Module 24

Module 24 discusses long reports.  Long reports are also known as formal reports, and contain additional components: a cover, title page, letter of transmittal, table of contents, list of illustrations, executive summary, and report body.  The first thing to do when writing a long report is to write parts as soon as you can, and to make sure you spend most of your time on sections that support your recommendations.  Much of the introduction part of your report comes from your proposal.  You should also save a copy of your questionnaires and interview questions for the appendix.  Although normally shorter titles are best, when making a title page for a long report you want it to be as informative as possible, so short three word titles may not always be the best.  The letter of transmittal is used to orient the reader to the report, and to help the writer build a good image of the report.

One important thing that I learned from this module, is that you should always create a table of contents for long reports so that your reader can find important sections fast and easy.  Make sure that you list all the important headings in you table of contents, and try to write the most important sections towards the beginning of the letter.

Another important thing that I learned from this module, is that the format and style of the report greatly depends on the information being portrayed in the report.  For instance corporate annual reports will be printed in an effort to be attractive to the eye, with lots of colors, charts, and graphs for presenting to others.  Engineering and accounting reports will be much different, with almost all text except for a few technical diagrams or charts, these will be very heavy on words and jargon as well as have very plain covers.

Module 23

Module 23 discusses short reports.  There are three different kinds short reports, informative, feasibility, and justification reports.  Informative reports summarize the completed work but does not result in an action or recommendation.  Feasibility reports evaluate several alternatives and recommend one of them as an action to fix the problem.  Justification reports are used to recommend or justify a purchase, investment, hiring, or change in a policy.  When giving a problem, you should give specific examples to prove how serious a problem is. 

There are seven patterns for organizing information.  One is comparison/contrast, where you give the pro's and con's of a situation to weigh which alternative is the best.  Elimination of alternatives is another, which is the process of weaving out the impractical solutions that will not work.  Another important one is chronological, where events are recorded in order of the time period that they happen in.  Blueprints are good to give a preview to your reader of what you will discuss in a section or in the entire report.  Make sure the blueprint is easy to read by telling the reader how many points there are and numbering them.

One important thing that I learned from this module is that you have to say what you mean, and make it clear so that everyone knows exactly what you mean.  Not everyone that is reading your document may know a lot about the subject matter, so it is important to make sure that you use the right verbs in your writing to help you say exactly what you mean.

Another important aspect of this module is the use of topic sentences and headings.  Both of these make it easy for a reader to quickly find a section that they want to read, and then get the general point quickly if they are a scanner and cannot read the entire document.

Moduel 27 & 28

Module 27 discusses resumes.  In order for you to encourage an employer to pay attention to your resume, you need to show how your qualifications fit into the job and the company, company's sometimes get thousands of resumes so it is important for yours to be relevant to the job opening to stand out.  There are two different kinds of resumes, a chronological resume which lists in order the jobs that you have had on a timeline, and a skills resume which will instead focus more on the individual skills that you possess.  One good way to keep your resume under a page long is to omit the Reference category.  But it is okay to have a resume longer than one page if you have a large number of qualifications.

Module 28 is about Job Application Letters.  There are two types of job application letters, solicited letters and prospecting letters.  You would write a solicited letter if you know that the employer is currently hiring, and you would write a prospecting letter if you are interested in a company but they are not currently hiring.  After writing a solicited letter, you should wait for the employer to call you back, because you know they are hiring, if your letter and application are among the best then you will get an interview.  For a prospecting letter though, it is important to be more aggressive, because the company is not planning on hiring you need to be aggressive so you will have a greater chance in getting an interview. 

One important thing to come away with from module 27 is on how to use skills resumes.  With this type of resume, you are changing fields so your experience and jobs may not sound relevant, so the best thing to do is to try and emphasize your skills and show the employer that you do possess the right types of skills and knowledge in the job.

One important thing to come away with from module 28 is that you should try to show that you know something about the company.  This is a good way to show that you are really interested in the company and that you will be dedicated to the job.  It also gives you an opportunity to learn about the company procedures and show how you can use your experience and skills to help the company.

Module 22

Module 28 discusses finding, analyzing, and documenting information for research assignments.  Secondary research retrieves information that someone else has gathered, such as library research and online searches.  Primary research gathers new information, such as from surveys, interviews, and observations made by the team.  In order to make it easy as possible while searching for information online, it is good to know how to use keywords to search for what you are seeking.  Use all synonyms and keywords when you search, use parenthesis and the word and, (minimum wage) and (restaurant or fast food), and the word or to help get a more accurate search.  Writing questions for surveys and interviews should contain questions that are neutral and clear, so not to steer the reader toward a biased answer.

One important thing to know from this module, is that in order to have an effective and accurate survey, you should use a random sample of people.  The sample should be all ages of people, from all different sorts of backgrounds, cultures, regions, races, etc. so that there is less chance of bias in the group being surveyed.

Another important thing to remember from this module is that you should make sure to always document the sources that you received your information from by using either MLA or APA format.  It's important to always document your paper so that people receive the rightful credit that they deserve for making their discoveries, and also so that people can retrace where you got your information.

Module 21

Module 21 is on Proposals and Progress Reports.  Reports provide the information needed by people in companies.  Reports include five basic steps: defining the problem, gathering the information, analyzing the information, organizing the information, and writing the report.  Research is very important in writing proposals, it is important to start on and finish at least one-fourth of your research before you start writing your proposal.  Once the problem is defined, you then write a purpose statement which makes three things clear: the organizational problem or conflict, the specific technical questions that must be answered to solve the problem, and the rhetorical purpose the report is designed to achieve.  The proposal should contain what it is that you are going to do to solve the problem, how you will do it, and evidence that you will do it well.  Knowing an accurate budget is also very important otherwise you may not win the bid.  Progress reports are a way to show your employer that you are working hard and updating them on the progress and difficulties that you have made and come across.

One thing to come away with from this module, is that when writing a proposal, you must show the reader benefits, and make sure that you have good reader benefits.  No matter how good your proposal is if the reader cannot connect with it then it is a total waste of time.

Another thing that is important from this module is the use of progress reports.  Not only are they good because they show your employer where you stand on your work, but they can also help to minimize future problems if used correctly.  By using them you can update your boss on what to expect in the future so that they can prepare and not be blind sided by any delays or funding problems

Modules 17 & 18

Module 17 discusses listening.  Listening is much more difficult in the business world than in the classroom, mainly because the classroom is normally much more structured and you are able to take notes, which may not always be the case when talking to your boss.  To be a good listener, you should follow four practices; pay attention, focus on the other speakers, avoid making assumptions, and listen for feelings as well as facts.  Good listeners are active listeners, they show that they are listening to their audience by giving feedback.

Module 18 is about Working and Writing in Teams.  There are three categories that group messages fall into; they are informational, procedural, and interpersonal.  It is important when you first get together with your group to develop a cohesiveness, lay down some ground rules, and develop procedures for meeting and acting.  Conflict is not always a bad thing with groups, as long as they are productive.  Conflicts can help groups to develop a broader range of ideas.   Deal with conflicts as they arise, do not bury them so that they can irrupt later in a more intense manner.

One thing that I thought was very important from module 17 was that it is crucial to have good listening skills when speaking to superiors, especially if you are being criticized or work performance.  If you listen you will know exactly where you need improvement to increase your performance on the job and open up future possibilities.

Something that is very important from module 18 is that groups should steer away from groupthink.  This can keep a group from fully developing their thoughts as it could leave out possible alternatives that could improve your work or offer a different, better approach to the problem.  So sometimes it is good for people in a group to disagree.

Modules 15 & 16

Module 15 is about choosing the right word.  When writing, you need to make sure that you are using words accurately, using appropriate words, and using words that the audience should be familiar with.  Try to only use technical jargon when it is absolutely necessary.  Using the right word helps you look good as a writer, it helps build credibility and demonstrate you are professional.  Try to use positive sounding words, and stay clear of negative sounding words.  You should also be careful when using similar sounding words, as they can confuse the reader because they sound and sometimes look very similar, but have much different meanings.

Module 16 is about revising sentences and paragraphs.  Revising is very important, because it can help you rearrange your writing so that it flows better and makes more sense to the reader, as well as allowing you to add or subtract content as needed to improve the writing.  When writing in the business format, make sure that you sound friendly and use the correct style of writing according to your audience.  Be sure to also use the right tone, you want to sound friendly and informative, not rude and arrogant.  Sentences throughout your message should be of different lengths, but shorter sentences are better.  Any sentence longer than 30 words should be revised. 

One thing that is very important to know when coming away from module 15, is that there are many different denotations to some words, so it is very important to use the correct denotation when writing, or to make it clear what denotation you mean when writing so that the reader knows for certain what you mean.

Something that is important to remember from module 16 is that wordy writing is often bad writing.  It is always best to express what you are trying to say in the least amount of words, this makes it easier for the reader to follow and grasp what you are trying to say, and also might make them more likely to read your message fully instead of skimming it or skipping it altogether. 

Modules 8 & 13

Module 8 talks about Reader Benefits, which are the benefits or advantages that the reader gets by using your service, buying your products, following your policies or adopting your ideas.  The reader benefits are important in persuasive messages to show people why your message or idea is useful and should be adopted. You should think of what it is that motivates your audience, and then think of how the features of your product or idea might benefit the audience.  It is also important to use the benefits that you can develop the best, so that you are able to explain and persuade the reader why they should adopt your message.

Module 13 is about E-mail messages and Web writing.  It explains how technology is rapidly changing, and that we should expect to change the way that we communicate with it.  It is important to remember that e-mail messages can be read by your boss or forwarded by those who receive them, so be aware and careful of what you put in them.  Subject lines in e-mails need to be specific so that people do not skip over them thinking they are unimportant.  Social networking tools are also starting to become very popular in the business world, just remember to keep it professional and not to put anything on there that your boss may see that might get you into trouble. 

One thing that is very important from module 8, is that it is a great idea for you to brainstorm to come up with the best reader benefits.  It is not always obvious what the reader benefits might be, so if you brainstorm it will help you come up with multiple possibilities and give you a wider range to select from to pick the best benefits to include in your message.

Another important thing to remember that comes from module 13 is if you are angry, do not write an e-mail message because you are much more likely say something that you may regret, such as insulting someone or making threats that could get you in to trouble.  The best thing to do is wait until you have calmed down and then write it carefully, making sure to reread and edit before you send.

Modules 11 & 12

Module 11 is about negative messages.  If you write a negative message, you should only use a negative subject line if you think the reader may ignore the message because they do not think that the message is important.  Also, when you give a bad news message to a boss or other superior, you want to make the subject line that focuses on solving the problem.  Bad news letters to people outside of the organization should try to build goodwill, bad news letters to superiors should offer solutions not just report the problem, and bad news letters to peers and subordinates should try to get them involved in trying to help solve the problem.  In bad news letters, do not tell the reader that they cannot do something, instead word it in a way to show that a policy is being changed or some other way that is not as personal and blaming. Module 12 is about Persuasive Messages.  The two main persuasive strategies are the direct request pattern and the problem solving pattern.  Use the direct request pattern if the audience will do as you ask without resistance or you need a response only from the people who are willing to act.  Use a problem solving pattern when the audience is likely to object to your proposal, you need action from everyone, and you expect the logic to be more important than emotion in the final decision.  In the subject line, you should use the request, topic or question if you are using the direct request approach, otherwise use a reader benefit.

One thing that I thought was very important in module 11 was when writing a bad letter to someone outside of your company, I thought that it was a great idea for the writer to offer additional alternatives to the reader so that it can help to build goodwill and show the reader that even though the writer or company has bad news for them, they are still willing to offer assistance in whatever ways they can.

Something in module 12 that is very important is a way to help people overcome objections to a problem, such as how much time or money they may have to spend.  To overcome this, you can show them how little time they could expect to spend on the project/problem, and also show them what could be overcome and accomplished with the money they may spend, these will help to eliminate any fears they may have.

Modules 9 & 10

Module 9 discusses the formats for letters and memos.  It talks about block and modified block formats and the difference between the two.  It also talks about the other important parts of a letter or memo such as the salutation, complimentary closes, subject line and reference line.  It discusses letterheads which are preprinted paper that has the company name, logo, address, and phone number on it and how to go about using them in single page and multiple page letters.  This module also talks about how to create a professional image, to be aware of the culture of the business that you are working for and to make sure you follow that culture so that you fit in nicely and present yourself as a respectable individual.  It also discusses certain courtesy titles that you should use when addressing people in letters, so that you use the correct title and do not offend anyone.

Module 10 discusses informative and positive messages.  It says that even simple informative or good news messages include several primary and secondary purposes, such as to give information or good news to the reader, to build a good image of the writer and/or the writers organization, and so forth.  It discusses subject lines, which are important because they tell the reader what the message is about and why they should read it.  Subject lines should be specific so the reader is clear what the message holds, and it should be short, just 3 to 7 words.  When writing letters or memo's, you should insert reader benefits when you are presenting policies, if the stressing benefits presents readers' motives positively, or if some of the benefits may not be obvious.  Thank you notes will help create better relationships with people you work with and make them more willing to help you in the future. 

One thing that I found very interesting was in module 9 on creating a professional image.  I think that when you are new to a company or organization you should have a mentor in the workplace that can show the ropes so that you do not do something that might make you look bad.  That also would help you to get to know others that work there with you since they could introduce you to others or invite you out after work.

I also think that it is very important to know how to format a message or letter when there are multiple pages.  For instance it is very important to put a signature block on the second page and so forth so that you can make sure that the correct page is being placed in the envelope just in case you have printed out multiple letters or memos to different people and get them mixed up.

Web Page Analysis

The first Web Site that I visited was Amazon.com.  Amazon is a very simple looking Web Site, it has a simple banner at the top that has their Amazon logo on it, and below that is a search box that you can use to search the entire site for anything that you are wanting to shop for, and then down the left hand side of the page is a more general shopping guide, where you can select a genre such as books or movies that will take you to a page full of different books and movies that they offer for sale.  When you go to the homepage they also advertise for their own product the Kindle, but then below that is also a more custom selection based on what they think you would like to buy according to your recent purchase and browsing history, so it feels like they are catering to your likes and is a really good marketing strategy to get people to buy some things that they didn’t originally mean to purchase when they visit the Web Site.   Navigation throughout the site is very easy, and the load times are kept to a minimum by keeping away from large images that might slow down a computer.

Amazon makes good use of white space on their Web Site, which helps to keep the site from looking too cluttered and makes it easier for the viewer to find what they are looking for.  When you select a category to shop in such as movies, it uses headings and different font sizes and colors for subheadings to make it easier for you to go through the different genre's of movies to help you find what it is you may be looking for.

The audience for Amazon.com is pretty much everyone, from buyers to sellers.  You can buy or sell everything from new and used books and movies to clothes and tools, so you can find almost anything that you want on this web site and most of the things you find on here are often at discounted prices when compared to department stores or other stores that carry the items, making it very popular for purchasing gifts or other things that you may not need right at this moment and can afford to wait a few days for shipping.

The second Web Site that I visited was Ebay.com.  Ebay is also a very simple looking Web Site, using a white background with a small Ebay symbol at the top of the page.  It also has a very simple way of finding what you are shopping for by just typing it in to a search box that will then display all of the matches so you can buy.  After searching for the item that you are looking for, you can then sort the search list by a few different ways, including by price or by relevance.  It is very easy to set up a buyer/seller account and they have a great notification system to alert you whenever you do sell an item. 

The load times of the pages are also very short, and the Web Site is very easy to navigate thanks to the user friendly search engine and tabs on the left column for a more general search.  Headers of different fonts and sized help you to navigate through similar items to help you find things easier

Ebay is very similar to Amazon in that you can buy almost anything that you can think of on their web site, even cars and boats.  It attracts just about everyone as well because since a lot of the sellers on the site are individuals you can sometimes find very good deals that will help you save a lot of money.

Module 4 & 5

Module 4 is about the planning, writing, and revising of your document.  Planning is analyzing the problem, and gathering the information needed.  Writing is just putting that planning into words onto your paper or screen.  Revising is editing your work, having others look over it to give feedback, changing parts of the document to make it more efficient or adding or deleting parts.  Planning consists of brainstorming, freewriting, or clustering, which are all great ways to get your brain thinking to help come up with creative ideas.  Getting feedback from others is a great way to improve your work through revision, it  brings another perspective into the work that can help a document be more efficient.

Module 5 is about the design of documents.  This module explains how important it is to have well thought out and presented documents and gives examples of ways to do it such as the use of white space, headings, mix of paragraph lengths, etc.  Headings are important because they divide your letter into sections, and make it easy for the reader to navigate.  The module also discusses the different types of fonts that are available, and stresses that no more than two separate types of fonts should be used in the same document.  When preparing power point slides, you should use larger font, 44 or 50-point font instead of 11 or 12 such as in a regular business document.  On power points, you should also use bullet-point phrases instead of long sentences, and also only use clip art in a presentation if it is totally necessary and relevant.  This module also discusses Web page design, in a Web page, the opening screen is crucial, it must open quickly and be easy to navigate.

One thing that I found very interesting was in Module 5 on Web design.  I have found that the text book is correct, that usually if a Web page does not load within the first 15 seconds most people, including myself, will become frustrated and leave the site.  I also find that if a website is difficult to navigate then it will not become as popular and people will tend to shy away from it.  I experienced this a little when I attended Jefferson Community College.  I always thought that it was too difficult to navigate around their main web site and it became such a chore to ever get on there to find something about the schedule or even to find classes for the upcoming semester.

Another thing that I found to be very interesting were the ways to improve feedback.  You should tell the person that is reviewing your paper specific areas that you want comments on for parts of the document you are not so sure about.  Having someone help you revising it will also help to catch mistakes that the writer does not notice because they have read it as they understand it, which may not make sense to other people.

Modules 1 & 2

There are different types of communication, verbal and nonverbal.  Verbal uses words and can be face to face meetings or letters, emails, etc.  Nonverbal communication does not use words, it comes from either pictures, body language, or other things that do not involve words.  Business writing is much different than other types of writing.  The purpose is different, as well as the audience(who can be a person outside of the organization), information is probably new to whoever you are telling, and so forth.  There are three basic purposes to business communication, to inform, to request or persuade, and to build good will.  Employees with good communication and writing skills can help a company save money by knowing the best way to write to convey a message, and to get it right the first time to save time and money.    A message must be effective, it must be clear and correct.  Know your audience, your primary audience, secondary audience, initial audience, gatekeeper, and watchdog audience.  Make sure the message meets what the audience needs otherwise it will not be effective, it should be clear so that they can interpret it with ease and accuracy.  When communicating with someone, you should be aware of their knowledge, demographic factors, personality, values and beleifs, and past behavior.  When writing to an audience, use a style that is easy to understand and avoid words that may be offensive or arrogant.

One part of the reading that I find to be very useful is knowing the personality of the person that you are communicating with.  If you know this persons personality, it will help you to know the best way to communicate with them effectively, and it will also help you to avoid ways that you know that person looks down upon or does not like as much.  Another part of the reading that I thought was very useful was to know the organizations culture.  In order for you to fit into an organization, you must understand and usually follow the culture of those that you work with.  This will help you to have better relationships with coworkers, as well as possibly open up more advancement opportunities and help you be more happy in your workplace.