Chapter 11 Reading Reflection

Personally, I am a visual learner, and I expect many of you are as well. Things make more sense to me when there is an example right in front of my eyes. For that reason, many presentations include visual aids to help the audience better understand and apply what is being taught. As a presenter, it is important to learn the major attributes of visuals, effective design treatments, and tips for creating successful slide shows and handouts.

First, every visual contains several attributes, such as direction, number, size, shape, and color. The last four are fairly self-explanatory. You, as the presenter, control the number of visual aids, as well as their size, shape, and color. For more important items, make sure that they stick out by using a bigger font size, interesting shape, or unique color scheme. Direction, however, can be a little trickier. One example is that a man walking or pointing in a certain direction will automatically make the audience look in that direction. Therefore, certain visuals make the audience look in a particular direction. As a general rule, these visuals should direct the reader to the center of the page instead of away from it. Mastering these attributes is a matter of practice, but doing so will result in more effective and dynamic presentations.

Next comes effective design treatments. When creating visual aids, place them in the general spot you want them on the page, remembering that readers normally read top to bottom and left to right. Therefore, the most important information should be at the top of the page to entice the reader. After figuring out the general layout, apply the following five treatments: balance, spacing, contrast, repetition, and alignment.

1. Balance. Decide on whether to align the items symmetrically or asymmetrically. Generally, a symmetrical layout produces a more formal but less interesting appeal.
2. Spacing. Separate the items into chunks, minimizing space in the chunks and increasing space between chunks.
3. Contrast. Decide what is most important, and draw attention to it by doing something different with size, color, or shape. Audiences are drawn to parts of the presentation that are unique.
4. Repetition. Know what your presentation theme is, and repeat the theme throughout the presentation. Repetition is key to the audience remembering the main point.
5. Alignment. Align the text to your liking. Text is normally left-aligned, but certain situations call for different alignment. Whatever you choose, be consistent so that there are no pieces of text floating randomly on the page.

Lastly, use slideshows and handouts to enhance the presentation (key word being "enhance"). Nothing is more boring than someone droning on and on, repeating every word from their slideshow. Instead, use the slideshow as an outline. Create unique and interesting graphics that allow the audience a break from reading text. But remember to find a balance- don't do anything too crazy to distract the audience from the main point of the presentation. Also, an agenda is often useful in organizing the slideshow so that the presenter and the audience understand what's coming next.

Following good principles in the major attributes of visuals, effective design treatments, and using slideshows and handouts will make your presentations POP! And most importantly, the audience will better understand your message.

Chapter 10 Reading Reflection

Reports are an essential part of business writing and are used in making major business decisions. Although reports vary in length, importance, and purpose, you should follow certain steps when writing a business report. These steps include gathering the data, composing the report, and revising the report.

Gathering the data. After determining the specific need or purpose of the report, the next question is how to accomplish that objective. You can gather data through primary research (original information) or secondary research (using information that has already been published). Either way, make sure to analyze and understand the data and how it relates to the objective at hand.

Composing the report. When writing the report, organize the information for both you, as the writer, and for your audience. Normally, you should include at least these five sections:

1. Purpose and Major Recommendations- the objective of the report, why it is needed, and what is recommended
2. Procedures- what type of research was used and how the data was gathered
3. Analysis- what the research showed
4. Conclusions- your conclusions, thoughts, and opinions about the research
5. Recommendations- how the research changes what you do now

Revising the report. Give the report a comprehensive review and ask others to do so as well. An easy-to-remember way of revising reports is the acronym DOCS, which stands for design, organization, content, and sentences.

• Design- Check the overall format of the report (such as headings, appropriate graphics, typography, and spacing).
• Organization- Normally, reports should follow a direct approach by putting the main recommendations and conclusions at the beginning. Also, make sure the report includes appropriate opening, agenda, body, and closing paragraphs.
• Content- Review the information, making sure it is clear, complete, correct, and compelling. 
• Sentences- Revise the report sentence by sentence, checking for grammatical errors, parallelism, capitalization, etc.

These steps help in creating organized, efficient reports. Business managers and leaders can use such reports in making crucial decisions that improve the business.

Chapter 9 Reading Reflection

Businesses must use research in analyzing the past and making decisions for the future. The two types of research used by businesses are secondary and primary research.

We're all familiar with secondary research, which involves searching for information that has already been published. Every time we search something on Google, we're doing a kind of secondary research. In fact, the Internet makes this type of research much easier. As a member of  "Generation Y," I actually can't even imagine a world where one could not do secondary research on the Internet. When using the Internet, however, make sure that the author is credible, the site is reliable, and the information is legitimate and unbiased. As my teachers always said growing up, use Wikipedia and other similar sites with caution. If the Internet isn't the tool for you, there are always journals, magazines, and newspapers as well (yes, they still exist). When using secondary data, you must remember to avoid plagiarism and document your sources. These four steps will help you remember how to document your research:

• Introduce. Using your own words, signal that you are using outside research.
• Insert. Integrate the material into your writing, using quotes, paraphrases, or summaries. Then, either place the author and date in parentheses or use a superscript to reference the bibliography section.
• Interpret. Make a clear point about how the outside material relates to the topic and why it is relevant.
• Include. Create a bibliography (normally at the end of the document) with more detailed information on where you found the source and who wrote it.

Primary research is research that you do yourself. Obtaining original information is much more time-consuming and sometimes requires money as well. But you have the benefit of knowing that the information is accurate and relevant as long as you follow these steps:

1. Know what your objective is and create a research method to complete that objective. 
2. Identify who you will include in your study. Also, determine if you can contact the entire population or if a representative sample is necessary.
3. Create a questionnaire, log, or internet form to measure the research. Make sure this is clear, concise, and organized so that people can easily give their answers.
4. Gather the data.
5. Examine each response, making sure that the answer makes sense and that it can be used in the research. Any invalid data should be thrown out to avoid false results.
6. Analyze the data to complete your objective from the first step.

Primary and secondary research are key parts of having quality information in an organization. Following the steps above will ensure that both types of research are reliable and that secondary research is documented correctly.

Chapter 8 Reading Reflection

I've realized in the few years that I've studied business that the real world and business world are often pretty similar. The two worlds aren't distinct at all but more like a Venn diagram, where many facets overlap and others do not. Two of those overlapping factors are creating proposals and solving problems, which are key not only in the business world but in everyday life as well.

A few years ago, I met a guy named Nick. We became fast friends and spent tons of time together. Last semester, we roomed together at BYU and recently, I was the best man at his wedding. In the three years that I've known him, I have always marveled at his power of persuasion. It's unlike anything I've ever seen. If he wants people to do something, they usually do it. It's not really manipulative (most of the time), but he has a natural gift for getting others to see what's in it for them. That, in essence, is the purpose of a proposal. 

Proposals in business are used to obtain permission and (if necessary) funds to continue with a project. They can be written or oral presentations and vary greatly in levels of formality. When someone asks you for a proposal, use a direct approach, by stating the purpose of the proposal and then discussing why it is necessary. However, when the proposal is unsolicited, it is more appropriate to use an indirect approach; discuss the problem first and then state your proposal. Whatever the situation, I feel that the most important part of a successful proposal is to empathize with the audience and then to appeal to their heads and hearts, always remembering the essential question "What's in it for them?"

We encounter problems every day, and it's not different in business. In fact, each job exists to solve specific problems. When trying to solve problems, remember three general steps: diagnose the problem, develop a solution, and implement the solution. 

First, we must diagnose the problem, which is the difference between what is and what should be. After becoming aware of a problem, we normally gather and analyze relevant data. This allows us to identify trends and opportunities for improvement. However, be aware of a typical problem in evaluating problems (ironic, I know). Problems are often like an iceberg, where we see only what is above the surface at first. This part of the iceberg, however, is often a symptom of a bigger problem hidden beneath the surface. To truly solve problems instead of just masking them for a while, we have to get to the root of the problem. Only by getting to the root of the problem can we develop solutions that will work permanently.

Second, we develop a solution. This normally involves brainstorming (whether individually or in a group) and creative thinking. When brainstorming, don't assume that there is only one solution to the problem. Rather, write down anything that comes to your head, and narrow the list from there, choosing what is best as objectively as possible. 

Third, we implement the solution. Any solution will not be effective unless it is implemented and then measured periodically. As the plan is being put into action, keep an open mind and be willing to make adjustments. Also, try to anticipate and plan for change- this will make the implementation process much smoother. If we follow these three steps for solving a problem, I have seen that we will be successful... until the next problem arrives, and we start the process all over.

Writing proposals and solving problems are essential to successful businesses. Writing a proposal requires attention to detail and identifying with your audience. Remember to ask yourself  "What's in it for them?" Solving problems can be done by following a three-step plan: diagnose the problem, develop a solution, and implement the solution. 

Chapter 7 Reading Reflection

Imagine that you're interviewing for a new job. Hopefully, you're dressed to impress and prepared to show the interviewer why you are a good fit for the job. You have about five minutes to sell someone you've never talked to before on why you're great and why they should hire you. Years and years of preparation and it all comes down to a small moment...

As illustrated by the example, interviews can be stressful situations. A lot is riding on an interview with a company for which you want to work. For that reason, it is essential to be prepared. Almost always, you have to send a resume to the company, which is the first opportunity to impress your potential employers. Resumes should be grammatically perfect and include your previous work experience, education, service, skills, and (depending on the situation) other interests or hobbies. Remember that this is a time to sell yourself! Don't lie, but make yourself sound as good as possible. 

In the interview itself, you must remember several key points:

1. Do your homework. Research the company before the interview to understand more details about its structure, mission, and history.

2. Be prepared and arrive on time. Nothing is more important than the first impression. If you arrive late, the interview has already started badly.

3. Dress appropriately and maintain good body language. Dress formally (unless told otherwise). Then, remember all the things your mother told you when you were a kid: make eye contact, smile, listen carefully, etc.

4. Speak with confidence and clarity. This is your chance to impress- take advantage of it! Don't dominate the interview, but elaborate on key points, giving thorough but concise explanations.

5. Give compelling answers. Imagine how boring it would be for an interviewer to go through the same process over and over, listening to the rehearsed answers of job candidates. You can make yourself stand out by giving creative answers and thinking outside the box.

Surprisingly, many of these points apply to giving an interview as well. It can also be added that interviewers should know when to ask more probing questions in order to gain more knowledge about the candidate. Also, each interviewee will be different. Interviewers must adjust, sometimes taking control of the interview and sometimes coaxing more information out of the interviewee.

After an interview, it is appropriate to send a brief follow-up letter, thanking the interviewer and giving the reminder that you are still interested in the job. 

Either for the resume or after the interview, recommendation letters are often requested. Go to people you trust and with whom you have a good relationship to write your recommendation. Also, it is helpful to give the person a few details, such as the company and job position to which you are applying. This allows the person writing the recommendation letter to be more informed and write a more specific recommendation.

These employment communications are essential in the business world. Everyone, at some point in their life, will have to create a resume, be interviewed, interview someone else, and seek employment. Remember that practice and preparation are the keys to success.

Chapter 6 Reading Reflection

If businesses wish to be successful, managers and employees must have good communication. And since it's not always possible to talk face-to-face or even on the phone, written communication has become one of the most important forms of communication in businesses today. The essentials of business writing are thorough planning, composing, and formatting for the various types of written communication (e.g., memos, e-mails, and letters).

As my dad always said, "proper prior planning prevents poor performance." It is no different in business writing. Before ever putting pen to paper or fingers to keyboard, we must first determine a few important points:

(1) Determine the purpose of the message. Are we simply informing someone? Are we trying to persuade someone to take a certain action? 

(2) Analyze the audience. To successfully influence the audience, we must understand who they are, how they feel about us, and how they feel about the subject matter. Only then can we, as writers, make the message clear and impactful for the receiver(s) of the message.

(3) Create a brief outline, implementing a strategy to accomplish the purpose. Outlines keep writing neat and organized, giving the reader a step-by-step guide after the final draft is complete.

Next, we put our plan into action by composing the message. Messages are most effective when they are clear, correct, complete, and compelling. Different approaches should be taken depending on the type of message we are writing. For example, a bad-news message normally calls for an indirect approach. This means that the writer softens the blow of the bad news by putting the main idea later in the message, surrounding it with as much positive information as possible.

The last step of the composition process is formatting. The rules for formatting memos, e-mails, and letters are nearly endless, but it is important to agree with both general formatting rules and those of the specific business. This makes the writing look more professional. Also, the reader will focus on the content of the message rather than on distracting formatting errors. 

Successful business writing is a process involving several steps. But following these steps results in clear and effective communication, which is well worth any time and effort necessary.

Chapter 5 Reading Reflection

A friend once told me about the process that aspiring authors must go through to try to get a book published. This process sounded long and arduous. It included multiple drafts, revisions, readings and re-readings, more revisions, added ideas, and more revisions. All this to create the final product that we, the readers, can enjoy. This example highlights the importance of revising and editing text, a key skill in business writing.

Contrary to popular belief, revisions include more than simple grammar corrections. Another acronym can help us remember what we need to revise. DOCS shows four levels of revisions: design, organization, content, and sentences. 

Design refers to correct formatting and appropriate visual appeal. This type of revision normally does not require an extensive, detailed reading, but rather a skim of the overall document. Basically, the design should be reader-friendly, catching the readers' eye before they even begin reading.

A revision of organization can also be done with a skim of the overall document. When revising organization, we can ask questions like "Does the structure and order make sense?" and "Does the document contain an opening paragraph, body, and closing paragraph?"

The third step in a successful revision process is checking the content. This can be done by verifying that the content is clear, complete, correct, and compelling. Also, it is effective to use the CLOUD method to revise paragraphs on their Coherence, Length, Organization, Unity, and Development. This part of the revision requires a more in-depth look at what the writer wants the reader to understand.

We finish the DOCS revision process by evaluating the "sentences" aspect. This boils down to people's normal belief about revision- checking for grammar errors. In this section, the person that is revising should pay attention more to each individual sentence rather than the overall goal of the writer.

A DOCS revision (or perhaps repeated DOCS revisions by multiple people) will strengthen the quality of the writing. But the writer and the person revising the work must respect each other's opinions and work together to achieve success. Prospective writers follow a similar, albeit more thorough, revision process, and business people can benefit from revisions as well.

Chapter 4 Reading Reflection

In forms of written communication, it is essential to create visual appeal so that readers remains engaged and interested in what they are reading. We can follow the acronym HATS to remember four crucial elements of visual appeal: headings, art, typography, and spacing.
  

Headings. Proper headings allow readers to skim through a document and find parts they wish to read in detail. When writing a longer document, writers should also create a table of contents for the same purpose. Personally, I have found this helpful with magazines, where I can search the table of contents at the front for articles that are interesting to me. When using multiple headings in a hierarchy, the more important headings should include a larger font, bold font, or be centered on the page. This differentiates headings into a hierarchy, which makes for easier reading.

Art. Using art (such as tables, graphs, and pictures) in documents is a skill that comes with practice. On one hand, art can help readers to better understand the document. This is probably why we say that "a picture is worth a thousand words." But on the other hand, too much art distracts the reader. Therefore, when using any kind of art, keep it simple and easy to understand.

Typography. The word "typography" can be broken up into three different topics: font type, font size, and alignment. Font type should be easy to read and should be in harmony with the level of formality of the document. For example, wedding planners normally use fancy fonts to show that the wedding will be formal. Font size should generally be between 10-12 point font. As far as alignment, text should normally be left-aligned, as is the writing for this blog entry. This creates an aesthetically pleasing page for the reader.

Spacing. Probably the most underrated of the HATS elements is spacing. For some reason, readers are intimidated when they see a document without spacing, often before they even start reading. A line of space between paragraphs signals a break for the reader, which prevents fatigue and makes the document look more friendly and welcoming.

The HATS acronym is a simple way to remember how to enhance the visual appeal of a document. And the presentation of the document can be just as important as the content.

Chapter 3 Reading Reflection

After using the techniques of Chapter 2 to gather and organize information, we finally can put pen to paper and write our message. The writing itself can be improved in three specific ways: clarifying our purpose, following an appropriate pattern, and strengthening the content.

First, we must clarify our purpose. One idea for doing this is writing a "working title" and putting it in a place where we can see it. This will remind us constantly of the purpose of our writing and prevent us from meandering off on tangents that don't apply to our main theme. A "working title" isn't necessary, but the idea behind it is- always remember our purpose.

Go back a few years (or possibly more) to High School English class, and you will probably recall that compositions should be written in an organized way, following an appropriate pattern. In the opening paragraph, we generally present the theme of the paper. Depending on the complexity of the paper, we can also include an agenda, which maps out the main points that the reader can expect to see. As an example, look at the first paragraph of this blog entry, where I presented the topic of the entry and the main points I will cover in the three paragraphs. What you are reading now is the body of the paper, which contains information that should be clear, correct, complete, and compelling. Lastly, we finish with a final paragraph to wrap up what we have learned and summarize the key points and takeaways. This method, taught all those years ago by your English teacher, is effective because the reader can follow the organized thought-process of the writer.

Strengthening the content of our writing is extremely important. We want our writing to be memorable, and the options for doing so are virtually limitless. Some examples of creative ideas are including visuals, simplifying key points, telling stories, using imagery, and repeating key words. Whatever our methods, we should try to do something different to liven up our writing and keep the reader engaged. When strengthening content, we can remember the acronym CLOUD, which stands for coherence, length, organization, unity, and development. If we focus on strengthening these five elements of our writing, the content will be strong, and the reader will more likely be engaged. 

As we put pen to paper, we must look at the big picture and remember our main purpose. Then, we should follow a pattern so that the reader is not confused by our writing. Last of all, we need to engage the reader by strengthening the content of our writing. These ideas will make for more successful writing, businesses, and societies as a whole.

Chapter 2 Reading Reflection

Writing, believe it or not, plays a critical role in business. In a world now filled with e-mails, memos, and other forms of written communication, writing can be the difference between successful and unsuccessful business careers. Because of this, I and the rest of the business world must enhance the ability to write clearly and effectively.

First, we must understand the purpose or purposes of the writing. This sounds obvious, but every writer needs to think about the end result before ever putting pen to paper (or in today's technological world, fingers to keyboard). Writers should ask themselves questions such as "What do I want the audience to know? To do? To feel?" With these end goals in mind, writers must then adjust for different audiences. For example, I would write this blog post much differently for an audience of college professors than I would for an audience of elementary school children. In order to affect an audience, writers should put themselves in the shoes of the audience and empathize with them. 

The next step is creating an outline. I was surprised to find that research shows that outlining improves writing. I guess there was a reason our English teachers growing up always told us to make an outline first! Outlining provides a way to organize information, which in turn creates an organized message. No matter which method is used, an effective outline should sequence main topics, categorize subtopics into their respective main topics, and create a free list of details for each subtopic. After creating the outline, the writer must then evaluate it. The whole purpose of an outline is to organize information. Therefore, the writer must verify that all necessary information is included and that it is in the correct place in the outline. 

Outlines determine what writers will say, but then they must determine how they will say it. Presentation can be just as important as the information being presented. The writer must first choose the form of communication- phone call, face-fo-face, e-mail, text message, etc. Then, he or she has to decide on a strategy to appeal to the audience, influencing and convincing them to do what the writer intends. Through these steps, business people can deliver powerful, organized messages that influence their audiences.

Chapter 1 Reading Reflection

This chapter introduces communication in the business world. The author specifically talked about three different types of communication: first, at the broad organization level; second, in teams and meetings; and third, from person to person.

At the organizational level, leaders and managers create a vision for the entire organization. Then, it is their duty to communicate that vision to every employee of the business. Effective communication ensures that everyone is on the same page and that the business runs smoothly. We see examples of this in the world around us. Visionaries such as Steve Jobs of Apple and the late Sam Walton of Walmart communicated their vision to company employees, who in turn communicated that vision to us, the consumers. Successes such as Apple and Walmart are only possible with clear and concise communication from the management level.

I think everyone that has been a part of a business understands that workers often collaborate on teams. In a team setting, everyone must feel comfortable voicing his/her opinion. Honesty and trust are essential to an effective team. It caught my attention that in a successful team, "opposing ideas are encouraged and welcomed." Obviously, this is not to have confrontations but rather to understand a variety of perspectives. With a complete understanding, team members can collaborate and compromise to solve problems more effectively. Indeed, this is why we work in teams- to combine the experiences and knowledge of multiple people, so that the whole is greater than the sum of its parts.

Lastly, the author talks about interpersonal relationships in the business environment. It basically comes down to social conventions, or the things your mom taught you growing up. Manners and etiquette are just as important in the business world as they are in our personal lives. Active listening and good etiquette help to build lasting relationships upon a foundation of trust. Also, don't be shy! Talk to new people, make new friends, and build a growing network of friends and associates. Successful networks help everyone involved. As I have heard many times, "It's more important who you know than what you know."