Professional Writing

Professional Writing Notes to Anderson, Chapters 3

The Basics • Writing is an Action • Writing is an attempt to exert power to achieve some ends. • It attempts to convince others to think differently and/or act in a particular way. • Therefore . . . • Think Constantly about the Reader • What do they want from you? And why? • How will they react to what you say and/or how you say it? • In short, how will your readers respond?

Defining Your communication’s Objectives A communication’s objective is to lead readers to respond in a specific way. Three factors that influence a reader’s response: • The reader’s purpose (in reading your communication) • The reader’s characteristics • The context in which he or she will read We can shorten these factors to purpose, reader, and context

Defining Your communication’s Objectives Guidelines • Create a mental movie of your reader in the act of reading • Describe the task your communication will help the reader perform • Describe the way you want your communication to alter your reader’s attitudes • Describe your reader’s professional characteristics • Describe your reader’s cultural characteristics • Learn who all your readers will be • Describe the context in which your reader will read • Identify any constraints on the way you write • Identify your communication’s stakeholders

Describe the Task Describe the task your communication will help your reader perform • What is your reader’s purpose for reading? • For example, Stephanie’s purpose in writing is to persuade Ms. Land to change the system used to assign Braille translations • Ms. Land’s purpose in reading is more complicated • She will probably need to be persuaded that there is a problem • She will need to be persuaded that the problem is the current system for assigning work • If she is persuaded of the above, then her purpose in reading will be to compare the existing system to the one recommended by Stephanie

Describe the task Describe the task your communication will help your reader perform • What information does your reader want? (What questions might your reader ask?) • For example, Stephanie imagines Ms. Land might ask • What evidence do you have that there’s a problem with the current system? • Who would determine which translations deserve highest priority? • How would we decide which translators are placed in our top group? • Will your system really work? Are other agencies using it successfully?

Describe the Task Describe the task your communication will help your reader perform • How will your reader search for information? (might use more than one strategy) • Three common search strategies used by readers • Thorough, sequential reading: build argument from one sentence, paragraph, and section to the next (this kind of writing is very similar to what you are asked to do in school) • Reading for key points only: use lists, tables, boldface, and page design to make the key points stand out (the textbook does this) • Reference reading (readers only seeking specific pieces of information): use headings, table of contents, and indexes to guide your readers

Describe the TASK Describe the task your communication will help your reader perform • How will your reader use the information while reading? • Three common ways that readers use your information while they are reading: • To compare alternatives: organize your communication around the criteria used for comparison • To determine how the information will affect them and their organization: organize your communication around your readers’ concerns • To perform a procedure: use numbered lists for sequential steps

Describe the Effect Describe the way you want your communication to alter your reader’s attitudes • What is your reader’s attitude toward your subject? What do you want it to be? • For example, Stephanie responded to these questions in this way: • She believes that the current system for assigning Braille translations is the best one possible. I want her to see that mine is better. • What other attitudes might Ms. Land have?

Describe the Effect Describe the way you want your communication to alter your reader’s attitudes • What is your reader’s attitude toward you? What do you want it to be? • For example, Stephanie responded to these questions in the following way: • Ms. Land thinks that I am a good summer employee. But she thinks all summer employees are ignorant concerning policy issues. I want her to think that I am knowledgeable enough to have a recommendation worth serious consideration. • How do we (as writers) establish the authority to speak?

Describe the Effect Describe the way you want your communication to alter your reader’s attitudes • What is your reader’s attitude toward your organization? What do you want it to be? • This last point will matter more as you come to identify yourself and become more identified with organizations.

Describe your Reader(s) • Role in the organization • Role as a reader • Familiarity with the subject • Knowledge of your specialty • Relationship with you • Other personal characteristics you should take into account • Cultural characteristics you should take into account • Who else might read your communication?

Describe Your Reader(s) • Role in the organization and as a reader determines what readers look for and the questions they ask • Decision-makers • What are your conclusions? • What do you recommend? • What will happen? • Advisers • Did you use a reasonable method to obtain your results? • Do your data really support your conclusions? • Have you overlooked anything important? • If your recommendation is followed, what will be the effect on others? • What kinds of problems are likely to arise? • Implementers • What do you want me to do? • Why do you want me to do it? • How much freedom do I have in deciding how to do it? • What’s the deadline?

Describe your Reader(s) • Familiarity with the subject • What can I assume my reader already knows? • How much background information do I need to provide? • Knowledge of your specialty • Are there special terms and/or concepts that I need to explain to my reader? • How can I strike a balance between too little and too much information?

Describe your Reader(s) • Relationship with you • What level of formality is required? • How great is the distance between my role and my reader’s role? Does it matter? • For example, Stephanie responded to this part with “[Ms. Land] is my boss and likes to maintain a formal superior-subordinate relationship.” • Other personal characteristics you should take into account • Of course, this reader characteristic only matters when the reader is a specific person (or group of people) about whom you know a great deal. • For example, Stephanie responded to this part with “[Ms. Land] designed the current system and may feel defensive if I suggest that it could be improved.”

Describe your Reader(s) • Cultural characteristics you should take into account • Intercultural communication is a surprising rich and complicated domain. The textbook provides a nice overview of some of the issues involved as well as resources for learning more. • For now, you should be concerned about cultural differences only when your communication travel across significant national/cultural borders

Describe your Reader(s) • Who else might read your communication? • Phantom readers • Future readers • Complex audiences—different readers reading with different purposes

Describe the Context Describe the context in which your reader will read • Under what physical conditions will they read? • What effect might recent events have? • What effect might relationships between individuals, departments, organizations have?

Describe the Context Identify any constraints on the way you write • What expectations, regulations, or other factors constrain the way you can write? • Organizational culture • Organizational style guides • Legal or regulatory requirements

Identify Stakeholders Ethical behavior demands that we take into account the effect our words and actions have on others. Stakeholders are those who might be affected by your communication. • Who, besides your reader, are stakeholders in your communication? • Who will be directly affected by what I say and/or how I say it? • Who might be indirectly affected by what I say and/or how I say it? • Who might be remotely affected by what I say and/or how I say it? • How will they be affected by it?

Professional Writing