Chapter II, Writing: Macro Issues

review summary by : Putri Nur Rochmah

Faculty of Business and Economics Universitas Gadjah Mada

Effective macro writing makes it far more likely that your audience will actually read and
understand what youve written, plus it savs them a significant amount of time because they can
easily see your main ideas.
I.

DOCUMENT DESIGN FOR HIGH SKIM VALUE

These techniques give your writing high skim value, that makes your document,
deck, webpage, or email easier for busy readers to skim.
1. Using headings and subheadings
Rewrite the top-level ideas on your idea chart to make them into main headings
and subheadings, each of which sould have :
Stand-alone sense, make sure they see the main points you want to see.
Avoiding topic headings, using stand-alone headings in one-level
messages, using stand-alone headings in multilevel messages
Limited wording, dont go overboard with headings
Not random words, dont use emphatic typography to set them off like this
Parallel form, all headings and subheadings at the same hierarchical level
should use the same parallel form
Grammatical parallelism
Conceptual parallelism, each heading should be the same kind of item
2. Using white space
white space refers to empty space on the page or on-screen. White space shows
your organization and section breaks visually, emphasize important ideas, and
presents your ideas in more manageable bits.
Breaking into shorter blocks, will effective use a white space and
paragraph length medium-sized paragraphs or sections
Using white space for lists, will effective uses list and white space for
emphasis, effective list indentation, effective white space to show
headings versus subheadings
Using white space to separate paragraphs, in the US you should always
separate paragraphs in either of two ways, double space between them or
indent the initial line five space
Choosing unjustified margins, chose unjustified or ragged right
margins. Unless you have sophisticated desktop publishing equipment that
does not leave these random spaces.
3. Typography provides another important document design tool to enhance high
skim value.
For emphasis and consistency: use emphatic typography (boldface,
italics, and so on)

To show relative importance: use typograpghy to show the relative

importance of your ideas in three ways, by placement, by size, and by
appearance
For readability, you should choose a readable font, choose sentence case,
and avoid italics for extended text.

II.

SIGNPOST TO SHOW CONNECTION

1. Throughout the message
Make it easier for your reader to read quickly by providing connection and logical
flow between the main sections with :
Back-and-forth references
Section previews
2. In the introduction
You should provides an important place to det up the underlying logical flow for
the rest of your document and show how your ideas connect. You should
accomplish three aims, establish a common context, explain your purpose for
writing, and make your structure explicit.
3. In the closing
In the end of your message, your reader needs a ense of closure, and you nedd to
reinforce your communication objective and leave your reader with a strong final
impression. Your closing will be effective if you do some techniques
Feedback mechanism, such as I will call you next Tuesday o dicuss this
matter in more detail.
Action step or what next step, such as if you wish to apply, please return
the enclosed application by July 9.
Goodwill ending, such as I look forward to working with you on this
project.

III.

EFFECTIVE PARAGRAPHS OR SECTIONS

1. Generalization and support
Every single paragraph should begin with a generalization and every single
sentence in the paragraph should support that generalization. These is effective
techniques that makes your readers will be able to assimilate information quickly
and easily.
First sentence is a generalizayion for all support sentences
Topic sentence
Headings
Well-developed paragraph
2. Paragraph signposts
You need to provide connection among the sentence within each paragraph or
section. Choose technique between document design technique and transitional
words.

Source :
Munter, Mary. (2009). Guidance to Managerial Communication : Effective Business Writing and
Speaking 8th Edition. London : Pearson Prentice Hall