PART 1
READ
Review your reading of Module 2 from Week One. Focus on questions of audience such as what is discussed in your book (Locker & Kaczmarek, 2014, p. 22). More importantly, closely read Module 7 on positive emphasis and Module 8 on Reader Benefits. Focus on questions like “How do I create positive emphasis?” (p. 102) and “Why do Reader Benefits Work?” (p. 113).
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REFLECT
“Tone is present in all communication activities. Ultimately, the tone of a message is a reflection of the writer and it does affect how the reader will perceive the message” (Driscoll, 2010, para. 1).
“The business writer should strive for an overall tone that is confident, courteous, and sincere; that uses emphasis and subordination appropriately; that contains nondiscriminatory language; that stresses the ‘you’ attitude; and that is written at an appropriate level of difficulty” (Ober, 1995, para. 1).
Initial Post Requires Two Areas of Response:
1) Positive Messaging
2) PAIBOC Analysis
CREATE and POST
After reading the pages required above, please respond to the following questions. Be sure to reference your book at least once (and cite it in-text and in a reference at the bottom):
1) What is the importance of positive messaging? How can you convey positive messages about yourself in your professional communications? In your Final Portfolio? Share a tactic you can use to improve your positive messaging or tone? Please quote from your reading and cite it appropriately in-text.
2) Using PAIBOC method analyze one of the following artifacts (see below). Use the guiding questions to craft your response. Be sure to respond to each of the questions. Please choose a different artifact than the one chosen by the peer who posted immediately before you.
While no specific word count is required, this is a Upper level class, and you are expected to provide full, meaningful responses. If you are unsure about answers to these questions, do some informal research. Be sure to quote and cite (both in-text and parenthetically) any research you use, including your book. Citations should be in APA format. This includes citations of sample portfolios you discuss.
-Purpose – What is your purpose of the artifact?
-Audience – Who is your intended audience?
-Information – What is the most pertinent information conveyed?
-Benefits – How does the information benefit the perceived audience?
-Objections – What might someone object to?
-Context – What is the context for this communication?
ARTIFACTS (choose one)
1-The City of Pittsburgh’s Gender Equity Commission’s Executive Summary Executive Summary – Alternative Formats
2-PSA Website Smokey The Bear
3-Advertisement Billboard
REPLY
Two peer responses are required. Consider the following questions to respond:
-How does your peer’s comment on positive messaging compare to your experiences?
-Considering your peer’s PAIBOC analysis, are the purpose and goal clear?
-hat one area would you like to know more about? Please be sure to check your own thread during the week for replies from your peers and your instructor. Should your instructor have additional questions or requirements, please complete them.
Post across three days at a minimum. Be sure to check your post during the week for replies from your peers and your instructor. Responses to additional questions from your instructor are required.
PART 2
Statement of Ethics e-Portfolio Artifact
You may find the rubric for this assignment here: Blog Rubric.docx
As part of your e-portfolio that is due in Week Four, you will include a statement of ethics. In this week’s blog post, please compose a statement of ethics of 250-500 words.
Whereas the Professional Philosophy Statement (work statement) from Week One focused on specific knowledge, skills and experience, the primary focus of the Statement of Ethics is to share a little about the values that define you. For the purpose of this assignment, a general Statement of Ethics based on your field is fine, but feel free to imagine you are applying to a specific business and tailor the statement accordingly.
Consider some examples from the corporate world:
Compliance and Ethics at Microsoft
About Memorial Healthcare System
Note how none of these examples have essays about their ethics. Rather, they employ attractive images, bolded topic sentences, and brief but focused discussions. For this assignment, create an infographic that conveys your ethic. You can use Microsoft Office and its SmartArt function. Alternatively, you can try out a free Infographic Maker like Piktochart or Adobe Spark.
Ethical strengths to consider:
Industriousness
Reliability
Cooperation
Honesty
Flexibility
Professionalism
Resourcefulness
Consider the following questions to help guide you:
What are some of your deepest values, and how have these impacted your life and career choices?
Why do you feel drawn to your particular career field? What makes you passionate about it?
How do you show, in tangible terms, enthusiasm for your work?
Who do you hope you can help through your career and in what way?
Can you point to specific examples of how your values or ethics influenced important life or career decisions?
A few additional points:
Maintain a professional tone. While you are encouraged to share personal values, the tone of the document should not be too casual. Remember, this Statement of Ethics should not be presented as a large block of text. It should be presented in Infographic format.
While it is fine to show passion and conviction, avoid a tone that feels dogmatic or contentious. Remember that others may share a different perspective. Focus heavily on visuals for this assignment rather than paragraphing or an essay.
Double-check grammar and spelling. This statement reflects your professionalism.
Blogs should include a visual presence. Consider adding a graphic, photo, or other visual element to your blogs to earn full credit on the rubric. Remember, do not attach files. Type and insert media directly into the textbox.
PART 3
Four Tasks
This week, you will be asked to put together a series of written communication that engages positive messaging for a variety of audiences. You will write a(n)
1-Evaluating You-Attitude in Documents that Cross your Desk
2-E-mail to a potential client or customer
3-E-mail Saying No to your Boss
4-Identify and analyze three professional sources related to your career
1.Evaluating You-Attitude in Documents that Cross your Desk (LO 6-1 to LO 6-5)
Identify three sentences that do not use “you-attitude” in documents you see as a worker, consumer, or student. This material can come from business journals, magazines, professional websites, letters you’ve received from a business or non-profit organization, etc.
Write a memo to your instructor discussing your examples. Within the memo, include the following information:
1. The original sentence(s).
2. A brief description of why the material does not adhere to you-attitude.
3. A revised version of the sentence(s) that incorporates principles of you-attitude.
Note: while our primary focus for this exercise is you-attitude, remember to consider some of the other concepts we’ve explored as well, such as audience awareness, reader benefits, and positive messaging.
Additional guidance:
* Review Module 6, pp. 91-94
* Memo format, pp. 137-139
See, too, the sample letter on p. 95 as an example that lacks you-attitude.
Here are some examples of sentences that have been revised:
- Sentence: I have worked hard to get you the best contract possible. Or: You’ll be happy to learn that we’re ready to offer you the best contract possible.
- Problems: Writer, not reader, oriented writing: the writer is concerned about himself, how hard he worked or how happy he is, rather than what the reader receives (benefits)
- Revisions: Under the new contract you’ll receive dental insurance.
- Sentence: You need to send us your overdue balance of $550, or we’ll probably take you to court.
- Problems: Selfish and divisive pronouns us/we and you creates a personal conflict between the writer and reader.
- Revision: Please pay the overdue balance of $550 to avoid possible legal actions. If you need help making this payment, please contact our credit department for assistance at 999-999-9999.
- Sentence: I have requested that your order is sent out today.
- Problems: Where are the reader benefits to this message? What should the reader expect?
- Revision: You will receive your order by Wednesday.
Below are some examples of criticism that certainly lack you-attitude. As practice, consider ways that you might adjust these examples based on the principles we’ve explored. (It is not necessary to include these in the memo to your instructor.)
1. Reading your report reminds me of when I was a kid and my older brother used to spin me around and around and around. I have that same disoriented feeling and sickness in my stomach right now.
2. I will say that after looking over your job application, I had a religious awakening. The fact that anyone ever hired you before makes me believe in miracles.
3. This isn’t writing. It’s typing.
4. My mother always told me to find at least one good thing to say about someone. Well, I like the font you used.
5. It’s a testament to courage and indomitable spirit that a writer with your obvious challenges with the English language has managed to make it this far. Bravo, Shakespeare.
6. I would have to fix about half the spelling and grammar mistakes in this memo just to classify it as awful.
7. Your writing is a case study on the failure of the modern education system. I’m surprised you got the staple in the right place.
2.USING READER BENEFITS: Write an Email to a Potential Customer. See Unit 2, Module 8, Activity 8.10, p. 121
3.
Imagine you are now working as a manager or owner of a business in your field. You have been given a lead to a person who may be interested in contracting your company or hiring your services. For example, if you are a health care, you want that person to visit your office to encourage the person to use your facility. If you are in sports management, you want that person to employ your services. If you in Homeland Security, you want that person to hire your company to strengthen his or her company’s security apparatus. Be creative, but realistic. In your email to the individual, be sure to anticipate and address feelings, fears, or needs that may have motivated him or her to reach out to your office/company/institution. Be sure to identify the features you offer and how those could benefit him or her. Reference all of Module 8 and in particular, see the examples in LO 8-3.
Ensure your email is:
- Reader Benefits-Focused
- Adapted to the Audience
- Based on Intrinsic advantages
- Supported by clear logic and explained in adequate detail
- Phrased with the You-Attitude
4.NEGATIVE MESSAGING/PERSUASIVE MESSAGING: Saying No to the Boss (LO 13-1 to LO 13-3)
5.
Today, you received the following e-mail message from your boss:
“Subject: Oversee United Way
I’m appointing you to be the company representative to oversee United Way. You’ve done a good job the last three years, so this year should be a piece of cake!”
It’s true that you know exactly what to do. The job wouldn’t be hard for you. But that’s just the problem. You wouldn’t learn anything, either. You’d rather have an assignment that would stretch you, teach you new skills, or enable you to interact with new people. Continuing to grow is your insurance of continued employability and mobility. Three upcoming projects in your division might offer growth:
- creating videos for a “town meeting” for all employees to be held at the beginning of next quarter,
- creating an intranet for the company,
- or serving on the diversity committee.
Any of these would be time-consuming, but no more time-consuming than running the United Way campaign.
Write an e-mail to your boss, asking for something more challenging to do.
Additional guidance: review Module 13, pp. 220-224.
4. Evaluating Sources
One of the responsibilities often associated with management is the gathering of career-specific information on resources or professional development. Familiarity with professional sources shows you have interest in your field and invest time to stay current with developments and debates in your industry.
For this assignment, you will identify three credible sources related to your field. You will identify the sources using accurate APA format. Then, for each source, you will write two complete paragraphs that
- Summarize the source;
- Comment on the source’s benefits and currency.
The three sources should include one of each of the following sources:
- An academic or professional source from the Keiser e-library database. Avoid single articles, too. Try to identify a database or a journal relevant to your field.
- A professional news in your field or a respected commercial site like The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal. An online magazine such as Forbes or Fortune might be appropriate, depending on your field.
- An organizational site such as .org, .edu, and .gov site. Examples could include American Medical Association, the National Criminal Justice Association, the American Dairymen’s Association, and so forth.
RESPOND TO Ashleigh Parham
The ability to express negative messaging in a more appealing manner, or as the song in the movie Mary Poppins goes, “a spoonful of sugar makes the medicine go down,” is more important than the ability to convey positive messaging. Positive emphasis is a way of looking at things. Is the bottle half empty or half full? (Locker & Kaczmarek, 2014. 102). Although bad or unpleasant news is never appreciated, it is a part of life and business. The way we deliver the news makes it easier to accept or lessens the blow. It is a method of looking at things in either a half-empty or half-full viewpoint, as we discussed in our chapter about positive emphasis. So the message must still be delivered, but the manner in which it is delivered makes it simpler to accept.
Another option, in my opinion, is to use the reader advantage discussed in module eight. You can organize any message to fit what you are attempting to convey or tell the reader no matter what the scenario is, by thinking about the reader’s benefits and sentiments, worries, needs, and what inspires them. Lock and Kaczmarek outlines Maslow’s approach for assessing a reader’s advantages by looking at their fears, feelings, needs, and motivation in module eight, which is an excellent template to follow.
Billboard Advertisement:
Purpose – What is your purpose of the artifact?
On the surface, selling a weight loss medicine is a good thing, but it also promotes motivation, self-esteem, and age.
Audience – Who is your intended audience?
Women and Men. However given the advertisment I believe women are the most targeted for ths ad.
Information – What is the most pertinent information conveyed?
The most crucial message is an outspoken appeal to body confidence and self-esteem.
Benefits – How does the information benefit the perceived audience?
The advantages are that ladies who see the billboard will become self-aware of their bodies right away and take actions to shed weight. Getting to that advantage, in my opinion, is a really terrible, degrading process. I believe that all women should embrace their body and body shape. All women will never look like the model in the ad.
Objections – What might someone object to?
Due to the sexist position it sets ladies in, the objection will undoubtedly be to the prescribed form of physique that all females should achieve.
Context – What is the context for this communication?
The message of this commercial is that it is easier to glance at water than it is to not look at it. This creates a vast range of body size fluctuation around whether you make the cut or not. I know personally I would never look like the model advertise. But to answer the ads question I believe my summer/beach body is ready in my own right.
References
Locker, K.O., Kaczmarek, S., K. (2014) Business Communication: Building Critical Skills. McGraw-Hill/Irwin: New York, NY.
RESPOND TO Kevin Martin
This week’s discussion is focusing on Positive Messaging and the PAIBOC Analysis. Pages 102-104 in the book are a great resource to reference when you need a review on the tone you should be using. I found it very helpful as I don’t think about these things very often. There are multiple ways to write something however there is only one way to write it in a positive tone. Words that are synonymous with “no” and “failure” are to be avoided in order to keep your message positive. I am absolutely guilty of using these words in emails. The book also says to omit negatives only when needed (Locker, K. O., & Kaczmarek, S. K. (2014)). Sometimes they are needed. Other times, they serve no purpose and can be omitted completely while the information being conveyed in the message does not change. A tactic that will help improve my ability to write positive messages is to think about different ways to craft message without using “no” or “not.” This will be the first time I will actively be thinking about these things which will be great practice.
Locker, K. O., & Kaczmarek, S. K. (2014). In Business communication: building critical skills (Sixth, p. 9), McGraw Hill Irwin.
PAIBOC Analysis: Billboard
The purpose of this billboard is to sell a product. In this case, it is advertising bodybuilding and weight loss supplements. The time of year is most likely in March or April as the ad is asking if you are beach body ready. It is most likely targeting bodybuilders or gym goers that are female however men would be persuaded to purchase what is being advertised as well. People that are wanting to lose weight would also be the target of this ad. The information being conveyed is persuasive in nature. Obviously they are selling an image along with bodybuilding and weight loss supplements so they included a picture of a model in a bikini. This does not necessarily benefit the average gym goer as 99% of people will never look like that. The model in the ad gets paid to workout and stay fit similar to how Hollywood movie studios pay actors to get fit for an action movie role. Some people may object to the picture of the model on the ad. Certain religions look down upon women showing skin in public. Some people may just be intimidated by the image. All of this information shows us the context of the message. It is obviously an ad that is trying to sell an image and a product to make money. The picture of the model will be out of place if there is no advertisement next to it and the advertisement will not have the same effect without the picture of the model.
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