Amy Latham

Best Practices in Business Writing and Communication

Effective Ethical Business Communication

Professionalism and Writing Tips

Intercultural Business Communication

Electronic Business Communication

Positive and Negative MessagesBusiness PresentationsBusiness Reports, Plans and Proposals

Agenda

Effective and Ethical Business Communication

• Soft Skills• Listening proficiency• Non-verbal queues• Emotional intelligence• Be aware of meaning and values• Positive body language

Effective and Ethical Business Communication

• Ethical Behavior in Communication• Don’t blame or judge• Assume accountability• Be honest• Speak with facts; avoid judgments

Embodied Approach by Mark WalshListening skills, empathy, making requests, emotional intelligence, body language and other verbal and non verbal effective communications skills

Communication Tips Video

Effective and Ethical Business Communication

Professionalism in the Workplace:Writing Tips

• Confrontation Not Always Bad, but be Respectful

• Consensus Building• Avoid Over Conformity • Avoid Groupthink, Contagious to a

Group’s Morale and Effectiveness

Professionalism in the Workplace:Writing Tips

• 3x3 Writing Process• Prewrite• Write• Revise

Professionalism in the Workplace:Writing Tips

• Prewrite• Consider the Audience• Relationship to Audience• Audiences anticipated reaction• What do they already know

Professionalism in the Workplace:Writing Tips

• Write• Avoid writing block by just

starting, don’t expect perfection

• Get ideas down on paper• Do not worry about style

Speak Clearly and at a Good Pace

Show RespectDo not use Excessive Jargon and Abbreviations

Intercultural Business Communication

Avoid ColloquialismsAvoid EthnocentrismBe Culturally AwareChoose Words Wisely

Intercultural Training Video

Intercultural Business Communication

Electronic and Digital Business Communication

• E-communication often preferred• Email• Text messaging

and Instant messaging• Podcasts, blogs, wikis• Internal/external social networking

sites

Electronic and Digital Business Communication

• Fast decision making• Make sure to maintain quality

decision making• Unique Company Rules

• Find out the rules of your organization

Electronic and Digital Business Communication

• Maintain professionalism and good writing• Spelling and grammar

• All forms of e-communication require basic professionalism and rigor

Electronic and Digital Business Communication

• Beware!• Release of confidential

information• Information flows fast in

electronic venue• Ethics

Good NewsDirect Organizational PlanIndirect Organizational Plan

NeutralPoliteClear requestMinimize questions

Positive and Negative Messages

Bad NewsIndirect Organizational Plan

Choose the message medium carefully!Most people prefer bad news in person

Take time, don’t rush the message

Positive and Negative Messages

Be clearHelp with acceptanceClose with kindness and off topic

Positive and Negative Messages

Positive and Negative Messages

• Tone Matters

Business Reports3x3

Pre-writeWriteRevise

Decision making and problem solving

Business Presentations, Reports, Plans and Proposals

Business ReportsScope and significanceCase for investigating, researching,

consideringAnticipate Reactions and IssuesResearch

Business Presentations, Reports, Plans and Proposals

Business ReportsDecision making and problem solvingScope and significanceCase for investigating, researching,

consideringAnticipate Reactions and IssuesResearch

Business Presentations, Reports, Plans andProposals

PresentationsPlanningPurposeAudienceDelivery method

Business Presentations, Reports, Plans and Proposals

PresentationsCommon Purposes

ReportExplainPersuadeMotivate

Business Presentations, Reports, Plans and Proposals

PresentationsEmotional

Story telling to connect with emotionDo not confuse people with excess data

Audience Interaction Online tools for remote audiencesIn-person tools for in-person presentationsMixed audiences- use tools to engage audiences in

the room and online at the same time

Business Presentations, Reports, Plans and Proposals

Summary

Effective Communication =

Business Success