Communicating Different Messages
Daily Grade 6: Written Message 4 Preparation
Purpose:
The main purpose of this assignment is to help you plan and write specific parts of
Written Message 4 so you can get feedback on those parts before completing
Written Message 4. It will also give you an outline to help you organize the message correctly.
Directions: Save a copy of this document to your Google drive, and rename it
DG6 JDoe
*** (use your first initial and last name; replace the asterisks with your section code shown on Banner, such as XA1, XM, WWW or WW1). Read the
Written Message 4 assignment, use it to complete this assignment, and share the document with your instructor by the deadline shown on Moodle. Delete this paragraph and the one above it after you’ve read them both carefully; please leave the Daily Grade 6 title in place.
Use the
Written Message 4 assignment (stop now and read it if you haven’t already) to respond to all items below:
1. What criticism is Randall
not going to want to hear? State it
without listing each specific piece of criticism; instead, state the
overall topic/issue you need to address with Randall by filling in the blanks below with a single word.
Answer: The overall topic/issue is Randall’s ____ skills with his ____.
2. Rather than starting the message by stating the professional criticism/bad news, you must write a
buffer that is specific and relevant to the situation. Be sure you’ve read the
Negative News Message Elements item to learn the definition of a buffer, reasons for including one and the various types. Now review the
Written Message 4 scenario to see what positive point you could make about Randall that is relevant to the criticism noted in #1 above.
Answer: In my message’s
buffer, I could mention Randall’s ____.
Important: Items #1 and #2 above will form the
first paragraph of
Written
Message
4; however, the
buffer will come first followed by the criticism. You should write a
two-sentence buffer, and make it a
meaningful point by expanding on the details given in the scenario. Then make a
transition to the statement of criticism, which can be written well in one or two sentences. All of the sentences must flow smoothly together to show they contain related ideas.
3. In
Written Message 4, the second paragraph will directly tell the reader what to do differently and why. To do that effectively, you will write
imperative statements, which directly tell the reader what to do using
sentences worded as instructions or commands, such as
Return any item within 30 days of purchase.
Immediately after each imperative statement, you will include at least one persuasive
reason or
benefit (see underlined portions ahead) such as
To get a full refund, return any item within 30 days of purchase
or
Announce meetings three days in advance
so everyone will have time to plan for it.
The benefit or reason can also appear in a separate sentence:
At least 24 hours before a meeting, email everyone your agenda.
Having the agenda ahead of time helps attendees prepare for the meeting, which makes it more informative and productive.
It’s also best to use
specific details and
positive language when delivering imperative statements so the reader knows exactly what to do and focuses on the correct action, not the incorrect one. For example, instead of writing
Don’t make your status meetings too long because people get bored, write
Keep status meetings around 30 minutes long
to help everyone stay focused
. To maximize persuasiveness and build strong content, include a
second reason/benefit, such as
Keep status meetings around 30 minutes long
to help everyone stay focused
and give us enough time to complete our other daily tasks
.
Note that the examples in this paragraph and the one above do not relate to the Written Message 4 scenario.
To practice the skills described above,
revise the indented blue text paragraph below, which comes directly from the
Written Message 4 assignment. The sentences describe Randall’s less-than-effective communication habits, but your revision should tell Randall what to do differently using
positively worded imperative
statements; do not mention his bad habits. You must also give at least one
benefit of/
justification for each change that focuses on Randall, his co-workers or both.
For all three changes, include the
underlined portions so the reader knows
when changes need to be made. You can use the exact underlined phrases or change them slightly to fit your style. You can also leave them at the beginning of the sentence or move them to another part of the sentence. When you state a specific
reason or
benefit for each change, you can place it in the same sentence as the change, in a separate one or both–a sentence stating the change and one reason/benefit followed by another sentence stating a second reason/benefit. Again, use the
italicized examples in blue text above as guides, and remember these may become sentences you use in
Written Message 4, so please take your time to do your best work.
Leave the blue text paragraph below in place, and write your revision beneath it. Some portions are in bold text to make the actions stand out, but all of your sentences should be in plain text only–no bold or underlining. Since the details below will form the second paragraph of Written Message 4, getting specific feedback and revising (if necessary) will definitely help you earn a higher grade on the upcoming written message. Finally, remember that you are directly addressing the reader to prompt change, so use
imperative statements,
positive language and at least
one specific reason for or benefit of each change. Be sure to address all parts in
bold when stating the actions the reader should take.
When writing emails,
he often takes too long to get to the main point of his message, which means many of his emails are unnecessarily long.
During meetings,
he frequently interrupts co-workers to add his thoughts.
Also, when he gives status updates on team projects,
he never mentions his team members and their contributions; he focuses only on his contributions to the project.
Points: /50
Final notes: Use the outline below when drafting
Written Message 4, but please wait to finalize your message until you get feedback on the responses above.
Note:
There’s nothing to complete for this part of the assignment; just use the outline below when drafting your message.
Paragraph 1:
Start with a one- or two-sentence
buffer; look up this term in the
Negative News Message Elements item, and learn about the types of buffers. A buffer of
agreement,
appreciation or
praise would work in this situation. See the scenario for specifical, logical details you could incorporate in the buffer, but avoid just copying and pasting text from the scenario. After the buffer, write a sentence or two stating the
bad news/criticism worded positively. Between the end of the buffer and the beginning of the bad news/criticism, there should be a phrase that clearly connects the two points. In other words, the buffer and statement of criticism read like related points, logically and smoothly connected.
Paragraph length: approximately 3-4 sentences.
Paragraph 2:
Start with an
imperative statement containing one change Randall must make
and give one or two
reasons/justifications/benefits of making that change. Be sure to use
positive language. You can write the change and reason in one or two sentences, and the reasons/justifications/benefits can focus on Randall and/or his co-workers. Repeat the previous steps when writing the next two changes. Though the sentences stating changes should all be imperative, strive for
sentence variety. Also, use
transitional words/phrases where needed to move from one point to the next. One option for a transitional phrase is to write when a specific action should occur, such as
During meetings or
When reporting on team projects; another option is a typical transition like the word
Also. Finally, write all sentences using a
natural, conversational tone, not a formal one. Remember that your goal is to be helpful, not harsh or punitive.
Paragraph length: approximately 5-8 sentences.
Paragraph 3:
Write a positive, forward-looking sentence or two containing some future-oriented detail
regarding the topic/situation. Though there are many ways to end this message effectively, think about ending by stating something you’re looking forward to
regarding this topic or something the reader can look forward to after making these changes.
Paragraph length: approximately 1-3 sentences.
