When did the modern office come to life? Surprisingly, the answer lies with the American railway system. The office came to life when railroads began to expand across our nation. Almost all businesses in the early 1800s were local: merchants oversaw their businesses themselves. With the expansion of the railroad, the demand to employ hundreds of employees across miles of land launched the necessity for the modern-day office. To properly manage the American railroad, a new system of organization was required, which included a vast interoffice communication and management system. The birth of the business office came to life with all of its glory from paper clips to politics.
The old days of the secretary. Let’s catapult from the 1800s to 1980s. Before the personal computer entered the business world, the typing of documents at the office was the responsibility of the secretary or administrative assistant. Many large organizations implemented “typing pools,” which were designated areas within the office where secretaries focused primarily on the editing and typing documents for the management team and executives of the company. Obviously, with the introduction of the personal computer, many professionals began typing their own correspondence, which drastically reduced the number of typists needed in the workplace.
Take a memo. The days of the boss saying to a secretary, “take a memo,” are long behind us. Now, the administrative tasks of managing communication are upon us all. What’s the challenge with this situation? Many professionals have never participated in a business communications or an administrative assistant class. This chapter is dedicated to providing you with the tools to enhance your own administrative responsibilities when necessary.
It started when you were young. Do you remember sitting in elementary school listening to your teacher explain how to compose? Learning how to write was reinforced through each year of school we attended. Of course, organizing a report on the rivers of America is slightly different than drafting a business letter. For both, your information must be organized by key points with supporting facts. The essential element of the business letter is that it represents and supports your organization.
The power of parts. For business correspondence, secretaries were schooled in the organization of thoughts, ideas, and facts. They learned business messages include three key parts, which are an opening, a body, and a closing. To ensure your reader is able to assimilate your communication easily, apply these three parts when you’re composing. Each part has a distinct purpose, which is as follows:
Part 1. The opening of an e-mail, letter, or memo is the opportunity for you to convey to your reader the purpose of the communication. It’s also where you have the greatest opportunity to interest your reader by capturing his or her Attention and stating the Takeaway of your communication.
Part 2. The body of your correspondence is where you further explain the reason you’re communicating, which is accomplished through sequenced paragraphs or a paragraph with supporting details. Here, you continue to support the Relevance of your message. The body can be one bold sentence or 20 paragraphs outlining a new concept.
Part 3. In most instances, the closing of your e-mail, letter, or memo is the easiest part of writing. You provide an overview, restate your Takeaway, and express appreciation.
Hi Ashley,
Opening
Thank you for inquiring about the new Run, Run, Run Athletic Shoe. This technologically advanced shoe will be available in April at specialty retailers and on our website, where you’ll learn about a great opportunity to save!
Body
You’ll love running in the new Run, Run, Run Athletic Shoe. The shoe conforms to your foot, and the material of the midsole provides superior support. The breathable fabric of the shoe keeps your feet comfortable and dry for a jaunt down the street or a 10k run.
Closing
We’d love to hear about your experience with the new running shoes and will award you $25 off your next purchase. Simply post your thoughts on our website. We look forward to hearing from you!
Best regards,
The Run, Run, Run, Running Team
It’s about organization. Years ago, most business letters were created by a boss dictating a message to a secretary. As the boss dictated, the secretary wrote the message in shorthand and translated it later. Secretaries organized, typed, and distributed communication from short memorandums to long letters. A key element of this task was the ability to know where to put what; in other words, how to best organize and sequence the information within the correspondence. What did the clever secretary do? Administrative professionals organized the content strategically with the proper placement of the main point.
Placement is key. Where you place the main point of your communication within the document has an impact on how the reader assimilates the text. What is the main point? It’s the primary reason you’re communicating. For example, if you’re requesting a three-week vacation, do you place the request (main point) at the opening, body, or closing? The following examples explain the difference in the placement of the main point through three similar letters.
Sydney, Australia
You’re going on vacation! Your rich aunt and uncle have invited you to join them on a three-week vacation to Australia: they are paying for the entire trip, including an outback safari. Unfortunately, you only have two weeks of paid time off, and a three-week vacation request must be approved by a vice president. To convince your boss to approve the vacation, you’ve got to persuade her. In the following versions, which memo would you post in your employee file? Please note: the main point appears in italics in each version.
Version A. You’ve chosen to state the main point in the opening of your correspondence and provide supporting details in the body and the closing. This approach is the most common in composition.
Dear Boss,
Thank you for sharing your interesting story about Tasmania. As we discussed, this letter outlines my vacation plans. My request is for a three-week vacation, August 1-21. You’ll find below an overview addressing any concerns you may have.
According to our HR Department, I am entitled to ten of the fifteen days requested; however, I understand compensation will not be provided for five of these days. In addition, company policy states vacation time longer than ten days must be approved by a vice president. Therefore, upon your approval, a request form will be forwarded to Jim Studds.
You’ll find the responsibilities of my position will be met by working Saturday mornings from 7 a.m. to 1 p.m. for the next few weeks. After speaking with Larry, June, and Gary about this vacation, they have agreed to manage my responsibilities during my absence.
Your approval is greatly appreciated.
Best regards,
Your name here
Version B. The main point is placed in the body of the correspondence. Using this approach, you inform the reader with supporting details that ascend to the main point and descend with additional details. This type of communication is great when you’re leading your reader through subject matter for sales and marketing letters.
Dear Boss,
Thank you for sharing your interesting story about Tasmania. As we discussed, this letter outlines my vacation plans. You’ll find below an overview addressing any concerns you may have.
In regard to your inquiry about extended vacation time, according to our HR Department, I am entitled to ten of the fifteen days requested; however, I understand compensation will not be provided for five of these days. In addition, company policy states vacation time longer than ten days must be approved by a vice president. Therefore, upon your approval, a request form will be forwarded to Jim Studds. Overall, I am asking you to approve my request for a three-week vacation, August 1-21.
You’ll find the responsibilities of my position will be met by working Saturday mornings from 7 a.m. to 1 p.m. for the next few weeks. After speaking with Larry, June, and Gary about this vacation, they have agreed to manage my responsibilities during my absence.
Your approval is greatly appreciated.
Best regards,
Your name here
Version C. By placing the main point in the closing, you’re providing your reader with all of the supporting details leading up to the main point. This approach is good for special requests, announcements, scientific explanations with a surprising outcome, and of course, sales and marketing letters.
Dear Boss,
Thank you for sharing your interesting story about Tasmania. As we discussed, this letter outlines my vacation plans. You’ll find below an overview addressing any concerns you may have.
According to our HR Department, I am entitled to ten of the fifteen days requested; however, I understand compensation will not be provided for five of these days. In addition, company policy states vacation time longer than ten days must be approved by a vice president. Therefore, upon your approval, a request form will be forwarded to Jim Studds.
You’ll find the responsibilities of my position will be met by working Saturday mornings from 7 a.m. to 1 p.m. for the next few weeks. After speaking with Larry, June, and Gary about this vacation, they have agreed to manage my responsibilities during my absence.
Your approval of my request for a three-week vacation,
August 1-21, would be greatly appreciated.
Best regards,
Your name here
Did you notice the A.R.T. in these versions? You captured your boss’s Attention with Thank you for sharing your interesting story about Tasmania. You ensured that the message had Relevance for your boss by stating, you’ll find the responsibilities of . . . .And, the Takeaway was requesting approval for the extended vacation.
You can be a great designer when composing. Did you know there are a variety of styles to choose from to add flair to your ideas, thoughts, and facts? Rather than just stating your content, compose works that help in interesting your reader. What styles are available to you? You’ll find a sampling of styles below:
|
Feature/Benefit |
Level of importance |
Procedure |
|
Compare/Contrast |
Definition |
Interest |
|
Request/Explain |
Timing |
Positive/Negative |
Say it with Style!
Please show me. What’s the difference between making a statement and making a statement with style? Compare versions A and B in the following examples. Which version do you prefer?
Example 1: Features Only vs. Features and Benefits
Version A - features only
The new e-mail system, FST EML, will be available to all employees beginning September 1. It will be necessary for everyone to partake in an instructional seminar to learn how to use this new program. Classes will start on July 1. Each department supervisor will be contacted to set up a training class for direct reports by May 15.
Version B - features and benefits
E-mail just got easier for us! The new e-mail system, FST EML, will be available to all employees beginning September 1. FST EML will provide you with an easy-to-understand format, quick-find address system, and accept or decline buttons. To ensure the success of our new system, you’ll receive a meeting invitation for a one-hour training session by May 15. Classes will begin on July 1.
What a difference! As you know, the reader is always looking for how the content will benefit him or her (building Relevance). Providing your reader with the benefits of a feature demonstrates you’re accomplishing this objective.
Example 2: Statement vs. Compare/Contrast
Version A - statement (e-mail)
I recommend that we hold our national meeting in May at the Redwood Resort in Florida, rather than at the Maine Adirondack Resort. The cost is the same for both.
Version B - compare/contrast (meeting invitation)
Do you prefer Florida or Maine? Should we consider holding our national meeting at the Redwood Resort in Florida, rather than at the Maine Adirondack Resort? As always, the meeting will take place the first week of May. With the conference in Florida, the weather will be more accommodating for the attendees; as a result, we can also sponsor our annual golf outing. The Maine facility is offering us an extremely reasonable room rate, yet the airfare to Florida is less costly than Maine. Overall, the cost of the meeting is the same whether it’s in Florida or Maine. Please accept this meeting invitation to finalize.
Florida or Maine? A compare/contrast paragraph makes the text more interesting to read and provides the necessary evidence to support the main point.
Example 3: Request vs. Request and Explain
Version A - request (e-mail)
The copier machine has required too much maintenance. I’d like to purchase a new copier for our department. The cost is $650.00, and I believe it’s a great price.
Version B - request/explain (meeting invitation)
It’s time to meet about our copier. Over the past several months, the copier machine in our department has required maintenance three times: the total cost was $476.75. The repairperson informed us that the machine would require additional parts within the next three months, which will total approximately $275.00. Because the copier is seven years old, do you agree with me that we should purchase a new one? The cost of a new copier is $650.00. Furthermore, this copier will include additional features, including collating and stapling of documents.
Explain of course! Provide your reader with an explanation. You may not want to provide too much information, yet just enough to make an educated decision.
Do you enjoy when someone remembers a special event in your life? How does it make you feel? Most likely, you appreciate when someone says, “happy birthday.” Acknowledging a milestone, anniversary, or birthday helps you build relationships with colleagues and clients. As we learned in Chapter 4, by complimenting others, you’re also building your own self-esteem. How? For example, when you recognize colleagues’ work anniversaries, you’re enhancing your chances of those people liking you. Overall, when you give someone a compliment, you then consider yourself to be a good person; therefore, you build your own self-esteem. As you know, it’s important to be well acquainted with the recipient, as well as sincere when recognizing him or her.
Did you just read the words paper calendar? Yes, you did. You might be thinking, “I have my electronic calendar. It alerts me when I have an appointment.” Why should you use a paper calendar, as well as an electronic one? As you learned, the power of writing information down is beneficial for memorizing and creating. A paper calendar by month provides you with an overview of key dates and space for you to write down your meetings and key objectives, both professional and personal. In particular, a 10” x 16” or 8 1/2” x 11” wire-bound, monthly calendar allows you to view month by month with plenty of room to write your goals and meetings on each date. What else should you do? Write in pencil. It’s just easier to erase because life is all about change!
Essentials of correspondence. As we reviewed at the opening of this book, before e-mail, professionals relied on paper letters and memorandums to communicate, which secretaries typed and distributed. The three key guidelines secretaries followed in developing correspondence were as follows: (1) keep the letter or memorandum to one page, (2) focus on one topic, and (3) organize the message into three parts (open, body, closing). On another note, the power of three also helps with persuasion, which is often the goal of business communication.
In a study conducted by professors Kurt A. Carlson of Georgetown University McDonough School of Business and Suzanne B. Shu of the UCLA Anderson School of Management, they found if you’re seeking to persuade, the optimal number is three. Based on their report, “When Three Charms but Four Alarms: Identifying the Optimal Number of Claims in Persuasion Settings,” they found the number of positive claims that should be used to produce the most positive impression of a product or service is simply, three. When the fourth claim is introduced, consumers’ persuasion knowledge causes them to see all of the claims with skepticism.
Get your time back. What is the smartest way to file all of those e-mails you receive? The answer is not to file these messages at all. Those of us who have 20, 50, or even 100 file folders in our personal information manager or e-mail program are working inefficiently. According to IBM research, filing your e-mails is more time-consuming than keeping them all in one folder. In the study, it took users 58 seconds to locate a past e-mail in organized folders, yet the average search time for a file in one big folder only took 17 seconds. IBM research revealed that just using the search function can be much faster than navigating through folders to find old messages. In total, users were wasting more than 20 minutes a day filing e-mail, which equates to more than 1 ½ hours per week.
KISS. Do you prefer to organize your e-mail in folders? If your organization chooses to send e-mail than post content, you may want to consider filing these messages with the concept of KISS, which is “Keep it Simple and Smart.” Choose a basic folder system with no more than four or five folders. Here’s an example:
• Your name (e-mails pertaining to key responsibilities)
• Corporate (company-wide e-mails to all employees)
• Reference (key timelines, instruction)
• My benefits (employee information)
This system allows you to keep your inbox free of too many e-mail messages and spend less time filing.
Vacation. The secretary knew the importance of getting out of the office. Of course, assisting people all day long was often quite tiresome and stressful. Smart professionals understand the importance of a break. Employees who take time off from their positions are often more dedicated, productive, satisfied, and healthier than those who forgo time off. What makes time off even better? Don’t access your e-mail or answer your business telephone. Your company has provided you with an opportunity to relax, so take it!
Buy! Enjoy the benefits of great reference books at your fingertips. Here is a list of suggested books that will help you improve your communication skills:
• Dictionary
• Thesaurus
• The Gregg Reference Manual
• Vocabulary building books
The more you know. You can easily select a template to create a letter or memorandum. However, knowing the key elements and spacing requirements means you won’t have to rely on an administrative assistant or a template. The following pages depict how to format a letter (Block Style) and memorandum.
Looking to learn more? Again, The Gregg Reference Manual features a guide to formatting letters, memorandums, reports, and many other documents.
