Reading Response-“Give it to me Straight” by John Marcus
The article “Give it to me Straight” by John Marcus takes the example of scientific jargon and applies it to the rest of the professionally communicating world. Scientists are known for using lengthy words that only others in their field understand. When this jargon appears in articles or is given in speeches, other people are lost. Losing your audience is not good for any field of work; it means that they will lose interest in your subject and might even think poorly of you (using large words makes one look pious). If somebody spends all that time researching a topic, he does not want to cause people to not understand and care about his work. Hence, it is important to use simple, understandable language that the audience can comprehend. For a presenter to communicate well with his audience he has to be able to connect with them; keeping his presentation concise and understandable is a great starting point.
In this chapter of our book, Kolin provides a general writing plan as well as various details and tips to improve your writing. As we looked at before, the writer must identify and cater to his audience. To help the written work reach the desired professional level, writers should first research their topic; this is just the process of gathering information about the topic. Next, the writer should plan his work. The main purpose for planning is to get the writer’s ideas down on paper. Kolin suggests several ways to do this including outlining, clustering, and brainstorming. After the writer has researched and planned his work, he should begin drafting. Drafting is completing the actual writing. This step is not completed with one draft, but should be an ongoing process of writing and rewriting. Each draft should become better and better until the writer is satisfied with the outcome. At this point he can start revising his final draft. When a writer revises he re-sees, rethinks, and reconsiders his product to make sure it answers the questions he wanted it to. The tone, organization and content of the work should all be supporting and presenting the main theme. Once the writer has revised, he is ready for the final step- editing. Editing involves rereading the document in search of grammatical errors. The writer checks his spelling, word choices, punctuation, and sentence structure. This process of researching, planning, drafting, revising, and editing is the same set of steps I have heard since probably middle-school- and have not applied. Back when teachers first introduced this writing process to me, they set up my assignments so that I would pass in my work for each step. As I got older, the teachers assumed that my classmates and I had learned and implemented the process and no longer collected papers the same way. Over time, I became impatient with the process and began to combine steps. To this day I complete the majority of my writing assignments by first researching (for longer papers), than writing my draft (revising as I go) and rereading it a few times in search of errors before submitting it. Although this tactic might work for smaller papers that I have little time to work with, it is not an acceptable method for the longer assignments that I have ample time to write. This chapter of the book is a great reminder for me personally to remember to use the full writing process when working on important documents.
Mr. Sean Prentiss Norwich University Webb 311 158 Harmon Drive Northfield, VT 05663
Dear Mr. Prentiss:
I understand that you are interested in knowing the components of a letter. I have read Chapter Four of Successful Writing at Work and I have learned that a letter contains many parts that are all essential for the reader to receive the proper information.
The first component of a letter is the heading, which can be your company’s letterhead or your full return address. Four lines below the heading sits the date line. The month should be spelled out, and the writer must take note that different cultures assemble the date in different ways. Below the date line the writer enters the inside address of the recipient including the name, title, company, street address, city, state, and zip code.
Under the inside address the writer writes a salutation to the recipient. The salutation should begin with a formal address (usually Dear) and end with a courtesy title of the recipient along with his last name followed by a colon. The salutation will be followed by the body of the letter, which is comprised of the message the writer wants to convey to the recipient. Sentences in the letter should be clear, concise, and not overwhelming to the reader.
Once the writer has completed his message, he enters a complimentary close and signature below the body. This closing is a formal way of saying goodbye: usually Sincerely, Respectfully, or Sincerely yours. To include space for the writer to sign his name, he will leave four lines open after his complimentary close and before his typed name and title. If his company prefers its name to be included in the signature, the writer will include it two lines below the complimentary close above his signed name.
If additional materials are included with the letter, the writer will write an enclosure line to inform the recipient. Additionally, if copies of the letter have been sent to other parties, the writer indicates this with a copy notation section.
All of these components are important to know because they structure the letter in such way that enables the reader to gather the information he needs quickly and effectively. Letters are very formal and taken seriously in the business world. They especially should be written carefully and professionally.
I hope that what I have written you answers your questions. If you have any other questions or comments feel free to contact me.
Making Successful Presentations at Work Being able to communicate your thoughts on paper takes a skill, but having the ability to communicate out loud to a group those same thoughts takes both skill and confidence. Chapter 10 discusses the importance of knowing how to properly communicate a presentation at work. Information given out verbally has to be much more memorable than if it is just written down, because the listener may not have something to refer back to other than what you had spoken. Once again, it boils down to catering to your audience. However, for the presentation to appeal to the audience, you have to focus on your own presence. You must be able to show enthusiasm, highlight important topics, speak concisely and clearly, and dress and behave in an appropriate manner. It is important to identify whether your presentation is formal or informal. An informal briefing requires less preparation and is usually presented to a less significant audience. It is still important to show all the characteristics listed above, but the setting and general atmosphere of the informal briefing is more relaxed. In a formal presentation you are expected to be well versed in your topic and to be capable of holding the audience’s attention for an extended period of time. This type of presentation requires a lot of preparation and after the preparation, rehearsal. Practicing a speech is key to being able to communicate our thoughts to the audience when you actually present, because it gives you confidence. You can spend hours upon hours preparing for your speech, but if you are not able to present it confidently, your preparatory work will go to waste. I have presented poorly a few times despite ample preparatory work. The most memorable occasion happened a year ago when I as an MSII cadet had to present an Operations Order (OPORD) to my instructors. This assignment was a half semester-long project that required hours of studying. I spent many hours and a few sleepless nights preparing my OPORD. However, I did not designate any time to rehearse my presentation. When the day came to present, I fumbled my way through and did not leave my instructors with a clear understanding of what they needed to know. Of course, the OPORD was graded solely on the presentation, so they did not even look at my 10 plus page document filled with graphs, charts, pictures, and detailed, descriptive paragraphs. On paper, m thoughts were communicated excellently, but none of that mattered since I could not convey those thoughts verbally. Presentations at work should be taken seriously. If you underprepare or under-rehearse, your message will be unclear and forgotten by the audience. As we have read over and over throughout this book, audience is key. In the professional setting, it is the communicator’s job to provide the audience with the information they want when they want it and how they want it.
I understood most of the material from these sections in the manual. However, there was some terminology that I was unfamiliar with before the reading assignment, mainly comparatives and superlatives. After reading through the section I quickly realizes what the terms meant. Both comparative and superlatives are forms of adjectives and adverbs. The comparative form is used when comparing two things, and the superlative form is used when comparing three or more things. For instance, one might say, “I believe that between Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton, Trump would be the better president.” Better (comparative form) is used in this case because two people are being compared. Someone else might say, “Of all the presidential candidates from the primary elections, “Vermin Supreme would be the best president.” Here, best (superlative form) is used because more than two candidates are being compared.
Reading through these sections, I came across section 17e, which outlined the use of commas in nonrestrictive and restrictive elements. Restrictive elements define or limit the words they modify. If the sentence were to lack the restrictive element, the meaning of the sentence would be changed significantly. Nonrestrictive elements, on the other hand, simply provide further description. Removal of a nonrestrictive element would not alter the meaning of a sentence. These elements might be clauses, phrases, or appositives. Commas should be used to set apart nonrestrictive elements and should be left out for the use of restrictive elements.
One punctuation mark that I rarely use is the dash. The dash should be used sparingly in specific cases (too many dashes result in choppy writing). In most cases, dashes are used to create emphasis or indicate a striking tone shift. To emphasize a list, a dash can replace a colon before the list. Also for emphasis, use a pair of dashes in place of parenthesis for parenthetical material. Example: Follow the troop leading procedures to command your platoon effectively—receive the mission, issue the warning order, make a tentative plan, initiate necessary movement, conduct reconnaissance, complete the plan, issue orders, and supervise and refine. Heather—Arnold Schwarzenegger’s girlfriend—winked at me. If there is a dramatic shift in the tone of a sentence, a dash can be included to indicate this shift. Example: Sean raised his hand violently to answer the question—and scratched his head instead.
“Documenting and Writing Effective Long Reports” Chapter 9 of Successful Writing at Work covers the topic of long reports. Long reports are major studies that require detailed, in-depth studies that often last many weeks. Being able to compile all of this research and data into an understandable report is important for the audience (top-level management) so that they can easily gather the necessary information from the report. By using the following basic outline to structure the report, the writer(s) can be sure that his information is in a clear format. The first group of materials to include is the front matter. These elements precede the actual text and help the reader locate various parts of the report. Not every report will contain all of these elements, but they should at least include a few. One component of the front matter is the letter of transmittal. This one-page letter states the purpose, scope, and major recommendation of the report. Next is the title page, which consists of the name(s) of the report writer(s), the date of the report, and the name of the firm or individual for whom the report was prepared. After the title page the writer should include a table of contents. This lists the headings and subheadings of the report and matches them with their proper page numbers. The next element is the list of illustrations—indicates where all the visuals can be found in the report. Finally, wrapping up the front matter, the writer can include an abstract. The abstract presents the reader with a brief overview of the report. The next major section of the long report is the text of the report. Within the text are the introduction, body, conclusion and sometimes recommendations. The introduction acts as a prelude to the body, providing the reader with the background of the report, the problem that the report addresses, the purpose statement, and the scope. The introduction leads into the body, which is the meat of the text and report as a whole. It should include and relate all of the various data that the writer gathered. To wrap up the report and leave the reader with the message they should have received, the writer will include a conclusion to the text. Often the conclusion is the final section of the text, but sometimes the writer incorporates a recommendation(s) section as well. This piece tells the reader how the writer wants the problem of the report to be solved. The final section of the long report is the back matter. In the back matter, the writer may feel the need to prepare a glossary—an alphabetical list of specialized vocabulary and definitions. For any sources cited in the report the writer must include a references cited page. Lastly, the appendix section contains any supporting materials for the report that don’t fit in with the discussion. By following sections under the front matter, text of the report, and back matter the writer can ensure that his audience will be able to gather the information hey need from the report. Before submitting a long report, the writer should check with his higher management to make sure his report follows any further detailed formats. The writer doesn’t want to waste the countless hours he spent preparing the report, and the reader doesn’t want to waste his time digging through an unorganized report, so it is valuable to know how to properly outline the long report.
Chapter 1- Getting Started Chapter 1 outlines the importance of professional communication and introduces a large set of guidelines to adhere to. Communication plays a huge role in our world and especially in the workplace. Someone who can communicate his thoughts well has the ability to excel above his piers. Writing is one of the most frequented forms of communication used. Chapter 1 provides numerous pointers to help someone share his thoughts on paper (or other written form), but the key points expressed are (1) who will read what is being written, (2) why should the reader read what is being written, (3) what is the message that is trying to be sent, (4) what is the best way to express what is being written. These points can basically be summed up with one important theme of communication: knowing your audience. It is crucial to be able to understand whom you are speaking with. Following the key points above will allow the writer to be able to connect with his audience and therefore leave a greater impact.
Ch3: E-Communications at Work Communication plays a vital role in the welfare of a business. How an employee communicates says something about himself, his employer, and his business. Therefore, it is important to understand how to communicate properly in the workplace. With today’s advancements in technology, several different forms of communication exist in the workforce. The first and primary form is email. Emails are an informal method to communicate, but they should still be professionally written. A business email should not look like a personal email; it must be ethical, informative, professional, but still easy to read. Because emails often contain confidential information, the user should ensure that his account is safe and secure. When information needs to be gathered or dispensed instantaneously, employees may opt to use instant messages (IMs). IMs allow its user to communicate with each other no matter where they are as long as they are connected to the same service. Though short and instantaneous, IMs still need to be professionally written. IMs should cover one topic at a time, use concise, short language, avoid text-speak, and use correct spelling and punctuation. It is always important to indicate the status and stay connected but not to over-message other employees. To share information to a wide range of people, companies often use Twitter, a social networking program. Twitter enables a message to be communicated to whoever is “following” the company. Each “tweet” can only use 140 characters; however, users should still avoid text-speak as well as any other unprofessional or inappropriate language. Probably the quickest, easiest, but most casual form of communication is text messaging. Mobile devices are carried around by almost everyone which makes texting a convenient way of reaching employees who are not behind a desk. Most people use text messages quite often in their personal lives, making it imperative for them to distinguish work texts from personal ones. Even though the employee is texting, it is still important to avoid text-speak. Once again, he must realize that he is representing the company, even on his mobile device. Messages should use proper grammar, should be ethical, and should convey company business. Employees should also make sure they don’t spend too much time on their mobile devices or distract others with them. The final form of e-communication in the workplace is the blog. Blogs are highly interactive, evolving websites that allow users to share important information and news to their company (internal) or to the public (external). Like a website, a blog must be targeted towards its audience. It should draw in the reader and allow him to respond easily. The blog should display important information backed by graphs, statistics, and first-hand accounts; however this information must be easy to understand and not overwhelming. It is important that a company knows how to use each of these forms of e-communication. Proper usage will provide a healthy work environment, but abusing these assets will hurt the employees as well as the company as a whole. In order for a business to see success in its e-communication, it must take the time to train its employees on how to use this technology effectively, ethically, legally, and professionally.
This chapter outlines different steps and resources needed to apply for a job. The section that really grabbed my attention was “Transitioning into the Civilian Workforce.” Here, the book speaks of the specific hardships of transitioning from the military to civilian and how to address these problems. Because I will have to make this transition in the future, this section really hooked me. I am currently studying at Norwich University, but I also have a contract with the Army to put in several years after I graduate. This means that I don’t have to worry about looking for a job right after college, because the Army will set me up. However, it also means that I will also have to force myself back into the mindset of job-searching and that I will need to retrain myself in some job-application skills. The Army does offer its own transition assistance program to help soldiers transfer back to civilian life, but it would be wise for me to learn how to develop my own plan just in case the Army’s program does not work out. Thankfully, people in the United States are appreciative of their troops and generally want to help them out, but just focusing on the fact that “I served in the military” will only get you so far in the corporate ladder. Kolin (in Successful Writing at Work) emphasizes creating a list of attributes and skills derived from military experience to include in the application process. Knowing your audience is key in this step, because you want to cater your resume to the skills your employer needs. It is advantageous to back up your claims with specific related examples. Most employers value military experience, but you have to prove to them that you know how to apply your experience. Approaching your application in a non-military style helps your employer better relate and appreciate the skills you have to offer. This means that you must avoid military jargon; instead, using language that best describes your role in the military in easily understood terms. It is important to relate something from your military job to the civilian job you are applying for, whether or not you performed similarly. You want to ensure your employer that you are ready to use your skills gained through the military in the career field your job application lies in. While there may be hardships involved with transitioning from military to civilian, the military itself as wells as many employers and business owners want to see their former troops cared for. Still, starting a solid career out of the military takes effort. By seeking help from the resources provided by the Army and other veteran-friendly organizations, I hope to remember what I have learned from my readings in Successful Writing at Work, so that I will be best-prepared for my future transition out of the Army.
Ch 6: Designing Successful, Documents, Visuals and Websites
This chapter tied together what we have been learning the past few weeks, because the information in it can and should be applied to presentations, job applications, and other forms of written communication. Communication is used to get a point across; whether to bring someone to a better understanding of a subject matter, to bring a certain good or service to customers attention, or even to advertise yourself for a job position. Spending some time formatting and “prettying up” your work can make a huge difference on how or if your message is accepted. The three basic elements to strengthen a document are page layout, typography, and graphics (visuals). Creating a proper page layout means that you properly coordinate space and text so that it appeals to the reader. This includes adjusting white space, margins, line length, and columns. Choosing an attractive typography involves selecting appropriate font (type, size, and style), justification (alignment), heads, and subheads. Finally, visuals involve a variety of different graphics including charts, graphs, pictures, and any other observable features that will help the reader visualize and remember something. By applying proper page layout, typography, and graphics in the designing of our written communication we will have better acceptance of our subject matter by the audience.
How to Make Coffee using a French Press- For the coffee-lover
Materials:
Boiling Water
Coffee grounds (Course ground size)
French Press
Long spoon or whisk
Step 1: Let the boiling water sit in room temperature for about 1 minute
Step 2: Remove the plunger from the French Press and place the pot on a stable surface
Step 3: Measure out roughly one heaping tablespoon of coffee grinds per cup of water you plan to use and pour it into the pot. (May want to add or subtract amount of grounds based on personal preference of coffee strength)
Step 4: Pour the hot water into the pot and stir the coffee grounds lightly for about 15 seconds.
Step 5: Place the plunger back onto the pot and lower it until it sits just above the water/coffee. Let the mixture sit for 3-5 minutes.
Step 6: Slowly press the plunger down until it stops at the bottom. Your coffee is ready.
Enjoy!
Thoughts on writing these instructions I am fairly familiar with the process of making coffee using the French press as this was my go-to method for the majority of my sophomore year. I believe these instructions are understandable, especially for the coffee drinker. For someone who rarely makes coffee or doesn’t use coffee grounds (instant coffee, keurig, etc.), these instructions would probably be a bit vague. I would need to go into much greater detail about serving sizes, taste preferences, ground size, and several other components of the coffee making process. To help narrow down whom these instructions apply to, I included For the coffee-lover in the title. While writing these instructions, I concluded that the difficulty in writing instructions lies with how broad your scope of audience is and their level of understanding.
Out of the topics covered in sections 10-12 in the A Pocket Style Manual, I struggle the most with irregular verbs, especially distinguishing between lie and lay. All regular verbs end in –ed or –d. Irregular verbs are those that do not have this standard ending. Some of these verbs are easy to distinguish and not troublesome, but others (such as lie and lay) are tricky to determine. Lie means “to recline or rest on a surface”; lay means “to put or place something.” Added to the confusion are the similar forms of these verbs:
Although there are other irregular verbs I struggle with, lie and lay are two verbs I seem to run into a lot and therefore routinely misuse.
Section 24 consisted of the proper use of hyphens, a topic I had either forgotten or not fully learned. For some instances (compound words) of hyphenation, a dictionary can guide you to the correct use. Some uses of hyphens have to be further researched. One such use is when hyphens are placed between two words functioning together as an adjective. If this compound adjective is used before the noun, a hyphen is used, but if it is used after the noun, the hyphen is generally omitted. Example: Eleanor Roosevelt was one of the most well-loved first ladies. Eleanor Roosevelt was well loved by the American people. Hyphens are also used in fractions (one-third) and in numbers twenty-one to ninety-nine. In addition, hyphens are attached to the prefixes all-, ex-, and self- and to the suffix –elect.