PURPOSIVE COMMUNICATION

Remote Learning Series 2020 – 2021

UNIT IV - Module 7:
Workplace Communication Documents

Start It Right…
Read the Learning Outcomes of this Module.

At the end of the learning engagement, you should be able to:

1. explain the importance of effective workplace communication,
2. analyze various types of communication documents in the workplace,
3. prepare workplace communication documents,
5. participate in activities to enhance communication competence, and
6. appreciate the value of understanding effective workplace communication.

Hook up and Share…

A. Amazing Maze. Try to figure out the fastest route to Bob’s and Zach’s
destinations. Have fun!

Can you help young geologist Bob find his way Can you help Office Manager Zach find the
to the treasure chest at the foot of the cliff? shortest route to the exit?

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 Watch and Buzz…
Use the Internet and view the video presentation titled ―Workplace
Communication‖ at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kaH4xfodN3w. Then write
a summary of 50 – 75 words of the content of the video presentation.

Summary

__________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________

Show and Tell…

A. In Good Terms with Business Terms. Look for the definition of business terms in
the list.

Terms Definitions
Assets
Balance Sheet
Benchmark
Brand
Competitive Advantage
Earnings
Entrepreneur
First-in-first-out
Horizontal Merger

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 Income Statement
Inventory
Leave of Absence
Liability
Liquidation
Marketing
Mission Statement
Net Worth
Outsourcing
Payroll
Profit
Return on Investment
Salary
SWOT Analysis
Target Market
Tax
B. Business Letter. Here is an example of a business letter format. Identify its parts, then give a short
description of each. (Image courtesy of www.bing.com)

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 Plug in and Chat…
Interactive Lecture. Participate in the discussion of the key concepts about
multimedia and web-based presentations.

COMMUNICATION FOR WORK PURPOSES

EFFECTIVE WORKPLACE COMMUNICATION FOR BETTER COLLABORATION

By Bit Tech Labs Inc. 2020

Ever worked on a group project in school? Then you probably know how hard it is to communicate your
ideas effectively and receive feedback. If there’s no structure in place, feedback can go unnoticed while
some people won’t even get time to express their opinions.
The same holds true for organizations. When working together in a company, effectively communicating
ideas and tasks can go a long way in improving engagement and productivity.
Workplace communication is all of the communication that goes on inside an organization - be it
amongst team members or across departments. Fesmina Faizal (2019) describes workplace
communication as the process of exchanging information and ideas, both verbal and non-verbal between
one person/group and another person/group within an organization. It includes emails, text messages,
notes, calls, etc.
Simply saying that workplace communication is important would be a huge understatement. In our fast-
paced digital world, having a clear understanding of tasks and goals can keep everyone on the same
page. And with remote work gaining popularity, having an effective communication strategy can make or
break your business.

Benefits of Effective Workplace Communication

Communication forms the basis for both personal as well as professional relationships. Having
transparent communication with your team members and employees increases workplace productivity,
improves transparency, leads to better interpersonal relationships, reduces employee turnover and helps
deliver better customer service. Some of the key benefits of having a solid workplace communications
strategy in place include:
Benefit #1: Lowers Employee Turnover
According to recent studies, workplaces with a reputation for healthy communication and workplace
collaboration practices could reduce turnover rates by 59 percent. Moreover, companies and
organizations that communicate effectively are 4.5x more likely to retain the best employees.
Not being able to communicate with your superiors or even fellow teammates creates unpleasant
conditions for employees, leading to disengaged employees. This disengagement at work leads to
employees looking for other opportunities, resulting in high staff turnover.
It’s important for managers to create an environment that is judgment-free and everyone has the ability to
give suggestions, feedback and voice their opinions freely. Only then you can build deeper, meaningful
relationships at work and communicate effectively.

Benefit #2: No More Confusion

A staggering 86% of employees and executives cite a lack of collaboration or ineffective communication
for workplace failures.
When goals and expectations are not communicated effectively, it’s likely to lead to confusion in the
workplace. In fact, only 5.9% of companies communicate goals daily. Out of which, only 14 percent of
employees actually understand the company strategy, goals and direction!

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Communicating roles and responsibilities can help remove confusion and helps employees perform their
roles with full autonomy. When tasks, roles, and responsibilities are assigned clearly with effective
dialogue between the two parties, it brings clarity to the organization. Communication helps remove any
confusion and enables team members to perform their roles with autonomy.

Benefit #3: Productivity Booster

Fifteen percent of an employee’s total work time—over 300 hours a year—is wasted in inefficient or
ineffective communications, according to the 2017 Workplace Productivity and Communications
Technology Report.
Employees are spending too much time trying to understand their goals and tasks rather than actually
performing the activity. When communication is more linear, employees can quickly grasp their roles and
responsibilities and get to work, thereby increasing productivity.
A business with 100 employees spends an average downtime of 17 hours a week clarifying
communication, translating to an annual cost of $528,443. If you want to increase productivity as well as
save a ton of money for your business, try communicating with your employees clearly and with
increased transparency.

Benefit #4: Bring Your Team Together

According to the statistics, 57% of employees report not being given clear directions and 69% of
managers are not comfortable communicating with the employees in general. It’s clear that
communication problems in an organization go both ways- both employees and managers suffer from a
lack of communication, resulting in poor work output and interpersonal relationships.
Assigning tasks and goals form the foundation of productive work as every team member should know
exactly what to do and when. is the backbone of productive work. Effective communication ensures that
every team member knows their goals, how their work fits in the big picture, and what is expected of
them to achieve these goals.

Benefit #5: Employee Morale and Free Flow of Ideas

According to data, 33 percent of employees said a lack of open, honest communication has the most
negative impact on employee morale. A culture of open communication can lower employee morale and
lead to lower productivity, or worse, increased employee turnover.
Organizations should always strive to have a culture of open and transparent communication. Employees
feel comfortable sharing diverse, out of the box thoughts and ideas without the feeling of being rejected
or criticized. This, in turn, promotes the free flow of ideas amongst team members and upper
management.

COMMUNICATION FLOWS IN AN ORGANIZATION

By Prachi Juneja at Management Study Guide
In an organization, communication flows in 5 main directions – downward, upward, lateral, diagonal, and
external

 Downward Communication: Communication that flows from a higher level in an organization to a

lower level is a downward communication. In other words, communication from superiors to
subordinates in a chain of command is a downward communication. This communication flow is used
by the managers to transmit work-related information to the employees at lower levels. Employees
require this information for performing their jobs and for meeting the expectations of their managers.

Downward communication is used by the managers for the following purposes -

Providing feedback on employees performance
Giving job instructions

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 Providing a complete understanding of the employees job as well as to communicate them how
their job is related to other jobs in the organization.
Communicating the organizations mission and vision to the employees.
Highlighting the areas of attention.

Organizational publications, circulars, letter to employees, group meetings, etc. are all examples of
downward communication. In order to have effective and error-free downward communication,
managers must:
Specify communication objective
Ensure that the message is accurate, specific and unambiguous.
Utilize the best communication technique to convey the message to the receiver in right form

 Upward Communication: Communication that flows to a higher level in an organization is called

upward communication. It provides feedback on how well the organization is functioning. The
subordinates use upward communication to convey their problems and performances to their
superiors.

The subordinates also use upward communication to tell how well they have understood the
downward communication. It can also be used by the employees to share their views and ideas and
to participate in the decision-making process.

Upward communication leads to a more committed and loyal workforce in an organization because
the employees are given a chance to raise and speak dissatisfaction issues to the higher levels. The
managers get to know about the employees feelings towards their jobs, peers, supervisor and
organization in general. Managers can thus accordingly take actions for improving things.

Grievance Redressal System, Complaint and Suggestion Box, Job Satisfaction surveys, etc. all help
in improving upward communication. Other examples of Upward Communication are -performance
reports made by low level management for reviewing by higher level management, employee attitude
surveys, letters from employees, employee-manager discussions etc.

 Lateral / Horizontal Communication: Communication that takes place at same levels of hierarchy
in an organization is called lateral communication, i.e., communication between peers, between
managers at same levels or between any horizontally equivalent organizational member. The
advantages of horizontal communication are as follows:
It is time saving.
It facilitates co-ordination of the task.
It facilitates co-operation among team members.
It provides emotional and social assistance to the organizational members.
It helps in solving various organizational problems.
It is a means of information sharing
It can also be used for resolving conflicts of a department with other department or conflicts
within a department.

 Diagonal Communication: Communication that takes place between a manager and employees of
other workgroups is called diagonal communication. It generally does not appear on organizational
chart. For instance, to design a training module a training manager interacts with Operations
personnel to inquire about the way they perform their task.

 External Communication: Communication that takes place between a manager and external
groups such as - suppliers, vendors, banks, financial institutes, etc. For instance - To raise capital the
Managing director would interact with the Bank Manager.

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EFFECTIVE WRITING FOR RESULTS
By Prachi Juneja at Management Study Guide

While writing to a friend, colleague, client, or a business partner, the content must be clear, concise,
persuasive, accurate, and confident. Read on to know some tips for making the letter / memo /
presentation worthwhile.

 Avoid being verbose: Choose shorter words and sentences. For example, ―I wanted to bring to your
notice that the meeting has been cancelled‖. [10 words] This sentence could be rephrased as
―Please note the meeting has been cancelled‖. [7 words]

 Use objective subject lines: The subject of the memo / letter / e-mail should be objective and
should reflect the content of the message. For example, ―Tips on Effective Writing for Business‖
conveys to the reader that the message content will be related to information on effective writing.

 Decide your audience: It is advisable to write to one set of audience as writing to different
professionals would require choosing correct verbiage which is understood by different professionals
in the same way. Also, do not use words which are very technical and can be understood only by a
specific audience.

 Request for action: Never leave the reader guessing ―what next?‖ He or she should know what is
expected out of him / her. Close your mail / letter with the action you are expecting the reader to take.

 Share companywide messages with a strategy: Do not overload employees with a lot of text
heavy mails.

 Divide the message: For example, if a company has set up a videoconference room, the Corporate
Communication Team should send out the first message announcing the launch, the second
message on how to use the equipment, and the third message on how to block the conference room
for client meetings and calls.

 Logically format a document: Ensure that the content in the message is linked to the subject and to
the content below and above it. There should be a logical connection in various paragraphs included
in the document.

 Be Persuasive: Address one reader rather than many as it increases the focus and also creates
accountability of the reader.

 Engage the audience: Talk to the audience. For example, rather than saying, ―There will be two
ways for calculating the cost.‖ the sender of the message could say, ―Financial Analysts can choose
one of two procedures to calculate the cost.‖

 Check before you send: Always proofread the mail / memo / document that is to be sent.
Remember the first draft is not always the final draft. Do not only check for content, but also, check
for formatting, subject lines, audience, and attachments.

 Execute with confidence: Do not be fearful while sending the communication. If a reminder needs
to be sent, it should be sent. Do not try to send it to a group; rather, send it to those who haven’t sent
the reports so far. For example, in case you are following up on a report you asked for, address the
audience as ―Thank You X, Y, Z for sending the reports. We are still awaiting reports from A, B, and
C. Request you to send them latest by 4:00 PM today.‖

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WORKPLACE COMMUNICATION DOCUMENTS
Types of Written Business Communication
By: Anam Ahmed Updated March 7, 2019
Written business communication has several purposes. In most business settings, there are four types of
written communication: transactional, persuasive, informational and instructional. Regardless of what
kind of written communication you are using, be sure to write clearly and succinctly while using the
proper level of formality required. Address the key points your audience wants to know and ensure the
tone of your writing is in line with your company brand.
Transactional Business Documents
This kind of business communication is for day-to-day use and is generally short and direct and
requires action from the reader.
Examples of written communication that is transactional include: emails, instant messages, invoices,
short memos, forms and letters.
Persuasive Business Documents
Written communication in business also includes persuasive content. The goal of this kind of material
is to provide the reader with a unique value proposition about your business and encourage them to
respond. Depending on the kinds of written materials used, the responses can be to make a sale or
further a relationship.
Examples of persuasive business writing include marketing and promotional content such as ads,
brochures, press releases, emails, newsletters and direct mail campaigns. Sales decks and proposals
to prospects are also persuasive business writing, as are cover letters and resumes.
One of the key elements to consider when writing persuasively is to not focus on the business too
much. Instead, it’s important to focus on what the audience wants and the kinds of problems they are
trying to solve.
Informational Business Documents
One of the most common forms of written communication in business is informational material. The
goal of this kind of written communication is to provide a reference or a record of specific areas of the
business. Informational writing doesn’t necessarily require an action from the reader, unlike
transactional and persuasive content.
Examples of informational business communication include quarterly financial reports, meeting
minutes, employee handbooks and annual departmental overviews. An FAQ page on a website is also
an example of informational content. This kind of writing is direct and thorough, covering a wide range
of content with the goal of keeping the reader up to date on specific aspects of the business.
Informational business communication enables the company to predict future performance, record
previous performance and meet legal or regulatory obligations.
Instructional Business Documents
Written communication in business also includes instructional business writing. The goal of this kind of
material is to provide step-by-step details on how to complete a specific task. Similar to transactional
and persuasive content, instructional content usually requires the reader to take some kind of action
either now or in the future.
Examples of instructional communication in business include user manuals, job description
handbooks, technical specifications and instructional memos. This kind of writing is clear and direct,
often written in short sentences that follow a chronological order.
Instructional content needs to take into account how much the reader knows about the topic at hand
and provide the missing information. If the instructional content is for multiple people with varying

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levels of understanding, then the material needs to first cover the basics and then move on to the
specific tasks that need to be completed.

DEFINITIONS OF SOME WRITTEN WORKPLACE DOCUMENTS

Compiled by Pete L. Caudilla
Advertisements
Advertisement is a notice or announcement in a public medium promoting a product, service, or event or
publicizing a job vacancy (www.bing.com).
Agenda
An agenda consists of a list of topics to be discussed in an upcoming meeting. Agendas are usually
distributed to the participants in the meeting beforehand (kielikompassi.jyu.fi).
Brochures
A brochure is a common marketing tool used to advertise a service or product offering. It takes the form
of a pamphlet or flyer that is used to distribute information about something.
Brochures allow businesses to introduce new products and services to existing customers or increase
their reach by advertising to new prospects. They can be handed out in person, mailed, or left at specific
businesses that are willing to help you reach their customers (SmartDraw, 2020).
Business Letters
A business letter is a letter from one company to another, or between such organizations and their
customers, clients, or other external parties. The overall style of letter depends on the relationship
between the parties concerned. Business letters can have many types of content, for example to request
direct information or action from another party, to order supplies from a supplier, to point out a mistake by
the letter's recipient, to reply directly to a request, to apologize for a wrong, or to convey goodwill. A
business letter is sometimes useful because it produces a permanent written record, and may be taken
more seriously by the recipient than other forms of communication (Guffey, Rhodes and Rogin, 2010 and
Newman and Ober, 2013).
Business Plan
A business plan is a written document that describes in detail how a business—usually a new one—is
going to achieve its goals. A business plan lays out a written plan from a marketing, financial and
operational viewpoint. Business plans are important to allow a company to lay out its goals and attract
investment. They are also a way for companies to keep themselves on track going forward
(Investopedia, n.d.).
Contracts and Agreements
This is the most important form of written communication within any organization. It involves everything
from contracts to licenses to different types of letters, like a letter of offer to a prospective employee, a
letter of intent, confidentiality agreements, terms and conditions, business introduction letter, etc. These
written documents are to be preserved very carefully by both the parties mentioned therein, as they are
important legal documents (iBuzzle & Buzzle.com, Inc., n.d.).
Emails
A professional e-mail might be addressed to potential employers, business associates, colleagues,
university staff, etc. In order to achieve a respectable and credible tone in a message, one should use
correct spelling and grammar. In addition, avoiding the use of emoticons is advisable
(kielikompassi.jyu.fi).
Employee Handbooks
An employee handbook, sometimes also known as an employee manual, staff handbook, or company
policy manual, is a single document that sets up the expectations of employment. Employee handbooks
typically cover company policies, provide insights about the workplace culture and list expectations about
employees’ behavior and performance (Personio, 2020).

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Inhouse Newsletter/Magazine
Many corporate houses are adopting the idea of having an in-house magazine or newsletter published.
This serves two purposes: it helps employees explore their hidden talents and everyone gets to know
everyone better when they see them in the journals.
Instant Messages
An instant message (IM) is a real-time, text-based communication similar to chat. IM uses a shared
software client between or among two or more people using personal computers, iPhones or other
devices. The communication is done over a network, often the Internet, and may include advanced
modes with live voice or video. File transfers are also sometimes allowed but are limited in size
(Techopedia).
Job Specification
Job specification is a statement of employee characteristics and qualifications required for satisfactory
performance of defined duties and tasks comprising a specific job or function. Job specification is derived
from job analysis (BusinessDictionary, 2020).
Memorandum
Physical and electronic memos are used most often in office settings. They are brief, informative and
persuasive documents communicating technical or administrative information. Memos also provide the
basis for the documentation of an organization's actions (kielikompassi.jyu.fi).
Minutes
Minutes are a written report of a particular action in an organization, such as a meeting. The previous
meeting's minutes are usually reviewed at the beginning of the following meeting (kielikompassi.jyu.fi).
Press Releases
A press release is a written communication directed at the news media. Its purpose is to announce
something that presumably has news value (kielikompassi.jyu.fi).
Project Proposals
Writing a project proposal helps to clarify the aim and objectives of the project. It often includes the work
plan, timetable, tentative outcomes, budget, etc. (kielikompassi.jyu.fi).
Report
Reports are standard documents in all organizations. They are written to communicate factual,
descriptive information on survey results, for example. Although the structure of a report is fairly
consistent, it may vary according to the audience (kielikompassi.jyu.fi).
Technical Documentation
Technical documentation includes the description of mechanical systems or technical processes, and it is
written for experts in a specific field (kielikompassi.jyu.fi). For example, software code documentation,
technical specifications and API documentation (computersciencewiki.org, 2019).
Training Materials
Training Materials means books, instructions, charts, information or programs used or useful in training
or educating members of a business organization, regardless of whether such materials are made
available in print, electronic media, online or otherwise (Law Insider, 2020).
User Documentation
User documentation refers to the documentation for a product or service provided to the end users. The
user documentation is designed to assist end users to use the product or service. This is often referred to
as user assistance. The user documentation is a part of the overall product delivered to the customer
(computersciencewiki.org, 2019).

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 Clinch It Well…
Accomplish the assessment activity that follows. Then submit your output to your
instructor for evaluation and grading.

Name: ___________________________________ Section: _______ Date: _______ Score: ________

A. Write and Send Email. Choose a local travel destination (e.g. Bohol, Palawan, etc.) in the
Philippines. You are going to travel from Manila to this place for a business meeting on September 18-
20, 2020. Write and send an email to a local travel agency to request for travel information and reserve
the following: 1) Round-trip flight, 2) Hotel room for two nights, 3) Restaurant recommendation, and 4)
Prices and departure schedule. Use the template provided for your output.

B. Reply to Email. You work in a travel agency. You received the preceding email and offer the sender
the following solutions: 1) Round-trip flight: Philippine Airlines Php7,950 Economy Class, Php9,575
Business Class (provide departure schedule for both) 2) Hotel room for two nights: Luxurious Hotel (four-
star) in the city area Php2,500 a night, Hotel Relax (three-star) near the airport Php2,000 a night, 3)
Restaurant Recommendation: Goody Foody – city area – average price Php500 a person; Bayanihan
Resto - downtown - average price Php400 a person. Use the template provided for your output.
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C. Leaving a Message. You are a
receptionist at Diamond Holdings,
Inc. Dr. Perry Borja of Sunshine Skin
Clinic telephones and wants to speak
to Manager Santos about his account
with her company. But Manager
Santos isn't in the office, so the
doctor leaves the following
information: 1) His name, 2)
Telephone number: 880-4163, 3)
Calling about changing conditions of
his contract with Diamond Holdings,
Inc, and 4) He can be reached until 4
o'clock at the above number. If
Manager Santos calls after 5 o'clock,
she should call 0999143-5254.

Use the given ―important message‖

form for this task.

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D. Pandemic Communication. Assume that you are the office manager at Solid Trust, Corp. Write a
memorandum to employees about Covid-19 workplace protocols such as wearing of appropriate face
mask and face shield, social distancing, etc. that should be strictly implemented and followed at the
company premises. Use appropriate information from online and non-online resources if necessary. In
doing this activity, be guided by the proceeding requirements. Use the template provided for your output.
Requirements:
1. State your purpose in the first paragraph.
2. Provide the major details in the second paragraph.
3. End the memo with a ―call to action‖ statement.

Solid Trust, Corp.

143 JP Rizal Avenue, Makati City

Office Memo #20-08-2020

To :
From :
Date :
Subject : Covid-19 Workplace Protocols
_____________________________________________________________________________

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References:

Ahmed, Anam. (2019, March 7). Types of written business communication. Retrieved from
https://bizfluent.com/list-7613677-types-organizational-communication.html

Bit Tech Labs Inc. (2020). Effective workplace communication for better collaboration. Retrieved from
https://blog.bit.ai/workplace-communication/

Faizal, Fesmina. (2019). "What is workplace communication? (& Why does it matter)". Feedough.
Feedough. Retrieved from https://www.feedough.com/what-is-workplace-communication-why-
does-it-matter/

Guffey, Rhodes and Rogin. (2010). Business communication: Process and product. Third Brief Canadian
Edition. Thomson-Nelson.

Investopedia. (n.d.). Business Plan. Retrieved from https://www.investopedia.com/terms/b/business-

plan.asp

Job Specification. Retrieved from http://www.businessdictionary.com/definition/job-specification.html

Juneja, Prachi. (2020). Business communication. Management Study Guide. Retrieved from
https://www.managementstudyguide.com/business_communication.htm

Law Insider. (2020). Training materials. Retrieved from https://www.lawinsider.com/dictionary/training-

materials

Newman and Ober. (2013). Business communication: In person, in print, online. South-Western. p.
503–506.

Personio. (2020). Employee handbooks: What every HR manager needs to know. Retrieved from
https://www.personio.com/hr-lexicon/employee-handbook

Workplace Communication. (2016). Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kaH4xfodN3w

Workplace Documents. Retrieved from https://kielikompassi.jyu.fi/uploads/document_userfiles/

workplace_documents/workplace_documents_business

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