Chapter 5: Electronic

Messages and Digital Media

Week 4 2
 Informs employees, request data, give responses, confirm decisions,
and provide directions

 When email is useful:

 Appropriate for short, informal messages
 Effective for messages to multiple receivers
 Essential for messages that must be saved
 Appropriate as a cover document when sending longer attachments

 When a memo is useful:

 Necessary for important internal messages
 Important in keeping a permanent record or formality
Whatever channel you choose, be sure it is comfortable
to the receiver AND appropriate for the organization!

Week 4 3
 Subject line: Summarize the main idea in condensed form.
◦ Staff Meeting
◦ Staff Meeting Rescheduled for May 12

 Opening: Reveal the main idea immediately but in expanded form.

 Indirect Opening Direct Opening

For the past six months the Human
Resources Development
Department has been considering
changes in our employees’ benefit
plan.
Please review the following
proposal regarding employees’
benefits, and let me know by May
20 if you approve these changes.

Week 4 4
 Body: Explain and justify the main idea using headings, bulleted
lists, and other high-skim (easy to read and comprehend)
techniques when appropriate.

 Closing: Include (a) action information, dates, or deadlines; (b) a

summary of the message; or (c) a closing thought.

Week 4 5
 Guide Words – Address “To, From, Subject, Date, Cc, Bcc”
 Greeting – Use just name or name with “Hi, Dear, Greetings, Hello”
 Body – Highlight one topic, with standard caps and lowercases,
length, double space between paragraphs, use attachments
 Closing Lines – Use “Regards, Warm Regards, Cheers, Best, Yours
Truly”
 Signature Block – Write name and contact information

Week 4 6
Week 4 7
 Margins – 1-inch top and bottom, 1.25 inches left and right
 Heading – Reads company’s name plus “Memorandum”
 Spacing – Two blank lines after heading, left aligned and ragged
right margins, single space throughout message and double space
between paragraphs
 Guide Words– On left, in bold, including “Date, To, From, Subject”

Week 4 8
Week 4 9
 Basics
 Try composing offline
 Get the address right
 Avoid misleading subject lines
 Apply the “top-of-screen” test

 Content, tone, and correctness

 Be concise
 Don’t send anything you wouldn’t want published
 Don’t use email to avoid contact
 Care about correctness
 Care about tone
 Resist humor or sarcasm  !
Email messages travel long distances, are difficult to
erase, and may become evidence in court!

Week 4 10
 Netiquette
 Never send spam
 Get the address right
 Use capital letters only for emphasis or for titles
 Beware of long threads

 Replying to an email
 Scan all messages before replying
 Print only when necessary
 Acknowledge receipt
 Don’t automatically return the sender’s message
 Revise the subject line if topic changes
 Provide a clear, complete first sentence
 Never respond when you are angry

Week 4 11
 Personal Use
 Don’t use company computers for personal matters
 Assume that all email is monitored!

 Other Tips
 Design your message effectively
 Consider cultural differences
 Double-check before hitting “Send”!

Week 4 12
 Effectiveness and importance of:

 IMs
 Facebook
 Twitter
 LinkedIn
 Blogs

Impact on Personal versus Professional Image?

Week 4 13
 In the past your company offered all employees 11 holidays,
starting with New Year’s Day in January and proceeding through
Christmas Day the following December. Other companies offer
similar holiday schedules. In addition, your company has given
all employees one floating holiday. That day was determined by a
company-wide vote. As a result, all employees had the same day
off. Now, management is considering a new plan that involves a
floating holiday that each employee may choose. Selections,
however, would be subject to staffing needs within individual
departments. If two people wanted the same day, the employee
with the most seniority would have the day off.

Week 4 14
 Your Task: As a member of the human resources staff, write an
e-mail to employees. This message should provide information
as well as ask employees to choose between continuing the
current company wide uniform floating holiday and instituting a
new plan for an individual floating holiday. Be sure to establish
an end date.

Week 4 15