Focus on Positive & Negative Messaging, Organizing Information and Research 4 Ta

Focus on Positive & Negative Messaging, Organizing Information and Research
4 Tasks
Portfolios are a series of tasks or communications compiled into one file. Please complete the following assignments in the exact order listed. Each assignment should be at least one page in length, but all should be submitted in ONE document. Click on Portfolio Part 2 under Week 7 to attach your assignment.
1. Write a Formal Letter: Use Format on Page 543.
NEGATIVE LETTER: Sending negative messages to real audiences (page 303, Exercise 10.20)
Choose one of the four options outlined in the exercise. Remember to include:
main points
details
negatives (address any resistance)
reader benefits
goodwill
You should also take the time to look up or create names and addresses for the person/people/organization to whom you are writing your letter.
2. Write a Memo: Use Format here
REPORTING A PROBLEM: Consult pages 277-286 for guidance on how to contruct a ‘bad news’ message.
In any organization, things sometimes go wrong. Write a memo reporting a problem (use your imagination!) and recommending a solution. Be sure to be objective in your description. For this portfolio item, address a superior. You can find specific advice on the best way to deliver bad news to superiors on page 277.
Describe the problem
Tell how it happened
Offer options for fixing it
Recommend solution and ask for action
3. Write a Email: Use Format on Page 547
REQUESTING YOUR FIRM USE SOCIAL NETWORKING: Your small but prestigious firm has a web page that increasingly gets traffic and now you, the communications director, want to convince upper management to branch out to use Facebook and Twitter (recently rebranded as ‘X’). Several of the senior partners think that social networking sites are trendy and informal and don’t accurately reflect the firm’s conservative image. You know that convincing some of the partners to adopt more modern strategies may be difficult, but you also know the firm stands to lose its competitive edge in a rapidly changing world. Send an email message requesting the firm use social media. Remember to acknowledge the senior partners’ concerns, be positive and optimistic and use YOU-attitude.
4. Write a Short Report in Memo Form: Use Format from Item 2
EVALUATING WEBSITES
Consult pages 72-82 from Ch 3 of our textbook. Evaluate five websites related to your potential Formal Report topic. For each source provide:
Author and URL link
Summary of source
Reliability Assessment: Is the site objective? Reliable? Current?
Revision date
Relevancy to your report
Based on these criteria, which sites are best for your report? Which are unacceptable? Why? Present your results in a memo to your instructor.