Week 2, Day 5
Written on 23.6.09 by Six
Resources from last class:
Owl Purdue Memo Tutorial
Microsoft Office Templates
Day 5 tasks:
Finish paragraph revision
Google docs! homework check and chat
MORE sample memos
Common Ground and You Orientation
Practice
1. Finish paragraph revision: As soon as you arrive today, please open the paragraph we worked on last class and finish the activity.
2. Google docs! homework check and chat: How did it go? Let's review the characteristics of good business writing and review our team strategies. What do you think worked well? What might you do next time you have a homework assignment in Google docs to make it more efficient?
3. MORE sample memos: If you didn't look at the Microsoft office templates or at OWL Purdue, you should do so. You can also review a few more sample memos. Spend a few minutes reviewing them on your own. Then, we'll discuss the genre as a class.
4. Common Ground and You Orientation: Before we continue with memo-writing strategies, take a few minutes to familiarize yourself with common ground. I'll walk through it will you. Below are a few samples from our diagnostics. Do they establish common ground? If not, how could you change them?
Sample 1:
Casual dress is good but it seems that it comes too overly casual. Therefore, it's time to set up dressing standards. Furthermore, we also believe this change can leave good impression to our clients and then promote our professional image.
Sample 2: Good morning, ladies and gentlemen. I'm glad i have you all to work for me. You are terrific and hard-working. I know all of you are smart and talented, but could I have some recommendation for your dressing style? Based on the last executive board meeting, some directors think that you dress too casually and that it's not suitable for our corporate culture.
Sample 3: I decided to make certain dress standards according to the research taken by NPD Group that casual dress may hurt the corporate image and foster an environment for sexual harassment. In order to raise the reputation of our accounting firm and to express our professionalism, we have to dress more formally and properly. There are some standards for our dress presented as follows.
Now, get into groups of 3 or 4. With your group, compare the six components of the persuasive message in the memo on the Netfiles handout. Do you all agree? If not, try to come to a consensus. Finally, discuss how the writer achieves common ground (try to highlight specific words or phrases that do this.)
In business, as well as in regular life, relationships are richer and more mutually beneficial when we all focus on maintaining the dignity of our colleagues. This is what “you orientation” is all about, and it’s just as important in writing as in speaking. Let's look at some tips for achieving you orientation together. Once we've revised a few sentences together, do the first TWO in the practice activity on your own. Compare with a partner: were your revisions similar? Next do a few with your partner.
5. Practice: Open your memo revision so far. Read your first paragraph and highlight the words and phrases that either establish common ground or you orientation. How did you do? Spend some time revising your memo to ensure both strategies are achieved.
HOMEWORK:
Journals. Don't fall behind!
SL. Try to spend at least an hour wandering around.
Memo. Final draft tomorrow! We'll workshop with them in class, so bring a digital copy (don't email it to me). Graded memos will be submitted on Monday.
