DEPARTMENT OF ARTS & SCIENCES EDUCATION

LANGUAGE DISCIPLINE
Mabini Street, Tagum City Davao del Norte
Telefax: (084)655-9591

Big Picture F
Week 15-16: UNIT LEARNING OUTCOME (ULO)
At the end of the unit, you are expected to:

a. Determine the general categories of office communication; and

b. Write minutes of the meeting, business letters, and other communication
materials accurately.

Big Picture in Focus: ULO a. Determine the general categories of office

communication.

Metalanguage
In this section, the most essential terms relevant to the study of general
categories of office communication is operationally defined to establish a common
frame of reference as to how the course work in your chosen field or career.
 Office communication refers to the different types of communication that occur
in the workplace
 Verbal communication refers to an oral communication which can either be
formal or informal
 Formal communication refers to the form of communication that is set and
there’s a clear agenda such as conducting meetings, conferences, seminars, and
trainings, etc.
 Informal or grapevine refersto a type of communication that does not follow the
conventional rules and happens at any time in the office like small talk, chats,
conversations, etc.
 Visual communication refers to a type of office communication that makes use
of power point presentation, figures, graphics, and other means so that the
listeners or audience may keep track of the meeting.
 Written communication refers to a form of communication that is written such
as letters, memoranda, emails, minutes, etc.
 Employee engagement refers to the involvement or productivity of the
employees in the improvement of the company or institution.
 Innovation refers to the new ideas and creative display of knowledge shown by
the employees which the company needs most
 Medium refers to the means or ways to communicate such as using emails or
other social platforms in order to communicate.
Essential Knowledge

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 DEPARTMENT OF ARTS & SCIENCES EDUCATION
LANGUAGE DISCIPLINE
Mabini Street, Tagum City Davao del Norte
Telefax: (084)655-9591

To understand better about general categories of office communication the

following terms are operationally defined. This will give you ideas about the important
things that you really need to know as you get engage yourself in this chapter.
Effective communication is an important tool in achieving productivity and
maintaining rapport at all levels of a company. Organizations, which invest money and
time to establish clear lines of communication across all levels in the company could
build trust among its workforce, which could result in enhancing productivity, work
outcomes, and morale among them. Similarly, if the workforce could communicate
effectively among themselves, and with their managers and customers, this could be a
valuable asset to a company. Moreover, competence in communication is a quality,
which could give a person a powerful edge in looking for jobs.
On the other hand, poor communication in the workplace could result in a
workforce with poor motivation, as well as doubt their own confidence in their
capabilities and in the company too.
An organization is composed of workforce that comes from different
backgrounds, cultures, nationalities, traditions, and beliefs. To enable employees to
understand each other, a common communication system should be put in place.
Effective communication in the workplace promotes a harmonious work in the
atmosphere, which facilitates the growth of individuals and organizations. Hence,
various forms of communication should be adopted to promote effective communication
in the workplace. A workplace set up, such as health care, education, business and
trade, law, media and technology usually observe a common communication system.
General Categories of Office Communication
Verbal Communication
The most common form of communication in the workplace is verbal communication.
This form of communication can be categorized into two classifications, as follows:
Formal
Conferences, meetings, seminars, address, training, etc. are the common formal
verbal communication in the workplace. Interaction and exchange of ideas can happen
in different ways. Meetings or conferences may be done in a small group
communication set up, like team meetings, board meetings, departmental meetings or
could be done in an institutional level. In this set up, a facilitator usually starts and
manages the proceedings. Participants usually attend the meetings with their own
agenda and opinions. On the other hand, formal communication can take place face to
face or exchange of ideas could be done through the use of technology like video
conferencing.
Informal or Grapevine

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 DEPARTMENT OF ARTS & SCIENCES EDUCATION
LANGUAGE DISCIPLINE
Mabini Street, Tagum City Davao del Norte
Telefax: (084)655-9591

One of the more aspects of communication in the office is the grapevine. This
type of communication does not follow the conventional rules of communication in the
office. Added to that, it is deployed in all possible directions downward (management to
employee), upward (employee to management), across (within peers), and
diagonal(within departments), etc. Usually, this type of communication has become the
source of all rumors and gossips in the workplace. Thus, this type of communication
should be controlled effectively, or it may adversely affect the work culture of an
organization and hamper its development.
Visual Communication
Visual communication is a form of communication, which depends on interaction
and visual skills of employees. For an organization to be effective, different strategies of
visual communication should be adopted. Visual communication in the workplace
comprises of presentations, display charts, figures and graphics posted on the bulletin
board. Moreover, important information could also be disseminated through the
presentation of an audio-visual material on the topic.
Written Communication
In an office setup, written communication is the more popular type of
communication being used. This, however, is considered to be the most primitive form
of communication in an office setting. Eventually, handwritten communication has been
replaced by typewritten memoranda. Formal written communication comprises of
electronic or office memoranda, emails, training materials and documents. On the other
hand, text messages, instant messaging, etc. are some of the informal written
communication in the office.
Other Strategies of Communication in the Workplace
Team building –a strong team is one whose team members communicate and
collaborate together. For purposes of improving morale and the satisfaction of the
workforce, the following may be done:
1. Increase employee engagement – the satisfaction of the workforce can be
promoted, by ensuring that their voice are being listened to, both in terms of
ideas or their concerns. Thus, lines of communication should be established to
afford all employees, regardless of their position and rank, the means to interact
and communicate with their peers and senior leaders.
2. Innovation – an atmosphere, in which the workforce is enabled to express their
ideas openly in a non-threatening manner, encourages them to open up their
ideas. This leads to creativity and innovation.
3. Growth – development projects hinge much on strong communication among
the workforce and all stakeholders.
4. Strong management – senior leaders should be effective communicators, for
them to manage their teams. The main functions of a leader, such as delegation

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 DEPARTMENT OF ARTS & SCIENCES EDUCATION
LANGUAGE DISCIPLINE
Mabini Street, Tagum City Davao del Norte
Telefax: (084)655-9591

of tasks, conflict management, motivation and relationship building (all key

responsibilities of any manager) are all much easier performed, if he/she is an
effective communicator. Effective communication is not only the competence o
speak to your workforce, but also to empower them to interact and communicate
among themselves. Promoting effective communication channels s a crucial
factor in the success of an organization.
Improving Communication on the Workplace
Communication in the office could be enhanced by adopting the following strategies:
1. Define goals and expectations – senior leaders should involve the employees
in formulating clear and achievable objectives, by defining clearly the
requirement for any project, and ensuring that all the staffs are knowledgeable of
the goals of the project, the unit and the instruction.
2. Clearly deliver your message – A manager should ensure that his/her
message is clear and accessible to the intended recipients. Thus, it is important
that a senior leader speak clearly and politely – to put his/her message across
clearly avoiding confusion or offense.
3. Choose yourmedium carefully – Once the message is completed, it should be
delivered using the best possible medium and format. It is true that face-to-face
communication may be the best way to build trust among employees; however, it
is not always applicable. Thus, decision whether information delivered in a
printed copy would work better than an email or a general memo should be
done.
4. Keep everyone involved – Participation in major decisions develops the feeling
of ownership among the workforce. Hence, it should be encouraged. The sense
of ownership among the workforce would make them accountable for the
decision and thereby promote active support and involvement in realizing any
project in the office.
5. Listen and show empathy – It is believed that no company or individual could
succeed, if it does not listen to its workforce and encourage dialogue among
them. Listening demonstrates respect and enables employers to learn about
important issues to address. (retrieved from
https://www.michaelpage.co.uk/advice/management-advice/development-and-
retention/importance-good-communication-workplace, May 7, 2019)

Self-Help: You can also refer to the sources below to help you further
understand the lesson:
Castigador, A. C. (2019). Speak and write for a purpose. ACC Book Publishing:
Cavite, Philippines

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 DEPARTMENT OF ARTS & SCIENCES EDUCATION
LANGUAGE DISCIPLINE
Mabini Street, Tagum City Davao del Norte
Telefax: (084)655-9591

LET’S CHECK
In the space provided, identify what categories of office communication the
following belongs:
1. documents ______________________________
2. trainings ______________________________
3. powerpoint presentation ______________________________
4. text message ______________________________
5. bulletin announcements ______________________________
6. meeting ______________________________
7. gossips ______________________________
8. memorandum ______________________________
9. conference ______________________________
10. audio-visual presentation ______________________________

LET’S ANALYZE
Answer the following:
1. Harry challenges his team to reach the quota of their sales. What do you think
should he do to ensure his team achieve the target?
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________.
2. Why are objectives needed to be set first before starting a project? Give at least
two examples of objectives that can be considered as specific, measurable,
attainable, reliable, and time-bound (SMART)?
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________.

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 DEPARTMENT OF ARTS & SCIENCES EDUCATION
LANGUAGE DISCIPLINE
Mabini Street, Tagum City Davao del Norte
Telefax: (084)655-9591

3. As a manager, how will you settle conflicts in the workplace? Give a scenario of
this particular conflict and how you manage it.
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________.
4. Why is communication important?
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________.
5. What are the qualities of a good PowerPoint presentation? How does it help in
the communication process?
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________.
In a NUTSHELL!In this section you can read the summary of this topic.
The general categories of office communication are the following: verbal
communication (either formal or informal), visual communication, and written
communication. Other strategy of communication in the workplace is team building
which increases employee engagement, innovation, growth, and strong
management. To improve communication in the workplace, the following strategies
can be adopted: a) define goals and expectations; b) clearly deliver your message;
c) choose your medium carefully; d) keep everyone involved; and e) listen and show
empathy.

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 DEPARTMENT OF ARTS & SCIENCES EDUCATION
LANGUAGE DISCIPLINE
Mabini Street, Tagum City Davao del Norte
Telefax: (084)655-9591

Questions & Answer List:In this part, you are encourage to write questions about
the topic.You may communicate these questions to your instructor/professor through
Quipper or any prescribed social media platform. After you get the answers you may jot
it down in the table below. This is to bridge the gap of learning between vague
concepts and your prior knowledge.

Do you have any question or clarification?

Questions/Issues Answers
1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

KEYWORDS INDEX
office verbal formal communication Informal or
communication communication grapevine
visual Written employee engagement innovation

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 DEPARTMENT OF ARTS & SCIENCES EDUCATION
LANGUAGE DISCIPLINE
Mabini Street, Tagum City Davao del Norte
Telefax: (084)655-9591

communication communication
growth strong goals medium
management

Big Picture in Focus: ULO b. Write minutes of the meeting, business letters, and
other communication materials accurately.

Metalanguage
In this section, the most essential terms relevant to the study of writing minutes
of the meeting, business letters, and other communication materials accurately is
operationally defined to establish a common frame of reference as to how the course
work in your chosen field or career.

 Minutes refers to a record of what happened during the meeting.

 Memoranda refer to a communication material usually used by companies to
communicate important events, reminders, and updates.
 Letter of request refers to a formal letter to express something to the intended
recipient which can be a proposal, salary raise, release of funds, and the like.
 Business letters refer to a formal letter expressed in a professional manner from
a company or individual to another, or from a company to its customers,
personnel and stakeholders.
 Presentation of a product refers to the skilful presentation of a person or a
company representative such as a salesman or manager/director to the client by
promoting their product shown through their proposal or report.
 SMART refers to an abbreviation for specific, measurable, attainable, reliable,
and time bound.

Essential Knowledge
To understand better about writing minutes of the meeting, business letters, and
other communication materials accurately the following terms are operationally defined.
This will give you ideas about the important things that you really need to know as you
get engage yourself in this chapter.
In various settings, i.e., health care, education, business and trade, law, media, science
and technology, communication in the workplace could be facilitated through the use of
tools. Some of these useful tools are as follows:

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 DEPARTMENT OF ARTS & SCIENCES EDUCATION
LANGUAGE DISCIPLINE
Mabini Street, Tagum City Davao del Norte
Telefax: (084)655-9591

1. Minutes of meetings – a record of what transpired in the meeting could keep

the workforce updated on the recent and most important activities in the office.
The minutes of the meeting features the decisions adopted and actions
identified. Minutes are vital source of information for those who were unable to
attend and helpful tools to remind employees of their responsibilities and the
time frame for doing them. The following format of minutes of meeting may be
used as reference:

PHILIPPINE QUALITY SERVICES (PQS)

Minutes of the Meeting
Board Room

Present Absent

Discussion Points
From Issues/Concerns Responsibilit Target Status Remarks
y Date
Call to order of 1:30 - - C -
pm

Opening Prayer - - I -
1. Review of the A
minutes of the
previous
meeting.
2. Business arising
from the minutes
of the previous
meeting
3. New business
4. Other matters
Legend: C – Completed
I – Information
A- ACTION

2. Memoranda – in an office set up, important policies, activities, and reminders

are communicated through memoranda. Traditionally, memoranda are contained
in brief and formal letters, written in a business-like and serious manner.
However, recently, emails have become a common way of issuing memos.
Below is a sample of a memorandum:see sample on the next page.

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 DEPARTMENT OF ARTS & SCIENCES EDUCATION
LANGUAGE DISCIPLINE
Mabini Street, Tagum City Davao del Norte
Telefax: (084)655-9591

ACC Group of Companies

ACC Towers, 711 Ayala Ave., Makati City

December 8, 2019
From: Mr. Johny Chua
Head, Human Resource Department
ACC Group of Companies
Subject: Training for 5S System
To: All employees
All employees are enjoined to attend this training program especially that our
company is preparing to implement the 5S program soon after the training. Snacks
will be provided free of charge sponsored by ACC Group of Companies.
We expect 100% attendance of all employees to this important seminar workshop.
Please be guided accordingly.

3. Letter of request- if employees would like to ask something from the management,
such as a proposal for approval of a project or a raise in salary, they make use of a
letter of request.
4.Business letters – professional communication sent from a company or individuals to
another, or from a company to its customers, personnel and stakeholders are called
business letters. Lately, emails have become a more popular tool for correspondence,
although business letters are still preferred for many important and serious types of
communication. Effective business letters conform to accepted rules of grammar and
format. Moreover, a business letter should state your contact information and that of
your recipient, salutation, the body of the letter, closing, and the signature of the writer.
An important tip to follow is: your recipients read a substantial number of letters, thus
would prefer well written letters that are clear and grammatically correct. The following
is a sample business letter (note the format and the parts)

PC Furniture Company
297 NRZ St., Makati City

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 DEPARTMENT OF ARTS & SCIENCES EDUCATION
LANGUAGE DISCIPLINE
Mabini Street, Tagum City Davao del Norte
Telefax: (084)655-9591

December 10, 2019

Dr. Leah C. Alonzo

President
LCA University
Valencia City, Bukidnon

Dear Dr. Alonso,

I am writing to inform you in connection with your payment of classroom chairs which
we delivered to your school on December 1, 2019.
We delivered 2,000 armchairs with a unit price of Php500 per armchair or a total price of
Php 1,000,000 payable in cash upon delivery. However, please note that we received
only Php 900,000.00 as payment on December 1, 2019 (please see attached official
receipt).
We wish to inform you that the payment is shot by Php100, 000.oo per the agreed price
of the armchairs. Thus, please send to us the additional amount to settle the unpaid
balance.
We would appreciate it much if you can send us the payment in the amount fPhp
100,000.00 on or before December 15, 2019.
Thank you for ordering your chairs from us and in anticipation of the prompt payment of
your balance.

Respectfully yours,

Ms. Patricia Cerbatos

Manager
PC Furniture Company

5. Presentation of a Product –One very important communication task is the

presentation of a product. If you are in sales or even in other career paths, you will one
day be required to present a product, a proposal or a brief report. Your success as

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 DEPARTMENT OF ARTS & SCIENCES EDUCATION
LANGUAGE DISCIPLINE
Mabini Street, Tagum City Davao del Norte
Telefax: (084)655-9591

communicator could be facilitated by considering important factors, before your

presentation. Justin Croxton in Marketing Presentations, suggests presentation tips that
could be used by marketing teams (https://biz.fluent.cpm/info , retrieved 02-20-18
a. Your goal. The most important factor is the goal of your presentation.
Being clear about your goal could lead you eventually to the success of
your presentation. To set your goals for your presentation, Croxton
suggests considering the following: a0 the objectives of your product; b)
the problems you are addressing or the issues you are trying to resolve. It
would be good to write your presentation goals at the beginning part of
your notes. You can use the SMART model in writing your goals, i.e.,
make your goal specific, measurable, attainable, realistic, and time-
bound.
b. Study your audience. The next important thing to consider is the type of
audience you will be talking to. Study the culture, the likes and dislikes of
your audience. There is sayings that “if you are in Rome, do what the
Romans do” In other words, say things which are acceptable and pleasant
to your audience. Present ideas which could appeal interest to your
audience.
c. Identify your presentation strategies. After setting your goal for your
product presentation and knowing your audience, it is now time for you to
plan your presentation. It would be good to keep a written presentation
plan reflecting your objectives, the content of your presentation and the
strategies or techniques that you will use to convince your audience. It is
said that the beginning part of your presentation is the most crucial part.
The initial challenge is how you could attract the attention of your
audience. So it is advisable to begin with a striking statement, an
anecdote, a challenging question or a relevant story. In one of my
commencement speeches for college graduates, I began my speech with
two questions: who among you want to have a car? And who among you
like to have a house? I noticed that all of the graduating class raised their
hands to answer either of the questions. From there, it was easy to
proceed with the contents of my speech. Then, some humor could be
injected at certain points of the presentation. The use of audio-visual
presentation is a very helpful strategy to enable your audience to better
appreciate your product or ideas, even as it would make the delivery of
your presentation easier for you.
d. Be clear about the selling points of your products/ideas. If you are
presenting the latest brand of a car, be able to cite the best features of
your car that appeals most to your audience. For a Filipino audience
generally, for example, the bestselling point may be the low cost and fuel
efficiency of a car. So, focus your goal on convincing your audience about
the price of the car, the comparison with other brands and the number of

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 DEPARTMENT OF ARTS & SCIENCES EDUCATION
LANGUAGE DISCIPLINE
Mabini Street, Tagum City Davao del Norte
Telefax: (084)655-9591

kilometres it can run per liter of gas. You need some simple research to
gather these pieces of information. Thus, it would be a good tip to know
your competitor.
e. Promote your brand and strategic positioning. After identifying the best
features (the value proposition) of your product, you have to use those
value propositions to your advantage. Croxton calls this positioning. It is
how your audience will think of your product in comparison to a competing
product. Maximize this opportunity by pointing out the striking differences
and advantages of your product versus a competing product.
f. The road of closure to the deal. The concluding part of your presentation
should lead your audience to a positive decision – to buy your product or
accept your proposition. As the saying goes ?carpe diem”, seize the day ,
never leave your audience hanging, lead them to an affirmative answer –
get them a clear yes! before leaving.

Self-Help: You can also refer to the sources below to help you further understand the lesson:

Castigador, A. C. (2019). Speak and write for a purpose. ACC Book

Publishing:
Cavite, Philippines

LET’S CHECK
A. Recall the details of the latest meeting that you attended. Using the given format,
prepare a short minutes of the meeting.
B. Assume that you are the manager of the bank. Issue a memorandum to inform
your employees of forthcoming team-building activities to inform them of the details and
the arrangement for the activity. Use short bond paper.
Consider the following details:
Date of Team-building Activity: May 8-10, 2019
Venue: Las Casas de Via Playa, Morong, Batean.
Objectives: to promote camaraderie,cooperation, support and strong
teamwork among the workforce.
Time of departure: 5:00 a.m., May 8, 2019

Inter-office Memorandum
Name of Office:

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 DEPARTMENT OF ARTS & SCIENCES EDUCATION
LANGUAGE DISCIPLINE
Mabini Street, Tagum City Davao del Norte
Telefax: (084)655-9591

Inter-office memorandum number:

Date of Memorandum:
Subject:
Memorandum issued by:
Position:
Contents of the memorandum:

______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________.
Printed name, position, and signature of the person using the memorandum

C. Imagine that you ordered the latest model of cell phone, made a payment of fifty
percent of the price through a bank and was promised by the seller that the product will
be delivered to you, brand new. Unfortunately, the cell phone that was delivered to you
was a used unit. Prepare a letter of complaint to request a replacement or a refund of
your payment.

LET’S ANALYZE
Choose one task from the following and write your script representing your marketing
strategy to convince your audience. Be ready to have an actual selling demonstration
via Zoom or Google Meet.
1. Assume that you are a salesman selling condominium units. Using the pointers
discussed above, think of a one-minute sales presentation to convince potential
customers to buy your product.
2. Assume that you are conducting an assembly to organize a group of mothers into
a mother’s club to implement community development projects. Using the

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 DEPARTMENT OF ARTS & SCIENCES EDUCATION
LANGUAGE DISCIPLINE
Mabini Street, Tagum City Davao del Norte
Telefax: (084)655-9591

pointers discussed above, think of a one-minute presentation to convince them to

organize into a neighbourhood club.
3. Assume that you are conducting a mass media campaign against a substance
abuse. Using the pointers discussed above, think of a one-minute presentation to
convince your potential audience about the hazards of substance abuse.
4. Assume that you are a chef presenting a tip in cooking your favourite recipe on
television. Using the pointers discussed above, think of a one-minute
presentation to educate your potential audience on how to cook your best recipe.
5. Assume that you are an engineer presenting a road project that would require the
clearing of some houses to give way to the construction of an important highway.
Using the pointers discussed above, think of a one-minute presentation to
convince your audience to approve the demolition of their houses.
6. Assume that you are a politician convincing a small group of audience to vote for
you. Using the pointers discussed above, think of a one-minute presentation to
convince your audience to support your candidacy.

In a NUTSHELL! In this section you can read the summary of this topic.
The communication materials in the workplace are considered the following:
minutes of the meeting, memoranda, letter of request, business letters, and
presentation of a product. Minutes is a record of what transpired in the meeting.
Memoranda are used in communicating important policies, activities and reminders.
Letter of request is used when an employee would like to ask something from the
management. Business letters are written when professional communication is sent
from company to different stakeholders or vice-versa.

15
 DEPARTMENT OF ARTS & SCIENCES EDUCATION
LANGUAGE DISCIPLINE
Mabini Street, Tagum City Davao del Norte
Telefax: (084)655-9591

Questions & Answer List:In this part, you are encourage to write questions about
the topic.You may communicate these questions to your instructor/professor through
Quipper or any prescribed social media platform. After you get the answers you may jot
it down in the table below. This is to bridge the gap of learning between vague
concepts and your prior knowledge.

Do you have any question or clarification?

Questions/Issues Answers

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

KEYWORDS INDEX
communication workplace minutes memoranda

16
 DEPARTMENT OF ARTS & SCIENCES EDUCATION
LANGUAGE DISCIPLINE
Mabini Street, Tagum City Davao del Norte
Telefax: (084)655-9591

materials
presentation of a
letter of request business letters SMART
product
presentation
goal recipient correspondence
strategies

17