BU 3073 Unit 2 PDF

THE SEVEN Cs OF EFFECTIVE BUSINESS COMMUNICATION Unit 2 © pcelicamaja 2023 SCHOOL OF BUSINESS UNIT 2 LEARNING OUTCOMES • Explain why concise writing is important in professional communication • Identify common causes of wordy writing • Recognize the elements that characterize strong professiona...

THE SEVEN Cs OF EFFECTIVE BUSINESS COMMUNICATION Unit 2 © pcelicamaja 2023 SCHOOL OF BUSINESS UNIT 2 LEARNING OUTCOMES • Explain why concise writing is important in professional communication • Identify common causes of wordy writing • Recognize the elements that characterize strong professional style • Understand the 7 Cs of effective business communication • Apply the Seven Cs of Communication to make writing more concise and precise UNIT 2 OUTLINE Part 1: What is Rhetorical Theory Part 2: Avoiding Clutter Part 3: Unit 3 The 7 Cs of Communication Part 4: Chapter Quiz Part 5: Revising for Clarity UNIT 2 REVIEW: RHETORICAL THEORY PART 1 (QuotesGram, n.d) REVIEW WHAT IS RHETORIC? • Rhetoric is a set of principles that allow a speaker or writer to persuade an audience to take a specific action. • These principles will help us understand how we are persuaded by messages how we can use those principles to persuade others in professional contexts. This Photo by Unknown Author is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND UNIT 2 KEY WORDS & CONCEPTS (Gawley et al., 2021) REVIEW ARISTOTLE • Aristotle is the most famous teacher of rhetoric. • He believed that anyone could learn the art of persuasion through practice. • His three modes of appeal are considered one of the best ways to persuade others. (Gawley et al., 2021) This Photo by Unknown Author is licensed under CC BY-SA-NC THE THREE MODES OF APPEAL LOGOS, PATHOS, & ETHOS Logos = when authors or speakers use logic, careful structure and objective evidence to appeal to the audience. Pathos = when authors or speakers try to tap into an audience’s emotions to get them to agree with a claim. Ethos = when authors or speakers appeal to the values of an audience and try to establish their own credibility and character. THE RHETORICAL TRIANGLE (Cruthers, 2020) TIP & TRICKS To be successful at persuasion, a person must use all three modes of appeal when constructing their message. (Gawley et al., 2021) UNIT 2 REVIEW: QUIZ • On your device, go to Kahoot.it • Enter the PIN code KAHOOT APP - APPLE KAHOOT APP - ANDROID SO FAR, WE HAVE DISCUSSED… • the importance of writing with the reader in mind • striking the right tone for your audience, message, and purpose • writing constructively and persuasively Now we move onto the actual writing itself. (Gawley et al., 2021) WRITING PORTFOLIO 3.1 AVOIDING CLUTTER PART 2 WHAT MAKES EFFECTIVE WRITING? • Effective writing communicates an idea clearly and concisely • Effective writing is elegant and stylish This Photo by Unknown Author is licensed under CC BY-ND THINK ABOUT IT OK…but what about…? • • • • • Inborn talent? Years of English and Communication classes? An artistic nature? The influence of alcohol and drugs? Divine inspiration? EFFECTIVE WRITERS… • have something to say. • use logical and clear thinking. • employ a few simple, learnable rules of style (The 7 Cs of Communication). Take home message: Writing to inform is a craft, not an art. KEY CHRACTERISTICS OF BUSINESS COMMUNICATION PRECISE CONCISE • Clear • Terse • Specific • Succinct • Factual • Brief • Accurate • Incisive • Objective • Active verbs WORDINESS Wordiness means using more words than necessary within a sentence, For example, instead of This Photo by Unknown Author is licensed under CC BY-ND “The singer said on Twitter over and over again that he was a much better singer than his childhood rival,” Try “The singer repeatedly tweeted that he was more talented than his rival”? (Gawley et al., 2021) LET’S PRACTICE o Each of sentence on the following two slides contain SOMETHING that should either be CUT completely or RESTATED in fewer words o Let’s cross out the words that are excessive and replace them if necessary o We can also COMBINE sentences or ideas to cut words that way This Photo by Unknown Author is licensed under CC BY-ND REDUCING CLUTTER EXAMPLE #1 The politician really talked a lot about all of the various voters, volunteers, donors, and workers who had made the new, impressive, state-of-the-art library possible. CHOOSE ONLY ONE ADJECTIVE (Secondary Sara, 2021) REDUCING CLUTTER EXAMPLE #2 Under the current law, new drivers who just got their licenses are not allowed to drive on the road after 9:00PM at night. (Secondary Sara, 2021) REFLECT What have you learned about concise & writing from PART 2? This Photo by Unknown Author is licensed under CC BY-ND THE SEVEN Cs of BUSINESS COMMUNICATION PART 3 THE SEVEN Cs OF EFFECTIVE BUSINESS COMMUNICATION The 7 Cs are simply seven words that begin with C that characterize strong professional style. Applying the 7 Cs of professional communication will result in writing that is • • • • • • • This Photo by Unknown Author is licensed under CC BY-SA-NC Clear Coherent Concise Concrete Correct Complete Courteous (Gawley et al., 2021) CLEAR • involves knowing what you want to say before you say it because often a lack of clarity comes from unclear thinking or poor planning • conveys the purpose of the document immediately to the reader; • matches vocabulary to the audience, avoiding jargon and unnecessary technical or obscure language while at the same time being precise • each sentence conveys one idea • each paragraph thoroughly develops one unified concept This Photo by Unknown Author is licensed under CC BY-ND COHERENT • This ensure the reader can easily follow your ideas and your train of thought. • One idea should lead logically into the next through the use of transitional words and phrases, structural markers, planned repetition, sentences with clear subjects, headings that are clear, and effective and parallel lists • Writing that lacks coherence often sounds “choppy” and ideas seem disconnected or incomplete. • Coherently connecting ideas is like building bridges between islands of thought so the reader can easily move from one idea to the next. (Gawley et al., 2021) CONCRETE • Specific, precise language will paint a picture for your readers so that they can more easily understand your ideas • If you have to explain an abstract concept or idea, try to use examples, analogies, and precise language to illustrate it • Use measurable descriptors whenever possible • Avoid vague terms like “big” or “good” • Try to get your readers to “see” your ideas by using specific terms and descriptions This Photo by Unknown Author is licensed under CC BY-ND (Gawley et al., 2021) CORRECT • Use standard English punctuation, sentence structure, usage, and grammar • Being correct also means providing accurate information • Use the right document type and form for the task (Gawley et al., 2021) COMPLETE • Includes all requested information and answers all relevant questions • The more concrete and specific you are, the more likely your document will be complete as well • Review your checklist of specifications before submitting your document to its intended reader (Gawley et al., 2021) COURTEOUS • Design a reader-friendly, easy-to-read document; using tactful language and appropriate modes of addressing the audience • Avoid potentially offensive terminology, usage, and tone • Without courtesy you cannot be constructive (Gawley et al., 2021) CONCISE • Use the least words possible to convey the most meaning while still maintaining clarity • Avoid unnecessary padding, awkward phrasing, overuse of “to be” forms (is, are, was, were, am, be, being), long preposition strings, vagueness, unnecessary repetition and redundancy • Use active verbs whenever possible, and take the time to choose a single word rather than a long phrase or cliched expression This Photo by Unknown Author is licensed under CC BY-ND (Gawley et al., 2021) • Think of your word count like a budget; be cost effective by making sure every word you choose does effective work for you • Cut a word, save a buck! THE 7 CS OF COMMUNICATION: MIDTOOL VIDEOS TIPS FOR PRECISE WRITING This Photo by Unknown Author is licensed under CC BY-SA REPLACE ABSTRACT NOUNS WITH VERBS (Gawley et al., 2021) PREFER SHORT WORDS TO LONG WORDS AND PHRASES (Gawley et al., 2021) AVOID CLICHÉS (Gawley et al., 2021) This Photo by Unknown Author is licensed under CC BY-ND SEE: CLICHES & IDIOMS IN DIFFERENT LANGUAGES HERE AVOID CLUTTERED CONSTRUCTIONS (Gawley et al., 2021) USE ACCURATE WORDING (Gawley et al., 2021) For a comprehensive list of words and phrases that should be used with caution, see Kim Blank’s “Wordiness, Wordiness, Wordiness List.” PREFER THE ACTIVE VOICE (Gawley et al., 2021) PRACTICE HERE THE PASSIVE AND ACTIVE VOICE: EVERYTHING YOU SHOULD KNOW (Grammarly, 2023) UNIT 2 CHAPTER QUIZ PART 4 UNIT 2 QUIZ DESCRIPTION SIGN INTO BLACKBOARD Based on the Unit 2 Lecture Due on the midnight before next class 15 questions in total Open book 20-minute time-limit Download to your Apple® device No backtracking Download to your Android™ device Value 5% REVISING FOR CLARITY PART 4 PUTTING ALL THE 7 Cs TOGETHER (Gawley et al., 2021) REFERENCE LIST • Cruthers, A. (2020). The rhetorical triangle: Ethos, pathos and logos. Business Writing For Everyone. https://kpu.pressbooks.pub/businesswriting/chapter/the-rhetoricaltriangle-ethos-pathos-and-logos/ • Dias, O. (n.d.). 7 C’s of effective communication [with examples]. LinkedIn. https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/7-cs-effective-communication-examples-odell-dias/ • Free downloads on TPT. Secondary Sara. (2021). https://www.secondarysara.com/ • Gawley, D., Bennetch, R., Owen, C., & Keesey, Z. (2021). Appendix C: The Seven CS. Effective Professional Communication A Rhetorical Approach. https://openpress.usask.ca/rcm200/chapter/polishing-the-report/ • Grammarly. (2023). The passive and active voice: Everything you should know. YouTube. https://youtu.be/0q9JQtZF5tg • Krishna, D. (2018). Decoding 7C’s in effective communication. Reseach Gate. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/358347670_Decoding_7C’s_in_Effective_Co mmunication • Rhetoric quotes. QuotesGram. (n.d.). https://quotesgram.com/rhetoric-quotes/