Chapter 3 Planning Spoken and Written Messages Chapter Review

Learning Outcome

• Discuss the importance of the planning stage in the writing process

While this whole module is about writing, virtually of thethinking about what you are going to write happens before y'all compose a single sentence. Planning and outlining is where your analysis and organization get done, then that when you're prepare to write, all you have to worry nearly is sentence structure, word pick, and tone—which is more than enough!

Remember those school days when teachers required outlines before you could commencement writing your newspaper? They may have referred to it every bit office of a "pre-writing" stage. It turns out those outlines are life skills, not just busy work. As developed business communicators, y'all should even so commit to outlining. An outline serves as a route map for what you lot're going to write,and it aids in breaking weak writing habits. Outlines set a writer up for success. Unlike in schoolhouse, they do not need to be formally typed and numbered; they can be on a notepad or flake to the side of the keyboard. That said, using your word processor's outlining function is a great way to keep your outline tidy, and cutting and pasting makes information technology like shooting fish in a barrel to rearrange your order.

First, determine how the receiver of this advice likely feels about the advice: positive, neutral or negative. Focus on what the receiver feels based on the receiver'due south situation. Exercise not factor in "How I'd similar to hear this news." The receiver has not researched this message, might non have heard parts of the topic before, or might not have the same groundwork you do. The receiver may have a different work responsibility and may demand groundwork to fully appreciate the communication. Factor all of that into the audience analysis. This is you-view planning.

The you-view thinks about what the receiver wants and needs to understand. Exercise not factor in your own feelings.

Planning is the central first step in the writing process because information technology enables the writer to begin thinking virtually how the terminal product will be created and evaluated. Information technology is the commencement step in establishing your accountability and reliability every bit a writer. Remember that when yous are writing for a corporation or organization, your writing lives on as legal documentation and reference. Writers are no less responsible for accountability for their work than are lawyers and medical personnel. Solid planning leads to reliable final documents.

Skipping the pre-writing stage is similar taking a holiday without first choosing a destination: If you lot don't know where you're going, how will you get there? Fortunately, pre-writing tin have many forms, and there are strategies that suit every type of writer.

The strategies and processes used in the pre-writing stage non only assistance the writer codify a topic and solidify ideas, they also serve as a kind of rehearsal for the residuum of the writing process. Equally the writer uses the vocabulary associated with a particular topic, he or she becomes well-versed in the subject and is able to express ideas with more conviction, organization, and clarity. All of this brings to mind the old joke, "How do yous get to Carnegie Hall?" The answer, of form: "Practise. Practice. Practice."

Merely as a musician must practice their instrument in order to achieve their goal, the practice undertaken during the pre-writing stage guides the writer toward a specific goal. That goal is to develop a well-defined topic that will eventually be couched in the language of a succinct thesis or hypothesis.

Planning starts with audience reaction, which maps to an organizational structure for the document.

Before in this module, 3 audience types were introduced: positive, neutral, and negative. These audiences may receive positive, negative, or persuasive messages:

• Positive messages are routine or practiced news. The receiver is likely to react positively or neutrally.
• Negative messages are bad news. The receiver is probable to react negatively.
• The overlapping category is persuasive messages. The audience is expected to need encouragement to deed as the sender desires. In some cases, the receiver is more like a positive audience. In other cases, the receiver is more than like a negative audition.

All letters contain three or four blocks:

1. News: Whether good news or bad news, the bulletin states its indicate clearly. There receiver should clearly empathise the news unambiguously.
2. Reasons: The reasons section supports or explains the news. This is the needed detail to help the receiver'southward understanding or activity.
3. Goodwill and Action: This is the closing paragraph where the sender provides a brief, sincere remark designed to keep the working relationship. The closing paragraph is not finished without some detail or reminder related to the purpose of the communication, or call to action.
4. Buffer. This is usually but plant in negative and some persuasive letters. A buffer starts a bulletin where the reader is probable exist to the negative side of the continuum by warming the reader to the topic, only non laying out the entire event of the message.

Depending on your audience reaction, you volition place these blocks in a different social club:

Positive Bulletin Outline

The bones organizational outline for a positive bulletin uses the blocks introduced above in that same order: news, reasons, and goodwill and activity. Retrieve, this is the outline for writing the unabridged bulletin (the second step in the writing process). The blocks are the labels of the outline section where the writer collects notes and thoughts on that role or paragraph. With these notes, the writer tin write the entire message without stopping to look for particular.

In this instance of a positive message, assume the sender is confirming the receipt of a indistinguishable shipment and has agreed to provide credit.

Organisation Block	Purpose	Notes for the Message
News	With a positively inclined receiver, the main idea is in the first paragraph, first sentence. The reader wants to know something and is receptive, so the writer should but say information technology:	credit due 3/31
Reasons	This is the body of the message that contains the detail supporting the news	"The Leadership Experience" duplicate received. Invoice attached. Credit processed against acct 234-2345
Goodwill and Activeness	Acknowledge any effort or relationship with the receiver. Confirm whatsoever commitments.	She sent clear particular. Should see on April statement.

Negative Bulletin Outline

The generic organizational outline for a negative message uses the three blocks news, reasons, and goodwill and action. Information technology uses these organizational blocks in a different social club and besides adds the buffer block. Recall this is the outline for writing the entire message (step 2 in the writing process). With these notes, the writer can write the entire message without stopping to wait for detail.

In this example of a negative message, assume the sender is delivering the bad news almost a filibuster in the promised ship appointment of a book. The receiver needs this to gear up for a two week training conference only didn't order it early enough.

Arrangement Department	Purpose	Notes to write bulletin from….
Buffer	Starts the message by being on topic, merely non conspicuously laying out the news. It is important to start neutrally and so every bit to avert getting the reader's expectations fix to high.	Been a customer for many years.
Reasons	This is the body of the bulletin that contains the detail supporting the news. Reasons must have the you-view. Avoid mentioning policy or rules equally this just encourages the reader to escalate to a higher level of management.	Very popular title. good quality takes time.
News	The bad news is stated directly, yet gently. Offer any offsetting news, if possible. Avert apologizing. It can bring on legal guilt in extreme situations. In many cases, the sender's company did nothing wrong. If truly necessary and in alignment with company policy, then apologize.	book delayed by 7 days. focus on her receipt added free aircraft.
Goodwill and Activeness	Avoid sounding trite simply express interest in continuing the good relationship. Confirm the delivery appointment.	past good experiences. delivery april 5 Notice there is missing punctuation and capitalization. These are simply notes, and then those issues will be cleaned upwardly in the following steps.

Persuasive Message Outline

The simplest understanding and approach to persuasive messages is to determine how likely the receiver is to comply with the sender'southward wishes. If the audience is positive, and so follow that outline. For negative audiences you lot need to utilise a different approach.

Information technology is helpful to overlay these structures with the marketing concept of Awareness, Involvement, Desire, and Action (AIDA).

This strategy starts with the opening of a positive or negative message. The opening should include an attention grabbing opening, such as a fact, question, or something to catch the receiver's interest. Next, direct your writing to discuss more details to interest the receiver in this situation. The want is most how the receiver's help or action matters. Finally, the endmost includes the specific activeness requested of the receiver.

Exercise Question

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Source: https://courses.lumenlearning.com/wm-businesscommunicationmgrs/chapter/planning-business-messages/