Writing Different Kinds of Messages

Whether you write an informative, positive, or negative message depends on the situation. For example, if a shipment just arrived in the warehouse, you would send an informative message to another department in your company to inform workers. If your boss just told you everyone on your team is getting a raise because last quarter’s sales increased, you would send a positive message. And if your company cannot finish a project in time, and you know it will adversely affect another party, you would send a negative message. Many times, you must also blend informative, positive, and negative information in the same message.

How to Organize the Information in a Message

Whether you deliver an informative, a positive, a negative, or a combination message, you need to organize the content in a way that makes sense to the reader. Recallthat organization is the stage inthe writing process that occurs during drafting but before editing.

Introduction

The introduction sets the stage for what will follow. The key function of the introduction is to announce the purpose of the message and summarize what will follow in the body. The introduction of an informative message may be background information or follow-up. The introduction of a positive message is the good news because that should be stated immediately. The introduction of a negative message is some type of information to state before you mention the bad news.

Body

In the body of your message, provide all information necessary to accomplish the purpose of your message. Present the background of the subject, clarify any necessary information, and provide the details of the message. Answer all potential questions readers might have to eliminate the need for further correspondence.

In an informative message, you can expect the reader’s reaction to be neutral. As in any other business document, make the benefits for the reader the primary focus. This is known as using reader-centered messages (Youmessages) instead of writer-centered messages (I messages).

Conclusion

Close with a positive message that builds goodwill and looks to the future. The conclusion should move the information from the message to the reader, which indicates the needs of the reader are your primary concern.

How to Craft Effective InformativeMessages

Use an informative message to deliver routine news. Informative messages are usually written for the following reasons:

  • Exchange or request of information
  • Follow up on a previous message
  • Answer readers’ questions
  • Report results
  • Transmit documents
  • Confirm conversations
  • Announce changes in policy
  • Present congratulations or thanks

For informative messages, use the same writing process you use to create any message: Analyze your audience, establish your purpose, write the message, organize the information, and edit the document. For example, consider the following message you might write to your supervisor regarding a project deadline:

Audience: My supervisor

Purpose: To informthe supervisor I will complete the project document by the end of this week.

Message:

The message above is a good first draft, but it still needs some work. Dear is a little too formal for a supervisor/employee relationship when emails are sent back and forth all the time. Shouldn’t be a problem is somewhat informal and doc is slang, so the phrasesneed to be modified. Do you have any questions? is okay but is still a little abrupt. You could edit and reorganize the message so the final draft looks similar to the following email:

Edited Message:

The message above has been edited, and some issues have been clarified. Although it’s only an email, you should still use the same writing process you would for any type of school- or business-related piece of writing.

How to Craft Effective Positive Messages

A positive messageexpresses good news or contains information you know the receiver will be happy to read. Positive messages are similar to informative messages, but you can include the positive news up right—this arrangement of information is called the direct approach.

Sometimes, using exclamation points (!) or smiley faces (  ) can help make the message more fun. Be careful, however, not to overuse these symbols, and be careful not to overreact when conveying your positive news. While working in a business setting, you should still maintain a professional tone, even with positive news. For example, look at the differences in the following two messages:

Message delivering positive news but too informally:

Message delivering positive news in a more appropriate way:

The first message is positive but too informal in nature. You can still deliver the same news in a positive light as shown in the second message.

How to Craft Effective Negative Messages

Sometimes, it is necessary to send information people do not want to receive. This is referred to as a negative or bad-news message. A negative message needs to be constructed a bit differently than an informative or a positive message.

The following are the main differences between positive and negative messages:

Positive Message / Negative Message
Presents good news / Presents bad news
Uses active voice / Uses passive voice
States message up front / Explains the reasons before the message
Avoids negative language / Avoids negative language
Places positive message at the beginning of a paragraph / Places negative message in the middle of a paragraph
Avoids I messages / Avoids Imessages
Builds goodwill in the conclusion / Rebuilds goodwill in the conclusion

In a positive message, use the direct approach by presenting the message at the beginning of the document. In a negative message, use the indirect approach—first present a buffer, which contains the reasons for the negative message, and then state the bad news.

Strategies for Delivering Bad News

Consider the following steps to create an effective message with negative news:

  1. Compose a buffer to soften the blow of the negative message:
  1. Write a short, neutral opening statement.
  2. Create rapport with the reader.
  3. Establish some point of agreement.
  1. Transition smoothly from the buffer to the reasons for the negative message.
  1. State the reasons for the negative message.
  1. Deliver the bad news.
  1. Rebuild goodwill by closing on a positive note.

The following is an example of an inappropriate negative message:

The following is the same negative email that includes the elements above to create a more positive tone.

Note how Rex uses the buffer in the first paragraph to create rapport and establish a point of agreement with Jim. In the second paragraph, Rex transitions to the negative news by reminding Jim he did not reach the established goals. Then, Rex delivers the bad news: If Jim does not meet his goals, he may be transferred. Finally, Rex closes on a positive note by suggesting a meeting to discuss strategies for Jim to reach future goals.

Avoid Words With Negative Connotations

If you must convey negative news, avoid words that carry negative connotations, such as cannot, never, mistake, failure, deny, damage, and other similar constructions. Consider the following examples:

Replace / Failure to follow the guidelines….
With / Following the guidelines will….
Replace / The computer case is not made of….
With / The computer case is made of….
Replace / We cannot ship your product….
With / We will ship your product when….

More Tips for Writing Negative Messages

The following are more tips to help you write a successful negative message that will not offend the reader:

  • Use positive and impersonal language.
  • Write the reasons concisely—eliminate excessive explanations.
  • Do not thank the reader when you are going to refuse the request.
  • Do not hint that bad news is coming by using transitions such as however or butbefore you explain the reasons.
  • Do not apologize if the problem is not your fault.

Wrap-Up

In the business world, you may write thousands of informative, positive, and negatives messages—sometimes you may write all three types of messages in the same day. With each message, take the time to analyze your audience, write your message, and then edit your message before hitting Send. It may seem time-consuming, but doing so will actually save you time and problems in the long run.