Page 177 - DENG102_COMMUNICATION_SKILLS_II

Communication Skills-II

notes self assessment

State whether the following statements are true or false:

4. Written business communication is the only means of laying down clear guidelines for the
working of the organization.
5. Written form of business conversation is most suitable when the receivers are spread over
vast geographical distances.
6. Written business correspondence is not permanent.
7. Written correspondence is less time consuming than oral communication.

8. Written correspondence facilitates immediate feedback.

12.3 General stages of Writing Process

We have seen above that different forms of correspondence have different approaches, structure
and format, yet there is a common thread among them all. They have certain general stages of
writing.
Accomplished managers move back and forth between the stages of the writing process, both
consciously and unconsciously. For technical writing to be effective, you have to get your message
across. And that, in turn, means proper planning. Young managers, however, benefit from the
structure and security of following the writing process in their writing.

1. Prewriting (Generating ideas for writing): At this stage, decide the purpose of writing a
document. Fix the objectives, gather data and find out the types of readers. Good managers
generally plan their documents in advance. This stage is often called prewriting stage.
2. Rereading: Now, you must read over your story and make sure that there are no missed
mistakes and everything is the way you like it.
3. Rough Draft: At this stage, write without concern for conventions. Written work does not
have to be neat; it is a ‘sloppy copy’. You may have discussions with the people in the
organisation to decide the content. A brainstorming session may help. Prepare an outline,
discuss it further and modify it using the feedback. Accuracy, relevance and significance of
the matter should be kept in mind during the process.
4. Sharing with a Peer Reviser: At this stage, good managers share and take suggestions for
improvement. Asking who, what, when, where, why, and how questions about parts of
the story the peer does not understand; looking for better words; and talking about how to
make the work better.
5. Revising: You have put your ideas on paper or in the computer file. But they may not
be in the best form possible. Your option is to revise and improve it. Any draft permits
revision for improvement. This is an essential process in any writing, and not something
that may be done, only if you have time for it. Good managers, at this stage, look again at
their writing to add, substitute, delete, and/or modify the content to clarify meaning and
expand ideas. Revision is the key to effective documents. Here you think more deeply
about your readers’ needs and expectations. The document becomes reader-centered.

6. Editing: After you have written your rough draft of your idea it is time to edit your
draft. Writers focus on the mechanics of the piece; they edit and proofread for spelling,
punctuation, capitalization, and syntax to enhance the clarity and effectiveness of the
writing. Check for such things as grammar, mechanics, and spelling. The last thing you
should do before printing your document is to spell-check it.

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