PURPOSE: WHAT WORK AM I TRYING TO ACCOMPLISH?
Every piece of writing has a purpose, even if that purpose is small or difficult to put into words. Your purpose in writing can refer to anything you want the reader to think, be, or do after they’ve read your writing. In a typical workplace, the purpose of your writing is usually connected to some specific work that needs to be performed. Workplace writing is effective when it helps you and the people you work with accomplish specific goals, whether it’s planning an important project or simply lifting your team’s spirits at the end of a hard week.
If you’re writing to request something, be clear about what you need, especially if you’re asking a question
If you want the reader to do something, be clear about the actions you want them to take
If you’re evaluating another person’s work, provide specific details about what they can do to improve
AUDIENCE: WHO CAN HELP ME DO THAT WORK?
Focusing on the specific work you’re trying to accomplish is important, then, but because you usually need other people’s help to accomplish an organization’s goals, workplace writing also involves understanding who you’re writing for and their job or role within your organization. We often refer to these hypothetical readers as your audience, but in a workplace many of your readers will be people you know by name and write to on a routine basis.
What information does the reader already have? Unless this is a reminder, you might be able to leave out information the reader already has
What is the reader’s role within your organization or team? What will they do with the information you’re providing?
What are the reader’s expectations for writing like this? Do they appreciate a lot of detail or quick, simple communication? What tone will they find appropriate?
WHAT DOES THE READER NEED FROM ME?
In addition to what you hope the reader will do or think in response to your writing, communicating in a workplace also involves giving the reader all the information they need in order to meet your request or answer your question. For example, you might write to a coworker asking if they can attend an important meeting next week. If you don’t include the date and time of the meeting, your coworker will probably have to write back and ask for those details before they can give you an answer. Anticipating that question in the first email speeds up the whole process and gets the work done a little more quickly.
What information doesn’t the reader already have? Be specific about critical details like times and locations
If the reader has to make a decision, what information can you provide to help make that decision easier? Think about the reader’s next steps
Be mindful of the reader’s time and keep communications as brief as possible, but also remember to be respectful toward the reader
Assignment details below
Scenario
You’ve just won an all-expenses-paid cruise to Reykjavík, IcelandLinks to an external site. in a contest sponsored by Carnival Cruise Line that you forgot you entered. The problem is that you have classes and other obligations to consider, and lots to plan for. The cruise leaves in a week! Now you have to deliver some good and bad news to a number of different peopl
e.After reading the above scenario, write a brief (fictional) message to each of the following people, thinking through what role that person has, what you’ll need from them, and what they need in order for you to accomplish your goals. And finally, you’ll reflect on the writing you’ve done.
Write to a professor in another class: You are not going to be able to make it to next class, and might miss a few days in a row. What do you tell your professor (and what don’t you tell them)?
Write to a team member in that class: You were assigned a group project with at least one other student. Write to your fellow student and let them know you won’t be in class and may not be able to contribute for the near future.
Write to someone you want to take on the cruise with you: This can be anyone you can think of, but try to think through what they would have to change, reschedule, or put off in order to join you for a trip to Iceland.
Delivery: How would you actually send each of these messages, assuming you couldn’t deliver the information in person? Would you use email, a text message, or some other form of communication?
Reflect: Looking over the different messages you wrote, how did you adapt your message for each reader?
Did you include different details or use a different tone when writing to the readers in prompts 1, 2, and 3?
What do you know about the reader that led you to adopt that particular strategy?
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