MANAGING

OFFICIAL
COMMUNICATION
An Edited Presentation Used in the BSMC

Objectives of this Session:

Review
1. Directions of official communications
2. Communications in DepED
Differentiate each type
Write a memo (apply previously
learned topics)

Activity:
Halleys Comet

A memorandum, as it goes
down the chain of command in
an educational institution.

SUBJECT : Operation Halleys Comet

FROM
: Chairman of the Board of Trustees
TO
: The President

Tomorrow evening at approximately eight (8)

p.m., Halleys Comet will be visible in this area,
an event which occurs only once every seventy
five (75) years. Have the students fall out in the
football fields in uniforms and I will explain this
rare phenomenon to them. In case of rain, we
will not be able to see anything, so assemble the
students in the auditorium and I will show them
film of it.

FROM
TO

: The President
: Vice President for Academic Affairs

By order of the Chairman of the Board,

tomorrow, at eight in the evening, Halleys
Comet will appear above the football field, if it
rains, fall the students out in uniforms. Then
lead them to the auditorium where the rare
phenomenon will take place, something which
occurs only once every seventy five years.

FROM
TO

: Vice President for Academic Affairs

: College Dean

By order of the Chairman of the Board, in

uniform, at eight oclock in the evening
tomorrow, the phenomenal Halleys Comet will
appear in the auditorium. In case of rain, in the
football field, the Chairman of the Board will
give another order, something which occurs
once every seventy five years.

FROM
TO

: Dean of College
: Academic Coordinators

Tomorrow at eight oclock in the evening, the

Chairman of the Board will appear in the
auditorium with Halleys Comet, something
which happens every five years. If it rains, the
Chairman of the Board will order the COMET
into the football area in uniform.

FROM
TO

: Academic Coordinators
: Department Heads

When it rains tomorrow at eight in the

evening, the phenomenal, seventy-five year old
Chairman Halley, accompanied by the President
will drive his Comet thru the football field area
theater in uniform.

What did you notice in the

flow of communication?
What does it implies?

WHAT IS COMMUNICATION?
Communicating with others is at the
heart of every activity and of the every
process of living. It is the thread that lines
the actions of the individual or organization
to its desired objectives. It is also the way
humans have of sharing feelings, thoughts,
wants and needs. Communication is a
process which enables us to share ideas
with others. It also examines the barriers
that interfere with effective communications.

COMMUNICATION -

Is the transfer of information

from one person to another. It
is a way of transmitting ideas,
facts, thoughts, feelings and
values.

Is what the receiver understands,

not what the sender says.

THE COMMUNICATION PROCESS

MESSAGE
Barriers
S
E
N Develop Encode Transmit
D
idea
E
R Steps: 1
2
3

R
E
Bridge of
C
Meaning
E
Receive Decode Accept Use I
V
E
4
5
6
7 R

FEEDBACK FOR TWO-WAY

COMMUNICATION
8

BARRIERS TO EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATION

Technological
Factors

Intrapersonal
Factors

Structural
Factors

1. Language
and Meaning
2. Nonverbal
Cues
3. Media
Effectiveness
4. Information
Overload

1. Selective
Perception
2. Individual
Differences in
Communication Skills

1. Status
2. Serial
Transmission
3. Group Size
4. Spatial
Constraints

Effective

Interpersonal
Factors
1.
2.
3.
4.

Climate
Trust
Credibility
SenderReceiver
Similarity

DIRECTIONS OF OFFICIAL
COMMUNICATIONS
Downward
Upward
Lateral /
Across

DIRECTIONS OF OFFICIAL
COMMUNICATIONS
A. DOWNWARD COMMUNICATION
Visioning and motivational
Job instructions
Job rationale
Policies, procedures and practices
Feedback
B. UPWARD COMMUNICATION
Participatory-planning and decisionmaking
Feedback on understanding of
downward communication

Encourages submission of valuable

ideas/suggestions for improvements
Unsolved work-related and issues
and problems

C. HORIZONTAL COMMUNICATION
Tasks coordination
Problem solving
Information sharing
Conflict resolution
D. INFORMAL COMMUNICATION NETWORK
Grapevine is _________.
Grapevine is accurate (80 to 90
percent for noncontroversial
information)

D. INFORMAL COMMUNICATION NETWORK

(Continuation)
Grapevine carries much information
Grapevine provides management
with feedback about employee
views/opinions
Grapevine serves as the network
over much rumor travels
Grapevine travels by cluster

POSSIBLE MAJOR GOALS OF

COMMUNICATION TO THREE TYPES
OF RECEIVERS
When Communicating with Superiors:
To provide respond to their requests
To keep them informed of your progress
To elicit their help in solving problems
To sell them on your ideas and
suggestions for improvements
To seek clarification of their orders and
instructions

When Communicating with Peers:

To share for improvement
To coordinate your activities with theirs
To provide them with assistance
To get to know them as individuals
When Communicating with Subordinates:
To issue orders and instructions
To persuade and sell them on changes
To appraise their performances
To compliment, reward and discipline
To clarify your intentions, orders and
instructions
To get to know them as individuals

COMMUNICATION RESPONSIBILITIES
1. Be sure of the purpose of communicating.
Two basic questions to answer: Is
communication necessary? What are the
goals of communicating?
2. Know the receiver. Sender must look at
intended audience to construct the message
properly and to determine who the specific
receiver should be.
3. Construct the message with the receiver in
mind. The sender should try to put the
message into words what the audience will
understand, and choose only those words.

COMMUNICATION RESPONSIBILITIES
4. Select proper medium. The sender
needs to elect the most appropriate
medium. The choice of a medium to
carry the message depends on the
content of the message, who the receiver
will be, the receivers location and
environment at the time of transmission,
and the time chosen to transmit the
message.

Tips in Preparing Effective Written

Communication
Points to remember in preparing written communication:

1. Determine the purpose. Have clearly in mind

the purpose of your communication, knowing
the purpose will help organize your thought.
2. Think about the reader. Tailor what you say,
and the way in which you express it so that the
message is presented in an appropriate way.
If you say Yes to a request or offering
something or giving pleasant news, tell your
reader right away.
Example: You will be glad to know that your
request was approved.

Points to remember in preparing written communication:

3. Be clear and concise. Use the best words and

expressions to cover your thoughts to the
reader.
Specifically,
Use basic English words not slang.
Use the specific and concrete terms rather
than vague and misleading expressions. If a
technical term makes your writing clearer or
more concise, use it. However, you may avoid
using a technical term when a simpler word
will do just as will, or when the terms meaning
may not be clear to your reader.

Specifically,
Keep paragraphs and sentences
short. Sentences and paragraphs
that express one idea are easier to
understand. Avoid wordy phrase
such as:
i regret to inform
would appreciate it
will acknowledge
please be advised
a great deal of
with references to
beg to inform you
Avoid redundancy
Ex:
an honor and a privilege
combine into one
first priority

Specifically,
Minimize the use of cliches such as:
bread- and -butter issue
tried and true
bottom line
4. Have a logical progression of ideas.
A well-planned communication must
have the following parts:
Introduction - to attract the attention
and interest of the reader
Body - the main content -- the
meat
Closing - should be the natural
and logical result of what you have
said

5. You should strive for accuracy in mechanical

and technical details especially in references,
statements, dates. Include only the essential
facts as dates and figures, names and other
data and make sure that they are correct.
Incorrect, insufficient and irrelevant
information leave the reader in doubt and will
require additional communication.
6. Whenever possible, use the active voice. Your
writing style will be more direct, will add
strength to your message as well as contribute
to a conversational tone.

7. Adopt the right tone. Be specific without

sounding threatening. Use positive rather
than negative approach.
Whenever possible, soften your NO by
offering an alternative action
Ex. Although we cant we can
Point out a mistake tactfully
NOT THIS
BUT THIS
You failed to send
We need your
in your report
report to
Use the passive voice to point out an error.
NOT THIS
BUT THIS
You overlooked. Something was
overlooked.
Avoid scolding or blaming.

8. Check for proper form, capitalization,

spelling, word division, grammar and
punctuation.
9. Check and polish your rough draft
before you finalize your written
communication.

COMMUNICATIONS IN DepED
1. DepED Orders
issued as needed and are confined to
announcement of policies or of matters
of general and reasonably permanent in
nature. The contents of the Orders
remain in effect until rescinded or
amended
2. DepED Memoranda
issued when the instructions/information to be conveyed/disseminated are
of a temporary nature. Examples are
announcements of conferences,
seminars, examinations, surveys,
contests, celebrations, etc.
3. DepED Bulletin
usually deal with matters which are
more informational or instructional than
regulative in nature

4. Unnumbered Memoranda
similar DepED Memoranda but limited
in scope or concern only one or a few
regions or offices
5. Office Orders
similar to DepED Orders but contain
policies/instructions confined only to
the DepEd Central Office personnel
6. Office Memorandum
similar to DepED Memoranda but
concern only to the Central Office
personnel
-- The first three issuances mentioned are chronologically
numbered by the Materials Production and Publication
Division. The other are not numbered.

THE MEMO
The memo format is suitable for most inhouse instructional messages, whereas the letter
format is more suitable for outside contact. Any
instruction -- oral or written -- must be very clear
and specific to avoid misunderstandings.

Parts of a Memo
Principal Parts
A.

Heading - guide words preceding the body.

Memo stationary may have headings printed at
the top of the page beneath the letterhead
address: Date, To, From, Subject. The writer
then fills in the appropriate information after
each guide word. Major words in the subject line
are capitalized.

Principal Parts
B. Body -- the message of the memo. Prepare it
like the body of a letter, with paragraphs that
may not be indented. Since memo has no
salutation, the first paragraph begins two or
more lines below the row of guide words.
C. Notations -- miscellaneous references such
as the inclosure notation. Place notations in
the same position as those in a traditional
letter.

CHANNELS/MEDIA OF
COMMUNICATIONS
A. FORMAL / OFFICIAL
memoranda
orders
letters
endorsements

bulletins
circulars
reports

B. INFORMAL
grapevine
electronic telecommunications
(telephone, radio, television, fax,
e-mail, internet, pager)

SAMPLE DepED Order

DepEd Order No 50 s2015 O
bservance or Conduct of Fl

Sample DepED Memo

DM_s2015-EMT-Result.pdf

Sample Memoranda
memo.pdf

Sample Unnumbered
Memoranda
memo

001.pdf

Sample Regl Memorandum

MEMO-+.pdf

Division Memorandum
Numbered

Div Memo.docx

Unnumbered Div Memo

Division

Memo.docx

Sample DepED Order

Sample
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Sample
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Sample

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Sample

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Application

Diyos
Mamahes
Salamat
Thank You !