Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Goodwill
You-Attitude
Positive Emphasis
Tone, Power, and Politeness
Bias-Free Language
Goodwill
Build goodwill
through
You-attitude
Positive emphasis
Bias-free
language
3-2
You-Attitude
Looks at things from audience’s
viewpoint
Emphasizes what audience wants to
know
Respects audience’s intelligence
Protects audience’s ego
3-3
Five Ways to Create You-Attitude
1. Talk about audience, not yourself.
2. Refer to audience’s request or order.
3. Don’t talk about feelings.
4. In positive situations, use you more
often than I. Use we when it includes
the audience.
5. In negative situations, avoid you.
3-4
Talk About Audience, Not
Yourself
Tell how message affects the
audience
Don’t mention communicator’s work
or generosity
Stress what audience wants to know
Yourself
3-5
Talk About Audience: Examples
Lacks you-attitude
I negotiated an agreement with Apex
Rent-a-Car that gives you a discount.
We shipped your May 21 order today.
Contains you-attitude
You now get a 20% discount when you
rent a car from Apex.
The three coin sets you ordered will ship
today and should reach you by June 6.
3-6
Refer to Audience’s Request or
Order Specifically
Make specific
references, not generic
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Don’t Talk About Feelings
Don’t talk about audience’s
feelings
Don’t predict audience’s
response
Only express feelings to
Offer sympathy
Congratulate
3-9
Don’t Talk About Feelings:
Examples
Lacks you-attitude
We are happy to give you a credit line of
$2,000.
You will be happy to learn that your
reimbursement request has been approved.
Contains you-attitude
You now have a $2,000 credit line with VISA.
Your reimbursement request has been
approved.
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In Positive Situations, Use You
More Often Than I. Use We If It
Includes the Audience
Use you in positive situations
Avoid I in printed text
Avoid we if it excludes the audience
YOU
3-11
In Positive Situations, Use You
More Often Than I. Use We If It
Includes the Audience: Examples
Lacks you-attitude
We provide exercise equipment to all
employees.
I will schedule a due date that works best for
my schedule.
Contains you-attitude
You have access to the latest exercise
equipment as a full-time employee of RAC Inc.
We will schedule the due date after we meet.
3-12
Avoid You in Negative Situations
Protect audience’s ego
Avoid assigning blame
Use passive verbs
Use impersonal style
Talk about things, not people
3-13
Avoid You in Negative Situations:
Examples
Lacks you-attitude
You failed to sign your flexible
spending account form.
You made no allowance for inflation
in your estimate.
Contains you-attitude passiv
e
Your flexible spending account form
was not signed.
The estimate makes no allowance
so nal
for inflation. imper
3-14
You-Attitude Beyond Sentence Level
Be complete
Anticipate and answer questions
Show why info is important
Show how the subject affects audience
Put most important info first
Arrange info to meet audience’s needs
Use headings and lists
3-15
Positive Emphasis
Way of looking at situations
Focuses on the positive
Create positive emphasis through
Words
Information
Organization
Layout
3-18
Beware of hidden negatives:
Examples
Contains Negatives
I hope this is the information you wanted.
Please be patient as we switch to the automated
system.
Omits Negatives (Better)
Enclosed is a brochure about joining the MI
Retiree Association.
You’ll be able to get information instantly about
any house on the market once the automated
system is in place. If you have questions during
the transition, please call Sheryl Brown.
3-19
Focus on What the Audience Can
Do: Example
Negative
You will not get your refund check until
you submit your official grade report at
the end of the semester.
Better
To receive your refund check, submit
your official grade report at the end of
the semester.
3-20
Justify Negative Information by
Giving Reason or Linking to Audience
Benefit: Example
Negative
You cannot take vacation days without
prior approval from your supervisor.
Better
To ensure that everyone’s duties will be
covered, submit your first and second
choices of vacation time to your
supervisor by May 30.
3-21
Put the Negative in the Middle and
Present it Compactly
Put in middle of message
and paragraph
Don’t put at bottom of
iv e
gat
page 1
Ne
3-23
Levels of Politeness: Examples
Highest: Would you be able to
complete your report by Friday?
High: Progress reports should be
turned in by Friday.
Mid: Please turn in your progress
report by Friday.
Low: Turn in your progress report by
Friday.
3-24
Bias-Free Language
Words that do not discriminate on
basis of
Sex
Age
Ethnicity
Race
Physical condition
Religion
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Making Language Nonsexist
Treat both sexes neutrally
Businessman = Business
person
Woman doctor = Doctor
Manning = Staffing
Don’t assume everyone is
heterosexual or married
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Making Language Nonsexist,
continued…
Avoid sexist job
titles
Actress
Repairman
Chairman
Salesman
Foreman
Waitress
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Making Language Nonsexist,
continued…
Use Ms. as courtesy title for
women
Use professional title instead (if
any)
Use Miss or Mrs. if audience
prefers it
Determine proper courtesy
title for letter address and
salutation
Omit sexist generic pronouns
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Making Language Nonracist and
Nonagist
Give age or race only if relevant
Refer to a group by term it prefers
Don’t suggest competence is rare:
She is an asset to her race.
He is an active 83-year-old.
3-29
Talking about People with Disabilities
& Diseases
People-first language —
Name person first; add
disability or disease if relevant
Don’t imply that disability or
disease defines person
Don’t use negative terms,
unless audience prefers them
(deaf vs. hard of hearing)
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Choosing Bias-Free Photos/Illustrations
Check visuals for possible bias
Do they show people of both sexes and
all races?
Is there a sprinkling of various kinds of
people?
It is OK to have individual pictures that
have just one sex or one race?
Check relationships and authority
figures as well as numbers.
3-31