Effective Workplace Communication: Purposes, Channels, and Ethics - Prof. Ashley S. Cowden, Study notes of Technical Writing

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Chapter 1

Communicating in the Communicating in the

Workplace Workplace

 Purposes and importance of workplace

communication.

 Internal and external communication in a business.

 Effective communication to management, co-

workers, and subordinates in a business.

 Appropriate formal or informal tone when writing or

speaking.

 Communication channels.

 Trends in the modern workplace.

 Ethical strategies for your oral and written workplace

communication.

 (^) Writing is both a ‘marker’ of high-skill, high-wage, professional work and a ‘gatekeeper’ with clear equity implications. People unable to express themselves clearly in writing limit their opportunities for professional, salaried employment.  (^) Ability to communicate was rated as the most important factor in making a manager “promotable”

 (^) Operating a Business  (^) Getting hired  (^) Using Time  (^) Costing Money  (^) Getting sued  (^) Gerber =French word for vomiting  (^) Umbro new trainers (sneakers) called the Zyklon (gas used by the Nazis)  (^) Pepsi in Taiwan with the ad "Come Alive With Pepsi“ translated into Chinese as (Pepsi brings your ancestors back from the dead)  (^) Coca-Cola name in China was first read as “Ke-kou-ke-la” which roughly translates to Bite the wax tadpole or female horse stuffed with wax (depending on the dialect).  (^) Building Interpersonal and Business Relationships  (^) Developing Corporate Image and Accountability

Chapter 1 Communicating in the WorkplaceCommunicating in the Workplace

• (^) Letters
• (^) Memos
• (^) Email
• (^) Brochures, Pamphlets, and Fact Sheets
• (^) Instructional Materials
• (^) Reports
• (^) Proposals
• (^) New Media: CDs, DVDs, web pages, email, e-books, podcasts, etc. 7

Engineer

 As production manager, you want to make sure that

both sales manager and finance manager receive your

scheduling estimate.

 Horizontal- phone call, email, or IM

 As engineering manager you want to help employees

throughout the company understand the marketplace

and customer needs.

 Downward, upward, and horizontal- blog, twitter,

email newsletter, in person small group talks

 (^) Reserved for communication with your peers at your company or general public  (^) Can use first person We believe the use of concrete instead of steel is appropriate for this particular project

 (^) Use in technical books and journals  (^) Avoid passive voice and first person After careful considerations of several factors, it was determined that concrete rather than steel would be appropriate material for this project.

Level of Detail and Tone Appropriate for Management

Audience Immediate

Supervisor

Upper-level

Management

CEO

Knowledge of

Subject Matter

Appropriate Tone

Level of Detail

High Low^ Lowest Informal More Formal Most Formal High Low^ Lowest

Level of Detail and Tone Appropriate for Lateral Communication

Audience Coworkers within

Department

Coworkers in Other

Departments

Knowledge of Subject

Matter

Appropriate Tone

Level of Detail

High Low Informal Informal Low High

 Written Communication

 Examples: email, IM, text

messaging, letters,

memos, proposals,

websites, reports, blogs,

brochures, fliers, resumes

 Oral Communication

 Examples: interviews,

training sessions,

managing, presentations,

video conferencing, phone

calls, performance reviews,

voice mails, team projects

Oral Communication Written Communication

 Study of principles of conduct that

apply to an individual or a group

 3 Types

 Professional: Lawyers , Doctors ,

Engineers

 Social

Examples

 Individual

Examples

What do you think of my outfit? What do you think of my outfit? Sure, it looks good. Sure, it looks good.