Business managers use written communication every day. Opportunities for written communication in the business world include everything from reports, memos, and documentation to emails, instant messaging, and social media. Effective written communication can help build and grow business relation- ships, accelerate results, solicit input and feedback, and rally personnel toward shared goals. Your ability to write messages that are clear and concise, while positioned strategically and presented professionally, will distinguish you

in your field.

In this assignment, you will develop a written communication for the challenge or opportunity scenario you have identified. The written message needed to fulfill this assignment will depend on your scenario.

INSTRUCTIONS

Compose a written communication based on your Strategic Communications Plan.

PART 1

1. Develop Your Written Communicationa) State your key message clearly

i. Do not “bury the headline” — the main point should be presented directly

ii. Your key message must be clear and conciseb) Provide the necessary information and build credibility

i. Provide an appropriate amount of background information for the audience, given the type of communication

ii. Get to the point without unnecessary verbiage

iii. Build your position as an expert or trusted colleaguec) Support your key message with three or four supporting

points/reasons
i. Supporting points should be appropriate for the context

and needs of the audience
ii. Reasons should be compelling and relevant

d) Employ either the Consult/Join or Tell/Sell techniques

e) Clearly relay to the audience an actionable request2. Write Professionally

a) Communication should be clear and concise
b) Communication should build logically
c) Sentences should flow smoothly, using appropriate

transitions and varying sentence structure
d) Employ appropriate formatting for ease of reading and clarity

of message (headers, bullet points, etc.)3. Demonstrate Professional Presence

a) Be authentic and genuine in your communication
b) Use the appropriate tone and vocabulary for your audiencec) Establish rapport to connect with your audience and

grow the relationship

PART 2

4. Channel and Style
a) Explain why you chose the specific channel you used for the

written communication
b) Explain what style you employed in your written communication

and why (Sell/Tell or Consult/Join)
5. Use Feedback to Refine Your Communication

a) Describe or list the feedback you received on your written communication from the week 5 Discussion Board

b) Explain how you used the feedback to revise and improve your message

This course requires use of Strayer Writing Standards (SWS). The format is different than other Strayer University courses. Please take a moment to review the SWS documentation for details.

POINTS: 200

ASSIGNMENT 2: WRITTEN COMMUNICATION

Criteria

Unacceptable Below 70% F

Fair 70-79% C

Proficient 80-89% B

Exemplary 90-100% A

1. Develop Your Written

Communication Weight: 25%

The author does not include or does not state clearly and concisely, the key message. The author does not offer or offers insufficient support for the key mes- sage.

The author does not provide all necessary information or fails to build credibility. The request made of the audience is unclear, or action cannot be taken based on the communica- tion.

The author’s key message is reasonably clear and concise, and offers one or two support- ing reasons. A minimal amount of necessary information is provided. Some attempt has been made to build credibility.
The request made of the audience is fairly clear, but may not be actionable.

The author’s key message is sufficiently clear and concise, and three or four supporting reasons are sufficiently compelling, appropriate, and relevant. The author provides a moderate amount of necessary information and makes a reasonable attempt to build credibili- ty.

The request made of the audience is sufficiently clear and is actionable.

The author’s key message is clear and concise. Three or four sup- porting reasons are compelling, appropriate, and relevant. All necessary information has been provided and successfully builds credibility.

The request made of the audience is thoroughly clear and easily actionable.

2. Write Professionally Weight: 20%

The written communica- tion is not satisfactorily professional. It is unclear and/or not concise, and is presented in an illogical order. Sen- tences do not flow easily throughout the document. Insufficient formatting has been used to make the document easier to read and under- stand and business formatting standards are not imple- mented.

The written communica- tion is some- what profes- sional. It is fairly clear and/or con- cise, and is presented in a fairly logical order. Sen- tences flow easily through- out some of the document. Formatting has been used to make the document easier to read and under- stand, but the formatting is applied incon- sistently and does not consistently use best prac- tices for the type of busi- ness writing that it is.

The written communica- tion is profes- sional. It is mostly clear and/or con- cise, and is presented in a mostly logical order. Sen- tences flow easily through- out most of the document. Formatting techniques are mostly consis- tent and aligned with best practices for the type of business writing and help the reader quickly understand the message.

The written communica- tion is highly professional. It is complete- ly clear and/or concise, and is presented in a thoroughly logical order. Sentences flow easily throughout the entire docu- ment. Formatting techniques are consistent throughout, utilize best practices for the type of business writing, and help the reader quickly understand the message.

3. Demonstrate Professional Presence Weight: 15%

Does not demonstrate, or demon- strates incom- pletely, a level of profession- al presence. The written communica- tion lacks an authentic voice, uses an inappropriate tone for the type of com- munication, and contains inappropriate vocabulary in context. Docu- ment does not help to build confidence in the author while main- taining clarity for the audience.

Demonstrates a passable level of profes- sional pres- ence.

The written communica- tion has a fairly authen- tic voice, uses a somewhat appropriate professional tone for the type of com- munication, and employs contextually appropriate vocabulary that attempts to build confi- dence in the author while maintaining clarity for the audience.

Demonstrates a moderate level of profes- sional pres- ence.

The written communica- tion has an adequately authentic voice, uses a mostly appro- priate profes- sional tone for the type of communica- tion, and employs con- textually appropriate vocabulary that helps to build suffi- cient confi- dence in the author while maintaining clarity for the audience.

Demonstrates a high level of professional presence.

The written communica- tion has an authentic voice, uses an appropriate professional tone for the type of com- munication, and employs contextually appropriate vocabulary that helps to build confi- dence in the author while maintaining clarity for the audience.

4. Channel and Style

Weight: 15%

The student does not describe their channel and style choice or does so inef- fectively.

The student satisfactorily describes their channel and style choice. It may lack some clarity

or sound reasoning to support the decision.

The student adequately describes their channel and style choice rationale. It is mostly logical and sound.

The student fully describes and makes a highly logical and sound channel and style choice decisions that are fully explained and supported.

5. Use Feedback to Refine Your Communication Weight: 15%

The student does not describe feedback received.
The student does not explain how feedback was used to revise and improve the written communica- tion.

The student satisfactorily describes or lists feedback received.

The student partially explains how feedback was used to revise and improve the written communica- tion.

The student adequately describes or lists feedback received.

The student sufficiently explains how feedback was used to revise and improve the written communica- tion.

The student accurately describes or lists feedback received.

The student fully explains how feedback was used to revise and improve the written com- munication.

6. Write in a professional manner using proper grammar, mechanics, spelling, and formatting. Weight: 10%

Writing does not meet minimal stan- dards.

Tone is not professional. Communica- tion is wholly lacking in logic, clarity, and/or consis- tent format- ting.

Contains many spelling, mechanical, formatting, and/or gram- matical errors.

Writing is satisfactory. Professional tone is devel- oping.
Shows moder- ate logic, clarity, and/or consistent formatting. May contain more than a few spelling, grammar, mechanical, or formatting errors.

Writing could be improved, but meets acceptable standards. Tone is profes- sional.

Shows logic, clarity, and consistent formatting. May contain few or no spelling, mechanical, and/or gram- matical errors. There may be a small formatting error.

Writing is excellent. Tone is profes- sional and sophisticated. Shows logic, clarity, and consistent formatting. Contains no spelling, mechanical, or grammatical errors, and formatting meets standards.