BUS102: Writing For Business Decision-Making

Teachers Guide
Summer 2013Spring 2014

BUS102: Writing For Business Decision-Making

Teachers Guide
Summer 2013Spring 2014

Howe Writing Initiative Farmer School of Business Miami University, Oxford, Ohio Editor: Dominic Ashby Cover Photo: Farmer School of Business, Francis Dzikowski/Esto, http://www.esto.com
2013 Howe Writing Initiative Miami University, Oxford, Ohio.

Welcome, BUS102 Instructors!

Welcome to the teaching of BUS102: Writing for Business Decision-Making. BUS102 is an important class within the FSB core curriculum that bridges students writing instruction in first-year composition courses and the genre and disciplinary expectations of writing for business purposes. BUS102 aims to highlight the rhetorical aspects of written business communication, emphasizing the importance of audience awareness and context. BUS102 helps students begin to write like professionals. At one credit hour, with 50 minutes of instruction time per week, it is not possible to cover all genres or styles of writing appropriate for business contexts; rather, the course focuses on fundamental transferable writing skills that students can apply and modify for use professionally and in their Farmer School of Business majors. BUS102 provides students with a foundation for excellence in written business communication, and was designed based on the premise that upper level courses in the FSB will continue to actively reinforce and extend these principles of effective communication as specific to each particular program. The sequence, assignments, and resources in this teachers guide have been modified and polished over several years by numerous contributors. The guide draws from the input and experience of many BUS102 instructors and curricular planning and design by the writing team in the Howe Writing Initiative. As an editor and contributor, I believe that you will be well served by following the curriculum set forward here. At the same time, this guide emerged out of ongoing experimentation, something I hope you will also engage in, and in turn contribute to future versions of the guide. In addition to this Teachers Guide, you may find the online text Business Communication Matters, a collection of exemplary and award-winning writing by BUS102 students, to be another useful source. BUS102 emphasizes how writing changes depending on audience, purpose, and context. Thank you for joining this important endeavour for writing excellence in the Farmer School of Business! -Dominic Ashby, BUS102 Coordinator, Fall 2012Spring 2013

Acknowledgements
This guide would not be possible without the contributions of many people. Special thanks go to the previous BUS102 Coordinators, Ann Updike, Caroline Dadas, Abby Dubisar, and Jen Cellio, for their work in writing, gathering, and editing many of the materials included in this and previous versions of the guide. Many thanks also to the Assistant Directors of the Howe Writing Initiative, who contributed materials and helped with revising writing prompts, handouts, and rubrics; kudos to the 2012-13 HWI Team, Kevin Rutherford, Amir Hassan, Renea Frey, Jonathan Rylander, and Interim Director and Howe Professor Heidi McKee. The design and mission of the course is deeply indebted to the vision of Associate Dean Mike Curme and Professor Kate Ronald. Finally, this guide and course would not be possible without the hard work and dedication of all the instructors who have taught BUS102. Many, many thanks to full-time instructors Susan Finnerty, Judy Hampel, Brad Reitz, and Kelly Waldrop; thanks as well to the numerous Teaching Associates from the Department of English who have stepped up to teach additional sections over the years.

Table of Contents
Welcome & Acknowledgements Table of Contents About the Howe Writing Initiative Common Course Syllabus.......................... 1 Course Syllabus.................................................... 2 Weekly Overview, Fall 2013.............................. 7 Weekly Overview, Spring 2014......................... 8 Detailed Course Schedule, Fall 2013............... 9 Week 1 Materials: Introduction to Business Writing. ................................... 13 Sample Homework Prompts...........................14 Writing in a Business Context........................16 Summary of What is Rhetoric?...................18 Project 1: Email Correspondence. ....................... 21 Project 1 Assignment Sheet.............................22 Project 1 Rubric. .................................................24 Audience Inventory for Email. .........................25 Writing Effective Emails....................................26 Ettiquette Tips for Email...................................30 Rhetorical Appeals in Business Writing.........32 Editing for Clear, Plain Style.............................34 Project 2: Internship Application Letter........... 37 Project 2 Assignment Sheet.............................38 Project 2 Rubric. .................................................40 Preparing Your Resume.....................................41 Sample Resume. ..................................................44 Transferable Work Skills...................................45 Power Verbs List.................................................46 Notes for Writing Job Letters.........................47 Sample Cover Letters.......................................48 Bad Sample Cover Letter.................................50 Project 3: Bad News Memo.................................. 51 Project 3 Assignment Sheet.............................52 Project 3 Rubric. .................................................54 Stakeholder Theory Resources.......................57 Case Study: Smoking Ban. .................................55 Delivering Bad News.........................................58 Writing with You-Attitude. ...............................60 Writing Memos Effectively...............................62 Using Bullet Points and Lists. ...........................63 A Lesson in Copia..............................................64 Project 4: Summary and Recommendation...... 65 Project 4 Assignment Sheet.............................66 Project 4 Rubric. .................................................68 Types of Business Summaries..........................70 Says/Does Method.............................................69 Effective Use of Headings.................................72 Editing for Clarity and Directness..................74 Project 5: Report on Effective Business Writing................. 75 Project 5 Assignment Sheet.............................76 Project 5 Rubric. .................................................77

The Howe Writing Initiative: A Resource for Instructors and Students

The Howe Writing Initiative (HWI) is a collaborative project between Miami Universitys Department of English and the Farmer School of Business, designed to enhance the quality of student writing in the School of Business. The HWI assists both FSB professors in the teaching of writing and FSB students in the improvement of their writing skills. Classroom Visits Located in FSB 3064, the HWI offers numerous writing resources and services. Writing consultants pos sess a wide array of specialties in rhetoric and composition, as well as business, professional, and technical communication. They can visit your classes as guest presenters or collaboratorsfor example, if you would like to instruct students on using Google Drive during peer review or when working on team assignments, you might ask a consultant with expertise in digital composing and group writing to visit your class to lead or assist with a training session. Consultants can also assist with assignment design if you would like a second opinion or advice on redesigning a prompt, planning an activity, etc. Handouts The HWI website, http://www.fsb.muohio.edu/hwi, offers numerous handouts about business writing, including resources for writing in the genres covered by BUS102. Several of these handouts were devel oped specifically for BUS102 and appear in this guide; they are available for easy download on the site. The website also hosts a link for BUS102 Matters: Business Communication at Miami, a digital publication of award-winning and exemplary writing from prior BUS102 classes. You might use examples from this text as samples and for in-class discussion Student Support For your students, the HWI offers one-on-one and team consultations on all types of business writing, at any stage of the composing process. Students can schedule 30-minute appointments online. The center also hosts numerous business writing and communication workshops throughout the year. The workshop topics change from semester to semester; you can find an up-to-date list of topics on the website. To encourage students to take advantage of the HWIs services, you might invite a consultant to visit your classes early in the semester to give a five-minute overview of what the center offers. You can also pick up promotional fliers and bookmarks from the center to share with students.

Common Course Syllabus

This section includes the common syllabus for BUS102: Writing for Business Decision-Making. Instructors are encouraged to make this course their own, and may modify the front matter and course schedule, so long as the course objectives are met. Weekly Overviews for Fall 2013 and Spring 2014 appears on pages 7 & 8 and a detailed schedule on pages 912.

BUS102: Writing for Business Decision-Making

Fall 2013 [class day & time]; Room FSB 1014

Instructor: Office Hours:

Email: Office:

Welcome to Business 102Writing for Business Decision-Making! This course offers an introduction to several key business writing forms and business writing strategies for students entering the Farmer School of Business. Together, we will practice writing a variety of business communications, and you will learn some conventional business document formats. More importantly, since writing conventions vary by profession and organization, you will learn general communication strategies that you can then apply to other writing tasks in the FSB and the workplace. Our class time will include brief lectures, discussion of assigned readings and other homework, as well as in-class activities to give you practice in writing effectively for business decision-making. The Farmer School of Business Mission Statement To be a premier business program that provides students with the life-long ability to acquire knowledge and translate it into responsible action in a competitive global environment. FSB Learning Goal #3: Effective Communication Facility with written communication ranks among the FSB goals for graduate excellence. To demonstrate effective written communication, FSB graduates must show technical proficiency and the ability to effectively communicate across various genres of business writing (summary, analysis, recommendation, proposal) and effectively write for multiple/changing audiences and purposes. Course Philosophy BUS102 will help you to establish a firm foundation for the learning and development of the critical business writing skills listed in the FSB learning goals. Building on the rhetorical skills you have begun to develop in courses such as ENG111 or its equivalent, in this course we will focus on composing business documents using a rhetorical perspective, which means we will always consider the relationships between rhetorical elements (audience, subject, purpose, context, language, and power) and their roles in the choices we make as writers. We will ask ourselves how, what, and especially why we use language in particular ways in business documents. The course will also emphasize two basic tenets of writing: First, the course focuses on the process of writing rather than on the end product alone by incorporating exercises in planning, drafting, and revising.

Second, writing is not always easy, and moving beyond mediocrity takes time, effort, and practice,
especially when learning new writing styles as youll be doing in this course. Course Outcomes After completing BUS102, you should be able to: Apply rhetorical knowledge, methods, and strategies to create effective communication for a range of business audiences.

Select and utilize appropriate business writing genres (e.g. email, memo, summary, or letter) for
specific situations.

Effectively draft, revise, and edit written work consistent with professional standards for attribution,
concision, clarity, and correctness.
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Texts and Materials You will need the following text and materials for BUS102:

BCM: Business Communication Matters, a free online collection of student writing samples available USB drive for backing up your files Save all your material, drafts, and writing throughout the semes Access to our course Niihka site. Access to Chalk & Wire online portfolio (the Howe Writing Initiative offers assistance with this Access to a computer and printer.
Course Requirements and Grading Policy Your course grade is determined by the quality of your five formal writing projects and your level of class participation, as explained below. tool). teryou will need it for the final assignment! for download from the Howe Writing Initiative website.

Late Work.

All assignments are due at the beginning of classno excuses. Anything turned in after the start of class will be considered one day late. Late work will be docked 10% per number of days late. I will not accept late work after one week past the due date. If you should have an emergency, contact me as soon as possible.

Attendance.

Because class discussions and in-class activities are important parts of this course, I expect you to attend class. We are in class for a total of only 12.5 hours for this one-hour course over a period of 16 weeks, so plan to be in class, have your work done, and be ready to participate. More than one absence (one week of class) will result in your final grade being lowered by a letter grade (a B to a C, for example). In addition, you will not receive participation credit for that days work. If you miss more classes due to long term or chronic illness, or because of an emergency situation, please let me know so we can work out a way to keep you in step with the course requirements.

Formal Writing Projects:

Project 1: Email Correspondence ......................... 15% of final grade Project 2: Internship Application Letter............... 15% of final grade Project 3: Bad News Memo ................................... 15% of final grade Project 4: Summary & Recommendation............. 15% of final grade Project 5: Report on Effective BUS Writing ........ 15% of final grade 75% of final grade

To qualify for full points, all projects must be uploaded to Chalk & Wire in addition to being turned in to me.

Participation: 25% of final grade

Your participation grade includes active participation in class discussions and activities, attendance, in-class writing, short homework writing, and peer response. See the sections below for important information regarding this part of your grade. Active Participation. Your physical and mental presence in the class is invaluable to the work we will do. I expect you to attend every day and participate fully in discussing the readings and sharing writing and ideas. Active participation also includes completing homework for in-class discussion. Learning is a collaborative activity, and I expect you to be engaged with, attentive to, and respectful
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of everyone in the class; please refrain from all social networking, emailing, and surfing during class time so you can give your full attention to class activities and your peers. Resume Workshop. Resume preparedness is one of the FSBs goals for Business graduates. To assist with meeting this important goal, the FSB Office of Career Services is offering four workshops in February to discuss resume and cover letter writing skills, as well as tips for acquiring important professional experience through internships, extra-curricular activities, and other opportunities. Attendance at one of these workshops is a requirement for BUS102 and will influence your participation grade. Workshop sessions are scheduled for the following times and locations. Please mark your calendars and plan to attend. If all of these times conflict with other class meetings, please let me know right away. Workshop Schedule: (The BUS102 Coordinator will work with Nick Cattin in career services to schedule session dates and times)

Short Writings. I will ask you to complete several short writing assignments in addition to the drafts for your major projects. These short writings give you opportunities to explore and practice important course concepts that will be necessary to succeed in the formal writing projects. I will grade short writings on the following scale: - - 0 completed on time and meets the requirements seems done in a hasty or haphazard manner late by one class period not completed

Peer Response Workshops. For all formal writing assignments in this course, I have set aside class time for you and your classmates to share rough drafts with one another. In these workshops, you and your classmates will receive advice to help you improve your writing, and youll see how others are approaching the same writing problem youre addressing. Because workshops are so critical to both you and your classmates, its important that you bring complete drafts to class on the days they are due. If you expect to be absent from a peer response workshop, see me in advance to arrange a workaround. Note that you will receive points toward each project grade based on having a complete peer review draft and response document. The participation points you receive for these workshops come from your active involvement during class time. Grading Criteria for Formal Writing Projects As noted above, learning new writing techniques requires time and practice, especially in the beginning stages, so I wont apply to your work the same standards I would apply to the work of senior marketing majors, for example. That said, I do expect work that shows you put effort and care into preparing it. I will grade each writing project based on the assignments learning outcomes. I expect you to apply the concepts youve learned earlier in the semester to each subsequent project, as appropriate. In addition to the specific project criteria, the following general criteria apply to all your writing projects: Audience. Your communication should be directed to a specific audience and should reflect a concern with the needs and potential responses of all who may read it.

 Clarity. Your writing should convey its message precisely and with immediate clarity to the reader.
In style, it should be substantially free of wordiness, jargon, or other stylistic awkwardness. ence to act or make a decision, but no irrelevant information.

Completeness. Your communication should contain all of the information necessary for your audi Organization. Your communication should be appropriately organized. The information should be
conveyed usefully and persuasively. Your organization should be clear to your readers so theyll know what point youre making and how that point relates to the rest of your message.

Grammar and Mechanics. Your writing should be free of grammatical and mechanical errors. Promptness. In this course, as in the workplace, you must turn in your work on time. All homework
and projects are due at the beginning of class on the dates given in the syllabus. See the Late Work section under Course Requirements and Grading Policy above.

Appearance. Prepare all your final projects with a standard word processing program, using 1 margins, Times New Roman 12 or similar font, and single-spaced block paragraphs. Whether its a letter, memo, or email, you should follow the appropriate conventions of that genre (explained in each projects writing prompt).

I will grade your formal writing projects using the following standard grading scale: A A- B+ B 10094 % 9390 % 8987 % 8684 % B- C+ C C- 8380 % 7977 % 7674 % 7370 % D+ D D- F 6967 % 6664 % 6360 % 590 %

Other Course Policies Academic Integrity I expect all work to be your own. When you use someone elses ideas or words as your own without proper attribution (such as citations), you are plagiarizing. Plagiarism is a form of academic dishonesty, as is cheating on a quiz or exam. Cheating and plagiarism are serious offenses that could result in a grade of F for the course. Read Miamis Academic Integrity guidelines (review the Undergraduates section at http://www. miami.muohio.edu/integrity/index.html) so you understand what constitutes academic dishonesty, what steps will be taken if you are suspected of academic dishonesty, and the penalties involved. If at any time you are unclear about how to include others ideas or words within your writing, please ask me.

Academic Support

I encourage you to take advantage of academic support services offered to students on the Oxford campus. However, if youre having difficulty with this course, please see me first. I will do everything in my power to help you succeed. If we cant solve a problem together, well find someone else who can help!

Access and Accommodation

If you have a physical and/or learning disability, please speak to me during the first week of class. If for any reason you feel that you may need additional support or adaptations throughout the course, please dont hesitate to discuss this with me. Im always willing to help you create a plan for success. The Learning Assistance Center in the Campus Avenue Building provides academic services, including a Learning Disabilities Program. For more info, contact the Office of Learning Assistance at 513-529-8741 or Disability Resources at 513-529-1541.

File Backups

I highly encourage you to save multiple copies of every assignment you complete. Invest in a flash drive and back up everything you write. Technology glitches will occur, and it is your responsibility to be prepared for them. Because youll be reflecting on your progress at the end of the semester, I ask that you save all assignments and projects that you complete.

Respect

I am committed to making the classroom a comfortable space for all of us, and I ask that we all work toward this goal. I expect you to minimize distractions for your peers by silencing your phone and refraining from texting during class. If you bring a laptopor smartphone to class, I also ask that you refrain from any form of social networking, instant messaging, or surfing the Internet (unless we are doing so for an activity). We want to respect each other at all timesrespect implies giving each other our full attention and minimizing side conversations.

Technology

Feel free to bring your *charged* laptop to class. If you have technical issues with yourcomputer, you are responsible for addressing those issues on your own time. The people at IT Servicescan help you or direct you to another source of help.Technology troubleincluding lost files, printer problems, or network issuesis not a valid reason for late work.

Fall 2013 Weekly Overview

Week 1 Aug 2630 Week 2 Sep 36 Introductions to each other and to course Business writing vs. Academic writing Assign Homework 1 (a reflection) ***Labor Day, no class 9/2 Assign Project 1 (emails to two audiences) Return Homework 1 with your comments (no grade or 0/+/-) by 2nd or 3rd week Rhetorical approach and audience Email conventions and etiquette Rhetorical appeals Peer Response Lanham paramedic method part 1 (active voice and action verbs) Due: Project 1, two emails Assign Project 2 (job application cover letter and resume) Business letter conventions Resume workshops offered this week Customizing content for audience and purpose Resume workshops offered this week ***Fall Break 9/1113 Peer Response Lanham paramedic method part 2 (eliminating prepositional phrases) Assign Project 3 (memo announcing policy change) Stakeholder theory for decision-making Memo conventions Peer Response Rhetorical effectiveness: Writing the bad news communication Copia Due: Project 3, policy announcement memo Assign Project 4 (summary and recommendation email) Introduce and practice Says/Does Summarizing Bullet points and lists Headings Revising for clarity Due: Project 4, summary and recommendation Assign Project 5 (report on effective writing) ***Thanksgiving Break, 11/2712/1 Peer Response Peer Response Due: Project 5, report on effective writing

Week 3 Sep 913 Week 4 Sep 1620 Week 5 Sep 2327

Week 6 Sep 30Oct 4 Week 7 Oct 710 Week 8 Oct 1418

Week 9 Oct 2125 Week 10 Oct 28Nov 1 Week 11 Nov 48 Week 12 Nov 1115 Week 13 Nov 1822 Week 14 Nov 2526 Week 15 Dec 26 Exam Week Dec 913

Spring 2014 Weekly Overview

Week 1 Jan 2731 Week 2 Feb 37 Week 3 Feb 1014 Week 4 Feb 1721 Week 5 Feb 2428 Introductions to each other and to course Business writing vs. Academic writing Assign Homework 1 (a reflection) Assign Project 1 (emails to two audiences) Return Homework 1 with your comments (no grade or 0/+/-) by 2nd or 3rd week Rhetorical approach and audience Email conventions and etiquette Rhetorical appeals Peer Response Lanham paramedic method part 1 (active voice and action verbs) Due: Project 1, two emails Assign Project 2 (job application cover letter and resume) Business letter conventions Resume workshops offered this week Customizing content for audience and purpose Resume workshops offered this week Peer Response Lanham paramedic method part 2 (eliminating prepositional phrases) Assign Project 3 (memo announcing policy change) Stakeholder theory for decision-making Memo conventions ***Spring Break Peer Response Rhetorical effectiveness: Writing the bad news communication Copia Due: Project 3, policy announcement memo Assign Project 4 (summary and recommendation email) Introduce and practice Says/Does Summarizing Bullet points and lists Headings Revising for clarity Due: Project 4, summary and recommendation Assign Project 5 (report on effective writing) Peer Response Due: Project 5, report on effective writing

Week 6 Mar 37 Week 7 Mar 1014 Week 8 Mar 1721

Week 9 Mar 2428 Week 10 Mar 31Apr 4 Week 11 Apr 711 Week 12 Apr 1418 Week 13 Apr 2125 Week 14 Apr 28May 2 Week 15 May 59 Exam Week May 1216

Detailed ScheduleFall 2013 Introduction Week 1

Aug 2630

Topic
Introduction to the course and each other Review syllabus Discuss academic vs business writing Assign Homework 1: Reflection on your interest in business and your goals In-class writing: Begin the reflection on your interest in business and your writing goals for the course (Homework 1)

Homework due
None

Project 1: Writing Email Week 2 Topic

Sep 36 [Instructor: Return Homework 1 with comments in 2nd or 3rd week] The rhetorical approach to business writing (PowerPoint) In-class activity: multiple audience exercise, followed by whole class discussion of rhetorical strategies Assign Project 1: Email to Two Audiences Assign Homework 2: Audience Inventory [Note: Monday 9/2 is Labor Day no class]

Homework due
Read What is Rhetoric? and Audience and Rhetorical Constraints summaries in Niihka Resources folder Complete the Homework 1 reflection

Week 3

Sep 913

Topic

Discuss email etiquette and effective email characteristics (handouts) Discuss use of rhetorical appeals in business writing; apply to the first writing assignment In-class activity: Analyze good and bad sample emails

Homework due

Read the handouts Writing Effective Emails, email Etiquette, Email Rhetorical Considerations, Email Style Tips, and Using Rhetorical Appeals in the Niihka Resources folder. Complete Homework 2 Audience Inventory

Week 4
Sep 1620

Topic

Homework due
Write complete drafts of your two email correspondences Bring 2 printed copies of your email correspondence drafts to class

Introduce the Lanham paramedic method for writing clear concise prose In-class activity: Lanham part 1using the active voice and writing with action verbs Peer Response

Project 2: Writing Business Letters Week 5 Topic

Sep 2327

Homework due
Revise your two email drafts for Project 1 Project 1 Email Correspondence is due Find a sample business letter on the Internet or elsewhere. Locate 3 rhetorical strategies in the letter; mark them and make notes about the effectiveness of each strategy within the context of the letter. Bring the letter and your notes to class.

Assign Project 2: Business Letter Review business letter genre conventions Group activity: Review sample business letters from students and discuss rhetorical strategies Review standard resume content categories and show sample resume formats Sign up for resume workshop

Week 6
Sep 30Oct 4

Topic
Show and discuss some student resume drafts Review purpose and audience in relation to the job application letter assignment Review the job application letter format and content tips Group activity: review qualifications and resumes; plan your business letter

Homework Due
Find a job ad youre interested in (see Project 2). Using the ad, your Assignment 1 reflection, and the handouts Transferrable Work Skills and Power Verbs found in the Niihka Resources folder, make a list of all your possible qualifications for the internship; use the list to draft a resume; bring your resume and list to class. Read Job Application Letter Tips in the Niihka Resources folder Attend a resume Workshop

Week 7
Oct 710

Topic
In-class activity: Lanham part 2removing prepositional phrases Peer Response [Fall Break is Friday 9/11no class]

Homework due
Write a complete draft of your business letter Bring 2 printed copies of your business letter draft to class for peer response

Project 3: Writing Business Memos Week 8 Topic

Oct 1418 Review stakeholder theory Assign Project 3: Business Memo Review memo genre conventions In-class activity: Review sample memos [Friday Oct 12 is Fall Holidayno classes]

Homework due
Revise your business letter for project 2 Business letter project due Read Writing Business Memos in the Niihka Resources folder

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Week 9
Oct 2125

Topic
In-class activity: Copia or WIRMS (What I Really Meant to Say) Peer response

Homework due

Write a complete draft of your Project 3 business memo Bring 2 printed copies of your business memo draft to class

Project 4: Writing Summaries Week 10 Topic

Oct 28 Nov 1 Assign Project 4: Summary and Recommendation email Review the says/does summarizing method (handout) In-class activity: Practicing says/does with sample article

Homework due
Revise your Project 3 business memo draft Write an email to your boss explaining the choices you made (see the Project 3 Business Memo assignment sheet for instructions) Business Memo with explanatory email project due

Week 11
Nov 48

Topic
Share main ideas and key terms of the TED videos In-class activity: moving from notes to summary Using bullet points and lists effectively

Homework due
Watch the two TED videos (and optionally, read the transcripts) and write Says/Does notes; identify the main ideas and key terms Bring your notes to class

Week 12
Nov 1115

Topic
Using headings effectively Review Lanhams paramedic method for clear, concise prose

Homework due
Draft a 300-500 word summary of each TED video using your says/does outline, notes, main ideas, and key terms

Bring both long summaries to class In-class activity: Using Lanhams method on the long summaries

Week 13
Nov 1822

Topic
Assign Project 5: Revision and Reflection Review revision strategies

Homework due
Revise your Project 4 Summary and Recommendation email draft to about 100-150 words for each summary (entire email should be about 300 words) Summary and Recommendation email project due

Week 14
Nov 2526

Topic
Thanksgiving Break 1127-12/1 Peer Review

Homework due

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Project 5: Report on Effective Business Writing Week 15 Topic

Dec 26 Week 16 Dec 3 Mon

Homework due Homework Due

Rough draft of project 5 for peer review

Topic
Semester wrap-up Peer Response

Exam Week
Dec 10 Mon

Topic
No final exam

Homework due
Revision and Reflection project due by [hh:00 on date]

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Week 1 Materials:

Introduction to Business Writing

The first week of BUS102 introduces students to a rhetorical approach to business writing. Discussion and activities should help students to see business writings connections to and differences from what they know and are learning from composition classes. Where composition classes like ENG111 help students think rhetorically, develop invention strategies, and experiment with a wide variety of genres, BUS102 helps them to focus those same concepts into the specialized contexts of the business disciplines. Rather than seeing business writing as following different rules than writing in English composition, students are better served seeing business writing conventions as very specific iterations of the writing and rhetorical skills developed in their other writing courses. This section of the Teachers Guide provides some sample homework assignments to jumpstart students thinking about how business writing connects with their previous writing and rhetoric experiences. It also includes handouts and discussion topics you might use during the first one or two class sessions. As additional readings, you might also share samples of previous students project 5 reports, available in the BCM and from the HWI. Written at the end of the semester, these reports present student insights into effective business writing, composed with a student audience in mind; as such, they may serve as helpful introductory documents for students new to writing for business contexts.

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Week 1 Writing Prompts

Both of these homework assignments work well as a starting assignment; use one or the other, or some combination of the two.

Homework 1: Reflection on Your Professional Goals, Interests, and Experience Due

Monday 1/16 by 3:00pm (the day before class), emailed as an attachment to your instructor.

Purpose

This first assignment asks you to spend some time thinking and writing about your professional goals, strengths, and work experience. Reading this will help me get to know you a little better. More importantly, this assignment can help you begin to clarify your own interests and reasons for pursuing a business major or minor at Miami and then identify some of your key strengths to help you achieve those goals. Youll also use this reflection later in the semester when we work on job application materials in project 2, so hold on to it.

Instructions

In roughly one page, double-spaced, address the following questions as thoroughly as you can. I understand that many of you at this early stage in college may only be exploring a business degree as one possibility, but please do your best to answer the following.

What are your professional goals? Explain the kind of industry, company, and job you eventually want
to work for. Why does this interest you? What motivates you?

Professionally, what are your short term goals (2-5 years out) and long-term goals (10 to 20 years)? List 3 of your key strengths. Describe each strength with a few key adjectives and/or qualities. Have you had any experiences in a business or other work setting? (Volunteer work and extracurricular activities count as well.) If so, briefly describe those experience(s) and the skills and/or knowledge you gained from that experience. How can these help you achieve your professional goals?

Grading

, -, 0 (see syllabus for criteria)

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Homework 1: Effective Business Writing Personal Reflection The purpose of this first assignment is to give you the opportunity to think and write about your strengths and weaknesses as a writer in relation to Business Writing. Reading your response will help me to get to know you as a writer, but, more importantly, this assignment will help you begin to think about the elements of effective Business Writing that we will cover this semester. Below are five key elements of effective Business Writing. Your task is to select twoone that you think will be easy for you (a strength) and one that you think will be a challenge for you ( a weakness). Support your ideas with specific examples from your past experiences as a writer or any other related experiences. If youre not certain which ones to choose, dont worry about it too muchthis is just a brief writing exercise to get us started. Writing for a specific audience Conciseness Word choice and language Organization Grammar and Mechanics

Your response should be about 3/4 to one page (please do not exceed one page), single-spaced. Begin with a brief introduction to introduce yourself as a writer and set up the two elementsa conclusion is not necessary, but you may include one. This assignment will receive a completion grade, as all homework does; however, I will not be returning it to you immediately. In the final weeks of the class, I will return it to you so that you can review it as you gather ideas for the final project, a report about what makes effective Business Writing in which you support your claims with specific examples from each of the four projects you completed during the semester. Please print this to hand in next week. Remember to include your name and section letter in a header.

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Writing in a Business Context

Audience and Rhetorical Situation Identify your audience(s) and their important characteristics (the business environment, values and goals, communication practices).

Focus on what your audience needs to know and on what your audience has asked you to supplynot
on everything you have done or learned.

Write so that your reader can quickly grasp the main points. Communicate need to know

information and eliminate nice to know information. Not everything you find is important to your audience. summarize and analyze market trends, make sure to include both summary and analysis. Demonstrate to your reader that you are in control of the information. and who are the potential audiences that could read your writing?

Make sure you understand your task and do what youve been asked to do. If your manager asks you to

Consider your writing thoroughly public. What are the potential ways your document might be used Remember that there are many different parts that make up the whole document: you are the
writer using a text to convey knowledge to your audience. Think about the rhetorical situation, represented here by Aristotles triangle:

Form and Format Think about genre. What form of writing is most appropriate for the rhetorical situation? An email? A memo? A report?

Foreground your topic, theme, claim, overriding conclusion in the first paragraph/sentence. Though
you will need to provide some context for the reader, a formal introduction is not necessary. Do not save the best for last.

Use headings to group, organize, and quickly communicate. Take your cue from the project

assignment or instructions. If your boss asks you to write a report detailing the history, ramifications, and potential changes of a trend, include headings titled History, Ramifications, and Potential Changes.

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 If writing a memo or email, strategically use the Subject or Re: lineparticularly important in the
era of e-mail when a person may base his/her decision to read on that one line. should present a developed idea, not a record of how your idea developed.

A narrative of your research process is an inefficient way to communicate your findings. The document Break up long paragraphs; the shorter the better. Consider bullet points.
Style Use clear and precise wording to avoid misinterpretation or confusion.

Make sure connections are readily apparent. Although smooth flow isnt imperative, your audience
should quickly see how the points you raise relate to the topic at hand. information you have given.

Front load sentences by putting new information first, followed by a connection to the previous Eliminate as many throw away words as possible (this, that, very, the). Use strong verbs (eliminate is, are, was, were, being, am). Edit to revise passive voice. Consider your tone. Provide the reader with the information he or she needs, but dont be
condescending. Also, be wary of the use of we or I. Is it appropriate for the subject, audience, and rhetorical situation? damage your credibility in the eyes of your reader.

Proofread carefully. Misspelled words and simple grammar mistakes are simply unacceptable and will

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Rhetoric as a Tool, a Practice, a Strategy for Writing

(Summary of What is Rhetoric? by William Covino and David Jolliffe) William Covino and David Jolliffe identify the major elements of rhetoric as the rhetorical situation, the audience, the pisteis or proofs (and their subdivisions), and the five canons of rhetoric: invention, arrangement, style, memory, and delivery (10). Whether subconsciously or not, you (and every other writer, speaker, language user) employ these tools whenever you use language. Having a deeper understanding of each element can help us as writers and speakers in the business world. Rhetorical Situation exigence: a need, a gap, something wanting, that can be met, filled in, or supplied only by a spoken or written text (10-11). We might think of exigence as our reason for writing, our purpose. audience: listeners or readers who have a reason to be concerned about the exigence and who are capable of acting on it or being acted upon by it (11). rhetorical constraints: the frames of minds, beliefs, values, modes of learning, understanding, the existing knowledge of the audience and the rhetor (11). We might think of rhetorical constraints as factors that could interfere or alter the meaning of the message, factors that may issue from the rhetor or the audience. Audience discourse community: a group of people who understand and use the same ways-of-speaking (Nystrand in Covino 13); people who work for the same goals using similar means of communication, including sharing information and offering feedback (Swales in Covino 12). For example, accountants, employees of PepsiCo, people who work as brokers Pisteis, Proofs, Appeals ethos: an appeal of credibility, often defined as the good character or credibility of the speaker, demonstrated to the audience through actions, language use, validity of sources, etc. pathos: an appeal of values, sometimes described as an appeal to the audiences emotions; fitting ones texts to the character types and states of mind that make up ones audience (17). logos: an appeal of reason; the appeal to patterns, conventions and modes of reasoning that the audience finds convincing and persuasive (17). Canons invention: the art of generating effective material for a particular rhetorical situation (22). arrangement: the art of ordering the material in a text so that it is most appropriate for the needs of the audience and the purpose of the text (22). style: the art of producing sentences and words that will make an appropriately favorable impression on readers and listeners (23). memory: using a series of tactics to remember a speech; not used much in modern language arts delivery: any element that pertains to the presentation of a speech or piece of writing

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Notes on Audience and Rhetorical Constraints from What is Rhetoric?

(Covino and Jolliffe) The audienceis not simply the aggregation of people who listen to or read the text called forth by the exigence. More specifically, the audience comprises the people who have a reason to be concerned about the exigence and who are capable of acting on it or being acted upon by it. The audience for a eulogy is the people who were connected, however remotely, to the deceased person and who are in the position to have their feelings of grief assuaged by the text. The audience for the letter of complaint is the people connected with the utility company who are in some position to see that the lousy service improves in the future. The audience for the report of the new discovery is the people who are concerned about the state of knowledge in the field and who believe that future research projects should be built on the foundations of newly validated concepts, whether they actually conduct those research projects themselves or simply keep informed of others who do. (Covino and Jolliffe 11) In addition: Rhetorical constraints arethe features of the audiencesand perhaps the speakers or writersframes of mind, belief systems, and ways of life that lead the audience to accept the speakers or writers ideas and to act upon the exigence. Rhetorical constraints include the audiences presuppositions and beliefs about the subject of the text as well as the patterns of demonstration or proof that the audience will accept. In other words, the constraints are ideas and attitudes that exist between the rhetormotivated to create discourse by the exigenceand the auditors, who will ideally act upon this exigence. (Covino and Jolliffe 11) Covino, William and David Jolliffe. What is Rhetoric? Rhetoric: Concepts, Definitions, Boundaries. Boston: Allyn/Bacon, 1995. 3-26.

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Project 1: Email Correspondence

The email project should familiarize students with the conventions of writing formal email. By asking students to write requests to two different audiences and for different purposes, the assignment emphasizes the interactions between genre, audience, and purpose. This section of the Teachers Guide includes the writing prompt and numerous discussion points, examples, and scaffolding exercises for use in class. For a simple in-class activity to illustrate audience during Week 2, you might ask students to write a quick note to their parents or guardian about how the semester is going, followed with a quick note to their friends about how the semester is going, and finally, an email to a professor about a class. Have a discussion about the differences. You might then present the Introduction to Effective Email Writing PowerPoint presentation, available on the HWI website, as a way to go into more detail about business writing concepts.

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Project 1Emails to Two Audiences

For this first formal writing assignment, you will compose two emails to two different audiences. Email is the most common form of written communication in business today. Learning to write courteous and effective emails will help your credibility in school and on the job. Rough DraftsDue In Class for Peer Response, Week Four [date] Final VersionsDue Week Five [date] Purpose of the Assignment This assignment will help you:

Practice drafting and formatting email for both familiar and unfamiliar audiences. Consider the effects of audience on tone, word choice, presentation, and/or description.
Scenario/Subject As a student in the FSB, it is important for you to think about professionalizing yourself. One very accessible opportunity open to Miami students is participation in student professional organizations. I would like you to review the professional organizations operating out of the FSB (http://www.fsb.muohio.edu/offices/ student-development/organizations). Draft two emails related to one or more of the listed organizations: 1) A request for information addressed to one of the student organizations regarding their activities, opportunities, and requirements. 2) A request for a character reference from someone you know, to be used in applying to one or more of these student organizations. Audiences and Instructions

Email 1: Request for Information

Audience: Addressed to a person you dont know, but from whom you need information. Content Considerations: Individuals frequently use email to contact strangers, introduce themselves, and obtain something from that stranger (in this case, information). Based on what information is already available on the student organization list, contact the organization president or sponsor and request additional information about that group. With your goal of building your resume, you might inquire about leadership and service opportunities; if you are a first year student, are those opportunities open to you? If membership requirements are not clear, you might ask for additional information. Use appropriate tone and language for this formal situation. The email should be 2-3 paragraphs and no more than a half page, single-spaced.

Email 2: Request for a Recommendation

Audience: Addressed to a teacher, employer, or other respected individual who you know well and who can speak to your characteristics as a potential member of a selective student organization. Content Considerations: Ask your reader to write a letter of reference for you and explain the context you want him or her to address (i.e., the student group or groups you are applying for). Will the reader remember you by name? Why does your previous experience with the reader make that person a good reference for you? Why do you want to join this particular group out of the others on the list? What
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would you like the reader to highlight in the letter? Think about what information the reader needs to know about the internship or job in order to submit the reference for you. Use appropriate tone and language for this situation. This document should be 3-5 paragraphs and no more than one page, singlespaced.

Writers Note

Write a half-page writers note reflecting on the writing you did in the project. For this first project, I want you to reflect on the rhetorical strategies you used and the choices you made as you wrote the two emails. Be sure to tell me about your relationship with the second audiencehow well did you know her or him and in what context? Additionally, for each audience, consider in what ways the two audiences and purposes were similar or different. What outcome(s) did you intend for each email? How did those unique situations affect your text (e.g., tone, content, organization, word choice, other considerations)? I would also like to know what you feel you learned during this first project and how you will apply that knowledge to future writing. Things to keep in mind as you draft your emails Draft the email entirely before attending to formatting and editing. Outline, list, or make note of the values and beliefs of and language conventions used by your intended audiences; then consider appropriateness of tone and word choice. Provide specific and detailed information appropriate to each audience, but only what is needed. Offer the most important information firstlead with what you need. Include a subject line that accurately conveys the content of the email. Use short paragraphs to aid reader comprehension and ease of reading. Read your draft aloud slowly to locate errors, inappropriate tone or word choice, and punctuation problems.

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24

Business 102 Grading Rubric Project #1Email to Two Audiences

Exemplary Proficient Emerging

Name: _______________________________
Unacceptable

Assignment-Specific Criteria Email 1 Purpose: Email clearly announces a reason for writing and a desired outcome (e.g., requests specific information relevant to learning about the organization your audience represents).

Audience: Email is strategically tailored with a specific audience in mind (e.g., appropriate tone, word choice, and customized content with clearly stated action items, directed to an unfamiliar audience).

Style and Clarity: Writing is clear, concise, and coherent; avoids passive voice and uses action verbs. Organization supports ease of reading; avoids unnecessary repetition.

Formatting Conventions: Email includes a meaningful subject line, follows email format conventions, and uses reader-friendly paragraph length.

Mechanics: Email shows careful attention to spelling, punctuation, and grammar.

Email 2

Purpose: Email clearly announces a reason for writing and a desired outcome (e.g., requests a recommendation letter from a teacher, employer, or other respected individual who knows you). Audience: Email is strategically tailored with a specific audience in mind (e.g., appropriate tone, word choice, and customized content with clearly stated action items, including what information the audience will need to know in order to complete the recommendation). Style and Clarity: Writing is clear, concise, and coherent; avoids passive voice and uses action verbs. Organization supports ease of reading; avoids unnecessary repetition.

Formatting Conventions: Email includes a meaningful subject line, follows email format conventions, and uses reader-friendly paragraph length.

Mechanics: Email shows careful attention to spelling, punctuation, and grammar.

Note the overlap between audience and the other categories. Effective business communication considers audience at all times, including how the audience relates to or can help achieve the purpose, what style they might best respond to, what genre conventions they expect, and how they will respond to mechanical and proofing errors. ______ Total Project points

Audience Inventory for E-mail Project (homework assignment)

1.

Who are the intended and possible audiences for each of your emails?
o

Email audience 1: Email audience 2:

2.

Describe (carefully, thoroughly) what you know about your audiences and their capability to act upon this message or to be acted upon by it.
o

Email audience 1:

Email audience 2:

Consider for each audience:

What is your audiences relationship or attitude toward you (neutral, positive, negative)? To the subject of your email? What do you want the audiences attitude to be after reading your email? What outcome do you want to achieve through this email? What (if anything) does your audience already believe or know about the subject of your email? From where does his or her belief or knowledge come? How will this affect your approach when writing? How much information must you provide to make your message coherent to your audience and achieve the goal you desire? How willing will your audience be to read your email? What types of rhetorical appeals will be most persuasive to each audience? What tone and ethical stance do you wish to establish in relation to this audience and purpose (e.g. do you want to be respectful, satiric, argumentative, humorous, serious)?

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Writing Effective Emails

This brief introduction to the email genre will help you write email more effectively and confidently. Deciding to Write Considering whether or not you should be writing any business document, including email, is incredibly important. All writing is public writing, no matter how private it may feel. Email is the least secure form of written communication available to you. If you are not comfortable with the idea of what you have written being printed and posted on the wall in the lunch room or printed on the front page of the Wall Street Journal, you should not commit it to writing. Many companies and employees have gotten into trouble over emails that never should have been written in the first place. Once you make the decision to write, email is often a good choice. Email is the most flexible business writing tool we will work with this semester. It can be used for informal communication within a company, especially between peers, but we will focus on writing formal business emails. Like all of the other kinds of writing we will do, these formal documents have specific elements that must be included. Required Elements of Email Subject Lines Every email you write should include a brief but meaningful subject line. Your subject should be clear and direct and let your reader know precisely what the email is about. It does not have to be a complete sentence and does not even have to be grammatically correct, but it does have to be short. There is a good chance that your reader will be receiving your email on a handheld device (like a Blackberry or an iPhone) and so brevity is helpful. A subject line that reads, I need to speak with you about. will likely be shortened to the cryptic I need to speak, which may make many readers decide that the email is not important enough for immediate attention. Something shorter and punchier like Supplier contract problem will probably get a more timely response. Greetings All formal emails should begin with a greeting made up of a salutation (Dear), the addressees title (Ms., Mr., Dr., etc.), and the addressees last name followed by either a colon (standard in US business writing) or a comma (standard in international writing), as follows: Dear Dr. Smith: [US format] Dear Dr. Smith, [international format] Note: If your reader has replied using only his or her first name in the closing, this is an invitation to move to a first-name, more personal, basis. If you are also comfortable with that relationship, you can begin using the persons first name in future correspondence. Complimentary Close Formal emails should also conclude with a complimentary close (example, Sincerely) followed by a comma and the writers name on the line below. That may be followed by a signature block that includes information about the writers title, company, address, phone number, etc. Sincerely is the standard close used in US business writing and Best regards is the standard used in international business writing. (When using a two word close, only the first word is capitalized.) For example: Sincerely, Jane Doe Vice President Important Company (555) 555-5555
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Best regards, Jane Doe Vice President Important Company (555) 555-5555

Formatting & Paragraphing Although emails are generally single spaced, you should include blank lines between your greeting, the body of the email, each paragraph, and the salutation. Plenty of white space in an email makes it easier for your reader to get through quickly. Keep paragraphs short. Formal business emails require the use of capital letters at the beginnings of sentences and for proper nouns, appropriate punctuation, and grammar usage according to Standard American English language rules. Do not use slang, abbreviations or text message lingo. Resist the urge to write an Email Blob, which is just a big chunk of content that is not well organized into coherent paragraphs. Arrange your content in paragraphs that make sense and order them according to your understanding of your readers priorities. One-sentence paragraphs are frequently used in business writing. Your first sentence and last sentence will often be paragraphs all to themselves. Organization & Important Content Lead With What You Need Lead with what you need is a phrase you will hear repeated often this semester, and it bears memorizing and saying to yourself frequently when editing your drafts. In any business writing situation, including emails, you should determine what you most need from the situation and begin there. If you are not clear about what you need in the situation, you probably should not be writing until you are clear. Take some time to think about it before getting started. Sometimes the need that will preclude all others is to remind your reader of who you are and why she should remember you, and then following this with a request for whatever it is you are writing about. Other times beginning with a simple and clear statement of what you need from your reader will be best. Many students balk at this, as it feels rude to jump out and just say what you want, but rest assured that there are ways to temper the tone of your writing to keep it sounding positive and polite while also giving your reader the earliest opportunity to say yes to whatever it is you are requesting. You can then follow your request with a detailed explanation providing the reader with context and reasoning behind the request. Good-will Close Most business communications documents end with what is called a good-will close, which is a statement that is designed to position your reader to feel good about saying yes to whatever you have requested from her. For emails, this close tends to be a statement of thanks for doing what you have requested, for the readers time and/or help. There are small differences between typical good-will closes depending on the kind of document you are writing. We will discuss closes for business letters and memos later in the semester. Take the two emails below for example; one leads with what is needed, ends with a good-will close and provides the reader with coherent paragraphs, but the other does none of those. Dear Mr. Chang, I am working on making reservations for your team for your trip to Los Angeles. I know Sam usually handles this for you, but he is on vacation so I am filling in. I need a little more information about who is going, when you will be leaving and when you will be returning. If you could also provide information about each team members frequent flyer account, that would also be helpful. If you have a preference of hotels to stay in, let me know. Thanks. Best regards, Judy

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Dear Mr. Chang, Would you please provide me with the following information to complete reservations for your teams Los Angeles trip:

Names of all members traveling & their frequent flyer account information Exact departure and return dates Which hotel you prefer or if you would like me to do further research and send you a selection to
choose from Sam is on vacation, so I am filling in for him for the next two weeks. My phone number is below if you have any questions or would like to discuss details in person. I look forward to working with you. Best, Judy 555-5555 Include any content necessary for your reader to follow up on your request and nothing extra. Try to anticipate questions your reader may have and how you could answer those questions before your reader has to ask them. Deadlines, Dates & Times Always consider adding a deadline. The addition of the following line would make your needs much clearer to your reader: I need to contact the airlines before this Friday, January 6, in order to secure the best price. If you could get back to me by Thursday morning, that would be helpful. Include both the day and the date whenever discussing deadlines or other date-related issues. When setting meeting times, include the day, date, time (using either an international 24 hour clock or the am/ pm designation, i.e. 14:00 or 2:00pm) and the time zone you are referring to (2:00pm Eastern Standard US Time or EST). The time zone can be important whether or not you are working internationally. Chicago, just a short drive away, is on Central Standard US Time, an hour behind Cincinnati. CC & BCC Lines Every email has the following lines at the top: To, From, CC, BCC, and Subject.1 The To and From lines contain the names and email addresses of the author and the reader, and the subject line is discussed above. CC is an old business writing abbreviation that stands for carbon copy from back when copies of documents were created by putting carbon sheets between pieces of paper in a typewriter. Today, CC in email is used to include the email address of any reader you want to receive your email but to whom the email itself is not specifically addressed. For example, if your boss asks you to email the sales team about a new product, you would put the sales team members email addresses in the To line and include your bosss email address in the CC line so she will get a copy of the email that you sent to the team and know that you have done as you were asked and what you have told the group. Addresses included in the CC line are visible to the rest of the email recipients, so it also can be used to let readers know that there are other people who have the same information they do. This can be helpful
1 Note that on many email clients, CC and/or BCC may not appear as options unless activated by the user in the settings or preferences. 28

if you need a group to whom you are writing to know that your boss is aware of the content of your email. BCC stands for blind carbon copy and is specific to email usage. Persons whose email addresses are entered into the BCC line will receive a copy of the email, but other recipients of the email will not see that it has been sent those BCC readers. This can be helpful if you need to keep someone in the loop on a subject but do not want to make a statement about doing so. Use the BCC feature carefully, however hiding recipients of an email is similar to letting them eavesdrop on the conversation; other recipients may reply with something they wouldnt otherwise say, which can lead to embarrassment, feelings of being tricked, or even anger. Never Email Angry You will undoubtedly and regularly receive emails that will make you angry. Resist the urge to shoot back an immediate reply. If you must write something in order to help yourself calm down, write a draft and save it in your drafts folder until an hour or two, or even a day or two, later, when you can read it over again with a cool head. A successful entrepreneur once said that showing anger in the workplace was a kind of career suicide, and I believe he was right. Showing that you can stay in control is one of the keys to success in the business world. Unfortunately, people who would never shout in a business meeting will write a scathing email, but while the words they might have shouted would have probably been forgotten in a day or two, the email they send out is forever. Proofread Your Emails Re-read every email you write from start to finish. You will often be tempted to rip off a quick email and hit send. Fight that urge. Before sending, read your emails through carefully to make sure they make sense and are complete, including actually attaching the files you have promised to attach or not replying all when you only meant to reply to the original sender (especially important on listserv emails). You will be judged by your reader based on the quality of what you have written. Take every opportunity to make a good impression with your writing, especially when writing to your superiors.

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Etiquette Tips for Writing and Sending Email

To make a professional and positive impression in your online communications, keep the following writing and etiquette tips in mind when composing emails: Make it personal. An email should be tailored to the recipientnot only should the email be addressed personally but it should also contain customized content. As you are drafting, keep your audience(s) in mind. Use the proper salutation to address the actual recipient (President Hodge; Ms. Smith; Dr. Biden), consider what he or she needs to know and why, and then draft accordingly. Use a meaningful subject line. Use a subject line that clearly explains the emails topic and is meaningful to the recipient as well as to you. For example, if you are sending a job application, include your name (Application materials from Jennifer Cellio) or if you desire product information, make it clear (Product information for 2008 Nintendo Wii). This gives readers context before opening the email and simplifies finding it in their mailbox later. Stick to one topic. While writing, if you think of something involving another matter that you need to tell the recipient, put that information in a new email with its own appropriate, meaningful subject line. Doing so creates a separate message thread for tracking each topics conversation, and makes it easier to find the information laterdont make readers hunt through all their emails for that request or idea you buried in an unrelated email. Be concise and to the point. Do not make an email any longer than it needs to be. Remember that reading on a computer screen is harder than reading from paper. If you need to send a longer, more involved message, use the phone or send a letter or fax. Follow spelling and grammar rules as well as appropriate punctuation. This item is important not only because incorrect spelling, grammar, or punctuation give the recipient a bad impression of you, but also because it may fail to convey the message properly. Emails without full stops or commas can be difficult to read and/or interpret; spelling errors can change the meaning of a sentence or paragraph; and grammar mistakes signify a lack of effort and attention to detail. Use proper structure and layout, and be aware of formatting limitations. As noted above, reading from a screen can be uncomfortable and difficult, so the structure and layout of email messages should ease reading not hamper it. Keep paragraphs short and create blank lines between each paragraph. When making points, number them or mark each point as separate to keep the overview. (See <http://www.fsb. muohio.edu/programs/howe-writing-initiative/student-resources> for email style tips and business letter and/or email formatting.) In addition, keep in mind that when you use special formatting in your emails (font changes, hyperlinks, italics, etc.), the sender might not be able to read your message or may receive a visual impression you did not intend. If you must use color, choose a basic blue, green, or red, all of which are easy to read on a white background. Also, be aware of the difference between email programs that use rich text and those that allow HTML messages. Read the email before you send it. Always, always, always take two minutes to read your email carefully before sending it. Check your subject line for relevance, your salutation for correctness, and your text for grammar and punctuation errors. When you read your email with your recipient in mind, you send a more effective message and avoid misunderstandings and inappropriate comments.

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Other General Etiquette Tips Respond quickly. In the world of business, people send email because they wish to receive a quick, relatively simple response. Try to respond to all email within 24 hours of receiving it, but preferably within the same working day. If the email is complicated or demands more time for a proper response, send a brief email back explaining that you have received the message and that you will respond within a given time frame. This goodwill gesture will ease the writers mind that you received the email and will give you enough time to respond properly. Do not overuse the high priority option. Unless the email is truly urgent and/or time-sensitive, avoid using the high-priority flagespecially if you are asking something of your recipient. Some people might find the little red flag a bit aggressive, demanding, or, even worse, self-important, none of which is an impression you want to leave with your recipient. Do not hide a recipient through the blind copy function (BCC). This practice is unfair to the addressed audience who will not be aware that others are sharing in the conversation and is equivalent to eavesdropping. Do not write in ALL CAPITAL LETTERS. When you use capital letters, IT SEEMS AS IF YOU ARE SHOUTING AT THE RECIPIENT. (Likewise, do not use all lower-case lettersyou are an educated adult; write like one.) If you must draw attention to a sentence, create a line break before and after it. If you wish to emphasize a word, consider using *asterisks* on either side. Either way of creating emphasis is *much* nicer than yelling with capitals. When replying, include the original message thread. When responding to an email, be certain to hit reply rather than new message. Again, email should be fast and simpleand having to search through ones sent mail folder is annoying and time-consuming. Err on the side of sending too much rather than too little information in this case Think carefully about abbreviations and emoticons. In general, abbreviations (such as BTW or LOL) should be avoided in business-related emails, unless you know the person well. Not only do you risk confusing your recipient (who may not be aware of the meanings of the abbreviations), you risk appearing immature and foolish. Unless you are absolutely, 100% certain your recipient will understand and appreciate such gestures, leave them out. And some final no brainers : Do not forward chain letters at work. Ever. Do not copy a message or attachment without permission. Ever. Do not use email to discuss confidential information. Ever. Do not send or forward emails containing libelous, defamatory, offensive, racist, sexist, or obscene remarks. EVER, EVER, EVER. Do. Not. Dont reply to or try to unsubscribe from spamdoing so confirms that your address is live.

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Using the Rhetorical Appeals in Business Writing

Consider these appeals when drafting and revising business communications. Note the ways you might use ethos, pathos, and logos in your writing. How might your audience respond? Ethos (ethical appeal): establishes credibility and/or authority as a writer or speaker Demonstrate knowledge of the topic and your audience by providing only necessary background information and informed opinion (appropriate formatting, vocabulary/terms, definitions, history, etc.).

Provide personal experience to show you are a credible source of information because you have insider/ firsthand knowledge (this is also why primary sources are better than secondary sources). You are a representation of your ideas as much as your ideas represent you. Show confidence and integrity by not contradicting previous claims you have made. Appear trustworthy by respecting your audience, citing outside sources, providing true/accurate and plausible information, and staying on topic. Give credit to past authors (either through a literature review, quotes from experts, citation and works cited page). This gesture also shows you are informed. Avoid grammar and mechanical errors. When abundant, errors can undermine your professionalism. Offer new claims (claims not already common to the topic) so that you are adding your valuable insights to the conversation. Use your own voice. Show respect for the opposing opinions, which allows the reader to view you as ethical, and therefore, credible. Be fair-minded when refuting opposing viewpoints and consider establishing common ground (things all sides believe are true).

Pathos (emotional appeal): evokes an emotional response in your audience Be aware of the beliefs your audience may have about your claim and anticipate where warrants or underlying assumptions need to be stated.

Provide your audience with the information it needs to understand your claims (consider what they know). Unless it is your goal to be offensive or to evoke anger from the members your audience, be respectful of their beliefs by not attacking them as people and by not using phrases like, obviously, it is ignorant to believe that Evoke emotions by using words, phrases, or common experiences that call to mind connotative meaning (and be aware of whether that word evokes anger, fear, sadness, happiness, etc.). Use clear descriptions and definitions when possible. Doing so eliminates confusion and enables the audience to better relate to your message. Use personal narrative (only when appropriate) to allows your readers to relate to you and your topic. Apathy is an emotion. Consider how you can keep your readers interest.

Logos (logical appeal): provides a logical argument within your text Provide a thesis statement that outlines your main point in one or two sentences at or near the beginning of your communication.

Offer claims that support the thesis statement (usually the best, most salient claim is first).

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Present support for those claims in the form of expert opinion (direct quotes, paraphrased statements or summaries cited), objective facts, statistics, and figures, and/or your informed opinion to evoke a rational response. Make the argument stronger by considering the warrants you do and do not have in common with your audience. You may need to explain your logic. Combine or condense wordy sentences in order to convey concise ideas so you do not appear redundant. Be concise wherever possible. Avoid logical fallacies and other flimsy arguments and supports. Consider offering a linear argument with one idea per paragraph. Dont hesitate to break a long paragraph into two sequential paragraphs for ease of reading. If you begin talking about a new claim, start a new paragraph. Stay on topic and offer relevant information to support your claims. Make claims your audience will think are reasonable (you dont have to change their views you only have to show them you have reasonable claims).

(Adapted from the English/Composition Teachers Guide, a resource created by Miami Universitys Composition Program.)

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Editing for Clear, Plain Style: Lanhams Paramedic Method In Revising Prose, Richard Lanham (New York: Scribners, 1981) describes what he calls the paramedic method for improving prose by removing the fat. He provides five easy steps: 1. Circle the prepositions 2. Circle the is verbs (be, is was, am, are, were, been, being) 3. Ask Whos Kicking Who (in other words, ask where the action and agent are) 4. Put this action in a simple active verb. 5. Start fastno mindless introductions. By using this method, you can cut the lard factor in your writing by 1/3 to 1/2. Besides following these rules (cutting prepositional phrases and replacing to be verbs), ask yourself: What can I stand to lose? What do I absolutely have to includeto say what I mean? A general rule: less is more. Heres an example of how this method works: Original: This class is in need of a long weekend of relaxation. (11 words) Revision: This class needs a long relaxing weekend. (7 words) Lard factor: 36%. Lanhams formula for figuring the lard factor or fat content is: Original word count Revised word count = words cut (Words cut / Original word count) x 100 = percent cut (or lard factor) So, 11-7 = 4; 4 divided by 11 = 0.36 x 100 = 36% Another example: Original: After reviewing the research and in light of the relevant information found within the context of the conclusions, we feel that there is definite need for some additional research to more specifically pinpoint our advertising and marketing strategies. (38 words) Revision 1: The conclusions of previous research suggest that we need more research to pinpoint our advertising and marketing strategies. (LF = 53% (38-18=20 divided by 38 =0.53 x 100 = 53%). Revision 2: Previous research suggests that we need more research to pinpoint our marketing and advertising strategies. (LF= 60%) Revision 3: Previous research has failed to pinpoint our marketing and advertising strategies. (LF = 71%) Final version: Previous research has failed to pinpoint our marketing and advertising strategies. We need to know more. (LF = 58% with actions clear)
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Now, lets try this on a longer paragraph, a follow-up note from a cleaning service owner to one of her managers. Earlier that week, the manager sent an overly angry letter to his customers about recent breaches in contracts. The owner is giving the manager some tips for future communication. Original: Now, I know that youve already sent this letter to current customers, so most of my advice is moot. I can see, though, how they might have felt put off, even insulted, by the tone here, which is formal, distant, even legal, when people want to feel that their cleaning service likes the work, approves of their home, and appreciates the business. I also realize that you have clearly had problems with some customers. But I fear you might alienate the majority by trying to address the few who make your work more difficult. My advice, therefore, is to rework this letter into a standard form that new customers sign up front. However, I still think it should sound more solicitous of the customer. The version here is all about the cleaning services troubles. Revise to make it about the customers convenience. Thats good business. (145 wordsYikes!) Revision: My suggestions for revision wont help regain goodwill with customers who have already reacted negatively to this letter, I realize. I understand, though, how some might have felt insulted by the formal, distant, legalistic tone. I suspect customers want to believe that a cleaning service approves of their home and appreciates the business. I know some customers have caused you real problems, but I fear you might alienate the majority while talking to those few. I advise reworking this letter into a standard form for new customers to sign, without referring to your troubles. Revise to make the subject your customers convenience. (102 words; LF 29%; not great but better) Another try: I realize my revisions wont regain current customers who reacted negatively to this letter. I can see how some might have felt insulted by the formal and legalistic tone. Customers, I think, want their cleaning service to appreciate their business and to enjoy working in their homes. I suspect you might alienate that majority by writing to the few who have caused real trouble. I advise a standard form for new customers to sign, emphasizing your customers convenience. (76 words; LF 47%. Much better?!?!)

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36

Project 2: Internship Application Letter

The final assignment for project 2 is a cover letter for an internship or job application. A resume is not part of the final graded assignment because in past semesters, it became too much work to do both in class and we wanted students to focus on writing a solid, persuasive business letter, not filling and formatting the resume. However, we have included a resume as a scaffolding assignment to help students invent material for the cover letter and to make the situation more real, since the cover letter would accompany a resume in real life. The required workshops run by Career Services will help students to draft their resume and give them training in an important business genre. Having a draft resume will give students something tangible to refer to in the letter. They can use the samples, the handouts, and in-class activity materials (Transferrable Work Skills, Power Verbs, etc.) to brainstorm their qualifications and create the resume. With students using these resources and drafting their resumes outside of class, you can spend more time on the cover letter and writing more effective prose. The main purpose for the qualifications/resume homework assignment is to get them to think beyond tasksso, not just the tasks they performed in previous jobs or volunteer work (such as waited tables, operated cash register) but the skills and knowledge they acquired that could apply to this internship position. The transferrable work skills and the power verbs handouts can help them brainstorm about those skills and knowledge. And as much as possible, they should match their qualifications to what the employer is looking for as stated in the adagain, teaching them to focus on audience and to write persuasively. The resume workshop will also help them with this process.

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Project 2Letter of Application (Business Cover Letter)

For this second writing assignment, you will compose a letter of application to a prospective employer for an internship position. A letter of application (or cover letter) accompanies a resume as a way to introduce yourself and obtain an interview. Many employers say that the job application letter is just as or more important than the resume, primarily because the letter serves as a personal introduction. In it, you should address the following employer questions that cannot be answered in a resume: Why do you want to work for the specific company instead of a different one? How will you contribute (specifically) to the companys success? Will you work well with other employees and business clients?

Resume WorkshopRSVP with FSB Career Services to attend a session Rough DraftDue In Class for Peer Response, Week Seven [date] Final VersionDue Week Eight [date]
Purpose of This Assignment To become familiar with business letter genre conventions To learn and practice strategies for writing persuasively To learn and practice methods for effectively tailoring your information for a particular audience. Specifically, the project will provide you with strategies for writing an effective cover letter that emphasizes the qualities a potential employer seeks. To draft a persuasive resume that you can continue to update during your college career Scenario/Subject You are in the process of applying for a summer internship. Youve completed several drafts of your resume and have had it reviewed. Youre now ready for the next stepdrafting the resume cover letter, also known as a letter of application. Audience and Instructions Cover Letter: Your audience for this letter is the contact named in your internship or job, usually someone in HR or the head of the department youre applying to. In no more than a page, you must identify yourself as a candidate for the internship or job, show why youre a good fit for the job, and convey a bit of your personality. Identify your qualifications and your reasons for applying as well as specific qualities, skills, and/or experiences you can bring to the firm.

Resume: A resume accompanies your cover letter and the two documents should reflect and reinforce

each other. Though this project concentrates on the cover letter, as part of this project you will have an opportunity to create an effective draft of this important professional document by attending a resume workshop conducted by FSBs Career Services. Attendance at the workshop counts toward your final course grade.

Writers Note: In a one-page double-spaced writers note addressed to me, I want you to reflect on the

rhetorical strategies you used and the choices you made as you wrote your cover letter. Consider, for example, what tone did you intend to project in the letter and how did you create that tone? What did you want the reader to understand about you and how did you attempt to achieve that outcome? What rhetorical appeals and other persuasive strategies did you use to convince the reader that you were the right candidate for this internship? How did you match up your qualifications to the job requirements?

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I would also like to know what you feel you learned during this second project and how you will apply that knowledge to future writing. Things to keep in mind as you draft your letter Draft the letter entirely before attending to formatting and editing. Outline, list, or make note of the values and beliefs of and language conventions used by your intended audiences; then consider appropriateness of tone and word choice. Refer to the Writing a Letter of Application handout for content and formatting advice. Be sure to include the following information: Your address, the date, and your recipients address, properly arranged Appropriate salutation, block formatting, closing, and signature A general, introductory paragraph identifying your reason for writing Body paragraphs to support your application A closing that projects goodwill and includes next steps As you write, keep the rhetorical situation in mindyour reason for writing, your audience, the values, beliefs, and conventions attendant to this audience. Remember, you are applying for a jobdo not embarrass yourself by failing to proofread your letter carefully, reading aloud, for word choice, punctuation, spelling, and grammar.

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40

Business 102 Grading Rubric Project #2Job Application Letter (Business Cover Letter) Exemplary Proficient Emerging

Name: ______________________________________

Assignment-Specific Criteria Purpose: The letter clearly serves its purpose: Acts as a professional introduction to you as a candidate. Describes how you would meet the internship or job qualifications. Projects enthusiasm and interest. Audience: The letter is written with audience in mind: Indicates what you will bring to the company, not what the internship will do for you. Demonstrates understanding of the companys mission and values. Uses appropriate tone and customized content for audience. Closing expresses goodwill and makes contact info easy to find. Style and Clarity: Writing is concise, uses active voice and action verbs, and eliminates prepositions. Diction is professional and effective. The letter follows a clear organization: Paragraphs contain a clearly stated main idea. Development within the paragraphs relates to the main idea. Relationships between ideas within and between paragraphs are communicated clearly. Formatting Conventions: The letter follows formatting guidelines for business letters. Uses block formatting throughout. Begins with a letterhead or senders address, the date, and the recipients name and address. Ends with an appropriate closing and signature; indicates enclosures (e.g., the resume). Mechanics: The letter demonstrates careful attention to spelling, punctuation, and grammar.

Unacceptable

Note the overlap between audience and the other categories. Effective business communication considers audience at all times, including how the audience relates to or can help achieve the purpose, what style they might best respond to, what genre conventions they expect, and how they will respond to mechanical and proofing errors. ______ Total Project points

Preparing Your Resume

Use this list to double-check that you include in your resume all necessary and appropriate information based on the rhetorical situation: the audience who will read it and the specific job for which you are applying. Suggested sections to include, as applicable, are in boldface type. You should choose between the two basic resume formats: chronological and functional. The chronological approach is more common all items are organized in reverse chronological order (most recent first). The functional approachwhich groups items into categories to highlight them without regard to chronologyplaces more emphasis on skills and qualifications, making it useful when you dont yet have a great deal of applicable work experience. Identifying information Include the following information in this section: First and last name Full address with zip code and two-letter state abbreviation; can include both home and school Telephone number(s) Email address Objective Include the following information in this section: A brief phrase or sentence that shows your interest in the specific job you are seeking; base the objective on the goals or duties listed in the job advertisement and on the readers needsindicate what you can do for the employer, not what the employer can do for you Include the general field or industry, not the company name Be specific; avoid meaningless and/or vague generalities that anyone could write Education1 Emphasize aspects of your educational background that meet the requirements for the particular job for which you are applying. Include the following information:

Required information: Degree(s) earned (use abbreviation B.S.) with major and minor or thematic sequence Full name of the institution that granted the degree City and two-letter state abbreviation of the degree-granting institution Graduation date (or Expected December 2013) Grade point averagedo not round Optional information: Other schools attended, with the same information above (arrange education reverse chronologically) Full name of relevant courses completed Special, relevant projects and your role Honors and awards Significant scholarships received2 Memberships in university organizations Publications or important research projects with name and objective Include high school info if valuable for networking; list high school accomplishments only if outstanding or
unique but do not include if you are a college junior or senior

1 The Employment or Activities section can follow Education depending on which is most important to your audience. 2 Honors and awards may go in a separate section if you have a large number of items to list and/or want to highlight them. Decide where the information will make the best impression to your target audience. 41

Employment history or experience Include the following basic information for each full or part-time job or internship you have had: Your position or title1 Organizations name Location of the organization (city and two-letter state abbreviation) Dates worked (months and years only or summer and year) Your specific job responsibilities, skills developed, knowledge gained

Present employment information based on the following guidelines: Put most impressive information first Be specific Be concise Emphasize results Use active voice Use strong, action verbssee handout of Power Verbs Use keywords the employer is looking formimic the job ad language; avoid irrelevant information Use present and past tense appropriately Use parallel structure in bullets and lists List jobs in reverse chronological order Avoid first person (I)use brief fragments, not sentences
Interests and activities As appropriate, you may (briefly) include the following information in this section: (Customize the title of the section accordingly.) Listing of significant honors and awards (see note 2) Information regarding participation in community-service or volunteer organizations Listing of hobbies if related to the job; exclude others Information regarding participation in university-sanctioned organizations and activities Do not include information on height, weight, birth date, health, ethnicity, marital status, number of children; do not include a photo of yourself Optional sections The following optional sections may be included based on the experience and skills desired for the specific job you are applying for: Computer skills and certifications, organized by hardware, software, and operating systems Licenses or memberships in professional organizations Specialized equipment or knowledge Military service (could be in the employment section) Language abilities References No statement is required for referencesdont waste the space But have a separate sheet of references ready to hand out or send if requested. Include: full name, title, organization, mailing address, and phone number; email address is optional
1 You may list either your position or title first or the organizations name first depending on which is most impressive. Whichever form you choose, present all jobs consistently.

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 Provide 3: a boss, a professor, and a character reference Use the same design as your resume Receive permission from references before giving out their information!
Other notes Aim for one page Customize content to your audienceuse organization and section headers to highlight what is most impressive for this job Remove all hyperlinks Avoid prose (full sentences) in all sections Position all dates at the right margin for easy reading

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Howe Writing Initiative Farmer School of Business Miami University

Sample Resume Amy B. Laws

432 Bosley Lane, Wilmington, OH 45177 (937) 746-2324 lawsab@hotmail

Professional Objective Education

To pursue a challenging position in the field of accountancy that uses my financial, cost, tax, and auditing knowledge and skills Miami University, Farmer School of Business, Oxford, OH B.S. in Business, Major: Accountancy, Minor: Decision Sciences GPA 3.3/4.0 Major GPA 3.8/4.0 Expected graduation May 2012 Advanced Accounting: Auditing Objectives Advanced Cost Accounting Accounting Systems Decision Sciences: Applied Statistics Operations Research Information Systems Small Business Consulting

Specialized Courses

Work Experience

Resident Assistant, Miami University August 2007-Present Create positive living/learning environment Assist and advise Hall Council Plan, market, and promote hall programs with other Council Members Maintain residence hall website featuring student accomplishments Accounting Intern, Johnson & Associates, Cleveland, OH Reviewed and corrected accounting entries Assisted with financial planning input and analysis Generated reports Accounts Receivable Clerk, Mable Inc., Cleveland, OH Invoiced and billed customers, created reports Customer Service Cashier, CVS, Cleveland, OH Negotiated solutions for customer complaints Handled cash receipts and balanced drawer Conducted weekly inventory Summer 2007

Summer 2006

May 2005-June 2006

Computer Skills Honors and Campus Activities

MS Word Excel Access Dreamweaver PowerPoint Deans List 4 semesters Member, Accountancy Club Open Rush Group Leader, Sigma Kappa Sorority Instituted awards recognition program to recognize Senior Sisterhood Leader and Sisterhood Dedication Leaders Web Design Chinese language 2007-2008 2007-Present Spring 2008

Interests

Sample rsum base on source from: Rsum Preparation, Miami Career Services

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Last updated: 10/20/09

Transferable Work Skills

When applying for your first job out of college or when switching careers, it may seem like you dont have enough skills, or the right skills, for the job you seek. But the truth is that you possess many abilities and skills that future employers will value. We call these transferable skillsskills and abilities you possess or that you have gained through previous jobs, organizations, hobbies, volunteer work, or education that are appropriate for the current position you seek. You just need to identify and present them in a way that fits what those employers are looking for. Below is a list to help you identify some of your transferable skills that you can highlight in your resume and cover letter. Note that many of these are soft skillsthe non-technical, non-specific skills important in any job, irrespective of the field. To identify these skills in yourself, think not only about the tasks and duties you performed in previous jobs or activities, but more importantly the skills and abilities you developed there. How can you market your experience in these terms? Communication Skills:

Speaking effectively Writing concisely Listening attentively Facilitating group discussion Providing appropriate feedback Being tactful Negotiating Persuading Interviewing Editing Research and Planning Skills: Forecasting Coming up with ideas Identifying problems Developing solutions Solving problems Imagining alternatives Gathering information Analyzing Setting goals Defining needs and requirements Evaluating Researching Interpersonal Skills: Being sensitive to others feelings and moods Listening Developing rapport Providing support for others Motivating Negotiating Sharing credit Training/educating/training Delegating Cooperating; working with a team

Organization, Management, and Leadership Skills: Initiating new ideas Coordinating tasks Handling details; Detail-oriented Managing or directing teams or groups Teaching/training/educating Coaching Selling ideas or products Decision-making Managing conflicts or problems Planning Managing budgets Other Important Skills: Managing time effectively Paying attention to details; detail oriented Setting and meeting goals Being a self-starter; self-motivated Working independently Enlisting help when needed Meeting deadlines Being reliable Being diligent; tenacity to get the job done;
follow-through Being responsible

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Power Verbs
Accomplish Achieve Act Adapt Administer Advertise Analyze Apply Approach Approve Arrange Assemble Assess Assign Attain Budget Build Chair Clarify Collaborate Communicate Compare Compile Complete Compose Conceive Conciliate Conduct Consult Contract Control Coordinate Correct
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Counsel Create Decide Define Delegate Demonstrate Design Detail Determine Develop Devise Distribute Draft Edit Employ Enlarge Enlist Establish Estimate Evaluate Examine Exchange Execute Exhibit Expand Expedite Facilitate Familiarize Forecast Formulate Generate Govern Guide

Handle Head Hire Identify Implement Improve Increase Index Influence Inform Initiate Innovate Inspect Install Institute Instruct Integrate Interpret Introduce Invent Investigate Lead Maintain Manage Manipulate Market Mediate Moderate Modify Monitor Motivate Negotiate Obtain

Operate Order Organize Originate Oversee Perceive Perform Persuade Plan Prepare Present Preside Process Produce Program Promote Propose Provide Publicize Publish Qualify Raise Re-design Reconcile Record Recruit Reduce Regulate Relate Renew Reorganize Report Represent

Resolve Review Revise Scan Schedule Screen Select Sell Serve Settle Solve Speak Staff Standardize Start Stimulate Summarize Supervise Support Survey Synthesize Systemize Teach Train Update

Review Notes for Writing Job Application Letters

60 percent of employers say that the job application letter is just as or more important than the resume. The reason is that a job application letter serves as a personal introduction and can make you stand out. In it, you should address the following employer questions that cannot be in answered in a resume:

Why do you want to work for the specific company instead of a different one? How will you contribute (specifically) to the companys success? Will you work well with other employees and business clients?
Letter components:

Headers For the return address: include your address and the date. You may include your email. For the inside address: include the title and name of the specific person to whom you are sending the letter, and that persons address, including the company name.

Salutation Dear Mr./Ms. _____________: {Use a colon unless you know the person well.} Do not address to To Whom It May Concern: Use a name if possible; otherwise, use a job title. Introductory paragraph Note the specific job for which you are applying. Include specific information on why you want to work for the company and what you will bring to Include a very brief overview of your qualifications. Forecast the remaining paragraphs of the letter. Body of letter (1-2 paragraphs) Use topic sentences! Elaborate on your qualifications by developing general statements and by inthem (not simply what the job will do for you!)

terpreting those details when appropriate: Dont just repeat information on your resume be more specific, give expanded details; tell the reader the connection between your education/experience and the job you are applying for.

Conclusion Indicate your willingness to meet and talk further. Restate job for which you are applying and your contact information. Sign the letter.
Writing tips: Put most important or impressive information first. Use keywords that employers are looking formimic the language in the job ad. Be confident, but not arrogant. Keep the information focused on the desired job. Use active and strong verbs. Be concise. Format: Single-spaced, no indents, double-spaced between paragraphs. See examples in the handouts.

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Sample Cover Letters

Howe Writing Initiative Farmer School of Business Miami University

Cover Letter Sample 9066 Butternut Street Apartment B Oxford, OH 45056 jonesla2@muohio.edu April 14, 2009 Ms. Katherine Ortiz Director of Development WLMR-Channel 57 10659 Columbia Parkway Cincinnati, OH 45219 Dear Ms. Ortiz: I am interested in your Assistant Director of Development position that I viewed on the CareerBuilder website. I have always been a fan of public television, and the opportunity of raising money for such a worthwhile organization is very exciting to me. I am a devoted viewer of such programs as Great Performances, Nova, and Live at Lincoln Center. I am excited at the thought of being able to bring this type of programming to our community. As you will note in the enclosed rsum, I will be graduating from Miami University next month, where I am currently majoring in Marketing with a minor in Speech Communication. I feel confident that my speaking ability will allow me to make the kinds of presentations the job undoubtedly requires, and that my marketing and writing skills will enable me to continue the effective letter-writing campaigns that you have so successfully initiated. In addition, communication and leadership skills gained through my varied part-time and summer work experiences will contribute to my ability to be successful in this position. I believe these are the kinds of skills and abilities you are looking for in an Assistant Director of Development, and I would like very much to meet with you to discuss this further. I will call you the week of May 5 to see if we can arrange a meeting. Sincerely,

Comment [A1]: Your contact information goes here.

Comment [A2]: The inside address should include the name, title, and full address of the person to whom you are writing. Comment [A3]: In the salutation, use a colon, not a comma, to indicate this is a formal letter. Do not address the letter to To Whom It May Concern. If at all possible, find out the name of the person who should receive your letter. If you do not know the name, use a job title such as Dear Human Resources Manager.

Comment [A4]: In the first paragraph, state the job you are applying for, where you saw or heard about the job opening, and a brief explanation of why you want to work for this company. Do some research about the company before applying so you can show that you are familiar with the work they do, innovations theyve made, etc. Show enthusiasm!

Comment [A5]: Highlight some of your skills and/or experiences that make you qualified for this job. Indicate what you will contribute to the company. Expand on what is in your resume with some specific details that are relevant to this position. Make connections between your education/experience and this particular job. Comment [A6]: Close with another statement of interest and/or a brief summary of qualifications. Indicate that you will call to set up an appointment be polite, not pushy. If you want the person to contact you, be sure to provide your phone number, email, or both.

Laurie Jones
Laurie Jones Enclosure: resume

Sample based on source in: WritingCoverLetters Miami Career Services

Last updated: 9/30/09

Comment [A7]: Overall tips: Project confidence without being arrogant. Customize your content to the particular company and positionindicate how your skills match what the company is looking for. Put the most impressive or relevant information first. Use active and strong verbs. Be concise. Proofread carefully.

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Howe Writing Initiative Farmer School of Business Miami University

Cover Letter Sample 100 Campus Avenue Oxford, OH 45056 miamim@muohio.edu January 21, 2009 Mr. J. B. Price Personnel Manager Golden Enterprises, Inc. P.O. Box 675 Columbus, OH 43701 Dear Mr. Price: I am writing to express my interest in the Sales Trainee position you listed recently on the Miami University Office of Career Services Miami CAREERlink. I will be graduating from Miami in a few months and am actively seeking a position with a manufacturer of consumer goods. As you will note in the enclosed rsum, I have had meaningful practical experience in sales with the Albert K. Department Store in Chicago. In addition, I have completed several courses related to sales while pursuing a major in Marketing at Miami. Also, as a resident assistant, I developed strong communication and listening skills working with students in my hall. I believe the combination of my academic background, residence hall experience, and real world experience at Albert K.s will help me contribute to the ongoing success of Golden Enterprises, Inc. I would like to explore the Sales Trainee position with you further. I will be in Columbus the week of February 3rd and would appreciate the opportunity to speak with you or other appropriate Golden Enterprises officials, if possible. I will call your office the week of January 28 to arrange an appointment. Should you need additional information, please do not hesitate to contact me by phone at 513-523-4321 or by email at miamim@muohio.edu. In the meantime, thank you for your time and consideration. Sincerely yours,

Mary Miami
Mary Miami Enclosure: rsum

Sample based on source in: WritingCoverLetters Miami Career Services

Last updated: 9/30/09

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Sample bad cover letter for in-class discussion

555 Storfront road Hickory Hills, mn 55111

11-4-12

Mr. John Parks Wellington Corporation 333 Jasper Road Tampa, Fl 22244 Dear John, I am writing to you to ask you for a job. There are many reasons you should consider me for this pistion. I think you would be a fool not to hire me. I have attend Elite college since 2010 and have a masters in computers. I am on the deans list and have an A average grade. I am also part of our local church group. We help out with conseling many of the students here at the college. My source tells me that you are looking for a salesman. While I have no sales experience per say. I am a hard worker and would like to start my career at your company. This will be a nice stepping stone for me. I currently would like to work with computer but I think this would suit me fine for now. I am currently working at my local church while I finish up scholl. We help counsel students at the local colleges. It doesnt pay much so I am having to look elsewhere. I have to yrs experience with doing this and work well with people. I know your customers will love me, most people do. I will be anxiously waiting to hear from you on when I can start. Please call anytime. If I am busy please leave a message on my voice mail and I will get back to you at my earliest convience. Thank you, Joe Johnson

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Project 3: Bad News Memo

This assignment teaches the memo genre and about writing with a variety of stakeholders in mind. Make sure students understand when to use a memounlike business letters, which are for external audiences, memos are used for communications within an organization. Although most memos have been replaced by email, they are still used for important intra-company communications that warrant printing out and distributing to employees and/or posting on (physical) bulletin boards within the company. Most companies have electronic templates or paper thats pre-printed with the company logo, to, from, etc. An important goal of this project is for students to demonstrate an understanding of stakeholder theory and to be able to write with stakeholders concerns in mind. Students encounter Stakeholder Theory in BUS101. This section of the Guide includes a list of resources you might read to learn about Stakeholder Theory and which you can share with students. Another focus of this assignment is attention to tone and constructing a bad news communication. In class, discuss strategies for explaining the new policy to the employees through the memo. The Teachers Guide includes a bad draft memo from the boss that you can use as an examplediscuss what its doing well and not so well obviously the tone is terse and harsh, not feel good it sounds top down its passivethe author is not in the message making it cold it could provide additional info about why the decision was made and what the company is doing to address stakeholder concerns it could be more empathetic and positive overall. Then discuss better strategies for composing the memo. Students can also come up with other solutions to the issue if they think that would help (like extending the free quit smoking classes to employee families/partners, providing free stop smoking patches, etc.). Also be sure students consider the larger context part of which is the low morale from the bosss earlier decision about profit sharing. In addition to the example memo, you might share the handout on delivering bad news with students. One of the outcomes on the assignment sheet is to practice writing with a you attitude, which basically means writing from the audiences perspective and benefits, not the writers benefit. The Guide includes a handout for writing with you-attitude (also availabe on the HWI website).

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Project 3Sharing Bad News

Sharing bad news clearly but diplomatically is an important task many business professionals face. In this project, you will be asked to share bad news with multiple audiences in a way that clearly conveys information while also minimizing damage to the organization you belong to and maintaining member morale. As part of this project, you will learn to use memo format, a genre used for communications within an organization.

Situation and Option ReportDraft in class and complete at home Memo Rough DraftIn class for peer review, week 10 Final VersionDue in class, week 11
Purpose of This Assignment To become familiar with the business memo genre conventions To apply stakeholder theory to a writing situation To learn and practice strategies for writing persuasively to multiple audiences To learn and practice methods for relating bad news To practice writing with a you attitude Subject In your writing for this project, take on the role of an elected officer within a fictitious student organization at Miami University, Eta Mu Pi. The project involved two related scenarios. Your prewriting for the project will emerge in response to scenario 1, while scenario 2 involves writing the actual memo. Scenario 1: You are the Communications Officer of Eta Mu Pi. Every year, EMP offers two scholarships for study abroad to members. For the last 5 years, these scholarships have been for $5,000 apiece, requiring a total outlay of $10,000, funded by alumni donations. A call for applications for the scholarship has already gone out to the rest of the organization, and many students have submitted their applications. The award recipients are due to be announced in two weeks time. However, shortly before the upcoming Executive Committee meeting where recipients will be decided, the Alumni Relations officer reveals to you that he was unable to solicit the necessary funds from alumni donors to cover the awards at the usual level: only $6,000 in donations are available in the scholarship fund. Given the time frame for the award process, he does not think it will be possible to raise enough additional funds from alumni to fully fund the awards. He values your critical thinking and rhetorical skills, and asks for your help drafting notes for a report to the committee explaining the shortfall and offering possible options for addressing the problem. The Alumni Relations officer has thought of the following alternatives, but is also open to other suggestions from you: Not offering any scholarships this year and banking the available funds in order to give two awards at the full amount the following year; offering one scholarship of $5,000 and saving the rest for the following year; offering two scholarships of $3,000; offering one scholarship of $5,000 and one of $1,000; or offering one scholarship of $6,000. Scenario 2: During the committee meeting, you and the other elected officers debate and agree on one of the alternatives (as the writer, you will decide the outcome). As the Communications Officer, you are charged with sharing the situation and decision with the other Eta Mu Pi student members. Instructions/Audience For the first stage of the assignmentthis counts as a homework gradedraft a document briefly explaining the situation, laying out the various solutions, and explaining the advantages and disadvantages of each us52

ing stakeholder theory as a guiding principle. Think of this document as a series of detailed notes for a report to the committee. Consider how the members who have already applied or are considering applying for the scholarship will react. Also, consider the affect these options may have on future recruitment and the health of the organizationEMP includes the availability of scholarship aid for study abroad as an incentive when promoting the group to new students. You and your fellow committee members elected positions within the organization may also be at stake. The audience for this first document is restricted to other members of the Executive Committee. You will draft this document in class with a partner or small group. The second stage of the assignment is the main graded document, a professionally formatted and proofread memo addressed to all current members of Eta Mu Pi. Before writing, choose one of the alternatives explained in the committee document (the stage one prewriting) and treat it as the choice the committee agreed on. As a representative of the organization, you will have several objectives when writing the memo: To explain the details of the change in the award policy. Maintain trust in the organizations leadership. Minimize damage to the group as a whole (consider current morale and future membership). To this end, you will want to share bad news in a way that makes the necessity and nature of the change clear while also accentuating the positive ramifications (e.g., greater financial security for the fund in future years; an increase in the individual award; etc). While your primary audience for the memo will be the general members of Eta Mu Pi, the other committee members will also serve as an immediate audience who will have to sign off on the memo before it goes out. It is also likely the memo will circulate more widely, particularly to alumni, as well as prospective student members. The final version of the memo should be 1 page in length, formatted to follow the conventions of memo format, as outlined in the attached handout from the HWI.

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54

Business 102 Grading Rubric Project #3Bad News Memo Exemplary Proficient Emerging

Name: _________________________________________ Unacceptable

Assignment-Specific Criteria Purpose: Memo indicates reason for writing; tone and organization attend to intended positive outcome for stakeholders. Content stays focused and presents only the necessary information. Delivers bad news, explains the reasons behind it, and offers a solution.

Audience: Memo demonstrates understanding of and addresses the various stakeholders interests and concerns; answers audiences expected questions. Tone demonstrates goodwill and persuasive handling of contentious issues. Makes use of you-attitude.

Style and Clarity: Writing is clear, concise, and coherent, uses active voice and action verbs, and eliminates prepositional phrases. Diction is professional and effective for intended outcome/purpose.

Formatting Conventions: Document follows formatting guidelines for memos, includes a meaningful subject line, and uses block formatting throughout.

Mechanics: Memo demonstrates careful attention to spelling, punctuation, and grammar.

Note the overlap between audience and the other categories. Effective business communication considers audience at all times, including how the audience relates to or can help achieve the purpose, what style they might best respond to, what genre conventions they expect, and how they will respond to mechanical and proofing errors. ______Total Project points

Stakeholder Theory Resources

Stakeholder theory is a perspective for thinking about business and ethics. Readings in BUS101 and later upper-division FSB courses engage with stakeholder theory. Assignments in BUS102, particularly the bad news memo, give students a chance to apply the theory as a heuristic for analysis, invention, and revision. While students should have some knowledge of stakeholder theory from BUS101, they may benefit from a brief review. The following references are meant to give writing instructors unfamiliar with stakeholder theory some background, and can be shared with students as a review or to jumpstart some new thinking about the topic. In other classes, students may encounter stakeholder theory, often associated with the work of R. Edward Freeman, in conversation with stockholder theory, associated with Milton Friedmanyou can probably imagine how students might easily mix the two up. Stakeholder theory tries to account for all those affected by a businesss actions: investors, employees, suppliers, customers, governments, local neighborhoods, etc. It argues that businesses have responsibility to all of these groups, which must be negotiated. In contrast, stockholder theory holds that the primary responsibility of a business is to generate profit for stockholders. Both theories are supportive of capitalist models of business and government, but take very different perspectives. Print Texts Students read excerpted versions of Freeman and Friedman in their BUS101 Reader: Jennings, Marianne M. Business Ethics: Case Studies and Selected Readings, 6th Ed. Mason, OH: Cengage Learning, 2009. 74-86. The full articles are: Freeman, R. Edward. The Politics of Stakeholder Theory: Some Future Directions. Business Ethics Quarterly 4.4 (1994): 409-421. Full text is available through Miami Universitys research databases. Friedman, Milton. The Social Responsibility of Business Is To Increase Its Profits. New York Times Magazine. 13 Sep 1970. You can access Friedmans article here. Videos Here are two video interviews with R. Edward Freeman, explaining some of the nuances of stakeholder theory: What Is Stakeholder Theory? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bIRUaLcvPe8 Is Stakeholder Theory Enough? (A take on stakeholder theory and ethics). http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tIE1k3sKBr8

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Case Study: Announcing the Smoking Ban (discuss as in-class activity) As you sit in your office of the large, one-story building owned by your employer, you look up from the draft of an e-mail message that company president C. K. Mitchell sent you a few minutes ago. She asked you for your opinion of it. The e-mail announces a new no-smoking policy for the company, which employs about 250 people. Previously, smoking has been permitted in a smoking lounge, located in your build ing between the manufacturing area and the area of offices for company managers and executives. The lounge is used by employees from both areas. A nearby building that C. K. purchased a year ago to expand manufacturing capacity also has a smoking lounge for all employees. C. K. recently announced that the continued growth of orders for the companys products necessitates closing the lounge in your building. The space is needed for additional manufac turing equipment. Because this smoking lounge will be closed, the com pany must establish a new policy about smoking. A couple weeks ago, C. K. appointed a committee of top managers, including you, to make a recommendation to her. A vocal group of non smokers has long advocated a complete smoking ban inside your building. They complain that smoke escapes from the lounges and pollutes their work areas. Therefore, the com mittee has considered allowing people who work in your building to smoke only outside the door that leads from the manufacturing area to the parking lot. However, some non smokers complained that the constant opening of the door would enable smoke to invade their work area. Additionally, managers who smoked complained that this outdoor area is too far from their offices. In response to the managers complaints, the committee almost recommended that C. K. allow people to smoke in their private offices, provided they shut the door and use an air purifier. However, Maryellen Rosenberg, Director of Personnel, observed that smokers who dont have private offices would complain that the pol icy discriminated against them. Smokers in both the manufacturing area and the office area also have objected to a total ban on smoking in your building, pointing out the unfairness of prohibiting them from smoking while em ployees in the newly acquired building could continue to use its smoking lounge. In a meeting with C. K. yesterday, the committee rec ommended that the company ban smoking anywhere on company property. C. K. has accepted the recommendation. What could be more appropriate, she stated, for a company that tries to make people healthier? Your company designs and markets exercise equipment for homes and fitness centers. After prompting from you and several others, C. K. de cided to hire a consulting firm that offers a course to help employees stop smoking. The course will be offered to em ployees free of charge. This memo better be good, you think as you prepare to review her draft. Although the employees know that C. K. has been meeting with you and others to work out a policy, the committees discussions have been kept secret. Nonetheless, feelings about the new policy have been running high. Some em ployees have talked of quitting if they cant smoke at work, and others have talked of quitting if smoking isnt pro hibited. The controversies and uncertainty are harming morale, which is already low because C. K. recently reduced the companys contribution to the profit-sharing plan despite a steady rise in revenues. The money saved is being used to buy the building next door, a move that will save the company money in the long run. However, C. K.s action is widely viewed as yet another example of her heavyhanded, insen sitive style.

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Sample Draft email from the boss for the Smoking Ban case study use as homework

or class activity

[Project on screen and have the class comment on strengths and weaknesses (optionally, have groups identify strengths and weaknesses before a whole class discussion)]

FROM: TO:

C.K. Mitchell All Employees

SUBJECT: Smoke-Free Environment I hereby notify you that beginning September 1 of this year, Fitness Exercise Equipment, Inc. will institute a totally smoke-free environment. To wit, I am closing the smoking room. Smoking will not be allowed anywhere inside the main building or the satellite building next door. The delay between this announcement and the beginning date for this new policy will allow any employees who smoke the chance to enroll in courses which, I hope, will help them break or curtail their habit. In accordance with our concern for the wellness of all our employees, we will enhance our working environment by prohibiting all smoking. All employees are thanked for their cooperation, understanding, and dedication to better health.

Source: Adapted from Technical Communication, 7th ed. Boston: Wadsworth, Cengage Learning, 2011.

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Delivering Bad News

Delivering bad news gracefully and clearly is an important skill for business professionals. How you deliver bad news reflects on you as a communicator and on the business you may represent. As with all business writing, audience awareness is of paramount importance when delivering bad news. The following guidelines will help you to deliver bad news in ways that are clear, in formative, and respectful of your audiences. Treat your audience with dignity. Many of the guidelines for writing with you-attitude apply to delivering negative messages (see the related handout at the HWI website). Remember that you are writing to human beingsbusinesses that forget about empathy when communicating bad news do so to their own detriment. When writing, put yourself into your audiences shoeshow would you react to this sort of news? Also, consider what information is relevant to them and be sure to provide it; leaving out relevant information may mislead audiences or drag the bad news delivery process out, as they may request additional information that you will then need to provide, consuming more of both your and their time. Deliver news clearly. Although at times you may need to buffer your message (see below), readers need to easily find and understand the news. Readers need to know the message is im portant for them to read. Avoid burying the news late in the message, since that could cause them to skip over it. Cushion or buffer the bad news, while retaining clarity. Business audiences expect direct ness and candor, but most audiences do not like a sudden shock. Many business writers employ buffering techniques to soften the blow of bad news, such as beginning with relevant background information to prepare the reader for the news to come. Such buffers should not hide or obscure the negative message, however. Avoid putting your audience on the defensive. When describing something the audience has (or may have) done to cause the problem you are addressing, use passive verbs and imper sonal expressionsavoid using you to keep the reader from feeling singled out or to keep from assigning blame. While business writing experts often urge writers to avoid passive voice, in such cases it can be the most rhetorically effective choice. You may want to use passive voice and impersonal expressions as a cushioning device when delivering bad news to large groups or to individuals who you do not want to put on the de fensive. However, as with other buffering techniques, bad news you deliver in this way should not lose its clarity. Avoid hiding behind euphemisms. Although writers may want to buffer or cushion bad news, the use of euphemisms can mislead readers, or give the impression the author is trying to avoid the issue (and so may not be reliable or trustworthy).

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Justify and/or explain. Audiences will want to know the details behind or rationale for bad news. Share relevant facts and reasons that your audience will need to understand and come to terms with the negative message. Being forthright can help maintain good will with readers, whereas keeping them in the dark can cause distrust or confusion. In the case of a refusal, for ex ample, a clear rationale may help your audience to accept the decision and to feel that they would have made the same decision. Avoid simply quoting company policy as a rationale for a refusal; rather, give the rationale be hind the policy. Hiding behind policy gives audiences the impression they are dealing with an uncaring bureaucracy and certainly does not generate good will. Present positives. When possible, point out the good that can come from a situation; however, be sure to avoid seeming disingenuous. A letter of dismissal that presents as a positive all the extra free time the recipient will now have to spend with family will likely create more antago nism than good will. Offer solutions or alternatives. Recipients of bad news will often want to know how a problem might be solved. If the office parking lot will be closed for repairs to a water main, where should employees park? If your company no longer carries a particular product, can you suggest an al ternative? If an error or crisis has occurred that you have the authority for correcting, letting your audience know what you are doing to correct the problem not only makes bad news less bleak, but also can protect your credibility. Keep your audience in the loop. While some communicationssuch as a refusal of a request or declining a job applicantmay only require a single communication, others may need ongo ing attention. If you have just revealed a reporting error to your boss or board, they will expect to be kept updated about further developments resulting from the error and actions taken to correct the problem. Consider your multiple audiences. Written communications all have the potential of reaching more than the audience addressed. Something you write to one client may reach others or news sources.
Modified from: Bies, R. (2012, May 5). The 10 commandments for delivering bad news. Forbes. Retrieved from http:// www.forbes.com/sites/forbesleadershipforum/2012/05/30/10-commandments-for-delivering-badnews/ Lange, M. (2006, March 16). Letting them down gently. Accountancy Age. Retrieved from http://www. vnubme.com Locker, K.O., & Kienzler, D.S. (2013). Business and administrative communication (10th ed). New York, NY: McGraw-Hill/Irwin. Nordquist, R. (n.d.). Bad-news message. About.com: Grammar & Composition. Retrieved from http:// grammar.about.com/od/ab/g/Bad-News-Message.htm

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Writing With You-Attitude

When writing to customers, business partners, subordinates, and other stakeholders, effective business writers make use of you-attitude to create and maintain good will with readers. The following guidelines will help you incorporate you-attitude into your writing. Keep the focus on the reader. When composing and revising, the writer should empathize and think from the readers perspective. Ask yourself, How will the reader benefit from the information I am sharing? How will they be affected? -or- What will they want to know? Conversely, avoid sharing information that is irrelevant to your intended audience. Reader-focused writing meets the business writing convention for concision: respect your readers time by conveying needto-know rather than nice-to-know information. When responding to a request, clearly state what you are responding to. Business writing experts advise to lead with what you need when making a request; as a corollary, when responding to a request or order, make clear early on what you are responding to (e.g., as you requested, I have reviewed the candidates for the executive speaker series). When writing to customers, reference requests specifically, rather than using the more generic your order. Specificity demonstrates that you value the customer (i.e., youve taken the time to review their order before writing) and avoids confusion by clearly naming the item or order. In the case of larger orders or orders from companies you regularly do business with, refer to invoice or purchase numbers. Avoid jargon, but dont patronize. If your audience shares your knowledge of technical terms, such language can act as an aid to communication; avoid using technical language if it is likely to confuse or distance readers. You are probably familiar with the technical and legalistic language used by many software companies in their end user license agreementssuch language is meaningful to readers with training in contract and copyright law, but is rarely written in a way that communicates clearly with average users. When sharing positive information, make more use of second person you than first person I or we. By foregrounding the audience, you clarify how the communication relates to them. Avoid using what some writers call me-attitude, writing that focuses on what you have done rather than foregrounding the reader. With me-attitude: With you-attitude: We at the HWI have instituted a writing workshop series. We will give you a certificate of recognition for completing the series. As an FSB student, you have the opportunity to earn a Business Writing Workshop Certificate and an impressive line to add to your resume.

We can build a sense of inclusion and community, but use it only when both you and the audience actually share a group affiliation. Disingenuous use of we when the audience does not identify with you can irritate readers. Locker and Kienzler caution to avoid we if it excludes the reader (as it would in a letter to a customer or supplier or as it might in a memo about what we as management want you to do) (60).
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Avoid use of second person in negative situations. When delivering bad news, rather than directly implicating the audience with you, consider using a descriptive noun that names a category or group the audience belongs toavoiding use of you in such a case keeps from singling out the reader. Make sure, however, that bad news delivered in this way remains clear. Lacks you-attitude: With you-attitude: You must get signed approval from the Office of Student Life before you may bring a car to campus during your first year. First-year students at Miami University must gain signed approval from the Office of Student Life before they may park their car on campus.

Be sincere with the audience. To this end, avoid discussing feelings other than sharing congratulations or sympathy. In general, discussing feelings in business communication seems irrelevant, or worse, insincere. Lacks you-attitude: With you-attitude: We are excited to introduce online scheduling for appointments. You can now schedule appointments with the HWI online.

Avoid stating what you believe the audiences feelings will bereaders may think you are assuming too much. Statements of congratulations and sympathy, however, are appropriate for maintaining connections with readers. Lacks you-attitude: With you-attitude: With you-attitude: Youll be happy to know that the HWI is offering more consulting hours. You can now visit the HWI for writing consultations Mondays through Thursdays, between 9 and 4. Congratulations on receiving a writing award! Youve been to the HWI many times and I am glad to see you recognized for excellence in writing.

Sincerity and you-attitude become particularly important for maintaining good will when sharing bad news. Avoid sugar-coating bad news, as this might mislead readers or make them angry. Trying to soften the blow by hiding behind euphemisms (such as talking about reducing our expense base to refer to laying off or eliminating employees jobs) can do more harm than good.

***You can find a handout on delivering bad news on the HWI resources page.

Modified from: Locker, K.O., & Kienzler, D.S. (2013). Business and administrative communication (10th ed). New York, NY: McGrawHill/Irwin. Markel, M. (2013). Practical strategies for technical communication. Boston, MA: Bedford/St. Martins. Nordquist, R. (n.d.). What is the you attitude? About.com: Grammar & Composition. Retrieved from http://grammar. about.com/od/qaaboutrhetoric/f/youattitudefaq.htm 61

Date: To: From: Subj:

February 3, 2009 All FSB Students The Howe Writing Initiative Writing Memos Effectively and Efficiently

The memo is the basic mode of business communication, so familiarity with this genre is essential. Consider the following tips when writing memos.
Audience and Rhetorical Situation

Know your audiencethe person or group in the To line at the top of the memo, not necessarily your professor. Focus on what the audience needs to know and on what the audience has asked you to supply, not on everything you have done or learned. Organize the memo according to purpose and audience, and write so that your reader can quickly grasp the main points. Communicate need to know information and eliminate nice to know information.
Form and Format

All memos have a general headingthe section at the top of the document that tells when the memo was written, who the memo is to and from, and what the memo is about. The format is the same whether the memo is sent as an email or as a hard copy. Remember to strategically use the Subject or Re: (i.e. Regarding) line. This line tells the reader what the memo is about and provides the first glimpse of your contentmake it count! If youre covering a lot of information, consider using headers to group and organize your content so your audience can skim the document quickly. Foreground your topic, findings, or conclusions in the first paragraph/sentence. Though a formal introduction is not necessary, it may be useful to include an overview paragraphas we did, for example, at the beginning of this memo. The body should be made up of short, focused paragraphs and should be single-spaced. Do not indent paragraphs; separate them with a line. Use bulleted lists where appropriate: To set off a group of related information. To make prose easier to read. To draw attention to particular points. Use consistent grammatical structure when writing bulleted lists. In the above list, for example, each point begins with a verb in the infinitive form (to set, to make, to draw).
Style

Use professional prose: clear, straightforward, specific language that is easy to follow and understand. Take out throw-away words (this, that, very, just, the), and use strong verbs (eliminate be, am, is, are, was, were, been) whenever possible. Eliminate passive voice. As with any writing, you should proofread carefully.

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Using Bullet Points and Numbered Lists in Business Writing

Business writing should be concise, clearly organized, and easy to scan or read quickly. Using bullet points lists marked by geometric shapesand numbered lists can help you organize and emphasize information, especially in emails, memos, meeting agendas, presentation talking points, and business letters. Always consider your rhetorical situation when using lists: think about the purpose of your document, your intended audience, and how you want to present the most important information in the text. Lists can be made even more effective with headings or brief introductory statements, which signal to your audience what information your list will cover. In addition, headings allow your reader to jump to the information they need or believe to be most important. If overused, however, bulleted and numbered lists can detract from the purpose of your document. For example, if too much information is bulleted, your audience may not recognize a hierarchy of importance. Purposes of bulleted and numbered lists Draw attention to important information Make scanning a document for important information easy Communicate efficiently rather than establish rapport with your audience How to use bulleted and numbered lists Introduce the list with a brief statement or heading Make sure all items in the list are related to each other Use the same font and margin width in each point Keep points short, preferably no more than three lines longone line is ideal Use parallel form when constructing lists o Begin all items with the same part of speech (active verbs work well) o Make all points approximately the same length o Make sure the format is consistent within each list Emphasize the beginning of each point to make the list skim-friendly Follow up a list with a sentence or two to give readers some closure Common mistakes to avoid when using lists Avoid mixing complete sentences with fragments in the same list Avoid mixing declarative statements with questions in the same list Avoid using commas or semi-colons at the end of lines in any listtheyre not needed and add clutter Avoid using transitions (such as and, but, then) in a list Avoid lists when dealing with a sensitive issue Bullet points vs. numbers or letters Use bullet points if all items in a list are equal or when sequence doesnt matter Indicate sequence or importance with numbers or letters Use numbers if you want to refer your audience to specific points quickly or if you want to help your audience remember a certain number of items (as in, The three rules of thumb are:) Consider using numbers if the list is more than five items long Do not be afraid to use bullet points and numbered lists, but remember: Bulleted and numbered lists are used to convey information quickly and to ensure ease of reading. If they are merely decorative or too complicated, they will only confuse your reader. Providing an introductory statement before the list will provide your reader with necessary context.
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Writing with Options: A Lesson on Copia Historically speaking, the concept of copia refers to the textbook which gave the term its fame, Desiderius Erasmuss De duplici copia verborum ac rerum(1556), On the twofold abundance of expressions and ideas. In writing, copia refers to both a method of rhetorical instruction and its final goal; ideally, a rhetor would practice communicating an expression or idea in as many different ways as possible, which would then leave him or her in possession of a mental list or collection of these phrases or ideas. Using a thesaurus serves as a useful analogy here brainstorming and creating lists of words alike in meaning not only strengthens a writers vocabulary, it also helps the writer discover the most appropriate word when writing without the thesaurus. In Renaissance rhetorical education, students were taught to be versatileboth in the discovery of ideas (brainstorming, invention, drafting) and in the eloquent, appropriate expression of those ideas. Thus, Erasmus book encouraged students to restate a given idea in manifold ways by putting it into different forms and figures. The same book then taught students to create and vary their arguments. In this way, the student would be ready for any communication situation and able to provide the necessary matter and eloquence to accomplish what might be needed.

Exercise: [Note to Instructors: you can modify this to fit the writing project youre working on] 1. Write five versions of your first sentence. 2. Write five versions of your introduction. 3. Write five versions of your conclusion. 4. Write five versions of your subject line, title, or heading.

Erasmus, Desiderius. De duplici copia verborum ac rerum commentarii duo. 1556

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Project 4: Summary & Recommendation

Many students feel they know everything there is to know about writing summaries. However, their experience is often limited to note-taking summaries, written for themselves. The BUS102 summary and recommendation assignment asks them to summarize for an audience other than themselves and with a purpose other than note-taking. Project 4 helps students to think about summaries from a rhetorical perspective. The associated activities give them tools for effective summary writing that maintains concision and clarity. While the framing prompt for this assignment can be used again and again, it is a good idea to switch out the speakers being summarized regularly, both to keep the assignment focused on current issues and as a deterrent to plagiarism.

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Project 4Summary and Recommendation

For this assignment, you will learn and practice writing clear and concise summaries and a brief recommendation. A summary contains the main ideas and arguments of a text with few if any direct quotes from the text itself. The ability to summarize a text (in this case the text of a speech) is one of the most difficult tasks you can undertake as a writer, yet it also is one of the most useful skills you can develop, both now as a student and in the business world after you graduate. Rough DraftDue In Class for Peer Review, Week Twelve [date] Final VersionDue Week Thirteen [date] Purpose of This Assignment In this assignment, you will learn and practice techniques to: Identify relevant information in a text or speech. Write a clear and accurate summary. Write a brief recommendation report. Cut and edit your work for concision and clarity. Scenario Every semester the Farmer School of Business invites a number of speakers to address students on a variety of issues related to current trends in the world of business. The Director of Student Organizations has asked you, a representative of an FSB student organization, to provide the speaker series search committee with your opinion of two speakers, Sheryl Sandberg, the COO of Facebook, and Hanna Rosin, a journalist [instructor note: you may choose different speakers]. In order to get a feel for each speakers style, general message, and potential appeal for FSB students, you will watch a video of each speaker. Your task is to compose a one-page letter to the selection committee summarizing the videos and recommending the speaker you believe will be most appealing to an FSB student audience. You can assume that each speaker would deliver a speech similar in content to the speech you watch, but tailored directly to the needs of an FSB student audience. The two videos can be accessed using the links below: Sheryl Sandberg: Why we have too few women leaders (14:58) http://www.ted.com/talks/sheryl_sandberg_why_we_have_too_few_women_leaders.html Hanna Rosin: New data on the rise of women (16:13) http://www.ted.com/talks/hanna_rosin_new_data_on_the_rise_of_women.html Audience and Instructions The document will be formatted as an email addressed to the search committee, with the body following the conventions you learned for memo writing. Your final draft should be approximately 400 words and should include the following: A brief introduction that sets up the purpose and content of the memo. Two paragraphs briefly summarizing each speaker and speech (about 100 words each). Your recommendation for which speaker to invite (about 100 words), including a rationale for your choice based on your perception of the interests of FSB students as well as the FSB mission statement (available on the FSB homepage). Be sure to support your recommendation with comments about not only the speakers general message, but also her public speaking skills and ability to engage this specific audience. A brief closing, either at the end of the recommendation or a short, final paragraph.

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Writers note: Write a one-page double-spaced note addressed to me in which you explain what youve been learning about writing this semester, how you applied that knowledge in this email, and how you will use what you are learning in future writing. Writing the Summary To practice your summary writing and your editing skills, you will first write a longer summary of each speech (300-500 words each) that well review in class. Then you will practice paring down your writing by condensing those summaries to approximately 100 words each. Here is a useful process for writing the summaries:
1. Watch the video/speech for its general meaning, organization, and tone no need to take detailed

notes at this point unless you want to capture a few initial impressions. Then watch the speech again more closely, pausing from time to time to take notes. Do this for each speech, creating two separate sets of notes. Use the Says/Does method (see separate handout) to capture what the speaker says and what those statements do within the speech itself (for example, a main idea, supporting idea, evidence or illustration of point, aside, key term, conclusion, etc.) Note other rhetorical elements that provide clues to both content and context. citation or plagiarism, please ask). Include the speakers name and credentials, main points and position, the key words, examples, and contextual and historical clues necessary for reader comprehension. Your personal writing habits will dictate part of this process. Some of you may choose to begin with a longer paragraph-by-paragraph summary and then prune it down in successive drafts; others may start with a one-sentence summary of the speakers main argument (including thesis and major supporting reasons), gradually developing the summary with supporting ideas. to 150-300 words by applying the paramedic method weve been practicing this semester to cut the fat from your longer summaries. Wordy Phrases, to cut each summary to about 100-150 words. Present only the most necessary information your audience needs to know; eliminate as much wordiness as possible, including to be verbs, prepositions, and unnecessary adjectives, adverbs, and passive voice.

2. For each speech, draft a summary of 300-500 words in your own words (if you have questions about

3. After you have produced a longer 300-500 word summary for each speech, condense each summary

4. Make one more editing pass, using the additional techniques from the class handout Removing

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Business 102 Grading Rubric Project #4Summary/Recommendation Email Exemplary Proficient Emerging

Name: ______________________________________ Unacceptable

Assignment-Specific Criteria Purpose: Writing leads with need, contextualizing and forecasting the emails content and purpose. Summaries contain main points of speakers presentations with brief supporting evidence for those points. Recommendation is clearly indicated and provides rationale (reasons) for the selection. Audience: Writing fully addresses all requirements of the readers original request, providing all need to knowbut no extraneousinformation. Writing attends to needs of busy reader using headings. Writing uses appropriate tone for audience, demonstrating you attitude and a closing goodwill statement. Style and Clarity: Summaries balance brevity with sufficient information and context for reader comprehension. Summaries use simple and direct language and adequately paraphrase, without stealing the speakers original language. Overall, the writing is concise, uses active voice and action verbs, and presents a clear and coherent organization pattern. Formatting Conventions: Email includes a meaningful subject line. Body text follows memo conventions. Uses reader-friendly paragraph length. Bullets and lists aid readability and comprehension. Mechanics: Writing demonstrates careful attention to spelling, punctuation, and grammar.

Note the overlap between audience and the other categories. Effective business communication considers audience at all times, including how the audience relates to or can help achieve the purpose, what style they might best respond to, what genre conventions they expect, and how they will respond to mechanical and proofing errors. ______ Total Project points

Types of Business Summaries

In business, and in business classes, you will often be asked to write a summary. While all summaries provide overviews of more detailed texts, a summary can take one of many forms depending on its context, purpose, and audience. The following explains some common summary types used in business. For more information and examples, see the Executive Summary section of our website: http://www.fsb. muohio.edu/programs/howe-writing-initiative/student-resources Executive SummaryThis is a special type of summary that accompanies a lengthy report. The purpose is to provide the main points of the long report to busy decision-makers who may not have time to read the entire document. The executive summary is not a separate deliverable or letter, but always accompanies, and is a part of, the longer report it summarizes. Reading Summary (or Abstract)A reading summary condenses the main points of one article or text written by another person(s). In business, the purpose is to give readers enough information to determine if they want to read the entire article and/or to provide an overview for readers before they read in-depth. For a class, you may be asked to summarize an article or book to show your comprehension of the text. A reading summary usually does not contain your evaluation or opinion of the articleonly information from the article is included (see Analysis or Recommendation Report below for summaries that include opinion). When writing a reading summary for a school assignment, your instructor will be looking for your comprehension of the text, your skill at identifying the main points, and your ability to write clearly and concisely. You can format the summary as an email or memo addressed to the person who requested it, or as a standalone report. Reading Summary with Opinion (Analysis or Recommendation Report)In some cases, you may be asked to summarize one or more texts and provide an opinion or recommendation based on the information in the text(s). This is called an analysis or recommendation report, rather than an abstract or reading summary (a plain reading summary does not contain your opinion see above). You can format the analysis report as an email or memo addressed to the person who requested it, or as a standalone report. Research Findings SummaryThis type of summary is a stand-alone report that summarizes the findings of research youve conducted, including information from multiple print documents, websites, interviews, surveys, and/or empirical research. This report includes your recommendation (if requested), as well as summaries of the main points from your research that either led to your recommendation or, if a recommendation was not requested, that will allow someone else to make a decision based on your research. Do not include information that is irrelevant to the recommendation or decision. Depending on the type of research conducted and your instructors requirements, you might include the background and/or reason for the research, definitions of terms, pros and cons, benefits, drawbacks, costs, opinions from experts, test results, etc. Include a bibliography of the sources you used. The audiences for this type of summary are usually decision makers who have requested your expertise because they do not have time to do the research themselves. You might also be delegated this task as part of a team project. Research summaries are usually formatted as an email or memo addressed to the person who requested the research, or you may create the research summary as a standalone document that you attach to an email.

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Reviewing Your Summary for Effectiveness

Analyze the effectiveness and accuracy of your summary by responding to the following questions: 1. Does the first sentence of the summary include the source information and the original authors main point? 2. List the main points of the summary. Are they the same as the main points of the original article? 3. Is there any information in the summary that should have been left out, for example, something that is too detailed or is a side note rather than a main point? 4. Judging by the summary, what was the original authors thesis or main point? Do you think the summary accurately reflects the authors main point? 5. Are there places in the summary where your opinion about the subject matter is evident? Where? (Remember that summaries should be objective without your opinion or analysis of the subject matter, unless the instructor has also asked for this.) 6. Wherever you have borrowed a string of three or more words from the original text, did you use quotation marks and a citation?

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Reading to Summarize Using the Says/Does Method Writing a clear, accurate summary involves several steps. Depending on your studying habits, you may prefer to do all of the steps at once or in stages. First, skim the article once to ascertain its general meaning, overall organization, and tone. Take special note of headings and subheadings, key terms the author has italicized or otherwise emphasized, the information in the first and last sentences of paragraphs, and other rhetorical elements that provide clues to both content and context. Then on a separate sheet of paper, write two short blurbs about each paragraph (or, in the case of a dense or complicated reading, about each sentence), one that describes what the paragraph is saying and one that describes what the paragraph is doing. Think of the says/does notes in this way:

A says note is a literal summary of what the author states in the paragraph. What, in your own words, is the author stating or explaining. A does note describes the function of the paragraph or its role in the text as a whole. For example, some paragraphs are used to introduce a new idea. Others state a problem, offer a proposal, state an opinion, provide support for a preceding paragraph, appeal to a particular audience, define an important term the list is endless. In a does note, the goal is to identify the ways the paragraph itself contributes to the text as a whole.

Next, look at your notes to identify the main points of the authors argument and create an outline, flowchart, or diagram (whichever method you prefer) of the argument. As you do this, youll be making decisions about which points are most important and which details are most useful for your audience to understand the gist of the speech. Next, turn your outline/flowchart/diagram (and your notes as needed) into a prose summary. You might start with a lengthy paragraph-by-paragraph summary and then prune it down in successive drafts. Or, you may want to start with a one-sentence summary of the authors main argument (including thesis and major supporting reasons) and then gradually develop the summary with more supporting ideas until you reach the desired length. Other tips: Use the margins next to each paragraph to make notes to yourself or, in the case of longer, more detailed paragraphs, to create a short list of the main ideas embedded there.

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Effective Use of Headings

Whether you are creating a personal resume, addressing customers, or writing to other stakeholders, welldesigned and well-positioned headings make documents more inviting and readable: headings are what immediately pops out and meets the readers eye! The following guidelines will help you more effectively employ headers in your writing. Know Your Audience Headings are useful to grab readers attention and attract diverse viewers, including competitors and audiences with opposing views. When considering how to write and place headings, maintain focus on who will be reading your content. What organizations, individuals, clients, and other stakeholder will be interested? Also ask yourself what key words, phrases, and ideas will be most attractive to them to your specific audience(s). At the same time, consider the core of your message or the overarching idea of your text. What are the main points you want to express, and how will your headings convey your purpose and objective? Remember that headings should also account for ways audiences differ. It is important to consider what your audience already knows about your topic, how they might respond to your message, and objections divers viewers may have. Establish an Appropriate Tone What is the tone of the content you want to convey? To answer this question, consider your purpose and your audience. To what community of individuals are you writing (e.g. colleagues of your business, tech savvy customers, academic fields, etc.)? Consider Placementwhere is your audience most likely to look, and what are they trying to find? Consider where your headings will appear in the document (as well as where the document itself will appear). Is the title for the homepage of a website, for a section of a page, or for the title of an article? When writing articles or authoring websites, choose key words and phrases that people might be more likely to search for on the internet (e.g. business, writing, audience, etc.)keep this strategy in mind for title pages and home pages, and for specific sections or pages within a text. Employ Strong Verbs Though you may be tempted to say more, try to make your headings as concise as possible. Also, carefully choose strong verbs that most accurately describe your topic. Lacks Strong Verbs: Students asked by Company to Apply Has Strong Verbs: Students applied to the position Maintain Parallel Structure Parallel structure means using the same pattern of words to show that two or more ideas have the same level of importance. This can happen at the word, phrase, or clause level. The usual way to join parallel structures is with the use of coordinating conjunctions such as and or or. Parallel structure assists readers because it allows them to anticipate the meaning and purpose of your message. Lacks Parallel Structure: Know your audience, Employing Strong Verbs, Maintaining Parallel Structure. Has Parallel Structure: Know your audience, Employ Strong Verbs, and Maintain Parallel Structure.

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Design Organized and Visually Stimulating Work Visual effectiveness is a measure of how the appearance of information affects the ease with which users can find, understand, organize, and use it. Keep in mind that you want your text to appear as inviting and accessible as possible. It is important to consider the organization and progression of your textwhat comes first or lastand what sections should stand out over others. For longer texts, including a table of contents page is often appropriate. Consider Typography (Type Design, Point Size, and other Graphics) Be sure to offset your headings by bolding or italicizing them, and by varying font sizes. It is also important to consider the organization and progression of your textwhat comes first or lastand what sections should stand out over others. For longer texts, including a table of contents page is often appropriate. Formatting for Academic Writing As you approach writing headings for academic papers and projects, keep in mind that specific disciplines require different formatting styles (e.g., MLA style, APA Style, and Chicago Style). English and Humanities disciplines generally use MLA format, whereas Social Science disciplines (such as Psychology), use APA format. Often, Academic expectations do not match up with Business Writing expectations (e.g., though APA format requires you to indent after the first line of every paragraph, business writing genressuch as memos and reportsmore typically employ block quotes, as we have in this document). For a more in-depth discussion of formatting and style guides, visit the Purdue Online Writing Lab (owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/).
Modified from: Brusaw, C., Alred, G., & Oliu, W. (1987).The business writers handbook / Charles T. Brusaw, Gerald J. Alred, and Walter E. Oliu. New York : St. Martins Press. Hargis, G. (1998).Developing quality technical information : a handbook for writers and editors / Gretchen Hargis ... [et al.]. Upper Saddle River, N.J. : Prentice Hall PTR. Headings (2013, Feb 12). The Yahoo Style Guide: Writing, Editing, and Creating Content for the Digital World. Retrieved from http://styleguide.yahoo.com/writing/construct-clear-compelling-copy/headings Locker, K.O., & Kienzler, D.S. (2013). Business and Administrative Communication (10th ed). New York, NY: McGrawHill/Irwin.

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Editing for Clarity and Direct Style

Use Strong Verbs Try to avoid all forms of be (am, are, is, been, being, was, were). Sometimes a be verb best suits the need of the sentence, but often you can find a stronger, more precise verb. Use your computers search utility to find each form of be, and see if you can substitute a livelier verb. Original: Business is an activity in which people are engaged in a specific pursuit of seeking something they want for something they have. Revised: When people specifically seek to trade what they have for what they want, business takes place; or, The video defined business as the act of trading what you have for what you want. Avoid Passive Voice Active voice is stronger than passive voice. In active voice, the subject of the sentence does the action. In passive voice, the subject receives the action. Passive: Merchants were created to act as an intermediary between producers. Active: Merchants acted as intermediaries between producers; or, Producers delegated merchants to act as their intermediaries. Passive: While in search of the Spice Islands, the Western hemisphere was discovered. Active: Europeans discovered the Western hemisphere while searching for the Spice Islands. Arrange Sentences Strategically Put the most important information early in the sentence because the beginning of a sentence breaks a silence and calls attention to itself. The last words of a sentence often gain emphasis, but are still less powerful than the first words. The middle of a sentence generally draws the least attention. Here are two ways to create powerful sentence starters: 1. Make your main ideas the subject of your sentences. Readers want to know right away what a sentence is about, so dont confuse them by making subjects ambiguous or difficult to find. Original: The Cincinnati, Ohio Tri-state areas, as defined by the boundaries of Ohio-Kentucky-Indiana Region Council of Governments, is experiencing unplanned, unchecked urbanization complicated by the myopic and disjointed planning areas of local governments. Revised: Disjointed planning efforts result in unplanned and unchecked urbanization. 2. Eliminate throat-clearing openers like There, It. There will be times when youll want to begin sentences with a dummy opener (as here). But, opening most of your sentences with real subjects will make your writing more dynamic.

Original: There are a multitude of sources that can be drawn upon and used as models. Revised: We can use a variety of models.

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Project 5: Report on Effective Business Writing

Project 5 gives students an opportunity to demonstrate their learning about effective business writing. Successful reports for this assignment should both lay out the principles of effective writing and relate them to the students writing during the semester. Given the length limit of the assignment, students should focus on one aspect of business writing, while perhaps relating it to others (e.g., a student discussing audience awareness might describe how concise writing responds to audience needs). This assignment asks students to present their reflections about effective business writing as a report, a genre they may not be familiar with. As they will often find in future classes, BUS102 provides them a tool kit of rhetorical knowledge they can draw from when approaching unfamiliar business genres. This assignment acts as a bridge between the more explicit training in conventions of the first four assignments and the less directive writing environment they will often face in other classes and professionally. To help with this bridging, you might spend time on the day you introduce the assignment discussing what they have learned about audience, purpose, and use of evidence from previous assignments, and ask them to consider how they can extend those skills into other rhetorical situations. Students may also benefit from discussion of what report formatting and layout has in common with now-familiar memo format and expectations, such as use of headings and the priority of need to know over nice to know information. Finally, students should know that reports come in many forms, depending on audience and purpose; many reports they write in the future will be much longer, often incorporating data they have calculated or gathered through research. Short reports also have their place as part of larger ongoing projects (e.g., progress reports) and as the opening of longer reports, in the form of an executive summary (the HWI website has information about executive summaries).

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Project 5Report on Effective Business Writing

This final assignment asks you to share what you have learned about effective business writing with a novice or non-expert audience. Referencing your four previous major writing assignments, you will explain the features of effective business writing and provide examples. Rough DraftDue in Class for Peer Response, Week 15 [date] Final VersionDue Exam Week [date and time] Purpose of This Assignment In this assignment, you will: Share specialized knowledge with a novice audience. Reflect on and apply what you have learned about effective business writing during this semester. Demonstrate your business writing skills. Scenario/Subject FSB administrators have asked you to contribute to a guide about effective business writing that will be shared with new business students. The guide will include samples of writing done for BUS102 and an informative report explaining the key points of effective business writing. The report should reference your own writing for the first four assignments for examples. Audience and Instructions The one to two page report on effective business communication should consider two audiences: Administrators in the FSB who have requested your contribution to the guide for students (these administrators include the Associate Dean of Academic Programs and the BUS102 Coordinator) and the incoming students who will eventually use the guide. The to line in the report should address students, but remember that the administrators will read all documents. As you write keep in mind that you are representing not just yourself, but also the FSB. Explain what you see as the key characteristics of effective business writing. You may choose to focus on one key feature of your choosing.

Reference your work on the four other BUS102 formal writing projects to explain how these samples demonstrate effective business writing. Select brief passages or parts of samples that most clearly demonstrate a given characteristic of effective writing. Avoid focusing overly on formatting in your explanations; the four sample essays should already function as models or templates for layout.

Share your insights about composing effective business writingdiscuss some of the choices you made and steps you took to make the various pieces successful. This might include decisions you made during the steps of planning, drafting, and revision.

Be candid about shortfalls or misstepsoften a flawed example can do a great job of demonstrating a point about effective writing. If there are places in your samples that did not work as you hoped or where you could have done better, share those insights with the incoming students. Compose the report using what you have learned about business writing to clearly and efficiently convey information to your audience. The report should serve as a model of effective writing.

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Business 102 Grading Rubric Project #5Report on Effective Business Writing Assignment-Specific Criteria Purpose: States a clear purpose for writing. Identifies key features of successful business writing. Makes thoughtful connections between the writers previous BUS102 writing and elements of effective business writing. Relates the evidence to business writing in general, not only to how it pertains to the specific BUS102 prompts. Audience: Demonstrates an awareness of intended audiences and stakeholders by tone, word choice, and organization. Content includes need to know rather than nice to know information. Addresses the multiple audiences of the assignment: future students as well as FSB faculty and administrators. Style and Clarity: Demonstrates overall coherence and clear organization. Writing is concise and clear, avoids passive voice, and uses active verbs. Organizes evidence and reflection effectively. Formatting Conventions: . Uses block formatting throughout. Makes effective use of headings. Uses professional and reader-friendly font styles and sizes. Mechanics: Report demonstrates careful attention to spelling, punctuation, and grammar. Clearly indicates which passages are quoted from the students previous and others work. Exemplary

Name: _______________________________ Proficient

Emerging

Unacceptable

Note the overlap between audience and the other categories. Effective business communication considers audience at all times, including how the audience relates to or can help achieve the purpose, what style they might best respond to, what genre conventions they expect, and how they will respond to mechanical and proofing errors.

____ Total Project points

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To: From: Date: Subject:

FSB Students Howe Writing Initiative March 19, 2013 Memo Report Conventions

Although major business projects often involve long and finely detailed reports, shorter projects, small events, and progress updates (among other things) often use a shorter reporting style. This document overviews memo reports, including the genres uses and key writing conventions, tips for composing, and additional resources. Uses For short as well as semi-formal reports in business settings, memo reports are an increasingly common genre. Often such reports target an internal audience, for which memo conventions are appropriate. Also, the memo conventions of concision and heading use lend themselves well to organizing and arranging short reports. Memo reports are well suited for progress reports, proposals, recommendations, short studies, and persuasive reports or white papers. Conventions As the name implies, memo reports share many conventions with standard memos. Memo reports may exceed one pageseveral sources suggest ten pages as the limit for this genre, though as an internal document, expectations will vary between companies. Formatting The first page of the report begins with your companys memo heading. The body of the report is divided into sections using headings that improve document scanability (see the HWI handout on headings). As in a standard memo, all text uses block formatting: single spaced, justified left, and with a double space between paragraphs. The only indentations should be for bulleted or numbered lists. For reports over a page, all subsequent pages begin with a header justified to the left containing the recipients name, date, and page number (see page 2 of this handout for an example). Organization Following the heading, memo reports begin with a brief introduction, stating the purpose of the report and giving a brief overview of the contents. In memo reports of only a few pages, the introduction should only take a few sentences. Longer reports require a more detailed executive summary. The body paragraphs should focus on major points, delivering need-to-know information and eliminating extraneous details. The purpose of the report will determine the organization of information in the body of the memo. Common organizational strategies include problem-solution, SWOT (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats) analysis, and chronological order. Sentence and paragraph structure should forefront and emphasize important information and major pointsmake sure these points are easy to find and not hidden behind less important information.

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FSB Students March 19, 2013 Page 2 Composing Tips Consider the following as you plan and write your report: Before you write, identify the audience and purpose of the report and decide on the major points you will address. Then plan how to organize the information. Concision is important, but does not trump clarity and completeness. When writing a progress report, focus on the importance or contribution of the events, not just their chronology (e.g., not just that a stage of the project is ahead of schedule, but what that means for overall productivity or advancement toward the goal of the project). Write with you-attitude, especially for progress reports and persuasive reports (such as a white paper, an informative piece that presents a problem or need and advocates a particular approach or solution). Other Resources The HWI resources page has related handouts on Headings, Memo Format, and You-Attitude, which contain information and tips relevant to writing effective memo reports. You may also find the following online resources helpful when composing memo reports: eHow Moneys tips for writing a memo report. This site presents strategies for planning and drafting a report. http://www.ehow.com/how_6137513_write-memo-style-report.html Scitable by Nature Education provides an overview of writing a progress memo report. The page provides additional information about audience and purpose. http://www.nature. com/scitable/topicpage/memos-and-progress-reports-13987512 The online Directory Journal for Small Businesses provides additional information about the purpose of white papers and how to write them. http://www.dirjournal.com/businessjournal/how-to-write-a-white-paper/ Purdue OWL tips for organizing a white paper. http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/ resource/546/02/

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BUS102 Teachers Guide 20132014