Organizational Skills and Business Writing
Jun 13th, 2008 by Scott Hebert
As technology has advanced the pace of modern society, the modern employee has less time available for any given work task. Susan Meisinger (2004) wrote “it is almost impossible to be productive in today’s business environment without being an effective communicator” (para. 6). A business writer must present messages that are efficiently organized to convey the message as quickly and directly as possible. With this goal in mind, the skill of organizing a message for proper reception is paramount.
When delivering any business communication, it is highly likely that the some portion of the audience will misunderstand the meaning of the message (Fielden, 1989). The three-step process was designed to help writers effectively organize collected data and present it in a format that is most acceptable to the audience. During the planning stage, the writer must analyze and organize the collected data to determine what is meaningful, and what can be dropped. For example, when compiling facts for a brochure regarding the company’s new health insurance plan, the writer will likely decide that details regarding premiums is important information, while an in depth analysis of tax savings related to Flexible Spending Accounts is not appropriate. This ability to organize information will get the message off to the right start (Lesikar, Flatley, & Rentz, 2008).
Organizational skills also come into play during the next stage of the writing process. The drafting phase is when critical decisions regarding the organization of the message are decided. It is important for business messages to lead with their objective. This ensures the audience will not be distracted by details before understanding their importance. A congratulatory memo from a company executive to all employees, for example, will not be effective if it leads with a detailed analysis of stock performance. Instead, that memo should begin by congratulating the employees on their success, and then use the stock performance as justification (Lesikar, et al., 2008).
Fielden, J. S. (1989, January). Why Can’t Managers Communicate? Business, 39(1), 41. Retrieved June 13, 2008, from ABI/INFORM Global database. (Document ID: 126656).
Lesikar, R., Flatley, M., & Rentz, K. (2008). Business communication: Making connections in a digital world [Electrionic Version]. New York: McGraw-Hill/Irwin.
Meisinger, S. (2004, May). Communication Skills Are Key To Achieving HR’s Goals. HRMagazine, 49(5), 8. Retrieved June 13, 2008, from ABI/INFORM Global database. (Document ID: 629931151).