Republic of the Philippines

POLYTECHNIC UNIVERSITY OF THE PHILIPPINES

Office of the Vice President for Branches and Campuses
PUP TAGUIG

Module 7: COMMUNICATION FOR WORK PURPOSES

Overview

An important part of your time when you are working will be dedicated to preparing business
and technical documents such as letters, memos, and reports. In this module, you will learn
about the most common types of technical writing that are being used in the office. In preparing
your messages, remind yourselves of the ethics in communication you learn in Module 1.

Objectives

In this module, the students are expected to:

• learn the communication flow, communication barriers and principles;

• learn to prepare commonly used technical documents in the office;
• compose memos, letters, minutes, and reports.

Learning Materials

Writing is an integral part of your daily responsibilities at work. It is a valued skill that your
boss or anyone in the organization will appreciate. If you want to succeed in your career,
improving your writing skill is essential. After all, to get promoted to managerial level an
employee must exhibit exemplary communication skills.

FORMAL ORGANIZATIONAL COMMUNICATION

In an organization, a formal flow of organizational communication occurs. Messages may

originate from your boss, from your colleague, or from your subordinate.

• Upward – bottom to top

• Downward – top to bottom
• Horizontal – same level

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 Republic of the Philippines
POLYTECHNIC UNIVERSITY OF THE PHILIPPINES
Office of the Vice President for Branches and Campuses
PUP TAGUIG

COMMUNICATION BARRIERS

Personal Barriers are communication interferences that arise from human emotions, values, and
poor listening habits. It also stems from differences in education, race, religion and
socioeconomic status.
Physical Barriers are communication interferences that occur in the environment. (noise)

Semantic Barriers. Semantics is the science of meaning in language. Sometimes we choose

the wrong meaning and misunderstanding occurs.

COMPOSING BUSINESS MESSAGES

In writing your business messages, identify your purpose. Your purpose spells out what you
would like to achieve in communicating to your audience/receiver. Your purpose is tightly
connected with your audience. Know your audience and adopt your message according to their
needs.

Give attention to your tone which is the attitude the writer expresses toward a person or
thing. The tone takes into consideration how the receiver may react or feel when reading your
message.

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 Republic of the Philippines
POLYTECHNIC UNIVERSITY OF THE PHILIPPINES
Office of the Vice President for Branches and Campuses
PUP TAGUIG

Also remember that people at work are busy and they have no time to read long messages
or decipher unclear letters or memos. Make sure that you write your messages clearly and
concisely. Conciseness is achieved when you try to use the fewest possible words without
sacrificing meaning in your messages. Clarity is achieved when you try to use short, specific,
and familiar words. Messages become clear when you construct effective sentences and
paragraphs and when you expound ideas through examples and illustration.

BUSINESS LETTERS

• One of the most common tools for communicating in business.

• It is an effective tool because it brings results.
• It serves as a record for future reference. (a letter can become an important piece of
evidence.)
• Permanent, serious, and formal
• People pay attention to letters.
• It is best remembered. (compared to oral message and you can always reread it
anytime.)
• It is used for communicating with people from outside your organization.

STANDARD PARTS OF A LETTER

• Heading
• Dateline
• Inside Address
• Salutation
• Body
• Complimentary Close
• Signature Line

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 Republic of the Philippines
POLYTECHNIC UNIVERSITY OF THE PHILIPPINES
Office of the Vice President for Branches and Campuses
PUP TAGUIG

BUSINESS LETTER FORMATS

• Block
• Modified block
• Semi-block

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 Republic of the Philippines
POLYTECHNIC UNIVERSITY OF THE PHILIPPINES
Office of the Vice President for Branches and Campuses
PUP TAGUIG

Block Format

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 Republic of the Philippines
POLYTECHNIC UNIVERSITY OF THE PHILIPPINES
Office of the Vice President for Branches and Campuses
PUP TAGUIG

Modified Block Format

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 Republic of the Philippines
POLYTECHNIC UNIVERSITY OF THE PHILIPPINES
Office of the Vice President for Branches and Campuses
PUP TAGUIG

Semi-block Format

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 Republic of the Philippines
POLYTECHNIC UNIVERSITY OF THE PHILIPPINES
Office of the Vice President for Branches and Campuses
PUP TAGUIG

ORGANIZATIONAL PLANS OF A BUSINESS LETTER

DIRECT-REQUEST PLAN/GOOD-NEWS PLAN (Deductive)

➢ Main Idea- your request or question, statement, and reason.

- your reader wants to know immediately what your letter is about.
➢ Explanation – details needed to help the reader respond correctly.
➢ Courteous Close – with motivation to whatever action
desired.

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 Republic of the Philippines
POLYTECHNIC UNIVERSITY OF THE PHILIPPINES
Office of the Vice President for Branches and Campuses
PUP TAGUIG

DIRECT REQUESTS

• Inquiries
• Claims/complaints
• Request for adjustment
• Request regarding routine business
• Invitation, orders, reservation
• Early stage collection messages

Direct Request (Example)

Dear Mr. Doe:

I am writing to ask if it would be possible for you to provide a reference for me.

If you were able to attest to my qualifications for employment, and the skills I attained during my
tenure at ABC Company, I would sincerely appreciate it.

I am in the process of seeking employment and a positive reference from you would enhance
my prospects of achieving my career goals.

Please let me know if there is any information I can provide regarding my experience to assist
you in giving me a reference. I can be reached at [email protected] or (111) 111-1111.

Thank you for your consideration.

Very truly yours,

John Smith

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 Republic of the Philippines
POLYTECHNIC UNIVERSITY OF THE PHILIPPINES
Office of the Vice President for Branches and Campuses
PUP TAGUIG

POSITIVE AND NEUTRAL MESSAGES

Favorable Replies

Answering inquiries about individuals, products

Granting adjustments on claims and complaints
Approving credit
Acknowledging orders

Favorable Messages
Announcement about:
sales and event, procedures, policies and responsibilities
Transmittal

BAD-NEWS PLAN/NEGATIVE MESSAGES

Indirect/Inductive Approach

➢ Buffer statements – are designed to establish rapport with the reader by being positive.
➢ Explanation/Analysis of Circumstances
➢ Decision
➢ Friendly, positive close

NEGATIVE MESSAGES

Unfavorable Replies to Request

Refusing adjustments on claims

Refusing credit
Acknowledging orders you can’t fill now or at all
Declining invitations and request for favors

Unfavorable Unsolicited Messages

Announcing bad news about prices or services

Penalizing for non-conformity to rules or procedures

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 Republic of the Philippines
POLYTECHNIC UNIVERSITY OF THE PHILIPPINES
Office of the Vice President for Branches and Campuses
PUP TAGUIG

Indirect Approach (Example)

Thank you for your recent inquiry regarding the status of your credit application. (buffer)

A number of factors are taken into consideration when reviewing an application. Length of time
at one residence and employment are of vital importance-as well as income, assets…
(explanation)

You are assured that all the above available information has been carefully analyzed in your
case. Your circumstances may improve in the future, at which time we would be pleased to
reconsider your request for credit. (implied decision)

In the meantime, we invite you to save on your household and clothing purchases at Ranney’s
regular everyday low prices and frequent sales. (friendly close)

MEMO

Memos are written for internal communication. It is used to convey announcements, policies,
instructions, directives, or command. A memo could also serve as an introduction to another
document. Usually a memo is a top to bottom communication.

A memo contains the following headings: to, from, date, subject.

MINUTES OF THE MEETING

Summary of what happened at a meeting. They show the information shared, the discussion
made, and decisions reached during the meeting.

Basic Parts of the Minutes

1. Day, time, and place of the meeting

2. Name of the group holding the meeting
3. Name of presiding officer or chair
4. Name of present and absent members
5. Approval or amendment of minutes of the previous meeting
6. For each major point, what was done is indicated
a. What was discussed, suggested, or proposed
b. What was decided and the votes, including abstentions
c. What was continued or tabled for further study or for another meeting
d. What time the meeting was officially closed
7. Secretary’s signature

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 Republic of the Philippines
POLYTECHNIC UNIVERSITY OF THE PHILIPPINES
Office of the Vice President for Branches and Campuses
PUP TAGUIG

PROJECT PROPOSAL

A proposal is a document designed to convince or persuade someone to follow a specific

course of action.

It is written to propose: (a) a change of process or policy, (b) solution to a problem, (c)
purchase of a product or service, (d)pursuit of an activity, or (e) research.

• Define your audience.

• Determine the problem being solved by your proposal.
• Conduct research on the current state of the issue and potential solutions.
• Proactively determine the effect that this project will have on company success.
• Establish a timeline and determine the type and amount of resources required.
• Begin to outline your proposal document.

Sample Project Proposal Outline

➢ Section 1: Project Information

This section intends to provide a high-level picture of the project as well as convey the
most critical project details.

Include the following in this section:

• Name of the Organization
• Project Title
• Project Summary
• Project Timeframe
• Prepared By
• Attached Documentation
• Project Contacts (any individuals involved in the project)

➢ Section 2: Project Summary

The goal of this section is to present the reasons for doing this project as well as stating all of
the objectives. In this section in particular, it is very important to write concisely and clearly.
Some project professionals even suggest writing the project summary last. Before you begin
writing, you should be able to answer the following questions.

• Why are you doing this project?

• What will you be doing?
• How will you be doing it?
• Who will be doing it?
• Where will it be done?

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 Republic of the Philippines
POLYTECHNIC UNIVERSITY OF THE PHILIPPINES
Office of the Vice President for Branches and Campuses
PUP TAGUIG

• How long will it take?

• How much will it cost?

Project Background

This section of the proposal requires a few succinct sentences that clarify the problem your
proposal is tackling. Here, it is critical to explain the current state of the problem and why your
audience should care about solving it. Make sure to include references and statistics in this
section. Best practice is to keep this no longer than 1 page.

Project Objectives

Use this section of the proposal to explicitly list the goals that the project is trying to achieve.

➢ Section 3: Project Methodology

The project methodology section of a proposal is where you detail the plan for how the
objectives mentioned in the previous section will be achieved. This is the first section of the
proposal that details the course of action to remedy the problem and is meant to prove that
adequate research has been done for this decision. To start, outline the methodology being
used, the population being addressed, and establish the process for reaching your objectives.
This section is typically broken into three parts:

The Project Approach Summary

Use a few sentences to describe the overall approach to the project. This includes how the
team will be organized, what tools will be used, and how changes will be addressed during
execution.

Task Breakdown and Time Estimates

This is the section of the proposal where a detailed project schedule is presented. To start,
make a list of tasks that are required for the project as well as an estimation of the hours
required to complete each one. From there, you can take a look at your resource pool and
allocate your team accordingly. The purpose of this section is to establish the time and steps it
will take to achieve the solution, as well as the resources involved in each section. Here is
where you start to see ideas turn into action. A project proposal will often include a gantt chart
outlining the resources, tasks, and timeline.

Project Deliverables

This is where you list out all the deliverables you expect to see after the project is closed. For
example, this could be products, information, or reports that you plan to deliver to a client.
Ensure that each deliverable has an associated estimated delivery date.

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 Republic of the Philippines
POLYTECHNIC UNIVERSITY OF THE PHILIPPINES
Office of the Vice President for Branches and Campuses
PUP TAGUIG

➢ Section 4: Project Risk Management

This section is dedicated to managing change during project execution. Clients know that a
proposal rarely covers everything that is required to achieve the given project, so change
management techniques are required. Establish how you will monitor project success
throughout its entire life cycle to show clients that when and if change occurs, the project will not
go haywire. This section is broken into two parts:

Risk Management Plan A detailed plan of action to minimize the chance of risk or
change during the project lifecycle.

Risk Register A line-item list of risks and potential counter efforts that will be used to
counteract these risks.

➢ Section 5: Project Costs

This section is dedicated to estimating the overall cost of the proposed project and is broken
into three major parts:

• Project Budget This should be a detailed, line-item budget broken up by different project
categories, such as travel, salary, or supplies. Ensure all overhead or indirect costs are
also included in the budget.
• Budget Narrative This is a brief list of commentaries on the budget if any further
clarification or justification is needed.
• Additional Financial Statements. Some projects, depending on complexity, will require
additional financial statements like a profit and loss statement, a tax return, or funding
sources.

➢ Section 6: Conclusion

The conclusion section of a project proposal intends to be a brief review of all the points
already discussed. This is your last chance to win over your audience, so ensure that you
incorporate the most important evidence to receive approval. This is also the final moment to
prove you have adequately researched all solutions and your proposed method is the best for
business.

➢ Section 7: Appendix

This section is dedicated to any additional charts, graphs, images, or reports that were cited
in the proposal. Many times, referenced material will go into the appendix as it does not
naturally fall into the main body copy of the proposal.

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 Republic of the Philippines
POLYTECHNIC UNIVERSITY OF THE PHILIPPINES
Office of the Vice President for Branches and Campuses
PUP TAGUIG

Learning Activities

1. As an officer of your class you have been tasked to write a memo about classroom order and
safety.

2. You have been assigned to handle and event for your classroom. Your tasks include scouting
for venue, food, and others. Write a letter of inquiry to get information for this activity.

2. Prepare a project proposal that you would like to offer to your family, school or community.

References:

American Psychological Association. (2010). Publication manual. (6th ed.) Washington, DC.,
USA.
Brantley, P. B., & Miller, M. G. (2007). Effective communication. Singapore: South-Western.
Dagdag, L., Padilla, M., & Roxas, F. (2018). Communicate and Connect. Philippines. Mutya
Publishing House.
Guffey, M., Loewy, D. (2016). Essentials of business communication. United States of America.
Cengage Learning.
Murphy, H. A., & Hildebrandt H. W. (1988). Effective business communications. USA: McGraw-
Hill, Inc.
Newstrom, J. W. (2011). Organizational behavior. NY, USA: McGraw-Hill.
Romero, P. P., Alberca, W. L., Llanes, V. A., & Eugenio, P. S. (1997). English for business.
Philippines: Katha Publishing Co. Inc.

Online Reference:
Doyle A. (2014). Letter sample requesting a reference [blog post]. Retrieved September 23,
2015 from http://jobsearch.about.com/od/referenceletters/a/refrequest.html
What is a project proposal (n.d.) Retrieved August 15, 2020 from
https://www.mavenlink.com/resources/project-proposal

Online Images:
Ali, Z. (2013). Poem by Enid C. Stickel [online image]. Retrieved January 31, 2016 from
http://www.slideshare.net/zulaikhaali188/7-c-s-of-communication-29286112
Rodrigo, E. (2014). Organizational chart with flow of communication [online image]. Retrieved
January 30, 2016 from http://www.bizify.com.au/blog/achieve-effective-communication-
successful-management-organizations

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