COMMUNICATION FOR MANAGERS:

Persuasive messages differ from routine positive messages in numerous ways:

They target audiences who are inclined to resist.
They are generally longer.
They are usually more detailed.
They often depend heavily on strategic planning.
When planning persuasive messages (Step 1), you
Analyze your purpose
Analyze your audience and gauge their needs
Establish your credibility
Make sure your ethics are above reproach
When analyzing your purpose, keep in mind that
People in your audience are busy and reluctant to do something different
Competing requests are plentiful
When analyzing your audience, you need to
Gauge audience needs
Consider cultural differences
Sending Persuasive Messages
In persuasive messages, you must communicate your main idea and reasons, but you must also motivate your audience to do
something.
Finding the right balance between emotional and logical appeals depends on four factors:

The actions you wish to motivate

Your readers expectations
The degree of resistance you must overcome
How far you feel empowered to go to sell your point of view

HOW TO MAKE MESSAGES MORE PERSUASIVE?

1. Build Credibility

Be factual
Be specific
Be reliable

2. Build Emotional Appeal

3. Use the right tone
4. Offer a reason for the reader to act promptly

WHAT ARE THE MOST COMMON KIND OF PERSUASIVE

MESSAGES ?
1.
2.
3.
4.

Orders
Collection letters
Performance appraisals
Letters of recommendation

MEETINGS:
Meeting have always taken a large part of the average manges week. The increased number of
teams means that meetings are even more frequent.

Parliamentary meetings are run under strict rules.

Regular staff meeting are held to announce new policies and products

Team meetings

One-on-one meeting

WHAT IS THE PURPOSE OF A MEETING?

Meeting can have at least 6 purposes:

to share information
to brainstorm ideas
to evaluate ideas
To make decisions
to create a document
to motivate members

THE COMPANY RECOGNIZES 4 DIFFERENT DECISION-MAKING

PROCESSES :

Authoritative(the leader makes the decision alone)

Consultative(the leader hears group comments, but then makes the decision
alone)
Voting(the majority wins)
Consensus(discussion continues until everyone can buy into the decision

WHEN IM IN CHARGE, HOW DO I KEEP THE MEETING ON

TRACK?

Pay attention both to task and to process

Make the ground rules explicit

pay attention to people and process as well as to task

Your goal as chair is to help participants deal with the issues in a way that is both
timely and adequately through.
Introduce the person who introduces each issue, recognize people who want to speak
be prepared to summarize issues to shape the discussion when the issues are complex
or when members have major disagreement

WHAT DECISION-MAKING STRATEGIES WORK WELL IN

MEETINGS ?
Try the standard agenda or dot planning

The standard agenda is a 7-steps process for solving problems

1. Understand what the group has to deliver
2. Identify the problem
3. Gather information
4. Establish criteria
5. Generate alternate solutions
6. Measure
7. Choose the best solution

Setting of a meeting:
1.

2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.

be
be
be
be
be
be
be
be

prepared
targeted
professional
patient
focused on quality not quantity
referral centered
proactive
dedicated to networking

HOW CAN I BE AN EFFECTIVE MEETING PARTICIPANT?

be prepared, read the materials, and think about the issues to be discussed.

Tips for being taken seriously

Show that youve done your homework.
Link your comment to the comment of a powerful person
Find an ally in the organization and agree ahead of time to acknowledge each others contributions
to the meeting. Explicit disagreement signals that the comment is worth talking seriously

WHAT SHOULD GO IN MEETING MINUTES?

topics discussed, decisions reached, and who does what next.

HOW CAN I USE INFORMAL MEETINGS WITH MY BOSS TO

ADVANCE MY CAREER?
Plan scripts to present yourself positively

DOES VIRTUAL MEETING REQUIRE SPECIAL CONSIDERATION?

Yes. Watch interpersonal communication
For important projects, build in some face-to-face meetings as well.

TECHNICAL

COMMUNICATOR, TIPS FOR MAKING AN INTERNATIONAL

TELECONFERENCE RUN SMOOTHLY:

-distribute the agenda and other materials well in advance
-Encourage speakers to use standard English with as little slang as possible.
-ask for questions periodically
-ask for contributions from people who havent spoken
-listen for disagreements
-call participants individually
-take and distribute written minute

SHORT REPORT:
1. Introduction
2. Summary
3. Conclusion

4. Discussions
5. Recommendations
6. Appendix

FORMAT:
LETTERS
Mesut Ozil
Marketing Manager
5 Hill Street
Madison, Wisconsin 53700

March 15, 2005

Ms. Helen Jones

President
Jones, Jones & Jones
123 International Lane
Boston, Massachusetts 01234
Subject:
Dear Ms. Jones:

Thank you for your consideration

Sincerely yours,
John Doe
Administrative Assistant

DIFFERENCE BETWEEN CV AND RESUME:

As stated, three major differences between CVs and resumes are the length, the
purpose and the layout. A resume is a brief summary of your skills and experience
over one or two pages, a CV is more detailed and can stretch well beyond two pages.

PROPOSAL FORMAT:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.

Topic and Purpose(no heading)

Problem
Feasibility
Audience
Topics to investigate
Methods/procedures
Qualifications/Facilities/Resources
Work schedule
Call to Action