Objectives of Technical Writing

OBJECTIVES OF TECHNICAL WRITING

Clarity

Technical writing must be clearly worded and developed to avoid confusing its audience.

Conciseness

Concise technical writing saves time for both writers and readers.

Accuracy

Avoid grammatical errors by proofreading your work so that you will communicate effectively and appear professional.

Organization

Organize your thoughts to help your readers better understand your documents.

CLARITY

The ultimate goal of good technical writing is clarity. If you write a memo, letter, or report that is unclear to your readers, then what have you accomplished?

You have wasted time. If your readers must write you a follow-up inquiry to determine your needs, this wastes their time. Once you receive the inquiry, you must rewrite your correspondence, trying to clarify your initial intentions. You have now written twice to accomplish the same goal. This wastes your time.

To avoid these time-consuming endeavors, write for clarity. But how do you do this?

Provide Specific Detail

One way to achieve clarity is by supplying specific, quantified information. If you write using vague, abstract adjectives or adverbs, such as some or recently, your readers will interpret these words in different ways. The adverb recently will mean thirty minutes ago to one reader, yesterday to another, and last week to a third reader. This adverb, therefore, is not clear. The same applies to an adjective like some. You write, “I need some information about the budget.” Your readers can only guess what you mean by some. Do you want the desired budget increase for 2005, the budget expenditures for 2000, the allotted budget increase for 2006, the guidelines for implementing a budget increase, the budgeted allotment for travel, or the explanation for the budget decrease for training?

Answer the Reporter’s Questions

A second way to write clearly is to answer the reporter’s questions—who, what, when, where, why, and how. The best way we can emphasize the importance of answering these reporter’s questions is by sharing with you the following memo, written by a highly placed executive, to a newly hired employee. Memo is given on page 49.

Use Easily Understandable Words

Another key to clarity is using words that your readers can understand easily. Avoid obscure words and be careful when you use acronyms, abbreviations, and jargon.

Avoiding Obscure Words

A good rule of thumb is to write to express, not to impress; write to communicate, not to confuse. If your reader must use a dictionary, you are not writing clearly. Try to make sense of the following examples of unclear writing.

The following rules are to be used when determining whether or not to duplicate messages:

•Do not duplicate non-duplicatable messages.

•A message is considered non-duplicatable if it has already been duplicated.

Your job duties will be to ensure that distributed application modifications will execute without abnormal termination through the creation of production JCL system testing.

These examples were written by businesspeople who were trying to communicate something. The examples are filled with outdated terms that are difficult to understand.

Obscure Words Alternative Words

Aforementioned already discussed initial first in lieu of instead of accede agree as per your request as you requested issuance send this is to advise you I’d like you to know subsequent later in as much as because ascertain find out pursuant to after forward mail

cognizant know endeavor try remittance pay disclose show attached herewith attached pertain to about supersede replace obtain get

Impressive writing is correspondence we can understand easily. A modern thrust in technical writing is to write the way you speak—unless you speak poorly. Try to be casual, almost conversational.

Using Acronyms, Abbreviations, and Jargon

In addition to obscure words, a similar obstacle to readers is created by acronyms, abbreviations, and jargon.

We have all become familiar with common acronyms such as scuba (self contained underwater breathing apparatus), radar (radio detecting and ranging),

NASA (National Aeronautics and Space Administration), FICA (Federal

Insurance Contributions Act), and MADD (Mothers Against Drunk Driving)— single words created from the first letters of multiple words. We are comfortable with abbreviations like FBI (Federal Bureau of Investigation), JFK (John F. Kennedy), NFL (National Football League), IBM (International Business Machines), and LA (Los Angeles). Some jargon (in-house language) has become so common that we reject it as a cliché. Baseball jargon is a good example. It is hard to tolerate sportscasters who speak baseball jargon, describing line drives as “frozen ropes” and fast balls as “heaters.”

However, more often than not, acronyms, abbreviations, and jargon cause problems, not because they are too common but because no one understands them. Your technical writing loses clarity if you depend on them. You might think your readers understand them, but do they?

Non Verbal communication Modes

Non-Verbal Communication Modes

 What is non-verbal communication?

Definition  “nonverbal communication involves those nonverbal stimuli in a communication setting that are generated by both the source [speaker] and his or her use of the environment and that have potential message value for the source or receiver [listener].   Basically it is sending and receiving messages in a variety of ways without the use of verbal codes (words).  It is both intentional and unintentional.  Most speakers / listeners are not conscious of this.   It includes — but is not limited to:

• touch
• glance
• eye contact (gaze)
• volume
• vocal nuance
• proximity
• gestures
• facial expression ? pause (silence)
• intonation
• dress
• posture
• smell
• word choice and syntax
• sounds (paralanguage)

Broadly speaking, there are two basic categories of non-verbal language:
        nonverbal messages produced by the body;
        nonverbal messages produced by the broad setting (time, space, silence)

Why is non-verbal communication important?

Basically, it is one of the key aspects of communication (and especially important in a high-context culture).  It has multiple functions:
 

• Used to repeat the verbal message (e.g. point in a direction while stating directions.
• Often used to accent a verbal message. (e.g. verbal tone indicates the actual meaning of the specific words).
• Often complement the verbal message but also may contradict.  E.g.: a nod reinforces a positive message (among Americans); a “wink” may contradict a stated positive message.
• Regulate interactions (non-verbal cues covey when the other person should speak or not speak).
• May substitute for the verbal message (especially if it is blocked by noise, interruption, etc) — i.e. gestures (finger to lips to indicate need for quiet), facial expressions (i.e. a nod instead of a yes).

Note the implications of the proverb: “Actions speak louder than words.”  In essence, this underscores the importance of non-verbal communication.  Non-verbal communication is especially significant in intercultural situations. Probably non-verbal differences account for typical difficulties in communicating.

Cultural Differences in Non-verbal Communication

1. General Appearance and Dress

All cultures are concerned for how they look and make judgements based on looks and dress.  Americans, for instance, appear almost obsessed with dress and personal attractiveness.  Consider differing cultural standards on what is attractive in dress and on what constitutes modesty. Note ways dress is used as a sign of status?

2. Body Movement

We send information on attitude toward person (facing or leaning towards another), emotional statue (tapping fingers, jiggling coins), and desire to control the environment (moving towards or away from a person).

More than 700,000 possible motions we can make — so impossible to categorize them all!  But just need to be aware the body movement and position is a key ingredient in sending messages.

3. Posture

Consider the following actions and note cultural differences:

• Bowing (not done, criticized, or affected in US; shows rank in Japan)
• Slouching (rude in most Northern European areas)
• Hands in pocket (disrespectful in Turkey)
• Sitting with legs crossed (offensive in Ghana, Turkey)
• Showing soles of feet. (Offensive in Thailand, Saudi Arabia)
• Even in US, there is a gender difference on acceptable posture?

4. Gestures

Impossible to catalog them all.  But need to recognize: 1) incredible possibility and variety and 2) that an acceptable in one’s own culture may be offensive in another.  In addition, amount of gesturing varies from culture to culture.  Some cultures are animated; other restrained.  Restrained cultures often feel animated cultures lack manners and overall restraint.  Animated cultures often feel restrained cultures lack emotion or interest.

Even simple things like using hands to point and count differ.

Pointing: US with index finger; Germany with little finger; Japanese with entire hand (in fact most Asians consider pointing with index finger to be rude)

Counting:  Thumb = 1 in Germany, 5 in Japan, middle finger for 1 in Indonesia.  

5. Facial Expressions

While some say that facial expressions are identical, meaning attached to them differs.  Majority opinion is that these do have similar meanings world-wide with respect to smiling, crying, or showing anger, sorrow, or disgust.  However, the intensity varies from culture to culture.  Note the following:

• Many Asian cultures suppress facial expression as much as possible.
• Many Mediterranean (Latino / Arabic) cultures exaggerate grief or sadness while most American men hide grief or sorrow.
• Some see “animated” expressions as a sign of a lack of control.
• Too much smiling is viewed in as a sign of shallowness.
• Women smile more than men.

 

6. Eye Contact and Gaze

In USA, eye contact indicates: degree of attention or interest, influences attitude change or persuasion, regulates interaction, communicates emotion, defines power and status, and has a central role in managing impressions of others.

 

7. Touch

             Touch is culturally determined!  But each culture has a clear concept of what parts of the body one may not touch.  Basic message of touch is to affect or control  — protect, support, disapprove (i.e. hug, kiss, hit, kick).

• Islamic and Hindu:  typically don’t touch with the left hand.  To do so is a social insult.  Left hand is for toilet functions.  Mannerly in India to break your bread only with your right hand (sometimes difficult for non-Indians)
•  Islamic cultures generally don’t approve of any touching between genders (even hand shakes). 
• Many Asians don’t touch the head (Head houses the soul and a touch puts it in jeopardy).  
2. Smell

• USA — fear of offensive natural smells (billion dollar industry to mask objectionable odors with what is perceived to be pleasant ) — again connected with “attractiveness” concept.
• Many other cultures consider natural body odors as normal (Arabic).
• Asian cultures (Filipino, Malay, Indonesian, Thai, Indian) stress frequent bathing — and often criticize USA of not bathing often enough!

 

4. Paralanguage

• Vocal characterizers (laugh, cry, yell, moan, whine, belch, and yawn).  These send different messages in different cultures (Japan — giggling indicates embarrassment; India – belch indicates satisfaction)
• Vocal qualifiers (volume, pitch, rhythm, tempo, and tone).  Loudness indicates strength in Arabic cultures and softness indicates weakness; indicates confidence and authority to the Germans,; indicates impoliteness to the Thais; indicates loss of control to the Japanese. (Generally, one learns not to “shout” in Asia for nearly any reason!).  Gender based as well: women tend to speak higher and more softly than men.
• Vocal segregates (un-huh, shh, uh, ooh, mmmh, humm, eh, mah, lah).  Segregates indicate formality, acceptance, assent, uncertainty.

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Nonverbal Communication

    * Importance of Nonverbal Communication
    * Function of Nonverbal Communication
    * Types of Nonverbal Communication
          o Physical Characteristics
          o Clothing
          o Territoriality
          o Posture
          o Facial Expressions
          o Gestures


NONVERBAL COMMUNICATION
Importance of Nonverbal Communication

Nonverbal communication is the use of gestures, facial expressions, and other non-audible expressions to transmit a message. Notice that this says "to transmit a message." It does not say "to transmit your message" or "to transmit your intended message." Frequently, people send conflicting verbal and nonverbal messages. When your nonverbal message conflicts with your verbal message the NONVERBAL message will be believed (actions speak louder than words). If you are not aware of, and do not attend to your nonverbal signals you could unintentionally send the wrong message.

There are additional explanations of the importance of nonverbal messages. In "Silent Messages,"
Function of Nonverbal Communication

Nonverbal communication can complement, repeat, contradict, regulate, replace, or accentuate our verbal and vocal messages.

Nonverbal cues complement a message by adding reinforcement to what is said. Nonverbal cues that complement a message would not convey the message if used alone. Complementary cues support the intended message. An example would be the distance between people. Generally, employees stand farther away from a boss than from a co-worker. Doing so does not convey much of a message by itself (especially if they are facing away from each other); but, when coupled with a friendly "Hello" in response to the boss's "Good morning", it does. It shows that you are responsive and respectful and that you are not challenging the boss's authority.

When a nonverbal cue adds to the verbal message, but could also stand alone, it is repeating the message. For example, if someone told you some gossip and you rolled your eyes as you said, "I don't believe it", you would be repeating your message. Either part could stand alone and still convey your disbelief.

Nonverbal messages can contradict verbal messages when they convey a meaning opposite to what is being said. A look of boredom or distraction while the boss discusses over lunch the finer points of bulk buying discounts and inventory control effectively negates comments like "How interesting!"

Nonverbal communication can regulate a conversation by controlling the course of the discussion. For instance, touching someone's arm can send a signal that you wish to speak or that you wish to interrupt.

Substitution occurs when the nonverbal message replaces the verbal. Once again, actions speak louder than words. Substitution occurs when a boss gives someone an unwanted assignment and, instead of refusing or verbally protesting, the person stares coldly at the boss for a few seconds before turning to perform the task.

Accenting differs from complementing in that accenting punctuates a part of a message, rather then lending general support to the entire message. Poking a finger into someone's chest is an example of accenting verbal communications.

These functions of nonverbal communication should be kept in mind as the types of nonverbal communication are discussed.
Types of Nonverbal Communication

Physical Characteristics

A person's physical characteristics have a large impact on communications because we are highly visual creatures and because visual data is the most immediate information we receive about someone. Think of all the people you know and compare that to the number of people on this planet. Of course, you know a very small percentage. However, you can instantly recognize a known face in a crowd. You may not know the person's name, but you will know if you have seen that person before. This is an amazing feat, considering that all faces are essentially the same (two eyes, a nose, a mouth, et cetera).

Although it is not always fair, it has been documented that people stereotype others based on immediate, visual impressions. It has been found that people respond more favorably to individuals who are attractive, clean, well groomed and well dressed. This has three applications for you. Remember this when applying for a job--many bosses make a major portion of the decision to hire a person based on their initial, visual impression. Be aware of these reactions with supervisors, as visual impressions could affect your evaluations or chances for promotion. Also, co-workers will respond more favorably to you if you are groomed appropriately.

Other stereotypes have been found to be based on body habitus. You may be limited in the amount of influence you can exercise over your body style, but awareness of these assumptions may explain why certain people react the way they do. For example, many people identify fat people as being more talkative, good natured, dependent, and trusting. On the other hand, thin people are sometimes seen as more ambitious, tense, stubborn, pessimistic, and quiet. Some people feel that muscular people are more adventurous and mature. Again, these things are not always true and are not always fair, but these prejudices have been found to exist.

Clothing

Clothes not only affect the way others perceive us, but they affect the way we feel about ourselves. People with new, stylish clothes generally feel more comfortable. Clothes that do not fit well make people look uncomfortable, unkempt, and disorganized. Clothes that are dirty, worn, or wrinkled can give others the impression that you don't care enough about yourself. Some then assume that, if you don't care enough to look professional, you don't care enough to do professional work. Clothes can also communicate economic status, occupation, and values.

Applying this information to the work environment, keep in mind job interviews, reactions of supervisors, and reaction of co-workers. When applying for a job you should look professional--business like, neat, and well groomed, but not over done.

As mentioned with respect to physical characteristics, the way you dress could affect evaluations and promotions. Bosses may be hesitant to give a promotion to someone that dresses poorly, and risk sending a message to other workers that such an appearance is acceptable.

Territoriality

People like to keep others a certain distance away from them depending on how they were raised, how well they know the other people, and the status of the other people. In the U.S., casual friends or acquaintances are usually kept 24 to 40 inches away. Personal friends are usually allowed to come within six to eighteen inches. Intimate friends are allowed to come within six inches (as when someone is whispering).

Cultural differences associated with territoriality sometimes appear in the work world. In some cultures people stand much closer when speaking than is common in America. For example, Puerto Ricans stand close together when conversing. To back away from them is considered rude. This sometimes leads to a kind of dance. One person moves in too close, the other backs away, and so on. This can cover quite a distance. Sometimes the person that prefers more personal space will maneuver a table between them. As a last resort, some people will cross their arms in front of them, thus saving the last few inches for themselves.

As far as communication with managers is concerned, in North America people of higher rank expect, and are given, more personal space than people of lesser rank. When this is not possible, as in an elevator, tension results. Everyone in the elevator will usually become silent and stare at the floor indicator panel.

The relationship between a manager and a subordinate can also be communicated through territoriality. To begin with, being called to the manager's office means that you are on his or her turf. Being called to the manager's office, as opposed to the manager stopping by your work area, can indicate that the manager expects this to be a formal meeting. Once in the office, managers may convey their higher status by expanding their territory. This can be established by a manager leaning back in his or her chair and by putting his or her feet up.

Subordinates can also use territoriality to send messages. Sitting somewhere other than in the designated chair or to remain standing would indicate a challenge to the manager's status or defiance of the manager's authority. Another way to challenge the boss would be to lean or sit on his or her desk or intentionally to stand closer to the manager than normal. To many managers, the ultimate act of defiance would be for the subordinate to sit in the manager’s chair.

Posture

Posture can be used to send a message or to read another person's intent. Postural nonverbal communication channels include body orientation, arm position, leg position, and general sitting posture.

Face-to-face communication is what most bosses expect when speaking to subordinates. To do otherwise would be an act of defiance or anger. When in a group, orienting your body away from the group or boss shows that you are avoiding the situation or are trying to distance yourself from the group or conversation. When a boss addresses a group of workers, they usually form a semicircle in front of the manager. If the group leaves some space for others to join it, then it is indicating its openness. If the body orientations do not allow for others, then the group is conveying that it is closed to others.

When people cross their arms in front of themselves, they are closed, or showing a defensive posture. Approaching the boss with a request or a new idea when he or she is in this position could be a mistake. The same position, with a hand tapping the arm, conveys impatience or anger. Better to approach this person later. Another arm position that can tell you not to approach someone is when the hands are grasped together behind the back while the person is walking. Generally this means the person is deep in thought, and you may not wish to break a manager's concentration.

Crossed legs convey a closed attitude just as crossed arms do. Legs draped over the arm of a chair or propped up on a desk may indicate a relaxed, casual attitude. More often these gestures are related to a feeling of superiority and are consanguineous to territoriality.

General sitting posture may convey messages also. Sitting behind a desk maintains territoriality and accentuates differences in status. On the other hand, some managers keep a round table in the office. Conferences are held at the table instead of a the desk in order to promote openness and to de-emphasize status. Having a reclining chair allows a supervisor to lean back with his or her hands placed behind his head. This is meant to transmit superiority and an aggressive attitude.

Facial Expressions

The face is the most expressive area for nonverbal communications, and we spend a great amount of time looking at it during a discussion. The wide variety of emotions expressed through the face are a part of everyone's repertoire. To demonstrate this, try watching television with the sound off. It is amazing how well the storyline can be followed.

Eye contact deserves special mention. Americans generally give more eye contact when listening. In other words, a speaker only glances at the listener, while the polite listener looks at the speaker's eyes or face. However, a hard stare indicates anger, aggression, or defensiveness. When a listener looks down at the floor while being accused of something, it is often taken as an admission of guilt. We also tend to look away when asking an embarrassing question or one that makes us feel uncomfortable.

Keep in mind that there are cultural differences involving eye contact. In some cultures, especially Spanish-speaking, looking down is a sign of respect. In Britain, eye contact is the opposite of the way it is in the U.S.. In the U.S. the listener looks at the speaker more than the speaker looks at the listener; the speaker looks briefly at the listener and then looks away. In Britain the speaker gives more eye contact then the listener. If a British manager and an American worker were talking to each ,other they could look at each other and away from each other at exactly the wrong time for both of them.

Attention to your eye contact with managers and co-workers is important in order to send the desired nonverbal message. People of higher status in the U.S. expect to receive more eye contact than they give. Conversely, less eye contact is given to someone whose position is below yours. Avoiding eye contact with a boss can signal indecisiveness, dishonesty, or an attempt to avoid being noticed. Prolonged eye contact (staring) shows that you disagree with what the person is saying or that you are challenging the speaker's authority over you.

Gestures

Hand gestures can almost be as expressive as facial gestures. Anger can be communicated by making a fist or by a stab of an index finger into someone's chest. Throwing the hands and arms into the air can communicate exasperation. Arms crossed in front of the body show a closed or defensive attitude. Confidence is sometimes shown with the hands placed on the hips. Wringing the hands displays nervousness. Hesitation is sometimes shown by a person holding his or her earlobe. Careful attention to your hands and those of others would doubtless reveal even more.

Thus far the hand gestures mentioned have involved one person. Probably the most frequent polite hand gesture involving two people is the handshake. If someone offers you his or her hand so that it is perpendicular to the floor, a neutral attitude is being conveyed. A hand with the palm facing down indicates that the person feels that he or she is dominant. This is also true if the hand starts vertical (neutral) and then is turned so that it is on top of yours. On the other hand (no pun intended), a person with the palm facing up is revealing an open and cooperative attitude. The slight palm-up offering should be the one used with your boss when you do NOT wish to challenge his or her position or authority.

Non verbal Communication

NON-VERBAL COMMUNICATION

Communication may be defined as the transfer of thought, idea and belief.

Human beings are able to communicate in a variety of ways besides the use of words. This type of communication is called non-verbal communication.

The communication in non-verbal format would be signals, symbols and gestures.

Within a single culture the non-verbal symbols may have a single meaning but when people of different backgrounds interact the interpretation of the symbols and gestures change or they assume a new meaning.

Example of an American and an Arab roommate

It is a common practice for a young American to put up his feet on the furniture with his soles upwards. This is strongly disliked by the Arab roommate. Showing of feet and particularly the sole is unclean and is considered an insult. It is an unacceptable practice in the nearly all-Muslim societies.

With the rapid globalization in the past thirty years non-verbal communication has assumed a new meaning. Its understanding and application has become necessary. The globalization of business has thrown people of different cultures together, their success and survival depends upon deciphering and understanding the signals and gestures of different cultures.

There are many different modes of non-verbal communication but we will look into three of them, these are:

1. BODY LANGUAGE

a.            Eye contact

b.            Smiling

c.            Gestures

2. TIME

3. SPACE

BODY LANGUAGE

           

Among humans, body language accounts for a large part of meaningful communication like the way we sit, stand, gesture or orient ourselves in a group. Let us look at the various aspects of body language.

Eye Contact

Eye contact in a business environment is a very important aspect of body language. This is especially important in international business setting. Different cultures interpret eye contact in different perspective.

v      In the sub-continent eyes are dropped as a sign of respect

v      Japanese are taught to look at neck

v      Americans consider eye contact as sign of honesty

v      On the other hand Koreans consider prolonged eye contact as rude.

These differences of eye contact methods, in a multicultural situation often lead to miscommunication.

Smiling

The tradition of smiling varies from culture to culture. Smiling is one of the gestures, which is liked on everybody’s face. It normally is a good opener in any conversation. Smiling sometimes has a different connotation in different cultures.

v      Americans have a tendency to smile at strangers.

v      German’s smiles are reserved for friends only

v      Japanese smile when they are pleased or amused. Japanese also smile when they are about to say, “That’s none of your business”.

Gestures

A gesture is defined as movement of hand or body to express an emotion or intention.

There is no single gesture or body motion, which has the same meaning in all the societies.

v      Let us look at the gesture, which in the western society means “Well done!” or “Go ahead!” i.e. the thumbs up sign.

It is considered a vulgar insult in Greece and in the subcontinent.

v      Let us look at another gesture of forming a circle with the thumb and the forefinger. This means “OK” in United States.

It is considered obscene in Italy.

In France and Belgium it means, “your worth is zero”.

So in situation where there is a mixture of different cultures and societies understanding and interpreting gestures has become very important.

TIME

Time is assuming a major factor in non-verbal communication. Let us look at the first case.

*           How does a culture measure time?

Many Americans measure time in a five-minute block.

So if someone is late by five or six minutes for an appointment or an interview, that person has to apologize for his tardiness.

Many cultures measure time in 15 minutes or 30 minutes blocks and it hardly matters if you are 30 minutes to 45 minutes late.

*           Decision making time – How much time do you require to make a decision?

Many western societies believe that “time is money”.

These societies are frustrated when they negotiate with people who take a leisurely approach to making decisions.

In most cases the leisurely approach is to establish a personal relationship before they decide to do business.

SPACE

Use of space is also one of the important aspects of Non-Verbal communication. There are two aspects of space we’ll look into.

1. Personal Space

How much distance a person places with the other person when they are interacting in everyday business?

Europeans, Americans and most Asians want a bigger or wider space in a business setting.

On the other hand Latin Americans, French, Italians and Arabs often prefer smaller space for their business interactions.

Mixed-age and mixed-sex groups take more space than same age and sex groups do. People of the opposite sex usually maintain a bigger difference than a group of same sex.

2. Arrangement Of Space

The second aspect of space is the special arrangement.

Larger office with a door indicates a higher status than does the office with no doors. A desk in a common area is a symbol of lowest status in European and American setting.

Opposite is the case in Japan, where they consider individual offices as inappropriate and inefficient.

CONCLUSION

We have looked over two aspects of non-verbal communication, the body language and time and we find that same gestures and symbols have a different meaning in different societies and cultures. Studying and understanding these has become very important in multicultural business world.

Ø  Communication - transfer of ideas & Non-verbal – no words

Ø  Non-Verbal – gestures, single culture single meaning. Example: Arab

Ø  Rapid globalization new meaning – different cultures – deciphering

Ø  Three types: - Body language – Time – Space

Ø  Body language       How we set gestures

Ø  Eye contact – different meaning – America: honesty – Asian: lowered – Japanese: neck – Koreans: not prolonged – leads to miscommunication

Ø  Smiling          varies culture to culture – well liked – Americans always – Germans friends – Japanese amused or pleased or none of your business

Ø  Gestures – hand or body motion to express intention or emotion – different in different societies

 Thumbs up : go ahead well done, vulgar in Greece & subcontinent

Ok in US, obscene in Italy, Zero in France & Belgium

Ø  Time  - How time is measured

- Decision making time

Accuracy in report writing and buisness skills

ACCURACY

Clarity and conciseness are primary objectives of effective technical writing.

However, if your writing is clear and concise but incorrect—grammatically or textually—then you have wasted your time and destroyed your credibility. To be effective, your technical writing must be accurate.

Accuracy in technical writing requires that you proofread your text.

In addition to all the other errors, it should be “Dog and Cat Shop,” of course. The errors make the writer look incompetent.

To ensure accurate writing, use the following proofreading tips:

1. Let someone else read it—We miss errors in our own writing for two reasons. First, we make the error because we don’t know any better.

Second, we read what we think we wrote, not what we actually wrote.

Another reader might help you catch errors.

2. Use the gestation approach—Let your correspondence sit for a while.

Then, when you read it, you’ll be more objective.

3. Read backwards—You can’t do this for content. You should read backwards only to slow yourself down and to focus on one word at a time to catch typographical errors.

4. Read one line at a time—Use a ruler or scroll down your PC screen to isolate one line of text. Again, this slows you down for proofing.

5. Read long words syllable by syllable—How is the word responsibility misspelled? You can catch this error if you read it one syllable at a time (re-spon-si-bl-i-ty).

6. Use technology—Computer spell checks are useful for catching most errors. They might miss proper names, homonyms (their, they’re, or there) or incorrectly used words, such as device to mean devise.

7. Check figures, scientific and technical equations, and abbreviations—If you mean $400,000, don’t write $40,000. Double-check any number or calculations. If you mean to say HCl (hydrochloric acid), don’t write HC (a hydrocarbon).

8. Read it out loud—sometimes we can hear errors that we cannot see.

For example, we know that a outline is incorrect. It just sounds wrong.

An outline sounds better and is correct.

9. Try scattershot proofing—Let your eyes roam around the page at random. Sometimes errors look wrong at a glance. If you wander around the page randomly reading, you often can isolate an error just by stumbling on it.

10. Use a dictionary—If you are uncertain, look it up. If you commit errors in your technical writing, your readers will think one of two things about you and your company: (a) they will conclude that you are stupid, or (b) they will think that you are lazy. In either situation, you lose. Errors create a negative impression at best; at worst, a typographical error relaying false figures, calculations, amounts, equations, or scientific or medical data can be disastrous.

Kinds Of communication

                                  Kinds of Communication

Internal Communication:

¢ Downward

¢ Upward

¢ Horizontal

¢ Downward Communication:

— Employees get from management

— Motivation/ more efficient

— Show benefits

— Produces more efficient employees

¢ Upward Communications:

— Management gets from employees

— Nowadays frank comments are welcomed

— Managers also seek opinions from employees before making important decisions

¢ Horizontal Communication:

— Peer to peer communication

— Continues throughout the day

— If effective produces positive results

¢ Examples:

— Memos, Teleconferencing, Meetings, Letters

The importance of good communication skills in buisness

The importance of good communication skills in business

Good Communication Means Good Business:

Communication plays a part in almost every aspect of your business, so being able to communicate well can boost your overall performance.

Good communication is essential to building a cohesive and effective team. Good communication skills are essential to managing the performance of your team members, and if you know how to communicate well to large groups you can minimize the risk of industrial problems developing in your workplace.

Communication skills can be particularly important during times of higher workplace stress, for example during downsizing, where good communication is an essential part of change management.

You also need to communicate well to build and maintain effective relationships with your suppliers and clients. Communication skills are crucial to dealing with customer complaints effectively and limiting any negative word-of-mouth about your business. You can draw on communication skills when you assess the effectiveness of your marketing campaigns.

The first step in good communication is to listen effectively. Today’s trend is away from top-down management, where decisions and policies are proclaimed from above. Good managers now consult a lot with their teams, using them as a resource for information and suggestions.

Consultation is not only a good way to get ideas on business strategy, it is also a way of making sure that when you do decide on policies, everyone feels like they have been involved. Your team will be able to implement policies more effectively if they have been involved in their formulation. They will be more familiar with the issues – you will have dealt first-hand with any misgivings they may have.

Effective listening is based on having the trust of the people you are speaking to. People may not offer their true opinions when they are wary about how they will be received. So being a good communicator means winning the trust of those around you. It also means being able to foster a work environment where people treat each other fairly, where they respect each other’s opinions and where there is a minimum of anti-social behaviour such as backbiting or rumour mongering. Bullying or harassment of any kind will build walls in a workplace. It will stunt communication, shut down co-operation and hurt efficiency.

Good communication skills are a key part of managing individual employee performance. If you have good communication skills, you will know how to give clear feedback on performance while not denting people’s self-esteem. Good communication skills will enable you to work more closely with your team members, determine personal goals that will suit them and help them to work towards those goals.

As a good communicator, you will know the difference between being assertive and aggressive (aggression merely gets peoples’ backs up). You will be able to keep a professional and impersonal tone in the face of provocation and this will help you deal with conflict situations. It will also help you set clear boundaries for acceptable behaviour, counsel those who overstep them and, if necessary, fire people while minimising the risk of getting involved in litigation.

Good communication skills also help when you are dealing with suppliers and clients. Business operations are becoming very finely tuned, thanks to trends such as just-in-time manufacturing or retailing, where goods are delivered precisely at the right time and place.

This means you need to be able to maintain close contact with your supply chain. You need to be able to clearly explain any concerns you have and negotiate issues with a minimum of friction. Your business partners also need to feel confident that they can raise issues with you and that you will be responsive to them.

Being a good communicator will also help with your marketing. While you may not get closely involved with the design of your marketing materials you will want to assess them. Honing your communication skills will help you determine which materials are appropriate and they will enable you to give clearer briefs.

Team morale tends to be higher in a workplace where communication is good. People feel more in control when they have all the relevant facts and they are warned of issues well in advance. They are likely to feel more confident and secure when they know where an organisation is headed, where they have the information to plan their medium and long-term future. The more people feel in control, the lower their stress levels tend to be.

Good communication generally means being open. It’s useful to keep everyone updated on such issues as production, finance, important new contracts or company performance against health and safety benchmarks. Some employers like to ration such information, as it sometimes contains bad news. However, it’s often better to have bad news out in the open. It’s generally better for you to provide bad news, rather than having it leak out at an inopportune time and in a way that is distorted by rumour.

Being open, of course, does not mean being indiscreet. Where information is particularly sensitive, good communication involves identifying how to distribute information effectively on a need-to-know basis and deciding who needs to sign confidentiality agreements.

It also means being realistic about what can be kept under wraps. Public companies need to provide a lot of information as a condition of being listed. Private companies need to divulge less information publicly, but quite a lot of information seems to leak out through informal channels. For example, how much information have you picked up on your competitors through informal sources?

Good communication skills thus involve good PR skills. Knowing when and how to release information is an important way of maintaining your image with your team members, your clients and the market in general.

Basically, your skills as a communicator are felt in nearly all of your business dealings. If you and your team communicate well, you maximize efficiency. You find out about issues earlier and can deal with them without adding further complications or misunderstandings. Having good communications skills is like having a good IT system – information flows faster and this saves you money.

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Interpersonal Communication

Interpersonal Communication:

Introduction:

Interpersonal communication plays a pivotal or significant role in the success of an organization, a

company or an industry. As it conveys the clarity of thoughts, logical thinking, conciseness of ideas

and accuracy of words.

Definition:

Interpersonal communication is the process of sending and receiving information between two

or more people.

Explanation:

v  When one writes a letter, a memo or a report, he is not only conveying technical information but he is revealing himself to the reader. If he writes well, it will show his reader that he can think logically and automatically he will put a strong impact on the reader’s mind and he will conclude that  he can think clearly.

v  On the other hand, if a person write poorly the reader will judge him wrongly and consider him

a  poor worker if he is an employ in some industry or company. It will reveal that he can neither

think logically nor can he communicate his thoughts effectively.

v  Technical writing is an extension of an employee’s inter personal communication skill at work and his competence will be assessed by his co-workers on the basis of the effectiveness of his

Correspondence.

v  Examples:

v  A man with a Master’s degree in criminal justice enrolled himself in a technical writing class

To improve his technical writing skill. When asked why? He said that his supervisor is dissatisfied

With his writing skill, they have given him 90 days to improve else he will be terminated.

v  On the other hand, a former student got a job in civil aviation as a technician. One day she wrote

a problem solution report. The report was well received and passed around the company as an

exammple of good writing. Management was so impressed by her writing skill that she was promoted to a supervisory  level where her communication skills could benefit the company.

Conclusion:

Interpersonal  communication skill plays a significant role in the success of a person himself

And beneficial for the company as well.