Chapter 4

Lecture Slides

Planning Written and

Spoken Messages

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Learning Objective 1
Identify the purposes and type of
message

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Planning Written and Spoken

Messages

Determine the
purpose
and select
the
channel

Envision
the
audience

Consider
the
context

Choose a
channel
and the
medium

Adapt the
message
to
audience
needs and
concerns

Organize
the
message

Prepare
the first
draft

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The Purpose of the Message

To Inform
To Persuade
To Convey Goodwill
To Establish Credibility

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Determine the Type of Message

Good news messages: positive news,

messages of appreciation or thank-you
notes
Neutral messages: routine messages,
requests and claims, customer orders and
credit, procedures
Bad news messages: refusals of requests
and claims, denials of credit, and
problems with customer orders
Persuasive messages: sales messages and
persuasive requests
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Communicate Ethically & Responsibly

State information as truthfully and

fairly as possible

Do not exaggerate facts

Express ideas understandably

Support viewpoint with facts

State ideas with consideration that

preserves receivers self-worth

Design honest graphics

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Learning Objective 2
Develop clear perceptions of the audience
to enhance the impact of the
communication and human relations.

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Envision the Audience

What should you learn about your audience?

Age
Economic level
Education and work
background
Needs and concerns
Culture
Rapport
Expectations

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Types of Workplace
Audiences

1. Managerial: look for the big picture and tend

to ignore details
2. Non-expert: know little about a subject and
need more details
3. Expert: know as much about the topic as you
do
4. International/multicultural: may not speak
English as a first language and may have
differing cultural interpretations of symbols
and behaviors
5. Mixed: all of the above
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Audience Perceptions
Audience perception is colored by:
Previous experiences
Attitude toward sender and
ourselves
Attitude toward subject
Experience with channel,
especially in electronic
communication
2

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10

Learning Objective 3
Consider the context of the
message and any environmental
influences that may affect its
delivery.

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11

Step 3: Consider the Context

CONTEXTUAL DIMENSIONS
Physical Context
Social Context
Chronological
Context
Cultural Context
3

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12

Physical Context
Setting can influence the content and quality of
interactions

How would these settings would change an

interaction?
Office
Hallway
Company Picnic
Mall

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13

Social Context
The nature of the relationship between
communicators

How would these types of relationships would

change an interaction:
Friendly
Cordial
Contentious

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14

Chronological Context

The ways time

influences
interactions

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15

Cultural Context
Includes the organizational culture as well as
the cultural backgrounds of individual
members.

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16

Remember This!
Organizational Culture: a
system of shared meanings and
practices held by members that
distinguish the organization from
other organizations.

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17

Learning Objective 4
Determine the appropriate channel
and media for communicating the
message.

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Things to Consider When Considering

Channel and Media
Richness vs. leanness
Need for interpretation
(ambiguity)
Speed of establishing contact
Time required for feedback
Cost
Amount of information conveyed
Permanent record
Control over the message
4

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19

Two-Way, Face-To-Face

IN PERSON
Communicate an unpleasant or
highly emotional message that
may be subject to
misinterpretation, a persuasive
message, follow-up to a complex
written message, or a personal
message.
4

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20

Two-Way, Face-To-Face
TRADITIONAL GROUP
MEETING
Provides an optimal
communication environment for
discussing and reaching consensus
on critical issues.

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Two-Way, Face-To-Face
VIDEO OR
TELECONFERENCE

Provide an optimal
communication environment for
discussing and reaching a
consensus on critical issues
when members are
geographically dispersed.
4

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22

Two-Way, Not Face-To-Face

TELEPHONE CALL
Deliver or obtain pleasant or
routine information instantly.

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Two-Way, Not Face-To-Face

VOICE MAIL MESSAGE
Leave message the receiver can
reply to when convenient,
eliminating telephone tag.

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Two-Way, Not Face-To-Face

ELECTRONIC MAIL / INSTANT MESSAGING
Deliver the same message to a large,
dispersed audience; inappropriate
for personal, confidential, or highly
sensitive messages because of
privacy issues.
Contact colleagues while on the
telephone or provide or seek general
information.
4

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One Way, Not Face-To-Face

Letter or
memorandum
Report or
proposal
Web page or
blog
Text
messaging
4

Deliver written record of information

internally or externally.
Provide written record of procedures or policy.
Communicate complex or lengthy information.
Engage in a free-flowing dialog that ensures
timely distribution and capture of knowledge
about a topic of interest.
Give immediate access to short, important
messages that can be retrieved discreetly
between events or detailed information that
can be sent more accurately and easily than by
voice mail.

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Learning Objective 5
Apply techniques for adapting messages
to the audience.

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Focus on Receivers View Point

Me Attitude

You Attitude

I want to
congratulate you
on your award.

I am interested in
ordering . . .

I give you
permission to take
an extra day of
vacation.

Congratulations! You are the

Employee of the Year.

Please send me . . .
(You is the understood
subject.)
You earned an extra day of
vacation because of your
performance.

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When Compliments Go Bad

Compliments can do more
harm than good if paid at the
wrong time, in the wrong
setting, in the presence of the
wrong people, or for the wrong
reasons.
5

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Learning Objective 6
Recognize the importance of
organizing a message before
writing the first draft and select the
appropriate message outline
(deductive or inductive) for
developing messages to achieve
the desired response.

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Sender Benefits from Outlining

Encourages accuracy
________ and _______
brevity

Permits concentration
_____________ on one phase at a time

Saves time in structuring

___________ ideas

Provides a psychological
______________ lift

Facilitates appropriate emphasis

_________ of ideas

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Receiver Benefits from Outlining

Makes messages more concise
and accurate
Makes relationships between
ideas easier to distinguish and
remember
Promotes a positive reaction to
the message and the sender

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Select an Outline for Written

and Spoken Messages

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Learning Objective 7
Prepare the first draft.

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Get Ready, Set, Write!

1. Brainstorm
2. Write rapidly
3. Intend to write and rewrite
4. Revise until document is perfect
5. Consider using technological
help
6. Create purposeful, effective,
logical final draft
7

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Get Ready to Write

Message type
and purpose
Audience
needs &
perspective

Logical
Sequence

Begin
composing
message

Channel
and
medium

Context of
message
7

Inductive or
deductive

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