Watch the following video: 

1. Use the minimum number of sentences. How many sentences are needed to communicate what you’re trying to communicate? Or how few sentences can you get away with? Cut it to that number, and no more. That ensures that you’re not wasting the time of the recipient, and that your email actually gets read.

2. State what you want right away. Don’t write a long introduction, telling your life story, or any story for that matter. People aren’t interested. They just want to know what you want. State that, in the first sentence. Skip the niceties. Don’t make the recipient wade through 10 paragraphs to find what action is needed for the email.

3. Write about only one thing. There have been numerous times when I read an email, saw the action needed, and went and did it … only to find out that three other things were also needed to respond to the email. I’ve also responded to the first part of an email and not to others, just because I didn’t have enough time. Instead, stick to one subject, with one request. Once that’s done, you can send a second one, but don’t overwhelm the recipient if at all possible.

4. Leave out the humour and emotions. These don’t come across well in an email. There’s just no way to express tone, inflection, etc. … and there’s no way to know if the recipient understands that you’re joking. If you’re communicating in person, you can see that the person didn’t understand the humour, and say, “I was only joking!” But you won’t have that opportunity in an email.

5. Use “If … then” statements. As email is a back-and-forth method of communicating, and it can take a day or more for a response (in some cases), you want to limit the number of times a message has to go back and forth. To do that, use “if … then” statements, anticipating the possible responses to your question. For example, if you want to know if a person has received a response to an inquiry, instead of asking “Have you received a response?” then waiting for a reply, try doing it all in one email: “Have you received a response from Mr. X yet? If so, please finish the report by Tuesday and email it to me. If not, can you follow up today and let me know the response?”By anticipating the possible responses, and giving a desired action for each possible response, you’re cutting a lot of wasted back-and-forth time.

6. Review for ambiguity, clarity. Once you’ve written an email, take a few seconds to read over it before pressing the Send button. Read it as if you were an outsider — how clear is it? Are there any ambiguous statements that could be interpreted the wrong way? If so, clarify. Use the 10 principles of clear writing that we discussed in a previous lesson.

7. Revise for conciseness. As you review, also see if there is a way you can shorten the email, remove words or sentences or even paragraphs. Leave nothing but the essential message you’re trying to communicate.

Writing a Formal Email

Writing Text Messages

A traditional text message is 160 characters. For context, this is exactly how much content you can fit within that limit:

“The quick brown fox jumped over the lazy dog. The quick brown fox jumped over the lazy dog. The quick brown fox jumped over the lazy dog. The quick brown fox is”

As you can see it’s not a lot of space, but it’s certainly enough if your message is clear, concise, and action-oriented. Instead of viewing the number of characters as a limit, think of it as a test for your text. If the message you’re looking to send can’t be condensed, maybe it’s not appropriate for a text message.

How to Write a Professional Text Message: The anatomy of a text message is fairly straightforward. Aside from the technicalities, like the character limits, the biggest thing to consider when writing a text is tone. Even when you’re writing something professional your tone should be conversational. Texting is intimate and you don’t want to sound like a robot when you’re communicating with clients or staff. Cut down on the flowery language and keep it simple. To demonstrate:

Bad example
Dear Lou, thank you for connecting with me at the networking event earlier today. It was so nice to meet you. When we met we talked about freelance work and your need for a writer. I wanted to let you know I’d be happy to send you some samples for review. If you’re interested let me know. Thanks! Jon Jenner, A&M Copywriting, jjenner@amwriting.com, 978-562-9168.

Good example

Hey Lou, it’s Jon! Loved connecting with you. If you’re still looking for a freelancer let me know and we can talk next steps. Enjoy Vegas! Cheers, Jon.

Rules for Writing Professional Text Messages: Writing your message is personal to you and your needs. There’s no magic formula to speak of, only guidelines. Think of them like bumpers on a bowling alley.

1. Keep it short: The best part of texting is how quick and easy it is to communicate. Messages should be able to be read in a matter of seconds and responded to within a few minutes. A good rule of thumb is 1-2 sentences.
2. Get consent: Not only is it proper texting etiquette, but it’s illegal to mass text people without their consent. In instances outside of one-on-one texting, you must secure express written consent from someone before sending a message.
3. Be Mindful of Frequency: Professional texting isn’t just about what you do, it’s also about what you don’t do. Sending multiple messages that could easily be sent in one might be something you do to your friends, but not your boss. Additionally, you don’t want to text too frequently or outside of business hours.
4. Make it Easy to Reply: Keeping your texts short also means you need to keep them clear. If you’re asking your recipient a question, make it easy for them to provide a simple yes or no answer or ask something that doesn’t require a detailed explanation. For example, a good text would ask someone if they’re familiar with computer coding. A bad text would be asking them to explain HTML to you.
5. Keep Your Sign-Off Short: Your email signature might have your name, job title, credentials, schooling, and other contact information on it. Your text sign-off will not. In fact, your text sign-off should just be your name and, if necessary, your place of business. However, best practice dictates that you’re usually texting someone who you have previously conversed with or developed a rapport. So all they would really need is your name.

Write short text messages of appreciation, apology or explanation

Everybody makes mistakes sometimes and everybody does a good job sometimes. It is important, in the workplace, to admit when we have made a mistake and apologize for it. It is also important to recognize and acknowledge when someone has done something to help you. A short message or email apologizing for a mistake or thanking someone for their help makes the work environment comfortable and pleasant.

Message of thanks

In any job, you will often need help whether to lift something because it is too heavy, or because it is so busy that you need extra staff. When you request people to help you, it is important to acknowledge their assistance. Writing a short message of thanks is an effective way to show you appreciate the help. Below are some useful expressions that you can use to say thanks:

Thanks so much for _____

Thanks a lot for _____

Thanks, I really appreciate _____

Thank you, I couldn’t have _____ without your help.

It is important to be specific about why you are thanking someone when you write a message of appreciation. Always write why you are thanking the person. For example: ‘Thanks for helping with the function last night. We couldn’t have done it without you.

Apologizing

Thanking someone for their help is an important part of work and apologising for making a mistake is just as important. You should always admit when you have made a mistake and apologize to the person or people affected by the mistake. Like a message of thanks, a short apology message should also explain what you are apologizing for. There are many situations in the workplace where you need to apologize.

Some common mistakes include:

• Forgetting to do something
• Doing something the wrong way
• Not knowing how to do something
• Being late
• Getting angry
• Not communicating effectively.

When writing a short message of apology, it is important to say ‘sorry’ and what you are sorry for.

For example:

• I’m sorry for being late yesterday.
• I apologize for forgetting to ……
• I’m sorry I was angry with you.
• I’m sorry for not informing you. I should have sent you an email.

Explaining a temporary absence

Often there will be times at work you may have to leave your position to do something. You might have to help a guest or get something from a storeroom, for example. You should always leave a short message explaining where you have gone so that your colleagues or supervisors know where you are. Leaving a message to explain a temporary absence is polite, professional and is a good example of effective communication.

Be back in 5 mins!

There will be times when you are working that you will have to leave your position to attend to something else. This is quite common but it is important that you inform people where you have gone and when you will return. Sending a message is an effective way to let your colleagues know where you are.

Lesson 3: Workplace Writing  (Week 2)

^{Audience/Purpose/Situation} 

In the workplace, most people don’t fully read what you write. To convey your message effectively, begin with a thorough Task and Audience Analysis. Understand your “rhetorical situation” before drafting to address your audience’s needs. (See Figure 1.3.1).Figure 1.3.1 The Rhetorical Situation.

The “rhetorical situation” is a term used to describe the components of any situation in which you may want to communicate, whether in written or oral form. To define a “rhetorical situation,” ask yourself this question: “Who is talking to whom about what, how, and why?”

The five key components are:

1. Purpose: Why are you writing? Engage in Task Analysis to pinpoint your objective. Usually, workplace writing aims to record, inform, or persuade. For instance, proposing a solution seeks to convince readers to consider or fund it.
2. Writer: This is you! Reflect on your motivations, biases, and experiences. Your role and relation to the audience influence your message.
3. Audience: Using Audience Analysis, determine your readers. Are they colleagues, managers, or external stakeholders? Distinguish between primary and secondary audiences to tailor your message more effectively. Consider Figure 1.3.2 below.
4. Message: This encapsulates what you wish to convey. It’s shaped by your purpose, your understanding as the writer, and your knowledge of the audience.
5. Context/Culture: Understand the broader setting in which your message is received, considering organizational norms and cultural factors. This influences how your message will be interpreted.

Figure 1.3.2 Understanding your relationship to your audience.

Consider the specific reasons different audience groups have for reading your document. Assess their existing knowledge and information needs to tailor your message effectively. Remember, technical documents might be referenced long after they’re written. For instance:

Some companies develop audience profiles to help guide their communications. This is a good exercise whenever you have something to communicate, especially if the information is complex. Here are some questions to consider as part of the audience profile:

Developing an Audience Profile

• Who are your primary readers? (Specific names and titles, or general roles)
• Are they above you in the organizational hierarchy? Lateral? subordinate? Outside of your organization?
• Who else might read this document? (Secondary readers)
• Do you know what their attitude towards the topic is?
• How might cultural differences affect their expectations and interpretations?
• How much technical background do the readers have?
• How much do they already know about the topic?
• What situation gave rise to this document?

Conventions and Characteristics 

Part of refining your topic includes considering your purpose and audience and understanding how your purpose and audience relate. An author’s purpose is simply his or her reason for writing. Common purposes include:

• to inform (to give information)
• to instruct (to explain how to do something)
• to persuade (to convince readers to do or believe something)
• to entertain (to present humor or other enjoyable material)

As the writer you should consider the following:

• “What do I hope to accomplish?”
• “ What do I want my writing to do?”
• “ How does my purpose effect my writing?”

INTENDED AUDIENCE

Intended audience means the people the writer has in mind as the readers. The intended audience will be:

• • a specific person (e.g., a newspaper editor)
  • a group of people (e.g., college students, parents)
  • the general public (e.g., the public at large; the “typical” Canadian adult)

As the writer, you should consider the following:

• • Does my audience know me personally?
  • Would they identify me as a “type” of person (i.e., college student)?
  • Can I identify my audience as a “type”?
  • How large is my audience?
  • Can I claim any shared experiences, characteristics, attitudes, values, or prejudices with my audience? (i.e., nationality, culture, gender)
  • Do my audience and I have any differences that would present barriers to communication?

AUDIENCE

Connect your audience to your topic:

• • What does my audience know about my topic?
  • What does my audience need (or not need) to know about my topic?
  • How “close” is my audience to my topic? (emotionally, geographically, culturally)
  • What does my audience expect as far as the format of the final document?
  • How will my audience use the final document?

The main purpose of this paragraph is to inform. It provides factual information and a neutral tone.

Although this paragraph is on the same topic of whales, its purpose is to persuade readers to save the whales. Look at the language and word choice and how these support the purpose. Before you begin writing next, consider the audience and purpose and how they relate to the particular genre you are writing in.

Identifying purpose

Identifying the Audience 

When preparing a presentation for executives, you’d carefully select content, decide on tech requirements, define specific terms, and even choose a formal outfit to establish a good rapport. However, presenting the same concepts to high school students would entail simpler charts, definitions, and a casual outfit. Why? Your audience has changed, and so must your approach.

Audience perception isn’t restricted to presentations. In writing, understanding your readers is key. Consider social media: you tailor your posts knowing who’ll read them. While you can’t see readers, you make decisions based on who they are, even in simple emails. Think about two different descriptions of the same event:

A) “I volunteered at a hospital, learned CPR, but caught a cold. Hope to be better next week.”

B) “Had to do community service at a hospital. Learned CPR on dummies. Got sick, hope I don’t miss the basketball game.”

You instantly know the intended audience for each. As you write, imagine your readers. This guides your writing choices.

Audience Considerations

Demographics: This refers to the data about a group’s characteristics like age, ethnicity, religion, or gender. While not always relevant, it’s essential to consider demographics to understand your audience better and tailor your message.

Education: This relates to the audience’s academic level. A Ph.D. holder might expect a more formal style, while a college student might prefer a casual tone. Moreover, the specific field of study can influence your content.

Prior Knowledge: This is about what the audience already knows. Depending on their background, you may need to define terms or dive deeper into concepts. For example, a nursing major would likely know more about health than a business major.

Expectations: This concerns what the readers anticipate from your content. They might expect proper grammar and formatting. Also, the topic will set content expectations. If discussing the effects of rising tuition, readers will anticipate a focus on economic impacts.

Understanding Your Audience

Formal and Informal Writing Styles 

Informal Writing Style

1. Colloquial – Informal writing is similar to a spoken conversation.  Informal writing may include slang, figures of speech, broken syntax, asides and so on.  Informal writing takes a personal tone as if you were speaking directly to your audience (the reader). You can use the first- or third-person point of view (I and we), and you are likely to address the reader using the second-person (you and your).
2. Simple – Short sentences are acceptable and sometimes essential to making a point in informal writing. There may be incomplete sentences or ellipsis (…) to make points.
3. Contractions and Abbreviations – Words are likely to be simplified using contractions (for example, I’m, doesn’t, couldn’t, it’s) and abbreviations (e.g. TV, photos) whenever possible.
4. Empathy and Emotion – The author can show empathy towards the reader regarding the complexity of a thought and help them through that complexity. See our page:

Formal Writing Style

1. Complex – Longer sentences are likely to be more prevalent in formal writing. You need to be as thorough as possible with your approach to each topic when you are using a formal style. Each main point needs to be introduced, elaborated and concluded.
2. Objective – State main points confidently and offer full support arguments. A formal writing style shows a limited range of emotions and avoids emotive punctuation such as exclamation points, ellipsis, etc. unless they are being cited from another source.
3. Full Words – No contractions should be used to simplify words (in other words use “It is” rather than “It’s”).  Abbreviations must be spelt out in full when first used, the only exceptions being when the acronym is better known than the full name (BBC, ITV or NATO for example).
4. Third Person – Formal writing is not a personal writing style.  The formal writer is disconnected from the topic and does not use the first person point of view (I or we) or second person (you).

Practicing Formal and Informal Writing Skills 

Lesson 4: Interpersonal Communication (Week 2)

Effective communication is key to building relationships and achieving success in both personal and professional settings. The fundamental elements of effective communication include:

1. Clarity: Being clear and concise, avoiding jargon.
2. Active Listening: Paying full attention, asking clarifying questions, and showing empathy.
3. Non-verbal Communication: Body language, facial expressions, and tone of voice.
4. Feedback: Giving and receiving constructive feedback.
5. Empathy: Understanding and acknowledging the feelings and perspectives of others.

Importance of Using Effective Communication Techniques:

1. Builds Trust: Effective communication fosters a strong bond between individuals, be it in a personal or professional setting. Trust is cultivated when messages are clear, consistent, and reliable.
2. Prevents Misunderstandings: Many conflicts arise from misunderstandings, which can often be traced back to poor communication. Proper communication techniques help in conveying ideas clearly, reducing the chances of misinterpretation.
3. Promotes Efficiency: Especially in a professional setting, clear communication ensures that tasks are understood and executed properly, leading to increased productivity and less time wasted on clarifications.
4. Strengthens Relationships: In personal contexts, effective communication is essential for understanding feelings, sharing experiences, and working through challenges. It’s the backbone of any strong relationship.
5. Aids Decision Making: Clear communication is crucial for decision-making processes, ensuring all involved parties have the necessary information and understand its implications.