WRITTEN COMMUNICATION

WRITTEN COMMUNICATION : 

WRITTEN COMMUNICATION Presented by: Narendra Singh Chaudhary

Written communication : 

Written communication Written communication involves any type of interaction that makes use of the written word. Some of the various forms of written communication that are used internally for business operations include memos, reports, bulletins, job descriptions, employee manuals, and electronic mail.

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It is one of the two main types of communication, along with oral/spoken communication. Written communication is very common in business situations, so it is important for small business owners and managers to develop effective written communication skills.

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Examples of written communication avenues typically pursued with clients, vendors, and other members of the business community, meanwhile, include electronic mail, Internet Web sites, letters, proposals, telegrams, faxes, postcards, contracts, advertisements, brochures, and news releases.

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The importance of good writing skills in the business world has become more evident even as companies rely increasingly on computers and other new technologies to meet their obligations. Indeed, business experts warn that any business's positive qualities—from dedication to customer service to high-tech expertise—will be blunted to some degree if they are unable to transfer that dedication and knowledge to the printed page.

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"Whether you are pitching a business case or justifying a budget, the quality of your writing can determine success or failure," wrote Paula Jacobs in InfoWorld. " "Writing ability is especially important in customer communication. Business proposals, status reports, customer documentation, technical support, or even e-mail replies all depend on clear written communication."

Advantages of Written Communication : 

Advantages of Written Communication Written messages do not have to be delivered on the spur of the moment; instead, they can be edited and revised several times before they are sent so that the content can be shaped to maximum effect. Written communication provides a permanent record of the messages that have been sent and can be saved for later study. With good writing skills include increased customer/client satisfaction; improved interorganizational efficiency; and enhanced image in the community and industry.

Disadvantages of Written Communication : 

Disadvantages of Written Communication Unlike oral communication, wherein impressions and reactions are exchanged instantaneously, the sender of written communication does not generally receive immediate feedback to his or her message. This can be a source of frustration and uncertainty in business situations in which a swift response is desired. Written messages often take more time to compose, both because of their information-packed nature and the difficulty that many individuals have in composing such correspondence.

Writing Guide: Purpose : 

Writing Guide: Purpose The first question for any writer should be, "Why am I writing?" "What is my goal or my purpose for writing?" For many writing contexts, your immediate purpose may be to complete an assignment or get a good grade. But the long-range purpose of writing is to communicate to a particular audience. In order to communicate successfully to your audience, understanding your purpose for writing will make you a better writer.

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Focusing on your purpose as you begin writing helps you know what form to choose, how to focus and organize your writing, what kinds of evidence to cite, how formal or informal your style should be, and how much you should write. When we communicate with other people, we are usually guided by some purpose, goal, or aim. We may want to express our feelings. We may want simply to explore an idea or perhaps entertain or amuse our listeners or readers. We may wish to inform people or explain an idea. We may wish to argue for or against an idea in order to persuade others to believe or act in a certain way. We make special kinds of arguments when we are evaluating or problem solving. Finally, we may wish to mediate or negotiate a solution.

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A purpose is the aim or goal of the writer or the written product; a strategy is a means of achieving that purpose. For example, our purpose may be to explain something, but we may use definitions, examples, descriptions, and analysis in order to make our explanation clearer. A variety of strategies are available for writers to help them find ways to achieve their purpose(s).

Examples : 

Examples Definition· Illustration and Example· Classification· Comparison and Contrast· Analysis· Description· Process Analysis· Narration· Cause/Effect Analysis.

Clarity in writing : 

Clarity in writing Have you ever read an email from someone that was too wordy, lacked focus, and left you confused? How can we learn from reading such emails to improve our own communication? How do we compose emails and writings that others will actually want to read?

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The ability to write clearly is crucial to getting your message across no matter what you’re writing, whether it’s an email, a blog post, a magazine article, or a letter to a friend. Clear and concise writing is vital to having your words read and understood. The whole purpose of most writing is to inform readers of something or to persuade people to do something. The more clear and concise your language, the easier your message will be understood, and the more likely your readers will respond to that message. Before you can write clearly, you have to be able to think clearly. A big reason many writers don’t see desired success in conveying their message is that they were not focused on a clear message. Good writing usually stems directly from clear thinking.

Three Obstacles to Clear and Concise Writing : 

Three Obstacles to Clear and Concise Writing Obstacle 1: False ideas about what good writing is. Even writers with more knowledge and experience make this mistake. They want to impress readers with their grandiose grasp of the language, tossing about little-known, large words and trying to write in a clever way that ends up diminishing the clarity of their message. They’ve forgotten the most important piece of good writing: your first priority is to inform your readers, not to impress them.

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Obstacle 2: Not being clear about one’s message. Many writers have a general idea of what they want to say, but they don’t crystallize it in one short, snappy sentence. Thus, they start out writing, touching on their topic from different angles, and including every bit of information they think is relevant. The writing may end up readable and professional sounding, but the readers will come away thinking that, while they understood the gist of the author’s intent, they can’t precisely say what the take-home point was. This is usually because the writer never really knew what it was either.

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Obstacle 3: Distractions. Your mind has to be clear for your writing to be precise. If you’ve got the TV on in the background, if other people are coming in and out of your writing space, if you’ve got Twitter updates and email updates continually popping up on your screen, etc. – your focus will be eradicated.

How to Develop the Clear Mental State for Writing : 

How to Develop the Clear Mental State for Writing Read, Read, Read Reading broadly can accomplish two things: one, broaden your vocabulary so you more naturally use the right words instead of searching about for intelligent-sounding words which might not be a good fit; and two, you can get a much better, natural feel for what makes up good, clear, and fluid writing. Additionally, you expose yourself to more ideas and perspectives, forcing yourself to think more critically in general, which will enable you to think more critically about the subjects on which you’re writing.

Principles of clear, effective writing : 

Principles of clear, effective writing Use short words rather than long ones. Prefer familiar words over unfamiliar ones. Be precise. Be sure that each word conveys its precise meaning. Use your dictionary and thesaurus. Use strong verbs, and prefer active over passive voice. Watch use of qualifying words and phrases. Check your adjectives, adverbs and prepositional phrases. Are they needed? If not, strike them out. Be especially alert for long strings of prepositional phrases. Prefer the use of nouns and verbs to adjectives and adverbs.

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Use short sentences. Try not to average more than 20 words a sentence. Vary sentence length. Balance long sentences with short ones. Monotony in sentence length puts the reader to sleep. Be straightforward. Rambling sentences, filled with qualifying clauses, cause the reader to lose the train of thought. You should take the most direct route between subject, verb and object. Avoid wordiness, jargon, pompous phrases and generalities. Use restraint. Sound facts speak for themselves. An understatement is often more effective than flamboyant words and phrases.

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Revise. Read and reread what you have written. Then revise and rewrite until you have achieved clarity and a pleasing style. Use transitions. Weave the copy into a coherent whole by using transitional words, phrases and paragraphs to bridge any gaps that would jar the reader. Avoid abrupt shifts from one topic to another in a story. Read your story aloud. This will help you hear how the story will sound to the reader and make it easier to catch lapses in grammar or phrasing. Before turning your story in and after you’ve completed all of your revisions, read your masterpiece one final time for grammar and style only. Often grammar and style errors that may have crept into your copy in the heat of composition will be corrected on this final read-through.

Writing Techniques : 

Writing Techniques

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Writing is an important form of communication. Good writers use different writing techniques to fit their purpose for writing. To be a good writer, you must master each of the following writing techniques. Description Through description, a writer helps the reader use the senses of feeling, seeing, hearing, smelling, and tasting to experience what the writer experiences. Description helps the reader more clearly understand the people, places, and things about which the writer is writing. It is the most common form of writing. You will find descriptive writing in newspapers, magazines, books, and most other forms of written communication.

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Exposition :- Through exposition, a writer informs, explains, and clarifies his/her ideas and thoughts. Exposition goes beyond description to help the reader understand with greater clarity and depth the ideas and thoughts of the writer. Expository writing, like descriptive writing, is commonly found in newspapers, magazines, books, and most other forms of written communication. Narration :- Through narration, a writer tells a story. A story has characters, a setting, a time, a problem, attempts at solving the problem, and a solution to the problem. Bedtime stories are examples of short stories while novels are examples of long stories. The scripts written for movies and plays are further examples of narrative writing.

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Persuasion :- Through persuasion, a writer tries to change a reader's point of view on a topic, subject, or position. The writer presents facts and opinions to get the reader to understand why something is right, wrong, or in between. Editorials, letters to the editor in newspapers and magazines, and the text for a political speech are examples of persuasive writing. Comparison and Contrast :- Through comparison and contrast, a writer points out the similarities and differences about a topic. Comparison is used to show what is alike or in common. Contrast is used to show what is not alike or not in common. Describing living conditions in 1900 and living conditions today would allow for much comparison and contrast. By using the writing technique that fits your purpose, you will be able to communicate your ideas effectively.

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Your Questions?

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