Business Communication - Lessons Learned

Maria C. Ramirez

Business Communication

29 Oc tober 2012

Chapter 8: Lessons learned

In chapter 8 it talks about planning a bad-news message, writing a message that rejects an idea, a favor, refuses a customer request, and writing a bad-news announcement.

Planning a bad-news message consists of many factors. Knowing that if the audience does not like the way that the message was told, they will tell someone about it or post it on the web. Tips to keep in mind when writing is to keep the decision clear, helping the audience accept the message, maitaining a goodwill relationship, make sure to preserve and protect the company. Also there is a direct and indirect plan on how the message is told. By telling the message in the direct plan presents the bad news immediately, as the indirect plan buffers the bad news. Keep the audience happy as much as possible. Also justify your decision. Provide a smooth transition from the opening buffer, and present reasons honestly and concincingly.

According to Newman & Ober when giving the bad news it is best to communicate the bad news up front in a direct form,even in an indirect plan if explained well the bad news will be logical and reasonable. When closing a bad-news message it is best to end in a pleasent note. In order to do that the closing message should be original and positive.

There are three types of negativereplice which is to rejecting an idea, a favor or customer request. Rejecting an idea is by far the most challenging. Refusing a favor depends on the length of it, because sometimes it is time consuming. For refusing a customer request, an indirect plan is always used because the reader is emotionally involved in the situation.

Not always will bad news end up in everybody's mouth. Not always will a negative message correspond to an organization. Messages about corporate change must be tailored to each audience affected, according to Newman & Ober. There are two types of announcements, internal or external. If the audience is aware of the bad news then it is called an indirect plan and if the audience is not then it is called a direct plan. Also when writing a bad news message it is best to stress the positive aspects.

When writing I am not aware of when I have to put a hyphen. Hyphens form some compound adjectives, to link some prefixes to root words, and to divide words at the ends of lines. A hyphen is used when a compound adjective that comes before a noun. I get confused when exactly it should be used. When using them for numbers is easy to remember, but not knowing if it is a hyphen or an underscore that should be used jumbles up in my head.