Writing Excellent Letters, Memos, and E-mails

Writing Excellent Letters, Memos, and E-mails

The Los Rios Community College District’s Government Training Center www.LosRiosTraining.org

Melissa Fish 916.484.8061

[email protected]

California Department of Human Resources Statewide Trainingwww.calhr.ca.gov/Training

W O R K S H O P P R E S E N T E D BY

TABLE OF CONTENTS Overview 1

The WRITE® Process 2

Why a process? 2

Professional Style for Business Documents 9

Business Writing Style 9

Formats 13

Writing Exercise: Fall Tradition 20

Correspondence Email 22

Guidelines for Email 22

Writing Exercise: Customer Response 26

Action Plan 27

Writing Excellent Letters, Memos, and Emails

Page 1

Overview

Outcome Participants will increase their ability to write in a way that saves time, promotes readership, and builds credibility.

Objectives Write better letters and memos by:

• Organizing for impact • Planning for clarity and conciseness • Choosing an appropriate format and appearance

Write better emails by: • Understanding email etiquette and acceptable tone and word usage • Understanding appropriate and inappropriate use of punctuation, grammar,

slang, emoticons, and acronyms • Learning the three “musts” before clicking “Send”

Agenda 1. Overview

2. The WRITE® process

3. Professional style for business documents

• Apply the WRITE® process to a business document

4. Email correspondence

• Apply the WRITE® process to an email

5. Action plan


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The WRITE® Process Why a process? The advantages of using a writing process: Overcome procrastination – There are many causes of procrastination, but just

getting started is a major challenge for many people. By having a step-by-step process, you always know where to start.

Overcome wandering – If you don’t stay on task and keep your communication as concise as possible, you will likely lose your reader. The WRITE® process helps you to stay focused on your purpose.

1. What is my purpose?

2. Randomly generate ideas or Research the topic

3. Impose order.

4. Try a first pass.

5. Evaluate and finalize.


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Step 1 What is my purpose? You cannot get to your destination without knowing what your purpose is and what your audience wants. Knowing the purpose of your communication – why you’re writing – will help you make the best writing decisions for each situation. How Ask yourself:

• What does my audience want/need? • Am I writing to inform or to persuade? • What do they already know?

For example: I want to persuade my boss that I can lead the upcoming ABC project. The Administrative Director wants to know I can make effective presentations. I

want her to feel compelled to use me. I would like to convince my colleague to accept my proposal. Who is my audience? What does my audience want/need?

What does my audience already know about the topic?

My purpose statement: I want to [persuade or inform]


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Step 2 Randomly generate ideas or Research the topic. By randomly generating many ideas on a topic, you accomplish at least two things: Defeat procrastination – Since any idea is initially a good idea, you’re free to try

anything. Encourage expression – You write to express your thoughts to others. What

better way to start than to “brainwrite” (the silent form of brainstorming)?

How: Write down all your ideas and thoughts about a topic.

• Write quickly and randomly.• Write down everything, even if you think you won’t use it.

Take a break from your random thinking and writing.• How long? As much as you can spare, even if it’s only one minute.

Go through everything you’ve written with this idea in mind: everything you writemust align with the purpose or lead to the result from Step 1. If somethingdoesn’t, don’t write it. Therefore:• Highlight thoughts that are essential to your message.• Cross out irrelevant items.• Add new items.• Underline main points.


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Step 3 Impose order. Take the results of steps 1 and 2 and organize them in a way that promotes focus, understanding, logic, and continuity. Below we use a conventional, yet very effective method called Outlining. If you have a template for letters, memos, and other documents, it may be used for this step. How: Complete the following template for outlining your purpose and thoughts.

I. Introduction

II. Body • First main point

o Supporting statement o Supporting statement

• Second main point o Supporting statement o Supporting statement

III. Closing

This is where you include your purpose (from step 1) and your agenda (the main points you’ll make to achieve your purpose).

This is where you support your purpose with the thoughts you generated in step 2. You may have several main points you want to make, but remember to not overwhelm your reader with too much information.

Your closing depends on one of two situations. If your purpose is to persuade, you should ask, sell or recommend. If your purpose is to inform, you should state, summarize or explain.


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Step 4 Try a first pass. This step is equivalent to writing a rough draft. Most people start with this step and skip steps 1-3. No wonder our thoughts are not focused and purposeful. How: Take the results from step 3 and convert the bullet statements into connected sentences and paragraphs. In other words, write like you normally do. (You will notice, however, that the results are better than normal because you’re following the WRITE® process.) Write quickly—don’t take the time to edit or revise. There is plenty of time for that in step 5. The outline in step 3 gives way to sentences and paragraphs, but ensures you are following its organization.

• The first paragraph is based on the outline’s introduction. Generally, it should contain two to three lines with no more than one to two sentences.

• The second paragraph is based on the first main point in your body. Generally, the body will consist of one to three paragraphs, which parallel your outline of one to three main points.

• The last paragraph is based on the closing. Generally, you should follow the same guidelines as the first paragraph.


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Step 5 Evaluate and finalize. This step involves looking at the document from two perspectives: Step back and look at the big picture to see if you have achieved your purpose

through logically connected thoughts and paragraphs. Step in and look at details such as grammar, spelling, and punctuation.

How: Take a break from your rough draft (step 4) before you evaluate and analyze your document.

□ How long? As much as you can spare, even if it is only 20 minutes. Review your purpose.

□ Does your message stay on track? All paragraphs support the purpose.

□ Have you considered the audience per page 3? Does your message address your reader’s possible questions? For

example, what’s the point and why is this important? Read the draft aloud.

□ Listen from your reader’s perspective and identify problems in content andtone.

Evaluate the document with the following checklist.□ Ensure compliance with your organization’s style guide.□ Identify trademarks.□ Each paragraph focuses on one idea.□ Sentences vary in length, but no more than 20 words.□ Overall, words are short and simple.□ I have avoided or explained jargon and acronyms.□ Correct spelling□ Correct punctuation□ Correct grammar

Have someone proof your document, preferably someone who has never seenthe copy before.


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Professional Style for Letters and Memos Business Writing Style Whether we're composing a blog or a business letter, an email or a memo, writers should respond clearly, directly and professionally to the needs and interests of readers. These eight tips should help to improve writing whenever the goal is to inform or persuade.

1. Consider your organization’s style guide. □If your organization has a standard for writing documents and using grammar, consider it for settling “gray areas.” Many issues of style between analysts, their supervisors, and upper management are already settled in written form. If your organization doesn’t have a style guide, check to see if it has chosen some other standard such as Chicago Manual of Style or the Gregg Reference Manual.

2. Respond appropriately.Respond with a neutral tone, not provocatively. The appropriate tone will helpreaders to focus on the issue, minimize tangents, and avoid escalation.

3. Remember discoverability.Anything in writing (electronic or otherwise) is public record. Write as if yourdocument will appear on the front page of the Sacramento Bee.

4. Lead with your main idea.Generally, state the main idea of a paragraph in the first sentence--the topicsentence. Don't keep your readers guessing.

5. Use transition words at the beginning of a paragraph or major thought.Words such as first, moreover, nevertheless, and additionally help the readerfollow your flow of thought. Numbers can be used to clearly identify thebeginning of another reason/part of your argument.


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6. Use active verbs.Don't overwork the passive voice or forms of the verb "to be." Instead, useactive verbs in the active voice.

7. Use specific nouns and verbs.To convey your message clearly and keep your readers engaged, useconcrete and specific words that show what you mean.

8. Cut the clutter.When revising your work, eliminate unnecessary words. Warning! Rememberyour audience. Have you eliminated words and sentences that are necessaryfor their understanding? Don’t sacrifice effectiveness for efficiency.


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Active Voice Guideline: Use the active voice instead of the passive voice. (This does not mean that the

assertive and no-nonsense style of business. How: Write or edit the sentence so that the subject performs the action expressed in

the verb.

For example: “The dog bit the boy” instead of “the boy was bitten by the dog.”

Rewrite the following sentences using the active voice.

1. My first vacation in Hawaii will always be remembered by me.

2. The reason that he left college was that his health became impaired.

3. A survey of this region was made by Lewis & Clark in 1847.

4. Mobilization of the army was rapidly carried out.

5. Confirmation of these reports cannot be obtained.

writer should entirely discard the passive voice, which is sometimes necessary.) Why: The active voice is more direct and vigorous than the passive, which suits the


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Powerful Verbs

Guideline: Don’t use a noun when a powerful verb is better. Why: Sentences will be shorter and more powerful. How: Look for verbs that have been turned into nouns.

For example: “Recommend” instead of “make a recommendation.” “Agree” instead of “reach an agreement.”

In each of following examples, the action verb has been disguised as a noun.

Circle the weak noun in each sentence and then rewrite the sentence using a power verb.

1. We gave careful consideration to this proposal.

2. He made reference to recent data from the XYZ Corp.

3. Jones was not successful in making contact with the XYZ sales reps.

4. The accountant performed an audit on the accounts.

5. He gave no indication which format he had a preference for.


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Formats Besides certain elements of style, professional writing follows proven formats. Consider the value of using standard formatting for business documents:

• Most readers are comfortable with standard formats. • Readers can quickly find information. • A professional format increases credibility. • Writers save time by using existing formats/templates.

The next few pages exemplify standard formats for various business documents. Let’s first consider the features of each in order to choose the correct document to write. Business Letter Memo Issue Memo Email

Correspondence A letter is a written communication sent to people or organizations on the outside. It is more formal than a memo and is usually longer. Examples: request information or action from another party; reply directly to a request; apologize for a wrong or convey goodwill.

A memo is a concise message sent to a person or organization on the inside. It is less formal than a letter and has a different heading. Examples: convey information; inform decisions; make a request; provide a response to a question; propose a solution to a problem.

An issue memo has the same characteristics of a memo (except it is longer) and has the specific purpose of addressing an issue and proposing a solution. While a memo can also propose a solution, an issue memo provides more detail and a thorough analysis.

The differences between conversational email and correspondence email are covered later in this guide. In summary, correspondence email (i.e., official business documents outside of a team/unit) should adhere to the same format, style, and grammar standards as letters, memos, etc. Please see page 22 for more information.


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Business Letter Format Sender name Company name Address City, State/Province, Postal Code (Country) Date Recipient name Company name Address City, State/Province, Postal Code (Country) Dear Recipient: First paragraph... Second paragraph... Sincerely, Sender signature Sender Name Title Enclosure 1. Drawing 2. Article


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Business Letter Format Example Francis Williams Dept. of Consumer Affairs 1121 Prairie Rd. Sacramento, CA 95825 November 3, 2018 Juana Alvarez 422 Starmount Ln. Sacramento, CA 95816 I was deeply saddened to learn of Frank's death, and I would like to express my sincere sympathy to you and your family on behalf of the employees at DCA. Your husband was highly respected by managers and employees alike throughout the entire organization. He was regarded as an exemplary leader by anyone who ever worked with him. Frank's contributions to this organization during his 27 years of dedicated and selfless service were many and varied. In the early years he was a major part of our initial expansion, and several of the offices he set up in Southern California are still operating very successfully. His contributions to this organization will not be forgotten. Please accept my heartfelt condolences at this difficult time and I ask you to please pass these sentiments on to your children. Your husband was a remarkable man in many ways. Knowing him personally as I did for many years, I am well aware of the difference he made in the lives of many people in his professional and private life. He will be missed by many. With sincere sympathy, Francis Williams Director


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Memo Format

MEMO To: [Recipient] From: [Author] Date: [Date sent] Re: [Subject] [Type memo here] Memo Format Example

MEMO To: Sam Rogers, Director of Administration From: Rochelle Remy, Deputy Director of Marketing Date: August 27, 2019 Re: Promotion request for Mona Vierra For the past 18 months, Mona Vierra has done outstanding work as a part-time graphic artist in our Marketing Department. I recommend that she be promoted to full-time status and be given the necessary 5% wage increase and full benefits. The promotion is warranted for two reasons:

1. Throughout the past 18 months, Mona has demonstrated those traits our department values in its graphic artists: creativity, dependability, and the ability to work well with others.

2. Presently we have four full-time and two part-time graphic artists. While this group was

able to complete its projects on time last year, full-time employees averaged 3.5 hours of overtime per week throughout the year. Given that fact, our new reorganization will soon put a strain on both the group and our budget.

Please let me know by September 15 if you approve this promotion or not. I’d like Mona to begin full-time work on October 1.


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Issue Memo Format

ISSUE MEMO

To: From: Prepared by: Date: Subject:

ISSUE: [As a question]

RECOMMENDATION:

BACKGROUND:

DISCUSSION: [Options – Pros and Cons] [Effect on existing policy]


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Issue Memo Format Example

ISSUE MEMO

To: Izzie Newton From: Petra Piper Prepared by: Blaise Pascal Date: August 31, 2019 Subject: ISSUE: Should employee pictures be included in a Department-wide online employee directory? RECOMMENDATION: Of the three options considered, #3 is recommended (i.e., employee pictures should not be included in the online employee directory). Many DSS staff have expressed concerns about privacy and the potential misuse of the pictures if they are included. Based on these objections and the analysis in the Discussion section below, the potential communication benefits of including the pictures do not outweigh the negative staff concerns. BACKGROUND The suggestion of adding staff pictures to the employee directory was originally submitted as part of the Department Dialogue process. As part of the Intranet Design project, a user survey was conducted to determine how staff would feel about having their ID badge picture posted in the employee directory. A total of 51% of respondents were either opposed or strongly opposed to having their picture published. In addition, 10% of website business owners objected to having their staffs’ pictures online. DISCUSSION: The primary benefit of including staff pictures is to increase the ability of staff to recognize and communicate with each other. After an objective analysis of three options, the pros and cons of option 3 make it the best choice. Employees typically expressed concerns about privacy, possible identity theft or other inappropriate uses of the pictures, or concerns that they could be targeted for harassment due to their job duties. Options 1: Allow staff to opt out of placing their picture in the employee directory.

Pros • Mitigates the concerns and objections of staff. Cons • Because many staff would likely opt out, this would significantly reduce the improvement

in communication achieved by including staff pictures.


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• Processing opt-out requests and maintaining the documentation could be a workload issue. This con could be eliminated if the employee directory uses SharePoint functionality, in which staff upload their own pictures.

Option 2: Mandate that the pictures of all staff be included in the employee directory.

Pros • It would maximize the improvement in communication achieved by including staff

pictures. • It would reduce the maintenance and operations work load, compare to that specified in

option 1 above. Cons • Because some staff feel very strongly about this, the amount of negative staff reaction

could adversely affect staff relations, and would be contrary to the Becoming the Employer of Choice initiative.

Option 3: Do not use pictures in the employee directory

Pros • Eliminates the concerns and objections of staff. Cons • Reduces the effectiveness of the directory in facilitating communications between staff.


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Writing Exercise: Fall Tradition Directions

Scenario

The current organizational culture is one that discourages the service of alcohol at social events attended by underage employees in a continuing effort to discourage their alcohol use/abuse.

XYZ Branch is planning a fall barbecue at the park next to the Library Galleria. The barbecue is for employees and their respective spouses, children, etc. This is the first time that XYZ has included all of its employees in a social event and their hope is that the event will become a fall tradition. The planning committee wants to serve beer and wine at the Saturday barbecue.

• Individually, on paper, do W and R in the WRITE proces.

• Individually, do I and T in the WRITE process.

• Write a memo that clearly informs your audience of your decision and why.

It is anticipated that 75% of those in attendance will be 21 and

Inform the deputy director of what you think should be done.

over. Employees feel that serving alcohol will encourage people to relax. They want the barbecue to be a real social event.

• In teams, discuss the issue and ideas for dealing with it. Take notes that may help you write your paper.


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Correspondence Email Guidelines for Email Many employees see email as an informal communication tool where rules or standards don’t apply. However, informal and careless emails can hurt reputations and careers. Many of the qualities, rules, and format we’ve covered so far may not apply to email conversations among team members, but they definitely apply to business correspondence by email.

Correspondence Email Conversational Email

Audience: customers, clients, executives, outside organizations

Tone: polite, formal, and professional Content: see guidelines for letters, memos, etc. Format: see guidelines for letters, memos, etc. Grammar: see guidelines for letters, memos, etc.

Audience: friends, peers, team members

Tone: friendly and informal Content: relaxed and informal

Format: less important; guided by mutual understanding Grammar: less important; guided by mutual understanding

Commonalties

• Whenever possible, go in personto facilitate understanding of non-verbal cues.

• Consider your tone, which is easyto misinterpret in writing.

• Reply promptly to seriousmessages; send an explanation ifthe response will take more thanone business day.

• How would it read on the frontpage of the newspaper?

• Don’t send written communicationwhen emotional or angry.

• Read out loud before sending if thetopic is emotional or controversial.

• Always fill in the subject line.• If the document is longer than two

or three paragraphs, considerreducing the length or attaching theinformation.


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Three Tough Email Challenges There are many challenges to communicating with the written word. Here are three very tough email challenges and how to deal with them. Exercise:

• As a team, write one or two ways to address each of the three challenges below.

• Be ready to report your findings to the class. Knowing when not to use email. Keeping it concise. Communicating tone effectively.


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Quick Tips The Audience Do not cc others unless the message is ___________________. Unless you are told otherwise, don't ____ your boss on all of your emails. It

appears unprofessional and sends the message that you need to _________

your _________.

The Subject Your subject line should be concise and _____________________. Be specific: If you're inviting someone to a meeting, your subject line should

read "Meeting with Staff Development: 12/8 4 pm," not "Date for Staff

Development meeting." The second option forces the receiver to _________

the body of the ____________.

Make your recipient's life easy; include the required __________ in your

subject heading. For example: "FYI only" or "Important: action required

immediately" will help your recipient _________________ his or her email

without having to ___________ the __________________.

The Body Think about what you want to say. Email is no guarantee of your

_______________. Think of email as an over-enthusiastic gossiper; whatever

you say could be __________________!

________________, veiled threats and some forms of _____________ just

don't translate well in an email. Avoid any nuances that aren't perfectly clear

to the reader.


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Written communication is usually perceived harsher than the

______________ word; make sure you convey your message

______________.

Proofread your messages. Bad grammar and spelling mistakes make you

look ___________________. If you wouldn't send a letter written completely

in ____________________, it's not ok to do the same thing in an email.

General Guidelines Communicate in such a way that you ___________ need emoticons. Others?


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Writing Exercise: Customer Response

Directions • See the PowerPoint slide.

The Email To whom it may concern: I’m a seventh-grader at Joan of Arc Middle School and I have to write a report about your department. What does your department do? What are your main priorities for this year and in the future? Whom may I speak with to get some history of your department? Thank you for any help you can provide. Sincerely, Robin Hartley


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Action Plan Your Plan Describe at least two ways you will use the skills you gained in this class. Be specific and detailed in your Plan. Action

When

Acknowledgements 1. Meyer, Sebranek, and Van RysStraus. Write for Business. Burlington,

Wisconsin: Upwrite Books. 2. Andrus, Carol. Fat-Free Writing. Menlo Park, CA: Crisp Publications. 3. Shaw, Harry. Errors in English and Ways to Correct Them. New York, NY:

Harper Collins. 4. http://www.myenglishteacher.net/previous.html

Melissa Fish 916.484.8061 [email protected]

The Los Rios Community College District’s Government Training Center

www.LosRiosTraining.org

The Los Rios Government Training Academy is the largest provider of customized training to public agencies in the greater Capital Region. Los Rios is the region’s leader in creating effective, Innovative workforce development solutions and programs.

Our expert trainers and consultants have decades of proven experience creating and delivering innovative courses that engage learners and assure employee success and value to the organization. You will find the Government Training Academy’s solutions to be cost-effective, flexible and include proven methods for assuring that the training has a positive impact and the value of training can be measured.

Government Training AcademyCustom training division of Los Rios Community College District