Professional Communication 8.31.16 ACCA WEBINAR SERIES Professional Communication 8.31.16 © 2016 Alabama Community College Association

Professional Communication OUR PRESENTER Kristen Holmes, Director of Marketing and Communication – Wallace State Community College Professional Communication

Professional Communication OVERVIEW What is professional communication and why is it needed? For the past decade, employers surveyed for the National Association of Colleges and Employers’ Job Outlook Survey consistently rated “communication” among the most valuable soft skills. Professional Communication

Professional Communication

Professional Communication Professional communication includes such areas as: Letter writing Email Phone etiquette Social media Personal appearance Interpersonal, face-to-face communications Other general principles Professional Communication

Professional Communication LETTERS / APPEARANCE First impressions matter! Physical appearance: Be clean and tidy Avoid ill-fitting clothes Dress for the setting Avoid clothes with writing/slang When casual dress is warranted, college logoed “teamwear” is often appropriate Letters: Formatting is a first impression. Professional Communication

LETTER WRITING

Professional Communication MEMOS AND LETTERS State point early Be clear and concise Avoid jargon and slang Proof, edit, and repeat Professional Communication

Professional Communication MEMOS AND LETTERS George Orwell’s famous six rules for writing, from Politics and the English Language (1946): Never use a metaphor, simile, or other figure of speech which you are used to seeing in print. (avoid being trite or clichés) Never use a long word where a short one will do. If it is possible to cut a word out, always cut it out. Never use the passive where you can use the active. Never use a foreign phrase, a scientific word, or a jargon word if you can think of an everyday English equivalent. Break any of these rules sooner than say anything outright barbarous. Professional Communication

Professional Communication MEMOS AND LETTERS Memoranda: For internal communications Similar rules as letter writing Professional Communication

Professional Communication MEMOS AND LETTERS Professional Communication

Professional Communication EMAIL Format and Content: Emails are not texts Check recipient lists Use care when forwarding/copying Avoid using personal email addresses Brief and substantive Proof, edit, repeat Professional Communication

Professional Communication EMAIL Professional Communication Don’t be afraid to call.

Professional Communication EMAIL Signatures and Flourishes Disclaimers Timing of Responses Professional Communication

Professional Communication PHONE ETIQUETTE Be clear Be polite, patient, smile, don’t seem frustrated - LISTEN. Professional Communication

Professional Communication PHONE ETIQUETTE Transferring calls Leaving out of office messages Leaving voice mails Use of cell phones Professional Communication

Professional Communication SOCIAL MEDIA Consider setting up a separate professional account Check your college’s social media policy Think before you post! One post can cost you a job, promotion Social media posts last forever Professional Communication

Professional Communication GENERAL PRINCIPLES Know your college’s policies and procedures regarding: Responding to media requests or sudden appearance on campus Emergency/crisis communication Professional Communication

Professional Communication GENERAL PRINCIPLES Conversations and interpersonal communication: Avoid slang Look people in the eye Shake hands firmly Smile Listen more than you talk Honor confidentiality Professional Communication

Professional Communication GENERAL PRINCIPLES Avoid gossip, negativity, assumptions Do not tolerate disparaging remarks Employed to work, not chat Respect the position Do not speak when angry – make rational arguments, not emotional ones Practice compassion, be encouraging! Professional Communication

ACCA WEBINAR SERIES September 14 – Retirement Systems of Alabama September 21 – ADA in the Classroom October 5 – Generations in the Workplace October 19 - Preparing a Career-Ready Workforce

ACCA ANNUAL CONFERENCE November 20 – 22, 2016 Montgomery Renaissance Hotel and Spa www.alabamacca.org