Assignment 6

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102 Unit Two Creating Goodwill

Positive emphasis is a way of looking at things. Is the bottle half empty or half full? You can create positive emphasis with the words, information, organization, and layout you choose.

How do I create positive emphasis? LO 7-1 ▶ Deemphasize or omit negative words and information.

The following five techniques deemphasize negative information:

1. Avoid negative words and words with negative connotations. 2. Focus on what the reader can do rather than on limitations. 3. Justify negative information by giving a reason or linking it to a reader benefit. 4. If the negative is truly unimportant, omit it. 5. Put the negative information in the middle and present it compactly.

In some messages, especially negative ones (▶▶ Module 11), you won’t use all five techniques. Practice each of these techniques so that you can use them when they’re appropriate.

1. Avoid Negative Words and Words with Negative Connotations

Figure 7.1 lists some common negative words. If you find one of these words in a draft, try to substitute a more positive word. When you must use a negative, use the least negative term that will convey your meaning.

The following examples show how to replace negative words with positive words.

Negative: We have failed to finish taking inventory. Better: We have n’t finished taking inventory. Still better: We will be finished taking inventory Friday. Negative: If you can’t understand this explanation, feel free to call me. Better: If you have further questions, just call me. Still better: Omit the sentence. (Readers aren’t shrinking violets. They’ll call if they do have

questions.)

Omit double negatives.

Negative: Do not forget to back up your disks. Better: Always back up your disks.

Happy U.S. states tend to be ones that are wealthy, better educated, and more tolerant, according to research by the University of Cambridge. Utah scored the highest. Though the differences in scores were often marginal, well-being was highest in the Mountain and West Coast states and lowest in the Midwest and Southern states. A Gallup Poll, however, found more Midwestern and Western states represented in the top 10 for happiness, citing emotional health and work environment among the reasons for well-being. Hawaii has topped the list three years running.

Source: Jeanna Bryner, “Happiest States Are Wealthy and Tolerant,” November 10, 2009, http://www. livescience.com/culture/091110- happy-states.html ; and Jeanna Bryner, “ Happiest States: Hawaii Moves into First Place,” February 16, 2010, http://news.yahoo. com/s/livescience/20100216/ sc_livescience/happieststates hawaiimovesintofirstplace ; and Jeanna Bryner, “Happiest U.S. States Revealed in New Poll,” Fox News, February 28, 2012, http://www.foxnews.com/ health/2012/02/28/happiest-us- states-revealed-in-new-poll/. Figure 7.1 Negative Words to Avoid

afraid anxious avoid bad careless damage delay delinquent deny difficulty

Some dis-words: disappoint disapprove dishonest disinform dissatisfied

eliminate error except fail fault fear hesitate ignorant ignore impossible

Many in-words: inadequate incomplete inconvenient injury insincere

lacking loss

Some mis-words: misfortune missing mistake

neglect never no not objection problem reject sorry terrible

trivial trouble wait weakness worry wrong

Many un-words: unclear unfair unfortunate unfortunately unpleasant unprepared unreasonable unreliable unsure

Site to See

Go to http://gimundo.com for good news, positive stories, and related videos.

Go to

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Even when rejecting someone or something, you should avoid harsh or insulting words.

Reprinted by permission of CartoonStock.com , www.cartoonstock.com .

Module 7 Positive Emphasis 103

When you must use a negative, use the least negative term that is accurate.

Negative: Your balance of $835 is delinquent. Better: Your balance of $835 is past due.

Getting rid of negatives has the added benefit of making what you write easier to under- stand. Sentences with three or more negatives are very hard to understand. 4

Beware of hidden negatives : words that are not negative in themselves but become negative in context. But and however indicate a shift, so, after a positive statement, they are negative. I hope and I trust that suggest that you aren’t sure. Patience may sound like a virtue, but it is a necessary virtue only when things are slow. Even positives about a service or product may backfire if they suggest that in the past the service or product was bad.

Negative: I hope this is the information you wanted. [Implication: I’m not sure.] Better: Enclosed is a brochure about road repairs scheduled for 2013–14. Still better: The brochure contains a list of all roads and bridges scheduled for repair during

2013–14. Call Gwen Wong at 555–3245 for specific dates when work will start and stop and for alternate routes.

Negative: Please be patient as we switch to the automated system. [Implication: you can expect problems.] Better: If you have questions during our transition to the automated system, call Melissa

Morgan. Still better: You’ll be able to get information instantly about any house on the market when

the automated system is in place. If you have questions during the transition, call Melissa Morgan.

Negative: Now Crispy Crunch tastes better. [Implication: it used to taste terrible.] Better: Now Crispy Crunch tastes even better.

Removing negatives does not mean being arrogant or pushy.

Negative: I hope that you are satisfied enough to place future orders. Arrogant: I look forward to receiving all of your future business. Better: Call Mercury whenever you need transistors.

Optimism can be powerful in helping a person achieve his or her goals, but a lack of optimism might also be a hindrance—and a self-fulfilling prophecy. A recent Gallup Poll found that for the first time on record, most Americans did not believe that today’s young people would have better lives than their parents. The poll, administered on and off since 1983, found that only 44% of Americans thought things would turn out better. How such thinking may shape the future, of course, remains to be seen.

Source: Catherine Rampell, “Dimming Optimism for Today’s Youth,” The New York Times, May 2, 2011, http://economix.blogs. nytimes.com/2011/05/02/dimming- optimism-for-todays-youth/?gwh= 354CD1DC224BF21C6B9B0A274 0E9E2AC .

Instant Replay

Five Ways to Create Positive Emphasis

To deemphasize negative information,

1. Avoid negative words and words with negative connotations.

2. Focus on what the reader can do rather than on limitations.

3. Justify negative information by giving a reason or linking it to a reader benefit.

4. If the negative is truly unimportant, omit it.

5. Put the negative information in the middle and present it compactly.

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Five Ways to

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104 Unit Two Creating Goodwill

When you eliminate negative words, be sure to maintain accuracy. Words that are exact opposites will usually not be accurate. Instead, use specifics to be both positive and accurate.

Negative: The exercycle is not guaranteed for life. Not true: The exercycle is guaranteed for life. True: The exercycle is guaranteed for 10 years.

Negative: Customers under 60 are not eligible for the Prime Time discount. Not true: You must be over 60 to be eligible for the Prime Time discount. True: If you’re 60 or older, you can save 10% on all your purchases with RightWay’s

Prime Time discount.

Legal phrases also have negative connotations for most readers and should be avoided whenever possible. The idea will sound more positive if you use conversational English.

Negative: If your account is still delinquent, a second, legal notice will be sent to you informing you that cancellation of your policy will occur 30 days after the date of the legal notice if we do not receive your check.

Better: Even if your check is lost in the mail and never reaches us, you still have a 30-day grace period. If you do get a second notice, you will know that your payment hasn’t reached us. To keep your account in good standing, stop payment on the first check and send a second one.

2. Focus on What the Reader Can Do Rather than on Limitations

Sometimes positive emphasis is a matter of the way you present something: Is the glass half empty or half full? Sometimes it’s a matter of eliminating double negatives. When there are limits, or some options are closed, focus on the alternatives that remain.

Negative: We will not allow you to charge more than $1,500 on your VISA account. Better: You can charge $1,500 on your new VISA card. or: Your new VISA card gives you $1,500 in credit that you can use at thousands of

stores nationwide.

As you focus on what will happen, check for you-attitude (◀◀ p. 90). In the last example, “We will allow you to charge $1,500” would be positive, but it lacks you-attitude.

When you have a benefit and a requirement the reader must meet to get the benefit, the sentence is usually more positive if you put the benefit first.

Some stores might say, “Put books you don’t want here.” But Bookseller Joseph–Beth in Lexington, Kentucky, uses positive emphasis.

Happiness and optimism may have a good effect on your heart, according to researchers at Harvard University. While scientists have known for some time about the reverse relationship—how depression, for instance, can be bad for the heart—less was known about the influence of positive thinking on the organ. When it comes to financial issues, however, too much optimism may actually be a bad thing. According to Duke University’s Manju Puri and David T. Robinson, extreme optimists may avoid long-term savings or paying off credit cards because they think the economy will always do better.

Sources: Anahad O’Connor, “Really? Optimism Reduces the Risk of Heart Disease,” The New York Times, April 23, 2012, http://well.blogs.nytimes. com/2012/04/23/really-optimism- reduces-the-risk-of-heart-disease/ ?gwh=BADA807829DF77253E28 10F80B07EF6A ; and Alina Tugend, “Lean Toward the Sunny Side, but Don’t Overdo It,” The New York Times, September 23, 2011, http:// www.nytimes.com/2011/09/24/ business/optimism-but-not-too- much-can-be-good-for-you. html?_r=1&pagewanted=all&gwh= 842BAB5DF37429951FDD485A9 E5C0A54 .

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Module 7 Positive Emphasis 105

Negative: You will not qualify for the student membership rate of $25 a year unless you are enrolled for at least 10 hours.

Better: You get all the benefits of membership for only $25 a year if you’re enrolled for 10 hours or more.

3. Justify Negative Information by Giving a Reason or Linking It to a Reader Benefit

A reason can help your reader see that the information is necessary; a benefit can suggest that the negative aspect is outweighed by positive factors. Be careful, however, to make the logic behind your reason clear and to leave no loopholes.

Negative: We cannot sell computer disks in lots of less than 10. Loophole: To keep down packaging costs and to help you save on shipping and handling

costs, we sell computer disks in lots of 10 or more.

Suppose the customer says, “I’ll pay the extra shipping and handling. Send me seven.” If you can’t or won’t sell in lots of less than 10, you need to write:

Better: To keep down packaging costs and to help customers save on shipping and handling costs, we sell computer disks only in lots of 10 or more.

If you link the negative element to a benefit, be sure it is a benefit the reader will acknowledge. Avoid telling people that you’re doing things “for their own good.” They may have a different notion of what their own good is. You may think you’re doing custom- ers a favor by limiting their credit so they don’t get in over their heads and go bankrupt. They may feel they’d be better off with more credit so they could expand in hopes of mak- ing more sales and more profits.

4. If the Negative Is Truly Unimportant, Omit It

Omit negatives entirely only when

• The reader does not need the information to make a decision. • You have already given the reader the information and he or she has access to the

previous communication. • The information is trivial.

The following examples suggest the kind of negatives you can omit:

Negative: A one-year subscription to PC Magazine is $49.97. That rate is not as low as the rates charged for some magazines.

Better: A one-year subscription to PC Magazine is $49.97. Still better: A one-year subscription to PC Magazine is $49.97. You save 43% off the newsstand

price of $87.78. Negative: If you are not satisfied with Interstate Fidelity Insurance, you do not have to renew

your policy. Better: Omit the sentence.

5. Bury the Negative Information and Present It Compactly

The beginning and end are always positions of emphasis. Put negatives here only if you want to emphasize the negative, as you may in a negative message (▶▶ Module 11). To deemphasize a negative, put it in the middle of a paragraph rather than in the first or last sentence, in the middle of the message rather than in the first or last paragraphs.

When a letter or memo runs several pages, remember that the bottom of the first page is also a position of emphasis, even if it is in the middle of a paragraph, because of the extra white space of the bottom margin. (The first page gets more attention because it is on top and the reader’s eye may catch lines of the message even when he or she isn’t consciously

Researchers Teresa Amabile and Steven Kramer found that happier people make better workers. In a study of nearly 12,000 electronic diary entries from business professionals, however, they discovered a third were unhappy, unmotivated, or both, a situation exacerbated by dwindling job resources and security. With employees more likely to have new ideas on happier days, the cost of lost productivity is high— one estimate is $300 billion annually in the U.S.

Sources: Teresa Amabile and Steven Kramer, “Do Happier People Work Harder?” The New York Times, September 3, 2011, http:// www.nytimes.com/2011/09/04/ opinion/sunday/do-happier-people- work-harder.html ; and Teresa Amabile and Steven Kramer, “Pro: Bring on the Smiles, Count the Profits,” Bloomberg Businessweek, February 22, 2012, http://www. businessweek.com/debateroom/ archives/2012/02/employee_ happiness_matters_more_than_ you_think.html .

Instant Replay

Definition of Hidden Negatives

Hidden negatives are words that are not negative in themselves but become negative in context.

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106

Using Positive Emphasis Ethically LO 7-2

Building a Critical Skill

The methods to achieve positive emphasis can be misused, so be careful when using them.

Consider omission of necessary details. Shannon Castillo played a local radio station’s weeklong

contest to win a Hummer H2 vehicle. When she showed up on April 1 to collect her prize, she didn’t get the $60,000 vehicle she expected. Instead, she received a remote-controlled toy rep- lica. The station contended it was an April Fool’s Day joke and that the winners weren’t promised the actual vehicle. A simi- lar contest was held by a restaurant that promised employees a “Toyota” for selling the most beer. When the winner came forward, she was presented with a Star Wars character doll— her “toy Yoda.”

In both cases, full disclosure might have affected decisions: Participants might have passed on the contests had they known that the prize wasn’t what they expected. It isn’t ethical to omit information that people need to make decisions. Lawsuits also can occur from such practice.

Focusing on what the reader can do rather than on limita- tions works when the situation is appropriate. People don’t expect, for instance, to be congratulated for being able to use their skills with another employer when, in fact, they’re being fired.

Presenting information compactly also can go too far. A credit card company mailed out a letter with the good news that the minimum monthly payment was going down. But a separate small flyer explained that interest rates (on the charges not repaid) were going up. The print was far too small

to read: 67 lines of type were crowded into five vertical inches of text.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency, or FEMA, still reeling from criticism over its handling of the Hurricane Katrina disaster, was further embarrassed when John P. “Pat” Philbin, its external affairs director, staged a briefing with FEMA staff members posing as reporters. They asked easy-to- answer questions phrased in positive language. Authentic jour- nalists were invited 15 minutes before the briefing and allowed to listen through a conference call but not ask questions. At the time, Philbin had already accepted a job with the Director of National Intelligence. That offer was later rescinded.

Food manufacturers may substitute lesser-known ingredi- ents for those that have negative connotations for some custom- ers. Thus, shoppers avoiding sugar should be aware that corn syrup, high-fructose corn syrup, and white grape juice concen- trate may be euphemisms for the same.

Sources: Tim Molloy, “Woman Sues Over Radio Station’s Toy Hummer April Fools’ Prank,” July 13, 2005, downloaded at www.montereyherald. com/mld/montereyherald/news/12124132.htm ; Reg Wydeven, “Radio Giveaways End Up Taking Listeners for a Bad Ride,” July 23, 2005, downloaded at www.wisinfo.com/postcrescent/news/archive/col_21850677. shtml ; Donna S. Kienzler, “Visual Ethics,” The Journal of Business Communication 34 (1997): 175–76; Pamela Hess, “Former FEMA Spokesman Loses Spy Job,” downloaded at http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/ wireStory?id=3792287 on December 24, 2007; and Dan Shapley, “Don’t Be Misled by These Food Label Tricks,” February 3, 2010. http://green. yahoo.com/blog/daily_green_news/280/don-t-be-misled-by-these-food- label-tricks.html .

reading it; the tops and bottoms of subsequent pages don’t get this extra attention.) If pos- sible, avoid placing negative information at the bottom of the first page.

Giving a topic lots of space emphasizes it. Therefore, you can deemphasize negative information by giving it as little space as possible. Give negative information only once in your message. Don’t list negatives vertically on the page because lists take space and emphasize material.

Why do I need to think about tone, politeness, and power? LO 7-3 ▶ So you don’t offend people by mistake.

No one likes to deal with people who seem condescending or rude. Poorly chosen words can create that sense, whether the sender “meant” to be rude or not. Tone is the implied attitude of the writer toward the reader. Tone is tricky because it interacts with power: The words that might seem friendly from a superior to a subordinate may seem uppity if used by the subordinate to the superior. Norms for politeness are cultural and generational.

Researchers Jacqueline Mayfield and Milton Mayfield found in their study at Texas A&M University that total effects showed for every 10% increase in motivating language to students, there was about a 3% decrease in absenteeism.

Source: Jacqueline Mayfield and Milton Mayfield, “The Role of Leader Motivating Language in Employee Absenteeism,” Journal of Business Communication, October 2009, 46:4, 455–479.

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