“The most valuable of all talents is that of never using two words when one will do.”
—Thomas Jefferson
The following projects highlight skills acquired in coursework requiring writing rhetorically in public and private workplace situations. They include two grant proposals written for a non-profit organization, a tabloid news article covering a lawsuit written for an entertainment magazine, and a series of letters, a memo, and two short business reports written for public and private entities.
Writing Grant Proposals for World Services for the Blind
I wrote these grant proposals for World Services for the Blind (WSB) while enrolled in the Grant Writing class. Only one proposal was required, but I wrote two and present both of them here so that I could showcase my writing skills. My task was to identify a nonprofit organization in the community in need of funding and was tax-exempt under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code. Among other things, the organization must be operated exclusively for exempt purposes set forth in section 501(c)(3), and none of its earnings may be used for the benefit of private interests, such as the creator or the creator's family, shareholders of the organization, other designated individuals, or persons controlled directly or indirectly by such private interests.
When writing these grants (as is almost always the case), I was attempting to persuade a group of people, e.g., the El Cajon Valley Host Lions Club and the Reader's Digest Partners for Sight Foundation whom I did not know, to give WSB large sums of money to do “good work” in the community. Doing this well required that I write convincing proposals, which included my being able to
When writing these grants (as is almost always the case), I was attempting to persuade a group of people, e.g., the El Cajon Valley Host Lions Club and the Reader's Digest Partners for Sight Foundation whom I did not know, to give WSB large sums of money to do “good work” in the community. Doing this well required that I write convincing proposals, which included my being able to
- Rhetorically analyze my audience
- Create and construct a persuasive argument
- Write and revise sections of my grant
- Write correctly on a sentence level
- Proofread and copy edit my grant
|
|
Writing Tabloid News Article Covering a Lawsuit for the National Enquirer
“Jerk” Sues Google, Gets the Boot,” Gets Rise Out Of Legal Community, Women is an article that I wrote in the Legal Writing and Analysis class. The assignment required that we write a news article about a current legal issue (in this case, invasion of privacy via the internet). The article must also be geared toward a largely non-legal audience. It must be complete, grammatically sound, and effectively rhetorically written. We were to apply concepts and strategies from persuasive writing theory like Toulmin argumentation to the context of legal writing and make the writing relevant and meaningful to lay persons.
Writing Business Letters Using the Direct and Indirect Approach
These three letters were written for the Advanced Business Communication class. All three are responses to complaints by customers. The basic instructions for the assignments were that letters must be rhetorically written, brief, customer centric, and use of the word “apologize” (or any form of the word) is highly discouraged.
When writing letters that convey good news or neutral messages, I begin directly with news the customer wants to hear. I try and accomplish this by
When I find myself in a position of having to give unpleasant news—for example, announcing a closing or layoff—I try and break the bad news gently. I try and accomplish this by
When writing letters that convey good news or neutral messages, I begin directly with news the customer wants to hear. I try and accomplish this by
- Putting the good news or the main idea in a short first paragraph
- Following up on the good news with necessary details or explanations in the second paragraph
- Ending on a positive note with a third paragraph that recalls the benefits of the good news, expresses appreciation, and motivates action
When I find myself in a position of having to give unpleasant news—for example, announcing a closing or layoff—I try and break the bad news gently. I try and accomplish this by
- Demonstrating in the first paragraph that I have sincerely understood the issue from the customer’s viewpoint. Begin with something relevant to the situation that both me and the customer can agree on
- Establishing positive relations with the customer in the second paragraph, first explaining the reasons for the unfavorable news, then stating the bad news
- Closing on a positive note and reinforcing a positive attitude in the third paragraph, and expressing either that I appreciate the customer, I am willing to cooperate in the future, or I am interested in continuing to service them.
Writing Letter to Dr. Martin Wallace
Rhetorical Situation: Dr. Martin A. Wallace is a regular customer of Olive Garden and always appreciates the good experiences and food which he has had at Olive Garden Restaurants. However, on one occasion when he and his family visited an Olive Garden Restaurant in another state near closing time, he claims he was forced to forward the following concerns about the poor standards of hospitality and unpleasant services rendered by the staff at the Olive Garden location they were visiting:
Rhetorical Situation: Dr. Martin A. Wallace is a regular customer of Olive Garden and always appreciates the good experiences and food which he has had at Olive Garden Restaurants. However, on one occasion when he and his family visited an Olive Garden Restaurant in another state near closing time, he claims he was forced to forward the following concerns about the poor standards of hospitality and unpleasant services rendered by the staff at the Olive Garden location they were visiting:
- No welcome and delay in attending guests at the restaurant entrance
- Uncaring attitude toward his amputee father who was on crutches
- No courtesy by suggesting an unclean table
- Poor service without reserved waiter and served with cold quality food for all of them
- Irresponsible behavior by the restaurant manager
Writing Letter to Mrs. Emma Ployee
Rhetorical Situation: Mrs. Emma Ployee is an employee of Excel Industries. The company operates a day care center on the premises of a company in the Midwestern United States. Due to high operating costs and shrinking employee usage, Excel executives have decided to close the day care center. The closing threatens to cause great harm to the company’s reputation, largely because of media coverage and community reaction. Corporate executives acknowledge that a customer-centric approach to communicating the closure could save them from considerable grief and criticism.
Taking action: Write a letter to Mrs. Ployee using the indirect approach.
Rhetorical Situation: Mrs. Emma Ployee is an employee of Excel Industries. The company operates a day care center on the premises of a company in the Midwestern United States. Due to high operating costs and shrinking employee usage, Excel executives have decided to close the day care center. The closing threatens to cause great harm to the company’s reputation, largely because of media coverage and community reaction. Corporate executives acknowledge that a customer-centric approach to communicating the closure could save them from considerable grief and criticism.
Taking action: Write a letter to Mrs. Ployee using the indirect approach.
on the cruise Writing Letter to Dr. E. Z. Ryder
Rhetorical Situation: Dr. E. Z. Ryder has long been a customer of Carnival Cruise lines. On November 8, 2010, while he was on the second day of a voyage from Long Beach to the Mexican Riviera aboard the cruise ship Splendor, the ship experienced a fire in her engine room, cutting all electrical power. According to Carnival president, Gerry Cahill, a "crankcase split, and that's what caused the fire", adding it was isolated to the aft generator room. The fire was extinguished by the afternoon, and no one was injured. Nearly 4,500 passengers and crew members were on board at the time.
The crew was unable to restore power to the engines, and the ship was towed by tugboat to San Diego. Without power for air conditioning and refrigeration, passengers were fed rations delivered via U. S. Navy helicopters from an aircraft carrier. the ship was escorted by, and received aid and security assistance from the U.S. Coast Guard. the ship arrived in San Diego under tow around sunrise three days later.
Taking action: Write a letter to Dr. E. Z. Ryder using the direct approach.
Rhetorical Situation: Dr. E. Z. Ryder has long been a customer of Carnival Cruise lines. On November 8, 2010, while he was on the second day of a voyage from Long Beach to the Mexican Riviera aboard the cruise ship Splendor, the ship experienced a fire in her engine room, cutting all electrical power. According to Carnival president, Gerry Cahill, a "crankcase split, and that's what caused the fire", adding it was isolated to the aft generator room. The fire was extinguished by the afternoon, and no one was injured. Nearly 4,500 passengers and crew members were on board at the time.
The crew was unable to restore power to the engines, and the ship was towed by tugboat to San Diego. Without power for air conditioning and refrigeration, passengers were fed rations delivered via U. S. Navy helicopters from an aircraft carrier. the ship was escorted by, and received aid and security assistance from the U.S. Coast Guard. the ship arrived in San Diego under tow around sunrise three days later.
Taking action: Write a letter to Dr. E. Z. Ryder using the direct approach.
Writing Memos and Short Business Reports Using the Direct and Indirect Approach
These three artifacts were written in the Advanced Business Communication class. When writing memos and short business reports, there’s one issue that I try and always be mindful of. That is, whether my message is one that is likely to be well-received or one that may encounter resistance or ill-will—a “bad news” message of some type. Focusing on tone and making sure to use a reader-centered perspective that utilizes a “you” approach and positive wording is of the utmost importance. In addition, I try and consider whether to use the direct or indirect approach when organizing memos and short business reports. The same rhetorical rules for writing letters also apply to writing memos and short business reports.
Memos and short business reports can achieve a broad range of goals. They can announce, give instructions, request, confirm, clarify, remind, and promote goodwill. They may also be used to give bad news and to persuade. For memos that inform, I usually use the direct approach, since my readers are captive to my message.
Memos and short business reports can achieve a broad range of goals. They can announce, give instructions, request, confirm, clarify, remind, and promote goodwill. They may also be used to give bad news and to persuade. For memos that inform, I usually use the direct approach, since my readers are captive to my message.
Writing Memo to College Professor
Rhetorical situation: At the beginning of the semester, the professor asked members of the Advanced Business Communication class to complete a Communication Preference Profile identifying our communication preferences. Next, he asked us to write him a memo advising him of the results of the profile including a plan of action we would follow in order to maximize our communication effectiveness.
Taking action: Write a memo to the professor using the direct approach.
Rhetorical situation: At the beginning of the semester, the professor asked members of the Advanced Business Communication class to complete a Communication Preference Profile identifying our communication preferences. Next, he asked us to write him a memo advising him of the results of the profile including a plan of action we would follow in order to maximize our communication effectiveness.
Taking action: Write a memo to the professor using the direct approach.
Writing Short Business Report For Government
Rhetorical situation: Because of a grossly inaccurate budget forecast, the City of Little Rock is facing a shortfall in revenue. This will cause a severe reduction in needed city services. The city’s board of directors, because they are elected officials, are reluctant to make the announcement public because of potential political fallout. Increasing taxes is not a viable option. They ask you to identify alternative forecasting options available that might help them prepare for short-term uncertainties.
Taking action: Write a short business report using the direct approach.
Rhetorical situation: Because of a grossly inaccurate budget forecast, the City of Little Rock is facing a shortfall in revenue. This will cause a severe reduction in needed city services. The city’s board of directors, because they are elected officials, are reluctant to make the announcement public because of potential political fallout. Increasing taxes is not a viable option. They ask you to identify alternative forecasting options available that might help them prepare for short-term uncertainties.
Taking action: Write a short business report using the direct approach.
Writing Short Business Report For Business
Rhetorical situation: Caught in the midst of a controversy on his job, resistance from him boss, and the risk of being fired, your client, Jim Barton, has decided to try and keep his job. He asked you to help him assess the soundness of his decision.
Taking action: Write short business report to Jim Barton using the direct approach.
Rhetorical situation: Caught in the midst of a controversy on his job, resistance from him boss, and the risk of being fired, your client, Jim Barton, has decided to try and keep his job. He asked you to help him assess the soundness of his decision.
Taking action: Write short business report to Jim Barton using the direct approach.
|
|