Chapter 3: Getting started. Planning, Writing, and Revising Business Messages Flashcards
(111 cards)
1
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What are contextual factors in writing?
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Contextual factors are elements of a writing task, such as the situation, the organization’s procedures, and the readers, that influence the writer’s choices.
2
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How do contextual factors impact writing?
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They influence the writer’s decisions at every step, taking into account the writing situation, an organization’s procedures, and the document’s intended readers.
3
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What is a genre in writing?
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Genres are agreed-upon forms of writing that develop in response to recurrent situations and that allow users to act purposefully in a particular activity.
4
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What does register refer to in writing?
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Register refers to the level of formality gauged to a specific purpose and social setting. It can be formal, casual, or a mix of both.
5
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What characterizes a formal register in writing?
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A formal register uses complete sentences, technical or academic vocabulary, and no slang or contractions.
It’s typically used in formal settings like board meetings.
6
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What characterizes a casual register in writing?
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A casual register is used in more informal settings, and features colloquialisms and slang. It typically characterizes messages exchanged among friends or close colleagues.
7
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What is a discourse community in writing?
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A discourse community is a group of communicators who share a goal or an interest in adopting a way of participating in a public discussion, including the use of particular genres, registers, and terminology.
8
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What are the six defining characteristics of a discourse community according to John Swales?
A
The six defining characteristics are:
communal interest and a common public goal;
a forum for participation and intercommunication;
exchange of information and feedback;
genre development;
specialized terminology;
and expertise.
9
Q
Why is understanding genres important in managing the challenges of workplace writing?
A
Genres are tools used in specific situations that allow users to act purposefully.
Knowing about business genres and when to use each can help in effectively communicating and responding to recurrent situations in the workplace.
10
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What are discursive practices in the context of a discourse community?
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Discursive practices involve using particular genres, registers, and terminology. They are the ways in which members of a discourse community participate in public discussions relevant to their shared goals or interests.
11
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FIGURE 3.1 The Three Components of the Rhetorical Situation
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12
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FIGURE 3.2 The Five Overlapping Steps of the Writing Process
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13
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What is the basic definition of rhetoric in the context of writing?
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Rhetoric describes the effective use of language to achieve certain, often persuasive, goals. It can also refer to an awareness of the choices made in writing.
14
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What is a rhetorical situation according to Lloyd Bitzer?
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A rhetorical situation is the circumstances in which individuals communicate. It includes three components: exigence, audience, and constraints.
15
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Why are some situations not considered rhetorical?
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Some situations, like natural phenomena such as droughts or storms, are not rhetorical because they cannot be changed or prevented through rhetoric. However, the human response to such phenomena can create a rhetorical situation.
16
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What are the general steps in the writing process?
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The writing process involves generating, organizing, and translating ideas into text. It includes several overlapping parts or stages that can be repeated multiple times.
17
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Why is it important to follow the steps in the writing process?
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Following the steps in the writing process ensures effective communication, reduces the risk of miscommunication, and yields better results. Skipping steps or taking shortcuts can lead to misunderstandings and poor results.
18
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What does it mean that the writing process is recursive?
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The recursive nature of the writing process means that writers are free to return to and repeat an earlier stage at any point.
For example, during revision, a writer might need to brainstorm additional content or reevaluate their audience’s needs.
19
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What is the importance of message planning in writing?
A
Message planning is crucial because you usually have only one chance to get your message across.
It prevents mistakes and misunderstandings, ensuring purpose-driven, audience-focused, and concise communication.
20
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How much time should be devoted to planning in the writing process?
A
Roughly half of the total time for the writing process should be devoted to planning, which includes prewriting, organizing, and outlining.
Good planning can save time during the drafting and revision stages.
21
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FIGURE 3.3 Purpose-Driven, Audience-Focused, and Concise Business Communciation
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22
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FIGURE 3.4 Reasons People Communicate at Work
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23
Q
What is prewriting in the context of communication?
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Prewriting involves analyzing the writing task—its purpose, scope, audience, context, channel, and other details—before you start writing.
It helps in tailoring the message to the reader’s needs and adapting it to the situation.
24
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What are the components to consider during the prewriting process?
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During prewriting, consider the primary purpose of the document,
the scope of the subject,
audience’s needs,
the most appropriate medium or channel for the message,
the most effective design or layout,
the information to be exchanged,
supporting points, and
crafting a story or stories that will appeal to the audience’s needs.
25
What are the two broad purposes of most business communication?
Most business communication has one of two broad purposes: to inform (the most common purpose) or to persuade.
However, messages can also have multiple purposes, such as a primary and a secondary purpose.
26
What does scope refer to in the context of communication?
Scope refers to the expected breadth and depth of detail in a document relative to the subject it covers.
It helps in avoiding irrelevancies, managing the writing task, and making the message responsive to the receivers' needs.
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What factors should be considered when determining the scope of a message?
When determining the scope of a message, consider the balance between the number of main points and the amount of detail, the level of detail acceptable for similar documents in your workplace, instructions and corporate standards, ethical dimensions, the scalability of messages, and the use of overview statements and headings
28
What is an audience profile in the context of communication?
An audience profile refers to the receivers and decoders of a message.
It's important to analyze the audience before communication, considering their organizational culture and cultural environment.
This helps in tailoring the message, choosing the right channel, design, content, word choice, and tone.
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How can visualizing the audience improve communication?
Visualizing the audience helps to get a clearer idea of what information to include and what language and tone to use.
It enables you to adapt the message to the audience, increasing the chances of successful communication.
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What is audience analysis and adaptation?
It is the process of assessing the needs and knowledge of readers or listeners and adapting messages accordingly.
31
Why is understanding the receiver's responsibilities and position important?
This understanding helps determine how the information you pass on will be used and the appropriate level of formality and tone.
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How can you shape a message according to the receiver's attitudes, interests, and questions?
By giving additional emphasis to key points, highlighting the relevance in a subject line, or making the action easier to understand.
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What factors should you consider based on your experience with the receiver?
Predict possible areas of need or conflict and consider the situational and organizational influences on your receiver.
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How does the receiver's knowledge about the subject impact the message?
The receiver's knowledge level will determine the amount and type of detail, background, and explanation you should include in the message.
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How can you anticipate the receiver's likely response?
If the receiver is unlikely to agree with you, be prepared to use persuasive strategies or structure your message according to an indirect pattern.
36
How can your choice of words define your relationship with the receiver?
Be deliberate in your choice of pronouns (e.g., I, you, we), as these words can define or change your relationship with the receiver.
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What is a primary audience?
Primary audiences are the intended receivers of a message; they are the key decision-makers who will use or act on a message’s information.
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What is a secondary audience?
Secondary audiences are anyone other than the primary audience who will receive a message and be affected by the action or decision it calls for.
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Why should you uphold ethical and legal standards in all communication?
Because electronic messages can be forwarded and documents can be used as evidence in legal cases.
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How should you adapt your message for an international receiver?
Consider the receiver’s background, environment, and beliefs.
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Why is it important to consider the receiver's particular expectations?
The receiver may intend to use the document in a particular way, which will influence his or her expectations about the document’s length and form.
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What are reader benefits?
The advantages the reader stands to gain by complying with what the writer is proposing.
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What is credibility?
Credibility is the extent to which you are viewed as believable, based on your competence, ethical character, and caring for others.
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What is the medium or channel in communication?
The medium or channel is the physical means by which a message is transmitted.
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TABLE 3.1 Communication Channels and Their Best Uses
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What are some digital media options for communicators to reach their audience?
Options include video-sharing platforms such as YouTube, 360-video and VR (virtual reality) platforms.
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What are the factors to consider when assessing which communication channel is best for your purpose?
Factors include accuracy, speed, cost, need for a permanent record, detail, importance, privacy, channel capacity and constraints, audience size and location, formality, immediacy of feedback, level of control over the message, richness, and organizational preferences.
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What is the definition of "richness" in the context of communication channels?
Richness refers to the quantity of different types of cues—verbal and visual—from which meaning can be inferred. A rich medium is better for building rapport.
49
Why is it important to consider the design or layout of a message?
A well-designed message creates positive impressions of the sender and their organization. It conveys professionalism, primes receivers to be more receptive to the message, and facilitates understanding.
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What are some characteristics of a well-designed message?
It has an uncomplicated appearance, consistent formatting, wide even margins, consistent line spacing, easy-to-read fonts, sufficient contrast between text and background color, well-placed and well-worded headings, and clearly purposed tables, photos, and illustrations.
51
What is content generation in the context of communication?
Content generation is the process of collecting all necessary information before writing, whether by researching data or generating ideas.
52
What is brainstorming and how can it be used in content generation?
Brainstorming is a free-association exercise that stimulates creative thinking, unlocks ideas, and reveals hidden connections.
It involves jotting down any thoughts that come to mind related to the topic, and then sorting through and analyzing these ideas.
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What is mapping or clustering in the context of content generation?
Mapping or clustering is a form of brainstorming that involves visualizing a topic and its related classifications and subtopics.
It helps define the relationship between ideas and generates clusters and subclusters of ideas grouped around a central concept.
54
What are journalistic questions in the context of business communications?
Journalistic questions are the essential questions (who, what, why, when, where, and how) that frame journalists’ inquiries as they focus and prepare stories.
They are useful for understanding a topic and its major ideas, especially if you intend to write a clear and compelling document.
55
What are some of the resources for gathering information in-house?
In-house resources can include
archived company records,
documents,
files such as financial statements,
business and marketing plans,
project proposals,
budgets,
annual reports,
sales and marketing reports and projections,
investigation and project reports,
recorded presentations,
customer surveys,
newsletters, and
press releases.
56
What are examples of digital media sources for information?
Digital media sources can include social media, apps, websites, personalized services and recommendations, blogs, podcasts, and online video.
57
What is market research in business communications?
Market research is the process of gathering information about how people will react to current or proposed products and services.
This may involve sorting through data from a third-party organization or conducting surveys, questionnaires, interviews, or focus groups.
58
What is freewriting in the context of business communication?
Freewriting is a method of generating content based on unstructured writing and the recording of ideas as they come to mind. It's often used to establish major points that anchor each paragraph of a message.
59
What are some formats and approaches for providing supporting information in business communication?
Supporting information can be provided through numerical, statistical, and factual data; visual and graphical elements; appeals to authority; narratives; and descriptions.
60
What are the advantages of using stories in business communication?
Stories in business communication help audience members remember key details, provide pathways to problem-solving, show patterns and connections, provide audience members with the feeling of having experienced an activity or a process, and drive emotional engagement.
61
What are some guidelines for effective storytelling in business communication?
To be effective, stories used in business communication should be brief, believable, familiar, true, authentic, told from one perspective, focused on a problem or a dilemma, provide a positive or purposeful ending, preserve confidentiality, be relevant, and aim to win over the audience, issue a call to action, or close a deal.
62
What are the four main methods for organizing and outlining information in business communication?
The four main methods are
sequential development,
chronological development,
general-to-specific development,
and cause-and-effect development.
63
What is the purpose of an outline in business communication?
An outline is a framework for a document, showing its divisions and elements.
It helps ensure your document is complete and detects errors in logic and coherence. It allows you to experiment with the arrangement of ideas before committing them to the written page.
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Research Classifications
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What is drafting in the context of business writing?
Drafting is the preliminary writing of a document, which includes expanding an outline without worrying about perfection on the first try. It's a continuous process where you can start with the easiest part of the message and refine your language later.
66
How should one handle the introduction in larger and smaller documents?
In larger documents like reports, the introduction can be written last so it accurately reflects the overall content.
In shorter routine messages, the opening may reveal the primary purpose or prepare the reader for the details to come.
67
What is writer's block?
Writer's block is a temporary inability to formulate and express one's thoughts due to a lack of inspiration or fear. It can happen unexpectedly and can lead to missed deadlines and decreased productivity.
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What are some strategies to overcome writer's block?
Strategies include starting early, talking out your thoughts, skipping around the document, taking breaks, practicing freewriting, and adopting a positive attitude towards writing.
69
What is the strategy for writing under pressure?
The strategy includes allocating your time, minimizing distractions, effectively using word-processing software, planning the structure, visualizing your reader, going with the flow, and leaving refinements for revision.
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What is freewriting?
Freewriting is an exercise in dedicated, non-stop writing for a set period (usually ten minutes), meant to unlock ideas and get them onto the page. Not everything written may be useful, but some parts may be kept for the draft.
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Why is starting early beneficial for good writing?
Starting early allows enough time to think through a writing task and complete it according to your goals.
Good writing is easier to produce when relaxed, which is more achievable with ample time.
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How can verbalizing ideas aid in overcoming writer's block?
Many people can articulate their thoughts more fluently in spoken language. Verbalizing ideas or dictating them into a voice recorder can help get thoughts down in some form, which can then be written down.
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What does the strategy 'Skip around' mean in the context of writing?
'Skip around' means that you don't need to start at the beginning of a document and work your way through to the end. You can start with the section you feel most comfortable with and leave uncertain sections for later.
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How can taking a break help in the writing process?
Switching to another activity can provide the objectivity needed to return to the writing task refreshed.
This can be any activity from tidying up the desk to answering a phone call.
75
How can adopting a positive attitude help in writing?
A positive attitude involves practicing writing regularly and asking for feedback.
Through interaction, you can learn about the writing expectations in your corporate culture and think of writing as a means to achieve professional goals.
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How to cope with writing under pressure?
To cope with writing under pressure, allocate your time, minimize distractions, use word-processing software effectively, plan the structure, visualize your reader, start with the easiest section, and leave refinements for revision.
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How does visualizing your reader help in writing?
Visualizing your reader helps you to explain difficult concepts by relating them to what is familiar and already known to your reader. This makes the content more accessible and understandable.
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What is revising in the context of document production?
Revising is the process of reviewing and making changes in a draft document—adding, deleting, reorganizing, or substituting—to transform it into a finished document.
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What is editing in the context of document production?
Editing is the process of checking a writing draft to ensure it conforms to standards of good English, style, and accepted business-writing practice.
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What is proofreading in the context of document production?
Proofreading is a process of checking the nearly final copy of a document for errors and inconsistencies.
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Why should you take a break before starting the revision process?
Taking a break before starting the revision process ensures that you can look objectively at the document you have written. It allows you to clear your head and approach the document with fresh eyes.
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What are some strategies for effective revision of documents?
Some strategies include working from a saved document or printed copy, reducing your reading speed, looking at the document from the reader's perspective, making several passes over the draft, reading the draft aloud, and using spell- and grammar-checkers, while respecting their limitations.
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What is the content-organization-style (COS) method in editing?
The COS method involves three stages of editing:
**content** (ensuring the document is complete and clearly expresses its main points),
**organization** (ensuring the document's main message is clear and logically related to other parts), and
**style** (checking the tone, sentence structure, grammar, and punctuation).
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Why is it beneficial to work from a saved document or printed copy during the revision process?
Working from a saved document or printed copy allows you to have a record of what you originally wrote. This can be helpful if you decide that the first version was preferable after making revisions.
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Why should you reduce your reading speed during the revision process?
Reducing your reading speed increases the likelihood of finding errors. Speed-reading may cause you to overlook important details or mistakes.
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What is the benefit of looking at your document from the reader's perspective during revision?
Looking at your document from the reader's perspective helps to spot errors and potential areas of confusion that you might not notice otherwise. It also helps in ensuring that your message is effectively communicated.
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Why should you make several passes over the draft during the revision process?
Making several passes over the draft increases the chances of spotting every error and analyzing every need for global revision. This also allows you to focus on one specific set of problems at a time.
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Why is reading your draft aloud beneficial during the revision process?
Reading your draft aloud helps to detect errors and awkward phrasings more easily. It can also help in clarifying problems with sentence structure, tone, and fogginess.
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What are the limitations of using spell- and grammar-checkers during the revision process?
While spell- and grammar-checkers can be very helpful, they may not flag every error. Sometimes, they may suggest an incorrect spelling for a proper noun or fail to detect a misspelled technical term. It's important to use your own judgment and not rely solely on these tools.
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Why is it important to keep your prewriting goals in mind during the revision process?
Keeping your prewriting goals in mind ensures that you don't ignore the revision process or become overly critical of your own work. The goal is to improve the document, not necessarily to make it perfect.
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What is the role of editing and proofreading in the 'now-or-never' phase of document production?
In the 'now-or-never' phase of document production, editing and proofreading represent the final opportunity to make changes and refinements to the document. They help in correcting potential weaknesses and spotting areas for improvement to make or break a piece of writing.
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FIGURE 3.7 Proofreaders’ Symbols
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FIGURE 3.8 Collaborative Writing Strategies
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What three steps should be taken during a critical read-through?
Step One is ensuring completeness,
Step Two is checking structure and coherence,
and Step Three involves ensuring accuracy.
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What is meant by 'completeness' in the context of document revision?
Completeness means ensuring that your document achieves its purpose and meets the readers’ needs, providing adequate information without causing information overload.
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What is the importance of 'structure and coherence' in document revision?
The elements that make up your document should be logically organized according to the rhetorical purpose you wish to achieve. Related ideas should be linked through logic and appropriate transitional devices.
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Why is accuracy important in document revision?
Accuracy ensures that the information you present is correct and free of distortion. It is crucial to verify names, numbers, and other details against their sources.
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What is collaborative writing and why is it important in the workplace?
Collaborative writing is the process where multiple writers work together to create finished reports, proposals, and other important documents.
It's important because many projects require multiple areas of expertise, and collaborative writing allows for shared responsibilities and decision-making.
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What challenges can interfere with the process of collaborative writing?
Challenges can include political, social, and logistical issues such as differing writing styles, a lack of sensitivity or diplomacy, personal conflicts, and time or coordination constraints.
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What strategies can help make collaborative writing a successful process?
Strategies include practicing active listening, designating a team coordinator, planning ahead, agreeing on writing style standards, making the most of technology, determining responsibilities, fostering a spirit of cooperation, and harmonizing writing styles.
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How can technology aid in the process of collaborative writing?
Technology can facilitate communication and coordination among team members, especially when they're in different locations.
Tools like email, file-sharing sites, virtual meeting software, and collaborative writing tools can be very helpful.
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What is the role of a team coordinator in a collaborative writing project?
The team coordinator doesn't necessarily have authority over the entire project, but they coordinate planning and activities.
They keep track of progress on the document and consolidate draft segments into a master copy.
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Why is it important to harmonize writing styles in a collaborative writing project?
Harmonizing writing styles helps to ensure consistency across the document, making it read as if it was written by one person.
This can be achieved by having the group's best writer or editor do a final check for consistency and integration of writing styles.
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What is the purpose of collaborative writing tools?
Collaborative writing tools allow group members to co-author documents in real time, keep track of individual members’ contributions, review and comment on other members’ progress, ask questions and make suggestions for revisions, and track changes to existing text without overwriting the original copy.
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What features make for the best collaborative writing tools?
The best collaborative writing tools are easy for users to use and access, allowing activity to be fast and spontaneous.
They also enable multiple people to make changes from a distance at the same time, and provide real-time co-authoring and typing capabilities.
106
How can critiquing others' writing be beneficial?
Critiquing others' work can help the critiquer build confidence, improve powers of critical reflection, enhance interactive and negotiation skills, and increase empathy and sensitivity.
It can also improve self-assessment skills and help learn more about writing.
107
What are some principles for giving and receiving feedback productively?
Principles include building a safe environment for feedback, being an attentive and responsive listener, sticking to guidelines or rubrics, knowing when to be candid with feedback and when to give feedback privately, and avoiding criticism that could suppress further responses.
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What is the significance of critiquing in the revision stage of writing?
Critiquing, especially from a peer, can help a writer improve the organization of a document, ensure that meanings are clear, and ascertain that the message will meet its audience's needs
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What skills can be gained or improved through peer assessment?
Skills gained or improved through peer assessment can include building confidence, powers of critical reflection, interactive and negotiation skills, empathy, and sensitivity. These skills are also applicable to self-assessment.
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FIGURE 3.9 Collaborative Writing Tools
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FIGURE 3.10 Draft Message with Changes Tracked
