Chapter 7

Communication for Work

Purposes
Basics of Writing
1. Purpose. On-the-job writings are usually done for
at least one of the three reasons:
a. To create/build a record
b. To request or provide information
c. To persuade
2. Reader/Audience
Consider the following
questions:
a. Who am I writing to?
b. What do they know about
this topic?
c. What are their job titles
and areas of
responsibility?
Upward Communication.
The written materials are
sent by subordinates to their
superiors.
Lateral Communication.
Materials are sent to people
who are of equal status.
Downward Communication.
This is sent by superiors to
their subordinates.
Outward Communication.
Intended for workers outside
the workplace.
 Focus on the Reader
3. Tone.
Example:

Poor: We now have a Walk-Up Window,

Tone expresses your open to serve you from 9am to 4pm.
attitude toward a
Better: You can now take care of your
person or thing. It is banking need at our new Walk-up Window,
how you regard or open to serve you from 9am to 4pm every
Wednesday.
consider a person.
Choose Positive and Pleasant Ideas:

Negative: She is a fault finder.

Positive: She is concerned with details.

Minutes of the Meeting
Minutes are a summary of what happened at a meeting. They show the information shared,
the discussion made and decisions reached.
Basic Parts:
1. Day, time, and place of the meeting
2. Name of the group holding the meeting
3. Name of the presiding officer or chair
4. Names of present and absent members
5. Approval or amendment of minutes of previous meeting.
6. For each major point, what was done is indicated.
a. What was discussed, suggested, proposed.
b. What was decided, and the votes.
c. What was continued or table for further study.
d. What time the meeting was officially closed.
7. Secretary’s signature
Memorandum

Memo, short for memorandum, is of Latin origin, which

means “something to be remembered.”

A memo is usually written for internal or in-house

communication. It is usually short, direct to the point,
clearly stating what must be done or not done.
Functions of Memo
1. Making announcements;
2. Giving instructions;
3. Clarifying a policy, procedure, or issue;
4. Changing a policy or procedure;
5. Alerting a staff to a problem;
6. Sending recommendations;
7. Providing legal records;
8. Calling a meeting; and
9. Reminding employees of corporate history, policy, and procedure.
 Memo Protocol
1. Be timely. Do not wait for the day of the event before the
announcement.
2. Be professional. Although a memo is an in-house correspondence,
it should still be well crafted, factually accurate, and free of
grammar lapses and faulty writing mechanics.
3. Be tactful. Politeness and diplomacy are important qualities of any
business correspondence.
4. Send memo to the right person. In business, a memo is typically
for internal communication; hence, it is also considered an upward
communication through which any complaints, issues, opinions,
views and suggestions are sent.
Memo Parts and Formats
1. Header. Includes four parts:
To: Name and job title of the receiver
From: Sender’s name
Date: Full calendar date
Subject: Indicate the purpose.
2. Message. Follows the orientation-information-action
format.
a. Orientation. What is the purpose or reason for
writing?
b. Information. What do you want to convey to the
reader?
c. What step or course of action do you intend to
take?
Letter of Request

Request letters are written when a person seeks help of

any kind from a someone else.
Guidelines:
1. Direct/address your letter to the right person.
2. State who you are and your work title and why you
are writing.
3. Indicate your reason for requesting the information.
4. State your questions briefly and clearly.
5. Indicate exactly when you need the information, but
allow sufficient time.
6. Offer to forward a copy of your report, article, or
paper in gratitude for the anticipated help.
7. Thank the reader for helping.
Short Report
A short report, which must also contain a title, that
defines its content, generally consist of a summary of
the report, a brief background, a defined purpose, and
a conclusion.
Types of Short Reports
Progress Report

It ensures the successful completion of the task or

project within the specified time, informs the reader
about the status of an on-going project or task – how
much had been done, and will be done by a particular
date.
Components of Progress Report
1. Introduction. Contains the background of the project
where the project is identified, its objectives are
reviewed, and the reader is informed about any
development since the previous progress report.
2. Work completed. It is the summary of
accomplishment to date, which is organized
chronologically if the report covers one major task, or
by classification of task if it deals with more than one
related project.
3. Work remaining. It gives summary of all completed
tasks, emphasizing what is expected to be
accomplished first.
4. Problems. This part, which identifies any delays, cost
overruns, or any other unanticipated difficulties, may
be omitted if all is well or no problem causes any
harmful effect.

5. Conclusions. This part summarizes the status of the

project and provides recommendations to solve the
problems.
Incident Report
An incident report is written either by the person
involved in the incident or by a person in charge of the
area where it took place to explain the circumstances
behind the troublesome occurrence.
It includes:
Harm to property Physical injury
Fire Law-enforcement offense
Vehicular accidents Environmental danger
In writing Incident Report, include the following:

1. Name and job titles of all persons involved, including onlookers;

2. Type of incident and step-by-step description of the incident;
3. Exact location and cause of the incident;
4. Date and exact time of each major development;
5. Clear identification of any equipment or machinery involved;
6. Detailed description of any medical intervention required;
7. Reliable statements from persons involved;
8. Outcome of the incident.
Project Proposal
A proposal is a document designed to convince or
persuade someone to follow or accept a specific course of
action. A proposal may be solicited or unsolicited.
It is written to propose a:
a. change of process or policy
b. solution to a problem
c. purchase a product or service
d. pursuit of an activity
Guidelines in Writing a Proposal
1. Summarize the situation or problem that the
proposal is addressing.
2. Provide a detailed explanation of how the proposal
will correct the problem.
3. Confirm the feasibility of the proposal and the
expected benefits of completing it.
4. Convincingly refute any probable objection.
5. Establish the writer’s credentials and qualifications
for the project.
6. Identify any necessary resources, equipment, or
support.
7. Provide a reliable timetable for completion of the
project.
8. Provide an honest, itemized estimate of the costs.
9. Close with a strong conclusion that will motivate the
reader to accept the proposal.
Solicited Internal Proposal
The primary purpose of an internal proposal is to offer
a realistic, constructive plans to help the management
run the business efficiently and effectively.
(see the sample)