...ENGL510 – Foundations of Professional Communication Writing Assignment 3 – Bad News Message/Group Project Below you will find five documents: 1. The assignment itself – pages 3-4 2. A template to follow in writing the message called for in the assignment – page 5 3. A letter you can use as a model for the message called for in the assignment – page 6 4. The criteria that will be used in grading the message – page 7 5. The form you will use in Week 5 to evaluate fellow group members - page 8 Please read all of these carefully and let me know if you have questions about any of them. In addition, please note that in the second Week 4 discussion—Working in Groups/Writing Bad News—you will be preparing to get started in this group project but that you will not actually begin the project until Week 5. In Week 5, please save, as a Word document, using the file name “3yourlastname1,” the draft that the group as a whole has agreed on, and post it in the Week 5 Bad News Message Draft Dropbox by midnight Sunday. In Week 6, please save the revision that the group as a whole has agreed on, using the file name “3yourlastname2,” and post it in the Week 6 Bad News Message Final Dropbox by midnight Sunday. You will also post, in the Week 6 Group Project Peer Evaluation Dropbox, a form in which you will evaluate the input of your fellow group members. I will grade the messages, using the 55-point criteria sheet below and giving all contributing group members the same...
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...Bad News Message – David S. Moody From: David S. Moody, Sales Manager, Easy To Be Green To: Construction Manager, Greenfield Community College Date: 3 August 2015 Ref: Change in location of Venting Apparatus Sir and/or Ma’am, Here at Easy to Be Green, we pride ourselves on being the leader in installing energy efficient heating, cooling, and insulation systems. And since these systems are custom designed to meet you, the customer’s request, it involves a variety of Sub-contractors. And with this in mind there are time limits as to when we can make changes in the design. This morning one of my sales team, Chris, came to me with this problem, and I am writing to you so I can explain the reason as to why we will be unable to change the location of the venting apparatus, that you have requested. I understand that you had written to Chris requesting this change to accommodate a change in the campus’s overall design plan. There are two reasons as to why this Change cannot be accomplished; 1. There is a zoning restriction on this kind of Vent. I do understand that it is not widely enforced, but I feel as one of the leaders in this industry that it would not be beneficial for us to disregard this restriction. 2. Your request has come in late and there is only 1 month left before installation of the vents. This late addition was quoted to add $5000 dollars to the price of the contract. It is not practical for us to deviate from the written agreement. And therefore...
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...November 3, 2015 Scott Rowan Alpha Kappa Psi Treasurer 40 Stratford Ave. Cincinnati, OH 45221 Dear Mr. Rowan: Thank you for your interest in staying at the Panama City 100 over your upcoming spring break. The Panama City area has a lot of exciting developments happening right now and in upcoming months. After a few unfortunate experiences at our hotel, a strict policy against accepting reservations from student groups was put into place. Without the normal amenities that a resort hotel might have such as a tiki Hut, DJ or lazy river, we have sought to cater strictly to business professionals and over-night travelers. Due to this strict policy, we are unable to provide your student group with the fifteen double rooms that you have requested. Although our hotel is unable to accommodate college students, it would be a pleasure to keep in contact for any future inquires you may have as a business professional later on. If you are still interested in visiting Panama City Florida, there are many other resorts in the same area as our hotel which I believe would provide you with a wonderful stay. The Palms Resort sits directly on Panama City Beach and includes free parking, WiFi, and a daily complimentary breakfast. There is also a tiki bar which provides refreshments and cocktails next to the ocean-view pool. Regardless of your final destination, I hope that you have an excellent Spring Break. I look forward to hearing from you for any inquiries...
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...IHOP 8785 Centreville Rd. Manassas, VA 20110 October 25, 2012 Josh Carter 231 Liberty Avenue Manassas, VA 20110 Dear Mr. Carter: Pet Friendly Restaurant Policy Our motto at IHOP is “Come Hungry, Leave Happy”. It is not just a saying but also an idea that we hope is validated with each one of our customers. We take pride in satisfying our customers and in making their dining experience with us a pleasurable one. IHOP constantly listens to each customer when it comes to implementing change in our services and restaurants. Your suggestion of converting our facility into a pet friendly restaurant has been discussed in our most recent board meeting. The idea of allowing your pets to join you in our restaurants poses some concerns that were addressed. Sanitation concerns were at the top of our list as it relates to the pet hair and potential fleas, ticks and other diseases that our four legged friends can be carrying. In addition, we must take into consideration all of our customers needs and the fact that some may have allergies and/or be afraid of animals. While we want to improve your dining experience as well, we have to cater to the dining experience of everyone and make the best decision for the majority of our customers. Based upon these concerns, we are unable to accommodate your request to become a pet friendly facility. However, during our board meeting, we did take some time to compose a proposal to submit to our corporate office to invest in adding...
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...the company to compete with other corporations. It needs to set up a new production system and satisfy environmental protection standards. Due to the cost-cutting effort, the company has closed some factories and cut unnecessary expenses. It plans to lay-off some employees. In addition, the company needs to increase salaries and improve benefits for some of the remaining employees. Therefore, the company is figuring out how to convey this good news and bad news to its workers. Analysis and Evaluation While Weymouth has to lay-off thousands of employees, it plans to increase salaries and improve benefits for others. On one hand, it’s necessary for the company to downsize to save the company in this tough time. On the other hand, offering a better policy for remaining workers may conflict with the cost-cutting effort, but satisfying workers can benefit company’s long-run business. Conveying these messages plays an important role in company’s success. If the company has a good solution, it can soften the anger of those who get fired, and make the remaining workers work effectively. However, an ineffective solution can depress people who are fired and worry the remaining employees, so it may create an ineffective working environment. Alternatives The company has at least two alternatives to deal with this problem. First, it should have face-to-face group meetings to convey the bad news, and email the good news to those whose salary and benefits are going to improve. The advantages...
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...Chowdhury Rashdi Al Rashid (ID: 57) How to Write Negative Messages in a Positive Way? PREPARED FOR: Mr. Zahid Hassan Khan Course Faculty C501: Managerial Communication PREPARED BY: Chowdhury Rashdi Al Rashid ID: ZR57 MBA 45 D Section- A INSTITUTE OF BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION UNIVERSITY OF DHAKA 20 June, 2011 Introduction: Communication in today’s business place has become more complex. And negative message make thing even more complex. A negative message is any message to which the reader will have an unpleasant emotional reaction. Readers find negative messages disappointing or threatening in some way. Such messages require special care to avoid damaging the quality of the relationship because the negative message – “the bad news” will hurt the reader’s feelings or cause him or her to lose face. (C. Bovee 2010) Not all messages saying no are negative. For a message to be negative, the reader’s ego must be involved in the outcome. If a reader requests information you and others in your organization are not equipped to provide, for example, the reader’s feelings will not be hurt when you direct him or her elsewhere. Treat messages of this variety as you would a message conveying positive information: state the most important information first, and use it to help establish rapport with the reader. (Limaye 1997) Also, be aware that saying no is more serious in some cultures than it is in others. The Japanese, for example, will avoid saying no...
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...Ryan Anthony Albino S28, SPBUSCOM Good News Communication Beginning • I am delighted • It’s a pleasure • You’ll be thrilled • I’m very pleased • I have good news Middle • I am delighted to inform you that you’ve won the first prize. • It’s a pleasure to announce that UCPB will be our new partner • You’ll be trilled to hear that your work buddy is returning next week. • I’m pleased to let you know that our company has grown substantially. • I have good news. Citbank has accepted our proposal! Closing • Keep up the good work • I look forward to having more with your company • I look forward to meeting you. • We sincerely appreciate your care and concern during this time of transition. • We look forward to serving you again Bad News Communication Beginning • Our companies have enjoyed a mutually beneficial relationship for many years. • I appreciated learning about your organization… however, • I admire your organization and I am honored that you invited me to speak • Thank you for submitting an application for the Managerial position opening. • Your company has offered a quality product to the running community for the past 25 years. Middle • You have very good credentials. • My schedule for the month is already full. • The company’s budget is tight for the last quarter of the year. • You’re product is no longer covered...
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...News Nowadays, news plays a vital role in human affairs. News is the communication of selected information on current events by reporters. It is presented by print, broadcast, internet or word of mouth to a third-party or mass audience. The most important function of news is to bring us the latest information on local, national and international events. Specifically, it mentions to any fields of our lives such as political, religion, economic, job, health, disaster, crime status, entertainment as well as celebrities. There is a quote about news that states "For most people, no news is good news; for the press, good news is not news." by Gloria Berger. In my opinion, this quote has two parts. The first part means: if you have not heard anything, then the chances are nothing bad has happened, the situation isn't worse, there's nothing to worry about. So the lack of any problems is good. The second part means: for viewers, bad stories catch their attention easily. It is more interesting than good news. So the media always gives priority bad news to viewers rather than good news. For them, bad news is newsworthy. I completely agree with the above quote. On one hand, if you are working and no one complains, that is good news. You can rest assured that everything is progressing well. In this case, no news is good news. In addition, the news media is a business. So the bottom line is that news-media needs viewers to keep their existence. They must look for...
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...if the news is bad? B. Like some of you, many organizations use straightforwardness when they want to communicate negative messages. C. Transition: Delivering bad news is something that you cannot avoid when doing business, and therefore, I will show you how to identify when to use the direct pattern for announcing bad news and how you can use the direct strategy effectively in your messages. II. BODY When to use the direct approach A. First, it is important to understand in what situation should the direct approach be used when delivering bad news. These situations include: * When the reader expects the bad news. The direct approach is perfect when the people receiving the message already knows that there is a possibility for receiving bad news. * When the receiver may ignore the bad news. If the message is important such as new policy requirements or legal announcements and you don’t want your readers to ignore it, the direct approach can help you get his or her attention. If you put the information somewhere in the middle of the message, the important news may be disregarded. * When the organization or receiver prefers directness. Sometimes it is a company’s policy for all internal messages and announcements to be straightforward even when it is bad news. Furthermore, if you know that the receiver like your boss always wants a brief message that gets right to the point, the direct approach is your best choice. * When the bad news is not...
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...ENGL510 Foundations of Professional Communication Writing Assignment 3 -- Bad News Message Instructions In this assignment you will complete a collaborative project designed to solve the problem of delivering bad news. Communicating bad news is one example of a complex workplace problem. Incorporate strategies for analyzing group dynamics, resolving conflict, and communicating in a multicultural environment to complete the project. Each group has a dedicated discussion area to work on the assignment which begins with an individual effort. Situation: Giving Bad News to a Customer ------------------------------------------------- You are the sales manager at Easy to Be Green. One of the company’s services is to design and install energy-efficient heating, cooling, and insulation systems in both new and existing buildings. Because these systems are custom-designed and involve a variety of sub-contractors, no changes can be made to the design after a date specified in the contract. ------------------------------------------------- ------------------------------------------------- This morning one of your sales people, Chris, comes to you with a problem. The construction manager at Greenfield Community College, a new client with a huge campus and many ongoing construction and renovation projects, has written to Chris requesting a change in the location of a venting apparatus to accommodate a change in the campus’s overall design plan. The request was made...
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...communication is traded in the form of messages. Messages can be oral or non-oral like written and typed messages. There are two types of messages, first is positive and the second is negative. In our project we are going to talk about the second type which is the negative messages. We are not only going to talk about the negative messages itself. We will talk about the strategies of delivering bad or negative news. Besides, we will give some solutions and methods to make the bad news seem good or accepted. What is the negative messages ? What are the strategies or plans to deliver the negative news or messages? What is the direct plan and the indirect plan and when should we use one of them ? And, how to deliver a bad news ? All of these wonderings and questions will be answered and clarified in this report. “ To be agreeable while disagreeing – that’s an art “ Malcolm Forbes Negative Messages:- Negative message is delivering bad news or any message to which the reader and listener or any type of receivers will have an unpleasant emotional reaction. A message is classified as negative when: * The main point is negative. * The receiver will be disappointed or angry. Besides, negative messages convey disappointing and unfavorable information for the receiver. But we can use some methods and strategies to deliver the bad news and avoid any unpleasant reaction. There are two types of approaches that can help in delivering negative messages. These two approaches are direct...
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...ENGL510 Foundations of Professional Communication Writing Assignment 3 -- Bad News Message Instructions In this assignment you will complete a collaborative project designed to solve the problem of delivering bad news. Communicating bad news is one example of a complex workplace problem. Incorporate strategies for analyzing group dynamics, resolving conflict, and communicating in a multicultural environment to complete the project. Each group has a dedicated discussion area to work on the assignment which begins with an individual effort. Situation: Giving Bad News to a Customer ------------------------------------------------- You are the sales manager at Easy to Be Green. One of the company’s services is to design and install energy-efficient heating, cooling, and insulation systems in both new and existing buildings. Because these systems are custom-designed and involve a variety of sub-contractors, no changes can be made to the design after a date specified in the contract. ------------------------------------------------- ------------------------------------------------- This morning one of your sales people, Chris, comes to you with a problem. The construction manager at Greenfield Community College, a new client with a huge campus and many ongoing construction and renovation projects, has written to Chris requesting a change in the location of a venting apparatus to accommodate a change in the campus’s overall design plan. The request was made...
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...biggest challenges presented itself just two months later. Kristen had to squeeze a six week task into two weeks, while telling her team that they needed to cancel there Christmas vacation. Also, Kristen had Christmas plans with her mother and was expected to be in Barcelona, Spain during Christmas. Kristen will need to come up with several bad news messages to deliver. The messages will be to her mother, team, and boss. The bad news delivered to her mother should use an inderect organization. The use of an indirect organization will allow me to soften the blow,...
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...DIRECT AND INDIRECT APPROACHES In writing letters, memos, and e-mail messages (the focus of Chapters 2 and 3), one issue that you'll need to consider is whether your message is one that is likely to be well-received or one that may encounter resistance or ill-will--a "bad news" message of some type. Searle’s spends a good bit of time in Chapter 1 discussing tone and making sure to use a reader-centered perspective that utilizes a "you" approach and positive wording. In addition to a reader-centered perspective, however, you also should consider the difference between what is called a direct and an indirect approach when organizing letters, memos, and e-mail messages, especially ones that convey bad news. DIRECT APPROACH The direct approach anticipates no resistance to its message--for instance, "you've been hired," "your order is being shipped today," or even "the project will be done in one week." In this case, organizing your message is simple. Searle’s mentions that memos and letters should have some kind of brief introduction, sometimes as its own paragraph. If you're using the direct approach, this introduction is simply a straightforward statement of the main point of the message. For instance, if you are writing a letter to confirm an order, simply begin by stating, "We have received your order for part #23-B-4439 and are shipping it today." Then the rest of the letter can provide details like shipping time, cost, etc. Whenever possible, use the direct approach...
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...Objectives: • Apply the three-step writing process to negative messages • Compare and contrast the direct and indirect approaches to negative messages, including when it is appropriate to use each one • Identify the risks of using the indirect approach and explain how to avoid problems • Explain the importance of maintaining high standards of ethics and etiquette when delivering negative messages • Explain the role of communication in crisis management • List and discuss three guidelines for delivering negative news to job applicants Goals of Negative Messages • Convey the message • Gain acceptance of the bad news • Maintain as much goodwill as possible • Maintain a good corporate image • Minimize future correspondence The Three-Step Process • Planning o Analyze situation → Gather information → Select Medium → Get Organized • Writing o Adapt to the audience → Compose the message • Completing o Revise → Produce message → Proofread message → Distribute Message Negative Messages • Consider alternate approaches • Acknowledge cultural variations • Consider audience characteristics • Maintain ethical standards Choosing the Approach • Predicting the audience’s reaction • Knowing the audience’s preferences • Judging the importance of the news • Preserving working relationships • Getting the reader’s attention • Following organizational guidelines The Direct Approach • State the bad news • Give reasons • End with a positive close The Indirect...
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