MGT 3213 – Organizational Communications
Process for Planning and Preparing
Spoken and Written Messages
STEP
1
Consider
the
applicable
contextual
forces
STEP
2
STEP
3
Determine Envision
the purpose the
& select an audience
appropriate
channel &
medium
STEP
4
STEP
5
Adapt the Organize
message
the
to the
message
audience’s
needs &
concerns
STEP
6
STEP
7
Prepare
the first
draft
Revise &
proofread
for
accuracy
& desired
impact
Step one: Consider the applicable
contextual forces
 Organizational Culture
“A pattern of shared basic assumptions that the group
learned as it solved its problems of external adaptation
and internal integration and which has worked well
enough to be taught to new members as the correct way
to perceive, think, and feel in relation to these
problems.”
 Socialization
Not just behaviors, communication too
Step one: Consider the applicable
contextual forces
 Characteristics of organizational culture
 Innovation and risk taking
 Attention to detail
 Outcome orientation
 People orientation
 Team orientation
 Aggressiveness
 Stability
Step one: Consider the applicable
contextual forces
 Physical
 Social
 Chronological
 Cultural
 Environmental
Step two: Determine the purpose
& select the channel & medium
What do you hope to accomplish
with the message?
Get information
Answer a
question
Accept an offer
Deny a request
Sell or get
support for a
product or idea
Apologize
What is the central idea of your message?
Step two: Determine the purpose
& select the channel & medium
 Two-way, face-to-face
(group meeting, one-on-one)
 Two-way, not face-to-face
(phone, email)
 One-way, not face-to-face
(letter, memo)
Step two: Determine the purpose
& select the channel & medium
Situation
Channel/Justification
Tell a customer damaged merchandise Telephone or face-to-face: Lends
will be replaced
importance to the message; more
personal
Notify a sales rep of job termination
Telephone or face-to-face: Lends
importance to the message; more
personal
Inform employees of a new Internet
usage policy
Email: Routine matter; mass
distribution
Step two: Determine the purpose
& select the channel & medium
 Considerations
 richness vs leanness
 need for interpretation
 speed of establishing contact
 time required for feedback
 cost
 amount of information conveyed
 need for permanent record
 control over the message
Step three: Envision the audience
 Anticipating how the audience will interpret and
respond to your message
 Put yourself “in their shoes”
 Why is this step important?
 Allows you to avoid miscommunication!
 Maximizes the effectiveness of your message
Step three: Envision the audience
• Gather AS MUCH INFORMATION AS POSSIBLE about
the audience of your message
•
Age
•
Economic level
If you can only
•
Education/occupational background
choose one of
•
Needs and concerns of the audience
these items,
which one should
•
Culture
you pick?
•
Rapport
•
Expectations
•
If nothing else, imagine how you would react if you
were the one receiving the message
Step three: Envision the audience
Situation
Tell a customer damaged merchandise
will be replaced
Notify a sales rep of job termination
Inform employees of a new Internet
usage policy
Step three: Envision the audience
• Also ask, what type of audience am I addressing?
• Managers: Just the facts, be as concise as possible (or
have good executive summaries)
• Experts: Use standard technical terms, don’t exaggerate
or overstate your claims
• Nonexperts: Avoid jargon, use lots of definitions and
explanations
• International/multicultural: Avoid slang, colloquialisms,
culture-specific says (e.g. “under the weather”)
Step four: Adapt the message
to the audience
 Try to be receiver-centered
 Does the message address the receiver’s needs and
concerns?
 Will the receiver perceive the ideas to be fair, logical,
and ethical?
 Are the ideas expressed clearly and concisely (to
avoid the embarrassment of miscommunication)?
 Does the message promote positive relationships?
 Is the message sent promptly?
 Is the message professional, high quality?
Focus on Receiver’s View Point
“I” or Sender-centered “You” or Receiver-centered
I want to
congratulate you
on your award.
Congratulations! You are the
Employee of the Year.
I am interested in
ordering . . .
Please send me . . .
(You is the understood
subject.)
I give you
permission to take
an extra day of
vacation.
You earned an extra day of
vacation because of your
performance.
The power of words
Why did Kentucky Fried Chicken change its
name to “KFC”?
Why is the corn industry lobbying the FDA to
change the name of high-fructose corn syrup
to corn sugar?
Richard Weaver
Communicating to convey goodwill
 What is goodwill?
 The ability to create and maintain positive, productive
relationships
 An intangible asset arising from the reputation of its
business and its relations with its customers
 How do you do this?
 Be nice
 Be honest
 Be fair
 Be ethical
 Establish trust
Building & protecting goodwill
•
Use euphemisms cautiously
•
What are some examples of euphemisms?
•
•
Sanitation worker = garbage collector
•
Correctional facility = prison
Double-speak, corporate speak
•
Above-board = ?
•
Peer management = ?
•
Rightsize = ?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZIxcxfL5jasright
Building & protecting goodwill
•
Avoid condescending or demeaning expressions
•
Bean counter = ?
•
Spin doctor = ?
•
Ambulance chaser = ?
•
Shrink = ?
•
Use connotative tone cautiously
•
“harped on” vs. discussed
•
“dealt with” vs. handled or managed
•
Use bias-free language
•
Defamatory remarks
Step five: Organize the message
•
Make an outline!
•
Benefits of outlining your message:
•
Encourages accuracy and brevity
•
Permits concentration on one phase at a time
•
Saves time in structuring ideas
•
Provides a psychological lift
•
Facilitates appropriate emphasis of ideas
Step five: Organize the message
•
Sequence
•
Time
•
Space
•
Familiarity
•
Importance
•
Value