Unit Three has two major focuses: writing with YOU attitude and drafting the formal report. Through the assignments, I practiced writing with YOU attitude, composed a complaint letter and a bad news letter, and drafted the formal report.
Unit Three Assignments:
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- Writing with YOU attitude memo to Evan Crisp: I cringed while reading Evan Crisp’s email to the professor. Coming up with a list of suggestions was not hard. The hardest part was putting the suggestions together professionally and concisely without hurting the reader’s feeling. I had composed my memo by following the four essential rules below, posted by Dr. Paterson in the Instructor’s Blog.
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- Avoid starting your memos or letters or peer reviews with “I” or “We.”
- Avoid “you” when it criticizes the reader.
- Avoid imperative verbs (commands). Replace imperative verbs with “-ing” verbs.
- Use the pronoun “you” in the introduction and the conclusion only.
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- Peer review of writing with YOU attitude memo: I paired up with Usman for the writing with YOU attitude peer review exercise. Usman’s memo was very well done. YOU attitude was demonstrated throughout his memo and the suggested tips for Evan clearly addressed areas for improvement.
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- Complaint & bad news business letters: I cannot recall ever writing a complaint letter. When I have concerns about the product or service I received, I would pick up the phone or go to the store in person and talk to a service representative. Composing the complaint letter with a professional style and tone was not easy, because the dissatisfaction and frustration do affect my word choice and the overall tone of the letter. I find it helpful when I put my emotions aside and simply state the facts and events. The bad news/adjustment letter was composed with YOU attitude in mind. When composing the bad news/adjustment letter, I put my emotions aside again and simply concentrating on explaining the facts.
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- Formal report draft: It is hard to get busy professionals to complete an email interview when participation is optional. I have drafted my formal report based on my formal report outline and the report proposal. Microsoft Word offers some useful functions, themes and templates for composing and organizing the formal report. With graphs, images, and sample email interview questionnaires, the report is currently sitting at 17 pages. The executive summary section is still pending for completion. I look forward to reading peer review feedback with recommendations and suggestions for edits.
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- Peer review of formal report draft: I paired up with Adrienne for the formal report draft peer review exercise. I enjoyed reading Adrienne’s formal report draft. With the positive outcome from Vice program’s Instagram followings and engagement rate, Adrienne’s proposed solution will likely bring a positive outcome for the Vice program’s marketing strategy. I hope Adrienne’s proposed solution will be accepted and implemented in the future.
Links:
My formal report draft: Formal Report Draft