Effective subject lines are both informative (concisely identifying what the message is about) and compelling (giving readers a reason to read the message). Completing email messages is straightforward. Proof and revise messages (particularly important ones), stick with a clean design, make use of the email signature feature, and make sure you distribute the message to the right people.

3 Describe the business bene�its of instant messaging (IM), and identify guidelines for effective IM in the workplace. The bene�its of IM include its capability for rapid response to urgent messages, lower cost than phone calls and email, ability to mimic conversation more closely than email, and availability on a wide range of devices.

As with email, business IM needs to be treated as a professional medium to ensure safe and effective communication. Be courteous in your use of IM to avoid interrupting others unnecessarily. Make yourself unavailable when you need to focus on other work, refrain from sending con�idential information if you’re not on a secure system, refrain from sending personal messages at work, avoid using IM for lengthy and complex messages, avoid carrying on multiple IM conversations at once, avoid IM slang with anyone other than close colleagues, and follow security guidelines.

4 Explain why organizing website content is so challenging, and explain the concept of information architecture. The primary challenge in organization website content is the medium’s extreme versatility. This versatility can be a blessing because a single web presence can serve multiple purposes for multiple audiences, but it also creates the challenge of providing an ef�icient and successful experience for all these unique visitors. The key to organizing a website is careful consideration of its information architecture, a map of the content structure, labeling, and navigational links and pathways in a website.

5 Explain how to adapt the three-step writing process to podcasting. Although you’ll be recording audio or video when creating podcasts, rather than writing messages, using the three-step process is an effective way to develop podcasts. Focus the planning step on analyzing the situation, gathering the information you’ll need, and organizing your material. If you plan to create a series of podcasts on a given theme (the equivalent of starting a radio or TV show), make sure you’ve identi�ied a range of topics extensive enough to keep your podcasts going over time. As you organize and begin to think about the words or images you’ll use as content, pay close attention to previews, transitions, and reviews so that audiences don’t get lost while listening or watching. Before you record, think through what you plan to say or shoot so that you don’t ramble while trying to make your key points. Finally, consider the necessary level of production quality; good-quality podcasts usually require some specialized hardware and software.

MyBCommLab

Go to mybcommlab.com (http://mybcommlab.com) to complete the problems marked with this icon .

Test Your Knowledge 7-1. What are the situations in which a printed memo or letter might be preferable to an electronic message? [LO-1] 7-2. How do the compositional modes of orientations, summaries, and teasers differ? [LO-1] 7-3. Why are subject lines important in email messages? [LO-2] 7-4. What are the bene�its of using IM in business communication? [LO-3]

7-5. Should you ever plan an IM exchange? Explain your answer. [LO-3]

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7-6. What is information architecture? [LO-3] 7-7. Why is it important to have a long-term, sustainable purpose in mind before you launch a podcast channel? [LO-5]

7-8. Is it wise to speak “off the cuff,” with no notes or outline, when recording business podcasts? Why or why not? [LO-5]

Apply Your Knowledge To review chapter content related to each question, refer to the indicated Learning Objective.

7-9. What are three innovative ways you could optimize your college’s website for mobile devices? 7-10. If you wanted to get your employees’ attention about the need to reduce costs without starting up the rumor mill about the possibility of layoffs, would it

be wise to send out an email with the subject line “To save everyone’s job, we must reduce costs now”? Explain your answer. [LO-2]

7-11. Should you ever use emoticons in business email messages? Explain your answer. [LO-2]

7-12. Communication on a major project is suffering because several team members are in the habit of writing cryptic or careless instant messages that often force recipients to engage in several rounds of follow-up messaging to �igure out what the sender had in mind. As project leader, you’ve spoken with these team members about the need to write clearer messages, but they respond that careful planning and writing defeats the whole purpose of instant messaging. How should you handle the situation? [LO-3]

7-13. Your company’s webmaster has become a big fan of tagging, the practice of identifying web content with category labels to make it easy to later retrieve all the content on a particular topic. She thinks tags are so powerful, in fact, that there is no longer any need to organize a website in any conventional, structured way. By using tag �iltering, she claims, people can �ind whatever they need. In an email message, explain to her why information architecture is still necessary. [LO-2], [LO-4]

7-14. Imagine that you’ve been on the job for two or three decades, and you’ve amassed a deep store of leadership wisdom during the years. You’d like to share your wisdom with your 800 employees in a biweekly podcast. How should you go about planning this podcast series to make sure your employees will listen regularly? [LO-5]

Practice Your Skills 7-15. Message 7.A: Media Skills: IM, Creating a Business-like Tone [LO-3] Review this IM exchange and explain how the customer service agent could have

handled the situation more effectively.

Agent: Thanks for contacting Home Exercise Equipment. What’s up?

Customer:I’m having trouble assembling my home gym.

Agent: I hear that a lot! LOL

Customer:So is it me or the gym?

Agent: Well, let’s see <g>. Where are you stuck?

Customer:The crossbar that connects the vertical pillars doesn’t �it.

Agent: What do you mean doesn’t �it?

Customer:It doesn’t �it. It’s not long enough to reach across the pillars.

Agent: Maybe you assembled the pillars in the wrong place. Or maybe we sent the wrong crossbar.

Customer:How do I tell?

Agent: The parts aren’t labeled so could be tough. Do you have a measuring tape? Tell me how long your crossbar is. 7-16. Message 7.B: Media Skills: Podcasting, Planning: Outlining Your Content [LO-5] To access this message, visit http://real-timeupdates.com/bct13

(http://real-timeupdates.com/bct13) , click on Student Assignments and select Chapter 7 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch07#ch07) , Message 7.B to listen to this podcast. Identify at least three ways in which the podcast could be improved, and draft a brief email message that you could send to the podcaster, giving your suggestions for improvement.

Exercises

Each activity is labeled according to the primary skill or skills you will need to use. To review relevant chapter content, you can refer to the indicated Learning Objective. In some instances, supporting information will be found in another chapter, as indicated.

Collaboration: Working in Teams; Planning: Selecting Media [LO-1] Chapter 2 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch02#ch02) For each of these message needs, choose a medium that you think would work effectively and explain your choice. (More than one medium could work in some cases; just be able to support your particular choice.)

7-17. A technical support service for people trying to use their digital music players

7-18. A message of condolence to the family of an employee who passed away recently

7-19. A message from the CEO of a small company to the employees of the �irm, explaining that she is leaving the company to join a competitor

7-20. A series of observations on the state of the industry, intended mostly for professionals within the industry

7-21. A series of messages, questions, and answers surrounding the work of a team on a con�idential company project

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Media Skills: Writing Email Subject Lines [LO-2] Using your imagination to make up whatever details you need, revise the following email subject lines to make them more informative:

7-22. New budget �igures

7-23. Marketing brochure—your opinion

7-24. Production schedule

7-25. Media Skills: Email [LO-2] The following email message contains numerous errors related to what you’ve learned about planning and writing business messages. Using the information it contains, write a more effective version.

TO: Felicia August <�[email protected]> SUBJECT: Those are the breaks, folks

Some of you may not like the rules about break times; however, we determined that keeping track of employees while they took breaks at times they determined rather than regular breaks at prescribed times was not working as well as we would have liked it to work. The new rules are not going to be an option. If you do not follow the new rules, you could be docked from your pay for hours when you turned up missing, since your direct supervisor will not be able to tell whether you were on a “break” or not and will assume that you have walked away from your job. We cannot be responsible for any errors that result from your inattentiveness to the new rules. I have already heard complaints from some of you and I hope this memo will end this issue once and for all. The decision has already been made.

Starting Monday, January 1, you will all be required to take a regular 15-minute break in the morning and again in the afternoon, and a regular thirty- minute lunch at the times speci�ied by your supervisor, NOT when you think you need a break or when you “get around to it.”

There will be no exceptions to this new rule!

Felicia AugustManagerBilling and Accounting

Media Skills: IM, Creating a Businesslike Tone [LO-3] Your �irm, which makes professional paint sprayers, uses IM extensively for internal communication and frequently for external communication with customers and suppliers. Several customers have recently forwarded copies of messages they’ve received from your staff, asking if you know how casually some employees are treating this important medium. You decide to revise parts of several messages to show your staff a more appropriate writing style. Rewrite these sentences, making up any information you need, to convey a more businesslike style and tone. (Look up the acronyms online if you need to.)

7-26. IMHO, our quad turbo sprayer is best model 4U.

7-27. No prob; happy2help!

7-28. FWIW, I use the L400 myself & it rocks

7-29. Most cust see 20–30% reduct in fumes w/this sprayer—of course, YMMV.

7-30. Media Skills: Web Writing, Planning: Outlining Your Content [LO-4] Find the website of a small company or nonpro�it organization; make sure it is a fairly small and simple website. Identify all the individual pages on the site, then as best you can, “reverse engineer” the site’s information architecture, identifying all the linkages between the individual pages. Draw a map of the architecture, showing how the various pages are linked together. (Hint: If the website has a “Site map” link, click on that to see a hierarchical list of all the pages contained within with site.)

7-31. Media Skills: Podcasting, Planning: Outlining Your Content [LO-5] You began recording a weekly podcast to share information with your large and far-�lung staff. After a month, you ask for feedback from several of your subordinates, and you’re disappointed to learn that some people stopped listening to the podcast after the �irst couple weeks. Someone eventually admits that many staffers feel the recordings are too long and rambling, and the information they contain isn’t valuable enough to justify the time it takes to listen. You aren’t pleased, but you want to improve. An assistant transcribes the introduction to last week’s podcast so you can review it. You immediately see two problems. Revise the introduction based on what you’ve learned in this chapter.

So there I am, having lunch with Selma Gill, who just joined and took over the Northeast sales region from Jackson Stroud. In walks our beloved CEO with Selma’s old boss at Uni-Plex; turns out they were �inalizing a deal to co-brand our products and theirs and to set up a joint distribution program in all four domestic regions. Pretty funny, huh? Selma left Uni-Plex because she wanted to sell our products instead, and now she’s back selling her old stuff, too. Anyway, try to chat with her when you can; she knows the biz inside and out and probably can offer insight into just about any sales challenge you might be running up against. We’ll post more info on the co-brand deal next week; should be a boost for all of us. Other than those two news items, the other big news this week is the change in commission reporting. I’ll go into the details in a minute, but when you log onto the intranet, you’ll now see your sales results split out by product line and industry sector. Hope this helps you see where you’re doing well and where you might beef things up a bit. Oh yeah, I almost forgot the most important bit. Speaking of our beloved CEO, Thomas is going to be our guest of honor, so to speak, at the quarterly sales meeting next week and wants an update on how petroleum prices are affecting customer behavior. Each district manager should be ready with a brief report. After I go through the commission reporting scheme, I’ll outline what you need to prepare.

Expand Your Skills Critique the Professionals

Check out the Twitter accounts of several companies that sell products or services you use or might use in the future. Find three teaser messages that attempt to persuade you to click through to another website. In a brief summary on your class blog or in an email message to your instructor, compare the effectiveness of the three teasers. Which was most effective, and which was least effective? Why? Were the payoffs for all three teasers satisfactory and in line with what you expected to see?

Sharpening Your Career Skills Online

Bovée and Thill’s Business Communication Web Search, at http://websearch.businesscommunicationnetwork.com (http://websearch.businesscommunicationnetwork.com) , is a unique research tool designed speci�ically for business communication research. Use the Web Search

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function to �ind a website, video, PDF document, podcast, or presentation that offers advice on writing effective email and IM messages for mobile devices. Write a brief email message to your instructor, describing the item that you found and summarizing the career skills information you learned from it.

Cases Website links for selected companies mentioned in cases can be found in the Student Assignments section at http://real-timeupdates.com/bct13 (http://real-timeupdates.com/bct13) .

EMAIL SKILLS 7-32. Media Skills: Email; Career Management: Personal Branding [LO-2], Prologue You’ve been laboring all summer at an internship, learning how business is conducted. You’ve done work nobody else wanted to do, but that’s okay. Even the smallest tasks can make a good impression on your future résumé.

This morning, your supervisor asks you to write a description of the job you’ve been doing. “Include everything, even the �iling,” she suggests, “and address it to me in an email message.” She says a future boss might assign such a task prior to a performance review. “You can practice describing your work without exaggeration—or too much modesty,” she says, smiling.

Your task: Using good techniques for short messages and relying on your real-life work experience, write an email that will impress your supervisor. Make up any details you need.

EMAIL SKILLS/PORTFOLIO BUILDER 7-33. Media Skills: Email; Message Strategies: Marketing and Sales Messages [LO-2], Chapter 12 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch12#ch12) One-quarter of all motor vehicle accidents that involve children under age 12 are side-impact crashes—and these crashes result in higher rates of injuries and fatalities than those with front or rear impacts.30 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch7lev1sec18#ch7note30)

Your task: You work in the consumer information department at Britax, a leading manufacturer of car seats. Your manager has asked you to prepare an email message that can be sent out whenever parents request information about side-impact crashes and the safety features of Britax seats. Start by researching side-impact crashes at the Britax website. Write a three-paragraph message that explains the seriousness of side-impact crashes, describes how injuries and fatalities can be minimized in these crashes, and describes how Britax’s car seats are designed to help protect children in side-impact crashes.

EMAIL SKILLS 7-34. Media Skills: Email; Message Strategies: Negative Messages [LO-2], Chapter 11 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch11#ch11) Many companies operate on the principle that the customer is always right, even when the customer isn’t right. They take any steps necessary to ensure happy customers, lots of repeat sales, and a positive reputation among potential buyers. Overall, this is a smart and successful approach to business. However, most companies eventually encounter a nightmare customer who drains so much time, energy, and pro�its that the only sensible option is to refuse the customer’s business. For example, the nightmare customer might be someone who constantly berates you and your employees, repeatedly makes outlandish demands for refunds and discounts, or simply requires so much help that you not only lose money on this person but also no longer have enough time to help your other customers. “Firing” a customer is an unpleasant step that should be taken only in the most extreme cases and only after other remedies have been attempted (such as talking with the customer about the problem), but it is sometimes necessary for the well-being of your employees and your company.

Your task: If you are currently working or have held a job in the recent past, imagine that you’ve encountered just such a customer. If you don’t have job experience to call on, imagine that you work in a retail location somewhere around campus or in your neighborhood. Identify the type of behavior this imaginary customer exhibits and the reasons the behavior can no longer be accepted. Write a brief email message to the customer to explain that you will no longer be able to accommodate him or her as a customer. Calmly explain why you have had to reach this dif�icult decision. Maintain a professional tone and keep your emotions in check.

EMAIL SKILLS/TEAM SKILLS 7-35. Media Skills: Email; Collaboration: Team Projects [LO-2], Chapter 2 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch02#ch02) For the �irst time in history (aside from special situations such as major wars), more than half of all U.S. adult women now live without a spouse. (In other words, they live alone, with roommates, or as part of an unmarried couple.) Twenty-�ive percent have never married, and 26 percent are divorced, widowed, or married but living apart from their spouses. In the 1950s and into the 1960s, only 40 percent of women lived without a spouse, but every decade since, the percentage has increased. In your work as a consumer trend specialist for Seymour Powell, a product design �irm based in London that specializes in the home, personal, leisure, and transportation sectors, it’s your business to recognize and respond to demographic shifts such as this.

Your task: With a small team of classmates, brainstorm possible product opportunities that respond to this trend. In an email message to be sent to the management team at Seymour Powell, list your ideas for new or modi�ied products that might sell well in a society in which more than half of all adult women live without a spouse. For each idea, provide a one-sentence explanation of why you think the product has potential.31 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch7lev1sec18#ch7note31)

EMAIL SKILLS/MOBILE SKILLS 7-36. Media Skills: Email [LO-4] The size limitations of smartphone screens call for a different approach to writing (see page 138 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch5lev1sec20#page_138) ) and formatting (see page 162 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch6lev1sec12#page_162) ) documents.

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Your task: On the website of any company that interests you, �ind a news release (some companies refer to them as press releases) that announces the launch of a new product. Using Pages or any other writing app at your disposal, revise and format the material in a way that would be effective on smartphone screens.

IM SKILLS 7-37. Media Skills: IM; Compositional Modes: Tutorials [LO-1] [LO-5]High-de�inition television can be a joy to watch—but, oh, what a pain to buy. The �ield is cluttered with competing technologies and arcane terminology that is meaningless to most consumers. Moreover, it’s nearly impossible to de�ine one technical term without invoking two or three others, leaving consumers swimming in an alphanumeric soup of confusion. As a sales support manager for Crutch�ield, a leading online retailer of audio and video systems, you understand the frustration buyers feel; your staff is deluged daily by their questions.

Your task: To help your staff respond quickly to consumers who ask questions via Crutch�ield’s online IM chat service, you are developing a set of “canned” responses to common questions. When a consumer asks one of these questions, a sales adviser can simply click on the ready-made answer. Research the “Research and DIY” section on the Crutch�ield website, then writing concise, consumer-friendly de�initions of the following terms: 1080p, HDMI, 4K, and 3D TV.

WEB WRITING SKILLS/TEAM SKILLS 7-38. Message Strategies: Online Content; Collaboration: Team Projects [LO-4], Chapter 2 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch02#ch02) If you’re like many other college students, your �irst year was more than you expected: more dif�icult, more fun, more frustrating, more expensive, more exhausting, more rewarding—more of everything, positive and negative. Oh, the things you know now that you didn’t know then!

Your task: With several other students, identify �ive or six things you wish you would’ve realized or understood better before you started your �irst year of college. These can relate to your school life (such as “I didn’t realize how much work I would have for my classes” or “I should’ve asked for help as sooner”) and your personal and social life (“I wish I would’ve been more open to meeting people”). Use these items as the foundation of a brief informational report that you could post on a blog that is read by high school students and their families. Your goal with this report is to help the next generation of students make a successful and rewarding transition to college.

WEB WRITING SKILLS/MOBILE SKILLS/PORTFOLIO BUILDER 7-39. Message Strategies: Online Content [LO-4] Adapting conventional web content to make it mobile friendly can require rethinking the site’s information architecture to simplify navigation and revising the content.

Your task: Choose the website of a company that makes products you �ind interesting. (Make it a conventional website, not one already optimized for mobile.) Analyze the section of the website that contains information about the company’s products and determine the best way to present that material on mobile device screens. Mock up at least two screens showing how you reformat the content to make it mobile friendly. Create a brief presentation with “before” and “after” views to show how your redesign would bene�it mobile site visitors.

WEB WRITING SKILLS 7-40. Message Strategies: Online Content [LO-4] As you probably experienced, trying to keep all the different schools straight in one’s mind while researching and applying for colleges can be rather dif�icult. Applicants and their families would no doubt appreciate a handy summary of your college or university’s key points as they relate to the selection and application process.

Your task: Adapt content from your college or university’s website to create a one-page “Quick Facts” sheet about your school. Choose the information you think prospective students and their families would �ind most useful. (Note that adapting existing content would be acceptable in a real-life scenario like this because you would be reusing content on behalf of the content owner. Doing so would de�initely not be acceptable if you were using the content for yourself or for someone other than the original owner.)

PODCASTING SKILLS 7-41. Media Skills: Podcasting; Career Management: Personal Branding [LO-5], Prologue While writing the many letters and email messages that are part of the job search process, you �ind yourself wishing that you could just talk to some of these companies so your personality could shine through. Well, you’ve just gotten that opportunity. One of the companies that you’ve applied to has emailed you back, asking you to submit a two-minute podcast, introducing yourself and explaining why you would be a good person to hire.

Your task: Identify a company that you’d like to work for after graduation and select a job that would be a good match for your skills and interests. Write a script for a two-minute podcast (roughly 250 words). Introduce yourself and the position you’re applying for, describe your background, and explain why you think you’re a good candidate for the job. Make up any details you need. If your instructor asks you to do so, record the podcast and submit the �ile.

PODCASTING SKILLS/PORTFOLIO BUILDER 7-42. Media Skills: Podcasting; Message Strategies: Marketing and Sales Messages [LO-5], Chapter 12 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch12#ch12) With any purchase decision, from a restaurant meal to a college education, recommendations from satis�ied customers are often the strongest promotional messages.

Your task: Write a script for a one- to two-minute podcast (roughly 150 to 250 words), explaining why your college or university is a good place to get an education. Your audience is high school juniors and seniors. You can choose to craft a general message, something that would be useful to all prospective students, or you can focus on a speci�ic academic discipline, the athletic program, or some other important aspect of your college experience. Either way, make sure your introductory comments make it clear whether you are offering a general recommendation or a speci�ic recommendation. If your instructor asks you to do so, record the podcast and submit the �ile electronically.

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MyBCommLab Go to mybcommlab.com (http://mybcommlab.com) for Auto-graded writing questions as well as the following Assisted-graded writing questions:

7-43. How can location-based services make messages more engaging for mobile device users? [LO-1]

7-44. How can you use the inverted pyramid style of writing to craft effective website content? [LO-4]

Endnotes 1. U.S. Small Business Administration website, accessed 26 January 2013, www.sba.org (http://www.sba.org) ; “Information Architecture,” Usability First, accessed 30 January 2013, www.usability�irst.com (http://www.usability�irst.com) .

2. “Ten Ways to Use Texting for Business,” Inc., accessed 21 July 2010, www.inc.com (http://www.inc.com) ; Kate Maddox, “Warrillow Finds 39% of Small-Business Owners Use Text Messaging,” BtoB, 1 August 2008, www.btobonline.com (http://www.btobonline.com) ; Dave Carpenter, “Companies Discover Marketing Power of Text Messaging,” Seattle Times, 25 September 2006, www.seattletimes.com (http://www.seattletimes.com) .

3. “Burson-Marsteller Fortune Global 10 Social Media Study,” The Burson-Marsteller Blog, 23 February 2010, www.burson-marsteller.com (http://www.burson- marsteller.com) .

4. “The New Messages,” Facebook.com (http://Facebook.com) , accessed 30 January 2011, www.facebook.com (http://www.facebook.com) .

5. Richard Edelman, “Teaching Social Media: What Skills Do Communicators Need?” in Engaging the New In�luencers; Third Annual Social Media Academic Summit (white paper), accessed 7 June 2010, www.newmediaacademicsummit.com (http://www.newmediaacademicsummit.com) .

6. Samantha Murphy, “Why Mobile Commerce Is on the Rise,” Mashable, 7 March 2012, http://mashable.com (http://mashable.com) .

7. Christopher Swan, “Gami�ication: A New Way to Shape Behavior,” Communication World, May–June 2012, 13–14.

8. “Wearables,” AllThingsCK, accessed 6 April 2014, allthingsck.com (http://allthingsck.com) .

9. Reid Goldborough, “More Trends for 2009: What to Expect with Personal Technology,” Public Relations Tactics, February 2009, 9.

10. Michelle V. Rafter, “If Tim Fry Has His Way, He’ll Eradicate Email for Good,” Workforce Management, 24 April 2012, www.workforce.com (http://www.workforce.com) .

11. Matt Cain, “Managing Email Hygiene,” ZD Net Tech Update, 5 February 2004, www.techupdate.zdnet.com (http://www.techupdate.zdnet.com) .

12. Hilary Potkewitz and Rachel Brown, “Spread of Email Has Altered Communication Habits at Work,” Los Angeles Business Journal, 18 April 2005, www.�indarticles.com (http://www.�indarticles.com) ; Nancy Flynn, Instant Messaging Rules (New York: AMACOM, 2004), 47–54.

13. Mary Munter, Priscilla S. Rogers, and Jone Rymer, “Business Email: Guidelines for Users,” Business Communication Quarterly, March 2003, 26; Renee B. Horowitz and Marian G. Barchilon, “Stylistic Guidelines for Email,” IEEE Transactions on Professional Communication 37, no. 4 (December 1994): 207–212.

14. Steve Rubel, “Tip: Tweetify the Lead of Your Emails,” The Steve Rubel Stream blog, 20 July 2010, www.steverubel.com (http://www.steverubel.com) .

15. Judith Newman, “If You’re Happy and You Know It, Must I Know, Too?” New York Times, 21 October 2011, www.nytimes.com (http://www.nytimes.com) .

16. Michal Lev-Ram, “IBM: Instant Messaging Has Replaced Voicemail,” CNNMoney, 31 May 2011, http://tech.fortune.cnn.com (http://tech.fortune.cnn.com) ; Robert J. Holland, “Connected—More or Less,” Richmond.com (http://Richmond.com) , 8 August 2006, www.richmond.com (http://www.richmond.com) .

17. Vayusphere website, accessed 22 January 2006, www.vayusphere.com (http://www.vayusphere.com) ; Christa C. Ayer, “Presence Awareness: Instant Messaging’s Killer App,” Mobile Business Advisor, 1 July 2004, www.highbeam.com (http://www.highbeam.com) ; Jefferson Graham, “Instant Messaging Programs Are No Longer Just for Messages,” USA Today, 20 October 2003, 5D; Todd R. Weiss, “Microsoft Targets Corporate Instant Messaging Customers,” Computerworld, 18 November 2002, 12; “Banks Adopt Instant Messaging to Create a Global Business Network,” Computer Weekly, 25 April 2002, 40; Michael D. Osterman, “Instant Messaging in the Enterprise,” Business Communications Review, January 2003, 59–62; John Pallato, “Instant Messaging Unites Work Groups and Inspires Collaboration,” Internet World, December 2002, 14.

18. Paul Mah, “Using Text Messaging in Business,” Mobile Enterprise blog, 4 February 2008, http://blogs.techrepublic.com.com/wireless (http://blogs.techrepublic.com.com/wireless) ; Paul Kedrosky, “Why We Don’t Get the (Text) Message,” Business 2.0, 2 October 2006, www.business2.com (http://www.business2.com) ; Carpenter, “Companies Discover Marketing Power of Text Messaging.”

19. “About StarStar,” Zoove website, accessed 6 June 2012, www.zoove.com (http://www.zoove.com) .

20. Mark Gibbs, “Racing to Instant Messaging,” NetworkWorld, 17 February 2003, 74.

21.“Email Is So Five Minutes Ago,” BusinessWeek, 28 November 2005, www.businessweek.com (http://www.businessweek.com) .

22. Martin Zwilling, “Texting is Killing Real Business Communication,” Business Insider, 13 January 2012, www.businessinsider.com (http://www.businessinsider.com) .

23. Leo Babauta, “17 Tips to Be Productive with Instant Messaging,” Web Worker Daily, 14 November 2007, http://webworkerdaily.com (http://webworkerdaily.com) ; Pallato, “Instant Messaging Unites Work Groups and Inspires Collaboration.”

24. Based in part on “Information Architecture”; Shel Holtz, Writing for the Wired World (San Francisco: International Association of Business Communicators, 1999), 28–29.

25. “Turn Your Feed into a Podcast,” Lifehacker blog, 12 January 2006, www.lifehacker.com (http://www.lifehacker.com) .

26. “Set Up Your Podcast for Success,” Feed For All website, accessed 4 October 2006, www.feedforall.com (http://www.feedforall.com) .

27. “Set Up Your Podcast for Success.”

28. Nathan Hangen, “4 Steps to Podcasting Success,” Social Media Examiner, 14 February 2011, www.socialmediaexaminer.com (http://www.socialmediaexaminer.com) .

29. Shel Holtz, “Ten Guidelines for B2B Podcasts,” Webpronews.com (http://Webpronews.com) , 12 October 2005, www.webpronews.com (http://www.webpronews.com) .

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30. “Side Impact Protection Explained,” Britax website, accessed 18 September 2008, www.britaxusa.com (http://www.britaxusa.com) .

31. Seymour Powell website, accessed 16 January 2007, www.seymourpowell.com (http://www.seymourpowell.com) ; Sam Roberts, “51% of Women Now Living Without a Spouse,” New York Times, 16 January 2007, www.nytimes.com (http://www.nytimes.com) .

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In keeping with the community atmosphere for coffee shops, a team of Starbucks employees connect with coffee fans on every major social media platform.

8 Social Media

LEARNING OBJECTIVES After studying this chapter, you will be able to

1 Identify seven key points for using social media in business communication 2 Describe the business communication applications of social networks 3 Explain how information and content sharing sites are used in business communication 4 Describe the role of blogging in business communication today, and explain how to adapt the three-step writing process to blogging 5 Describe the business uses of Twitter and other microblogging systems 6 Offer guidelines for becoming a valuable wiki contributor

MyBCommLab®

Improve Your Grade! Over 10 million students improved their results using Pearson MyLabs. Visit mybcommlab.com (http://mybcommlab.com) for simulations, tutorials, and end-of-chapter problems.

COMMUNICATION CLOSE-UP AT Starbucks With its portfolio of worldwide locations pushing toward the 20,000 mark, Starbucks has a reputation for being nearby whenever anybody anywhere might be craving a cup of coffee. Not surprisingly, its online communications follows the same strategy of being everywhere its customers might be. Its broadest presence is on Facebook, with more than 50 company- sponsored pages, including local pages in more than 40 countries. Typical posts include contests and other special promotions, enticing photos of various coffee drinks, instructional videos on making a great cup of coffee at home, and updates on community involvement projects.

Starbucks also maintains several dozen Twitter accounts, many of which are country speci�ic and tuned into local interests. In the Netherlands, for instance, fresh pastries are an essential part of the coffee experience, so employees alert customers on Twitter whenever a fresh batch is ready.

The company is active on a wide variety of other platforms as well, including Pinterest, YouTube, Foursquare, and Instagram. Although it is everywhere online, Starbucks takes care not to wear out its welcome. It posts new information relatively infrequently compared to many other major consumer brands. “They’re not cluttering up your news feed,” notes one industry observer.

Many companies use social media to offer digital coupons and sponsor online contests, but Starbucks takes things to an entirely new level. Its attention-getting efforts have included an online puzzle/scavenger hunt featuring Lady Gaga and an augmented-reality smartphone app that triggered animated movies when a phone was pointed at specially coded coffee cups.

Alexandra Wheeler, the company’s vice president in charge of global digital marketing, emphasizes that these social media efforts are about more than gaining fans and building awareness. “They can have a material impact on the business,” she says, citing one social media campaign that brought a million customers into Starbucks stores.

Like many companies still experimenting with social media as new tools and techniques emerge, Starbucks has had a stumble or two along the way. A notable example was a holiday Twitter hashtag campaign in the United Kingdom in which the company used a big-screen monitor at a national museum to display any tweet that included #spreadthecheer. The company was embroiled in a public controversy over corporate taxes at the time, and some people used the opportunity of the unmoni-tored Twitter channel to post angry and occasionally obscene messages about the company.

The episode highlights one of the core dilemmas in social media: How much control should companies exercise over the social media channels they sponsor? If they try to exert too much control, they can sti�le the very aspect of social engagement they’re aiming for. If they exert too little, even well-intentioned efforts can spin out of control and lead to embarrassing public spectacles. As social media continue to reshape business communication, �inding the right balance of conversation and control promises to be a never-ending challenge.1 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch8lev1sec16#ch8note1)

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1 LEARNING OBJECTIVE Identify seven key points for using social media in business communication.

8.1 Writing Strategies for Social Media Starbucks’ use of social media (pro�iled in the chapter opener) may seem like an obvious move, but these media represent a fundamental shift in the way companies handle business communication. The shift is still taking place, as more consumers adopt social media and more businesses experiment with the best ways to integrate these media and to adapt their internal and external communication practices.

Readers of social media expect to have a more engaged relationship with writers, so creating content for social media requires a new approach to writing.

No matter what media or compositional mode you are using for a particular message, writing for social media requires a different approach than for traditional media. Social media have changed the relationship between sender and receiver, so the nature of the messages needs to change as well. Whether you’re writing a blog or posting a product demonstration video to YouTube, consider these tips for creating successful content for social media:2 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch8lev1sec16#ch8note2)

Remember that it’s a conversation, not a lecture or a sales pitch. One of the great appeals of social media is the feeling of conversation, of people talking with one another instead of one person talking at everyone else (see Figure 8.1 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch8lev1sec1#ch8�ig1) ). For all its technological sophistication, in an important sense social media provide a new spin on the age-old practice of word-of-mouth communication. As more and more people gain a voice in the marketplace, companies that try to maintain the old “we talk, you listen” mindset are likely to be ignored in the social media landscape.

Write informally but not carelessly. Write as a human being, not as a cog in a faceless corporate machine. At the same time, don’t get sloppy; no one wants to slog through misspelled words and half-baked sentences to �ind the message.

Readers—and search engines—don’t like spending time trying to �igure out clever puns and other wordplay; make your headlines clear and direct.

Create concise, speci�ic, and informative headlines. Avoid the temptation to engage in clever wordplay with headlines. This advice applies to all forms of business communication, of course, but it is essential for social media. Readers don’t want to spend time and energy �iguring out what your witty headlines mean. Search engines won’t know what they mean, either, so fewer people will �ind your content.

Get involved and stay involved. Social media understandably make some business-people nervous because they don’t permit a high level of control over messages. However, don’t hide from criticism. Take the opportunity to correct misinformation or explain how mistakes will be �ixed.

If you need to promote something, do so indirectly. Just as you wouldn’t hit people with a company sales pitch during an informal social gathering, refrain from blatant promotional efforts in social media.

Be transparent and honest. Honesty is always essential, of course, but a particular issue that has tripped up a few companies in recent years is hiding behind an online blogging persona—either a �ictitious character whose writing is actually done by a corporate marketing specialist or a real person who fails to disclose an af�iliation with a corporate sponsor.

REAL-TIME UPDATES

LEARN MORE BY READING THIS ARTICLE

How social media have changed business communication

Katie Wagner highlights immediacy, access, connection, and research. Go to http://real-timeupdates.com/bct13 (http://real- timeupdates.com/bct13) . Under “Students,” click on “Learn More.”

Think before you post! Because of careless messages, individuals and companies have been sued for Twitter updates, employees have been �ired for Facebook posts, vital company secrets have been leaked, and business and personal relationships have been strained. To be safe, assume that every message you post could be read by people far beyond your original audience.

Figure 8.1 Conversational Communication on Social Media

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The best social media efforts use a conversational writing style that creates the impression of talking with audiences, rather than lecturing or selling to them.

Source: Courtesy of Xerox Corporation.

A momentary lapse of concentration while using social media can cause tremendous career or company damage.

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2 LEARNING OBJECTIVE Describe the business communication applications of social networks.

8.2 Social Networks Social networks (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch8lev1sec16#ch8term7) , online services that help people and organizations form connections and share information, have become a major force in both internal and external business communication in recent years. In addition to Facebook, a variety of public and private social networks are used by businesses and professionals. These can be grouped into three categories:

Public, general-purpose networks. Facebook is the largest of these networks, although Google+ is gaining ground rapidly and is attracting many companies and brands. Additionally, regionally focused networks have signi�icant user bases in some countries, such as China’s Renren and Kaixin001.3 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch8lev1sec16#ch8note3)

Business communicators make use of a wide range of specialized and private social networks, in addition to public networks such as Facebook and Google+.

Public, specialized networks. Whereas Facebook and Google+ serve a wide variety of personal and professional needs, other networks focus on a particular function or a particular audience. The most widely known is LinkedIn, with its emphasis on career- and sales-related networking. Other networks address the needs of entrepreneurs, small-business owners, speci�ic professions, product enthusiasts, and other narrower audiences.

Private networks. Some companies have built private social networks for internal use. For example, the defense contractor Lockheed Martin created its Unity network, complete with a variety of social media applications, to meet the expectations of younger employees accustomed to social media and to capture the expert knowledge of older employees nearing retirement.4 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch8lev1sec16#ch8note4)

REAL-TIME UPDATES

LEARN MORE BY VISITING THIS WEBSITE

Learn from the best social media bloggers in the business

See the 10 blogs rated best by readers of Social Media Examiner. Go to http://real-timeupdates.com/bct13 (http://real-timeupdates.com/bct13) . Under “Students,” click on “Learn More.”

Regardless of the purpose and audience, social networks are most bene�icial when all participants give and receive information, advice, support, and introductions—just as in of�line social interaction. The following two sections describe how social networks are used in business communication and offer advice on using these platforms successfully.

BUSINESS COMMUNICATION USES OF SOCIAL NETWORKS

MOBILE APPS

The social media management app Social Oomph lets you monitor multiple social media sites, schedule updates, and perform other timesaving tasks.

With their ability to reach virtually unlimited numbers of people through a variety of electronic formats, social networks are a great �it for many business communication needs (see Figure 8.2 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch8lev1sec2#ch8�ig2) ). Here are some of the key applications of social networks for internal and external business communication:

Integrating company workforces. Just as public networks can bring friends and family together, internal social networks can help companies grow closer, including helping new employees navigate their way through the organization, �inding experts, mentors, and other important contacts; encouraging workforces to “jell” after reorganizations or mergers; and overcoming structural barriers in communication channels, bypassing the formal communication system to deliver information where it is needed in a timely fashion.

Fostering collaboration. Networks can play a major role in collaboration by identifying the best people, both inside the company and in other companies, to collaborate on projects; �inding pockets of knowledge and expertise within the organization; giving meeting or seminar participants a way to meet before an event takes place and to maintain relationships after events; accelerating the development of teams by helping team members get to know one another and identify individual areas of expertise; and sharing information throughout the organization.

Community building, both within companies and with customers and other external parties, is an important function of social networking.

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Building communities. Social networks are a natural tool for bringing together communities of practice, people who engage in similar work, and communities of interest, people who share enthusiasm for a particular product or activity. Large and geographically dispersed companies can bene�it greatly from communities of practice that connect experts who may work in different divisions or different countries. Communities of interest that form around a speci�ic product are sometimes called brand communities (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch8lev1sec16#ch8term2) , and nurturing these communities can be a vital business communication task. A majority of consumers now trust their peers more than any other source of product information, so formal and informal brand communities are becoming an essential information source in consumer buying decisions.5 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch8lev1sec16#ch8note5)

Socializing a brand is becoming an increasingly important element of marketing and public relations strategies.

Socializing brands and companies. According to one recent survey of company executives, socialization now accounts for more than half of a company or brand’s global reputation.6 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch8lev1sec16#ch8note6) Brand socialization (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch8lev1sec16#ch8term3) is a measure of how effectively a company engages with its various online stakeholders in a mutually bene�icial exchange of information. Social networks and related tools such as Twitter are the primary means of socializing companies and brands. To be successful, the communication on these platforms must be of value to all parties, not just the company.

Social networks are vital tools for distributing information as well as for gathering information about the business environment.

Understanding target markets. With hundreds of millions of people expressing themselves via social media, you can be sure that smart companies are listening. When asked about the value of having millions of Facebook fans, Coca-Cola CEO Muhtar Kent replied, “The value is you can talk with them. They tell you things that are important for your business and brands.”7 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch8lev1sec16#ch8note7) In addition, a number of tools now exist to gather market intelligence from social media more or less automatically. For example, sentiment analysis is an intriguing research technique in which companies track social networks and other media with automated language-analysis software that tries to take the pulse of public opinion and identify in�luential opinion makers.8 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch8lev1sec16#ch8note8)

Figure 8.2 Business Communication Uses of Social Networks

Storytelling is one of the many business communication uses of social media. General Electric uses the timeline feature of Facebook to tell its company history.

Source: Copyright © 2012 by General Electric, Inc.

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Recruiting employees and business partners. Companies use social networks to �ind potential employees, short-term contractors, subject-matter experts, product and service suppliers, and business partners. A key advantage here is that these introductions are made via trusted connections in a professional network. On LinkedIn, for example, members can recommend each other based on current or past business relationships, which helps remove the uncertainty of initiating business relationships with strangers.

Connecting with sales prospects. Salespeople on networks such as LinkedIn can use their network connections to identify potential buyers and then to ask for introductions through those shared connections. Sales networking can reduce cold calling, telephoning potential customers out of the blue—a practice that few people on either end of the conversation �ind pleasant.

Supporting customers. Customer service is another one of the fundamental areas of business communication that have been revolutionized by social media. Social customer service involves using social networks and other social media tools to give customers a more convenient way to get help from the company and to help each other.

Extending the organization. Social networking is also fueling the growth of networked organizations, sometimes known as virtual organizations, where companies supplement the talents of their employees with services from one or more external partners, such as a design lab, a manufacturing �irm, or a sales and distribution company.

Business Communicators Innovating with Social Media Companies in virtually every industry use social media and continue to experiment with new ways to connect with customers and other stakeholders. From offering helpful tips on using products to helping customers meet each other, these companies show the enormous range of possibilities that new media continue to bring to business communication.9 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch8lev1sec16#ch8note9)

General-Purpose Social Networks

Most everyone is familiar with Facebook and Google+, and thousands of companies are active on these popular social networks. In addition, a number of social networks exist just for businesses and business professionals, including LinkedIn, the largest of the business networks. Kelly Financial Resources, part of the Kelly Services staf�ing company, maintains a pro�ile on LinkedIn, as do several hundred of its employees.

Source: Screenshot courtesy of Kelly Services company LinkedIn page. Copyright © 2013 by Kelly Services, Inc. Used by permission.

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Specialized Social Networks

A number of companies now host their own social networking sites, where product enthusiasts interact by sharing personal stories, offering advice, and commenting on products and company news—all brief-message functions that replace more traditional media options. For example, Specialized, a major bicycle manufacturer based in Morgan Hill, California, hosts the Specialized Riders Club, where customers can interact with each other and the professional riders the company sponsors. Similarly, the Segway Social network connects owners of these unique personal vehicles, including helping teams organize for Segway polo matches and other events.

Source: © 2015 Segway Inc. All Rights Reserved

User-Generated Content

Many companies now encourage user-generated content as a way to engage their stakeholders and provide additional value through shared expertise. The online shoe and apparel retailer Zappos, for example, invites customers to create and upload videos that communicate their experiences with Zappos and its products.

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Source: Copyright © 2013 by Zappos IP, Inc. Used by permission.

Value-Added Content via Blogging

One of the best ways to become a valued member of a network is to provide content that is useful to others in the network. The Quizzle personal �inance blog offers a steady stream of articles and advice that help people manage their �inances.

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Source: Copyright © 2013 by Quizzle. Used by permission.

Value-Added Content via Online Video

Lie-Nielsen Toolworks of Warren, Maine, uses its YouTube channel to offer valuable information on choosing and using premium woodworking tools. By providing sought-after information for both current and potential customers free of charge, these videos help Lie-Nielsen foster relationships with the worldwide woodworking community and solidify its position as one of the leaders in this market. Animal Planet, Best Western, and Taco Bell are among the many other companies that make effective use of branded channels on YouTube.

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Source: Copyright © 2013 by Lie-Nielson Toolworks, Inc. Used by permission.

Employee Recruiting

General Electric (GE) is one of many companies that now use Twitter to recruit new employees. GE uses its Twitter recruiting account (@GEConnections) to post job openings, talk about working at GE, and provide application advice to job seekers.

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Source: Copyright © 2012 by General Electric. Used by permission.

STRATEGIES FOR BUSINESS COMMUNICATION ON SOCIAL NETWORKS Social networks offer lots of business communication potential, but with those opportunities comes a certain degree of complexity. Moreover, the norms and practices of business social networking continue to evolve. Follow these guidelines to make the most of social networks for both personal branding and company communication:10 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch8lev1sec16#ch8note10)

Choose the best composition mode (see Chapter 7 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch07#ch07) ) for every message type you post on social networks.

Choose the best compositional mode for each message, purpose, and network. As you visit various social networks, take some time to observe the variety of message types you see in different parts of each website. For example, the informal status update mode works well for Facebook posts but would be less effective for company overviews and mission statements.

Offer valuable content to members of your online communities. People don’t join social networks to be sales targets, of course. They join looking for connections and information. Content marketing is the practice of providing free information that is valuable to community members but that also helps a company build closer ties with current and potential customers.11 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch8lev1sec16#ch8note11)

Join existing conversations. Search for online conversations that are already taking place. Answer questions, solve problems, and respond to rumors and misinformation.

Anchor your online presence in your hub. Although it’s important to join those conversations and be visible where your stakeholders are active, it’s equally important to anchor your presence at your own central hub—a web presence you own and control. (Control is important because trying to use Facebook, Twitter, or another service as a hub leaves you at the mercy of changes in design, terms of service, and other variables.) The hub can be a conventional website or a combination of a website, a blog, and a company-sponsored online community, for example.12 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch8lev1sec16#ch8note12) Use the hub to connect the various pieces of your online “self” (as an individual or a company) to make it easier for people to �ind and follow you. For example, you can link to your blog from your LinkedIn pro�ile or automatically post your blog entries into the Notes tab on your Facebook page.

Facilitate community building. Make it easy for customers and other audiences to connect with the company and with each other. For example, you can use the group feature on Facebook, LinkedIn, and other social networks to create and foster special-interest groups within your networks. Groups are a great way to connect people who are interested in speci�ic topics, such as owners of a particular product.

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Restrict conventional promotional efforts to the right time and right place. Persuasive communication efforts are still valid for speci�ic communication tasks, such as regular advertising and the product information pages on a website, but efforts to inject blatant “salespeak” into social networking conversations will usually be rejected by the audience.

Product promotion can be done on social networks, but it needs to be done in a low-key, indirect way.

Maintain a consistent personality. Each social network is a unique environment with particular norms of communication.13 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch8lev1sec16#ch8note13) For example, as a strictly business-oriented network, LinkedIn has a more formal “vibe” than Facebook and Google+, which cater to both consumers and businesses. However, while adapting to the expectations of each network, be sure to maintain a consistent personality across all the networks in which you are active.14 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch8lev1sec16#ch8note14) The computer giant HP, for instance, uses the same (fairly formal-sounding) company overview on LinkedIn and Facebook, while posting Wall updates on Facebook that are “chattier” and more in keeping with the tone expected by Facebook visitors.15 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch8lev1sec16#ch8note15)

See “Writing Promotional Messages for Social Media” in Chapter 12 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch12#ch12) (pages 328 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch12lev1sec22#page_328) –329 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch12lev1sec22#page_329) ) for more tips on writing messages for social networks and other social media.

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3 LEARNING OBJECTIVE Explain how information and content sharing sites are used in business communication.

8.3 Information and Content Sharing Sites Social networks allow members to share information and media items as part of the networking experience, but a variety of systems have been designed speci�ically for sharing content. The �ield is diverse and still evolving, but the possibilities can be divided into user-generated content sites, content curation sites, and community Q&A sites.

USER-GENERATED CONTENT SITES YouTube, Flickr, Yelp, and other user-generated content (UGC) sites (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch8lev1sec16#ch8term9) , in which users rather than website owners contribute most or all of the content, have become serious business tools. On YouTube, for example, companies post everything from product demonstrations and TV commercials to company pro�iles and technical support explanations.

YouTube and other user-generated content sites are now important business communication channels.

Moreover, the business communication value of sites such as YouTube goes beyond the mere ability to deliver content. The social aspects of these sites, including the ability to vote for, comment on, and share material, encourage enthusiasts to spread the word about the companies and products they endorse.16 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch8lev1sec16#ch8note16)

As with other social media, the keys to effective user-generated content are making it valuable and making it easy. First, provide content that people want to see and share with colleagues. A video clip that explains how to use a product more effectively will be more popular than a clip that talks about how amazing the company behind the product is. Also, keep videos short, generally no longer than three to �ive minutes, if possible.17 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch8lev1sec16#ch8note17)

Second, make material easy to �ind, consume, and share. For example, a branded channel on YouTube lets a company organize all its videos in one place, making it easy for visitors to browse the selection or subscribe to get automatic updates of future videos. Sharing features let fans share videos through email or their accounts on Twitter, Facebook, and other platforms.

As one example of the way these sites are changing business communication, Yelp has become a major and sometimes controversial in�luence on consumer behavior at a local level by aggregating millions of reviews of stores, restaurants, and other businesses in large cities across the United States.18 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch8lev1sec16#ch8note18) With the voice of the crowd affecting consumer behavior, businesses need to (1) focus on performing at a high level so that customers reward them with positive reviews and (2) get involved on Yelp (the site encourages business owners to tell potential customers about themselves as well). These efforts could pay off much more handsomely than advertising and other conventional communication efforts.

The “voice of the crowd,” enabled through social media sites, can dramatically in�luence the way businesses are managed.

CONTENT CURATION SITES Newsfeeds from blogs and other online publishers can be a great way to stay on top of developments in any �ield. However, anyone who has signed up for more than a few RSS feeds has probably experienced the “�irehose effect” of getting so many feeds so quickly that it becomes impossible to stay on top of them. Moreover, when a highly active publisher loads its feed with articles, from the essential to the trivial, the reader is left to sort it all out every day.

An intriguing alternative to newsfeeds is content curation (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch8lev1sec16#ch8term5) , in which someone with expertise or interest in a particular �ield collects and republishes material on a particular topic. The authors’ Business Communication Headline News (http://bchn.businesscommunicationnetwork.com (http://bchn.businesscommunicationnetwork.com) ), for instance, was one of the earliest examples of content curation in the �ield of business communication.

Content curation is the process of collecting and presenting articles, videos, and other material on a particular topic in a way that makes it convenient for target readers.

New curation tools, including Pinterest and Scoop.it (http://Scoop.it) , make it easy to assemble attractive online magazines or portfolios on speci�ic topics (see Figure 8.3 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch8lev1sec5#ch8�ig3) on the next page). Although it raises important issues regarding content ownership and message control,19 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch8lev1sec16#ch8note19) curation has the potential to bring the power of community and shared expertise to a lot of different �ields; ultimately, it could reshape audience behavior and therefore the practice of business communication.

COMMUNITY Q&A SITES

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Community Q&A sites (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch8lev1sec16#ch8term4) , on which visitors answer questions posted by other visitors, are a contemporary twist on the early ethos of computer networking, which was people helping each other. (Groups of like-minded people connected online long before the World Wide Web was even created.) Community Q&A sites include dedicated customer support communities such as those hosted on Get Satisfaction and public sites such as Quora and Yahoo! Answers.

Community Q&A sites offer great opportunities for building your personal brand.

Responding to questions on Q&A sites can be a great way to build your personal brand, to demonstrate your company’s commitment to customer service, and to counter misinformation about your company and its products. Keep in mind that when you respond to an individual query on a community Q&A site, you are also “responding in advance” to every person in the future who comes to the site with the same question. In other words, you are writing a type of reference material in addition to corresponding with the original questioner, so keep the long timeframe and wider audience in mind.

Figure 8.3 Content Curation

Scoop.it (http://Scoop.it) and other content curation systems let you gather material that is likely to be of interest and bene�it to your followers.

Source: Carol Kinsey Goman, Ph.D/Bovee and Thill LLC

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4 LEARNING OBJECTIVE Describe the role of blogging in business communication today, and explain how to adapt the three-step writing process to blogging.

8.4 Blogging Blogs (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch8lev1sec16#ch8term1) , online journals that are easier to personalize and update than conventional websites, are a major force in business communication. Millions of business-oriented blogs are now in operation, and blogs have become an important source of information for consumers and professionals alike.20 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch8lev1sec16#ch8note20) Good business bloggers pay close attention to several important elements:

Communicating with personal style and an authentic voice. Traditional business messages designed for large audiences tend to be carefully scripted and written in a “corporate voice” that is impersonal and objective. In contrast, successful business blogs tend to exhibit the personal style of their authors. Audiences relate to this fresh approach and often build closer emotional bonds with the blogger’s organization as a result.

Writing in a personal, authentic voice is key to attracting and keeping blog readers.

Delivering new information quickly. Blogging tools let you post new material as soon as you create or �ind it. This feature not only allows you to respond quickly when needed—such as during a corporate crisis—but also lets your audiences know that active communication is taking place. Blogs that don’t offer a continuous stream of new and interesting content are quickly ignored in today’s online environment.

MOBILE APPS

The Feedly reader app gathers fresh content from all your favorite websites.

DIGITAL + SOCIAL + MOBILE: TODAY’S COMMUNICATION ENVIRONMENT

Community Manager: One of the Hottest New Jobs in Business

With the rise in social media over the past few years and its transformative effect on business, community manager is one of the hottest new jobs in business. In the narrowest sense, a community manager is the social media interface between a company and its external stakeholders. More broadly, some community managers also plan and manage corporate events and oversee customer support operations. In smaller �irms, the community manager might be the sole voice in a company’s social media presence (running its Twitter account and Facebook pages, for example). In larger �irms, the job often entails supervising a team of people who carry out a broad range of audience-engagement activities.

Not surprisingly, communications skills are essential for community managers. These skills include not only handling the nuts and bolts of using social media effectively, but also fostering a sense of community and inspiring people to be passionate about a company and its brands. In addition, community management is a data-intensive job in many companies, with managers expected to make full use of analytical tools to measure the effects of social interaction and to use those answers to plan new initiatives. Community managers also have to be well versed in their company’s product and service offerings.

On a personal level, the job requires high energy, resilience, a thick skin for handling negative comments, and a willingness to be connected far beyond the limits of a 40-hour week. You are “the face of brand,” as Adobe’s community manager Rachael King describes it, and when major events hit, social managers are expected to respond in real time.

If the attractions and challenges of this job sound appealing to you, be sure to add community manager to the list of career paths you explore as you get closer to graduation.

CAREER APPLICATIONS

1. Would someone with limited work experience but a long personal history of using social media be a good candidate for a community manager position? Why or why not?

2. What are the risks of having a single person be the voice of a company, and how should companies address this risk?

Sources: Don Power, “In Their Own Words: What Community Managers Do Every Day,” SproutSocial, 7 March 2013, sproutsocial.com (http://sproutsocial.com) ; Ryan Lytle, “10 Qualities of an Effective Community Manager,” Mashable, 27 January 2013, http://mashable.com (http://mashable.com) ; Jennifer Grayeb, “The 4 Pillars of Community Management,” Forbes, 25 December 2013, www.forbes.com (http://www.forbes.com) ; Tim McDonald, “Community Manager: Key to the Future of Business,” Huf�ington Post, 27 January 2014, www.huf�ingtonpost.com (http://www.huf�ingtonpost.com) .

Choosing topics of peak interest to audiences. Successful blogs cover topics that readers care about, and they emphasize useful information while downplaying product promotion.21 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch8lev1sec16#ch8note21) These topics don’t need to be earthshaking or cutting edge—they just need to be things that matter to target readers.

Encouraging audiences to join the conversation. Not all blogs invite comments, but many bloggers consider comments to be an essential feature. These comments can be a valuable source of news, information, and insights. In addition, the relatively informal nature of blogging seems to make it easier for company representatives to let their guards down and converse with their audiences. Of course, not all comments are helpful or appropriate, which is why many bloggers moderate comments, previewing them before allowing them to be displayed.

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Most business blogs invite readers to leave comments as a way to encourage participation among stakeholders.

UNDERSTANDING THE BUSINESS APPLICATIONS OF BLOGGING Blogs are a potential solution whenever you have a continuing stream of information to share with an online audience—and particularly when you want the audience to have the opportunity to respond. Here are some of the many ways businesses are using blogs:22 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch8lev1sec16#ch8note22)

The business applications of blogs include a wide range of internal and external communication tasks.

Anchoring the social media presence. As noted on page 204 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch8lev1sec2#page_204) , the multiple threads of any social media program should be anchored in a central hub that the company or individual owns and controls. Blogs make an ideal social media hub.

Project management and team communication. Using blogs is a good way to keep project teams up to date, particularly when team members are geographically dispersed.

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Ten years later, are business blogs still a good investment?

Mainstream business blogging had been around for about a decade; is it still a good way to connect with audiences? Go to http://real- timeupdates.com/bct13 (http://real-timeupdates.com/bct13) . Under “Students,” click on “Learn More.”

Internal company news. Companies can use blogs to keep employees informed about general business matters, from facility news to bene�it updates. By reducing the need for grapevines to spring up, blogs can enhance communication across all levels of a company.

Customer support. Customer support blogs answer questions, offer tips and advice, and inform customers about new products. Also, many companies monitor the blogosphere (and Twittersphere), looking for complaints and responding with offers to help dissatis�ied customers.23 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch8lev1sec16#ch8note23)

Public relations and media relations. Many company employees and executives now share company news with both the general public and journalists via their blogs.

Recruiting. Using a blog is a great way to let potential employees know more about your company, the people who work there, and the nature of the company culture. In the other direction, employers often �ind and evaluate the blogs and microblogs of prospective employees, making blogging is a great way to build a name for yourself within your industry or profession.

Policy and issue discussions. Executive blogs in particular provide a public forum for discussing legislation, regulations, and other broad issues of interest to an organization.

Crisis communication. Using blogs is an ef�icient way to provide up-to-the-minute information during emergencies, to correct misinformation, or to respond to rumors.

Market research. Blogs can be a clever mechanism for soliciting feedback from customers and experts in the marketplace. In addition to using their own blogs for research, today’s companies need to monitor blogs that are likely to discuss them, their executives, and their products. Negative product reviews, rumors, and other information can spread across the globe in a matter of hours, and managers need to know what the online community is saying—whether it’s positive or negative. Reputation analysts have developed ways to automatically monitor blogs and other online sources to see what people are saying about their corporate clients and evaluate risks and opportunities in the global online conversation.24 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch8lev1sec16#ch8note24)

Brainstorming. Online brainstorming via blogs offers a way for people to toss around ideas and build on each others’ contributions.

Employee engagement. Blogs can enhance communication across all levels of a company, giving senior managers a channel to communicate with employees and giving employees the chance to offer comments and ask questions.

Customer education. Blogs are a great way to help current and potential customers understand and use your products and services. Doing so can improve sales and support productivity as well, by reducing the need for one-on-one communication.

Word-of-mouth marketing. Bloggers and microbloggers often make a point of providing links to other blogs and websites that interest them, giving marketers a great opportunity to have their messages spread by enthusiasts. Word-of-mouth marketing is often called viral marketing in reference to the transmission of messages in much the same way that biological viruses are transmitted from person to person. However, viral marketing is not really an

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accurate metaphor. As author Brian Solis puts it, “There is no such thing as viral marketing.”25 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch8lev1sec16#ch8note25) Real viruses spread from host to host on their own, whereas word-of-mouth marketing spreads voluntarily from person to person. The distinction is critical because you need to give people a good reason—good content, in other words—to pass along your message.

In�luencing traditional media news coverage. According to social media consultant Tamar Weinberg, “The more proli�ic bloggers who provide valuable and consistent content are often considered experts in their subject matter” and are often called upon when journalists need insights into various topics.26 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch8lev1sec16#ch8note26)

Community building. Blogging is a great way to connect people with similar interests, and popular bloggers often attract a community of readers who connect with one another through the commenting function.

The possibilities of blogs are almost unlimited, so be on the lookout for new ways to use them to foster positive relationships with colleagues, customers, and other important audiences (see Figure 8.4 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch8lev1sec9#ch8�ig4) ).

Figure 8.4 Business Applications of Blogging

This Xerox blog illustrates the content, writing style, and features that make an effective, reader-friendly company blog.

Source: Courtesy of Xerox Corporation.

DIGITAL + SOCIAL + MOBILE: TODAY’S COMMUNICATION ENVIRONMENT

Help! I’m Drowning in Social Media!

Anyone who has sampled today’s social media offerings has probably experienced this situation: You �ind a few fascinating blogs, a few interesting people to follow on Twitter, a couple of podcast channels with helpful business tips, and then wham— within a few hours of signing up, your computer is over�lowing with updates. Even if every new item is useful (which is unlikely), you receive so many that you can’t stay ahead of the incoming �lood. With Twitter, newsfeeds, email, instant messaging, and social networks—not to mention a desk phone and a mobile phone—today’s business professionals could easily spend their entire days just trying to keep up with incoming messages and never get any work done.

To keep social media from turning into a source of stress and information anxiety, consider these tips:

Understand what information you really need in order to excel in your current projects and along your intended career path. Unfortunately, taking this advice is even trickier than it sounds because you can’t always know what you need to know, so you can’t always predict which sources will be helpful. However, don’t gather information simply because it is interesting or entertaining; collect information that is useful or at least potentially useful.

Face the fact that you cannot possibly handle every update from every potentially interesting and helpful source. You have to set priorities and make tough choices to protect yourself from information overload.

Add new information sources slowly. Give yourself a chance to adjust to the �low and judge the usefulness of each new source.

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Prune your sources vigorously and frequently. Bloggers run out of things to say; your needs and interests change; higher-priority sources appear.

Remember that information is an enabler, a means to an end. Collecting vast amounts of information won’t get you a sweet promotion with a big raise. Using information creatively and intelligently will.

CAREER APPLICATIONS

1. How can you determine whether a social media source is worth paying attention to?

2. Should you allow any information source to interrupt your work �low during the day (even just to signal that a new message is available)? Why or why not?

ADAPTING THE THREE-STEP PROCESS FOR SUCCESSFUL BLOGGING The three-step writing process is easy to adapt to blogging. The planning step is particularly important if you’re considering starting a blog, because you’re planning an entire communication channel, not just a single message. Pay close attention to your audience, your purpose, and your scope:

Audience. Except with team blogs and other efforts that have an obvious and well-de�ined audience, de�ining the target audience for a blog can be challenging. You want an audience large enough to justify the time you’ll be investing but narrow enough that you can provide a clear focus. For instance, if you work for a �irm that develops computer games, would you focus your blog on “hardcore” players, the types who spend thousands of dollars on super-fast PCs optimized for video games, or would you broaden the reach to include all video gamers? The decision often comes down to business strategy.

Before you launch a blog, make sure you have a clear understanding of your target audience, the purpose of your blog, and the scope of subjects you plan to cover.

Purpose. A business blog needs to have a business-related purpose that is important to your company and to your chosen audience. Moreover, the purpose has to “have legs”—that is, it needs to be something that can drive the blog’s content for months or years—rather than focus on a single event or an issue of only temporary interest. For instance, if you’re a technical expert, you might create a blog to give the audience tips and techniques for using your company’s products more effectively—a never-ending subject that’s important to both you and your audience. This would be the general purpose of your blog; each posting would have a speci�ic purpose within the context of that general purpose. Finally, if you are not writing an of�icial company blog but rather blogging as an individual employee, make sure you understand your employer’s blogging guidelines. IBM, for example, gives its employees 12 speci�ic social computing guidelines, such as identifying their role as IBM employees if they are discussing matters related to the company and respecting intellectual property laws.27 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch8lev1sec16#ch8note27)

Scope. De�ining the scope of your blog can be a bit tricky. You want to cover a subject area that is broad enough to offer discussion possibilities for months or years but narrow enough to have an identi�iable focus. With a clear purpose in mind, you’ll have a better idea of how wide or narrow your subject can be.

After you begin writing your blog, careful planning needs to continue with each message. Unless you’re posting to a restricted-access blog, such as an internal blog on a company intranet, you can never be sure who might see your posts. Other bloggers might link to them months or years later.

Write blog postings in a comfortable—but not careless—style.

Use a comfortable, personal writing style. Blog audiences don’t want to hear from your company; they want to hear from you. Bear in mind, though, that comfortable does not mean careless. Sloppy writing annoys readers and damages your credibility.

Successful blog content also needs to be interesting, valuable to readers, and as brief as possible.28 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch8lev1sec16#ch8note28) In addition, although audiences expect you to be knowledgeable in the subject area your blog covers, you don’t need to know everything about a topic. If you don’t have all the information yourself, provide links to other blogs and websites that supply relevant information. In fact, content curation (see page 205 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch8lev1sec5#page_205) ) is one of the most valuable aspects of blogging.

As with email subject lines, compelling headlines for blog posts are an essential tool to draw in readers. A headline needs to grab the reader’s attention in a split second by promising something useful, surprising, challenging, or otherwise different from what the reader already knows. Headlines should be as short as possible and suggest that the information in the post will be easy to read and use. “List” headlines that cut right to the heart of something readers care about, such as “10 Reasons You Didn’t Get That Promotion” or “Seven Ways to Save Money with Your Smartphone,” are particularly popular among bloggers.

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Grab readers’ attention with your blog posts

Follow these tips to make sure your posts get noticed and get read. Go to http://real-timeupdates.com/bct13 (http://real-timeupdates.com/bct13) . Under “Students,” click on “Learn More.”

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Completing messages for your blog is usually quite easy. Evaluate the content and readability of your message, proofread to correct any errors, and post using your blogging system’s tools. Be sure to include one or more newsfeed options (often called RSS newsfeeds) so that your audience can automatically receive headlines and summaries of new blog posts. Whatever blogging system you are using can provide guidance on setting up newsfeeds.

CHECKLIST ✓ Blogging for Business

Consider creating a blog or microblog account whenever you have a continuing stream of information to share with an online audience.

Identify an audience that is broad enough to justify the effort but narrow enough to have common interests.

Identify a purpose that is comprehensive enough to provide ideas for a continuing stream of posts.

Consider the scope of your blog carefully; make it broad enough to attract an audience but narrow enough to keep you focused.

Communicate with a personal style and an authentic voice, but don’t write carelessly.

Deliver new information quickly.

Choose topics of peak interest to your audience.

Encourage audiences to join the conversation.

Consider using Twitter or other microblog updates to alert readers to new posts on your regular blog.

Finally, make your material easier to �ind by tagging (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch8lev1sec16#ch8term8) it with descriptive words. Your readers can then click on these “content labels” to �ind additional posts on those topics. Tags are usually displayed with each post, and they can also be groups in a tag cloud display, which shows all the tags in use on your blog.

“Checklist: Blogging for Business” summarizes some of the key points to remember when creating and writing a business blog.

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5 LEARNING OBJECTIVE Describe the business uses of Twitter and other microblogging systems.

8.5 Microblogging A microblog (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch8lev1sec16#ch8term6) is a variation on blogging in which messages are sharply restricted to speci�ic character counts. Twitter is the best known of these systems, but many others exist. Some companies have private microblogging systems for internal use only; these systems are sometimes referred to as enterprise microblogging or internal micromessaging.29 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch8lev1sec16#ch8note29)

Many of the concepts of regular blogging apply to microblogging as well, although the severe length limitations call for a different approach to composition. Microblog messages often involve short summaries or teasers that provide links to more information. In addition, microblogs tend to have a stronger social aspect that makes it easier for writers and readers to forward messages and for communities to form around individual writers.30 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch8lev1sec16#ch8note30) Note that every public tweet from every Twitter user is being archived by the Library of Congress.31 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch8lev1sec16#ch8note31) If you plan a career in the public eye, tweet with care, because you are creating a public record.

MOBILE APPS

The mobile app for Twitter helps you stay connected with your followers and the accounts you follow.

Like regular blogging, microblogging quickly caught on with business users and is now a mainstream business medium. Microblogs are used for virtually all of the blog applications mentioned on pages 207 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch8lev1sec9#page_207) –208 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch8lev1sec9#page_208) . In addition, microblogs are frequently used for providing company updates, offering coupons and notice of sales, presenting tips on product usage, sharing relevant and interesting information from experts, announcing headlines of new blog posts, and serving as the backchannel in meetings and presentations (see page 450 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch16lev1sec22#page_450) ). By following top names in your �ield, you can customize Twitter as your own real-time news source.32 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch8lev1sec16#ch8note32)

The business communication uses of microblogging extend well beyond the publication of brief updates.

Customer service is becoming a popular use for Twitter as well, thanks to its ease and speed and the option of switching between public tweets and private direct messages as the situation warrants.33 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch8lev1sec16#ch8note33) The social networking aspect of Twitter and other microblogs also makes them good for crowdsourcing research questions, asking one’s followers for input or advice.34 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch8lev1sec16#ch8note34) Finally, the ease of retweeting, the practice of forwarding messages from other Twitter users, is the microblogging equivalent of sharing other content from other bloggers via content curation.

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Twitter tips for beginners

An experienced user shares tips for getting the most from Twitter. Go to http://real-timeupdates.com/bct13 (http://real-timeupdates.com/bct13) . Under “Students,” click on “Learn More.”

In addition to its usefulness as a standalone system, Twitter is integrated with other social media systems and a variety of publishing and reading tools and services. Many of these make use of the informal Twitter feature known as the hashtag (the # symbol followed by a word or phrase), which makes it easy for people to label and search for topics of interest and to monitor ongoing Twitter conversations about particular topics. As Starbucks (see page 197 (ch08.xhtml#page_197) ) discovered, however, hashtags can turn into “bashtags” when members of the public use a hashtag campaign to ridicule or criticize a company.35 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch8lev1sec16#ch8note35)

TABLE 8.1 Tips for Effective Business Blogging and Microblogging Tip Why It’s Important

Don’t blog without a clear plan. Without a clear plan, your blog or Twitter feed is likely to wander from topic to topic and fail to build a sense of community with your audience.

Post frequently, but don’t overwhelm your readers.

If you won’t have a constant supply of new information or new links, create a traditional website instead. On the other hand, blogging or tweeting too often overwhelms your followers.

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Tip Why It’s Important

Make it about your audience and the issues important to them.

Readers want to know how your blog will help them, entertain them, or give them a chance to communicate with others who have similar interests.

Write in an authentic voice; never create an arti�icial character who supposedly writes a blog.

Flogs, or fake blogs, violate the spirit of blogging, show disrespect for your audience, and will turn audiences against you as soon as they uncover the truth. Fake blogs used to promote products are now illegal in some countries.

Link and retweet generously—but carefully.

Providing interesting links to other blogs and websites is a fundamental aspect of blogging, but make sure the links will be of value to your readers and don’t point to inappropriate material. Similarly, retweeting is a good way to share interesting content and build relationships with other Twitter users, but retweeting too often can annoy your followers.

Keep blog posts brief. Most online readers don’t have the patience to read lengthy reports. Rather than writing long, report-style posts, you can write brief posts that link to in-depth reports.

Don’t post or tweet anything you wouldn’t want the entire world to see.

Future employers, government regulators, competitors, journalists, and community critics are just a few of the people who might eventually see what you’ve written.

Minimize marketing and sales messages. Readers want information about them and their needs.

Take time to write compelling, speci�ic headlines for your posts.

Readers usually decide within a couple of seconds whether to read your postings; boring or vague headlines will turn them away instantly.

Pay attention to spelling, grammar, and mechanics.

No matter how smart or experienced you are, poor-quality writing undermines your credibility with intelligent audiences.

Respond to criticism openly and honestly. Hiding sends the message that you don’t have a valid response to the criticism. If your critics are wrong, patiently explain why you think they’re wrong. If they are right, explain how you’ll �ix the situation.

Listen and learn. If you don’t take the time to analyze the comments people leave on your blog or the comments other bloggers make about you, you’re missing out on one of the most valuable aspects of blogging.

Respect intellectual property. Improperly using material you don’t own is not only unethical but can be illegal as well.

Be scrupulously honest and careful with facts.

Honesty is an absolute requirement for every ethical business communicator, of course, but you need to be extra careful online because inaccuracies (both intentional and unintentional) are likely to be discovered quickly and shared widely.

If you review products on your blog, disclose any bene�icial relationships you have with the companies that make those products.

Bloggers who receive free products or other compensation from companies whose products they write about are now required to disclose the nature of these relationships.

Don’t let the speed and simplicity of microblogging lull you into making careless mistakes; every message should support your business communication objectives.

Although microblogs are designed to encourage spontaneous communication, when you’re using the medium for business communication, don’t just tweet out whatever pops into your head. Make sure messages are part of your overall communication strategy. Twitter followers consider tweets that are entertaining, surprising, informative, or engaging (such as asking followers for advice) as the most valuable. In contrast, the least-valuable tweets tend to be complaints, conversations between the Twitter account owner and a speci�ic follower, and relatively pointless messages such as saying “good morning.”36 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch8lev1sec16#ch8note36)

Table 8.1 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch8lev1sec12#ch8tab1) summarizes the advice for successful blogging and microblogging in business.

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6 LEARNING OBJECTIVE Offer guidelines for becoming a valuable wiki contributor.

8.6 Wikis As Chapter 2 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch02#ch02) points out, using wikis is a great way for teams and other groups to collaborate on writing projects, from brief articles to long reports and reference works. The bene�its of wikis are compelling, but they do require a unique approach to writing.

UNDERSTANDING THE WIKI PHILOSOPHY

To be a valuable wiki contributor, keep these points in mind:37 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch8lev1sec16#ch8note37)

Being an effective wiki collaborator requires a different writing mindset.

Let go of traditional expectations of authorship, including individual recognition and control.

Encourage all team members to improve each other’s work.

Use page templates and other formatting options to make sure your content matches the rest of the wiki.

Many wikis provide both editing and commenting capabilities, and participants should use the appropriate tool for each. In other words, don’t insert comments or questions into the main content; use the “talk page” or other commenting feature if you want to discuss the content.

Take advantage of the sandbox, if available; this is a “safe,” nonpublished section of the wiki where team members can practice editing and writing.

Wikis often have guideline pages to help new contributors integrate their work into the group’s ongoing effort. Be sure to read and understand these guidelines, and don’t be afraid to ask for help.

ADAPTING THE THREE-STEP PROCESS FOR SUCCESSFUL WIKI WRITING You can easily adapt the three-step writing process for wikis, depending on whether you are creating a new wiki, adding new material to an existing wiki, or revising existing material on a wiki.

If you are creating a new wiki, think through your long-term purpose carefully, just as you would with a new blog or podcast channel. Doing so will help you craft appropriate guidelines, editorial oversight, and security policies. For instance, the PlayStation development team at Sony uses a wiki to keep top managers up to date on new products, and because this information is highly con�idential, access to the wiki is tightly controlled.38 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch8lev1sec16#ch8note38)

If you are adding a page or an article to an existing wiki, �igure out how this new material �its in with the existing organization. Find out whether any similar material already exists; it might be better to expand an existing article or add a subpage than to create a new item. Also, learn the wiki’s preferred style for handling incomplete articles. For example, on the wiki that contains the user documentation for the popular WordPress blogging software, contributors are discouraged from adding new pages until the content is “fairly complete and accurate.”39 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch8lev1sec16#ch8note39)

Make sure you understand how a new wiki page will �it in with the existing content.

If you are revising or updating an existing wiki article, use the checklist on page 151 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch6lev1sec1#page_151) in Chapter 6 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch06#ch06) to evaluate the content before you make changes. If you don’t agree with published content and plan to revise it, you can use the wiki’s discussion facility to share your concerns with other contributors. The wiki environment should encourage discussions and even robust disagreements, as long as everyone remains civil and respectful.

For the latest advice on using social media in business, visit http://real-timeupdates.com/bct13 (http://real-timeupdates.com/bct13) and click on Chapter 8 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch08#ch08) .

COMMUNICATION CHALLENGES AT Starbucks You’ve joined Alexandra Wheeler’s social media team. Use what you’ve learned in the course so far to solve these communication dilemmas.

INDIVIDUAL CHALLENGE: You’ve written a blog entry describing an upcoming competition in which the small town that submits the most creative “community spirit” video will win a $50,000 makeover of a park or community center. Write a 120-character tweet that could serve as a teaser to persuade your Twitter followers to click through to the blog post.

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TEAM CHALLENGE: One member of the social media team is retiring, and you’ve been asked to recruit her replacement with someone whose primary responsibility will be blogging. Your plan is to send an email message to everyone in the company, providing a brief reminder of the blog’s purpose, describing the writing style you’re looking for, and inviting interested writers to submit sample blog entries for evaluation. (This message is for employees only; it won’t be seen by the public.) With a team assigned by your instructor, brainstorm the ideal qualities of writer for the Starbucks blog, then draft the email invitation.

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Quick Learning Guide

KEY TERMS blog An easily updatable online journal; short for weblog brand communities Groups of people united by their interest in and ownership or use of particular products brand socialization A measure of how effectively a company engages with its various online stakeholders in a mutually bene�icial exchange of information community Q&A sites Websites on which visitors answer questions posted by other visitors or by representatives of companies content curation The practice of collecting, �iltering, and republishing material on a particular topic microblog A variation on blogging in which messages are restricted to speci�ic character counts; Twitter is the best-known example social networks Online services that enable individual and organizational members to form connections and share information tagging Attaching descriptive terms to blog posts and other articles to facilitate searching user-generated content (UGC) sites Websites on which users rather than website owners contribute most or all of the content

SUMMARY OF LEARNING OBJECTIVES 1 Identify seven key points for using social media in business communication. Seven key points for using social media are (1) remember that it’s a conversation, not a lecture or a sales pitch; (2) write informally but not carelessly; (3) create concise, speci�ic, and informative headlines that don’t force readers to solve clever wordplay puzzles; (4) get involved and stay involved with conversations that concern your company; (5) promote your company and products indirectly; (6) be transparent and honest; and (7) think before you post to avoid problems caused by careless messages.

2 Describe the business communication applications of social networks. Businesses now use a variety of social networks, including well-known public networks such as Facebook and business-oriented networks such as LinkedIn, as well as a variety of specialized networks, single-company networks for customers, and internal employee-only networks. The business communication applications of social networks are important and diverse; major uses include collaborating, gathering market intelligence, recruiting employees, connecting with business partners, marketing, and fostering brand communities.

3 Explain how information and content sharing sites are used in business communication. User-generated content sites such as YouTube allow companies to host media items (such as videos) that customers and other stakeholders can view, comment on, and share. Content curation sites allow professionals and consumers someone with expertise or interest in a particular �ield to collect and republish material on a particular topic. Community Q&A sites give individuals the opportunity to build their personal brands by providing expertise, and they give companies the chance to address customer complaints and correct misinformation.

4 Describe the role of blogging in business communication today, and explain how to adapt the three-step writing process to blogging. Blogs are used in numerous ways in business today, such as for project management and team communication, company news, customer support, public relations and media relations, employee recruiting, policy and issue discussions, crisis communication, market research, brainstorming, employee engagement, viral marketing, in�luencing traditional media news coverage, and community building.

The three-step process adapts readily to blogging. In planning, pay particular care to de�ining your audience, identifying the overall purpose of your blog and speci�ic purposes of each post, and establishing a scope that is narrow enough to be focused but broad enough to afford a steady supply of topics. In writing, be sure to write in a personal, authentic style, without slipping into overly familiar or careless writing. Completing involves the usual tasks of proo�ing and revising, along with the particular tasks needed to distribute your posts via newsfeeds.

5 Describe the business uses of Twitter and other microblogging systems. Microblogs such as Twitter are used for many of the same purposes as conventional blogging, along with electronic coupons, sale announcements, one-on-one customer service queries, and customized news channels created by following experts of interest. Microblogs can also serve as the backchannel during meetings and presentations.

6 Offer guidelines for becoming a valuable wiki contributor. To become a valuable wiki contributor, let go of traditional expectations of authorship, including individual recognition and control; don’t be afraid to edit and improve existing content; use page templates and other formatting options to make sure your content is formatted in the same style as the rest of the wiki; keep edits and comments separate by using the “talk page” to discuss content, rather than inserting comments directly into the text; take advantage of the sandbox to learn how use the wiki’s writing and editing tools; and understand and follow the wiki’s contributor guidelines.

MyBCommLab

Go to mybcommlab.com (http://mybcommlab.com) to complete the problems marked with this icon .

Test Your Knowledge To review chapter content related to each question, refer to the indicated Learning Objective.

8-1. What is a community of practice? [LO-2] 8-2. What does it mean to anchor your social media presence in a hub? [LO-2] 8-3. What is content curation? [LO-3] 8-4. How can blogs help with so-called viral marketing efforts? [LO-4]

8-5. Why is it important to have a long-term, sustainable purpose in mind before you launch a blog channel? [LO-4]

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8-6. How can Twitter be used to crowdsource research? [LO-5] 8-7. How does the use of hashtags on Twitter help people �ind information of interest? [LO-5]

8-8. Why is it important to abandon traditional notions of ownership when writing on a wiki? [LO-6]

Apply Your Knowledge To review chapter content related to each question, refer to the indicated Learning Objective.

8-9. Can your company stay in control of its messages if it stays off social media? Why or why not?

8-10. Is leveraging your connections on social networks for business purposes ethical? Why or why not? [LO-2]

8-11. If one of the bene�its of blogging and microblogging is the personal, intimate style of writing, is it a good idea to limit your creativity by adhering to conventional rules of grammar, spelling, and mechanics? Why or why not? [LO-4]

8-12. What are some ways the president of a hiking equipment company can use Twitter to engage potential customers without being overtly promotional? [LO-5]

8-13. If you know that most readers of your management advice blog access it on mobile devices, should you switch to Twitter instead so the shorter messages would be easier to read on small screens? Why or why not? [LO-5]

Practice Your Skills 8-14. Message for Analysis 8.A: Media Skills: Blogging, Creating a Businesslike Tone [LO-4] Revise this blog post based on what you’ve learned in this

chapter.

[headline]

We’re DOOMED!!!!!

[post]

I was at the Sikorsky plant in Stratford yesterday, just checking to see how things were going with the assembly line retro�it we did for them last year. I think I saw the future, and it ain’t pretty. They were demo’ing a prototype robot from Motoman that absolutely blows our stuff out of the water.

They wouldn’t let me really see it, but based on the 10-second glimpse I got, it’s smaller, faster, and more maneuverable than any of our units. And when I asked about the price, the guy just grinned. And it wasn’t the sort of grin designed to make me feel good.

I’ve been saying for years that we need to pay more attention to size, speed, and maneuverability instead of just relying on our historical strengths of accuracy and payload capacity, and you’d have to be blind not to agree that this experience proves me right. If we can’t at least show a design for a better unit within two or three months, Motoman is going to lock up the market and leave us utterly in the dust.

Believe me, being able to say “I told you so” right now is not nearly as satisfying as you might think!!

8-15. Message 8.B: Revising Web Content with a “You” Attitude [LO-6] To access this wiki exercise, visit http://real-timeupdates.com/bct13 (http://real- timeupdates.com/bct13) , click on Student Assignments, and select Chapter 8 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch08#ch08) , Message 8.B. Follow the instructions for evaluating the existing content and revising it to make it more reader oriented.

8-16. Message 8.C: Improving the Effectiveness of a Wiki Article [LO-6] To access this wiki exercise, go to http://real-timeupdates.com/bct13 (http://real-timeupdates.com/bct13) , click on Student Assignments, and select Chapter 8 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch08#ch08) , Message 8.C. Follow the instructions for evaluating the existing content and revising it to make it clear and concise.

Exercises

Each activity is labeled according to the primary skill or skills you will need to use. To review relevant chapter content, you can refer to the indicated Learning Objective. In some instances, supporting information will be found in another chapter, as indicated.

8-17. Media Skills: Social Networking [LO-2] Pick a company in any industry that interests you. Imagine you are doing strategic planning for this �irm, and identify one of your company’s key competitors. Now search through social media sources to �ind three strategically relevant pieces of information about this competitor, such as the hiring of a new executive, the launch of a major new product, or a signi�icant problem of some kind. In a post on your class blog, identify the information you found and the sources you used. (If you can’t �ind useful information, pick another �irm or try another industry.)

8-18. Media Skills: Blogging, Creating a Businesslike Tone; Mobile Skills [LO-4] The members of the project team of which you are the leader have enthusiastically embraced blogging as a communication medium. Unfortunately, as emotions heat up during the project, some of the blog posts are getting too casual, too personal, and even sloppy. Because your boss and other managers around the company also read this project blog, you don’t want the team to look unprofessional. Revise the following blog post so that it communicates in a more businesslike manner while retaining the informal, conversational tone of a blog. In addition, break it into smaller paragraphs more compatible with mobile devices. (Be sure to correct any spelling and punctuation mistakes you �ind as well.)

Well, to the profound surprise of absolutely nobody, we are not going to be able meet the June 1 commitment to ship 100 operating tables to Southeast Surgical Supply. (For those of you who have been living in a cave the past six month, we have been �ighting to get our hands on enough high-grade chromium steel to meet our production schedule.) Sure enough, we got news, this morning that we will only get enough for 30 tables. Yes, we look like fools for not being able to follow through on promises we made to the customer, but no, this didn’t have to happpen. Six month’s ago, purchasing warned us about shrinking supplies and suggested we advance-buy as much as we would need for the next 12 months, or so. We naturally tried to followed their advice, but just as naturally were shot down by the bean counters at corporate who trotted out the policy about never buying more than three months

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worth of materials in advance. Of course, it’ll be us—not the bean counters who’ll take the �lak when everybody starts asking why revenues are down next quarter and why Southeast is talking to our friends at Crighton!!! Maybe, some day this company will get its head out of the sand and realize that we need to have some �inancial �lexibility in order to compete.

8-19. Media Skills: Blogging [LO-4] Find a current political issue that could have a direct effect on business, such as immigration law, Internet sales tax, product safety, or international trade policy. Identify a company that is affected by this issue, and assume you are the president or CEO and want to speak out on the issue. Write a three-paragraph blog post that summarizes the issue, explains how it could affect your company, and urges a particular action from political leaders.

8-20. Media Skills: Microblogging [LO-5] Busy knitters can go through a lot of yarn in a hurry, so most keep a sharp eye out for sales. You’re on the marketing staff of Knitting-Warehouse, and you like to keep your loyal shoppers up to date with the latest deals. Visit the Knitting-Warehouse website, select any on-sale product that catches your eye, and write a 120-character Twitter update that describes the product and the sale. (Unless you are working on a private Twitter account that is accessible only by your instructor and your classmates, don’t actually send this Twitter update. Email it to your instructor instead.)

8-21. Media Skills: Microblogging [LO-5] Choose a product you purchased recently or something you’re considering purchasing. Compose a three-tweet sequence that (a) introduces the product, (b) lists two or three important bene�its, and (c) identi�ies which groups of consumers can bene�it from it. Email your tweets to your instructor rather than posting them on Twitter.

Expand Your Skills Critique the Professionals

Compare a dozen recent Twitter updates from two companies in the same industry. Viewing them from the perspective of a potential customer, which company does a better job of engaging your attention and building your interest in its products? Using whatever medium your instructor requests, write a brief analysis of the two companies’ Twitter activity, and explain why one is using the social network more effectively than the other.

Sharpening Your Career Skills Online

Bovée and Thill’s Business Communication Web Search, at http://websearch.businesscommunicationnetwork.com (http://websearch.businesscommunicationnetwork.com) , is a unique research tool designed speci�ically for business communication research. Use the Web Search function to �ind a website, video, PDF document, podcast, or PowerPoint presentation that offers advice on using social media in business. Write a brief email message to your instructor, describing the item that you found and summarizing the career skills information you learned from it.

Cases Website links for selected companies mentioned in cases can be found in the Student Assignments section at http://real-timeupdates.com/bct13 (http://real-timeupdates.com/bct13) .

SOCIAL NETWORKING SKILLS 8-22. Media Skills: Social Networking; Media Skills: Microblogging [LO-2] [LO-5] Foursquare is one of the leading providers of location-based social networking services. Millions of people use Foursquare for social engagement and friendly competition, and many business owners are starting to recognize the marketing potential of having people who are on the move in local areas, broadcasting their locations and sharing information about stores, restaurants, clubs, and other merchants.

Your task: Review the information on Foursquare’s Merchant Platform. Now write four brief messages, no more than 140 characters long (including spaces). The �irst should summarize the bene�its to stores, restaurants, and other “brick-and-mortar” businesses of participating in Foursquare, and the next three messages should convey three compelling points that support that overall bene�it statement. If your class is set up with private Twitter accounts, use your private account to send your messages. Otherwise, email your four messages to your instructor or post them on your class blog, as your instructor directs.

SOCIAL NETWORKING SKILLS 8-23. Media Skills: Social Networking; Online Etiquette [LO-2], Chapter 2 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch02#ch02) Employees who take pride in their work are a practically priceless resource for any business. However, pride can sometimes manifest itself in negative ways when employees come under criticism—and public criticism is a fact of life in social media. Imagine that your company has recently experienced a rash of product quality problems, and these problems have generated some unpleasant and occasionally unfair criticism on a variety of social media sites. Someone even set up a Facebook page speci�ically to give customers a place to vent their frustrations.

You and your public relations team jumped into action, responding to complaints with offers to provide replacement products and help customers who have been affected by the quality problems. Everything seemed to be going as well as could be expected, until you were checking a few industry blogs one evening and discovered that a couple of engineers in your company’s product design lab have been responding to complaints on their own. They identi�ied themselves as company employees and defended their product design, blaming the company’s production department and even criticizing several customers for lacking the skills needed to use such a sophisticated product. Within a matter of minutes, you see their harsh comments being retweeted and re-posted on multiple sites, only fueling the �ire of negative feedback against your �irm. Needless to say, you are horri�ied.

Your task: You manage to reach the engineers by private message and tell them to stop posting messages, but you realize you have a serious training issue on your hands. Write a post for the internal company blog that advises employees on how to respond appropriately when they are representing the company online. Use your imagination to make up any details you need.

SOCIAL NETWORKING SKILLS

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8-24. Media Skills: Social Networking [LO-2] Social media can be a great way to, well, socialize during your college years, but employers are increasingly checking up on the online activities of potential hires to avoid bringing in employees who may re�lect poorly on the company.

Your task: Team up with another student and review each other’s public presence on Facebook, Twitter, Flickr, blogs, and any other website that an employer might check during the interview and recruiting process. Identify any photos, videos, messages, or other material that could raise a red �lag when an employee is evaluating a job candidate. Write your teammate an email message that lists any risky material.

BLOGGING SKILLS 8-25. Media Skills: Blogging; Compositional Modes: Tutorials [LO-4] Studying abroad for a semester or a year can be a rewarding experience in many ways—improving your language skills, experiencing another culture, making contacts in the international business arena, and building your self-con�idence.

Your task: Write a post for your class blog that describes your college’s study-abroad program and summarizes the steps involved in applying for international study. If your school doesn’t offer study-abroad opportunities, base your post on the program offered at another institution in your state.

BLOGGING SKILLS 8-26. Media Skills: Blogging [LO-4] Comic-Con International is an annual convention that highlights a wide variety of pop culture and entertainment media, from comic books and collectibles to video games and movies. From its early start as a comic book convention that attracted several hundred fans and publishing industry insiders, Comic-Con has become a major international event with more than 135,000 attendees.

Your task: Several readers of your pop culture blog have been asking for your recommendation about visiting Comic-Con in San Diego next summer. Write a two- or three-paragraph posting for your blog that explains what Comic-Con is and what attendees can expect to experience at the convention. Be sure to address your posting to fans, not industry insiders.40 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch8lev1sec16#ch8note40)

BLOGGING SKILLS/MOBILE SKILLS 8-27. Media Skills: Blogging; Compositional Modes: Tutorials; Mobile Skills [LO-6] Tumblr has become a popular “short-form” blogging platform by combining the simplicity of Twitter with the ability to share photos and other media easily.

Your task: Write a 300- to 400-word mobile-friendly post for your class blog that explains how to set up an account on Tumblr and get involved in the Tumblr community. The help pages on Tumblr are a good place to get more information about the service.

BLOGGING SKILLS 8-28. Media Skills: Blogging [LO-6] Credit card debt can be a crippling �inancial burden with myriad side effects, from higher insurance rates to more- expensive loans to dif�iculty getting a job or a promotion. Unfortunately, credit debt is also frighteningly easy to fall into, particularly for young people trying to get started in life with limited cash �low.

Your task: Write a three- to �ive-paragraph blog post that warns college students about the dangers of credit card debt. Be sure to credit the sources you �ind in your research.

MICROBLOGGING SKILLS 8-29. Media Skills: Microblogging; Compositional Modes: Summaries [LO-1] [LO-6] A carefully constructed series of tweets can serve as a summary of a blog post, video, or other message or document.

Your task: Find any article, podcast, video, or webpage on a business topic that interests you. Write four to six tweetables that summarize the content of the piece. Restrict the �irst tweetable to 120 characters to allow for a URL. Email the series to your instructor or publish them on Twitter if your instructor directs. If you quote phrases from the original directly, be sure to put them in quotation marks.

MICROBLOGGING SKILLS 8-30. Media Skills: Microblogging; Compositional Modes: Teasers [LO-5] Twitter updates are a great way to alert people to helpful articles, videos, and other online resources.

Your task: Find an online resource (it can be a website quiz, a YouTube video, a PowerPoint presentation, a newspaper article, or anything else appropriate) that offers some great tips to help college students prepare for job interviews. Write a teaser of no more than 120 characters that hints at the bene�its other students can get from this resource. If your class is set up with private Twitter accounts, use your private account to send your message. Otherwise, email it to your instructor. Be sure to include the URL; if you’re using a Twitter account, the system should shorten it to 20 characters to keep you within the 140- character limit.

MICROBLOGGING SKILLS 8-31. Media Skills: Microblogging; Compositional Modes: Updates and Announcements [LO-5] JetBlue is known for its innovations in customer service and customer communication, including its pioneering use of the Twitter microblogging system. Nearly 2 million JetBlue fans and customers follow the company on Twitter to get updates on �light status during weather disruptions, facility upgrades, and other news.41 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch8lev1sec16#ch8note41)

Your task: Write a message of no more than 120 characters that announces the limited-time availability of �lights and travel packages—�lights plus hotel rooms, for example—at JetBlue’s store on eBay. (Limiting your message to 120 characters allows room for a 20-character URL, which you don’t need to include

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in your message.) The key selling point is that travelers may be able to purchase �lights they want at steep discounts. If your class is set up with private Twitter accounts, use your private account to send your message. Otherwise, email it to your instructor.

WIKI SKILLS 8-32. Media Skills: Wiki Writing; Evaluating the Work of Other Writers [LO-6] Evaluating existing content is a vital step in making improvements to a wiki.

Your task: Find an article on Wikipedia that needs to be updated, corrected, or otherwise improved. You can use an article that has been �lagged by Wikipedia editors or �ind an article on a subject you are familiar with, such as the pro�ile of a favorite musical artist. To keep the project at a manageable size, feel free to select a portion of a longer article (roughly 500 to 1,000 words). Using the guidelines on page 151 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch6lev1sec1#page_151) for evaluating the work of other writers, evaluate the quality of the article and identify the steps you would take to improve it. Revise the piece and post your version on your class blog or email it to your instructor. Include a brief summary of the changes you made and your reasons for making them. (Don’t edit the Wikipedia entry as part of this assignment.)

MyBCommLab Go to mybcommlab.com (http://mybcommlab.com) for Auto-graded writing questions as well as the following Assisted-graded writing questions:

8-33. Why is it important to avoid clever wordplay in social media headlines? [LO-1]

8-34. Why does a personal style of writing help blogs build stronger relationships with audiences? [LO-4]

Endnotes 1. Starbucks website, accessed 22 April 2014, www.starbucks.com (http://www.starbucks.com) ; Starbucks Company Pro�ile, August 2012; David Moth, “How Starbucks Uses Pinterest, Facebook, Twitter and Google+,” Econsultancy, 6 March 2013; Melissa Allison, “Starbucks Presses Social Media Onward,” Seattle Times, 27 April 2013; Bethany Simpson, “3 Insane Starbucks Campaigns,” iMedia Connection, 29 March 2012, www.imediaconnection.com (http://www.imediaconnection.com) ; Starbucks U.S. and UK pages on Facebook, accessed 14 June 2013; Margaret Rhodes, “Most Creative People 2013: 12. Luz Muller,” Fast Company, 13 May 2013.

2. Catherine Toole, “My 7 Deadly Sins of Writing for Social Media—Am I Right?” Econsultancy blog, 19 June 2007, www.econsultancy.com (http://www.econsultancy.com) ; Muhammad Saleem, “How to Write a Social Media Press Release,” Copyblogger, accessed 16 September 2008, www.copyblogger.com (http://www.copyblogger.com) ; Melanie McBride, “5 Tips for (Better) Social Media Writing,” Melanie McBride Online, 11 June 2008, accessed 16 September 2008, http://melaniemcbride.net (http://melaniemcbride.net) .

3. Jon Russell, “Why ‘Going Global’ Makes No Sense for China’s Social Networks—for Now,” The Next Web, 14 May 2012, http://thenextweb.com (http://thenextweb.com) .

4. Todd Henneman, “At Lockheed Martin, Social Networking Fills Key Workforce Needs While Improving Ef�iciency and Lowering Costs,” Workforce Management, March 2010, www.workforce.com (http://www.workforce.com) .

5. Patrick Hanlon and Josh Hawkins, “Expand Your Brand Community Online,” Advertising Age, 7 January 2008, 14–15.

6. Todd Wasserman, “What Drives Brand Socialability?” Mashable, 12 October 2011, http://mashable.com (http://mashable.com) .

7. Muhtar Kent, “Shaking Things Up at Coca-Cola,” Harvard Business Review, October 2011, 94–99.

8. Alex Wright, “Mining the Web for Feelings, Not Facts,” New York Times, 23 August 2009, www.nytimes.com (http://www.nytimes.com) .

9. Samantha Murphy, “Why Mobile Commerce Is on the Rise,” Mashable, 7 March 2012, http://mashable.com (http://mashable.com) .

10. Christian Pieter Hoffmann, “Holding Sway,” Communication World, November–December 2011, 26–29; Josh Bernoff, “Social Strategy for Exciting (and Not So Exciting) Brands,” Marketing News, 15 May 2009, 18; Larry Weber, Marketing to the Social Web (Hoboken, N.J.: Wiley, 2007), 12–14; David Meerman Scott, The New Rules of Marketing and PR (Hoboken, N.J.: Wiley, 2007), 62; Paul Gillin, The New In�luencers (Sanger, Calif.: Quill Driver Books, 2007), 34–35; Jeremy Wright, Blog Marketing: The Revolutionary Way to Increase Sales, Build Your Brand, and Get Exceptional Results (New York: McGraw-Hill, 2006), 263–365.

11. Sonia Simone, “What’s the Difference Between Content Marketing and Copywriting?” Copyblogger, accessed 4 June 2012, www.copyblogger.com (http://www.copyblogger.com) .

12. Matt Rhodes, “Build Your Own Community or Go Where People Are? Do Both,” FreshNetworks blog, 12 May 2009, www.freshnetworks.com (http://www.freshnetworks.com) .

13. Brian Solis, Engage! (Hoboken, N.J.: Wiley, 2010), 13.

14. Zachary Sniderman, “5 Ways to Clean Up Your Social Media Identity,” Mashable, 7 July 2010, http://mashable.com (http://mashable.com) .

15. HP company pro�iles on LinkedIn and Facebook, accessed 22 April 2014, www.facebook.com/hp (http://www.facebook.com/hp) and www.linkedin.com/company/hewlett-packard (http://www.linkedin.com/company/hewlett-packard) .

16. Vanessa Pappas, “5 Ways to Build a Loyal Audience on YouTube,” Mashable, 15 June 2010, www.mashable.com (http://www.mashable.com) .

17. Tamar Weinberg, The New Community Rules: Marketing on the Social Web (Sebastapol, Calif.: O’Reilly Media, 2009), 288.

18. “About Us,” Yelp, accessed 6 June 2012, www.yelp.com (http://www.yelp.com) ; Lisa Barone, “Keynote Conversation with Yelp Chief Operating Of�icer Geoff Donaker,” 5 October 2010, http://outspokenmedia.com (http://outspokenmedia.com) .

19. Rohit Bhargava, “How Curation Could Save the Internet (and Your Brand),” Communication World, January–February 2012, 20–23.

20. “State of the Blogosphere 2011,” Technorati, 4 November 2011, http://technorati.com (http://technorati.com) .

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21. Amy Porter�ield, “10 Top Business Blogs and Why They Are Successful,” Social Media Examiner, 25 January 2011, www.socialmediaexaminer.com (http://www.socialmediaexaminer.com) .

22. Debbie Weil, “Why Your Blog Is the Hub of Social Media Marketing,” Social Media Insights Blog, 12 January 2010, http://debbieweil.com (http://debbieweil.com) ; Ross Dawson, “A List of Business Applications for Blogging in the Enterprise,” Trends in the Living Network blog, 7 July 2009, http://rossdawsonblog.com (http://rossdawsonblog.com) ; Fredrik Wackå, “Six Types of Blogs—A Classi�ication,” Corporate Blogging. Info website, 10 August 2004, www.corporateblogging.info (http://www.corporateblogging.info) ; Stephen Baker, “The Inside Story on Company Blogs,” BusinessWeek, 14 February 2006, www.businessweek.com (http://www.businessweek.com) ; Jeremy Wright, Blog Marketing (New York: McGraw-Hill, 2006), 45–56; Paul Chaney, “Blogs: Beyond the Hype!” 26 May 2005, http://radiantmarketinggroup.com (http://radiantmarketinggroup.com) .

23. Solis, Engage!, 314.

24. Evolve24 website, accessed 1 February 2013, www.evolve24.com (http://www.evolve24.com) .

25. Solis, Engage!, 86.

26. Weinberg, The New Community Rules: Marketing on the Social Web, 89.

27. “IBM Social Computing Guidelines,” IBM website, accessed 5 June 2012, www.ibm.com (http://www.ibm.com) .

28. Joel Falconer, “Six Rules for Writing Great Web Content,” Blog News Watch, 9 November 2007, accessed 14 February 2008, www.blognewswatch.com (http://www.blognewswatch.com) .

29. Dion Hinchcliffe, “Twitter on Your Intranet: 17 Microblogging Tools for Business,” ZDNet, 1 June 2009, www.zdnet.com (http://www.zdnet.com) .

30. Hinchcliffe, “Twitter on Your Intranet: 17 Microblogging Tools for Business.”

31. “The Library of Congress Is Archiving Your Tweets,” NPR, 19 July 2010, www.npr.org (http://www.npr.org) .

32. B. L. Ochman, “Why Twitter Is a Better Brand Platform Than Facebook,” Ad Age, 1 June 2012, http://adage.com (http://adage.com) .

33. Leon Widrich, “4 Ways to Use Twitter for Customer Service and Support,” Social Media Examiner, 12 April 2012, www.socialmediaexaminer.com (http://www.socialmediaexaminer.com) .

34. Paul André, Michael Bernstein, and Kurt Luther, “What Makes a Great Tweet,” Harvard Business Review, May 2012, 36–37.

35. Tom Hays and Jake Pearson, “Bashtag: NYPD Twitter Campaign Back�ires,” Seattle Times, 23 April 2014, www.seattletimes.com (http://www.seattletimes.com) .

36. André et al., “What Makes a Great Tweet.”

37. “Codex: Guidelines,” WordPress website, accessed 16 February 2008, http://wordpress.org (http://wordpress.org) ; Michael Shanks, “Wiki Guidelines,” Traumwerk website, accessed 18 August 2006, http://metamedia.stanford.edu/projects/traumwerk/home (http://metamedia.stanford.edu/projects/traumwerk/home) ; Joe Moxley, M. C. Morgan, Matt Barton, and Donna Hanak, “For Teachers New to Wikis,” Writing Wiki, accessed 18 August 2006, http://writingwiki.org (http://writingwiki.org) ; “Wiki Guidelines,” Psi, accessed 18 August 2006, http://psi-im.org (http://psi-im.org) .

38. Rachael King, “No Rest for the Wiki,” BusinessWeek, 12 March 2007, www.businessweek.com (http://www.businessweek.com) .

39. “Codex: Guidelines.”

40. Comic-Con website, accessed 23 April 2014, www.comic-con.org (http://www.comic-con.org) ; Tom Spurgeon, “Welcome to Nerd Vegas: A Guide to Visiting and Enjoying Comic-Con International 2014” The Comics Reporter.com (http://Reporter.com) , 25 May 2014, www.comicsreporter.com (http://www.comicsreporter.com) ; Rebecca Winters Keegan, “Boys Who Like Toys,” Time, 19 April 2007, www.time.com (http://www.time.com) .

41. JetBlue Twitter page, accessed 3 February 2011, http://twitter.com (http://twitter.com) JetBlue; “JetBlue Lands on eBay,” JetBlue website, accessed 18 September 2008, http://jetblue.com/ebay (http://jetblue.com/ebay) .

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Viewer interest in extreme sports and other eye-catching events and phenomena has created a huge market for GoPro’s video cameras. The company has capitalized on this visceral appeal with an extensive social media presence centered around online video.

9 Visual Media

LEARNING OBJECTIVES After studying this chapter, you will be able to

1 Explain the power of business images, discuss six principles of graphic design that help ensure effective visuals, and explain how to avoid ethical lapses when using visuals

2 Explain how to choose which points in your message to illustrate 3 Describe the most common options for presenting data in a visual format 4 Describe the most common options for presenting information, concepts, and ideas 5 Explain how to integrate visuals with text, and list three criteria to review in order to verify the quality of your visuals 6 Identify the most important considerations in the preproduction, production, and postproduction stages of producing basic business videos

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COMMUNICATION CLOSE-UP AT GoPro If you’ve watched a daredevil video on YouTube in the past few years, chances are the video was shot with a GoPro camera. GoPro’s digital cameras have captured everything from extreme snowboarders to Felix Baumgartner’s epic 24-mile freefall leap from the edge of space. The “adrenaline market” is at the core of the GoPro brand, but the growing population of GoPro users also includes �ilmmakers, sports and wildlife photographers, oceanographers, atmospheric researchers, and others who need high-quality video footage from a small, rugged, and relatively inexpensive digital camera.

Not surprisingly, for its own business communication needs, GoPro makes extensive use of video. Like many companies, it uses video to showcase new products and provide how-to advice for customers. However, GoPro has gone far beyond what many companies do with video by harnessing the amplifying power of social media. The company has taken user- generated content to the extreme, using a variety of recognition and reward mechanisms to encourage GoPro customers to submit video clips. For example, GoPro runs a nonstop contest that recognizes several customers every day for the best footage shot on GoPro cameras. These clips are then highlighted on the company’s website and all across the major social media platforms, including YouTube, Facebook, Twitter, Google+, and Instagram. In addition, a daily sweepstakes awards one lucky participant with one of every product the company makes, which maintains a high level of interest among people who don’t yet own a GoPro camera.

The company’s strategy of building a global video community has been a huge success. When Google (which owns YouTube) announced its �irst-ever monthly ranking of the highest- performing branded channels on YouTube, it determined that GoPro had the most engaged fan base. To measure engagement, Google factors in such variables as the amount of time visitors spending watching videos, the number of repeat visitors, and the number of times people “like” a video or leave a comment. When you consider that virtually every video on GoPro’s YouTube channel functions as an advertisement for the company’s cameras, you get an idea of the immense promotional power that this high level of engagement represents.

Video is an obvious choice of medium for a company that makes video cameras, but video has become a primary business communication medium for companies in virtually every industry. From product tutorials and demonstrations to employee training to seminars and speeches, many companies now use video to supplement or replace other media choices. And video is part of the larger shift toward visual communication that has altered the business landscape in recent years. Even if your job doesn’t involve snowboarding off cliffs or parachuting from space, you’ll probably use video and other visual communication tools to connect with colleagues and customers.1 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch9lev1sec32#ch9note1)

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1 LEARNING OBJECTIVE Explain the power of business images, discuss six principles of graphic design that help ensure effective visuals, and explain how to avoid ethical lapses when using visuals.

9.1 Understanding Visual Communication As a company in the business of digital video, GoPro (pro�iled in the chapter-opening Communication Close-Up) emphasizes visual communication in every aspect of its communications. However, visual communication in all its forms has become important for companies in virtually every industry. This chapter is designed to help you appreciate the power of images and the visual evolution of business communication. It explains how to identify which points in your messages to illustrate; how to select the best visual for each of those points; how to create effective visuals in any medium, from memos to reports to webpages to electronic presentations; and how to produce basic business videos.

THE POWER OF IMAGES Well-designed visual elements can enhance the communication power of textual messages and, in some instances, even replace them. Visuals can often convey some message points (such as spatial relationships, correlations, procedures, and emotions) more effectively and more ef�iciently than words. Generally speaking, in a given amount of time, effective images can convey much more information than text.2 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch9lev1sec32#ch9note2) In the numbers-oriented world of work, people rely heavily on trend lines, distribution curves, and other visual presentations of numeric quantities. Visuals attract and hold people’s attention, helping your audience understand and remember your message. Busy readers often jump to visuals to try to get the gist of a message, and attractive visuals can draw readers more deeply into your reports and presentations. Using pictures is also an effective way to communicate with the diverse audiences that are common in today’s business environment.

In addition to their direct information value, visuals often convey connotative meaning as well. As you read in Chapter 5 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch05#ch05) , many words and phrases carry connotative meanings, which are all the mental images, emotions, and other impressions that the word or phrase evokes in audience members. A signi�icant part of the power—and risk—of visual elements derives from their connotative meanings. Even something as simple as a watermark symbol embedded in letterhead stationery can boost reader con�idence in the message printed on the paper.3 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch9lev1sec32#ch9note3) Many colors, shapes, and other design elements carry visual symbolism (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch9lev1sec32#ch9term22) , and their symbolic, connotative meaning can evolve over time and mean different things in different cultures (see Figure 9.1 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch9lev1sec1#ch9�ig1) ). Being aware of these symbolic meanings and using them to your advantage are important aspects of being an effective business communicator.

Like words, visuals often carry connotative or symbolic meanings.

Because they have so much power to communicate, visuals must be carefully planned, competently created, and seamlessly integrated with text. An awkward sentence or grammatical error deep within a report might not be noticed by the majority of readers, but a poorly chosen or clumsily implemented visual will be noticed by most—and can confuse or alienate audiences and damage your credibility. You don’t need to be a professional designer to use visuals effectively, but you do need to be aware of some basic design principles if you want to avoid making high-visibility mistakes. This chapter gives you enough background to begin creating your own business visuals, and with some practice you’ll be able to craft effective visuals for nearly any communication project you might encounter.

Figure 9.1 Visual Symbolism

A red cross (with equal-length arms) on a white background is the well-known symbol of the Red Cross relief organization. It is also used to indicate the medical branches of many nations’ military services. The red cross symbol is based on the �lag of Switzerland (where the �irst Red Cross organization was formed), which over the course of hundreds of years developed from battle �lags that originally used the Christian cross symbol. Although the Red Cross emblem is not based directly on the Christian symbol, the organization uses a red crescent in countries where Islam is the dominant religion and is known as the Red Crescent. To avoid any association with religious symbols, the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (the global umbrella organization for all national Red Cross and Red Crescent organizations) recently adopted the Red Crystal as its new symbol.

THE VISUAL EVOLUTION IN BUSINESS COMMUNICATION Several technological and social factors are contributing to the increasing use and importance of visuals in business communication. The process of creating and working with visual elements used to be the domain of experts with complex and expensive tools. However, digital technology has changed this situation dramatically. Inexpensive digital cameras and smartphones can be used to produce high-quality images and video, and the software needed to create diagrams, process photos, edit video, and prepare other visual elements continues to get both easier and more powerful all the time. Design and production tasks that used to take days can now be completed in hours or even minutes. As technologies such as wireless networking advance, business communicators will continue to reach wider audiences in less time, using equipment that costs less and requires fewer skills.4 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch9lev1sec32#ch9note4)

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Thanks to advances in technology and changing audience expectations, business communication is becoming more visual.

While technology has been putting visual design and production into the hands of everyday business communicators in recent years, audience skills and expectations have been evolving as well. Two changes in particular could affect your communication efforts in the coming years. First, U.S. government research indicates that only half of the adult population in the United States now has the literacy skills considered necessary for success in today’s workplace.5 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch9lev1sec32#ch9note5) In other words, depending on the nature of your work, you could �ind yourself communicating with audiences whose skills could prevent them from successfully reading your documents. Visuals could play a vital role in communicating your messages to audiences with lower reading skills. Second, as technology has multiplied the ways in which communicators can create visuals and as people grow up and live in a more visual, media-saturated environment, audiences are likely to expect messages to be more visual.

As a result of these changes in both the tools and the communication environment, visual literacy (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch9lev1sec32#ch9term21) , the ability to create effective images and to correctly interpret such images, has become a key business skill.6 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch9lev1sec32#ch9note6) Whether you are using visuals to reach an audience with limited reading skills or to magnify the impact of your written messages, knowing how to help your audience see what you see will enable you to become a more effective communicator.

Visual literacy is the ability to create and interpret visuals successfully.

VISUAL DESIGN PRINCIPLES

REAL-TIME UPDATES

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Understand the basics of perception

This overview of the process of perception highlights the role emotions plays in how we perceive the world around us. Go to http://real- timeupdates.com/bct13 (http://real-timeupdates.com/bct13) . Under “Students,” click on “Learn More.”

Just as creating effective sentences and paragraphs requires working knowledge of the principles of good writing, creating effective visuals requires some knowledge of the principles of good design. Even though few businesspeople have the opportunity to formally study the “language” of line, mass, space, size, color, pattern, and texture, anyone can learn enough of the basic concepts to craft effective basic visuals.

Creating effective visuals requires basic knowledge of the principles of good design.

When you encounter visuals that you �ind appealing or unappealing, effective or ineffective, stop and ask yourself what caused your response. Did a particular design grab you and practically force you to pay attention, or did you pass right by with hardly a notice? Did one chart reveal its information quickly and easily, while another made you spend time decoding its confusing message? Did one photo appeal to you at an emotional level and therefore draw you into a document, whereas another was off-putting and caused you to lose interest in the document? By thinking about your own reactions to visual designs, you can become a more effective designer yourself.

As you consider your reactions to various designs and create designs of your own, you’ll begin to see how six fundamental principles help distinguish ineffective and effective designs:

Consistency. Audiences view a series of visuals as a whole and assume that design elements will be consistent from one page to the next. Think of consistency as visual parallelism, in the same way that textual parallelism helps audiences understand and compare a series of ideas.7 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch9lev1sec32#ch9note7) You can achieve visual parallelism in a variety of ways, including through consistent use of color, shape, size, texture, position, scale, or typeface.

Contrast. To emphasize differences, depict items in contrasting colors, shapes, or sizes. For example, to highlight the difference between two quantities in a chart, don’t use two shades of blue; instead, use blue for one and yellow or some other dramatically contrasting color for the other.

Balance. Balance can be either formal, in which the elements in the images are arranged symmetrically around a central point or axis, or informal, in which elements are not distributed evenly, but stronger and weaker elements are arranged in a way that achieves an overall effect of balance. A common approach to informal balance is weighing one visually dominant element against several smaller or weaker elements.8 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch9lev1sec32#ch9note8) Generally speaking, formal balance is more calming and serious, whereas informal balance tends to feel more dynamic and engaging.

Emphasis. Audiences usually assume that the dominant element in a design is the most important, so make sure that the visually dominant element really does represent the most important information. You can do so through color, position, size, or placement, for example. Conversely, be sure to visually downplay less important items. For instance, avoid using strong colors for minor support points, and deemphasize background features such as the grid lines on a chart.

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Convention. Visual communication is guided by a variety of generally accepted rules or conventions, just as written communication is guided by an array of spelling, grammar, punctuation, and usage conventions. These conventions dictate virtually every aspect of design.9 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch9lev1sec32#ch9note9) Moreover, many conventions are so ingrained that people don’t even realize they are following these rules. For example, if English is your native language, you assume that ideas progress across the page from left to right because that’s the direction in which English text is written. However, if you are a native Arabic or Hebrew speaker, you might automatically assume that �low on a page or screen is from right to left because that is the direction in which those languages are written. Flouting conventions often causes breakdowns in communication, but in some cases, it can be done to great effect.10 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch9lev1sec32#ch9note10) For instance, �lipping an organization chart upside down to put the customers at the top, with frontline employees directly beneath them and on down to the chief executive at the bottom, can be an effective way to emphasize that customers come �irst and that the managers are responsible for supporting employees in their efforts to satisfy customers.

Nearly every aspect of visual design is governed by conventions that set audience expectations.

Simplicity. As a general rule, simple is better when it comes to visuals for business communication. Remember that you’re conveying information, not expressing your creative �lair. Limit the number of colors and design elements you use, and take care to avoid chartjunk, a term coined by visual communication specialist Edward R. Tufte for decorative elements that clutter documents and potentially confuse readers without adding any relevant information.11 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch9lev1sec32#ch9note11) Computers make it far too easy to add chartjunk, from clip art illustrations to three-dimensional charts that display only two dimensions of data.

THE ETHICS OF VISUAL COMMUNICATION Power always comes with responsibility—and the potential power of visuals places an ethical burden on every business communicator. Ethical problems, both intentional and unintentional, can range from photos that play on racial or gender stereotypes, to images that imply cause-and-effect relationships that may not exist, to graphs that distort data (see Figure 9.2 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch9lev1sec1#ch9�ig2) ).

Remember that the power to communicate with visuals comes with the responsibility to communicate ethically.

Figure 9.2 In�luencing Perception Through Visual Design

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Figure 9.2 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch9lev1sec1#ch9�ig2) a shows impurities measured over the course of a 12-month period; the vertical scale is set from 0 to 120, suf�icient to cover the range of variations in the data. However, what if you wanted to make the variations from month to month look more severe? Less severe? Figure 9.2 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch9lev1sec1#ch9�ig2) b, with the scale “zoomed in” to a narrow range of 60 to 110, makes the variations look much more dramatic. The result could be a stronger emotional impact on the reader, creating the impression that these impurities are out of control. In contrast, Figure 9.2 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch9lev1sec1#ch9�ig2) c expands the scale from 0 to 200, which minimizes the appearance of the variations in the data. This graph is visually “calmer,” creating the opposite impression, that there’s really nothing to worry about. The data shown in all three graphs are identical, but the graphs send three different messages to the reader. Are any of the graphs unethical? That depends on the communicator’s intent and whether it inhibits the audience’s ability to make informed decisions.

Altering the scale of items in a visual is just one of many ways to emphasize or deemphasize certain aspects of information. For example, to increase the perceived size of a product, an advertiser might show a close-up of it being held by someone with smaller-than-average hands. Conversely, a large hand would make the product seem smaller.

You can work to avoid ethical lapses in your visuals by following these guidelines:12 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch9lev1sec32#ch9note12)

Consider all possible interpretations—and misinterpretations. Try to view your visuals from your audience members’ perspective; will their biases, beliefs, or backgrounds lead them to different conclusions than you’ve intended? For instance, assume that you want to show how easy your product is to use, and the photograph you’ve chosen just happens to show an older person operating the product. Will anyone conclude that what you really mean to say is that your product is so simple that “even an old person can use it”?

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You can take many steps to emphasize or deemphasize speci�ic elements in your visuals, but make sure you don’t inadvertently commit an ethical lapse while doing so.

Provide context. Even when they are completely accurate, visuals can show only a partial view of reality. Part of your responsibility as a communicator is to provide not only accurate visuals but enough background information to help audiences interpret the visual correctly.

Visuals can’t always speak for themselves; make sure your audience has enough context to interpret your visuals correctly.

Don’t hide or minimize negative information that runs counter to your argument. Obscuring information prevents your audiences from making fully informed decisions regarding your content.

Don’t exaggerate information that supports your argument. Similarly, you have a responsibility not to oversell information in support of your argument. You should also resist the temptation to alter or enhance photographs and other images in order to support your arguments.

Don’t oversimplify complex situations. By their very nature, visuals tend to present simpli�ied views of reality. This is usually a bene�it and one of the key reasons for using visuals. However, take care not to mislead an audience by hiding complications that are important to the audience’s understanding of the situation.

Don’t imply cause-and-effect relationships without providing proof that they exist. For example, if you create a line chart that shows how increasing sales seem to track increasing advertising expenditures, you can claim a correlation but not necessarily a cause–effect relationship between the two. You can claim a causal relationship (meaning that the increase in advertising spending caused the increase in sales) only if you can isolate advertising spending as the only factor that can account for the increase in sales.

Avoid emotional manipulation or other forms of coercion. For instance, a photograph of an unhappy child being treated as a social outcast because he or she doesn’t own the trendiest new toys could be considered an unethical way to persuade parents to buy those products for their children.

Be careful with the way you aggregate data. Preparing charts, graphs, and tables that present data often involves decisions about aggregating, or grouping, data. Such decisions can have a profound effect on the message your audience receives (see “Ethics Detective: Solving the Case of the Hidden Numbers”). For example, if you aggregate daily production levels to show only a single data point for each week, you might be obscuring important variations that happen from day to day.

The ways in which you aggregate data for display can affect the messages and meanings that your audience extracts from your visuals.

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2 LEARNING OBJECTIVE Explain how to choose which points in your message to illustrate.

9.2 Identifying Points to Illustrate To help identify which parts of your message can bene�it from visuals, step back and consider the �low of your message from the audience’s point of view. Which parts of the message are likely to seem complex, open to misinterpretation, or even just a little bit dull? Are there any connections between ideas that might not be obvious if they are addressed only in the text? Is there a lot of numeric data or other discrete factual content that would be dif�icult to read if presented in paragraph form? Is there a chance that the main idea won’t “jump off the page” if it’s covered only in the text?

ETHICS DETECTIVE

Solving the Case of the Hidden Numbers

You’ve been assigned to present the results of an industrywide study of the effects of insecticide. Your audience consists of the department heads in your company, whose experience and educational backgrounds vary widely, from chemical engineering to insurance to law. You’re convinced you need to keep your report as simple and as jargon-free as possible.

You’re not a scienti�ic expert on insecticides, but your supervisor has introduced you to a scientist who works for a trade association that represents chemical producers, including your �irm. The scientist is familiar with the study you’ll be reporting on, and she has experience in communicating technical subjects to diverse audiences. You jumped at the chance to have such a knowledgeable person review your presentation for technical accuracy, but you’re uncomfortable with some of her feedback. In particular, you question her advice to replace the following line chart, which shows the number of insecticide poisonings and deaths by age.

The scientist suggests that this chart is too busy and too dif�icult for nonspecialists to understand. As an alternative, she provides a bar chart that selects four speci�ic ages from the entire range. She says this chart communicates the same basic idea as the line chart but is much easier to read.

ANALYSIS

You agree with the scientist that the line chart is visually busy and takes more effort to process, but something bothers you about the bar chart. Does it present the insecticide situation accurately and honestly? Why or why not?

If you answer yes to any of these questions, you probably need one or more visuals. When you’re deciding which points to present visually, think of the �ive Cs:

Effective visuals are clear, complete, concise, connected, and compelling.

Clear. The human mind is extremely adept at processing visual information, whether it’s something as simple as the shape of a stop sign or as complicated as the �loor plan for a new factory. If you’re having dif�icultly conveying an idea in words, consider whether a visual element will do the job instead.

Complete. Visuals, particularly tables, often serve to provide the supporting details for a main idea or recommendation. A table or another visual can provide these details without getting in the way of your main message.

Concise. You’ve probably heard the expression “A picture is worth a thousand words.” If a particular section of your message seems to require extensive description or explanation, see whether there’s a way to convey this information visually. With a picture working in conjunction with text, you may be able to reduce your word count considerably.

Connected. A key purpose of many business messages is showing connections of some sort—similarities or differences, correlations, cause-and-effect relationships, and so on. Whenever you want readers to see such a connection, determine whether a chart, a diagram, or another illustration might help.

TABLE 9.1 When to Use Visuals

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Purpose ApplicationPurpose Application

To clarify Support text descriptions of “graphic” topics: quantitative or numeric information, explanations of trends, descriptions.

To simplify Divide complicated descriptions into components that can be depicted with conceptual models, �lowcharts, organization charts, or diagrams.

To emphasize Call attention to particularly important points by illustrating them with line, bar, and pie charts.

To summarize

Review major points in the narrative by providing a chart or table that sums up the data.

To reinforce Present information in visual form to supplement descriptions in text.

To attract Make material seem more interesting by decorating the cover or title page and by breaking up the text with visual aids.

To impress Build con�idence by using visual forms to convey authenticity and precision.

To unify Depict the relationships among various elements of a whole.

Compelling. Will one or more illustrations make your message more persuasive, more interesting, more likely to get read? You rarely want to insert visuals simply for decorative purposes, of course, but even if a particular point can be expressed equally well via text or visuals, consider adding the visual to make your report or presentation more compelling.

As you identify which points in your document would bene�it from a visual, make sure that each visual you decide on has a clear purpose (see Table 9.1 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch9lev1sec6#ch9tab1) ).

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3 LEARNING OBJECTIVE Describe the most common options for presenting data in a visual format.

9.3 Selecting Visuals for Presenting Data After you have identi�ied which points would bene�it most from visual presentation, your next decision is choosing which type of visual to use for each message point. As you can see in Figure 9.3 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch9lev1sec7#ch9�ig3) , you have many choices for business graphics, which can be roughly divided into those for presenting data and those for presenting information, concepts, and ideas.

For some content, the decision is usually obvious. For example, to present a large set of numeric values or detailed textual information, a table is the obvious choice in most cases. However, if you’re presenting data broken down geographically, a color-coded map might be more effective, to show overall patterns rather than individual data points. Also, certain visuals are used more commonly for certain applications, as you’ll see in the following sections.

You have many types of visuals to choose from, and each is best suited to particular communication tasks.

Business professionals have a tremendous number of choices for presenting data, from general-purpose line, bar, and pie charts to specialized charts for product portfolios, �inancial analysis, and other professional functions. The visuals most commonly used to present data include tables; line and surface charts; bar charts, pictograms, and Gantt charts; scatter and bubble diagrams; and pie charts. (Note that most people use the terms chart and graph interchangeably.)

TABLES When you need to present detailed, speci�ic information, choose a table (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch9lev1sec32#ch9term18) , a systematic arrangement of data in columns and rows. Tables are ideal when your audience needs information that would be either dif�icult or tedious to handle in the main text.

Printed tables can display extensive amounts of data, but tables for online display and electronic presentations need to be simpler.

Most tables contain the standard parts illustrated in Figure 9.4 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch9lev1sec7#ch9�ig4) on page 230 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch9lev1sec7#page_230) . Every table includes vertical columns and horizontal rows, with useful headings along the top and side. For printed documents, you can adjust font size and column and row spacing to �it a considerable amount of information on the page and still maintain readability. For online documents, you may need to reduce the number of columns and rows to make sure your tables are easily readable online, particularly with mobile devices. If you can’t simplify a table enough to make it easily readable in a web or mobile browser, provide the full table in a downloadable PDF. If you want to give the audience the opportunity to manipulate the table’s content, you can provide it as a downloadable or online spreadsheet. Tables for presentations usually need to be the simplest of all because you can’t expect audiences to read detailed information from the screen.

Figure 9.3 Selecting the Best Visual

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For each point you want to illustrate, make sure you choose the most effective type of visual.

Source: Hamik/Shutterstock; Yarygin/Shutterstock.

Figure 9.4 Parts of a Table

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Here are the standard parts of a table. No matter which design you choose, make sure the layout is clear and that individual rows and columns are easy to follow.

Although complex information may require formal tables that are set apart from the text, you can present some data more simply within the text. You make the table, in essence, a part of the paragraph, typed in tabular format. Such text tables are usually introduced with a sentence that leads directly into the tabulated information. Here’s an example:13 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch9lev1sec32#ch9note13)

Here is how �ive leading full-service restaurant chains compare in terms of number of locations and annual revenue:

OSI Restaurant Partners Dine Equity Carlson Brinker Darden

Major Chain(s) Outback Steakhouse, Carrabba’sApplebee’s, IHOPFriday’s, Pick Up StixChili’s, Maggiano’sRed Lobster, Olive Garden

Locations 1,470 3,300 990 1,550 1,800

Revenue ($ Million)$3,600 $1,414 N/A $2,859 7,113 Source: Hoover’s Online, accessed 25 February 2014, www.hoovers.com (http://www.hoovers.com) ; “America’s Largest Private Companies,” Forbes, accessed 25 February 2014, www.forbes.com (http://www.forbes.com) ; company �inancial reports accessed on Google Finance, accessed 25 February 2014, www.google.com/�inance (http://www.google.com/�inance) .

When you prepare tables, follow these guidelines to make your tables easy to read:

Use common, understandable units and clearly identify the units you’re using, whether dollars, percentages, price per ton, or some other units.

Express all items in a column in the same unit and round off for simplicity whenever doing so won’t eliminate essential details.

Label column headings clearly, and use a subheading if necessary.

Separate columns or rows with lines or extra space to make the table easy to follow; in complex tables, consider highlighting every other row or column in a pale, contrasting color.

Provide totals or averages of columns or rows when relevant.

Document the source of the data, using the same format as a text footnote (see Appendix B (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/bm02#bm02) ).

Tables can contain numerals, words, symbols, or other facts and �igures. Word tables are particularly appropriate for presenting survey �indings or for comparing various items against a speci�ic standard.

Figure 9.5 Line Chart

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This line chart compares the temperatures measured inside two cement kilns at half-hour intervals from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.

LINE AND SURFACE CHARTS A line chart (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch9lev1sec32#ch9term12) illustrates trends over time or plots the relationship of two or more variables. In line charts showing trends, the vertical, or y, axis shows the amount, and the horizontal, or x, axis shows the time or other quantity against which the amount is being measured. Both axes often start at zero in the lower-left corner, but you can exercise a fair amount of �lexibility with both axes in order to present your data as clearly as possible. For instance, to show both positive and negative values (such as pro�it and loss), you can have the y axis span from a negative value up to a positive value, with zero somewhere in between. Of course, you should always avoid distorting the data in ways that could mislead your audience, as noted in the section “The Ethics of Visual Communication,” on pages 225 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch9lev1sec1#page_225) –226 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch9lev1sec1#page_226) .

Line charts are commonly used to show trends over time or the relationship between two or more variables.

If you need to compare two or more sets of data, you can plot them on the same chart for instant visual comparison (see Figure 9.5 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch9lev1sec7#ch9�ig5) ). Two or three lines on a single chart are usually easy to read, but beyond that, things can get confusing, particularly if the lines cross.

Spreadsheet forecasting functions can help predict future values based on past values shown in a line chart.

Because they usually show the behavior of one or more variables in the past, line charts often raise the question “What will happen in the future?” For instance, if you present sales data for the past 12 months, your audience may well ask what you think will happen in the next 12 months. Predicting the future is always risky, but you can use your spreadsheet’s forecasting tools to extend a line into the future, using a statistical technique known as regression analysis. Check your spreadsheet’s Help function for more information on using its linear regression, trend line, or forecasting functions. However, when using these tools, be aware that all they can do is extract patterns from past data and extend them into the future. They don’t have any awareness of the “real-life” factors that shaped the past data and that will shape the future data.

A surface chart (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch9lev1sec32#ch9term17) , also called an area chart (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch9lev1sec32#ch9term1) , is a form of line chart with a cumulative effect; all the lines add up to the top line, which represents the total (see Figure 9.6 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch9lev1sec7#ch9�ig6) on the next page). This presentation helps you illustrate changes in the composition of something over time. One common use is to show how sales of individual products contribute to the company’s overall revenue.14 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch9lev1sec32#ch9note14) When preparing a surface chart, put the most important segment on the bottom and build up from there.

BAR CHARTS, PICTOGRAMS, AND GANTT CHARTS A bar chart (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch9lev1sec32#ch9term2) portrays numbers by the height or length of its rectangular bars, making a series of numbers easy to read or understand. (Vertical bar charts are sometimes called column charts.) Bar charts are particularly valuable when you want to

You can create bar charts in a wide variety of formats; choose the form that best illustrates the data and relationships in your message.

Compare the sizes of several items at one time

Show changes in one item over time

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Indicate the composition of several items over time

Show the relative sizes of components of a whole

Figure 9.6 Surface Chart

Surface, or area, charts can show a combination of trends over time and the individual contributions of the components of a whole.

Figure 9.7 The Versatile Bar Chart

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Here are six of the dozens of variations possible with bar charts: singular (9.7a), grouped (9.7b), deviation (9.7c), segmented (9.7d), combination (9.7e), and paired (9.7f).

As the charts in Figure 9.7 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch9lev1sec7#ch9�ig7) show, the bar chart is a versatile tool that can serve many purposes. Grouped bar charts compare more than one set of data, using a different color or pattern for each set. Deviation bar charts identify positive and negative values, or winners and losers. Segmented bar charts, also known as stacked bar charts, show how individual components contribute to a total number, using a different color or pattern for each component. Combination bar and line charts compare quantities that require different intervals. Paired bar charts show the correlations between two items.

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Figure 9.8 Gantt Chart

A Gantt chart is a specialized bar chart that uses bars to show durations of tasks and lines to show dependencies between tasks, such as when one task cannot be started before another one is completed.

MyBCommLab Apply Figure 9.8 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch9lev1sec7#ch9�ig8) ’s key concepts by going to mybcommlab.com (http://mybcommlab.com)

Figure 9.7 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch9lev1sec7#ch9�ig7) also suggests how creative you can be with bar charts. You might align the bars either vertically or horizontally, or you might use bar charts to show both positive and negative quantities. No matter what you do, however, be sure to space the bars evenly and place them in a logical order, such as chronological or alphabetical.

You can also convert the bars of a bar chart into lines of symbols, so that the number or length of the symbols indicates the relative value of each item. A chart that portrays data as symbols instead of words or numbers is known as a pictogram (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch9lev1sec32#ch9term14) . The chief value of pictograms is their novelty and ability to convey a more literal, visual message, but they can be more dif�icult to read if not designed with care, and they can present a less professional tone than a straightforward bar chart.

Closely related to the bar chart is the time line chart (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch9lev1sec32#ch9term19) , which shows how much time is needed to complete each task in a given project. When you want to track progress toward completing a project, you can use a type of time line chart known as a Gantt chart (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch9lev1sec32#ch9term8) (see Figure 9.8 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch9lev1sec7#ch9�ig8) ).

SCATTER AND BUBBLE DIAGRAMS If you need to compare several entities (companies, markets, employees, and so on) on two variables, such as revenue and pro�it margin, use a scatter diagram (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch9lev1sec32#ch9term16) , also known as an XY diagram (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch9lev1sec32#ch9term23) . This diagram is similar to a line chart in the sense that one variable is plotted along the x (horizontal) axis and another along the y (vertical) axis. However, in a scatter diagram, individual points are plotted, not continuous lines. The bubble diagram (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch9lev1sec32#ch9term3) expands to three variables, with the size of the bubble representing the third variable (see Figure 9.9 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch9lev1sec7#ch9�ig9) ).

Scatter diagrams compare entities against two variables; bubble diagrams compare them against three.

PIE CHARTS A pie chart (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch9lev1sec32#ch9term15) is a commonly used tool for showing how the parts of a whole are distributed. Although pie charts are popular and can quickly highlight the dominant parts of a whole, they are often not as effective as bar charts or tables. For example, comparing percentages accurately is often dif�icult with a pie chart but can be fairly easy with a bar chart (see Figure 9.10 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch9lev1sec7#ch9�ig10) ). Making pie charts easier to read with accuracy can require labeling each slice with data values, in which case a table might serve the purpose more effectively.15 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch9lev1sec32#ch9note15)

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Pie charts are used frequently in business reports, but in many instances, they are not as helpful to readers as bar charts and other types of visuals would be.

Figure 9.9 Bubble Diagram

A bubble diagram shows three variables: distance along the x and y axes, plus the diameter of each bubble. In this case, the rate of revenue growth is plotted on the x axis, pro�it margin is plotted on the y axis, and the size of the bubbles represents annual revenues. For instance, MooreComp has the greatest revenues but the lowest pro�it margin, although it is growing faster than two of its three competitors.

Figure 9.10 Pie Charts Versus Bar Charts

Pie charts are used frequently, but they aren’t necessarily the best choice for many data presentations. This pie chart does make it easy to see that assemblers are the largest employee category, but other comparisons of slice sizes (such as Sales, Engineers, and Admin) are not as easy to make and require a numerical rather than a visual comparison. In contrast, the bar chart gives a quick visual comparison of every data point.

DATA VISUALIZATION Conventional charts and graphs are limited in several ways: Most types can show only a limited number of data points before becoming too cluttered to interpret, they often can’t show complex relationships among data points, and they can represent only numeric data. As computer technologies continue to generate large amounts of data that can be combined and connected in endless ways, a diverse class of display capabilities known as data visualization (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch9lev1sec32#ch9term5) work to overcome all these drawbacks. In some instances, data visualization is less about clarifying individual data points and more about extracting broad meaning from giant masses of data or putting the data into context.16 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch9lev1sec32#ch9note16)

Data visualization tools can overcome the limitations of conventional charts and other display types.

Data visualization has become an important tool for companies working with big data, a term used to describe massive collections of data from a variety of sources piling up at high speeds.17 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch9lev1sec32#ch9note17) Interactive apps let users “drill down” into data sets to �ind details or look at data collections from a variety of perspectives.

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Data visualization is an important feature for companies using big data.

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Data visualization and infographics gateway

This unique web resource offers links to a vast array of data visualization and infographic techniques and examples. Go to http://real- timeupdates.com/bct13 (http://real-timeupdates.com/bct13) . Under “Students,” click on “Learn More.”

In addition to displaying large data sets and linkages within data sets, other kinds of visualization tools combine data with textual information to communicate complex or dynamic data much faster than conventional presentations can. For example, a tag cloud shows the relative frequency of terms, or tags (content labels), in an article, a blog, a website, survey data, or another collection of text.18 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch9lev1sec32#ch9note18)

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4 LEARNING OBJECTIVE Describe the most common options for presenting information, concepts, and ideas.

9.4 Selecting Visuals for Presenting Information, Concepts, and Ideas In addition to facts and �igures, you’ll need to present other types of information, from spatial relationships to abstract ideas. In these situations, professionals often look for visual solutions to complement or even replace textual information. The most common types of visuals for these applications include �lowcharts and organization charts; maps; drawings, diagrams, and photographs; infographics; and video (covered in the �inal section of the chapter).

FLOWCHARTS AND ORGANIZATION CHARTS

Use �lowcharts to show a series of steps in a process or other sequential relationships.

Figure 9.11 Flowchart

Flowcharts show sequences of events and are most valuable when the process or procedure has a number of decision points and variable paths.

If you need to show physical or conceptual relationships rather than numeric ones, you might want to use a �lowchart or an organization chart. A �lowchart (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch9lev1sec32#ch9term7) (see Figure 9.11 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch9lev1sec14#ch9�ig11) ) illustrates a sequence of events from start to �inish. It is particularly helpful when illustrating processes and procedures in which there are decision points, loops, and other complexities. For general business purposes, you don’t need to be too concerned about the speci�ic shapes, although do keep them consistent. However, be aware that there is a formal �lowchart “language” in which each shape has a speci�ic meaning (diamonds are decision points, rectangles are process steps, and so on). If you’re communicating with computer programmers and others who are accustomed to formal �lowcharting, make sure you use the correct symbols to avoid confusion. Graphics programs that have �lowchart symbols usually label their functions, making it easy to use the right ones.

As the name implies, an organization chart (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch9lev1sec32#ch9term13) illustrates the positions, units, or functions of an organization and the way they interrelate (refer to Figure 1.3 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch1lev1sec5#ch1�ig3) on page 9 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch1lev1sec5#page_9) for an example). These charts aren’t limited to organizational structures, of course; as you saw in Chapter 4 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch04#ch04) , they can also be used to outline messages.

Use organization charts to depict the interrelationships among the parts of a whole.

MAPS

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Maps can show location, distance, points of interest (such as competitive retail outlets), and geographic distribution of data, such as sales by region or population by state. In addition to presenting facts and �igures, maps are useful for showing market territories, distribution routes, and facilities locations.

Use maps for such tasks as representing statistics by geographic area or showing spatial relationships.

When combined with databases and aerial or satellite photography in geographic information systems (GIS), maps become extremely powerful visual reporting tools. As one example, retailing specialists can explore the demographic and psychographic makeup of neighborhoods within various driving distances from a particular store location. Using such information, managers can plan everything from new building sites to delivery routes to marketing campaigns.

DRAWINGS, DIAGRAMS, AND PHOTOGRAPHS The opportunities to use drawings, diagrams, and photographs are virtually endless. Simple drawings can show the network of suppliers in an industry, the �low of funds through a company, or the process for completing the payroll each week. More-complex diagrams, including interactive online diagrams, can convey technical topics such as the operation of a machine or repair procedures.

Use drawings and diagrams to show how something works or how it is made or used; drawings are sometimes better than photographs because they let you focus on the most important details.

Word processors and presentation software now offer fairly advanced drawing capabilities, but for more precise and professional illustrations, you may need a specialized package such as Adobe Illustrator or Trimble SketchUp. Moving a level beyond those programs, computer-aided design (CAD) systems such as Autodesk’s AutoCAD can produce extremely detailed architectural and engineering drawings.

Photographs offer both functional and decorative value, and nothing can top a photograph when you need to show exact appearances. Because audiences expect photographs to show literal visual truths, you must take care when using image-processing tools such as Adobe Photoshop.

Use photographs for visual appeal and to show exact appearances.

To use photographs successfully, consider these guidelines:

MOBILE APPS

Instagram has become wildly popular for personal photos, but many companies use the photo-sharing service for business communication as well.

Consider whether a diagram would be more effective than a photograph. Photographs are often unmatched in their ability to communicate spatial relationships, sizes, shapes, and other physical parameters, but sometimes they communicate too much information. For example, to show how to adjust a speci�ic part of a complicated machine, a photo can be confusing because it shows all the parts within the camera’s view. A simpli�ied diagram is often more effective because it allows you to emphasize the speci�ic parts that are relevant to the problem at hand.

Learn how to use basic image-processing functions. For most business reports, websites, and presentations, you won’t need to worry about more advanced image-processing functions and special effects. However, you need to know such basic operations such as the difference between resizing (changing the size of an image without removing any parts of it) and cropping (cutting away parts of the image).

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Ideas for using Instagram for business communication

The Instagram for Business blog discusses ways to use the popular photo-sharing service. Go to http://real-timeupdates.com/bct13 (http://real- timeupdates.com/bct13) . Under “Students,” click on “Learn More.”

Make sure the photographs have communication value. Except for covers, title slides, and other special uses, it’s usually best to avoid including photographs simply for decorative value.

Be aware of copyrights and model permissions. As with textual information you �ind online, you can’t simply insert online photographs into your documents. Unless they are speci�ically offered for free, you have to assume that someone owns the photos and is entitled to payment or at least a photo credit. In addition, professional photographers are careful to have any person who poses in photos sign a model release form, which gives the photographer permission to use the person’s image.

Make sure you have the right to use photographs you �ind online.

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INFOGRAPHICS Infographics (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch9lev1sec32#ch9term9) are a special class of diagrams that can convey both data and concepts or ideas. In addition, they contain enough visual and textual information to function as independent, standalone documents. Broadly speaking, there are two types of infographics: those that are stylized collections of charts or graphs and those that have a structured narrative. The �irst types, represented by Figure 9.12 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch9lev1sec19#ch9�ig12) a, don’t necessarily convey any more information than basic charts and graphs in a conventional report would, but their communication value lies in their ability to catch the audience’s attention and the ease with which they can be distributed online. The second types, represented by Figure 9.12 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch9lev1sec19#ch9�ig12) b, take full advantage of the visual medium to tell stories or show interconnected processes. Such infographics can be powerful communication tools, even to the point of replacing conventional reports.

Infographics can offer stylized versions of basic charts and graphs or more engaging narratives that tell a story or illustrate a process.

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5 LEARNING OBJECTIVE Explain how to integrate visuals with text, and list three criteria to review in order to verify the quality of your visuals.

9.5 Producing and Integrating Visuals Now that you understand the communication power of visuals and have chosen the best visuals to illustrate key points in your report, website, or presentation, it’s time to get creative. This section offers advice on creating visuals, integrating them with your text, and verifying the quality of your visual elements.

CREATING VISUALS Computers make it easy to create visuals, but they also make it easy to create ineffective, distracting, and even downright ugly visuals. However, by following the basic design principles discussed on pages 157 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch6lev1sec9#page_157) –160 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch6lev1sec12#page_160) , you can create all the basic visuals you need—visuals that are both attractive and effective.

Computer software offers a variety of graphical tools but doesn’t automatically give you the design sensibility that is needed for effective visuals.

Whether you’re using the charting functions offered in a spreadsheet or the design features of a specialized graphics program, take a few minutes to familiarize yourself with the software’s quirks and capabilities. For important visuals, try to have a professional designer set up a template for the various types of visuals you and your colleagues need to create. In addition to helping ensure an effective design, using templates saves you the time of making numerous design decisions every time you create a chart or graphic.

Learning how to use your computer tools will help you save enormous amounts of time and produce better results.

No matter which tools you’re using, take care to match the style and quality of your visuals with the subject matter and the situation at hand. The style of your visuals communicates a subtle message about your relationship with the audience. A simple sketch might be �ine for a working meeting but be inappropriate for a formal presentation or report. On the other hand, elaborate, full-color visuals may be viewed as extravagant for an informal report but may be entirely appropriate for a message to top management or in�luential outsiders.

A visual’s level of sophistication should match the communication situation.

INTEGRATING VISUALS WITH TEXT

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Ten tools for creating infographics

These online tools (many are free) offer a variety of ways to create infographics. Go to http://real-timeupdates.com/bct13 (http://real- timeupdates.com/bct13) . Under “Students,” click on “Learn More.”

For maximum effectiveness and minimum disruption for the reader, visual elements need to be carefully integrated with the text of your message. In some instances, visual elements are somewhat independent from the text, as in the sidebars that occasionally accompany magazine articles. Such images are related to the content of the main story, but they aren’t referred to by a speci�ic title or �igure number. This sort of treatment is often used in promotional materials such as brochures and advertisements.

Figure 9.12 Infographics

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Roughly speaking, infographics can be divided into simple presentations of data (Figure 9.12 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch9lev1sec19#ch9�ig12) a) and visual narratives (Figure 9.12 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch9lev1sec19#ch9�ig12) b) that use the full power of the medium to tell stories or illustrate processes.

Source: Sustainable America/sustainableamerica.org (http://America/sustainableamerica.org)

MOBILE APPS

Graph (Android) and Numbers (iOS) are two of the many apps available for creating charts and graphs on mobile devices.

For reports and most other business documents, however, visuals are tightly integrated with the text so that readers can move back and forth between text and visuals with as little disruption as possible. Successful integration involves four decisions: maintaining a balance between visuals and text, referring to visuals in the text, placing the visuals in a document, and writing titles and other descriptions.

Maintaining a Balance Between Illustrations and Words

Strong visuals enhance the descriptive and persuasive power of your writing, but putting too many visuals into a report can distract your readers. If you’re constantly referring to tables, drawings, and other visual elements, the effort to switch back and forth from words to visuals can make it dif�icult for readers to maintain focus on the thread of your message. The space occupied by visuals can also disrupt the �low of text on the page or screen.

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As far as the content allows, maintain a comfortable balance between text and visuals.

As always, take into account your readers’ speci�ic needs. If you’re addressing an audience with multiple language backgrounds or widely varying reading skills, you can shift the balance toward more visual elements to help get around any language barriers. The professional experience, education, and training of your audience should in�luence your approach as well. For instance, detailed statistical plots and mathematical formulas are everyday reading material for quality- control engineers but not for most salespeople or top executives.

Make sure your visuals match the needs, expectations, and interpretation skills of your audience.

Referencing Visuals

Unless a visual element clearly stands on its own, it should be clearly referred to by number in the text of your report. Some report writers refer to all visuals as “exhibits” and number them consecutively throughout the report; many others number tables and �igures separately (everything that isn’t a table is regarded as a �igure). In a long report with numbered sections, illustrations may have a double number (separated by a period or a hyphen) representing the section number and the individual illustration number within that section. Whatever scheme you use, make sure it’s clear, consistent, and easy to follow.

To tie visuals to text, introduce them in the text and place them near the points they illustrate.

Help your readers understand the signi�icance of visuals by referring to them before readers encounter them in the document or on the screen. The following examples show how you can make this connection in the text:

Figure 1 summarizes the �inancial history of the motorcycle division over the past �ive years, with sales broken into four categories.

Total sales were steady over this period, but the mix of sales by category changed dramatically (see Figure 2).

The underlying reason for the remarkable growth in our sales of youth golf apparel is suggested by Table 4, which shows the growing interest in junior golf around the world.

When describing the data shown in your visuals, be sure to emphasize the main point you are trying to make. Don’t make the mistake of simply repeating the data to be shown. Paragraphs that do are guaranteed to put the reader to sleep. The visual will (or at least should) provide all these details; there is no need to repeat them in the text. Instead, use round numbers that sum up the message. For example, you might say, “As Table 4.2 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch4lev1sec24#ch4tab2) shows, more than two-thirds of the respondents earn less than $20 per hour.”

Help your readers understand why each visual is important.

Placing Visuals

Place each visual as close as possible to its in-text reference to help readers understand the illustration’s relevance and to minimize the effort of reading.

Try to position your visuals so that your audience won’t have to �lip back and forth (in printed documents) or scroll (on-screen) between the visuals and the text. Ideally, it’s best to place each visual within, beside, or immediately after the paragraph it illustrates so that readers can consult the explanation and the visual at the same time. This scheme works well both in print and online. If at all possible, avoid bunching visuals at the end of a section or the end of a document; doing so asks a lot of the reader. (Bunching is unavoidable in some cases, such as when multiple visuals accompany a single section of text—as in this chapter, for instance.) Word-processing, desktop-publishing, and web-design programs let you place graphical elements virtually anywhere you wish, so take advantage of this �lexibility.

Writing Titles, Captions, and Legends

Titles, captions, and legends help connect your visual and textual messages and ensure a seamless reading experience. A title (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch9lev1sec32#ch9term20) identi�ies the content and purpose of the visual, along with whatever label and number you’re using to refer to the visual. A descriptive title (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch9lev1sec32#ch9term6) simply identi�ies the topic of the illustration, whereas an informative title (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch9lev1sec32#ch9term10) calls attention to the conclusion that ought to be drawn from the data. Here’s an example of the difference:

A descriptive title simply identi�ies the topic of an illustration; an informative title helps the reader understand the conclusion to be drawn from the illustration.

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Descriptive Title Informative Title

Relationship Between Petroleum Demand and Re�inery Capacity in the United StatesRe�inery Capacity Declines as Petroleum Demand Continues to Grow

An informative title saves readers the work of interpreting the visual to extract the main idea from it. Regardless of whether your titles and legends are informative or descriptive, phrase them consistently throughout a document.

A caption (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch9lev1sec32#ch9term4) usually offers additional discussion of the visual’s content and can be up to several sentences long, if appropriate. Captions can also alert readers that additional discussion is available in the accompanying text. A legend (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch9lev1sec32#ch9term11) helps readers “decode” the visual by explaining what various colors, symbols, or other design choices mean (several of the �igures in this chapter use legends, for example). Legends aren’t necessary for simple graphs, such as a line chart or bar chart with only one series of data, but they are invaluable with more complex graphics.

VERIFYING THE QUALITY OF YOUR VISUALS Visuals have a particularly strong impact on your readers and on their perceptions of you and your work, so verifying the quality of your visuals is an essential step. Ask yourself three questions about every visual element:

Is the visual accurate? Be sure to check for mistakes such as typographical errors, inconsistent color treatment, confusing or undocumented symbols, and misaligned elements. Also verify that information in visuals and text matches. For data presentations, particularly if you’re producing charts with a spreadsheet, verify any formulas used to generate the numbers and make sure you’ve selected the right numbers for each chart. For �lowcharts, organization charts, diagrams, photos, and other visuals, make sure that each visual delivers your message accurately and that you have inserted the correct image �iles.

Review each visual to make sure it doesn’t intentionally or unintentionally distort the meaning of the underlying information.

Is the visual properly documented? As with the textual elements in your reports and presentations, visuals based on other people’s research, information, and ideas require full citation. (Even if the graphical design is entirely yours, any underlying information taken from other sources needs to be documented.) Also, try to anticipate any questions or concerns your audience may have and address them with additional information, as needed. For instance, if you’re presenting the results of survey research, many readers will want to know who participated in the survey, how many people responded, and when the questions were asked. You could answer these questions with a note in the caption along the lines of “652 accountants, surveyed the week of January 17.” Similarly, if you found a visual in a secondary source, list that source on or near the graphic to help readers assess the information. Alternatively, you can list sources in an appendix.

Is the visual honest? As a �inal precaution, step back and verify that your visuals communicate truthful messages. Make sure they don’t hide information the audience needs, imply conclusions that your information doesn’t support, or play on audience emotions in manipulative or coercive ways.

CHECKLIST ✓ Creating Effective Visuals

Emphasize visual consistency to connect parts of a whole and minimize audience confusion.

Avoid arbitrary changes of color, texture, typeface, position, or scale.

Highlight contrasting points through color, position, and other design choices.

Decide whether you want to achieve formal or informal balance.

Emphasize dominant elements and deemphasize less important pieces in a design.

Understand and follow (at least most of the time) the visual conventions your audience expects.

Strive for simplicity and clarity; don’t clutter your visuals with meaningless decoration.

Follow the guidelines for avoiding ethical lapses.

Carefully consider your message, the nature of your information, and your audience to choose which points to illustrate.

Select the proper types of graphics for the information at hand and for the objective of the message.

Be sure the visual contributes to overall understanding of the subject.

Understand how to use your software tools to maximize effectiveness and ef�iciency.

Integrate visuals and text by maintaining a balance between illustrations and words, clearly referring to visuals within the text, and placing visuals carefully.

Use titles, captions, and legends to help readers understand the meaning and importance of your visuals.

Verify the quality of your visuals by checking for accuracy, proper documentation, and honesty.

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For a review of the important points to remember when creating visuals, see “Checklist: Creating Effective Visuals.” For more information on visual communication, including design principles, ethical matters, and the latest tools for creating and displaying visuals, visit http://real-timeupdates.com/bct13 (http://real-timeupdates.com/bct13) and click on Chapter 9 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch09#ch09) .

VISUAL MEDIA ON MOBILE DEVICES Whether it’s a training video, an interactive big-data tool, or a GIS system used for on-site analysis, more and more employees need to consume visual media on smartphones and tablets. The constraints of small screens are even more acute with visuals than they are with text, so preparing visual content for mobile users takes careful planning and the use of display tools designed for mobile devices. With screen space at a premium, think carefully about audience members’ needs, including the circumstances in which they’ll be using their devices, so you can prioritize and sequence the delivery of information.19 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch9lev1sec32#ch9note19)

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6 LEARNING OBJECTIVE Identify the most important considerations in the preproduction, production, and postproduction stages of producing basic business videos.

9.6 Producing Business Videos No matter what career path you pursue, chances are you’ll have the need or opportunity to produce (or star in) a business video. For videos that require the highest production quality, companies usually hire specialists with the necessary skills and equipment. However, for most routine needs, any business communicator with modest equipment and a few basic skills can create effective video.

The three-step process adapts easily to video; professionals refer to the three steps as preproduction, production, and postproduction (see Figure 9.13 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch9lev1sec28#ch9�ig13) ). You can refer to one of the many books available on basic video production techniques for more detail, but here are the key points to consider in all three steps. (A note on terminology: digital videography has inherited a number of terms from �ilm that don’t make strict technical sense but are in common use anyway, including footage to indicate any amount of recorded video and �ilming to indicate video recording.)

The process of creating videos is divided into preproduction, production, and postproduction.

STEP 1: PREPRODUCTION When you’re recording speeches, seminars, and other events, planning is crucial because you have only one opportunity to get the footage you need. And even when you have the �lexibility to retake footage, thoughtful planning will save time and money and lead to better-looking results. For any video, be sure to think through the following seven elements:

Figure 9.13 Creating Effective Business Videos

By following a methodical process in the preproduction, production, and postproduction stages, any business communicator with even basic equipment can create effective videos.

Purpose and scope. With every communication effort, of course, it’s essential to identify the purpose of your message and de�ine the scope of what you will address before you start. This is doubly important with video, however, because it is a linear medium that forces people to watch it in a prede�ined sequence. Most viewers won’t sit through rambling or repetitive videos, so �igure out what your point is and determine the briefest possible way to make it.

Scene composition. Visualize what the camera is going to see. If you’re demonstrating a new product, for example, do you want people to see it in a realistic setting, or would it be better to use a “clean stage” so that nothing else will compete for the viewer’s attention? For “talking head” videos, in which someone talks directly into the camera at close range, an uncluttered background is preferred unless the setting is relevant. However, you don’t need to resort to a bare white wall behind the subject; this can make the video feel more like an interrogation. A tastefully decorated of�ice will look uncluttered without feeling stark or cold. Think carefully about the overall environment as well. Trying to conduct an interview outside or at a busy tradeshow, for example, can bring all kinds of noise and visual distractions into the equation.

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Just as painters compose a scene, with a video camera you compose a scene by making decisions about what to show and where to place your camera.

Camera placement. As you visualize the scene or scenes you plan to shoot, think about where to place your camera. Wide, medium, and close-up positions each have their own strengths and weaknesses, depending on what you’re trying to convey. For example, showing a wide shot of a crowd’s reaction can emphasize the emotional impact of a speech, but a wide shot looking at the speaker from a distance will have less impact because viewers won’t able to see the emotions on the speaker’s face. As a technical point, position the camera as close as you can for the shot you’re trying to achieve, rather than using the camera’s zoom capability. Using zoom makes the recording more vulnerable to shaking and makes it more dif�icult for you (or the camera’s autofocus function) to keep the picture in focus.20 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch9lev1sec32#ch9note20) If you need to zoom because you can’t get the camera close enough, be sure to use optical zoom only, not digital zoom, which lowers the picture quality.

Lighting. Good lighting is essential for a quality production, which is why professionals sometimes spend hours lighting a single shot. Lighting can be a complicated subject, but for most business videos, the simplest solution is to get a strong but soft light directed from behind the camera toward the subject (person, place, or thing) being �ilmed. This ensures that the subject is well lit and the camera’s exposure settings aren’t overwhelmed by extraneous light coming from the background. Professionals use large “softboxes,” re�lectors, and other special equipment to direct light onto their subjects, but you can often take advantage of windows and natural daylight.21 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch9lev1sec32#ch9note21)

If you have arti�icial lighting that is too harsh, you can soften the light by �iltering it through parchment paper.22 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch9lev1sec32#ch9note22) When �ilming people, be particularly careful about strong overhead lights, which can create un�lattering shadows. And when shooting outside, look for locations in full shade if possible to avoid the deep shadows created by direct sunlight.23 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch9lev1sec32#ch9note23)

Invest the time and, if necessary, the money to get good lighting; it is essential to quality video production.

Sound. Your camera or smartphone probably has a microphone to record sound along with video, but in most cases you should use an external microphone instead. The reason is that the camera’s microphone will pick up too much noise because it is too far away from the person or persons who are speaking, and these omnidirectional microphones pick up sound from every angle.24 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch9lev1sec32#ch9note24) In most cases, the best solution is to pin a small lavaliere microphone on each speaker’s lapel. Note that you can also record one or more audio sources separately (if you have speakers in different locations, for instance) and mix them together in postproduction.

Shot list. Director and professional videographer Steve Stockman advises to always think of a video in terms of discrete shots, rather than as one endless recording.25 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch9lev1sec32#ch9note25) You can imagine shots as the equivalent of subsections or even the paragraphs in a report, each one leading smoothly to the next. Preparing a shot list ahead of time helps you identify all the footage you need to capture, and it serves as a check-off list when you’re shooting. And going beyond a shot list, whenever you’re creating a video speci�ically (as opposed to recording a training session or some other event), consider writing a script that describes every scene and visual and contains speaking notes or even fully written dialog. Some people are adept at improvising, and this is often �ine for informal tutorials and other purposes. However, for important videos, a script is advised. The script is also an important planning and communication tool, helping you make sure all the pieces and people are ready when it’s time to shoot.26 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch9lev1sec32#ch9note26)

The shot list serves as your outline and checklist while you’re �ilming.

B-roll material. The “B-roll” is another legacy term from �ilm. It refers to a collection of secondary shots that can later be edited in to add visual interest, smooth over transitions, or otherwise improve the �low of the �inished product.27 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch9lev1sec32#ch9note27) For example, an interview with your company’s CEO will look fairly static after a few minutes, but you can later cut in footage or images of your company’s products, website, customers, manufacturing facilities, or other related scenes or images. Videographer Jefferson Graham makes it a point to show an image or clip of anything mentioned by a narrator or interview subject.28 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch9lev1sec32#ch9note28) During postproduction, you can weave together your primary footage with B- roll video clips and still images, using the audio to maintain continuity from start to �inish. Audiences will still get the full spoken message, only with a more interesting visual presentation.

B-roll is �ilm terminology for extra scenes and images that can enhance your �inal production.

In addition to these planning considerations, be sure to identify and prepare all the equipment the shoot will require, from camera(s) to lights to props. If you plan to use a smartphone as your video camera, check out some of the apps that give you more control than the phone’s built-in software provides.

REAL-TIME UPDATES

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Great advice for getting started in digital video

This website offers a wealth of advice on producing quality videos. Go to http://real-timeupdates.com/bct13 (http://real-timeupdates.com/bct13) . Under “Students,” click on “Learn More.”

STEP 2: PRODUCTION With all your preproduction done, you’re ready to shoot your video. These four tips will help you collect great footage:

Frame each shot carefully. Framing refers to the decisions you make regarding what the camera sees and doesn’t see when you aim it (see Figure 9.14 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch9lev1sec28#ch9�ig14) ). For example, if you’re �ilming someone demonstrating a product, you’ll have to decide where the camera should be aimed for each of your planned shots. If the presenter is talking at one point without using the product, you might frame the shot to emphasize the speaker’s face. Then when the presenter interacts with the product, you might frame the shot to emphasize his or her hands. Just remember the obvious but sometimes overlooked point that the viewer sees everything the camera sees—but only what the camera sees. Framing decisions are particularly important if your videos will be watched on small-screen mobile devices, because small screens can limit the amount of detail viewers can see clearly. The question of balance (see page 159 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch6lev1sec12#page_159) ) is important as well. Keeping a speaker’s face in the center of the screen can look dull and rigid after a while, so experiment with positioning him or her just off-center to create a more dynamically balanced scene. Also, search for interesting angles for the shots you have planned.29 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch9lev1sec32#ch9note29) In addition to �ilming the subject head on, for example, you might get some footage of him or her from the side or from high or low perspectives.

Keep the camera still. If the camera moves around—intentionally or unintentionally—during a shot, the resulting footage puts a greater demand on your viewers. Shaky video from a handheld camera is uncomfortable to watch, so whenever possible, use a tripod or other stabilizing arrangement. And moving the camera intentionally forces viewers to process additional visual information that may or may not be relevant.30 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch9lev1sec32#ch9note30) Moving during a shot also changes the background and lighting because the camera is looking at the scene differently. Sometimes you don’t have any choice and have to follow a moving subject, but don’t move the camera while �ilming unless you really have to.

Resist the temptation to move around with your camera while �ilming unless it is absolutely necessary.

Take B-roll footage. In addition to the B-roll shots you planned in preproduction, keep an eye out for other interesting scenes and images that might enhance the �inished video. It’s better to shoot lots of footage you don’t use than to regret not capturing something when you had the chance.

Figure 9.14 Framing Your Shots: Finding the Right Range

Decisions about how you frame your shots can have a dramatic effect on information delivery and emotional impact. Compare the effect of these long, medium, and close shots, for example. Remember that your viewers can see everything the camera sees, but only what the camera sees.

Source: HP Video; Anatoly Tiplyashin/Shutterstock

Don’t use the special effects in your camera. Many video cameras can add special effects such as pixilation or “old-timey” sepia tones, but using these features in the camera usually alters the video permanently. Instead, export “clean” footage to your editing software and add any effects in postproduction, where you can easily undo anything you try.31 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch9lev1sec32#ch9note31)

STEP 3: POSTPRODUCTION Postproduction (often referred to simply as “post”) is where interesting, high-quality videos come to life, as you use editing software to weave your main footage and B-roll footage into a seamless show and enhance it with music, titles, and other elements. Postproduction also lets you cut out clumsy bits of footage, record

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narration, potentially replace sections of dialog, and make other �ixes. With even low-cost video editing software, you can produce surprisingly sophisticated videos.

MOBILE APPS

Videoshop offers a variety of post-production tools for enhancing mobile videos right on your phone.

Here is a general overview of the postproduction process:32 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch9lev1sec32#ch9note32)

1. Transfer your video footage to your computer and load it into the editing software.

Postproduction involves the use of video editing software to place all your video and audio elements in the desired sequence.

2. Evaluate your material, identifying the shots you want to keep and those you can delete.

3. Use cut and paste to move sections of video around as needed to put the story in the desired order.

4. Weave in B-roll images and clips. Your company might also have a standard library of media elements to use in videos, including logos or introductory sequences.

5. Add transitions (such as a blend or quick fade to black) between video segments, if desired.

6. Synchronize the main audio track with the video and record narration as needed.

7. Add an intro (a brief sequence at the beginning) and an outro (a brief sequence at the end). Business videos often include company logos, website URLs, and other branding elements in intros and outros. Intros and outros often contain brief musical segments as well as a way to transition into and out of the spoken portion of the video.

8. Add text titles and other features as needed.

9. Create a distributable �ile. Video editors give you a variety of output options at different �ile sizes and screen resolutions, and some let you upload directly to YouTube.

As more and more companies rely on video for internal and external communication, learning some basic video skills will make you a more effective and more valuable communicator. For more on planning and producing business video, visit http://real-timeupdates.com/bct13 (http://real-timeupdates.com/bct13) and click on Chapter 9 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch09#ch09) .

COMMUNICATION CHALLENGES AT GoPro You’ve joined the customer engagement team at GoPro, where your responsibilities include creating training materials to help customers use their GoPro cameras more effectively. Apply what you’ve learned in this chapter and throughout the course to the following challenges.

INDIVIDUAL CHALLENGE: Creating a shot list is an important planning tool, particularly for complicated projects and situations in which you have limited time and opportunities to capture the footage you need. Your task is to create a sample shot list that customers can use to plan their own lists. Identify a part of your college campus or a section of your local area that has six distinct points of interest or special features. Imagine that you will be producing an orientation video, and prepare a shot list that identi�ies six locations where you would like �ilm. For each location, describe the speci�ic shots you would like to get. For example, if you’ve chosen a monument in your town, you might want a wide screen shot to establish the setting and a close-up shot that pans up the monument to show it in detail.

TEAM CHALLENGE: With a team assigned by your instructor, your task is to plan and produce a simple three- to four-minute video that shows viewers how to use some of the more important features of a smartphone. (Choose any phone that someone on a team has.) The purpose of the video is to serve as a sample of GoPro users who want to �ilm production demonstration videos. Three or four minutes isn’t a lot of time, so limit your scope to only a handful of major features. Follow the preproduction, production, and postproduction steps described on pages 245 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch9lev1sec28#page_245) –246 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch9lev1sec28#page_246) , then present your video the class. The emphasis with this progress is on clear and effective communication, not professional-grade production quality, so don’t worry too much about fancy effects or an elaborate set. Instead, focus your efforts on creating a video that communicates your key points well.

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Quick Learning Guide

KEY TERMS area chart Another name for a surface chart bar chart Chart that portrays quantities by the height or length of its rectangular bars bubble diagram Chart that expands the scatter diagram idea to three variables, with the size of the bubble representing the third variable caption Brief commentary or explanation that accompanies a visual data visualization A diverse class of displays that can show enormous sets of data in a single visual or show text and other complex information visually descriptive title Title that simply identi�ies the topic of an illustration �lowchart Process diagram that illustrates a sequence of events from start to �inish Gantt chart The best known type of time line chart infographics Diagrams that contain enough visual and textual information to function as independent, standalone documents informative title Title that highlights the conclusion to be drawn from the data legend A “key” that helps readers decode a visual by explaining what various colors, symbols, or other design choices mean line chart Chart that illustrates trends over time or plots the relationship of two or more variables organization chart Diagram that illustrates the positions, units, or functions of an organization and their relationships pictogram Chart that portrays data as symbols instead of words or numbers pie chart Circular chart that shows how the parts of a whole are distributed scatter diagram Chart that plots discrete data points, with one variable along the x (horizontal) axis and another along the y (vertical) axis surface chart Form of line chart with a cumulative effect; all the lines add up to the top line, which represents the total table A systematic arrangement of data in columns and rows time line chart Chart that shows how much time is needed to complete each task in a project title Identi�ies the content and purpose of a visual visual literacy The ability to create effective images and to correctly interpret such images visual symbolism The connotative (as opposed to the denotative, or literal) meaning of visuals XY diagram Another name for a scatter diagram

SUMMARY OF LEARNING OBJECTIVES 1 Explain the power of business images, discuss six principles of graphic design that help ensure effective visuals, and explain how to avoid ethical lapses when using visuals. Well-designed visual elements can enhance the communication power of textual messages and, in some instances, even replace textual messages. Visuals can often convey some message points (such as spatial relationships, correlations, procedures, and emotions) more effectively and more ef�iciently than words. In the numbers-oriented world of work, readers rely heavily on trend lines, distribution curves, and other visual presentations of numeric quantities. Visuals attract and hold people’s attention, helping your audience understand and remember your message. Visuals are also an effective way to communicate with diverse audiences.

When preparing visuals, (1) use elements of design consistently so you don’t confuse your audience; (2) use color and other elements to show contrast effectively; (3) strive for a visual balance, either formal or informal, that creates a feel that is appropriate for your overall message; (4) use design choices to draw attention to key elements and to visually downplay less important items; (5) understand and follow design conventions that your audience expects (even if the expectation is subconscious), although you can consider unconventional design choices if they promise to convey your message more effectively; and (6) strive for simplicity in all your visuals, making design decisions that enhance the reception and understanding of information rather than obscure or confuse it.

Communicators are responsible for avoiding both intentional and unintentional ethical lapses when using visual elements. They can work to avoid these lapses by (1) considering all possible interpretations—and misinterpretations—of their messages and avoiding design choices that could lead to unwanted interpretations; (2) providing suf�icient context, whether visual or verbal, for audiences to understand the meaning and signi�icance of visuals; (3) not hiding or minimizing negative information that runs counter to their arguments; (4) not exaggerating information that supports their arguments; (5) not oversimplifying complex situations by hiding complications that are relevant to the audience’s understanding; (6) not implying cause-and-effect relationships without providing proof that they exist; (7) avoiding emotional manipulation or other forms of coercion; and (8) being careful with the way they aggregate data.

2 Explain how to choose which points in your message to illustrate. To decide which points to illustrate, �irst step back and consider the overall �low of your message from the audience’s point of view. Identify elements of the message that might be complex, vulnerable to misinterpretation, or even dull. Look for connections between ideas that should be highlighted or extensive collections of data and other discrete factual content that might be dif�icult to read in textual format.

3 Describe the most common options for presenting data in a visual format. The visuals most commonly used to present data include tables, line and surface charts, bar charts, pictograms, Gantt charts, scatter and bubble diagrams, and pie charts. You will probably use line, bar, and pie charts most often in your business communication efforts. Moving beyond basic display formats, designers continue to invent new data visualization tools to present large or complex sets of data.

4 Describe the most common options for presenting information, concepts, and ideas. Among the most commonly used visual formats in business communication are �lowcharts (which depict a sequence of events in a process), organization charts (which show the relationships among people or elements in an organization), various types of maps (including data-driven map displays made possible by geographic information systems), drawings (which are often used instead of photographs because they can focus attention on speci�ic parts of an object), diagrams (used to convey designs, interrelated ideas, and other complex entities), photographs (used when realism or emotional impact is important), and infographics (hybrid elements that contain enough textual and visual information to function as standalone documents).

5

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5 Explain how to integrate visuals with text, and list three criteria to review in order to verify the quality of your visuals. To integrate visuals with text, strive for a balance between text and visuals; refer to visuals clearly; place visuals to maximize the smooth �low of reading; and write helpful titles, captions, and legends. To verify the quality of your visuals, make sure every visual is accurate (there are no mistakes or missing information), properly documented (the creator of any underlying data used in the visual has been given complete credit), and honest (the visual honestly reveals the real meaning of the underlying data or information).

6 Identify the most important considerations in the preproduction, production, and postproduction stages of producing basic business videos. The key tasks in the preproduction stage are verifying your purpose and scope, thinking about the composition of the scenes you want to �ilm, deciding where you’ll place your camera or cameras, planning lighting, making arrangements for sound recording, writing a shot list or full script as appropriate, and identifying B-roll material that will enhance the �inal video.

During the production stage, be sure to frame each shot carefully, keep the camera still while �ilming unless the situation demands that you move it, take B-roll footage, and remember not to use the special effects in your camera so that you can export clean footage.

The postproduction stage generally consists of nine steps: (1) transfer your video footage to your computer and load it into the editing software; (2) evaluate your material, identifying the shots you want to keep and those you can delete; (3) move sections of video around as needed; (4) weave in B-roll images and clips; (5) add transitions between video segments, if desired; (6) synchronize the main audio track with the video and record narration as needed; (7) add an intro and an outro; (8) add text titles and other features as needed; and (9) create a distributable �ile.

MyBCommLab

Go to mybcommlab.com (http://mybcommlab.com) to complete the problems marked with this icon .

Test Your Knowledge To review chapter content related to each question, refer to the indicated Learning Objective.

9-1. Why is simplicity important in business visuals? [LO-1] 9-2. What type of data visual would you use to illustrate trends over time? [LO-3] 9-3. When would you use a bubble diagram instead of a scatter diagram? [LO-3] 9-4. For what purposes are Gantt charts used? [LO-3] 9-5. What is the purpose of adding titles, captions, and legends to visuals in reports? [LO-5]

9-6. How do you check a visual for quality? [LO-5] 9-7. Why do experts recommend against using the built-in microphones in video cameras? [LO-6] 9-8. How does B-roll footage help enhance the appeal of business videos? [LO-6]

Apply Your Knowledge To review chapter content related to each question, refer to the indicated Learning Objective.

9-9. What similarities do you see between visuals and nonverbal communication? Explain your answer. [LO-1] 9-10. After studying the designs of corporate websites, Penn State University professor S. Shyam Sundar discovered quite an interesting phenomenon: The

more interactive and engaging a website is, the more likely visitors are to “buy into whatever is being advocated” on the site. In other words, if two websites have identical content, the site with greater interactivity and more “bells and whistles” would be more persuasive.33 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch9lev1sec32#ch9note33) Is it ethical to increase the persuasive power of a website simply by making it more interactive? Why or why not? [LO-1]

9-11. You’re writing a report for the director of human resources on implementing team-based management throughout your company. You want to emphasize that since the new approaches were implemented six months ago, absenteeism and turnover have been sharply reduced in all but two departments. How do you visually present your data in the most favorable light while maintaining honest communication? Explain. [LO-1]

9-12. In addition to telling readers why an illustration is important, why else should you refer to it in the text of your document? [LO-5]

9-13. Imagine that you are going to �ilm your instructor’s next lecture, and you have the luxury of using three cameras. Where would you position them and why? (If you are taking an online course with no classroom, describe a generic classroom setting.)

Practice Your Skills Messages for Analysis

9-14. Message 9.A: Presenting Data (Bar Charts) [LO-1], [LO-3] Examine the bar chart in Figure 9.15 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch9lev1sec32#ch9�ig15) and point out any problems or errors you notice.

9-15. Message 9.B: Presenting Data (Line Charts) [LO-1], [LO-3] Examine the line chart in Figure 9.16 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch9lev1sec32#ch9�ig16) and point out any problems or errors you notice.

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Figure 9.15 Bar Chart for Analysis

Figure 9.16 Line Chart for Analysis

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Exercises

9-16. Applying Visual Design Principles [LO-1] From online sources, �ind three visual presentations of data, information, or concepts. Which of the three presents its data or information most clearly? What design choices promote this level of clarity? What improvements would you make to the other visuals to make them clearer?

9-17. Communication Ethics [LO-1] Using a spreadsheet, create a bar chart or line chart, using data you �ind online or in a business publication. Alter the horizontal and vertical scales in several ways to produce different displays of the original data. How do the alterations distort the information? How might a reader detect whether a chart’s scale has been altered?

9-18. Presenting Data (Bar and Pie Charts) [LO-3] As a market researcher for a statewide chain of car dealerships, you’re examining car and truck ownership and lease patterns among single drivers in various age groups. By discovering which age groups have the highest percentages of owners, you will be better able to target advertising that promotes the leasing option. Using the information that follows, prepare a bar chart comparing the number of owners with the number of people who lease in each age category. Be sure to label your chart and include combined totals for owners and lessees (“total drivers”). Then prepare a pie chart showing the proportion of owners and lessees in the one age group you think holds the most promise for leasing a new vehicle. Write a sentence that prepares your company’s management for the information shown in the pie chart.

Age GroupNumber of Owners (in Thousands)Number of Lessees (in Thousands)

18–24 1,830 795

25–29 1,812 1,483

30–34 1,683 1,413

35–44 1,303 1,932

45–54 1,211 1,894

55–64 1,784 1,435

65–74 3,200 1,142

75+ 3,431 854 9-19. Presenting Data (Bar Charts) [LO-3] Team up with a classmate to design charts based on a comparison of the total tax burden of the U.S. taxpayer with

that of people in other nations (see the data following this paragraph). One teammate should sketch a horizontal or vertical bar chart, and the other should sketch a pictogram from the estimates that follow. Then exchange charts and analyze how well each conveys the situation of the U.S. taxpayer. Would the bar chart look best with vertical or horizontal bars? Why? What scale is best? How does the symbol used in the pictogram enhance or obscure the meaning or impact of the data? What suggestions can each student make for improving the other’s visual aid?

Estimates show that Swedish taxpayers spend 51 percent of their incomes on taxes, British taxpayers spend 48 percent, French taxpayers spend 37 percent, Japanese taxpayers spend 28 percent, and U.S. taxpayers spend 27 percent.

9-20. Presenting Data (Line Charts) [LO-3] Here are last year’s sales �igures for the appliance and electronics megastore where you work. Construct a line chart that will help you explain to the store’s general manager seasonal variations in each department.

STORE SALES (IN $ THOUSANDS)

Month Home ElectronicsComputersAppliances

January $68 $39 $36

February 72 34 34

March 75 41 30

April 54 41 28

May 56 42 44

June 49 33 48

July 54 31 43

August 66 58 39

September 62 58 36

October 66 44 33

November 83 48 29

December 91 62 24

9-21. Presenting Data (Line Charts) [LO-3] Using rough approximations of the data, re-create the line chart in Figure 9.5 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch9lev1sec7#ch9�ig5) on page 231 (http://content.thuzelearning.com/books/Bovee.7626.17.1/sections/ch9lev1sec7#page_231) as a bar chart (estimate the numerical values). Which of these two formats does the better job of conveying the information?

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