1. SYS2003/2403 Professional Practice
Formal Communication

2. Formal Communication Context
Formal Informal
Written Spoken
Structured Unstructured
Standardised Non-standard
One-way Interactive
Group Individual
Impersonal Personal
Facts Emotions

3. Why Use Formal Communication?
Permanent record/point of reference
Coverage of detail
Multiple audiences (mass communication!)
Legal requirement
Precision of expression
Remove scope for misinterpretation/misunderstanding (?)

4. Common Types of Formal Communication
System description/specification
Project plan
Status/progress report
Contract
Request for tender
Tender/proposal
Research report
Job description
Equipment specification
Manual

5. Advantages of Formal Communication
Enforces precision of expression
Requires us to think through the detail
Enables use of standards
Forms basis for informed agreement

6. Disadvantages of Formal Communication
Tediously detailed
May be boring
Lose fine shades of meaning
May fail to address specific audience
May “snow” the reader and work against the intent of the communication

7. Common Types of Formal Communication: System Specification/Description
A detailed description of a system - either proposed or existing
Intended to ensure that all groups involved in a system have an agreed understanding of how things are (or how they should be)
Often includes technical content - formal techniques/models/etc (eg DFDs, ER diagrams, etc)
Needs to address a wide variety of audiences

8. Common Types of Formal Communication: Job Description/Request for Tender/Equipment Specification
A formal statement of requirements asking for people to do a job or provide a service or product
Intended to attract responses from people who can do the work, and to define what they will be expected to do
May be legally based, particularly where issues of fairness and equity become involved - competitive tendering

9. Common Types of Formal Communication: Tender/Proposal/Job Application
A response to a request for tender or job description offering to do the specified work or provide the specified service
Intended to demonstrate capability for performing the work described in the specification
Contains a mixture of factual/descriptive information and persuasive (“Choose me”) content

10. Common Types of Formal Communication: Project Plan/Progress Report/Status Report
An outline of the tasks/timing/resourcing/etc required to carry out a project
Intended to help schedule work and resources, and monitor progress
May use a range of formal project management techniques/methods/etc

11. Common Types of Formal Communication: The Contract
A formal statement of agreement for certain work to be done for certain payments
Intended to define the nature and intent of a working relationship
Legally based and legally enforceable; penalties for breaking

12. Common Types of Formal Communication:The Manual
A set of instructions, guides, reference and teaching material to support users of a product or system
Intended to serve a range of purposes - eg general reference, trouble shooting, teaching, set-up and installation, etc
Problems in range of levels of detail required; often sub-divided into several documents at different levels

13. Common Types of Formal Communication Research Report
Report of an investigation
Intended to provide knowledge about a problem/topic in an even-handed manner
True (?)
Science, not hearsay or pure opinion
Founded in facts

14. SYS2003/2403 Professional Practice
Oral Communication

15. Common Types of Oral Communication
Presentation
Demonstration
Meeting
Interview
Help/trouble-shooting

16. Some Issues with Oral Communication
How much can you deliver?
How much can an audience remember?
What sorts of things will they remember?
What things cannot be conveyed orally?
What things can only be conveyed orally?

17. Issues with Oral Communication: How much can you deliver?
For how long can you ‘hold’ an audience (content, audience interest/motivation, presenter skills)?
Speaking speed 150 words/min (less for formal) 150 words/min * ?? mins = ?? words
How much can you get across in oral communication while the audience is still paying attention?

18. Issues with Oral Communication: How much can an audience remember?
How much can you recall from: - your last interesting and well-presented lecture? - your last interesting conversation with a friend? - your last boring or poorly-presented lecture?
How accurate were your recollections?
How much can you expect your audience to remember accurately from oral communication?

19. Issues with Oral Communication: What gets remembered?
What sorts of things can you recall from oral communication: - word-for-word recall of what was said? - broad outlines of topics covered? - certain types of information - eg key points, conclusions, actions, recommendations, decisions? - points of detail?
How do you ensure that the ‘right’ things get noted and remembered accurately?

20. Issues with Oral Communication: What things can’t be conveyed orally?
What sorts of things can you pass on easily in written form, but not in oral form?
What sorts of things can you not express easily in words - either written or oral?
What do you do with parts of your message that can’t be expressed easily as oral communication?

21. Issues with Oral Communication: What things can only be conveyed orally?
What sorts of things can you pass on easily in oral form, but not effectively in written form?
What things when expressed in written form are likely to worsen communication rather than improve it?
How do you identify the parts of your message for which you should use oral communication ?

22. Issues with Oral Communication: What form of oral communication should you use?
Do all forms of oral communication work equally well in all situations?
What ill effects can come from the use of the wrong form of oral communication?
How do you decide which form of oral communication to use?

23. Advantages/Disadvantages of Oral Communication
Very variable according to the circumstances and the type of message
Captive attention – sustaining interest
Necessary message – proper delivery
Real time, real life – real restrictions
Spotlight – privacy
Sole actor – sole responsibility
Unknowns - unknowns

24. The Keys to Effective Oral Communication
Understand what can and can’t be achieved with oral communication
Use other media to supplement the spoken word
Plan, prepare and deliver the oral message in a way which ensures it gets across to your audience