O U T L I3N
Chapter
Learning Objective
E
Developing Messages
Objectives
Framework for Developing
Messages
Determining the Purpose
Analyzing the Situation
Designing the Message
Selecting the Media
3
C H A P T E R
Developing Messages
Copyright © 2001 South-Western College Publishing Co.
Chapter 3
Learning Objective
Developing Messages
Learning Objectives
1. List the four parts of the Message Development
Framework.
2. Describe the two steps for determining the
purpose of a message.
3. Identify the four components of analyzing the
situation.
4. Design business messages by using a five-step
process.
5. Describe how to select the most effective media
for your messages.
Learning Objective
Chapter 3
Developing Messages
Message
Development
Message Purpose
List the four parts of the Message
Development Framework
FRAMEWORK FOR DEVELOPING MESSAGES
A framework to develop effective messages
through a four-part process:
(1) Determining the Purpose
Analyzing the
Situation
Designing
Messages
Selecting Media
(2) Analyzing the Situation
(3) Designing the Message
(4) Selecting the Media
A Message Profile:
• an effective method for helping you learn to develop
competent messages
• a blueprint that guides your thinking and actions.
Learning Objective
Chapter 3
Developing Messages
Figure 3.2
Framework for Developing Messages
Message
Development
Message Purpose
Anaylzing the
situation
Designing
Messages
Selecting Media
Determining
the
Purpose
Analyzing
the
Situation
Designing
the
Message
Selecting
the
Media
Learning Objective
Chapter 3
Developing Messages
Message
Development
Message Purpose
Analyzing the
situation
Designing
Messages
Selecting Media
Describe the two steps for determining
the purpose of a message.
DETERMINING THE PURPOSE OF THE
MESSAGE
All messages have a purpose:
• Informative messages: exchanging facts, data,
opinions and other types of information
• Persuasive messages: attempting to influence,
convince, or urge other communicators toward a
specific goal
• Directive messages: instructing others or prescribe
action to ensure performance
• Innovative messages: new ideas, new products, or
solutions to complex problems
Learning Objective
Chapter 3
Developing Messages
Message
Development
Message Purpose
Anaylzing the
situation
Designing
Messages
Selecting Media
Describe the two steps for determining
the purpose of a message.
• Integrative messages: synthesizing and blending the
ideas, actions, knowledge, and skills of a diverse
workforce
• Relational messages: initiating and/or maintaining
relationships between communicators
• Goal setting: knowing exactly what to expect when
communicating messages.
• Testing assumptions: establishing the importance of
your message
Learning Objective
Chapter 3
Developing Messages
Message
Development
Message Purpose
Anaylzing the
situation
Designing
Messages
Selecting Media
Identify the four components of
analyzing the situation.
ANALYZING THE SITUATION
If you can successfully analyze the situation of the
message that you are planning, you will be better
prepared to construct effective messages.
Setting
• Environment: the conditions and circumstances
surrounding communication.
• Culture: the accumulation of values, norms, customs,
and communicative patterns of a group of people.
Learning Objective
Chapter 3
Developing Messages
Message
Development
Message Purpose
Identify the four components of
analyzing the situation.
• Organizational Communication Culture: the
appropriateness of messages.
• Physical Location: Room acoustics? Formal or
casual situation?
Anaylzing the
situation
Receiver
Designing
Messages
Selecting Media
• Demographics: the personal, professional, and
emotional characteristics of your receivers.
• age, gender, cultural and religious groups, place of
birth, marital status, college major, political affiliation
Learning Objective
Chapter 3
Developing Messages
Message
Development
Identify the four components of
analyzing the situation.
• Receiver’s Competence: poor listeners?
• Audience size: interpersonal, group, public, mass
Message Purpose
Sender
• Communication Apprehension
Anaylzing the
situation
• Apathy
Sender-Receiver Relationship
Designing
Messages
Selecting Media
• What is the nature of the relationship? Superiors?
Subordinates? Peers? Clients? Vendors?
• What do you know about the receivers' views of your
relationship?
• Is there a match between your views and your
receiver’s views?
Learning Objective
Chapter 3
Developing Messages
Figure 3.3
Situation Analysis
Message
Development
Message Purpose
Setting
Receiver
Sender
SenderReceiver
Relationship
Anaylzing the
situation
Designing
Messages
Selecting Media
Learning Objective
Chapter 3
Developing Messages
Message
Development
Design business messages by
using a five-step process.
DESIGNING THE MESSAGE
Developing A Thesis
Message Purpose
Anaylzing the
situation
Designing
Messages
Selecting Media
• A thesis, or main idea, further limits the purpose of your
message so that it accomplishes specific goals.
• A thesis sentence identifies your primary purpose
for communicating
• “The purpose of our meeting is to finalize the fiscal
year budgets.”
Organizing Information
• Purposes of Outlining: helps understand relationships
among pieces of information
Learning Objective
Chapter 3
Developing Messages
Design business messages by
using a five-step process.
Message
Development
• Organizing information before writing an outline
Message Purpose
• Patterns of outlines: chronological pattern; spatial
pattern; problem, methods, solution
Anaylzing the
situation
Designing
Messages
Selecting Media
• Forms of outlines
Selecting Message Properties
• Precision: the directness or dishonesty of a
message
• Direct message: easiest to understand
• Strategic ambiguity
• Trying to appeal to a wide variety of interests
• Attempting to promote some type of change
• Striving to support several existing positions on
some issues
Learning Objective
Chapter 3
Developing Messages
Design business messages by
using a five-step process.
Message
Development
• Structure: the form, manner, and
appearance of a message
Message Purpose
• Tone: refers to the level of formality of a
message
Anaylzing the
situation
Composing a Message
Designing
Messages
Selecting Media
Creating something understandable,
useful, and even entertaining
Learning Objective
Chapter 3
Developing Messages
Message
Development
Design business messages by
using a five-step process.
Guidelines to Composing Messages
• Remain flexible
Message Purpose
• Be a critical thinker
• Keep the context in mind
Anaylzing the
situation
• Use your outline
• Create a comfortable atmosphere
Designing
Messages
• Be creative
• Skip sections where drawing a blank
Selecting Media
• Divorce your ego
Learning Objective
Chapter 3
Developing Messages
Message
Development
Message Purpose
Anaylzing the
situation
Designing
Messages
Selecting Media
Design business messages by
using a five-step process.
Assessing Your Work
Leave your work for a while and return
with a fresh perspective.
Take the perspective of the receiver and
critically examine the results of the
message design
Learning Objective
Chapter 3
Developing Messages
Message
Development
Message Purpose
Describe how to select the most
effective media for your messages.
SELECTING THE MEDIA
The path or channel through which
messages travel from sender to receiver.
Media Richness
Anaylzing the
situation
Designing
Messages
The capacity or ability to transfer
information or convey meaning
For example, face to face, telephones
Criteria
Selecting Media
(1) Will the media increase the chance of
immediate feedback?
Learning Objective
Chapter 3
Developing Messages
Message
Development
Figure 3.7
Media Richness
High
Face to face
Telephone
Message Purpose
E-mail
Personal Note
Anaylzing the
situation
Letter, memo
Public speaking
Special report
Designing
Messages
Bulletin board
Newsletter
Selecting Media
Low
Annual report
Learning Objective
Chapter 3
Developing Messages
Describe how to select the most
effective media for your messages.
Message
Development
(1) Will the media increase the chance of
immediate feedback?
Message Purpose
(2) Can the media communicate multiple
messages (visual, auditory, nonverbal)?
Anaylzing the
situation
(3) Can the media be tailored or
designed to specific targets?
Designing
Messages
(4) Will this media allow for a diverse
range of word choice?
Selecting Media
Learning Objective
Chapter 3
Developing Messages
Message
Development
Message Purpose
Describe how to select the most
effective media for your messages.
Message Requirements
Two rules for media selection:
Anaylzing the
situation
• Rich media for complex, uncertain,
ambiguous information: face-to-face
meetings, telephones
Designing
Messages
• Low richness media for simple
settings: memo, or letter to many
people at once
Selecting Media
Learning Objective
Chapter 3
Developing Messages
Figure 3.8
Media Selection Chart
Media Richness
Message
Development
Low
High
Face to face
Message Purpose
Anaylzing the
situation
Designing
Messages
Message Requirements
Difficult
Telephone
Teleconference
E-mail
Personal Note
Letter, memo
Public speaking
Special report
Bulletin board
Newsletter
Selecting Media
Simple
Annual report
Learning Objective
Chapter 3
Developing Messages
The End
Copyright © 2000 South-Western College Publishing Co.