Communicating for Results: A Canadian Student's Guide

Description

Now in its fourth edition, Communicating for Results offers practical, classroom-tested instruction in the rhetorical techniques and persuasive strategies that students need to become effective writers and speakers. Supplemented with abundant group and individual activities to reinforce key principles and help students hone their skills, this invaluable text will teach students to communicate with confidence. Cover Title Page Copyright Page Brief Contents Contents From the Publisher Acknowledgements 1: Issues and Trends in Professional Communication Communicating for Change—and a Stronger Bottom Line—in the New Economy Communicating in the Current Workplace The Knowledge Economy The Risk Society Sustainability and Corporate Social Responsibility Business on a Global Scale More Diverse Employee Base The Growing Millennial and Gen Z Workforce: A “Generation Disrupted” Team Work Environments Disruptive Technologies Digital Connectivity New Economies: Attention, Distraction, and Share Indigenous Economic Empowerment Professionalism and Employee Engagement Why Professionalism Is Important Qualities, Characteristics, and Expectations Professional Boundaries and Behaviours Teamwork Characteristics of High-Performing Teams Team Decision-Making Models Stages in Team Development Managing Team Conflict Virtual Teams Tools for Online Collaboration Ethical Communication Ethics and Legal Responsibilities of Business Communication Ethical Lapses and Why They Happen Privacy in the Workplace 2: Getting the Message Across Communication Defined Communication as a Field of Study The Communication Process Elements of the Communication Process Barriers to Effective Communication Communication Contexts Interpersonal Communication Small-Group Communication Organizational Communication Intercultural Communication Mass Communication Non-Verbal Communication Components of Non-Verbal Communication Communication Competence Communicating in Organizations Internal and External Communication Essential Skills for Workplace Communication Informal and Formal Channels The Flow of Information Cross-Cultural Communication Communicating in a Global Economy Diversity in the Workplace Understanding Cultural Differences Defining Intercultural Communication High- and Low-Context Communication Styles Communicating Interculturally 3: Getting Started: Planning, Writing, and Revising Business Messages Writing in Context: Four Key Concepts Contextual Factors Genre and Register Discourse Communities Rhetorical Situations Steps in the Writing Process The Importance of Message Planning Prewriting Organizing and Outlining Drafting Revising, Editing, and Proofreading Collaborative Writing Collaborative Writing Tools Critiquing Others’ Writing 4: Business Style: Word Choice, Conciseness, and Tone Word Choice Plain Style Word Choice Step 1: Use Familiar Words Word Choice Step 2: Use Fresh and Current Language Word Choice Step 3: Keep Language Specific, Precise, and Functional Word Choice Step 4: Practise Factual and Ethical Communication Achieving Conciseness Tone Tune in to Word Connotations Keep Your Style Conversational Select the Right Level of Formality: Personal and Impersonal Styles Be Positive Stress Reader Benefits and Relevance Be Polite Use Inclusive Language Write with Confidence 5: Business Style: Sentences and Paragraphs Effective Sentences The Building Blocks of Complete Sentences: Phrases and Clauses Types of Sentences Improving Sentence Variety and Length Phrasing Basic Types of Questions Improving Sentence Clarity Writing with Consistency Writing Balanced Sentences: Parallel Structure Writing for Emphasis Applying Active and Passive Voice Eliminating Grammar Errors and Awkwardness Effective Paragraphs Paragraph Length Topic Sentences Paragraph Development Paragraph Coherence Proofreading 6: Memorandums, E-mail, and Routine Messages Memorandums Memo Format Memo Organization Formatting Lists for Memos and E-mail Paper Memo vs. E-mail E-mail General E-mail Guidelines Reading and Processing Incoming Messages Formatting and Writing E-mail E-mail Style and Tone Routine Messages: Positive and Informative Memos and E-mail Routine Messages: Request Memos and E-mail Routine Messages: Reply Memos and E-mail Goodwill E-mails Follow-Up Memos and E-mail Instant Messaging (IM) 202 7: Routine and Goodwill Messages Direct Writing Plan Requests Requests for Information or Action Order Requests Claim Letters Responses Information Responses Personalized Form Letters Order Acknowledgements Messages Confirming Contracts and Arrangements Claims Adjustments Goodwill Messages Thank-You Letters Letters of Congratulations Letters of Sympathy Informative Letters Announcements Cover or Transmittal Letters Instructional Letters/Memos Letter Formats Letter Balance and Placement Letter Styles and Layouts Letter Elements Addressing Envelopes 8: Delivering Unfavourable News Goals of Negative Messages Tone in Bad News Messages Organizing Bad News Messages Indirect Writing Plan for Bad News Messages Using the Indirect Approach Bad News Buffers Explaining the Bad News Revealing the Bad News Goodwill Closing Indirect-Approach Message Limitations of the Indirect Strategy Direct Writing Plan for Bad News Messages Using the Direct Writing Plan Limitations of the Direct Approach Apologies in Bad News Messages Types of Bad News Messages Refusing Requests for Information, Actions, and Favours Refusing Claims Refusing Credit Turning Down Job Applicants Announcing Bad News to Employees Declining Invitations Responding to Negative Messages on Social Media Platforms 9: Persuasive Messages Writing Persuasively Preparing to Write Persuasively Persuasive Appeals Indirect Writing Plan for Persuasive Messages Types of Persuasive Messages Favour and Action Requests Persuasive Memos Persuasion for Managing Change and Motivating Performance Claim Requests Collection Letters Sales Messages Aiming to Make a Sale: Analyzing the Product and Audience Writing Plan for Sales Letters Sales Follow-Up Fundraising Messages Persuasion through Social Media Traditional vs. Digital Marketing Promotion and Self-Promotion in Social Media 10: Communicating for Employment Analyzing Your Career Goals and Qualifications Assessing Your Skills and Values Assessing Your Work Preferences and Personality Assessing Your Work History Job-Hunting Using Social Media to Attract and Impress Potential Employers Using LinkedIn and Twitter to Establish an Online Presence Writing Persuasive Resumés How Employers Use Resumés Resumé Writing Style Parts of a Standard Resumé Resumé Length Resumé Styles and Layouts Preparing a Scannable Resumé Creative or Non-Standard Resumés Preparing a Persuasive Cover Letter General Tips for Cover Letters Solicited Application Letters Unsolicited Application Letters Personal Statements E-mailing Cover Letters and Resumés Job Application Round-Up: Some Additional Tips Career Portfolios and E-Portfolios Job Application Videos Job Interviews Before the Interview Behavioural Interview Questions and How to Prepare for Them At the Interview After the Interview Follow-Up Employment Messages Follow-Up Message Thank-You Message Job-Offer Acknowledgement Job-Acceptance Message Job-Refusal Message Reference-Request Message 11: Informal Reports Introduction to Report Writing Distinguishing Features of Short Reports Purpose Formats and Distribution Direct and Indirect Approaches Direct Approach: Informational and Analytical Reports Indirect Approach: Analytical Reports Writing Style for Short Reports Headings Steps in the Writing Process Planning Researching/Analyzing Data and Information Composing and Revising Elements of Informal Reports Introductory Statement Findings Summary/Conclusions/Recommendations Using Graphics and Visuals Tables Matrixes Pie Charts Bar Charts Picture Graphs Line Graphs Gantt Charts Flow Charts Organizational Charts Infographics and Data Visualizations Commonly Used Short Reports: Informational and Analytical Informational Reports Analytical Reports 12: Proposals and Formal Reports Proposals Elements of Informal Proposals Elements of Formal Proposals Researching and Collecting Data Formal Reports Preparing to Write Formal Reports Writing Style for Formal Reports Creating a Work Plan Time Management Peer-Reviewing and Team Writing Elements of Formal Reports Front Matter Body of the Report Back Matter Works Cited/References 13: Oral Communication Oral Presentations Types of Oral Presentations Analyzing the Situation and Audience Structuring Presentations Developing a Three-Part Presentation Oral Presentation Outline Using Visual Aids Types of Presentation Aids Using Presentation Software Effectively PechaKucha Presentations Methods of Delivery Rehearsing a Presentation Delivering a Presentation Handling Questions Team-Based Presentations Special-Occasion Presentations Meetings Types of Meetings Preparing for a Meeting Conducting a Meeting Meeting Minutes Groupware-Supported Meetings Communicating by Telephone Making Calls Receiving Calls Using Voicemail Productively Dealing with the Media 14: Social Media and Mobile Communications Embracing Social Media Participatory Culture and Social Media What Is Social Media? Types of Social Media Blogs Micro-Blogs Podcasts Social Networking Sites Photo- and Video-Sharing Sites User-Generated Content (UGC) The Social Media Advantage The Risks and Challenges of Social Media Measuring Social Media Performance Mobile Communication Designing and Writing Messages for Mobile Devices Writing Promotional Messages for Mobile Devices Optimizing Web Content for Mobile Devices Instant Messaging and Texting for Business Appendix A: Business Usage: A Style and Mechanics Guide Usage Commonly Confused Words Usage Exercise Abbreviations and Acronyms Abbreviations Acronyms Numbers Numbers Usage Number Usage Exercise Capitalization Capitalization Guidelines Capitalization Exercise Usage-Related Internet Resources Salutations and Complimentary Closes: A User’s Guide E-mail Standard Letters Standard Business Phrases and Their Plain-Language Alternatives Appendix B: Grammar and Punctuation Handbook Subject–Verb Agreement S Rule for Third-Person Agreements in the Present Tense Finding the Simple Subject Compound Subjects Joining Words Not Equivalent to And Collective Nouns as Subjects Singular Subjects in Plural Form Amounts and Units of Measurement as Subjects Titles, Terms, and Organization Names as Subjects Sentences Beginning with Here or There + the Verb Be Subjects and Linking Verbs Either . . . Or Sentences Indefinite Pronouns as Subjects Antecedents of That, Which, and Who as Subjects Verb Agreement and the Phrases One of the . . ., One of the . . . Who, and the Only One of the . . . Who Subject–Verb Agreement Exercise Verb Tense Accuracy Sequencing Past Tenses Shifts in Verb Tense Other Verb Problems Speculating about the Future, Making Recommendations, or Expressing Wishes Speculating about the Past: Appropriate Use of Could, Would Emphasizing a Main Verb with Do Using Passive-Voice Constructions Avoiding Logically Mismatched Subjects and Verbs (Faulty Predication) Using Parallel Phrasing for Items in a Series (Parallelism) Parallelism Exercise Making Comparisons Clear and Logical (Sentences with Than or As) Using Pronouns with Precision Avoiding Vague References Knowing When to Use I Versus Me Pronoun Exercise Correcting Modifier Mishaps Reining in Misplaced Modifiers Correcting Dangling Modifiers Modifier Exercise Punctuation Commas Semicolons Colons Apostrophes Periods Question Marks Parentheses Dashes Quotation Marks Punctuation Exercise Internet Resources: Grammar, Style, Punctuation, and ESL Notes Index