86  CHAPTER 2 – LECTURE NOTES AND TEACHING SUGGESTIONS

CHAPTER 2 – LECTURE NOTES AND TEACHING

SUGGESTIONS

Planning Business Messages

Synopsis
Chapter 2 provides an overview of the process of writing, including prewriting, writing, and
revising. The chapter then focuses on the first stage of the writing process. Before writing a
message, students learn to analyze the task, purpose, and expected response to the message.
They learn how to select an appropriate channel for a message and how to profile the
audience. The remainder of the chapter emphasizes writing skills that help writers adapt to the
task and audience. Students learn techniques for developing audience benefits and the “you”
view. They learn to use conversational but professional language. They are encouraged to use
positive, inclusive, and courteous language, focusing on plain expression and familiar words.

Objectives

 Understand that business messages should be purposeful, persuasive, economical, and

audience oriented.

 Identify and implement the three phases of the writing process.

 Appreciate the importance of analyzing the task and profiling the audience for business
messages.

 Create messages that spotlight audience benefits and cultivate a “you” view.

 Develop a conversational tone, and use positive, courteous language.

 Create messages that include inclusive language, plain expression, and familiar words.

What’s New in This Chapter

 Expanded the basics of business writing to include persuasion because audience members
must believe and accept a message.
 LECTURE NOTES AND TEACHING SUGGESTIONS – CHAPTER 2  87

 Amplified the discussion of communication channels to include blogs, instant messages,

and wikis to ensure that students understand the vast array of available channels and
important factors governing their selection.
 Presented most writing technique examples in side-by-side positions for better readability
and quicker comprehension.
 Added discussion of courteous expression and the importance of maintaining goodwill.
 Revised before/after e-mail message to illustrate how to improve its tone with "you" view,
conversational tone, and familiar words.
 Added Office Insider marginal notes to continue the emphasis upon connecting what
students are learning to what employers expect.
 Created new Grammar/Mechanics Challenge exercise encouraging students to test their
knowledge of chapter concepts.
 Revised and updated text examples, illustrations, and writing improvement exercises.

Lecture Notes – Tear out and take to class!

Chapter 2

I. The Basics of Business Writing (p. 32)

PowerPoint slides 1–3

Business writing is
 Purposeful
 Persuasive
 Economical
 Audience oriented

II. The Writing Process for Business Messages and Oral Presentations
(p. 33)
 Prewriting: analyzing, anticipating, adapting
 Writing: researching, organizing, composing
 Revising: revising, proofreading, evaluating

Time required for each phase of the writing process:

 Prewriting—25 percent (planning and worrying)
 Writing—25 percent (organizing and composing)
 Revising—50 percent (45 percent revising and 5 percent proofreading)

PowerPoint slides 4, 5

III. Analyzing the Purpose and the Audience (p. 34)

 Identifying your purpose
88  CHAPTER 2 – LECTURE NOTES AND TEACHING SUGGESTIONS

Why are you writing? What do you expect to accomplish? Business

messages are usually written to inform and to persuade. A secondary purpose is to
promote goodwill.
 Selecting the best channel involves these factors:
Importance of message
Amount and speed of feedback and interactivity required
Necessity of a permanent record
Cost of the channel
Degree of formality desired
Confidentiality and sensitivity of the message
 Switching to faster channels
Technology and competition accelerate the pace of business.

PowerPoint Slides 6-8

Supplementary Lecture (not in textbook—see lecture in following pages)

Media richness determined by
Speedy delivery
Potential for immediate interactivity
Verbal and nonverbal cues that can be processed by senders and receivers
Use of everyday language
A focus on an individual rather than on a mass of people

What channel would you select to announce to all employees

that the company will close at noon every Friday during the summer?
Let’s E-mail is fast, efficient, and inexpensive for announcements like this one that
discuss need to be sent to a large group of people.

What channel would you select to give feedback to an employee who

mishandled a call with a customer?
Face-to-face conversations are best when dealing with potentially emotional
issues and when it is important to read nonverbal cues.

IV. Anticipating the Audience (p. 36)

A. Profiling the Audience
Who is my primary reader or listener? Who are my secondary readers or listeners?
What are my personal and professional relationships with that person?
What position does the person hold in the organization?
How much does that person know about the subject?
What do I know about that person’s education, beliefs, culture, and attitudes?
Should I expect a neutral, positive, or negative response to my message?
 LECTURE NOTES AND TEACHING SUGGESTIONS – CHAPTER 2  89

B. Responding to the Profile

What language is appropriate?
Should I use specialized technical terms?
Should my tone be informal or formal?
What is the most appropriate channel?

PowerPoint slides 9, 10

V. Adapting to the Task and Audience (p. 38)

A. Audience Benefits
How can your message give something to the receiver, solve the receiver’s
problems, save the receiver’s money, or just understand the feelings and
position of that person?

B. “You” View
Focus on the receiver. Instead of “We need you to join a vanpool,” try this:
“You can avoid the hassle and expense of driving to work.”

C. Conversational but Professional

Business messages today are warm, friendly, and informal but not slangy,
sloppy, and low level.

Let’s say you are new on the job, and you are a whiz at instant
Let’s messaging. Should you transfer your IM skills to your office
discuss e-mails? How can you judge what level of language to use?

It’s probably unwise to transfer any of your buddy and IM message

skills to the office. Remember that messages are frequently forwarded
in business. Strive to be businesslike and professional, yet friendly. Set
a high standard for yourself if you want to be noticed and promoted.

D. Positive Language
Use positive rather than negative language. For example, tell what can be done
rather than what can’t be done. Instead of “We can’t ship your order until June 1,”
say “We can ship your order June 1.” Positive expression is uplifting and usually
carries more information than negative expression.

PowerPoint slides 11-25

90  CHAPTER 2 – LECTURE NOTES AND TEACHING SUGGESTIONS

Supplementary Lecture
Hidden Messages (use PowerPoint slides or transparency)
Show examples of negative expressions and the hidden meanings they carry.

PowerPoint slides 26, 27

E. Courteous Language
Avoid words that sound demanding or preachy.
Give reasons for a request to soften the tone.
Use polite phrases when speaking on the telephone.

F. Inclusive Language
fire fighter instead of fireman
letter carrier instead of mailman
server instead of waiter, waitress (see other examples on slides)

Supplementary Lecture
Business Doublespeak (see lecture in following pages)

Plain English Doublespeak

Losing money Negative cash flow, deficit enhancement,
net profit revenue deficiencies, negative
contribution to profits
Other examples are included in the lecture material.

G. Plain English
Avoid showy words, long sentences, confusing expressions, and legalese.

Lecture Tidbit: Washington state officials ordered all state agencies to adopt "plain talk" principles. It sent
more than 2,000 state employees to classes on how to write letters, announcements, and documents in everyday
language. By rewriting one letter, the Department of Revenue tripled the number of businesses paying the "use
tax," the widely ignored equivalent of sales tax on products purchased out of state. (Rachel La Corte,
"Washington State Sees Results From 'Plain Talk' Initiative,' "USA Today, December 11, 2006, p. 18A)

H. Familiar Words
Choose short, common, simple words.

PowerPoint slides 28-37

 LECTURE NOTES AND TEACHING SUGGESTIONS – CHAPTER 2  91

VI. Communication Workshop: Career Skills (p. 52)

(Lecture outline; discussion guide appears later)

Sharpening Your Skills for Critical Thinking, Problem Solving, and Decision
Making
 Identify and clarify the problem.
 Gather information.
 Evaluate the evidence.
 Consider alternatives and implications.
 Choose and implement the best alternative.

Lecture Transparencies
(available in a separate packet and at www.meguffey.com)

Title Transparency
Number
Basics of Business Writing 2.1
The Writing Process 2.2
Analyzing Your Purpose and Channel 2.3
Profiling the Audience 2.4
Adapting to Task and Audience 2.5
Conversational Language 2.6
Levels of Language Use 2.7
Quick Check 2.8
Hidden Messages 2.9
Courteous Language 2.10
Inclusive Language 2.11
Quick Check 2.12
Plain Language 2.13
Quick Check 2.14
92  CHAPTER 2 – LECTURE NOTES AND TEACHING SUGGESTIONS

Supplementary Lecture

Media Richness

Workers today have many media or channels from which to choose when they communicate
with management, fellow workers, customers, and others. Media richness is a theory that
seeks to explain and predict why certain types of media are more effective than others.

A rich message reduces “equivocality” in a message receiver. That is, the receiver does not misunder-
stand or have doubts about the information transmitted. The receiver understands the message as the
sender intended. A medium is thought to be rich if it has the following characteristics:

 Speedy delivery
 Potential for immediate interactivity
 Verbal and nonverbal cues that can be processed by senders and receivers
 Use of everyday language
 A focus on an individual rather than on a mass of people

Speed involves the lag between the production of a message and its arrival to the receiver.
Letters delivered by the U.S. Postal Service are often called “snail mail” because a relatively
long time elapses between creation and delivery. Generally, the more rapid the production,
sending, and receiving in a medium, the richer is the medium. E-mail is a richer channel
than snail mail based on this characteristic.

Interactivity increases the richness of a medium to the extent that communicators can interact
simultaneously and respond to each other’s messages. In this sense, instant messaging is a
richer medium than e-mail.

Verbal and nonverbal cues significantly increase medium richness. Although the telephone
is a fairly limited medium, it enables speakers to convey a wide range of information
regarding speaker intent and emotion. In this sense, the telephone is more effective than e-mail
or instant messaging because it carries verbal cues. The richest medium, of course, is face-to-
face conversation, which carries many verbal and nonverbal cues.

Use of everyday language adds to the richness of a message because receivers are more likely
to understand the information being transmitted. Unnatural or stilted language, unfamiliar
jargon, or abstract words reduce the richness in a message.

Focus on an individual increases the richness of a message because the information can be
tailored to the receiver. A general announcement sent to 500 employees cannot be as rich as a
message customized for one individual. First- and second-person pronouns are possible when
talking with an individual, and the message can be shaped to the receiver’s knowledge,
interests, and environment.
 LECTURE NOTES AND TEACHING SUGGESTIONS – CHAPTER 2  93

The theoretical concept of media richness is interesting. But does it also include the concept of
appropriateness? When is it appropriate to use various channels?

CLASS DISCUSSION
Ask students to evaluate the following communication channels: 5 = media rich; 1 = media
lean. Then construct a continuum with media rich channels at the top of the continuum and
media lean ones at the bottom. (Place all the items with 5 or 4 toward the top and those with
lower numbers near the bottom.)

Personal letter
Fax
Face-to-face, one-on-one discussion
Posted flyer or announcement
Instant message
Face-to-face group meetings
Telephone call
Teleconference (audio)
Videoconference (audio and video)
Voice mail
E-mail
Impersonal memo

After developing a continuum, ask students to also evaluate the appropriateness of these
channels for various workplace messages. Is media richness theory the only consideration in
choosing communication channels?

Supplementary Lecture

Business Doublespeak

Doublespeak (also called double talk) is language that is deliberately ambiguous or evasive.
It disguises or distorts actual meaning, often resulting in foggy communication.

Doublespeak was originally associated with government figures. However, William Lutz,
author of The New Doublespeak, found business writers to be equally guilty: “If there’s one
product American business can produce in large amounts, it’s doublespeak—a language that
makes the simple appear complex, turns bad news into good, or simply avoids saying anything
at all.” Lutz lists a few examples:

Plain English Doublespeak

Losing money Negative cash flow, deficit enhancement,

net profit revenue deficiencies, negative
contribution to profits
94  CHAPTER 2 – LECTURE NOTES AND TEACHING SUGGESTIONS

Reducing staff Reengineering, restructuring, downsizing;

making a workforce adjustment, census
reduction, instituting a program of negative
employee retention.

Firing employees Workers are dehired, deselected, selected out,

repositioned, surplussed, rightsized, correct sized,
excessed, uninstalled, or managed down.

Plain English Doublespeak

Moving employees Vocational relocation, career reassignment,

career change opportunity; implementing an
operation improvement or a skills mix adjustment,
assigning candidates to a mobility pool, eliminating
redundancies

One wonders whether some businesspeople and professionals consciously try to avoid clear
communication. Consider this sanity teaser: “Overt employee resistance is sufficient cause to
nullify.” (Does that mean that we’ll stop because employees don’t like it?) In a memo one
manager wrote, “Delay could not be predicated on opposition to funding.” (Comprehension
here is totally obscured by negative concepts plus the word not). In yet another example of
cloudy communication, a vice president wrote that all departments were “under mandate to
achieve equipment conformity.” (Does this suggest an order to use similar computers?)

An attorney wrote the following example of legalese (or “legaldegook”): “Unilateral

nullification of the terms and conditions of the expiring agreement absent bona fide impasse is
prohibited.” This impenetrable sentence was translated thus: “One party cannot leave the
contract early without a good reason.”

Another form of doublespeak results in weasel words. From their book, Weasel Words: The
Dictionary of American Doublespeak (Paul Wasserman and Don Hausrath, University of
Maryland, 2006) come a few examples from the world of education:

Plain English Weasel Words

School hallways Behavior transition corridors

Exceptional Children with disabilities, often mental retardation

Negatively privileged Poor people

Improper source dependence Plagiarism

 LECTURE NOTES AND TEACHING SUGGESTIONS – CHAPTER 2  95

Supplementary Lecture

Hidden Messages

Some words and phrases convey a negative and unpleasant tone. They may imply a hidden
message that the writer does not intend. See the list of negative expressions and their hidden
meanings in the PowerPoint slides or transparencies for Chapter 2.

Critical Thinking
Discussion Guide

1. Why do you think employers prefer messages that are not written like high school
and college essays?

Businesspeople prefer messages that are purposeful, persuasive, economical, and

audience-oriented. This kind of writing is often different from essay assignments that
required description of feelings, display of knowledge, and adherence to a word count.
Employers want messages that are clear, concise, and focused.

2. How can the three-phase writing process help the writer of a business report as well
as well as the writer of an oral presentation?

The three-phase writing process helps communicators solve problems, particularly those
that require a product as their outcome. The three phases of the process are so
comprehensive that they cover, with a few modifications, all aspects of written and oral
communication. To be successful communicators, students will go through the same
processes of analyzing, anticipating, adapting, and so forth, for all their communication
activities.

3. Discuss the following statement: “The English language is a landmine—it is filled

with terms that are easily misinterpreted as derogatory and others that are blatantly
insulting. . . . Being fair and objective is not enough; employers must also appear to
be so.”

Our language is experiencing a period of rapid development as it responds to changes in

social attitudes and technology. To avoid alienating readers and listeners, many
businesspeople are trying hard to be particularly sensitive to avoid the appearance of bias.
Bias, of course, is any prejudgment toward another person or group—on some basis other
than fact. At times our language, even if used unintentionally, suggests bias. Most of us
would not use derisive or insensitive terms knowingly. But some references may include a
hint of bias that we don’t always recognize. Students will want to be alert to those terms
mentioned in the text, as well as to others that may carry emotional baggage. Examples:
96  CHAPTER 2 – LECTURE NOTES AND TEACHING SUGGESTIONS

cleaning woman (cleaner, custodian); female engineer (omit “female”); man-hours (labor
hours). At your discretion, you may wish to discuss with your students the bias in the
following examples and whether the prejudicial terms are even relevant in communicating
the main idea:

Joan, the overweight clerk in Shipping, was promoted.

Joan, the deaf clerk in Shipping, was promoted.
Joan, the anorexic clerk in Shipping, was promoted.
Joan, the old clerk in Shipping, was promoted.
Joan, the lesbian clerk in Shipping, was promoted.
Joan, the black clerk in Shipping, was promoted.

4. Why is writing in a natural, conversational tone difficult for many people?

Many writers tend to become formal, unnatural, and distant when they put words on paper.
They seem to undergo a personality change when they pick up a pencil or approach a
keyboard. Perhaps this is a result of composition training in schools. Students learned to
develop a writing style that impressed the instructor. They were rewarded when they used
big words, complex sentences, and abstractions, even if their ideas were not altogether
clear. After leaving school, some writers continue to use words that inflate ideas, making
them sound important and intellectual. Instead of writing as they would speak in
conversation, they construct long and complex sentences, and expression of their thoughts
becomes confusing. Other people are poor writers simply because they haven’t been
trained. Still others inflate language to disguise empty thoughts or to hide the facts.

5. If computer software is increasingly able to detect writing errors, can business

communicators stop studying writing techniques? Why?

Although many grammar checkers can find an amazing number of errors (including
subject/verb lack of agreement, incorrect pronoun use, and so forth), they are no substitute
for good writing. Business communicators still must collect information, organize it, adapt it
to the audience, write effectively and correctly, and revise carefully. No software program
can perform all those functions. Moreover, a fair proportion of the “errors” detected in
grammar checkers are not errors. Well-trained writers need to know how to distinguish the
true errors from others, and they also need to be able to make effective corrections.

Communication Workshop
Discussion Guide

Sharpening Your Skills for Critical Thinking

 Clarifying the problem. Students will first focus on the problem of the chaos caused
by multiple lines. Where should customers stand?

 Gathering information. In solving any problem, we need information. Students will

probably relate their experiences at banks and airlines (which often have roped areas
clearly forcing a single line), sports events (where fans frequently crowd concessionaires
 LECTURE NOTES AND TEACHING SUGGESTIONS – CHAPTER 2  97
with a mob of people), and retail stores (where people often politely form lines at checkout
counters). Grocery stores have multiple lines but they are physically separated.

 Evaluating findings and considering alternatives. Many people prefer the

orderliness of single lines. Customers know that they are being treated fairly. No one can
crowd ahead. However, when big crowds of people are involved, the line can look very
long. At McDonald’s a single line might snake around and at rush times actually flow out
the door, giving the impression that the restaurant is very crowded. Rushed customers
might take one look and leave to find a less crowded restaurant. However, major
competitors seem to have gone to single lines. Wendy’s International and Burger King use
single lines successfully. By the way, a Wendy’s spokesperson says, “With stopwatches
we’ve proved [a single line] is faster. But consumer perception is the only thing that
counts.” Setting up line areas separated by physical barriers might crowd the counter area
and make it difficult for disabled people to stay in line. As an alternative, students might
suggest that one or two of the McDonald’s try using a single-line system as a trial for
several months.

 Selecting the best alternative. Students will select one alternative and offer reasons
supporting it in a memo or in class discussion. The important thing is for them to go
through the critical thinking steps in arriving at a decision and being able to defend their
solution.

Video Resource

Building Workplace Skills, Video Library 1. Show a video titled Guffey’s 3-x-3 Writing Process
Develops Fluent Workplace Skills. It shows all three phases of the writing process so that students can
see how it guides the development of a complete message. This video illustrates concepts in Chapters
2, 3, and 4.

Workplace in Focus

Page 35
Transmitting messages through multiple channels helps ensure effective delivery of
information and high audience recall. Since each communication channel has advantages and
disadvantages, communicators should evaluate the importance of the message, the feedback
required, and the need for a permanent record before selecting a channel.

Page 39
98  CHAPTER 2 – LECTURE NOTES AND TEACHING SUGGESTIONS

Successful business communicators create messages that focus on the needs and perspective of
the audience. Shaping a message that appeals to receivers requires empathy, or the ability to
put yourself in another person's shoes. When creating a message for a Generation Y audience,
senders should address the problems, concerns, aspirations, and preferences that individuals of
this demographic group share. Accounting firms Deloitte & Touche and
PricewaterhouseCoopers have become popular with Gen Y-ers by stressing benefits such as
flexible work hours, support networks, challenging work, and opportunities for growth and
advancement.
 LECTURE NOTES AND TEACHING SUGGESTIONS – CHAPTER 2  99

Additional Writing Improvement Exercises

AUDIENCE BENEFITS AND THE “YOU” VIEW

Revise the following sentences to emphasize the perspective of the audience and the “you”
view.

1. To avoid suffering the kinds of monetary losses we have experienced in the past, our credit
union prohibits the cashing of third-party checks presented by our members.

2. To help us process your order with our new database software, we need you to go to this
Web site and fill out the customer information required.

3. We are pleased to announce an arrangement with H-P that allows us to offer discounted
computers in the student bookstore.

4. Under a new policy, reimbursement of travel expenses will be restricted to those related to
work only.

5. We are pleased to announce that you have been approved to enroll in our management
trainee program.

6. I give my permission for you to attend the two-day workshop.

CONVERSATIONAL, PROFESSIONAL TONE

Revise the following to make the tone conversational yet professional.

7. Under separate cover the above-referenced items (printer toner and supplies) are being sent
to your Oakdale office, as per your telephone conversation of April 1.

8. Kindly inform the undersigned whether or not your representative will be making a
visitation in the near future.
100  CHAPTER 2 – LECTURE NOTES AND TEACHING SUGGESTIONS

9. It is recommended that you conceptualize and submit your departmental budget ASAP.

10. BTW, we’ve had some slippage in the schedule but don’t have to scrap everything and
start from step zero.

11. To facilitate ratification of this agreement, your negotiators urge that the membership
respond in the affirmative.

POSITIVE AND COURTEOUS EXPRESSION

Revise the following statements to make them more positive.

12. Customers are ineligible for the 10 percent discount unless they show their membership
cards.

13. Titan Insurance Company will not process any claim not accompanied by documented
proof from a physician showing that the injuries were treated.

14. If you fail to comply with each requirement, you will not receive your $50 rebate.

15. We must withhold remuneration until you complete the job satisfactorily.

16. We can’t process your application because you neglected to insert your telephone number.

17. Construction cannot begin until the building plans are approved.

18. All employees must return their health care packets by November 1, or they will not be
able to change any options.
LECTURE NOTES AND TEACHING SUGGESTIONS – CHAPTER 2  101
102  CHAPTER 2 – LECTURE NOTES AND TEACHING SUGGESTIONS

INCLUSIVE LANGUAGE
Revise the following sentences to eliminate terms that are considered sexist or that suggest
stereotypes.

19. Any applicant for the position of fireman must submit a medical report signed by his
physician.

20. Every employee is entitled to see his personnel file.

21. All waiters and waitresses are covered under our new benefits package.

22. A salesman would have to use all his skills to sell those condos.

23. All conference participants and their wives are invited to the banquet.

24. How many man hours are required to complete the project?

PLAIN ENGLISH AND FAMILIAR WORDS

Revise the following sentences to use plain English and familiar words.

25. Please ascertain whether we must perpetuate our current contract despite perplexing
profits.

26. He hypothesized that the vehicle was not operational because of a malfunctioning gasket.

27. Because we cannot monitor all cash payments, we must terminate the contract.

28. The contract stipulates that management must perpetuate the retirement plan.

29. I’ll interface with Mark to access his people.

30. Unilateral nullification of the terms and conditions of the expiring agreement absent bona
fide impasse is prohibited. (Legal talk!)
 LECTURE NOTES AND TEACHING SUGGESTIONS – CHAPTER 2  103

Additional Writing Improvement Exercises—Key

AUDIENCE BENEFITS AND THE “YOU” VIEW

1. To prevent you from losing money in third-party check transactions, our credit union no
longer cashes such checks presented by our members.

2. To have your orders processed more quickly and efficiently, please fill out your customer
information at this Web site.

3. All you need to do is go to the campus student bookstore to purchase H-P computers at
discounted prices.

4. All your work-related travel expenses will be reimbursed under our new policy.

5. Congratulations! You have been selected to enter our management trainee program!

6. You may attend the two-day workshop.

CONVERSATIONAL, PROFESSIONAL TONE

7. As you requested, we are sending your printer toner and supplies to your Oakdale office.

8. Please tell me whether your representative will be visiting before June 1.

9. Please submit your departmental budget before January 1.

10. Although we’ve fallen behind somewhat in the schedule, we don’t have to begin anew.

11. We urge you to approve the agreement by voting yes.

POSITIVE EXPRESSION
12. Customers with membership cards receive a 10 percent discount.

13. We can process your claim if you send us a letter from your doctor showing that he or she
treated your injuries.

14. By following each requirement, you will receive your $50 rebate.

15. We will pay you once you complete the job satisfactorily.

16. In the message you left at our Web site, you described a printer malfunction.

17. We’ll process your application as soon as we receive your telephone number.

18. Please return your health care packets by November 1 if you want to change any options.
104  CHAPTER 2 – LECTURE NOTES AND TEACHING SUGGESTIONS

INCLUSIVE LANGUAGE
19. Applicants for firefighter positions must submit medical reports signed by their physicians.

20. All employees are entitled to see their personnel files.

21. All servers are covered under our new benefits package.

22. A salesperson would have to be very skillful to sell those condos. OR Salespeople would
have to use all their skills to sell those condos.

23. All conference participants and their spouses (or partners) are invited to the banquet.

24. How many working hours are required to complete the project?

PLAIN ENGLISH AND FAMILIAR WORDS

25. Please find out whether we must continue our current contract despite troubling profits.

26. He guessed that the car (or truck) was not working because of a broken gasket.

27. Because we cannot check all cash payments, we must end the contract.

28. The contract requires that management continue the retirement plan.

29. I’ll talk with Mark about using (addressing?) his staff.

30. One party cannot leave the contract early without a good reason. (Plain English version)