WRITTEN COMMUNICATION1.INTRODUCTIONThis topic gives you an overview of communication and introduces you to the main elements in the communication process It also highlights the importance of writing clear, positive messages and offers you some basic tips and guidelines on this form of communication so that you may become more proficient in the kind of writing needed at home as well as in the college and workplace You will also learn about some of the common pitfalls which may impede the effectiveness of written communication

Types Of Communication There are four types of communication they are verbal non-verbal written and visual communicationVerbal Communication Verbal communication include sounds, words, language, and speech Speaking is an effective way of communicating and helps in expressing our emotions in words This form of communication is further classified into four types, which are

1.Intrapersonal Communication This form of communication is extremely private and restricted to ourselves It includes the silent conversations we have with ourselves, wherein we juggle roles between the sender and receiver who are processing our thoughts and actions This process of communication when analyzed can either be conveyed verbally to someone or stay confined as thoughts

2.Interpersonal Communication This form of communication takes place between two individuals and is thus a one-on-one conversation Here, the two individuals involved will swap their roles of sender and receiver in order to communicate in a clearer manner

3.Small Group Communication This type of communication can take place only when there are more than two people involved Here the number of people will be small enough to allow each participant to interact and converse with the rest Press conferences, board meetings, and team meetings are examples of group communication Unless a specific issue is being discussed, small group discussions can become chaotic and difficult to interpret by everybody This lag in understanding information completely can result in miscommunication

4. Public Communication This type of communication takes place when one individual addresses a large gathering of people Election campaigns and public speeches are example of this type of communication In such cases, there is usually a single sender of information and several receivers who are being addressed

Nonverbal Communication Nonverbal communication manages to convey the sender's message without having to use words This form of communication supersedes all other forms because of its usage and effectiveness Nonverbal communication involves the use of physical ways of communication, such as tone of the voice, touch, and expressions Symbols and sign language are also included in nonverbal communication Body posture and language convey a lot of nonverbal messages when communicating verbally with someone Folded arms and crossed legs are some of the defensive nonverbal signals conveyed by people Shaking hands, patting and touching, express feelings of intimacy Facial expressions, gestures and eye contact are all different ways of communication Creative and aesthetic nonverbal forms of communication include music, dancing and sculpturing

Written communication Written communication is the medium through which the message of the sender is conveyed with the help of written words Letters, personal journals, e-mails, reports, articles, and memos are some forms of written communication. Unlike other forms of communication, written messages can be edited and rectified before it is communicated to the receiver Thereby, making written communication an indispensable part of informal and formal communication This form of communication encapsulates features of visual communication as well, especially when the messages are conveyed through electronic devices such as laptops, phones, and visual presentations that involve the use of text or words

Visual Communication This form of communication involves the visual display of information, wherein the message is understood or expressed with the help of visual aids For example, topography, photography, signs, symbols, maps, colors, posters, banners and designs help the viewer understand the message visually

Movies and plays, television shows and video clips are all electronic form of visual communication Visual communication also involves the transfer of information in the form of text, which is received through an electronic medium such as a computer, phone, etc Icons and emoticons are a form of visual communication When these icons are used in a public place, phone or computer, they instruct the user about their meaning and usage The greatest example of visual communication is the World Wide Web which communicates with the masses, using a combination of text, design, links, images, and color All of these visual features require us to view the screen in order to understand the message beingconveyed

There are two main types of communication, oral and written Written communication involves any type of message that makes use of the written word Written communication is the most important and the most effective of any mode of business communication

2.Types of Written CommunicationSome of the various forms of written communication that are used internally for business operations include memos, reports, bulletins, job descriptions, employee manuals, e-mail, and Instant Messages Examples of written communications generally used with clients or other businesses include e-mail, Internet websites, letters, proposals, telegrams, faxes, postcards, contracts, advertisements, brochures, and news releases Effective Written Communication SkillsWritten communication is very common business situations, so it's important for everyone in an organization, from the employee to the Chief Executive Office, to develop effective written communication skillsWritten communication involves any type of interaction that makes use of the written word Communication is a key to any endeavor involving more than one person Communicating through writing is essential in the modern world and is becoming ever more so as we participate in what is now commonly called the information age In fact, written communication is the most common form of business communication It is essential for small business owners and managers to develop effective written communication skills and to encourage the same in all employees The information age has altered the ways in which we communicate and placed an increasing emphasis on written versus oral communicationsThe ever-increasing use of computers and computer networks to organize and transmit information means the need for competent writing skills is rising Dr Craig Hogan, a former university professor who now heads an online school for business writing, receives hundreds of inquiries each month from managers and executives requesting help with improving their own and their employees' writing skills Dr Hogan explains, in an article entitled "What Corporate America Can't Build: A Sentence," that millions of people previously not required to do a lot of writing on the job are now expected to write frequently and rapidly According to Dr Hogan, many of them are not up to the task .E-mail is a party to which English teachers have not been invited It has companies tearing their hair out Survey results from The National Commission on Writing study back up this assessment They found that a third of employees in the nation's blue chip companies write poorly and are in need of remedial writing instructionThe need to develop good writing skills is only highlighted by the fact that in the information age, it is not uncommon to have business relationships with customers and suppliers that are established and maintained exclusively through the use of written communications In this environment, the words we write are very real representations of our companies and ourselves We must be sure that our e-mail messages are sending the right messages about us, explained Janis Fisher Chan, author of E-Mail: A Write It Well Guide-How to Write and Manage E-Mail in the Workplace, in an article appearing in Broker Magazine The key to communication, of course, is to convey meaning in as accurate and concise a manner as possible People do not read business memoranda for the pleasure of reading They do so in order to receive instructions or information upon which to base decisions or take action Therefore, highly literary prose is not desirable in business writing Overly formal prose may also be counterproductive by seeming stand-offish or simply wordy A style of writing that is too informal can also convey an unintended message, namely that the subject matter is not serious or not taken seriously by the sender

3.The Communication ProcessThe basic process of communication begins when a fact or idea is observed by one person That person may decide to translate the observation into a message, and then transmit the message through some communication medium to another person The receiver then must interpret the message and provide feedback to the sender indicating that the message has been understood and appropriate action takenAs Herta A Murphy and Herbert W Hildebrandt observed in Effective Business Communications, good communication should be complete, concise, clear, concrete, correct, considerate, and courteous More specifically, this means that communication should: answer basic questions like who, what, when, where; be relevant and not overly wordy; focus on the receiver and his or her interests; use specific facts and figures and active verbs; use a conversational tone for readability; include examples and visual aids when needed; be tactful and good-natured; and be accurate and nondiscriminatory Unclear, inaccurate, or inconsiderate business communication can waste valuable time, alienate employees or customers, and destroy goodwill toward management or the overall businessThe goal of communication is to convey information and the understanding of that information from one person or group to another person or group This communication process is divided into three basic components: A sender transmits a message through a channel to the receiverThe sender first develops an idea, which is composed into a message and then transmitted to the other party, who interprets the message and receives meaning Information theorists have added somewhat more complicated language Developing a message is known as encoding Interpreting the message is referred to as decoding

The other important feature is the feedback cycle When two people interact, communication is rarely oneway only When a person receives a message, she responds to it by giving a reply The feedback cycle is the same as the senderreceiver feedback noted in Figure Otherwise, the sender can't know whether the other parties properly interpreted the message or how they reacted to it Feedback is especially significant in management because a supervisor has to know how subordinates respond to directives and plans The manager also needs to know how work is progressing and how employees feel about the general work situation The critical factor in measuring the effectiveness of communication is common understanding Understanding exists when all parties involved have a mutual agreement as to not only the information, but also the meaning of the information Effective communication, therefore, occurs when the intended message of the sender and the interpreted message of the receiver are one and the same Although this should be the goal in any communication, it is not always achievedThe most efficient communication occurs at a minimum cost in terms of resources expended Time, in particular, is an important resource in the communication process For example, it would be virtually impossible for an instructor to take the time to communicate individually with each student in a class about every specific topic covered Even if it were possible, it would be costly This is why managers often leave voice mail messages and interact by email rather than visit their subordinates personallyHowever, efficient timesaving communications are not always effective A lowcost approach such as an email note to a distribution list may save time, but it does not always result in everyone getting the same meaning from the message Without opportunities to ask questions and clarify the message, erroneous interpretations are possible In addition to a poor choice of communication method, other barriers to effective communication include noise and other physical distractions, language problems, and failure to recognize nonverbal signalsSometimes communication is effective, but not efficient A work team leader visiting each team member individually to explain a new change in procedures may guarantee that everyone truly understands the change, but this method may be very costly on the leader's time A team meeting would be more efficient In these and other ways, potential tradeoffs between effectiveness and efficiency occur

4.Advantages And Disadvantages Of Written CommunicationOne advantage to using written forms of communication is that written messages do not have to be delivered on the spur of the moment; instead, they can be edited and revised several times before they are sent so that the content can be shaped to maximum effect Another advantage is that written communication provides a permanent record of the messages and can be saved for later study Since they are permanent, written forms of communication also enable recipients to take more time in reviewing the message and providing appropriate feedback For these reasons, written forms of communication are often considered more appropriate for complex business messages that include important facts and figures Other benefits commonly associated with good writing skills include increased customer/client satisfaction; improved inter-organizational efficiency; and enhanced image in the community and industryThere are also several potential pitfalls associated with written communication, however For instance, unlike oral communication, wherein impressions and reactions are exchanged instantaneously, the sender of written communication does not generally receive immediate feedback to his or her message This can be a source of frustration and uncertainty in business situations in which a swift response is desired In addition, written messages often take more time to compose, both because of their information-packed nature and the difficulty that many individuals have in composing such correspondence Many companies, however, have taken a proactive stance in addressing the latter issue Mindful of the large number of workers who struggle with their writing abilities, some firms have begun to offer on-site writing courses or enrolled employees in business writing workshops offered by professional training organizations, colleges, and community education programsCommunicating via email, report or memorandum gives the writer time to craft a detailed message and edit it thoroughly before distributing it Having time to get a message just right prevents misunderstandings and gives the writer an opportunity to address several concerns in one messageWritten communication is especially important for businesses because it creates a paper trail If an employee sues a company, executives will have their emails, employee performance reports and memos to back them up in court Documenting employee performance reviews in writing makes it easier to terminate an employee without negative repercussionsSending written messages also gives the recipient time to think about an appropriate response and edit his or her message until it is just rightNo need for personal contact You can tell an employee he or she has to work overtime through an email instead of face to face

1. Permanent record2. Legal document3. Mass dissemination4. Suitable for long messages5. Accountability6. Goodwill and image building

1. Permanent record Benefits of written communication is that it is a filed for future reference purpose It becomes official and a permanent record of the organization2. Legal document Merits of written communication are that it serves as a legal document in a business transaction A composed message can be retained, duplicated, circulated and re-consulted long after its contents are first expressed3. Mass dissemination Written communication can be easily duplicated through printing or photocopying; it is possible to reach a wide audience at once4. Suitable for long messages Written communication is suitable for lengthy messages For Eg Annual report or job instruction manual5. Accountability Written documents are always signed and thus can be linked to a person or persons responsive for an action6. Goodwill and image building Written documents acts as a representative of the company and helps to increase goodwill and image building A business man can create goodwill by sending greeting-cards, invitations, thank-you note in writing, etc

1. Slow and time consuming2. Lengthy and expensive3. Lacks personal touch4. Unsuitable for illiterate people5. Lacks confidentiality6. FilingBarriers of written communication are1. Slow and time consumingDrawbacks of written communication is that it takes time to get committed to writing and transmitted to its destination The feedback in written communication is much delayed2. Lengthy and expensiveLimitation of written communication is that it is a lengthy process The infrastructure required to write a proper business letter is quite an expensive affair3. Lacks personal touch Written communication lacks personal touch, hence it is difficult to persuade / Motivate through a letter4. Unsuitable for illiterate people In developing / underdeveloped countries large number of people are illiterate so written communication can become a hindrance rather than help5. Lacks confidentiality Written communication cannot be as confidential as personal communication6. Filing Written communication, whether received or sent has to be filed properly and preserved for reference Increasing files create a problem of storageSaves money :You can send an email instead of calling long distance Written proof: Provides written proof in case of a dispute Some disadvantages of written communication are: Delay in Communication: It may take a while to get to the intended recipient Lack of Secrecy: Once it's on paper, anyone can read it Costly: If the sender and receiver are sitting next to each other, you still have to spend money on paper or Internet service E-Mail CommunicationsElectronic mail has emerged as a highly popular business communication tool in recent years Indeed, its capacity to convey important corporate communications swiftly and easily has transformed it into a communications workhorse for business enterprises of all sizes and orientations But many users of e-mail technology pay little attention to basic rules of grammar and format when composing their letters, even when they are penning business correspondence addressed to clients, customers, vendors, business partners, or internal colleagues This sloppy correspondence style reflects a lack of professionalism and may communicate to the recipient a view of the company behind the message as equally unprofessional The ease and informality of the medium should not be confused with the writing necessary to use it properlyGiven this unfortunate trend, many business experts counsel companies to install firm guidelines on tone, content, and shape of e-mail correspondence These guidelines should make it clear that all employees are expected to adhere to the same standards of professionalism that remain in place for traditional postal correspondence Proper spelling and grammar and the ability to frame correspondence in suitably diplomatic language should be hallmarks of electronic mail as well as regular mail, especially if the communication is directed at a person or persons outside the companyPurposes In WritingWhen a person writes something, he or she has purposes for writing The writer may have motivations of which he or she is unaware The writer may also have mixed, and even contradictory, motivations for writing For instance, a student writing an essay for a class may wish to please the teacher and to amuse his or her classmates Unfortunately, what might amuse classmates the teacher could find unacceptable In general, people write either because they are required to or because they choose to write for their own reasons Required writing happens on the job and in school Self-chosen writing happens in many circumstances Both required and self-chosen writing can be of many kinds In either case, reflection on different purposes for writing can help one produce the most effective piece of writing Roman Jakobson's model of the communication situation provides a good framework for classifying the varied purposes of writing 1.Writer 2.Reader 3.Context 4.Message 5.Contact 6.Code Writing can be seen as having six general types of purpose, each type of purpose focusing on one of the parts of the communication model Writer: Expressive purposes One may write simply to express one's feelings, attitudes, ideas, and so on This type of writing doesn't take the reader into consideration; instead, it focuses on the writer's feelings, experience, and needs Expressive writing may take the form of poetry, journals, letters, and, especially, free writing Often, a person will do expressive writing and then be disappointed when readers don't respond to it Reader: Conative purposes Conative writing seeks to affect the reader Writing intended to arouse the reader's feelings is writing may take about any form, so long as its intention to persuade the reader or affect the reader emotionally Context: Informative purposes Informative writing refers to something external to the writing itself, with the purpose of informing the reader For instance, this page is informative, as are the other components of this Map In our times, informative writing is usually prose, although in earlier periods poetry was used for informative purposes Message: Poetic purposes Poetic purposes focus on the message itself on its language, on the way the elements of language are used, on structure and pattern both on the level of phrase and of the overall composition Poetic writing can be in prose as well as in verse Fiction has poetic purposes Anytime one writes with an emphasis on the way the language is used, one has a poetic purpose Contact: Phatic purposes Phatic language (and nonverbal communication) establishes and maintains contacts between speakers or between writer and reader In speaking, for instance, we may greet someone by saying These questions are not requests for information They are intended to establish and maintain friendly contact Phatic purposes are not significant in most writing The use of greetings and closings in letters is one example of phatic purpose in writing Code: Metalinguistic purposes Comments on a piece of writing are metalinguistic If a student attaches a note to an essay to explain why the essay is late, the note is metalinguistic in relation to the essay An author's preface to a book is another example of metalinguistic purpose in writing If you think about it, you will realize that many pieces of writing have more than one purpose A poem may be intended to arouse the feeling of sadness in the reader express the poet's feelings and use the language imaginatively and forcefully When you write, define the purposes of your writing Decide what your primary purpose is and subordinate the other purposes to it If you have conflicting purposes, be aware of that, and try to resolve the conflict or exploit it to make the writing more intense I have discussed the purposes of writing from the writer's point of view, not the reader's The reader's purposes are discussed with interpretation But for now, consider that the reader's purposes may be quite different from, and may conflict with, the writer's purposes A poet may have written a poem to experiment with the language

5.Example Letters For Written Communication5.1Example Letter 1: Appointment Letter

Subject: Letter Of Appointment For Tajeshwari SharmaDear ,I want to congratulate you on your appointment You will receive a phone call from my office to confirm this soonest, so please bear as this is due to the time difference I wish to inform you that we have gone through your resume and signed agreement, we are satisfied working with you However, according to your resume, your work experiences are quite exciting And now your eligibility to work in our company has been confirmed in the office by the Company's Management So you are expected to get all your traveling documents ready with you through the assistance of the instructed US Immigration Attach who is working with US High Commission in India You can bring your family along but not more than 5 members will be allowed Note: That the entire traveling documents and formalities required by you should be obtained from the US High Commission in your Country ,according to the US Immigration Service Your file will be opened through the office of the US Attach in the US Embassy on your behalf to fasten up your visa process as soon as you meet the Embassy demand by registering with them We have agreed that all the cost of the visa should be paid by you, that is in accordance to the Contract Agreement Letter Moreover, the Company Management shall send your Flight Ticket when your visa is ready and the housing accommodation has been provided to you Although, the cost of visa expenses encored on the cause of procuring your papers shall be reimbursed within couple of days of your arrival in the company Attached to this mail is your Appointment LetterYou will be providing popular techniques of strategic sourcing, which improves the value we receive from suppliers Vendor Development is any activity that we undertake to improve a Suppliers, performance and capabilities to meet customer's needs You will be given a 2 week familiarization course before you proceed with your appointment Work guidelines will also be provided Taxes will be paid by us Your monthly starting salary is 7,500 dollars and your first increase will be from 6 months of resuming your duty Award is available for those who show extra concern for their duty You have to contact the below person representing a higher percentage of expatriate status employee with relations to this procedure US ImmigrationContact person: Peter Haas E-mail: visa@us-embassymumbai.comPhone number: 0091 7829807308Office Hours: 9am -5pmDays: Monday -FridayContact immediately and endeavor to update us on your successful processes with them for liaison purposeImportant NoticeDue to congestion on our website, only customers are allowed to contact us through the website Recruits are strictly prohibited If you have any problem, simply report to therecruitment/employment office department and the personnel incharge will see to it You can reach the recruitment department by email orby my telephone number belowBest Regards, Engineer Sebastian LilivekPersonnel ManagerRecruitment Office

5.2Example Letter 2: Complaint Letter

Jim Dandy2525 E 34th StreetGreeley, CO 80631July 15, 2006

Customer ServiceCool Sports, LLC8423 Green Terrace RoadAsterville, WA 65435 Dear Sir or Madam: I have recently ordered a new pair of soccer cleats (item #6542951)from your website on June 21 I received the order on June 26 Unfortunately, when I opened it I saw that the cleats were used The cleats were dirty and there was a small tear in front of the part where the left toe would go My order number is AF26168156 To resolve the problem, I would like a credit to my account for the amount charged for my cleats, I have already purchased a new pair of cleats at my local sporting goods store so there is no need to replace the defective cleats Than you for taking the time to read this letter I have been a satisfied customer of your company for many years and this is the first time I have encountered a problem If you need to contact me, you can reach me at (555) 555-5555 Sincerely, Jim Dand

5.3Example Letter 3: Inquiry Letter

1102 West 30thLawrence, KS 66321August 4, 2005

Dr Maria Gomez-SalinasSt David's Hospital1000 Greenberg LaneWichita, KS 66780

Dear Dr Gomez-Salinas: I am writing you in hopes of finding out more about how the new Glucoscan II blood glucose monitoring system, which a representative at Life scan informed me that your clinic is currently using Originally, I saw Life scan's advertisement of this new device in the January 19XX issue of Diabetes Forecastand became very interested in it I wrote the company and got much useful information, but was recommended to write several current users of the system as well For a technical report that I am writing for a technical writing class at Johnson County Junior College, I need some help with the following questions : 1.How often does the Glucoscan II need to be calibrated in practical, everyday use conditions2.How accurate is the Glucoscan II compared to other similar systems that your patients have used3What problems do your patients experience with this new deviceThe Life scan representative indicated that your clinic is a leader in implementing new technology for diabetics I am eager to hear from you Thank you for your time, and I hope to hear from you soon Sincerely, Anita Teller Student, Johnson County Junior College

6.ConclusionFinally, language may be used to communicate feelings and emotions Such expressions may or may not be intended to evoke reactions in others, but when emotional language occurs in an argument the purpose is to evoke similar feelings in others in order to sway them to agreeing with the argument conclusion.I indicated above that the ceremonial use of language is used to communicate emotional meaning The problem with ceremonial language is that it can involve all three other categories at some level and can be very difficult to interpret properly A priest using ritual phrases may be communicating information about the religious ritual, invoking predicted emotional reactions in religious adherents, and directing them to begin the next stage of the ritual all at once and with the same half dozen words Ceremonial language cannot be understood literally, but neither can the literal meanings be ignored.

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