Workplace Writing

 

 

 

Workplace Writing

Name

Institution

Workplace Writing

Communication within a workplace is crucial to the effective execution of duties and promoting teamwork. There are various modes of sending information, such as emails, memos, and ordinary letters. All forms of workplace correspondence have essential characteristics that distinguish them from other types of communication. A writer should identify these features and use them effectively in the delivery.

The essential characteristics of workplace writing include the audience, purpose, and medium. The audience refers to the target group of communication (Oliu, Brusaw, and Alred, 2012). The audience influences the writer’s choice of words. For example, correspondence with the engineering team is different from that sent to the human resource department. The purpose of writing captures the intentions of the writer (Oliu, Brusaw, and Alred, 2012). Often, the writer states the purpose and then provides a relevant explanation. The medium is the infrastructure that the writer utilizes. The writer chooses the appropriate medium per the audience and purpose of writing.

Effective workplace writing conveys the message concisely. Ambiguity is a hallmark of poor writing since it leaves the audience anxious with possible misinterpretations (Root, 2015). Also, good writing uses an appropriate professional tone to avoid unnecessarily antagonizing the audience. Conversely, a poor writer may use words and phrases that elicit emotions, which may hinder the reception of the message. Efficient communication also occurs when the writer uses a medium that is easily accessible to the audience.

When reading a piece of workplace communication, the purpose is an essential feature. I would want to understand the message without the need for further inquiries. Also, I prefer that the communication is as brief as possible. Longer writing makes it hard to follow the information and may cause ambiguity. If I was the one writing the correspondence, these are the same two features that would be most critical.

 

References

Oliu, W. E., Brusaw, C. T., and Alred, G. J. (2012). Writing That Works: Communicating Effectively on the Job (11th ed.). Boston: Bedford/ St. Martin’s.

Root, G. N. (2015). 7 C’s of Effective Business Communication [PDF file]. Retrieved from https://static1.squarespace.com/static/56dee43ee321400514f98522/t/5754450059827ec45c451e69/1465140480624/2+7+Cs+of+Effective+Business+Communication.pdf