Best Practices in Business Writing & Communication
Mikael A. Sundin
ORG 536 – Contemporary Business Writing and Communication
Colorado State University - Global Campus
Brian Neff, Ph.D.
May 4, 2014
2. Objectives and Results
Objectives
Understand the needed skills
Choose the correct media
Comprehend topic application
Results
Improve business communication
Create success for your organization
Create your own success through knowledge
3. Business Writing and Communication
Introduction
Business Communicator’s Skills
Written
Verbal
Non-Verbal
Best Practice Topics
“Communication is a skill that you can learn. It's like riding a
bicycle or typing. If you're willing to work at it, you can rapidly
improve the quality of every part of your life.” (Tracy, n.d)
4. Business Communication Skills
Written
Clear and concise
Must be learned
Verbal
Speaking
Listening
Non-Verbal
Body language
Tone of voice
The skill of communicating effectively
in the workplace is not something
business communicators are born with
(Guffey & Loewy, 2011).
Good communication skills afford a
better chance for employees to get hired
and retain their positions (CSU-Global,
2014a).
The ability to listen represents an
important “soft skill” (CSU-Global,
2014a, p. 3) required to be an effective
communicator.
Minus tone of voice (non-verbal) and
body language (non-verbal), only seven
percent of the spoken word in face to
face communication is transmitted
verbally (Chapter 2: Body Language,
1999).
Refer to Presentation Handout for Group Discussion
5. Best Practice Topics
Effective and ethical business communication
Professionalism in the workplace
Intercultural business communication
Writing tips for the business professional
The use of electronic messages and digital media
Positive and negative messages
Business presentations
Business reports, plans, and proposals
6. Effective and Ethical Business
Communication
Focus on Ethics
Create transparency
Ensure customer faith
Build better
employees
Communicating Ethics
Clear Standards
Truthful Reporting
Ethical standards should show
“accountability and transparency” to
maintain an ethical workplace (Ferrell,
Fraedrich, & Ferrell, 2011, p. 45).
(Business Management Daily, 2013)
7. Effective and Ethical Business
Communication (cont.)
Create Transparency
Advertise standards
Publicize reports
Customer Faith
Always building
Feedback hotline
Better Employees
Training
Buy in
Ethical standards should be publically
communicated via distribution or readily
available on digital media. Most
businesses with web pages post these
ethical standards as a way to connect
with the community.
Continue to communicate effective
business ideas with ethical intent.
Sharing these ideals and allowing
customers to comment on violations is a
successful approach used by the Red
Cross and other business’ around the
globe (American Red Cross, 2009).
Employees should have buy in to ensure
that the ethical communication from
BoD’s and leadership are received and
emulated. Signing ethical codes of
conduct are one step to ensuring that
commitment from employees.
8. Effective and Ethical Business
Communication (cont.)
Clear Standards
Business practices
must emulate these
principles
Truthful Reporting
Accurate reports
Publically available
Standard should be adhered to so solid,
trustworthy communication can be
transparent to the organization internally
and stakeholders alike.
Reporting of quarterly sales, annual
achievements, ect. Should be accurately
and openly displayed for an organization.
Avoid untrustworthy stakeholders and
conflict internally that can create
animosity among all parties down the
road (CSU-Global, 2014a).
(Morniniere & Macharia, 2012)
Refer to Presentation Handout for Group Discussion
9. Professionalism in the Workplace
Practice
Professionalism
Its not just how you
look
Believe in
professionalism
Ethical Impact
Make better decisions
A public organization
The service one provides whether for pay
or profit excels with top notch
professionalism in its act (Schaefer,
1984).
Do not separate business communication
from ethics as moral sensibility will
disappear from the organization
(Schaefer, 1984).
(Microsoft PowerPoint, 2010)
10. Professionalism in the Workplace
(cont.)
It Goes Beyond the
Look
Understand you can’t
just look the part
Communicate
professionally
Believe in
Professionalism
No conceptual model
Create vision
“Being professional goes beyond the
way you look” (Castillo, 2012, para. 1).
How you communicate creates positive
professional images.
Professionalism must be create from
within, utilizing personal ideals and
incorporating them into the organization
(Schaefer, 1984).
(Microsoft PowerPoint, 2010)
11. Professionalism in the Workplace
(cont.)
Make Better Decisions
Involve ethics to
create transparency
Caution to vocation
Public Organization
Transparency creates
public image
Have caution that
moral values enter
communication
True professionalism is not learned by
looking for definitions but through the
art of honesty and transparency in
communication (Schaefer, 1984).
Vocation can be communicated as
intimate to beliefs or religious in nature,
communicate these ideals cautiously.
Create a positive image by:
Being polite and respectful
Smiling
Act positive
Do not use jargon
Speak clear and concise (Castillo, 2012)
Refer to Presentation Handout for Group Discussion
12. Intercultural Business
Communication
Balancing Diversity
Understanding your
organization
Internal reflection of
diversity
Cross Cultural
Communication
Understanding your
partners
Balancing diversity throughout an
organization fosters further diversity
advancement.
Different cultures communicate on
separate levels in reference to
paralanguage and non-verbal
communication.
(Microsoft PowerPoint, 2010)
13. Intercultural Business
Communication (cont.)
Understanding Your
Organization
Diversity creates
success
Beyond a theory
Internal Reflection of
Diversity
BoD should reflect the
culture of the company
Hiring practices
Fortune’s list of the 50 best workplaces
for minorities shows organizations how
success with diverse workforces is more
than a theory, it is “the situation of
corporate America today” (Daniels,
2004, para. 5).
Balance at the top helps promote more
free thinking members of a company as
they feel their own ideas can be accepted
at every level of the organization
(Daniels, 2004).
A sustained, diverse culture will promote
and encourage a diverse pool of
candidates.
14. Intercultural Business
Communication (cont.)
Understanding Your
Partners
Avoiding attribution
Paralanguage
Object language
Do not place blame for communication
shortfalls on external factors such as
cultural differences (Coombs, 2004).
Paralanguage must be addressed in order
to “strike a balance between merely
communicating and communicating
effectively in order to succeed in a fast
changing cross commercial world.
(Mishra, 2009, p. 29).
How you set up your office or
conference room has a cross cultural
effect (McElroy & Morrow, 1981).
Ensure you environment welcomes open
communication with partners instead of
presenting an offensive feeling in the
room.
Refer to Presentation Handout for Group Discussion
(Microsoft PowerPoint, 2010)
15. Writing Tips for the Business
Professional
Clear and Concise
Include required
content
Length is vital
3 x 3 Method
Prewriting
Writing
Revising
Stakeholders want the truth up front, the
facts aligned clearly, and presented in a
concise manner. Do not fill voids with
words that lose impact.
Effective communication can be
successful if a standard is used to
produce the product. Guffey and Loewy
(2011) explain the 3 x 3 method of
writing that should be applied for every
scenario of business communication,
especially the written word.
(Microsoft PowerPoint, 2010)
16. Writing Tips for the Business
Professional (cont.)
Include required
content
Only needed
information
Factual content
Length is Vital
Do not get long
winded
Short is alright
Include what is needed, don’t make your
message “cloudy” (CSU-Global, 2014b,
p. 4), and include the facts that support
the thesis of communication.
Run on sentences will lose the focus of
the reader. (Guffey & Loewy, 2011).
Short statements are acceptable if they
are concise and factual.
(Microsoft PowerPoint, 2010)
17. Writing Tips for the Business
Professional (cont.)
Prewriting
Writing
Revising
Prewriting – Understand the audience,
know what they know, predict the
reaction, decide on a media (CSU-
Global, 2014b).
Writing – Do not revise along the way,
get ideas down and clean up later
(Guffey & Loewy, 2011).
Revising – Perfect the work, concentrate
on content, style, and corrections (CSU-
Global, 2014b).
Refer to Presentation Handout for Group Discussion
(Microsoft PowerPoint, 2010)(Microsoft PowerPoint, 2010)
18. Electronic Messages and Digital
Media
Selecting the Best
Channel
Importance
Feedback and
Interactivity
Record
Formality
Confidentiality and
Sensitivity (Guffey &
Loewy, 2011).
Organizational performance has a direct
correlation to the ability to communicate
effectively. A message should have
purpose and insight related to the desired
results of the organization (Chen, 2011).
Following the channel selection ideas of
Guffey and Loewy (2011) should help
guide electronic messages and digital
media in the right direction for the
organization.
(Microsoft PowerPoint, 2010)
19. Electronic Messages and Digital
Media (cont.)
Importance
Time sensitive
Continued interaction
Feedback
Utilize peers to review
Record
Electronic messages
can provide permanent
data
Important communication where results
desire fast action, immediate feedback,
or continuous monitoring require a
medium that is rich and meaningful
(Guffey & Loewy, 2011). Utilizing face
to face communication could kick start
the communication, but faxes and emails
can keep communication flowing
between parties.
Do your messages make sense? Ask for
feedback from peers to ensure your
digital communication reaches the
audience correctly.
Do you want permanent records? Digital
media such as blogs and clouds can keep
info for record. Email is also an
electronic messaging system that allows
historical capabilities.
20. Electronic Messages and Digital
Media (cont.)
Formality
Can email be formal
Memos and letters
Confidentiality and
Sensitivity
Safeguard from
unwanted viewers
Keep information
secure
Email has its place for both formal and
informal messaging even though some
organizations, such as the United States
Air Force, recommend formality to all
email messaging (Secretary of the Air
Force, 2013).
Guffey and Loewy (2011) urge
organizations to use memos and letters
when formality is required. Letterheads
and signatures ad a feel of formality
unmatched by digital means of
communication.
Security and information release could
cause public reputation damage and loss
of data for an organization (ISACA,
2010). Secure blogs and social media
monitoring could help mitigate this risk.
Refer to Presentation Handout for Group Discussion
21. Positive and Negative Messages
Positive Messages
Embrace them
Share the message
Negative Messages
Embrace them
Control the responses
Social media and the digital world have
stemmed both positive and negative
communication issues. Embracing both
sides and managing the reactions
afterward could create success.
Leave Your Comments Here!
(Microsoft PowerPoint, 2010)
22. Positive and Negative Messages
(cont.)
Embrace the Positive
Build confidence in
your organization
Continue forward
progress
Share the Message
Stakeholders must
know
Advertise
Share the good news and communicate
the benefits and employees will embrace
the organization (Gallo, 2013).
Financial reports and quarterly
newsletters should be filled with positive
feedback from customers and
employees; create a buzz! Add that
positivity to social media; Facebook
alone has over two billion viewers, that
is cost effective advertisement (About,
2014).
(Microsoft PowerPoint, 2010)
23. Positive and Negative Messages
(cont.)
Embrace the Negative
Ensure confidence
Move forward
Control the Responses
How to communicate
back
When to let go
Negative comments should be addressed
with policy change or stakeholder
embrace, when claims are relevant.
Moving forward must be tactfully
accomplished as businesses will work
themselves out of profit if they cannot
overcome negative communication.
Communicating back to a negative
message requires a step back, and a
closer look at the intent of your message.
Do not hastily reply, ever!
Letting go before the situation gets
worse is sometime the best avenue. Who
knows, maybe that negative message is
from a spammer, an angry at the world
type person, or someone fishing for a
response to make themselves look better
(Mellows, 2012).
Refer to Presentation Handout for Group Discussion
24. Business Presentations
Do you want a
“powerful multimedia
presentation” (Guffey &
Loewy, 2011, p.473)?
Choose your delivery
method
Create the ambiance
Practice
Eight Steps to Making a
Powerful Multimedia
Presentation (Guffey &
Loewy, 2011).
(Microsoft PowerPoint, 2010)
25. Business Presentations (cont.)
Choose your Method
Speak naturally
Project your spoken
word to the entire
room
Repeat critical
information
Pause at the right
moment
Do not just read the
slides
Create the Ambiance
Your audience must be
able to see you
Ensure remotes allow
movement throughout
the room
Pointers can engage an
audience
Do not let the
slideshow run the
discussion
26. Business Presentations (cont.)
Eight Steps
Start with text
Fonts and background
Image choice
Simple graphics
Animations
Hyperlink
Engage with questions
Make it web based
(Guffey & Loewy, 2011)
Business presentations
can define a person
and or corporation in
which they represent.
For presentations to be
successful proper
understanding of these
eight elements should
be ingrained into an
organization.
Refer to Presentation Handout for Group Discussion
27. Business Reports, Plans, and
Proposals
Formality Drives
Communication Style
Formal reports, plans,
or proposals
Informal reports,
plans, or proposals
Understanding where
the report, plan, or
proposal will come
from, and the
preferred delivery
method, should decide
the style used.
(Microsoft PowerPoint, 2010)
28. Business Reports, Plans, and
Proposals (cont.)
Informal
Not common place
Typically internal
Individually generated
Business reports, plans and proposals are
not typically informal. Some reports can
be generated through emails or memo
but tend to be for information purposes
only (Howard, n.d.).
These informal communications lack the
hard data and facts needed to be
publicized.
With the lack of data and the informal
formatting, most of these style reports,
plans, or proposals will stay internal to
an organization (Howard, n.d.). These
reports will need review and added
information if they intend to be
communicated to other stakeholders.
Acharya (2012) informs that most
informal reports have a point of origin
from and individual rather than a group.
(Microsoft PowerPoint, 2010)
29. Business Reports, Plans, and
Proposals (cont.)
Formal
Professionally
common
Internal or external
formatted
Generated from
individuals or teams
Formal reports in the professional
business world are more common for
written reports, plans, and proposals.
These formal reports are typically more
analytical and contain more data and
facts (Howard, n.d.).
Internal versions of formal reports are
left to the discretion of the organization
as far as level of formality. When the
communication becomes and external
product more emphasis on format and
professionalism comes into play
(Acharya, 2012).
Although any formal communication can
be generated individually or with teams,
more than likely these formal
communications will stem from a group
effort (Acharya, 2012).
Refer to Presentation Handout for Group Discussion
30. Conclusion
Objectives Reached
Writing, speaking, and
presenting all have added
value
Understanding the correct
media for your message
creates better reception
Topics were understood
and practical exercises
solidified the knowledge
Expected Results
Business communication
should improve
individually and within the
organization
Organizational profits,
sustainability, and futures
should improve with this
application
You are better!
31. References
About. (2014). Life events. Author. Retrieved from https://www.facebook.com/facebook/info
Acharya, A. (2012). What is the difference between formal reports and informal reports? Retrieved from
http://www.preservearticles.com/201101133250/formal-reports-and-informal-reports.html
American Red Cross. (2009). American Red Cross code of business ethics and conduct.
Retrieved from http://www.redcross.org/www-
files/Documents/Governance/file_cont5875_lang0_2860.pdf
Business Management Daily. (2013). Honest or not? 10 questions to spot ethical applicants. Retrieved
from http://www.businessmanagementdaily.com/35119/honest-or-not-10-questions-to-spot-ethical-
applicants
Castillo, M. (2012). Practicing Professionalism. Health Care Registration: The Newsletter For Health
Care Registration Professionals, 21(12), 8-9.
32. References
Chapter 2: Body language. (1999). Effective Business Communications Pocketbook (pp. 27-35).
Chen, I. S. (2011). Choosing the right communication channels of communication moderating stress levels
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doi:10.1177/0021943612465181
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communication. Retrieve from
blackboard.com/bbcswebdav/courses/KEY_ORG536/courseModules_winter2013a/org536_1/org5
36_1.html
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33. References
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their-jobs/
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34. References
Howard, R. M. (n.d.). Types of business reports. Retrieved from http://wrt-
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ISACA. (2010). Social media: Business benefits and security, governance and assurance perspectives.
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35. References
Microsoft PowerPoint. (2010). PowerPoint clip art. Author.
Mishra, B. (2009). Role of Paralanguage in Effective English Communication. ICFAI Journal Of Soft
Skills, 3(2), 29-36.
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media-house-policy
Secretary of the Air Force. (2013). Air Force senior non-commissioned officer academy course.
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36. References
Schaefer, T. E. (1984). Professionalism: Foundation for Business Ethics. Journal Of Business Ethics, 3(4),
269-277.
Tracy, B. (n.d.) Brainy Quotes. Retrieved from
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