Developing Leaders for a Networked World (2E)

Instructor’s Manual to Accompany

BUSINESS COMMUNICATION

Developing Leaders for a Networked World (2e)

By Peter W. Cardon

Chapter 5:

Creating Effective Business Messages

Teaching Note

Hello Fellow Instructor,

This is a foundational chapter for developing written and oral business messages.

I think this chapter is a great opportunity to focus on the habits of great communicators, including the following:

• Listening to your audiences (customers, clients, colleagues) and understanding their needs and aspirations
• Scheduling the message development process to ensure you’ve got the right ideas that connect well with your audiences
• Taking time to ask lots of questions about the issues at hand and to carefully evaluate the facts before developing conclusions and taking positions
• Thinking about how audiences will receive messages and making sure the tone is right
• Reviewing over and over and over

Please contact me anytime – to share your experiences, your ideas, or your requests.

Best of wishes,

Peter W. Cardon, MBA, Ph.D.

Associate Professor

Center for Management Communication

University of Southern California

Email:

Twitter: @petercardon

Facebook: facebook.com/cardonbcomm

Web: cardonbcom.com

Chapter 5Summary and PowerPoint Notes

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This chaptercovers the following topics: goals of effective business messages; the AIM planning process, including audience needs, business ideas, and key points; and positive tones.
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LO5.1 Explain the goals of effective business messages and the process for creating them.
LO5.2 Identify the needs of your audience in the AIM planning process.
LO5.3 Develop and refine business ideas in the AIM planning process.
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LO5.4 Develop your primary message and key points in the AIM planning process.
LO5.5 Explain and apply positive and other-oriented tone in business messages.
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Writing effective business messages involves a process—one that involves examining, developing, and refining business ideas in a way that provides business value to your audience. The very process that we explain in this section drives excellence in business thinking. Furthermore, it drives collaboration and productivity in your work relationships.
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The process of developing business messages is fairly straightforward: plan, draft, and review. You’ve likely been trained and coached in a similar process many times during your education. Nearly all business professionals have been trained in this process. Yet few business professionals have the proficiency to produce excellent written communication. Creating effective business messages requires discipline and scheduling.
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Figure 5.1 depicts the three stages for creating effective messages.It’s worth noting that these stages are not necessarily linear and they often overlap one another.The first stage is the planning stage, and it involves thinking about the audience, ideas, and message. The goal of this stage is to get the content right, and it requires understanding the needs of the audience, generating the best ideas to address the business issue, and identifying the primary message and its key points.
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The second stage in creating effective messages, as depicted in Figure 5.1, is the drafting stage, and it involves tone, style, and design. The goal of this stage is to get the delivery right, and it requires setting a positive and other-oriented tone, making the message easy to read, and making the message easy to navigate.
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The third stage in creating effective messages, as depicted in Figure 5.1, is the reviewing stage, and it involves the FAIR test, proofreading, and getting feedback. The goal is to double-check everything, and it requires ensuring that the communication is fair, considering whether the message is effective, and removing any distractions.
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Expert writers are more likely to analyze the needs of the audience, generate the best ideas to tackle a problem, and identify the primary message and key points before starting a formal draft of a business message.In contrast, poor and average writers are more likely to begin drafting or writing right away. They often address planning issues—audience analysis, ideas for solving a problem, and message organization—as they go. Consequently, they tend to write in a less organized, perhaps even haphazard manner. They generally produce less strategic and influential messages.
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In Figure 5.2, you’ll see a chart that contrasts the time that poor, average, and expert business writers commit to planning, drafting, and reviewing. Not surprisingly, poor writers spend less time overall than average and expert writers do. The difference between average and expert business writers is noteworthy. Expert business writers not only produce more effective written communications but also do so more quickly than average writers. Their secret is to devote a much higher percentage of their time to the planning and reviewing stages.
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The most important stage of creating effective business messages is planning. Throughout the remainder of the book, we will refer to the three-component AIM planningprocess for developing influential messages. The AIM planning process unleashes your best thinking and allows you to deliver influential messages.
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The AIM Planning Process focuses on three areas: (1) Audience analysis; (2) Idea development; and (3) Message structuring (see Figure 5.3). In short, the planning process should include analyzing the needs of your audience, developing sound ideas that meet those needs, and then structuring your message.
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Effective business communicators possess an uncanny ability to step into the shoes of their audience members. They think about their audience’s needs, priorities, and values. They envision how their readers will respond when getting the message—in thought, feeling, and action. They also consider how the message will impact their working relationships.
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Effective business communicators regularly take the following actions to tailor their messages to others:

• Identify reader benefits and constraints.
• Consider reader values and priorities.
• Estimate personal credibility.
• Anticipate reactions.
• Keep secondary audiences in mind.

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For many messages, identifying reader benefits and constraints is the single most important planning step. Simply put, your readers respond when you provide them with something that they value. When you communicate no apparent benefits, your readers are unlikely to engage.In addition, you need to consider the constraints your audience faces. Your readers may see value in your messages but not be able to respond to thembecause they don’t have enough time, resources, or authority to make certain decisions.
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Being an effective communicator requires that you learn about other people—their values and priorities. Values refer to enduring beliefs and ideals that individuals hold. Since values are at the core of belief systems, appeals to an individual’s values can have strong influence. Generally, people hold workplace values—beliefs and ideals about the appropriate way to approach business problems, resolve issues, and choose goals.Priorities involve ranking or assigning importance to things, such as projects, goals, and tasks. Priorities tend to shift more often than values.
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Your readers will inevitably judge your recommendations, requests, and other messages based on their view of your credibility. If your credibility is low, consider how to strengthen your message in ways that overcome your lack of credibility. Many entry-level professionals face this situation; they have relatively low professional credibility because they are viewed as the newcomers. Establishing a professional reputation takes time. It takes less time, however, if you stay aware of your strengths, weaknesses, and goals. Most importantly, your reputation depends on adding value in the workplace.
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Changing your reputation will likely take at least six months. To break out of a reputation as an inexperienced newcomer, consider the following options:
● Set up a time to talk with your boss. Explain your growth in various areas and ask for ideas for improving your professional reputation.
● Ask your boss if you can take on any higher-responsibility projects.
● Make sure you fit in with the corporate culture in terms of professional dress and communication style.
● Attend meetings to get to know as many colleagues as possible. Participate appropriately.
● Create a professional blog about a niche area.
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Developing great business ideas involves sorting out business issues and objectives, collecting as many relevant facts as possible, and making sound judgments aboutwhat the facts mean. You are may need to make sense out of complex and confusing pieces of business information.Excellent business thinkers possess a number of characteristics. First, they clearly and precisely identify and articulate key questions and problems. Second, they gatherinformation from a variety of sources. Third, they make well-reasoned conclusionsand solutions. Fourth, they remain open to alternatives for approaching and reasoningabout the business problem—that is, they are mentally flexible. Finally, they are skilled at communicating with others to figure out and solve complex problems.
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Business professionals use many methods of bringing out their best thinking, such as writing notes, drawing diagrams, brainstorming withcolleagues, writing ideasin outline form, or mentally examining ideas. For complex problems, such as the opening case, writing down ideas in some form is generally an importantpart of developing sound ideas. This section focuses on three broad areas: (1) identifying the business problem(s); (2) analyzing the business problem(s); and (3) clarifyingobjectives.
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Analyzing the business problem typically involves uncovering relevant facts, making conclusions, and taking positions. Facts are statements that can be relied on with a fair amount of certainty (most things are not absolutely certain in the business world) and that concern something that can be observed objectively. Conclusions are statements that are reasoned or deduced based on facts.
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Positions on an issue are stances based on a set of conclusions. In the workplace, you will often make recommendations, which are a type of position.
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Once you have analyzed the needs of your audience and developed your ideas for the message, you plan the basic message structure. This includes identifying and framingthe primary message and setting up the logic with supporting points and a call to action. To frame the primary message, address the following questions:
a. What is the primary message?
b. What simple, vivid statement (15 words or less) captures the essence of yourmessage?
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To set up the logic of your message, address the following questions:
a. What are your supporting points?
b. What do you want to explicitly ask your readers to do (call to action)?
c. How will you order the logic of your message?
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Most business arguments employ a direct or deductive approach. In other words, they begin by stating the primary message, which is typically a position or recommendation. Then they lay out the supporting reasons. Most business messages conclude with a call to action. The call to action in many cases is a more detailed and elaborate version of the initial position or recommendation.
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Figure 5.5 illustrates the framework of most deductive business arguments.
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Generally, a reader can get the gist of your message—the primary message, rationale, and call to action—simply by reading the opening paragraph, the first sentence of supporting paragraphs, and the final paragraph. In fact, many readersare generally busy,and they will skim the communication to understand its main ideas and implications. If they see merit in your ideas, they will go back and read the entire message more carefully.
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As you set up the structure of the message, carefully test its logic. If you ensure that your messages are built on strong reasoning, you will be far more influential because your company will benefit and you will gain credibility. To build well-reasoned business positions, avoid the following types of logical inconsistencies:unsupported generalizations, faulty cause/effect claims, weak analogies, either/or logic, slanting the facts, and exaggeration.
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People often build resistance not to the content of a message but to the way it is delivered. One of your primary goals as a communicator is to express your messages in ways that respect and inspire others. Readers judge a message partially by its tone—the overall evaluation the reader perceives the writer to have toward the reader and the message content. Readers will judgeyour message based on how positive and concerned they think you are. Business communicators generally aim to project positivity and concern for others in all business messages. By following the suggestions in this section, you will more effectively project messages with these tones.
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A positive attitude in the workplace improves work performance, allows more creativity, provides more motivation to excel, facilitates more helpfulness between co-workers,and gains more influence on clients and customers. The bottom line is that your ability to remain positive and exude optimism in your communications can strongly influenceothers. You can adopt a number of techniques to make your messages more positive.
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In every facet of business communication, focusing on others is important. It is a basic component of your credibility (caring). In content and form, your message should show that you have the interests of your audience in mind. The following guidelines will help you demonstrate concern for others (also referred to as other-oriented language in some parts of the book):

• Avoid relying too heavily on the I-Voice.
• Respect the time and autonomy of your readers.
• Give credit to others.

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A related notion to tone is that of meta messages. Whereas tone relates to the overall attitudes or feelings that writers convey toward a message and its recipients, meta messages are the overall but often underlying message people take away from a communication or group of communications. Meta messages are encoded and decoded as a combination of content, tone, and other signals. In your written and oral communications, think about the lasting meta messages you send. Over the course of sending many communications, you send meta messages that become the basis for your reputation. These meta messages form others’ impressions of your credibility: your competence, caring, and character.
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Mixed signals occur when the content of a message conflicts with the tone, nonverbal communication, or other signals. Sending mixed signals is not only confusing butalso commonly creates negative meta messages. Even if a business message is well reasoned and justified, if readers perceive a selfish or manipulative tone, they may decode meta messages such as “I’m not being straight with you” or “I’m opportunistic.” In a job interview, an applicant may say the right things but because of unprofessionaldress send a poor meta message, such as “I’m not serious about this job” or “I don’t understand the culture of this company.”
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After studying this chapter, you should understand the following topics: the goals of effective business messages; the AIM planning process, including audience needs, business ideas, and key points; and positive tones.

Suggested Approaches and Solutions to Learning Exercises

In these suggested approaches and solutions, you’ll find key points to look for in students’ responses.

5.1 ChapterReview Discussion Questions (LO 5.1, LO 5.2, LO 5.3, LO 5.4, LO 5.5)

1. Audience analysis involves identifying the needs, wants, aspirations, expectations, and constraints of audiences. Idea development involves carefully identifying the key issues, collecting relevant facts, and forming conclusions and positions. Message structuring involves forming the primary message, key supporting points, and the underlying logic that connects the points to one another.
2. Good responses should include explanations about the connection between facts, conclusions, and positions. Students should be rewarded for providing their own ideas, especially for supplying thoughts about the process and time needed, the quality and potential biases of information sources, and the ability to view issues from various angles.
3. Students should be rewarded for carefully discussing an audience’s needs, wants, aspirations, and constraints. They should also be rewarded for distinguishing between primary and secondary audiences.
4. Good responses should include explaining that the frame is a way of showcasing the entire message in a short, vivid statement. It should highlight a key argument or premise that impacts how readers interpret the message and leaves a lasting impression.
5. Good responses should include explanations and examples of the following: unsupported generalizations, faulty cause/effect claims, weak analogies, either/or logic, slanting the facts, and exaggeration.
6. Students should be rewarded for explaining and providing examples of how positive and other-oriented tones motivate others more so than negative and self-centered tones.

5.2 Communication Q&ADiscussion Questions (LO 5.1, LO 5.2, LO 5.3, LO 5.4, LO 5.5)