Ch. 2

This chapter contained a lot of useful tips for presenting yourself well both in and out of the workplace. Since I am still fairly new to the office environment, it was nice reading some things that I have been doing well and some other items I could improve upon. I spend a lot of time on the phone, so I especially enjoyed the table with helpful phone tips.

The tips on teamwork were also helpful. I do not work in teams much at work, but will definitely be using some of these ideas for collaborative writing in the upcoming projects.

Ch. 11

Despite this chapter being about the mechanics of reports and proposals, I actually found it quite interesting. It was helpful to learn all the vocabulary words of these types of documents that I hear all the time, but never knew exactly what they referred to.

The same goes for the discussion on charts and other visual aides. While I am not responsible for producing many reports and proposals in my current position, I know this will all be excellent information to reference as I begin ton advance my career (hopefully).

Ch. 5

This chapter contained a lot of excellent tips for conciseness and clarity. I especially liked all of the examples of re-worked sentences. I find that reading good writing helps me absorb it into my own writing habits.

Paragraphing, using headings, cutting out unnecessary words, etc… are all techniques I have already heard of, but seeing them in action and reading about why they help, further encourages me to always be mindful of how I can make my messages more simple and effective.

Ch. 1

The thing I really enjoyed about this chapter was the step by step analysis of “the message.” At first I thought it was pretty obvious, and even a waste of time. But the two words/ideas that really got me thinking were “encode” and “decode”. I’ve noticed in my experience with email, texting, and other modern, non-verbal communication, that the message the sender intends (encodes) can be very different than how the receiver interprets it (decodes).

I think taking that extra step to really think about how your message might be perceived can really help in making your messages more effective. Sometimes I like to think about the worst possible way that a client/boss/etc… might interpret my message, and then edit from that perspective, just to really be sure I am being understood correctly.

Ch. 7

This chapter had a ton of useful information. I have had experience with writing many of these different types of routine messages, and it was nice to hear what I did right, and what could be improved upon.

For example, I have definitely lost my temper in a claim letter before, only to feel embarrassed later.

I liked the tip of starting with the main idea for routine replies and positive messages. Sometimes I find myself fluffing up the beginning. Getting to the point right away not only alerts the reader as to what they should be thinking about, but also makes the sender look more confident.

I used to think the types of messages in the fostering goodwill section were people just trying to schmooze. When I began receiving goodwill message from people I truly respected though, I quickly realized how good it feels and how effective a sincere message can be.

Ch. 4

This chapter had a ton of great tips for writing brief, effective messages. The you-centered and positive approaches were review but the discussion on active vs. passive voice and strong word choice were both very enlightening. I often find myself wrestling with wordy emails, so I really appreciated all of the lists of more effective word alternatives.

The text is a little cut and dry about a few issues that I think deserve more wiggle room. For example, I see nothing wrong or overly formal with writing “attached please find…”.

Ch. 10

After going over this chapter I am really glad I do not have to write any reports or proposals at my current job. This will definitely be a chapter to be referenced in the future if that ever changes though.

Most of the research topics covered in this chapter I was already familiar with. I have also talked with some members of the sales team at work about RFP’s and know how painstakingly accurate the proposals must be.

I found this chapter to be pretty dry overall. Who likes reading or writing reports? I believe they are necessary though when you have information or ideas that needs to be conveyed in a more concrete, precise fashion than your typical telephone, email, meetings, etc… are able to offer.

Ch. 3

Since much of this chapter is review, or items that I am already familiar with, I thought I would just touch on a few small points that I found interesting.

I really liked the suggestion of having a maximum of two major points. Sometimes at work I will send an email to a client with several important points. Usually they answer/address only the first one or two.

I also enjoyed reading the section on developing an audience profile. Asking the questions of “how much do they already know about the subject?” and “what is their probable reaction?” can really help you gauge the amount of depth you should go into and how to frame the issue.

Ch. 9

I think with most persuasive messages it is often a temptation to go on and on about how what you are arguing will benefit the writer, but not the audience. This is something I used to struggle with when writing cover letters for jobs I was applying for. I would write about how this job would be such a great fit for me and how wonderful of an experience it would be (again, for me). One day a light went off and I started realizing that I need to write about how what I am arguing will benefit my audience– and that needs to be the focus of my message!

The AIDA model really puts a formula to that theme, by making the appeal “you” centered. I will definitely reference that from now on when I write any kind of persuasive message. It really helps remind you to focus your efforts on the reader throughout the whole message.

Ch. 6

I really enjoyed this chapter. My company has an office in Austin and one in LA so I do a lot of communicating with colleagues and managers through email and IM. I tend to naturally heed the warnings the text discussed with those two mediums, but it was really helpful to read them again.

The email tips about asking clearly what you want, making good use of the subject line, and cc’ing only people that need to hear the message were all excellent advise. Again, these are things I kind of already know, but reading them tonight, I will be sure to think twice before hitting send tomorrow.

I really liked the three step process for IM and the tips as well. I tend to want to IM my boss anytime I have a question, but I think many times an email is more respectful of her time.

Part of me really hates social media, but I guess I need to get with the times. I just feel like our attentions spans are getting shorter and shorter and no one has the “time” or desire to really delve into a topic. Even the text suggested making section headers in your writing that encourage skimming. That made me sad… But I guess for business communication, time is money, and the quicker and more efficiently you can get a message across the better.