Planning and Execution of Messages Chapter 7 Planning and Execution of Messages

Outline The importance of planning before writing messages The guidelines for drafting a message The need to ensure the completeness of a message The significance of revising and proofreading a message The distribution of messages across proper channels

Writing a message A business message will not serve its purpose if the recipients do not understand its intended meaning. A message that is not clear to the recipients and prevents them from adequately responding to it could be frustrating for them. Similarly, a message that does not elicit the response that the sender expects could be frustrating for the sender. Writing a message could be a simple task (such as sending an email) or a complicated one (such as writing a product manual or content for your website).

PLANNING A MESSAGE Why Do I Need To Write The Message Who will Read My Message What Data or Information is Required to Complete the Message How do I Connect With The Receiver of My Message

Step 1:Why Do I Need To Write The Message Dissemination of the message. To persuade. What could be likely the impact of the message on my audience. How critical is the content of my message to the receiver. Is the timing of my message is right.

Step2: Who will Read the Message The audience is divided into Primary and Secondary Audience e.g. manager and subordinate. Strategies of handing both: Influence the secondary audience first Influence the primary audience and the in turn ask them to influence the secondary audience . Try and address both simultaneously

Questions you need to ask about your audience. Who comprise my audience? What does my audience want? How is audience distributed? Does the audience trust me? How would the audience react? Does the audience understand the message?

Step 3: What data or information is required to complete the message? Brainstorm. Hold a discussion and reach a consensus. Look for the primary and secondary sources of the data. The data must support what you write. Use data ethically. The data does not have any meaning if it does not serve the purpose of the audience.

Step 4: How do I connect with the receiver of my message? Choose right medium to connect your audience. ORAL: Word of mouth. WRITTEN: letter memos reports and document etc.

Questions asked to choose right medium of Communication. Does the medium enables feedback? Wil the medium help you reach out all the indented receivers of the messages. Does the medium enables a personalized focus? Does your audience need the document in a specific form. What is the cost and time you are willing to spend on your message?

Drafting the Message

Drafting the message While you are writing the draft , you can follow two approaches—direct approach and indirect approach. The difference between the two is that while in the direct approach you are quite sure that the message is going to be acceptable to your audience and you start with the main idea followed by the message, in the indirect approach you are unsure about the audience reaction and therefore place the main idea after one or two paragraphs.

Writer’s Dilemma Procrastination; State pushing yourself constantly not to act, because the Message is boring, not important, you are busy. Perfectionism: day dreamers who think of writing best rather actually plan to write. Your environment should be right. Give yourself sufficient time to write. Organize the idea(s) Identify the scope of the message.

Writing Process Invention Organisation Drafting

Completing the Message It involves two steps: Checking the content and style Is the information you have provided relevant and accurate? Have you provided enough information to support what you have written? Is anything missing?

Check the Style The pointer are logically placed. There is no unnecessary repetition. The ideas with in the paragraph is coherent. The main idea has received more space. The document is in order and in line with the table of contents.

Revising the Message Revise the message to improve its effectiveness. Leave a significant time gap between the drafting phase and the revising phase. The bigger the time gap is, the better. This time gap will help you look at the message from a different perspective.

Proofreading the Message While proofreading, look for two particular kinds of errors: • Typos (mistakes you make while typing—‘50,000’ as ‘5,000’ and so on) • Errors in the earlier stages of writing (errors that are scope-related, content-related, and language- and grammar-related.

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