PROFESSIONAL COMMUNICATIONAHSS DIVISIONAL WORKSHOP 2: FALL 2016

ELEMENTS IN THE COMMUNICATION DYNAMIC

The graphic illustrates the elements of the communication triangle. The composer and the message must fit the audience and purpose; otherwise, miscommunication can result.

Communication comes in two flavors: • Verbal

• the spoken component of conversations• emails• assignments• class• phone calls and texts• casual and formal meetings

• Nonverbal• body language• facial expressions• gestures and body positioning• clothing, accessories, and body art• (may include images and graphics, but we will

not discuss these types of nonverbal communications today)

Many communication scenarios will be comprised of both verbal and nonverbal elements.

Our workshop today will briefly address nonverbal elements, but will focus mainly on verbal ones.

VERBAL COMMUNICATION: CONVERSATIONS• Person-to-person conversations with students: What are the division’s expectations?

• In class• Ice-breakers:

• Keep them short! You are there to work, not shoot the breeze.• Avoid “hot” topics unless you can bring them to bear on course material.

• On-task interchanges:• Do not allow one student to answer every question or to dominate others.• Consider requiring students to wait for permission to speak until acknowledged.• Keep humor in its place (out of the gutter), and never allow your comments or humor to get personal.

• Always assume that what you say will appear that night on the 6:00 news before a hostile audience!

VERBAL COMMUNICATION: CONVERSATIONS

• Person-to-person conversations with students: What are the division’s expectations?• Out of class, you still represent the division and the institution, so watch your

nonverbals! Remember that nonverbal signals are an intuitive part of communication, so:• Do not raise your voice, hit your desk, gesticulate, of show other lapses of self-control.• In your office with a student, a parent, or a member of the public:

• Keep your door open and maintain an appropriate distance (2-3 feet).• Sit up straight in a chair with your feet on the floor in an attentive posture; do not sit on your desk.• No flirting, campaigning, or proselytizing, please. • Cover or turn over grading. Minimize your computer screen, and lock it if you step out for a moment.

• In the halls, student recreation areas, or atria:• Deport yourself like a professor, and keep a little distance.• Do not stand within three feet of a seated student.

VERBAL COMMUNICATION: EMAILS• Emails: What are the division’s expectations?

Emails should be composed, not “tossed off.” Each one is permanent—it will never go completely away—and each one reflects directly on the institution, so write it like a business letter to include:

• a subject line;• a salutation and a device to establish the tone and reflect a relationship;• unified content addressing one topic only, with multiple paragraphs for

messages addressing complex issues or multiple subtopics; and• a complimentary closing.

QUESTIONS?

VERBAL COMMUNICATION: EMAIL COMPONENTS

Subject lines: What does the division expect? • Make subject lines:

• specific, with a brief but clear summary of the email’s topic; • comprehensible, with minimal jargon; and• consistent in tone with the recipient, message, and purpose.

VERBAL COMMUNICATION: EMAIL COMPONENTS

Salutations: What does the division expect? • Salutations should:

• begin when appropriate with a greeting, address the recipient by name, and offer a brief personal comment or observation;

• set a tone reflecting an appropriate relationship;• avoid employing colloquial language;• usually be informal (to colleagues) or semi-formal (to students and administration),

except in quasi-legal (discipline, complaint, or grievance) issues;• attempt to establish and maintain cordiality and goodwill; and • be distant and formal only in cases where disciplinary action is being discussed, when

some distance would be expected.

VERBAL COMMUNICATION: EMAIL COMPONENTS

Unified content: What does the division expect? • Content should:

• get directly to the point, stating the purpose and topic in the first paragraph (usually the first line);• be brief but sufficiently developed to completely address the issue;• use specifics (Oct. 28 at 1:00 PM) rather than generalities (late next week, early afternoon);• emphasize declarative rather than interrogative constructions;• quote from or refer directly to specific sections or pages of syllabi or other documents, rather than

making general references to them;• be consciously and methodically organized according to some logical principle; and• be written in paragraphs from two to five sentences, each beginning with a constructed topic sentence.

All content should relate directly and unambiguously to the topic addressed in the subject line.

VERBAL COMMUNICATION: EMAIL COMPONENTS

Complimentary closings: What does the division expect? • A complimentary closing should:

• be comprised of a word or phrase signaling the conclusion of the email;• match the level of formality established in the salutation and body;• reflect the nature of the relationship with the recipient; and• maintain cordiality and goodwill, except in cases of disciplinary proceedings,

where a degree of stiffness or distance is often appropriate.

VERBAL COMMUNICATION: EMAIL COMPONENTS

Signatures: What does the division expect? • A signature should:

• include your title and last name (i.e., Mr. Preslar, Dr. Whitehead) when the recipient is a student, high school principal or counselor, or parent;

• omit your surname only in an informal circumstance; and• use your first and last name when the recipient is a member of executive administration, a

member of the public, or a representative of a governing or accrediting body.• An electronic signature should:

• include your official title, phone, and email address for formal and semiformal correspondence; and

• use a nickname or omit your surname only when the recipient is a colleague or peer.

VERBAL COMMUNICATION: EMAIL COMPONENTS

Final considerations: What does the division expect? • Keep the President’s critical focus for 2016-17 in mind: Retention means building

relationships!• Answer emails at least once per day (and if you teach online, answer daily even on weekends).• Include contact information with every message.• Do not send an email when you are annoyed or upset. Send it to yourself, and sleep on it.• Be certain you are sending the email to the person for whom you intend it.

• Keep the college’s reputation as an institution of higher learning positive. • Revise your emails. (We will discuss some grammar and usages basics in the ensuing slides.)• Use upper- and lower-case letters. Capitalize according to conventions and avoid writing in all caps.• Use no more than one exclamation point per sentence, and no more than two per email.

Email Sample: Scenario (based on a real email, but embellished for effect) The quiz is open and you should be able to take it. Please remember to use proper English when you email me. Never communicate with you college professors with terrible English. It is important you capitalize “I”, when you don’t it makes you look very bad or lazy. I believe you know how to write correctly, now is the time to use those skills. Remember who your audience is. Your professor. Everything you post or email should be at college level and you should take pride in what you are writing. You can never send emails like that at work, so don’t do it now. Take time to read the entire syllabus and it will help you know better what is expected of you. I am really curious about who you write to like that and why. It would never occur to me not to write or speak correctly to anyone. You need to develop this habit so people won’t think you are uneducated. 

What does the division expect here?

Email Scenario: Problems!

The quiz is open and you should be able to take it. Please remember to use proper English when you email me. Never communicate with you college professors with terrible English. It is important you capitalize “I”, when you don’t it makes you look very bad or lazy. I believe you know how to write correctly, now is the time to use those skills. Remember who your audience is. Your professor. Everything you post or email should be at college level and you should take pride in what you are writing. You can never send emails like that at work, so don’t do it now. Take time to read the entire syllabus and it will help you know better what is expected of you. I am really curious about who you write to like that and why. It would never occur to me not to write or speak correctly to anyone. You need to develop this habit so people won’t think you are uneducated.

No salutation

Comma splice

typo

vague and negative

Sentence fragment Content shifts:

new paragraphs needed

Let’s define two of the most serious of these problems.

MAJOR ERROR 1: COMMA SPLICE

A comma splice is comprised of two constructions, each of which could stand alone as a complete sentence, joined with only a comma.

I bought a goat, my neighbor told me that they eat weeds.

MAJOR ERROR 1: COMMA SPLICEThe presence of a comma splice tells a reader conversant with the conventions of Edited American English (which is the standard dialect employed in business and academia) that the composer of the construction does not know where one sentence stops and the next one begins.

The use of nonstandard constructions constitutes a failure to meet the division’s expectations.

MAJOR ERROR 1: COMMA SPLICEFortunately, comma splices are easy to remedy. Repairs come in several styles. We can:

• Add a coordinating conjunction after the comma:• I bought a goat, for my neighbor told me that they eat weeds.

• Form two complete sentences:• I bought a goat. My neighbor told me that they eat weeds.

• Use a semicolon:• I bought a goat; my neighbor told me they eat weeds.

• Subordinate one clause so it cannot stand alone as a complete sentence:• I bought a goat because my neighbor told me that they eat weeds.

MAJOR ERROR 2: SENTENCE FRAGMENTSA sentence fragment is a construction punctuated as though it were a complete sentence but that either • lacks a component necessary to constitute a complete sentence (such

as a subject or a verb that can function as the main verb in a sentence) or

• is preceded by a subordinating word that renders it incapable of standing alone as a sentence.

The use of a sentence fragment fails to meet the division’s expectations.

MAJOR ERROR 2: SENTENCE FRAGMENTS

A complete sentence must:• have at least one independent clause;• have a subject; and• not start with a subordinating term (although,

because, who, that).

IDENTIFYING SENTENCE FRAGMENTSA FRAGMENT HAS:• No verb

• “No verb” means no action or no explicitly identified state of being.• A verb is needed to express tense, mood,

and voice.Example of fragment:Her beautiful new sports car.

Revision:Her beautiful new sports car was smashed beyond repair.

IDENTIFYING SENTENCE FRAGMENTSA FRAGMENT HAS:• No subject• Who or what performed or completed the action?• Imperatives look like they have no subject, but they

really do.• Commands with implied subject

Example:Come here right now!

IDENTIFYING SENTENCE FRAGMENTS: A FRAGMENT:• begins with a subordinating term.• A subordinator links a clause to another clause.• It (unlike the cheese) cannot stand alone.

Example of fragment:When the drawbridge closes.

Revision:We will cross the river when the drawbridge closes.

SENTENCE FRAGMENTS: CORRECTING SENTENCE FRAGMENTSOptions:

1. Connect the fragment to a related independent clause.Example:The first mission to Pluto was launched in 2006. Will arrive in 2015.The first mission to Pluto was launched in 2006 and will arrive in 2015.

SENTENCE FRAGMENTS: CORRECTING SENTENCE FRAGMENTSOptions:

1. Connect fragment to related independent clause, or…2. Convert the fragment into an independent clause.

Example:The first mission to Pluto was launched in 2006. Will arrive in 2015. The first mission to Pluto was launched in 2006. It will arrive in 2015.

LET’S GO BACK TO OUR EMAIL SCENARIO:REFRESH YOUR RECOLLECTION

Email Scenario:

The quiz is open and you should be able to take it. Please remember to use proper English when you email me. Never communicate with you college professors with terrible English. It is important you capitalize “I”, when you don’t it makes you look very bad or lazy. I believe you know how to write correctly, now is the time to use those skills. Remember who your audience is. Your professor. Everything you post or email should be at college level and you should take pride in what you are writing. You can never send emails like that at work, so don’t do it now. Take time to read the entire syllabus and it will help you know better what is expected of you. I am really curious about who you write to like that and why. It would never occur to me not to write or speak correctly to anyone. You need to develop this habit so people won’t think you are uneducated.

No salutation

Comma splice

typo

vague and negative

Sentence fragment Content shifts:

new paragraphs needed

Let’s now revise this email.

Hello, Jaime. I’m sorry to learn that you are having difficulty. Let me try to help you. The quiz is open and you should be able to take it now. If you’ll review page six of the syllabus, specifically the section entitled “make-up work, “ Take time to read the entire syllabus and it will help you know better understand the policy. If you have difficulty using the Blackboard program, please let me know which applications are giving you trouble, and I will try to help.

On another topic, I noticed that, in your email, you used a lower-case “I”; when you don’t it makes you look very bad or lazy in some contexts that would be considered unprofessional. I believe you know how to write correctly; college is the time to practice workplace skills and develop good habits, so I urge you to use all your skills and take pride in what you’re writing. Now is the time to use hone those skills. Remember who your audience is. that your professor is your audience. Everything you post or email should be at college level and you should take pride in what you are writing. You can never send emails like that at work, so don’t do it now. I am surprised you don’t know better. I am really curious about who you write to like that and why. It would never occur to me not to write or speak correctly to anyone. You need to develop this habit so people won’t think you are uneducated.

Please ask any question at any time; I am here to help you! Best regards, Mr. Preslar

The shorter, tighter email has a more positive tone and more specific detail. It is also more encouraging and less likely to cause insult or resentment, so it promotes an environment more conducive to learning and a relationship more likely to promote retention.

Hello, Jaime. I hope this first week has been good to you! The quiz is open and you should be able to take it now. If you’ll review page six of the syllabus, specifically the section entitled “make-up work, “it will help you better understand the policy. If you have difficulty using the Blackboard program, please let me know which applications are giving you trouble, and I will try to help.

In your email, I noticed you used a lower-case “I”; in some contexts that would be considered unprofessional. I believe you know how to write correctly; college is the time to practice workplace skills and develop good habits, so I urge you to use all your skills and take pride in what you’re writing. Now is the time to hone those skills. Remember that your professor is your audience.

Please ask any question at any time; I am here to help you! Best regards, Mr. Preslar

This is the email after deep revision and editing.

ASSIGNMENTS

Assignments are another vital area of verbal communication.

What are the division’s expectations?

ASSIGNMENTS

• With respect to professional verbal communication, an assignment should:• clearly state the nature of, and offer a description of, the work product that the

instructor expects to receive;• explicitly indicate the boundaries the submission should meet or the conditions it

should satisfy;• provide scaffolding (examples, explicit references to the course’s instructional

materials, or definitions) as appropriate to the students’ level of ability and attainment;

• use language, tone, and style appropriate to the discipline and to the students’ level of attainment; and

• indicate careful preparation, planning, and composition on the part of the instructor.

Let’s take a minute to look at a small portion of an assignment I found left on a table in a workroom years ago.

1. What major errors do you see? How would you correct them?

Narrative/Descriptive/Illustration Essay

As you watch the video, think about the characters personality types, what motivates them, and their individual styles/types of writing. Perhaps making a 3 column chart to note quirks or characteristics.

1. What motivates the characters? Characters include:Owen LiftLarry DonnerMomma Margaret Donner, Larry’s ex-wifeBeth Ryan, Larry’s girl friendHot Fire Margaret’s book

Do not mention Danny DeVito, or Billy Crystal, they do not exist. Use ONLY the characters names. Avoid comparing Momma to Quasimodo, the wicked witch of the west, or using the phrase dark comedy.) Do not call anyone Mister or use man. Do not write about a man named Owen. You may use first or last names for Larry or Owen, but not Mister.

2. Write this essay in present tense.Your essay will be 500-750 words, try not to go over two pages. Introduction and conclusion paragraphs have 4-6 sentences and body paragraphs have 8-11 sentences.

The Process Essay

Write a 500 word essay process essay. Choose a process that you are knowledgeable about that doesn’t have too many complicated steps that would be interesting and informative for your reader.

You may write this paper from the second person point of view, that is, do use forms of “you” to express your ideas. This approach works well because “how-to” or process essays address the reader directly. For example: The first thing you should do to have a successful garage sale is to locate and collect enough merchandize that you think people will want to buy.

Here’s an excerpt from another assignment description that I found in a workroom.

How would you revise the first sentence in each paragraph?

EDITING AND REVISING

President Shahan has noted on multiple occasions his dismay at the frequency of egregious errors occurring in documents crossing his desk. Likewise, we have all expressed similar disappointment over the written work we receive from our students. But we may not be aware of our own weaknesses and skill gaps. I am therefore going to ask all full-time faculty in our division to complete a diagnostic test of Edited American English. I will make it available in the testing center and ask everyone to complete it within the next 2 weeks. Results will be confidential, but persons scoring below a 70% will have the opportunity to address the skill gaps identified by their performance as part of their annual faculty development plans.

CLASS MEETINGS

Class meetings are another example of communication where elements of both verbal and nonverbal communication are in constant play.

Class meetings: What does the division expect?• For verbal communication:

• Be prepared (one student this month showed me a tally sheet where a faculty member in our division said “uhh” 203 times in one 75-minute period, not to mention 43 “okays” and dozens of other fillers).

• Answer questions with substantive answers. Do not simply say, “it’s in the book.” Elaborate.• Never say something like “I guess you aren’t here to learn,” or use other demeaning or

humiliating language.• Speak audibly in a pleasant, business-like tone and style.• Only use cursing, slang, or charged epithets if the words are relevant to the course material,

please.

CLASS MEETINGS

Class meetings: What does the division expect?• For nonverbal communication:

• Create, project, and maintain a credible ethos. (Kevin Doss can explain what that means.)• Begin class on time and usually keep the students for the whole class period. Constructive

use of available class time sends a clear nonverbal message, as does failure to do so. • Reference PowerPoint slides and other presentation materials, but do not turn your back

to the students and simply read aloud from them, unless you then proceed to comment at length.

• Do not sit on a table or a desk, especially cross-legged. Your backside does not belong on the surface where others place their hands, drinks, books, and other property. If you want a high chair or a stool or other perching spot, please tell me and I will buy you one.

PHONE CALLS

Phone calls are yet another example of communication where elements of both verbal and nonverbal communication are in constant play.

Phone calls: What does the division expect?• For verbal communication:

• Answer your phone when it rings, unless you have another student or a parent in your office.

• Create and use a standard greeting spoken in a pleasant tone of voice to identify yourself to a caller and establish the tone of the conversation.

• Speak slowly, audibly, courteously, and respectfully, even (and this is important) if the caller does not.

• Use diction appropriate for a 10th- 12th- grade listener when speaking to students or parents.

• Clearly indicate the point at which the conversation is closed and you intend to hang up.

PHONE CALLS

For phone calls: What does the division expect?• nonverbal communication:

• Pause any media playing on your desktop.• Devote your full attention to the caller.• Pause or hang up a personal call or a call from colleagues when receiving an incoming call

from a caller who may be a student, a parent, or a member of the college’s executive staff.• Do not pause or hang up a call from a student when receiving an incoming call from a

colleague, friend, or family member. Manage your voice mail box to permit callers to leave messages. Return voice

mail messages promptly—before the end of the business day on which received, if possible.

Failure to do so constitutes a failure to meet the division’s expectations.

Thank you for your time, attention, and patience.

Please share your questions and comments.