Response to Jeff Schafer's what I learned post

I liked what Jeff had to say about being able to take away something practical from this class. It's not often that we get the opportunity to use what we've learned right away. As an engineering student I have struggled to write in an active voice. I agree with Jeff, the memos and other writing have enhanced my ability to communicate. The one thing that I have most appreciated is the ability to apply what I am learning immediately.

What I have learned

I have learned that the quality of any communication is determined by its usability and persuasiveness. Every communication makes an attempt to persuade the reader/listener to take some action. When writing the writer must constantly strive to keep the reader in mind. They must consider such things as who are the stake holders, what are they looking for, how will they use this information, are there any ethical considerations and is there anyone else that will see this communication. In addition the writer must consider the cultural background of their reader.

The format may vary between types of communication such as emails, memorandums, formal reports and speeches. Again, the common thread is that they all should be usable and persuasive. If a writer chooses to ignore the needs of the reader then the communication has little value.

I have noticed that my communication at work has improved greatly. Prior to this class I hadn't spent much time considering the needs of the reader. My writing was primarily focused on the information that I wanted to convey. I have really noticed this in my email communication. I have to spend less time explaining the purpose of my writing through multiple emails. This means my communication has become more efficient. This class has helped me more than I had initially thought possible.

Response to Holley Schmecks Chptr 17 & 18 blog

Holley mentioned that she always gets nervous before giving a presentation. I too get nervous before giving presentations. I thought the book had an excellent idea to help you deal with being nervous. The book suggested that you take the time before the presentation to talk to your listeners informally. This is great because it gives you a chance to talk to them in a relaxed atmosphere. Then when you get up to do your presentation it will seem less likely that you are speaking to strangers. This also aides in using a conversational tone.

She also talked about wanting to get information from a website quickly. If she cannot find the information quickly she will just go to another site. I've heard that you should design the site so that people can get to what they need within three clicks. This seems reasonable for most sites. I think this can be achieved by using links on the home page that make it easy to navigate the site.

Chapter 17 & 18 blog

Chapter 17 creating and delivering listener-centered oral presentations

This chapter describes how to create and deliver effective listener-centered oral presentations.
Creating oral presentations is very similar to creating reader-centered written communications. The main difference being that an oral presentation has the advantage of direct listener feedback. This allows you to adjust your speech to the reactions of the audience.

As in any communication you should first define your objectives. With your objectives in mind you can then work on the verbal and visual parts of your presentation. Your presentation will be more usable and persuasive if the verbal and visual components work well together. The visual components should be large enough so that your audience can understand their meaning without difficulty. Further, when using a program such as Microsoft PowerPoint try not to use long sentences or paragraphs. You want your listeners to focus on what you are saying and the visual aid should be just that, a visual aid. If the text you use is difficult to follow your listeners will be distracted.

When you are speaking you should make eye contact with your audience. This allows you to use a more conversational style of speech. This should help keep the interest of your audience. Also, while making eye contact you can often determine if your listeners are understanding you.

Chapter 18 creating reader-centered web pages and websites

I found this chapter very interesting. The book indicates that one of the most important features of a website should be the ability to get to the desired information quickly. I find it amazing that even with this information there are an untold number of websites that are nearly impossible to navigate. The book also states that you can accomplish this by creating a well organized website with navigational aides to help readers get what they need quickly. After creating the website you should test it before activating it. In the process of testing the site you should be willing to make any necessary revisions to make the site the best that it can be.

Response to Chris Marshel's chptr 2, 9 & 10 post

I liked what Chris said about not wasting peoples time. When we begin a communication we should get right to the point. However, what if the communication is sensitive or about bad news. Could there possibly be a better way to deliver bad news than by being blunt. I would think that if you are delivering bad news they may tend to focus on the first thing you say and not much else. In a general sense though I tend to agree with Chris.

In my professional career I generally tell people to contact me if they need any further information. I think that I may be able to help my readers by pointing them to other potential sources of information. It may also free me up to do other work.

Chapter 2, 9 & 10 post

Chapter 2 A reader centered approach to writing your resume

This chapter describes four activities for the reader centered resume writing process.

1. Defining objectives
2. Planning
3. Drafting
4. Revising

As I read this chapter I was amazed at the amount of planning you should consider when preparing to write your resume. I have written and rewritten my resume on several occasions. I have to admit that it is not a process that I enjoy. However, I never went through an extensive planning process. I think that if I went through this process it would improve the quality of my resume. I cannot decide if I should be writing an experiential or skills resume. I think that I have somewhat blended the two approaches. I am excited about taking a fresh look at my resume with the reader centered approach.

Chapter 9 Beginning a communication

I have always struggled with the beginning of written communication. How long should I make it? Is it complete? This chapter gave me some good guidelines to follow. As long as the readers know why they should read the communication, its main point, its organization and scope and any necessary background information then I know that I have done my job.

Guideline nine on ethics spoke of situations in which you might be asked to write something that violates your sense of what is ethical. I have personally experienced this. Fortunately I have a boss who very quickly realized that he was asking me to do something that I was uncomfortable with. I liked the options the book gave for remedying this situation. You can plant seeds of change, use reason and not accusation, and also try to remain open to others points of view.

Chapter 10 Ending a communication

The ending of your communication is an excellent opportunity to get your readers to transition from reading to taking action. You can stress the main point of your communication one more time. Often times its the last thing read that people remember the best. At work it is important to list any action items and who is responsible for them. This is a great way to sum up your communication.