Chapter 3: Planning Written & Spoken Messages

1. Chapter 3:Planning Written& Spoken Messages MGT 3213 – Organizational Communications

2. Process for Planning and Preparing Spoken and Written Messages

3. Step one: Consider the applicable contextual forces • Organizational Culture “A pattern of shared basic assumptions that the group learned as it solved its problems of external adaptation and internal integration and which has worked well enough to be taught to new members as the correct way to perceive, think, and feel in relation to these problems.” • Socialization Not just behaviors, communication too

4. Step one: Consider the applicable contextual forces • Characteristics of organizational culture • Innovation and risk taking • Attention to detail • Outcome orientation • People orientation • Team orientation • Aggressiveness • Stability

5. Step one: Consider the applicable contextual forces • Physical • Social • Chronological • Cultural • Environmental

6. Step two: Determine the purpose & select the channel & medium What is the central idea of your message? Whatdo you hope to accomplish with the message?

7. Step two: Determine the purpose & select the channel & medium • Two-way, face-to-face • (group meeting, one-on-one) • Two-way, not face-to-face • (phone, email) • One-way, not face-to-face • (letter, memo)

8. Step two: Determine the purpose & select the channel & medium Telephone or face-to-face: Lends importance to the message; more personal Telephone or face-to-face: Lends importance to the message; more personal Email: Routine matter; mass distribution

9. Step two: Determine the purpose & select the channel & medium • Considerations • richness vs leanness • need for interpretation • speed of establishing contact • time required for feedback • cost • amount of information conveyed • need for permanent record • control over the message

10. Step three: Envision the audience • Anticipating how the audience will interpret and respond to your message • Put yourself “in their shoes” • Why is this step important? • Allows you to avoid miscommunication! • Maximizes the effectiveness of your message

11. Step three: Envision the audience • Gather AS MUCH INFORMATION AS POSSIBLE about the audience of your message • Age • Economic level • Education/occupational background • Needs and concerns of the audience • Culture • Rapport • Expectations • If nothing else, imagine how you would react if you were the one receiving the message If you can only choose one of these items, which one should you pick?

12. Step three: Envision the audience

13. Step three: Envision the audience • Also ask, what type of audience am I addressing? • Managers: Just the facts, be as concise as possible (or have good executive summaries) • Experts: Use standard technical terms, don’t exaggerate or overstate your claims • Nonexperts: Avoid jargon, use lots of definitions and explanations • International/multicultural: Avoid slang, colloquialisms, culture-specific says (e.g. “under the weather”)

14. Step four: Adapt the message to the audience • Try to be receiver-centered • Does the message address the receiver’s needs and concerns? • Will the receiver perceive the ideas to be fair, logical, and ethical? • Are the ideas expressed clearly and concisely (to avoid the embarrassment of miscommunication)? • Does the message promote positive relationships? • Is the message sent promptly? • Is the message professional, high quality?

15. Focus on Receiver’s View Point “I” or Sender-centered “You” or Receiver-centered I want to congratulate you on your award. Congratulations! You are the Employee of the Year. I am interested in ordering . . . Please send me . . . (You is the understood subject.) I give you permission to take an extra day of vacation. You earned an extra day of vacation because of your performance.

16. The power of words Why did Kentucky Fried Chicken change its name to “KFC”? Why is the corn industry lobbying the FDA to change the name of high-fructose corn syrup to corn sugar? Richard Weaver

17. Communicating to convey goodwill • What is goodwill? • The ability to create and maintain positive, productive relationships • An intangible asset arising from the reputation of its business and its relations with its customers • How do you do this? • Be nice • Be honest • Be fair • Be ethical • Establish trust

18. Building & protecting goodwill • Use euphemisms cautiously • What are some examples of euphemisms? • Sanitation worker = garbage collector • Correctional facility = prison • Double-speak, corporate speak • Above-board = ? • Peer management = ? • Rightsize = ? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZIxcxfL5jasright

19. Building & protecting goodwill • Avoid condescending or demeaning expressions • Bean counter = ? • Spin doctor = ? • Ambulance chaser = ? • Shrink = ? • Use connotative tone cautiously • “harped on” vs. discussed • “dealt with” vs. handled or managed • Use bias-free language • Defamatory remarks

20. Step five: Organize the message • Make an outline! • Benefits of outlining your message: • 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

22. Step five: Organize the message • Sequence • Time • Space • Familiarity • Importance • Value