You are on page 1of 4

Written Communication

Related Terms: Communication Systems Written communication involves any type of interaction that makes use of the written word. Communication is a key to any endeavor involving more than one person. Communicating through writing is essential in the modern world and is becoming ever more so as we participate in what is now commonly called the information age. In fact, written communication is the most common form of business communication. It is essential for small business owners and managers to develop effective written communication skills and to encourage the same in all employees. The information age has altered the ways in which we communicate and placed an increasing emphasis on written versus oral communications. The ever-increasing use of computers and computer networks to organize and transmit information means the need for competent writing skills is rising. Dr. Craig Hogan, a former university professor who now heads an online school for business writing, receives hundreds of inquiries each month from managers and executives requesting help with improving their own and their employees' writing skills. Dr. Hogan explains, in an article entitled "What Corporate America Can't Build: A Sentence," that millions of people previously not required to do a lot of writing on the job are now expected to write frequently and rapidly. According to Dr. Hogan, many of them are not up to the task. "E-mail is a party to which English teachers have not been invited. It has companies tearing their hair out." Survey results from The National Commission on Writing study back up this assessment. They found that a third of employees in the nation's "blue chip" companies write poorly and are in need of remedial writing instruction. The need to develop good writing skills is only highlighted by the fact that in the information age, it is not uncommon to have business relationships with customers and suppliers that are established and maintained exclusively through the use of written communications. In this environment, "the words we write are very real representations of our companies and ourselves. We must be sure that our e-mail messages are sending the right messages about us," explained Janis Fisher Chan, author of E-Mail: A Write It Well Guide-How to Write and Manage E-Mail in the Workplace, in an article appearing in Broker Magazine. The key to communication, of course, is to convey meaning in as accurate and concise a manner as possible. People do not read business memoranda for the pleasure of reading. They do so in order to receive instructions or information upon which to base decisions or take action. Therefore, highly literary prose is not desirable in business writing. Overly formal prose may also be counterproductive by seeming stand-offish or simply wordy. A style of writing that is too informal can also convey an unintended message, namely that the subject matter is not serious or not taken seriously by the sender. A straightforward, courteous tone is usually the best choice but one that may not come naturally without practice. ADVANTAGES AND DISADVANTAGES OF WRITTEN COMMUNICATION One advantage to using written forms of communication is that written messages do not have to be delivered on the spur of the moment; instead, they can be edited and revised several times before they are sent so that the content can be shaped to maximum effect. Another advantage is that written communication provides a permanent record of the messages and can be saved for later study. Since they are permanent, written forms of communication also enable recipients to take more time in reviewing the message and providing appropriate feedback. For these reasons, written forms of communication are often considered more appropriate for complex business messages that include important facts and figures. Other benefits commonly associated with good writing skills include increased customer/client satisfaction; improved inter-organizational efficiency; and enhanced image in the community and industry. There are also several potential pitfalls associated with written communication, however. For instance, unlike oral communication, wherein impressions and reactions are exchanged instantaneously, the sender of written communication does not generally receive immediate feedback to his or her message. This can be a source of frustration and uncertainty in business situations in which a swift response is desired. In addition, written messages often take more time to compose, both because of their information-packed nature and the difficulty that many

individuals have in composing such correspondence. Many companies, however, have taken a proactive stance in addressing the latter issue. Mindful of the large number of workers who struggle with their writing abilities, some firms have begun to offer on-site writing courses or enrolled employees in business writing workshops offered by professional training organizations, colleges, and community education programs. Written communication is an excellent way of transmitting the information across the organizational level. The documents that contain the rules and regulations and procedures or the policy manuals are the example of written communication. Besides, the written communication, through email or memos or in the form of letters, is used whenever the superiors need to advise or instruct their subordinates to carry out particular tasks. Employees need to be well informed about the policies and the procedures of the organization so that they may act accordingly. The written communication through policy manual and procedure written on the related documents, such as, loan application form, leave application form etc., serve the purpose. Written communication serves as an evidence of the events or the actions that have been taken. There are situations that call for the letters or memos, as supporting documents, on whose basis certain action has been taken. In this way, written communication is important to clear the discrepancies and facilitate understanding. Aside from these, whenever there is urgent need to convey the message to various persons, written communication can be of great help and assistance, which can save the time and effort that is taken to conduct a meeting for that particular purpose. Written communication is the best way for advertising and promoting the business as well. Advertisements, magazines, catalogues or leaflets are good examples of written communication. In this way, developing written communication skills is of great importance and value to create and maintain professional work environment throughout the business organization. Importance of Effective Written Communication Why is written communication so important? Let us see. Record: Written communication within the organization serves as a record of its daily proceedings. Evidence: Written communication at the workplace can also play the role of legal evidence in court cases. Delegation: Intradepartmental communication helps in the delegation of work within the different departments of the organization. Contact: Communication such as emails, etc., are an important means of maintaining contact with clients, employees, suppliers, etc. Advertising: Different forms of written communication are used to attract prospective buyers/customers. Hence, written communication as an advertising tool is also important. Types of Written Communication Contracts and Agreements: This is the most important form of written communication within any organization. It involves everything from contracts to licenses to different types of letters, like a letter of offer to a prospective employee, a letter of intent, confidentiality agreements, terms and conditions, business introduction letter, etc. These written documents are to be preserved very carefully by both the parties mentioned therein, as they are important legal documents. Emails: Today, emails have almost entirely replaced handwritten letters. Though the medium may have changed, the same basic letter writing and other skills for writing apply even for writing emails. In fact, there are special departments that take care of this. These people are specially appointed to monitor and ensure the smooth flow of correspondence within and outside the organization. They also keep an eye out for any unethical emails that may be circulating around the office. Emails as workplace communication can also be used as evidence in a court of law. Intranet: Intranet can be used for both, vertical and horizontal communication. Vertical is from the top management to the employees. Horizontal communication is within a single department on the same level. Instead of using telephones or personally visiting another colleague's workstation, companies use the intranet which gives them the facility of being connected via a network to the workstations of their colleagues. Different instant messaging

services (within the office) are also used by many companies. In-house Newsletters/Magazines: Many corporate houses are adopting the idea of having an in-house magazine or newsletter published. This serves two purposes: it helps employees explore their hidden talents and everyone gets to know everyone better when they see them in the journals. Others: Other small forms of written communication within a workplace include notices, circulars, rosters, posters, memos, etc. These are seen all across the office and can be changed frequently. They have a very limited validity but can sometimes be very crucial forms of written communication.

3. Examples 3.1. Intonation Intonation is the way that the senders pitch of voice rises and falls when speaking. For example, it shows the interpreter whether the speaker expresses his or her message in the form of a question or statement. In the first case, the voice rises at the end of the phrase or the sentence and in the second case, it falls. At the same time, intonation indicates the end of an entity of information, which in written communication is shown by means of a comma, semicolon, point, exclamation mark or question mark. Another function of intonation is to lay emphasis on a particular word or idea, a detail that the interpreter must not fail to be aware of. 3.2. Tone of voice The tone of voice is a means by which the speaker implies his or her attitude to the message. It is also a means by which he seeks a reaction from the hearer. In a political debate, for instance, the tone of voice is likely to be rousing, whereas on television the daily news is communicated in a more factual tone. Other examples of tone of voice are: aggressive, critical, nervous, disappointed, monotonous, friendly, enthusiastic, vivid, persuasive, etc. 3.3. Vocally produced noises Spoken discourse can be accompanied by vocally produced noises that are not regarded as part of language, though they help in communication for the expression of attitude or feeling. Such non-lexical expressions differ in important respects from language: They are much more similar in form and meaning, i.e. universal, as a whole in contrast to the great diversity of language. Vocally produced noises include laughter, shouts, screams of joy, fear, pain, as well as conventional expressions of disgust, triumph, etc., traditionally spelled ugh!, ha ha! 3.4. Body posture Body posture is the bearing or the position of the speakers body. It is a more or less stable state and thus not to be confused with body gestures which are movements. Body posture can be characteristic and assumed for a special purpose or it can correspond to the normal expectations in the context of a particular situation. Obviously one can be lying down, seating, or standing. Normally, these are not the elements of posture that convey messages. However, when the speaker is slouched or erect, his or her legs crossed or arms folded, such postures convey a degree of formality or relaxation. Once more, they can also transfer symbolic messages on the orators attitude or intention with regard to the message. 3.5. Body gestures A body gesture is a movement made with a limb, especially the hands, to express, confirm, emphasize or back up the speakers attitude or intention. This non-verbal activity is regularly used in oral discourse. If a body act requires no verbal accompaniment, it is called an emblem. Examples are: hand signals such as waving good -bye, the V

for victory sign or the high five signalling victory. While some emblems, for example a clenched fist, have universal meaning, there are others that are idiosyncratic or culturally conditioned. The use of the zero shape made by the fingers, for instance, does not mean the same thing in different cultures. Standing for OK in the UK, it may be a vulgar expression in South American cultures, sometimes embarrassingly so Body gestures are alway s perceived and interpreted together with facial expressions. 3.6. Facial expressions and eye movement Facial expressions are dynamic features which communicate the speakers attitude, emotions, intentions, and so on. The face is the primary source of emotions. During oral communication, facial expressions change continually and are constantly monitored and interpreted by the receiver. Examples are: a smile, frown, raised eyebrow, yawn or sneer. Eye movement is a key part of facial behaviour because the eyes are invariably involved in facial displays. The different forms are observed to be cross-cultural. The frequency of eye contact may suggest either interest or boredom or may even betray dishonesty. The direct stare of the speaker can show candour or openness. Downward glances are generally associated with modesty; eyes rolled upwards are conveyed as a sign of fatigue. Researchers have discovered that certain facial areas reveal our emotional state better than others. For example the eyes tend to show happiness, sadness or even surprise. The lower face can also express happiness or surprise; a smile, for instance, can communicate friendliness or cooperation. As for the lower face, brows and forehead are known to reveal mostly anger. 3.7. Pause A pause can have two different functions: 1. It can be a brief suspension of the voice to indicate the limits and relations of sentences and their parts. A pause then assumes a similar function in oral discourse to intonation (see chapter 3.1.). 2. It can consist of a temporary vocal inaction revealing the speakers uncertainty, hesitation, tension or uneasiness. In this context, a pause can also be judgmental by indicating favour or disfavour, agreement or disagreement. Consequently, the non-verbal cue of a pause can give rise to problems when interpreting it because its meaning can vary considerably. It can have a positive or negative influence on the process of communication. Benefits Business owners can gain from learning about nonverbal communication and its potential benefits. Nonverbal communication can increase the opportunity to interact with colleagues, competitors, clients and potential clients through avenues outside of explicit word choice. Posture, vocal tone and eye contact can deliver subtle messages that reinforce whats being said to convey consistency and trustworthiness. Another benefit is that nonverbal communication can help demonstrate confidence, enthusiasm and professionalism through attire choice, active listening cues and the ability to present a message. Nonverbal communication can play a special role in international business settings, where even with the aid of translators there may be a natural wariness about the accuracy of intentions, details or offers revealed. Uses Knowledge of nonverbal communication in business plays two roles. Managers use nonverbal communication to effectively lead other employees and team members. And team members in the business, whether they realize it or not, use nonverbal cues to communicate information to individuals outside the business, whether theyre clients, competitors or colleagues in a complementary industry.

You might also like