When writing a networking letter respect your recipient by _____

Business Correspondence

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CENGAGE Learning·

Successful Writing at Work:

Concise Fourth Edition

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Contents

Preface xv

Chapter 1: Getting Started: Writing and Your Career

Writing-An Essential Job Skill 1 H ow Writing Relates to Other Skills 1 The High Cost of Effective Writing 2 H ow This Book Will H elp You 2

Writing for the Global Marketplace 2 Competing for International Business 3 C ommunicating with Global Audiences 3 Seeing the W orld Through the Eyes of Another Culture 3 C ultural Diversity at H ome 4 Using International English 4

Four Keys to Effective Writing 6 Identifying Your Audience 6

Case Study: Writing to Different Audiences in a Large Corporation 10

Establishing Your Purpose 11 Formulating Your Message 12 Selecting Your Style and Tone 12

Case Study: Adapting a Description of Heparin for Two Different Audiences 13

Characteristics of Job-Related Writing 15 1. Providing Practical Information 15 2. Giving Facts, Not Impressions 15 3. Supplying Visuals to Clarify and Condense Information 16 4. Giving Accurate M easurements 17 5. Stating Responsibilities Precisely 18 6. Persuading and O ffering Recommendations 18

Ethical Writing in the Workplace 21 Employers Insist on and Monitor Ethical Behavior 21 Ethical Requirements on the Job 22 Computer Ethics 22 "Thinking G reen ": Making Ethical C hoices About the Environment 24

1

V

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vi Contents

Some Guidelines to Help You Reach Ethical Decisions 24 Ethical Dilemmas: Some Scenarios 25 Writing Ethically on the Job 27

Successful Employees Are Successful Writers 29

Revision Checklist 30

Exercises 31

Chapter 2: The Writing Process and Collaboration at Work 35

What Writing Is and Is Not 35 What Writing Is 35 What Writing Is Not 36

The Writing Process 36 Researching 36 Planning 37 Drafting 41 Guidelines for Successful Drafting 41

Revising 42 Allow Enough Time to Revise 42 Revision Is Rethinking 42 Key Questions to Ask as You Revise 42

Case Study: A "Before" and "After" Revision of a Short Report 43

Editing 46

Collaboration Is Crucial to the Writing Process 55

Advantages of Collaborative Writing 56

Seven Guidelines for Successful Group Writing 56

Sources of Conflict in Group Dynamics and How to Solve Them 57 Common Problems, Practical Solutions 57

Computer-Supported Collaboration 59 Types of Groupware 60 Document Tracking Software 60 Web-Based Collaboration Systems 62 Avoiding Problems with Online Collaboration 64

Meetings 64 Planning a Meeting 64 Creating an Agenda 65 Writing the Minutes 65 Virtual Meetings 66 Videoconferencing with Skype 68

R evision Checklist 69

Exercises 70

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Chapter 3: E-Communications at Work

The Flow of Information through E-Communications 76

Differences Among E-Communications 76

E-Communications are Legal Records 77 Legal/Ethical Guidelines to Follow in Writing £-Communications 77

Email: Its Importance in the Workplace 78 Business Email Versus Personal Email 78 Guidelines for Using Email on the Job 80 When Not to Use Email 84

Instant Messages (IMs) for Business Use 85 When to Use IMs Versus Emails 85 Guidelines for Using IMs in the Workplace 86

Job-Related Tweets 87

Job-Related Text Messaging 88 Guidelines for Texting 88

Biogs 90 Blogs Are Interactive 90 Internal/External Blogs 90 Guidelines for Writing a Business Blog 91

Case Study: Writing a Blog to Keep Customer Goodwill 92

Conclusion 94

Revision Checklist 95

Exercises 96

Chapter 4: Preparing Correspondence: Some Basics for Writing to Audiences Worldwide

Letters in the Age of the Internet 98

Letter Formats 99 Full-Block Format 99 Modified-Block Format 99 Semi-Block Format 101 Continuing Pages 101

Parts ofa Letter 102 Heading 102 Date Line 102 Inside Address 102 Salutation 104 Body of the Letter 104 Complimentary Close 104

Contents vii

76

98

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viii Contents

Signature 105 Enclosure Line 105 Copy Notation 105

The Appearance of Your Letter 106

Organizing a Standard Business Letter 106

Making a Good Impression on Your Reader 108 Achieving the "You Attitude": Four

Guidelines 109

The Five Most Common Types of Business Letters 112

Inquiry Letters 113

Cover Letters 113

Special Request Letters 115

Sales Letters 115 The Four A's of Sales Letters 117

Customer Relations Letters 117 Being Direct or Indirect 119

Case Study: Two Versions of a Bad News Message 119

Follow-Up Letters 122 Complaint Letters 122 Adjustment Letters 127

Memos 133 Memo Protocol and Company Politics 134 Sending Memos: Email or Hard Copy ? 134 Memo Format 138 Memo Parts 138 Questions Your Memo Needs to Answer for

Readers 139 Memo Style and Tone 139 Strategies for Organizing a Memo 140 Organizational Markers 141

International Business Correspondence 141 Ten Guidelines for Communicating with

International Readers 142 Respecting Readers' Nationality

and Ethnic/Racial Heritage 146

Case Study: Writing to Readers from a Different Culture 147

Sending Letter-Quality Messages: Final Advice to Seal Your Success 150

Revision Checklist 151

Exercises 152

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Chapter 5: How to Get a Job: Searches, Networking, Dossiers, Portfolios/Webfolios, Resumes, Transitioning to a Civilian Job,

Contents

Letters, and Interviews 159

Steps an Employer Takes When Hiring 159

Steps to Follow to Get Hired 160

Analyzing Your Strengths and Restricting Your Job Search 160

Enhancing Your Professional Image 161

Looking in the Right Places for a Job 161

Using Online Social and Professional Networking Sites in Your Job Search 165

Finding Jobs Through Networking Sites 165 Using Facebook to Start Your Network 165 Linkedln 166 Promoting Your Best Image-Some Do's and Don'ts 167

Dossiers and Letters of Recommendation 170 Obtaining Letters of Recommendation 171

Career Portfolios/Webfolios 173 What Not to Include in a Career Portolio/Webfolio 174 Career Portfolio/Webfolio Formats 174

Preparing a Resume 174 What Employers Like to See in a Resume 175 The Process of Writing Your Resume 176 Parts of a Resume 180 Organizing Your Resume 183

Transitioning into the Civilian Workforce 186 Using a Civilian Resume Format, Language, and Context 187

The Digital Resume 189 Things to Keep in Mind when Preparing a Digital Resume 189 Ways to Post, Email, Scan, or Video Capture Your Resume 189

Case Study: Creating a Digital Resume for a Job Search 193

Making Your Digital Resume Search-Engine Ready 196 Making Your Resume Cybersafe 196 Testing, Proofreading, and Sending Your Digital Resume 197

Letters of Application 197 How Application Letters and Resumes Differ 197 Writing the Letter of Application 198

Going to an Interview 205 Preparing for an Interview 205 Questions to Expect at Your Interview 206 What Do I Say About Salary? 207

ix

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X Contents

Questions You May Ask the Interviewer(s) 208 What Interviewer(s) Can't Ask You 208 Ten Interview Do's and Don'ts 209 The Follow-Up Letter 209

Accepting or Declining a Job Offer 211

Searching for the Right Job Pays 211

R evision Checklist 211

Exercises 212

Chapter 6: Designing Successful Documents, Visuals, and Websites

Characteristics of Effective Design 217

Organizing Information Visually 217

The ABCs of Print Document Design 218 Page Layout 218 Typography 223 Heads and Subheads 225

The Purpose of Visuals 227

Choosing Effective Visuals 228

Generating, Scanning, and Uploading Visuals 229

Inserting and Writing About Visuals: Some Guidelines 230 Identify Your Visuals 230 Cite the Source for Your Visuals 230 Insert Your Visuals Appropriately 231 Introduce Your Visuals 231 Interpret Your Visuals 231

Two Categories of Visuals: Tables and Figures 232

Tables 232 Parts of a Table 233 Guidelines for Using Tables 233

Figures 234 Graphs 234 Charts 237 Pictographs 241 Maps 242 Photographs 243 Drawings 245 Clip Art 245 Infographics 247

Using Visuals Ethically 249 Guidelines for Using Visuals Ethically 250

217

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Using Appropriate Visuals for International Audiences 253 Visuals Do Not Always Translate from One Culture to Another 253 Guidelines for Using Visuals for International Audiences 253

Writing for and Designing Websites 256 Web Versus Print Readers 257 Preparing a Successful Home Page 257 Designing and Writing for the Web: Eight Guidelines 258

Revision Checklist 261

Exercises 262

Chapter 7: Writing Instructions and Procedures

Instructions, Procedures, and Your Job 267

Why Instructions Are Important 267 Safety 267 Efficiency 268 Convenience 268

The Variety of Instructions: A Brief Overview 269

Assessing and Meeting Your Audience's Needs 269 Writing Instructions for International Audiences 271

Using Word-Processing Programs to Help You Design Instructions 272

The Process of Writing Instructions 273 Plan Your Steps 273 Perform a Trial Run 274 Write and Test Your Draft 274 Revise and Edit 274

Using the Right Style 274

Using Visuals Effectively 275 Guidelines for Using Visuals in Instructions 276

The Five Parts of Instructions 277 Introduction 277 List of Equipment and Materials 278 Steps for Your Instructions 278 Warnings, Cautions, and Notes 281 Conclusion 283

Model of Full Set of Instructions 283

Writing Procedures for Policies and Regulations 284 Some Examples of Procedures 284 Meeting Your Corporate Needs 295

Case Study: Writing Procedures at Work 295

Revision Checklist 298

Exercises 298

Contents xi

267

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xii Contents

Chapter 8: Writing Effective Short Reports and Proposals 301

Why Short Reports Are Important 301

Types of Short Reports 302

Seven Guidelines for Writing Short Reports 302 1. Anticipate How an Audience Will Use Your Report 302 2. Do the Necessary Research 303 3. Be Objective and Ethical 303 4. Organize Carefully 304 5. Write Clearly and Concisely 305 6. Create a Reader-Centered Design 305 7. Choose the Most Appropriate Format 306

Periodic Reports 306

Case Study: A Poor and an Effective Short Report 306

Sales Reports 310

Progress Reports 310 Audience for Progress Reports 312 Frequency of Progress Reports 312 Parts of a Progress Report 312

Employee Activity/Performance Reports 313

Trip/Travel Reports 316 Questions Your Trip/Travel Report Needs to Answer 316 Common Types of Trip/Travel Reports 316

Incident Reports 320 When to Submit an Incident Report 320 Parts of an Incident Report 320 Protecting Yourself Legally 322

Writing Winning Proposals 323 Proposals Are Persuasive Plans 324 Proposals Frequently Are Collaborative Efforts 324

Eight Guidelines for Writing a Successful Proposal 325

Internal Proposals 327 Some Common Topics for Internal Proposals 327 Following the Proper Chain of Command 327 Ethically Anticipating and Resolving Corporate Readers' Problems 328

Case Study: Drafting an Internal Proposal to Create a Mobile App for a Health Food Store 328

Organization of an Internal Proposal 329

Sales Proposals 336 Knowing Your Audience and Meeting Its N eeds 336 Being Ethical and Legal 339 Organization of a Sales Proposal 340

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Revision Checklist 342

Exercises 343

Contents

Chapter 9: Documenting and Writing Effective Long Reports 346

Characteristics of a Long Report 346 Scope 346 Research 347 Format 347 Timetable 347 Audience 348 Collaborative Effort 348

The Process of Writing a Long Report 348

Parts of a Long Report 350 Numbering the Pages of a Long Report 350 Front Matter 350 Text of the Report 352 Back Matter 354

Documenting Sources 355 The Ethics of Documentation: Determining What to Cite 355 Parenthetical Documentation 357 Preparing MLA Works Cited and APA References Lists 358 Sample Entries in MLA Works Cited and APA References Lists 358

A Model Long Report 365

Final Words of Advice About Long Reports 381

Revision Checklist 381

Exercises 382

Chapter 1 O: Making Successful Presentations at Work

Writing a Document Versus Making a Presentation 383

Types of Presentations 384 For Your Customers or Clients 384 For Your Boss 384 For Your Co-Workers 384 For Community Leaders or Groups 384

Informal Briefings 385

Formal Presentations 386 Analyzing Your Audience 387 Consider Your Audience as a Group of Listeners, Not Readers 387 The Parts of Formal Presentations 388 Presentation Software 395

383

xiii

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xiv Contents

Noncomputerized Presentations 398 Rehearsing Your Presentation 399 Delivering Your Presentation 399 Evaluating Presentations 402

Revision Checklist 404

Exercises 404

Appendix: A Writer's Brief Guide to Paragraphs, Sentences, and Words

Paragraphs A-1 Writing a Well-Developed Paragraph A-1 Supply a Topic Sentence A-1 Three Characteristics of an Effective Paragraph A-2

Sentences A-5 Constructing and Punctuating Sentences A-5 What Makes a Sentence A-5 Avoiding Sentence Fragments A-6 Correcting Comma Splices A-7 Avoiding Run-on Sentences A-9 Making Subjects and Verbs Agree in Your Sentences A-9 Writing Sentences That Say What You Mean A-11 Using Pronoun References Correctly A-12

Words A-12 Spelling Words Correctly A-12 Using Apostrophes Correctly A-13 Inserting H yphens Properly A-14 Using Ellipses A-14 Using Numerals Versus Words A-14 Matching the Right Word with the Right Meaning A-15

A-1

Index 1-1

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Preface

Overview Successful Writing at Work, Concise Fourth Edition, is a practical introductory text for students in business, professional, and occupational writing courses. As readers of the full-length edition of this text have found, Successful Writing at Work clearly helps students develop and master key communication skills vital for success in the global workplace. The Concise Fourth Edition serves the same purpose, but it is designed for those readers who prefer a more compact text, one that covers nearly as many business writing topics but is more streamlined and focuses on the most essential skills and strategies for writing successfully on the job. Whereas the full-length edition includes 16 chapters, the Concise Fourth Edition contains 10 chapters, yet these fully cover a range of workplace communications technologies and a variety of e-communications from essential considerations such as audience analysis and ethics, to writing increasingly more complex business documents (letters, instructions, procedures, proposals, short and long reports), to making presentations, to preparing a resume and interviewing for a job.

Versatility of New Concise Fourth Edition As with the earlier concise editions, this Concise Fourth Edition is designed for a variety of educational settings where business writing is taught and practiced. It is versatile enough for a full semester or trimester course, or it can be used success- fully in a shorter course, such as on a quarter system. It can also meet the diverse goals of varied educational settings, including online, webinars, distance education, continuing education, and week-long intensive courses, as well as in-house training programs, workshops, and conferences.

Successful Writing at Work, Concise Fourth Edition, provides students with easy-to-understand guidelines for writing and designing clear, well-organized, and readable documents. Along with user-friendly guidelines, this edition provides students with realistic models of the p recise kinds of documents and e-communications they will be asked to write on the job. In addition, this text can serve as a ready reference that readers can easily carry with them to the workplace. Students will quickly find that this book includes many practical applications, which are useful to those who have little or no job experience as well as those with years of experience in the world of work.

xv

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xvi Preface

Distinctive Features of Successful Writing at Work, Concise Fourth Edition The distinctive features that have made Successful Writing at Work, Concise Edition, a user-friendly text in the contemporary workplace continue to be emphasized and expanded in this new, fourth edition. These features, emphasizing up-to-date ap- proaches to teaching business writing, can be found throughout this edition:

1. Approaching writing as a problem-solving activity. The Concise Fourth Edition continues to approach writing not merely as a set of rules and formats but as a problem-solving activity in which employees meet the needs of their employers, co-workers, customers, clients, community groups, and vendors worldwide by getting to the bottom line. This approach to writing, introduced in Chapter 1 and carried throughout the text, helps students to think through the writing process by asking the key questions of who (who is the audience?), why (why do they need this document?), what (what is the message?), and how (how can the writer present the most appropriate style, tone, and format?). As in earlier editions, this new edition teaches students how to develop the critical skills necessary for planning, drafting, revising, editing, and formatting a variety of documents-from emails, instant messages (IMs), tweets, texts, biogs, letters, instructions, and proposals, to short and long reports. In addition, numerous case studies and figures demonstrate how writers answer these key questions to solve problems in the business world.

2. Writing for the global marketplace. In today's international workplace, effective employees must be consistently aware of how to write for a va- riety of readers, both in the United States and across the globe. Conse- quently, this new Concise Fourth Edition throughout emphasizes writing for international readers and non-native speakers of English. The needs and expectations of these international audiences receives special attention starting with Chapter 1 in the section "Writing for the Global Marketplace" and continues with coverage of writing letters for international speakers of English in Chapter 4, designing appropriate visuals and documents for this audience in Chapter 6, preparing clear instructions in Chapter 7, and making presentations for global audiences in Chapter 10. Especially important is the long report in Chapter 9 on the role international workers play in a corporation that must meet their needs and those of a global marketplace.

3. Viewing student readers as business professionals. To encourage students in their job-related writing, this new Concise Fourth Edition treats them as profes- sionals seeking success at different phases of their business. Students are asked to place themselves in the workplace setting ( or, in the case of Chapter 5, in the role of job seekers) as they approach each topic, to understand the differences between workplace and academic writing better. In Chapter 1, they are given the kinds of orientation to company culture and protocols that they might find in the early days of their employment. Students are then asked to see themselves

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Preface

as members of a collaborative team drafting and developing an important workplace document (Chapter 2); workers writing routine e-communications and documents (Chapters 3 and 4); employees designing and writing more complex documents, such as instructions, proposals, and reports (Chapters 7, 8, and 9); co-workers designing documents, visuals, and websites (Chapter 6); and company representatives making presentations before co-workers and potential clients worldwide (Chapter 10).

4. Using the latest workplace technologies. This new edition offers the most current coverage of communication technologies for writing successfully in the rapidly changing world of work, including social media such as Facebook and Twitter, Linkedln, email, instant messaging, texts, wikis, document tracking systems, and Google Docs (used to collaboratively draft, revise, and edit reports), business biogs, videoconferencing tools, and presentation software such as PowerPoint and Prezi. Coverage of these technologies is integrated into each chapter. Easy-to-understand explanations and annotated models throughout this edition assist students to discover the hows as well as the whys of writing and using visuals for the digital world of work.

5. Being an ethical employee. Companies and agencies expect their employees to behave and write ethically. As in earlier editions, the Concise Fourth Edition reinforces the importance of ethical workplace writing. Beginning with enhanced coverage of ethical writing and solving ethical dilemmas at work, Chapter 1 further stresses ethics in the workplace with a section titled "Ethical Writing in the Workplace." Special attention to ethics continues in sections of Chapter 2 on avoiding sexism and biased language in the workplace; Chapter 3 draws students' attention to the ethical choices they have to make when writing e-communications, including email, IMs, tweets, texts, and biogs. Ethics coverage continues with drafting diplomatic letters in Chapter 4, preparing honest and realistic resumes and web folios in Chapter 5, construct- ing unbiased and unaltered visuals and websites in Chapter 6, preparing safe and effective instructions in Chapter 7, writing honest and accurate proposals and reports in Chapters 8 and 9, and making clear and accurate presentations in Chapter 10.

New and Updated Material in Successful Writing at Work: Concise Fourth Edition To help students in today's growing and changing global workplace, this new concise version is one of the most extensively revised editions of Successful Writing at Work. It has been carefully streamlined and updated to help students excel in the workplace. Throughout this new Concise Fourth Edition, there is expanded coverage of key topics, such as social and professional networking, new communi- cation technologies, greening the workplace, guidelines for effective writing, and a wealth of new annotated examples of workplace documents, plus many new case studies.

xvii

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xviii Preface

With its new, full-color palette, the Concise Fourth Edition also exemplifies a wide range of professional design and layout choices that writers make in the world of work, thus giving students models to help them prepare their own documents. Not only has the layout of the text been redesigned, but many of the examples and figures have also benefited from the full-color adaptation and have been revised to show the variety of layouts, logos, and visual designs found in workplace documents.

Chapter-by-Chapter Updates Here, then, chapter-by-chapter, are the new additions/features for the Concise Fourth Edition.

Chapter 1 Getting Started: Writing and Your Career

• New section on how writing relates to other skills in the world of work • Revised case study on adapting technical information to meet the needs of

diverse audiences within a corporate setting • Expanded discussion, "Ethical Requirements on the Job" • Further attention to solving ethical dilemmas in the workplace • Additional exercises on diversity in the workplace and on audience analysis

Chapter 2 The Writing Process and Collaboration at Work

• Enhanced coverage of drafting, revising, and editing on the job • Expanded case study, "A 'Before' and 'After' Revision of a Short Report" • Additional advice on avoiding stereotypical language, including eliminating

sexism • Increased emphasis on being a team player in the world of work • Greater attention to collaborative communication technologies • Revised sections and figures illustrating the use of Track Changes in Micro-

soft Word and Google Docs for collaborative writing • Updated discussion of conferencing tools • New section on preparing for and conducting a meeting at work-setting an

agenda, taking notes, summarizing ethically, and writing the minutes • New section on videoconferencing with Skype

(New) Chapter 3 E-Communications at Work

• Brand new chapter brings together the major types of workplace e-communications and addresses crucial questions about the differences among them

• Discusses the importance of and differences among emails, IMs, tweets, texts, and blogs

• Substantially revised sections on emails and instant messaging in the workplace

• Expanded discussion of business blogs and job-related texting • New section on the use of Twitter in the workplace

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Preface

Chapter 4 Preparing Correspondence: Some Basics for Writing to Audiences Worldwide

• Further emphasis on the importance of letters and memos in the Internet Age • Strengthened discussions of the business contexts for correspondence • New section on cover letters • Numerous redesigned business letters and memos • Revised sections on writing different types of correspondence • Greater attention to needs of international readers with an enhanced case

study on adapting letters to international readers

Chapter 5 How to Get a Job: Searches, Networking, Dossiers, Portfolios/ Webfolios, Resumes, Transitioning to a Civilian Job, Letters, and Interviews

• Expanded section on identifying and emphasizing marketable job skills • Updated coverage on where to look for a job, with further examples of and

advice on using job-posting sites • New section "Using Online Social and Professional Networking Sites in

Your Job Search" • New section on Linkedln with a new annotated figure of a Linkedln profile

with detailed commentary • New section, "Transitioning to the Civilian Workforce," aimed at helping

veterans prepare successful job application materials; includes new annotated skills resume

• Updated and redesigned letters and resumes throughout the chapter • Eight different resumes for print and digital formats presented as models for

students • Greater attention to online resumes, with two new model resumes • New case study, "Creating an Online Resume for a Job Search" • Expanded coverage of interview Do's and Don'ts • Updated, practical advice on finding salary ranges and inquiring about salary • Additional exercises on preparing online resumes and application letters • Revised section on questions to expect at a job interview

Chapter 6 Designing Successful Documents, Visuals, and Websites

• Expanded section "Using Appropriate Visuals for International Audiences" • Greater attention to documenting and citing visuals in written work • New section on using infographs • Several new figures of maps, pie charts, and edited photographs • Enhanced discussion of using visuals for international readers • Greater attention to creating ethical visuals • N ew section on creating and incorporating reader-friendly headings and sub-

headings in a document • Further attention to understanding differences between writing for a p rint

document and writing for the Web

xix

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xx Preface

Chapter 7 Writing Instructions and Procedures

• Increased coverage of preparing legally and ethically proper instructions and procedures

• Greater attention to writing, formatting, and illustrating online instructions • Several new, annotated examples of online and print instructions • N ew, fully annotated model of a set of lengthy instructions on assembling and

using an all-in-one printer, illustrating the use of both print and online formats • Enhanced discussion of how to write concise, clear, and effective workplace

procedures • Additional updated exercises

Chapter 8 Writing Effective Short Reports and Proposals

• Expanded discussion of how and why different audiences read a report • Additional coverage of designing reader-friendly reports • New case study on preparing a periodic report • New section on "Employ ee Activity/Performance Reports" with a new

carefully annotated model report • Updated examples of sales and internal proposals • New section on legal and ethical issues to consider when writing a proposal • New sample internal proposal on purchasing inventory tracking software

with helpful annotations • Additional coverage of doing research an collaborating in writing short

reports and proposals • New exercises

Chapter 9 Documenting and Writing Careful Long Reports

• Revised discussion of transmittal letters • New section on paginating a long report • Additional coverage on developing and documenting conclusions and

recommendations • Coverage of latest MLA and APA documentation styles, with additional

guidelines and updated examples • Completely revised and updated model long report on meeting the needs of

multinational workers

Chapter 10 Making Successfu I Presentations at Work

• Enhanced section on informal briefings with a new figure instruct ing bank employees how to detect and report countedeit currency

• Revised advice and slides for a Pow er Point presentation • New section on using Prezi software • N ew section on specific audience needs for different types of presentations • Revised discussion on evaluating a presentation

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Preface

Additional Resources

Resources for Students CE NGAG E brain On CengageBrain.com students will be able to save up to 60 percent on their course materials through our full spectrum of options. Students will have the option to rent their textbooks or purchase print textbooks, e-textbooks, or individual e-chapters and audio books, all for substantial savings over average retail prices. CengageBrain.com also includes access to Cengage Learning's broad range of homework and study tools and features a selection of free content.

English CourseMate. Cengage Learning's English CourseMate brings course concepts to life with interactive learning, study, and exam-preparation tools that support the printed textbook. CourseMate includes the following:

• The MindT ap Reader is more than a digital version of a textbook. It is an interactive, learning resource that was built from the ground up to create a digital reading experience based on how students assimilate information in an online environment. MindT ap Reader allows learners to make notes, high- light text, and even find definitions right from the page.

• Interactive teaching and learning tools, including - Interactive quizzes for each chapter in the text - Online exercises that help students enhance their understanding of chapter

topics and improve their technology skills - Simulations that provide practice handling typical workplace situations - Documents for analysis - Web links that expand on topics in the text

Learn more at www.cengage.com/coursemate.

Resources for Instructors

Instructor's Edition (IE). Examination and desk copies of the Instructor's Edition of Successful Writing at Work, Concise Fourth Edition, are available upon request.

Online Instructor's Resource Manual. The Instructor' s Manual contains resources designed to streamline and maximize the effectiveness of your course preparation. This helpful manual provides a sample course syllabus; suggestions for teaching job-related writing, with ideas for simulating real-world experience in the classroom; suggested approaches to exercises; and test items for each chapter.

Instructor's Website. This password-protected website includes chapter-level PowerPoint lecture slides, as well as the Online Instructor's Resource Manual, available for download.

English CourseMate. Cengage Learning's English CourseMate brings course concepts to life with interactive learning, study, and exam-preparation tools that support the printed textbook. CourseMate includes the following:

• The MindTap Reader is more than a digital version of a textbook. It is an interactive, learning resource that was built from the ground up to create a

xxi

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xxii Preface

digital reading experience based on how students assimilate information in an online environment. MindTap Reader allows learners to make notes, high- light text, and even find definitions right from the page.

• Interactive teaching and learning tools, including - Interactive quizzes for each chapter in the text - Online exercises that help students enhance their understanding of chapter

topics and improve their technology skills - Simulations that provide practice handling typical workplace situations - Documents for analysis - Web links that expand on topics in the text

• Engagement Tracker, a first-of-its-kind tool that monitors student engage- ment in the course

Learn more at www.cengage.com/coursemate. Write Experience. Write Experience is a new technology product that allows

you to assess written communication skills without adding to your workload. Write Experience utilizes artificial intelligence to not only score student writing instantly and accurately but also provide students with detailed revision goals and feedback on their writing to help them improve. Two key features of Write Ex- perience, MYTutor and MYEditor, provide students with real-time, simultaneous feedback in their native language while they write! Learn more at www.cengage .com/writeexperience.

Please contact your local Cengage sales representative for more information, to evaluate examination copies of any of these instructor or student resources, or for product demonstrations. You may also contact the Cengage Learning Academic Resource Center at 800-423-0563, or visit us at www.cengagehrain.com.

Acknowledgments In a very real sense, the Successful Writing at Work, Concise Fourth Edition, has profited from my collaboration with various reviewers. I am, therefore, honored to thank the following individuals who have helped me improve this edition significantly with their helpful comments: Jenny Billings Beaver, English Division Chair, Rowan-Cabarrus Community College; Ann E . Biswas, University of Dayton; William Carney, Cameron University; Darin Cozzens, Surry Community College; Terry Dale,King Fahd University of Petroleum & Minerals, Saudi Arabia; Carlos Evia, Director of Professional Writing at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University; Traci Hales Vass, San Juan College; and Suba Subbarao, Oakland Community College.

I am also thankful for the reviewers of the last two editions of this book, whose comments also helped shape the revisions and new material added for this edition: Sonya Compton Borton, University of Louisville; Kristin Dietsche, Northern Kentucky University; Scott Downing, D ePaul University; Eileen M . Pinelli, Northampton Community College; Christy L. Kinnion, Wake Technical Community

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Preface

College; Mary Mullaly, Washtenaw Community College; Ronald G. Mullins, Bronx Community College; Cynthia Murrell, New Mexico State University ; Becky Newman, Dixie Applied Technology College; Linda Nicole Patino, Surry Commu- nity College; Andrea Penner, San Juan College; Catherine Ramsden, DePaul Uni- versity; Lourdes Rassi, Florida International University; Leticia Slabaugh, Arizona State University-Tempe; David R. Swarts, Clinton Community College; and Carol Whittaker, Pennsylvania State University.

My thanks also go to the following individuals at the University of Southern Mississippi for their help-Linda Allen, Jeremy DeFatta, Sarah Taylor, N ikita Core, Danielle Sypher-Haley, Anna Beth Williams, chair Eric Tribunella (De- partment of English); David Tisdale (University Communications), Ann Branton (Cook Library), Mary Lux (Department of Medical Laboratory Science), Cliff Burgess (Department of Computer Science), Sandra Leal (Department of Biological Sciences), and Daniel Miles (Department of Biochemistry). I am especially grate- ful to Steven R. Moser, Dean of the College of Arts and Letters, for his continued appreciation of my work.

My gratitude also goes to Terri Smith Ruckel, Jianqing Zheng at Mississippi Valley State University, and Erin Smith at the University of Tennessee-Knoxville.

Several individuals from the business world also gave me wise counsel, for which I am deeply grateful-Sally Eddy at Georgia Pacific; Kirk Woodward at Visiting Nurses Services of New York; Jimmy Stockstill at Petro Automotive; Carrie Logan and Nancy Steen from Adelman & Steen, LLP; Teresa Rogers and Rachel Sullivan at Regents Bank, Inc.; Rick Leal; and Brig. General Steve Parham, U.S. Army.

I am also especially grateful to Father Michael Tracey for his counsel and contributions to Chapter 6 on document and website design.

My thanks go to the team at Cengage Learning for their assistance, encouragement, and friendship-Kate Derrick, Maggie Cross, Erin Bosco, Janine Tangney, Lydia LeStar, and Rebecca Donahue, and to content developer Ed Dodd for his always helpful assistance. I want to thank Ed Dionne at MPS Limited for his cooperation through the painstaking production cycle. I am also grateful to Jessica Elias at Cengage, and Sarah Andrews and Padma Priya at PreMedia Global, who handled the permissions for Successful Writing at Work, Concise Fourth Edition.

I thank my extended family-Margie and Al Parish, Sister C armelita Stinn, SFCC, and Sister Annette Seymour, RSM, and Mary and Ralph Torrelli-for their prayers and love.

Finally, I am deeply grateful to my son, Eric, and my daughter-in-law, Theresa, for their enthusiastic and invaluable assistance as I prepared this edition; to my grandson, Evan Philip, and granddaughters, Megan Elise and Erica Marie, for their love and encouragement. My daughter, Kristin, also merits loving praise for her help throughout this new edition by doing various searches and revisions and by offering her knowledgeable, practical advice on successful writing at work.

P.C.K January 2014

xxiii

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CHAPTER 1

Getting Started Writing and Your Career

Writing-An Essential Job Skill Writing is a part of every job, from your initial letter of application conveying first impressions to memos, emails, blogs, letters, websites, proposals, instructions, and reports. Writing keeps businesses moving. It allows employees to communicate with one another, with management, and with the customers, clients, and agencies a company must serve to stay in business. A survey conducted by the McKinsey Global Insitute found that workers spend more than 2½ hours a day just reading and answering their emails.

How Writing Relates to Other Skills

Almost everything you do at work is related to your writing ability . Deborah Price, a human resource director with thirty years of experience, stresses that "without the ability to write clearly an employee cannot perform the other duties of the job, regardless of the company he or she works for. " Here is a list of the common tasks you will be expected to perform in the workplace that will require clear and concise writing to get them done well.

• Assess a situation, a condition, a job site, etc. • Research and record the results accurately. • Summarize information concisely and identify main points quickly. • Work as part of a team to collect, to share, and to evaluate information. • Tackle and solve problems and explain how and why you did. • Display cultural sensitivity in the workplace. • Network with individuals in diverse fields outside your company and across

the globe. • Answer customer questions and meet their needs. • Prepare and test instructions and procedures. • Justify financial, personnel, or other actions and decisions. • Make persuasive presentations to co-workers, employers, and clients.

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2 CHAPTER 1 Getting Started

To perform each of these essential workplace tasks, you have to be an effective writer-clear, concise, accurate, ethical, and persuasive.

The High Cost of Effective Writing

Clearly, then, writing is an essential skill for employ ees and employ ers alike. According to Don Bagin, a communications consultant, most people need an hour or more to write a typical business letter. If an employer is paying someone $30,000 a year, one letter costs $14 of that employee's time; for someone who earns $50,000 a year, the cost for the average letter jumps to $24. Mistakes in letters are costly for workers as well as for employers. As David Noble cautions in his book Gallery of Best Cover Letters, "The cost of a cover letter (in applying for a job, for in- stance) might be as much as a third of a million dollars-even more if you figure the amount of income and benefits you don't receive, say, in a 10-year period for a job you don't get because of an error that got you screened out."

Unfortunately, as the Associated Press (AP) reported in a recent survey, "Most American businesses say workers need to improve their writing ... skills." Yet that same report cited a survey of more than 400 companies that identified writing as "the most valuable skill employ ees can have." In fact, the employers polled in that AP survey indicated that 80 percent of their workforce needed to improve their writing. Beyond a doubt, your success as an employee will depend on your success as a writer. The higher you advance in an organization, the more and better writ- ing you will be expected to do. Promotions, and other types of job recognition, are often based on an employee's writing skills.

How This Book Will Help You

This book will show you, step by step, how to write clearly and efficiently the job-related communications you need for success in the world of work. Chapter 1 gives you some basic information about writing in the global marketplace and raises major questions you need to ask yourself to make the writing process easier and the results more effective. It also describes the basic functions of on-the-job writing and introduces you to one of the most important requirements in the business world- writing ethically.

Writing for the Global Marketplace The Internet, teleconferencing, digital communications, and m-commerce have shrunk the world into a global village. Accordingly, it is no longer feasible to think of business in exclusively regional or even national terms. Many companies are multina- tional corporations with offices throughout the world. In fact, many U.S. businesses are branches of international firms. A large, multinational corporation may have its equipment designed in Japan; built in Bangladesh; and sold in D etroit, Atlanta, and Los Angeles. Its stockholders may be in Mexico City as well as Saudi Arabia-in fact, anywhere. In this global economy, every country is affected by every other one, and all of them are connected by the Internet.

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Writing for the Global Marketplace

Competing for International Business

Companies must compete for international sales to stay in business. Every business, whether large or small, has to appeal to diverse international markets to be competi- tive. Each year a larger share of the U.S. gross national product (GNP) depends on global markets. Some U.S. firms estimate that 50 to 60 percent of their business is conducted outside of the United States. Walmart, for example, has opened hun- dreds of stores in mainland China, and General Electric has plants in more than fifty countries. In fact, estimates suggest that 75 percent of the global Internet pop- ulation lives outside the United States. If your company, however small, has a web- site, then it is an international business.

Communicating with Global Audiences

To be a successful employee in this highly competitive global market, you have to communicate clearly and diplomatically with a host of readers from different cul- tural backgrounds. Adopting a global perspective on business will help you com- municate and build goodwill with the customers you write to, no matter where they live-across town, in another state, or on other continents, miles and time zones away. As a result, don't presume that you will be writing only to native speakers of American English. As a part of your job, you may communicate with readers in Singapore, Jamaica, and South Africa, for example, who speak varieties of English quite different from American English. You will also very likely be writing to readers for whom English is not their first (or native) language. Your international readers will have varying degrees of proficiency in English, from a fairly good command (as with many readers in India and the Philippines, where English is widely spoken), to little comprehension without the use of a foreign language dictionary and a grammar book. Non-native speakers, who may reside either in the United States or in a foreign country, will constitute a large and important audience for your work.

Seeing the World Through the Eyes of Another Culture

Writing to international readers with proper business etiquette means first learning about their cultural values and assumptions-what they value and also what they regard as communication taboos. They may not conduct business exactly the way it is done in the United States, and to think they should is wrong. Your international audience is likely to have different expectations of how they want a letter addressed or written to them, whether they allow you to use their first name, how they wish a business meeting to be conducted, or how they think questions should be asked and agreements reached. Their concepts of time, family, money, the world, the environ- ment, managers, and communication itself may be nothing like those in the United States. Visuals, including icons, that are easily understood in the United States may be baffling elsewhere in the world. If you misunderstand your audience's culture and inadvertently write, create, or say something inappropriate, it can cost your company a contract and you your job.

3

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4 CHAPTER 1 Getting Started

Cultural Diversity at Home

Cultural diversity exists inside as well as outside the company you work for. Don't conclude that your boss or co-workers are all native speakers of English, either, or that they come from the same cultural background that you do. In the next decade, as much as 40 to 50 percent of the U.S. skilled workforce may be composed of re- cent immigrants who bring their own traditions and languages with them. These are highly educated, multicultural, and multinational individuals who have acquired English as a second or even a third language.

For the common good of your company, you need to be respectful of your inter- national colleagues. In fact, multinational employees can be tremendously important for your company in making contacts in their native country and in helping your firm understand and appreciate ethical and cultural differences among customers. The model long report in Chapter 9 (pages 367-380) describes some ways in which a com- pany can both acknowledge and respect the different cultural traditions of its inter- national employees. Businesses want to emphasize their international commitments. A large corporation such as Citibank, for instance, is eager to promote its image of helping customers worldwide, as Figure 1.1 shows.

Using International English

Whether your international readers are customers or colleagues, you need to adapt your writing to respect their language needs and cultural protocols. To communi- cate with non-native speakers, use "international English," a way of writing that is easily understood, culturally appropriate, and diplomatic. International English is user friendly in terms of the words, sentences, formats, and visuals you choose.

To write international English means you re-examine your own writing. The words, idioms, phrases, and sentences you select instinctively for U.S. readers may not be appropriate for an audience for whom English is a second, or even a third, lan- guage. If you find the set of instructions accompanying your software package confus- ing, imagine how much more intimidating such a document would be for non-native speakers of English. You can eliminate such confusion by making your message clear, straightforward, and appropriately polite for readers who are not native speakers.

Here are some basic guidelines to help you write international English:

• Use clear, easy-to-understand sentences, not rambling, complex ones. That does not mean you write insultingly short and simple sentences but that you take into account that readers will find your message easier to translate if your sentences do not exceed fifteen to twenty words.

• Do not try to pack too much information into a single sentence; consider using two or more sentences instead (see pages 46-50).

• Avoid jargon, idioms (e.g., "to line one's pockets"), and abbreviations (e.g., "FEMA") that international readers may not know.

• Choose clear, commonly used words that unambiguously translate into the non-native speaker's language. Avoid flowery or pretentious language (e.g., "amend" for "change").

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Writing for the Global Marketplace

I FIGURE 1.1 A Company's Dedication to Globalization

How Citigroup Meets Banking Needs Around the World WITH A BANKING EMPIRE that spans more than 100 countries, Citigroup is

experienced at meeting the diverse financial services needs of businesses,

individuals, customers, and governments. The bank is headquartered in New York

City but has offices in Africa, Asia, Central and South America, Europe, the Middle

East, as well as throughout North America. Live or work in Japan? You can open a

checking account at Citigroup's Citibank branch in downtown Tokyo. How about

Mexico? Visit a Grupo Financiero Banamex-Accival branch, owned by Citigroup.

Citigroup owns European American Bank and has even bought a stake in a

Shanghai-based bank with an eye toward attracting more of China's $1 trillion in

bank deposits. Between acquisitions and long-established branches, Citigroup

covers the globe from the Atlantic to the Pacific and the Indian Oceans.

Citigroup is active in communities around the world through . . . financial

literacy seminars, volunteerism, and supplier diversity programs. This financial

services giant strives for the best of both worlds, wielding its global presence

and resources to meet banking needs locally, one customer at a time.

Source: From PRIDE, Business, 8E. © 2005 Cengage Learning

5

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6 CHAPTER 1 Getting Started

• Select visuals and icons that are free from cultural bias and that are not taboo in the non-native speaker's country. (For more on this, see pages 253-256.)

• When in doubt, consult someone from the native speaker's country-a co-worker or an instructor, for example.

Because it is so important, international English is discussed in greater detail on pages 141-146. Later chapters of this book will also give you additional practi- cal guidelines on writing correspondence, instructions, proposals, reports, websites, PowerPoint presentations, and other work-related documents suitable for a global audience.

Four Keys to Effective Writing Effective writing on the job is carefully planned, thoroughly researched, and clearly presented. Its purpose is always to accomplish a specific goal and to be as persua- sive as possible. Whether you send a routine email to a co-worker in Cincinnati or Shanghai or a commissioned report to the president of the company, your writing will be more effective if you ask yourself these four questions:

1. Who will read what I write? (Identify your audience.) 2. Why should they read what I write? (Establish your purpose.) 3. What do I have to say to them? (Formulate your message.) 4. How can I best communicate? (Select an appropriate style and tone.)

The questions who, why, what, and how do not function independently; they are all related. You write (1) for a specific audience (2) with a clearly defined purpose in mind (3) about a topic your readers need to understand (4) in language appro- priate for the occasion. Once you answer the first question, you are off to a good start toward answering the other three. Now let's examine each of the four questions in detail.

Identifying Your Audience

Knowing who makes up your audience is one of your most important responsibilities as a writer. Keep in mind that you are not writing for yourself but for a specific reader or group of readers. Expect to analyze your audience throughout the composing process.

Look at the advertisements in Figures 1.2, 1.3, and 1.4. The main purpose of all three documents is the same-to discourage people from smoking. The underly ing message in each ad-smoking is dangerous to your health-is also the same. But note how the different details-words, photographs, situations-have been selected to appeal to three different audiences.

The advertisement in Figure 1.2 is aimed at fathers who smoke. As you can see, it shows an image of a father smoking next to his son, who is reaching for his pack of cigarettes. Note how the headline "Will your child follow in your footsteps?" plays on the fact that the father and son are both literally sitting on steps, but at

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Four Keys to Effective Writing

the same time it implies that the son will imitate his father's behavior as a smoker. The statistic at the bottom of the advertisement reinforces both the headline and the image, hitting home the point that parental behavior strongly influences children's behavior. The child in the photograph already is following his father by showing a clear interest in smoking, picking up his father's pack of cigarettes.

The advertisement in Figure 1.3, however, is aimed at an audience of pregnant women and shows a member of this audience with a lit cigarette. The words on the advertisement appeal to a mother's sense of responsibility, encouraging pregnant women to stop smoking to avoid harm to their unborn children.

Figure 1.4 (page 8) is directed toward still another audience: young athletes. The word smoke in this advertisement is aimed directly at their game and their goal. The headline includes a pun. The writer aptly made the goal the same for the game as well as for the players' lives. Note, too, how this image with its four photos is suitable for an international audience.

FIGURE 1.2 No-Smoking Advertisement Aimed at Fathers Who Smoke

gJ,

1 Children whose parents smoke g :.gi_ are 50% more likely to start

3 smoking than children whose

~ parents don't smoke.

FIGURE 1.3 No-Smoking Advertisement Directed at Pregnant Women

Smoking Puts Both

7

o5 i,

~ ~--------------~ __________________ &

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8 CHAPTER 1 Getting Started

I FIGURE 1.4 No-Smoking Advertisement Appealing to Young Athletes

G 0 ~

e § u "' "' "' i5

.E

~ c"l~-------------------~

The copywriters who created these advertisements have chosen appropriate details-words, pictures, captions, and so on-to persuade each audience not to smoke. With their careful choices, they successfully answered the question "How can we best communicate with each audience?" Note that details relevant for one audience (athletes, for example) could not be used as effectively for another audi- ence (such as fathers).

The three advertisements in Figures 1.2, 1.3, and 1.4 illustrate some fundamen- tal points you need to keep in mind when identifying your audience:

• Members of each audience differ in their backgrounds, experiences, and needs.

• How you picture your audience will determine what you say to them. • Viewing something from the audience's perspective will help you to select

the most relevant details for that audience.

Some Questions to Ask About Your Audience You can form a fairly accurate picture of your audience by asking y ourself key questions before you write. For each audience y ou need to reach, consider the following questions:

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Four Keys to Effective Writing

1. Who is my audience? What individual(s) will most likely be reading my work?

If you are writing for colleagues or managers at work:

• What is my reader's job title? Is he or she a co-worker? Immediate supervisor? Vice president?

• What kinds of job experience, education, and interests does my reader have?

If you are writing for clients or consumers (a v ery large, often div erse audience):

• How can I find out about their interest in my product or service? • How much will this audience know about my company ? About me?

2. How many people will make up my audience?

• Will just one individual read what I write (the nurse on the next shift, the production manager), or will many people read it (all the consumers of my company's product or service)?

• Will my boss want to see my work (say, a letter to a consumer in response to a complaint) to approve it?

• Will I be sending my message to a large group of people sharing a similar in- terest in my topic?

3. How well does my audience understand English?

• Are all my readers native speakers of English? • Will I be communicating with people around the globe? • Will some of my readers speak English as a second or even a third language

and thereby require extra sensitivity on my part to their needs? • Will some of my readers speak no English and instead use an English gram-

mar book, a foreign language dictionary, or perhaps an online translator, such as Google Translate, for email or webpages where you just copy and paste the text into the translate window?

4. How much does my audience already know about my topic?

• Will my readers know as much as I do about the particular problem or issue, or will they need to be briefed, be given background information, or be updated?

• Are my readers familiar with, and do they expect me to use, technical terms and descriptions, or will I have to provide definitions and easy-to-under- stand, nontechnical wording and visuals?

5. What is my audience's reason for reading my work?

• Is my communication part of their routine duties, or are they looking for information to solve a problem or make a decision?

• Am I writing to describe benefits that another writer or company cannot offer? • Will my readers expect complete details, or will a short summary be enough? • Are they looking at my work to make an important decision affecting a

co-worker, a client, a community, government agency, or the environment? • Are they reading something I write because they must (a legal notification or

an incident report, for instance)?

9