Mobile devices

The situation.

A recent business report says that an increasing number of companies are banning the use of Blackberrys, and other related devices, during meetings. They cite lost productivity due to people not paying attention as well as clients who do feel they are being heard.

 

The writing.

• Your task is to design a new entry for a company policy manual concerning the use of mobile devices.
• Write an email memo to employees letting them know about the new change.

airbag letters

Customer Complaint Letter

Customer Service Vanguard Automobiles of America, Inc P.O. Box 45 Apple Valley, NJ 08014-6900 July 28, 2007 To Whom It May Concern: I own a 1994 Vanguard Sedan, with one air bag. I have been investigating the safety problems with air bags and have become convinced that I am at serious risk. I am a small-boned woman, 5′3″. I have been trying to get my air bag disconnected, but with no success. I am aware that these problems are under consideration by the National Safety Council, but I do not want to be a casualty in the meantime. It seems ridiculous that I cannot protect myself from what has already been proven as serious injury or even death. I write to register my concern and to ask how I can have the air bag disconnected. Thank you for your consideration in this matter. Sincerely, [Signature] Winifred Thompson 4421 Wright Street West Lafayette, IN 47906

 

]

 

 

 

 

Customer Service Vanguard Automobiles of America, Inc. P.O. Box 6000 Cherry Hill, NJ 08034-6000 August 25, 2007   W. Lafayette, IN 47906 Dear Ms. Thompson This will acknowledge your letter received by Vanguard, Inc. on July 28, 1997 regarding the air bags in your 1994 Vanguard Sedan. We at Vanguard are aware of recent concerns about safety and air bags. We are part of a committee that is working with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration to address these concerns. All US specification Vanguard vehicles comply with government standards. It is against the law for Vanguard or your dealer to bring your car out of compliance with those standards by deactivating the air bags in your car or instructing you on how to do that yourself. Thank you for the opportunity to address your concerns. Sincerely, Vanguard of America, Inc. [signature] Customer Service Representative Your Case Number: 344394

Résumé Faux Pas

Résumé Faux Pas

Typos and Grammar Slips

• “Suspected to graduate early next year.”
• “Disposed of $2.5 billion in assets.”
• “Proven ability to track down and correct erors.”
• “Accomplishments: Oversight of entire department.”
• “Strengths: Ability to meet deadlines while maintaining composer.”
• “I am a rabid typist.”
• “Here are my qualifications for you to overlook.”
• “Work History: Performed brain wave tests, 1879-1981.”
• “After receiving advice from several different angels, I have decided to pursue a new line of work.”
• “Accounting cleric.”
• “As indicted, I have over five years of experience analyzing investments.”
• “Am a perfectionist and rarely if if ever forget details.”
• “Accomplishments: Completed 11 years of high school.”

More Résumé Blunders

• “Fired because I fought for lower pay.”
• “Size of employer: Very tall, probably over 6′5″.”
• “Please disregard the enclosed resume—it is terribly out of date.”
• “Finished 8th in my high school graduating class of 10.”
• “Qualifications: No education or experience.”
• “I am relatively intelligent, obedient and loyal as a puppy.”
• “My compensation should be at least equal to my age.”
• “Reason for Leaving: It had to do with the Revenue Canada, the RCMP and CSIS.”
• “Reason for Leaving: My boss said the end of the world is near.”
• “Reason for Leaving: The owner gave new meaning to the word ‘paranoia.’ I prefer to elaborate privately.”

Bad Humour

• “Title: Another résumé from the ‘Profiles in Excellence’ series.”
• “Note: Keep this résumé on top of the stack. Use all others to heat your house.”
• “Also Known As: Mr. Productivity, Mr. Clever, Mr. Fix-it.”
• “Assisted in daily preparation of large quantities of consumable items in a fast-paced setting.” (Translation: Short-order cook.)
• “But wait…there’s more. You get all this business knowledge plus a grasp of marketing that is second nature.”
• “I have an excellent track record, although I am not a horse.”
• “My fortune cookie said, ‘Your next interview will result in a job’—and I like your company in particular.”
• “Trustworthy references available upon request—if I give them a few bucks.”
• “Let’s meet so you can ‘ooh’ and ‘ahh’ over my experience.”

wordiness

due to the fact that because of the fact that at this point in time at that point in time he is a man who in today’s world this day and age has the ability in order to during the same time that during the time that until such time as in spite of the fact that by means of be of the opinion that disappear from view

tall in height
blue in color
small in size
short in length
in a hasty manner
this is a subject that
the reason why is that
the question as to whether
be under the impression that
given the fact that
each and every one
put forth an effort
empty void
past experiences

body language

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7GShH3pwU04

The Memo

Sample Template for a Memorandum

To:	copies to:
From:
Date:
Subject: Boldface the line and use words to allow filing the memo correctly

The purpose of this memo is to provide a model. Generally, you should clearly state your purpose at the beginning of the memo and request the action you want at the end. Confine your memo to a single purpose whenever possible. Remember the communication model and how it affects content.  For clarity start with

• I am writing because
• The facts are
• I will, or I propose that you

The following formatting devices will add to the attractiveness of your memos:

• Use 1-inch margins all around (1¼-inch left margin if the memo will be 3-hole punched and inserted in a binder). Do not justify the right margin.
• Use block-style paragraphs.
• Single-space your lines unless it is a very short memo.
• Use 12-point Times Roman as the default.
• Do not add a complementary close (e.g., sincerely). Do not sign memos at the bottom
• Add initials beside your name to indicate that you have read and approved the memo (optional).
• In a footer, add the date and number the pages of the memo, for example “2/23/96, page 2 of 4.” In the footer, you may choose to use smaller type.
• Begin long memos with a paragraph that functions as an executive summary. Your reader determines what long is.
• Use the spell-check function.
• Break long lists of bullets into several clusters. (Try clustering this list.)

 

Buddy McCormick, Original

 

Memorandum
From: Buddy McCormick
To: Jill Skelton, Supervisor
Re: Response to Your Request for a Progress Report

Over the past month, we have concentrated on designing molds for the new “Instant Styrofoam” product that is being developed by the Chemical Product Division. The work has been proceeding very slowly, and we have had several unsuccessful tests of various different molds. I hope that during the next month you can schedule us to work exclusively on this important problem. With another month’s time I am sure we can come up with a good solution to the mold problem.

---

Discussion Questions

1. Is this an effective memo?
2. Does it accomplish what a memo or a progress report is supposed to do?

 

 

Memorandum From: Buddy McCormick To: Jill Skelton, Supervisor Re: Response to Your Request for a Progress ReportOver the past month, we have concentrated on designing molds for the new “Instant Styrofoam” product that is being developed by the Chemical Product Division.  We started by looking for devices that we could use to clamp our standard mold shut once these new ingredients were poured into it and began to foam up. The only appropriate devices found to clamp the standard mold and hold it closed were C-clamps (12) around the edges. Obviously, this type of clamping required considerable time for opening and closing, but a variety of quick-action- type clamping devices (all designed to take the temperatures and pressures expected) proved unsatisfactory in earlier experiments. Whereas the clamps did hold the mold closed, this resulted in some secondary damage to the molds, specifically warping of the aluminum plates. This was due to the internally generated pressure during the foaming of the panels. The pressure was maximum about 10 minutes after placing the mold into the oven. This resulted in cleaning problems with the mold and produced an unusable part. Having determined that the aluminum could not withstand the pressure without deflection, it was decided to build a steel mold housing 1.25 cm (1/2 inch) thick steel and to bolt it together. To reduce the time required to close the mold, the list was split two-thirds and one-third, allowing two-thirds of the mold to be bolted shut prior to the adding of the foam ingredients. Once the foam ingredients were added, only about a dozen bolts needed to be inserted. Such a mold was fabricated and the first attempt at molding a part resulted in blowing the hinges off the end of the mold. Replacing the hinges and doubling up on the bolts with the hinges on, a second molding was made which actually caused a deflection of the 1.25 cm (1/2 inch) thick steel. Thus we have been unsuccessful in our efforts to design a mold that can accommodate the high pressure created during foaming by the higher density foams. I recommend that during the next month you schedule us to work exclusively on this important problem.

 

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Discussion Questions

1. Is this an effective memo?
2. Does it accomplish what a memo or a progress report is supposed to do?

Buddy McCormick, Revision 2

 

 

Memorandum To: Jill Skelton, Supervisor, Chemical Products Division From: Buddy McCormick, Research Technician, Chemical Products Division Date: November 12, 1999 Re: Progress Report—Mold Design Project, Tests 1 and 2 CC: Robin Lakoff, Supervisor, Quality Control OverviewOver the past month, we have concentrated on designing molds for the new “Instant Styrofoam” product that is being developed by the Chemical Products Division. We have so far determined that (1) bolts work better than C-clamps as mold fasteners, (2) aluminum is not satisfactory as a material for the molds, and (3) one steel mold design that we tested will not work. We are currently trying to develop another steel mold design which will accommodate the high pressure “Instant Styrofoam” creates as it cures. This memo will acquaint you with what we have accomplished to date and what we plan to do in order to complete the project. Work Accomplished Test 1: Clamping Aluminum Molds We discovered that standard C-clamps are unsatisfactory, requiring considerable time for opening and closing. We switched to the quick-action-type clamping devices, which did hold the mold closed but which resulted in damage to the molds (the pressure of the foam warped the aluminum plates). Thus, we have eliminated aluminum as a possible material for the molds. (See Appendix A for test results). Test 2: Bolting Steel Molds A prototype mold fastened with bolts and made of 1.25 cm cold-rolled steel plate was constructed and, after one redesign, successfully tested. The first attempt at molding a part resulted in blowing the hinges off the end of the mold. We replaced the hinges and doubled up on the bolts in making a second mold. However, curing pressure caused the plates to deflect 1.25 cm—an unacceptable deviation. Work Remaining Test 3: Steel Mold Design We would like to continue testing steel molds, to determine whether thicker steel or welded brackets will best stiffen the mold to reduce deflection to within tolerances. We then need to modify the prototype and conduct tests to verify the new design. Recommendation Our team will complete Test #3 within two weeks if you can schedule us to work on it exclusively. Discussion Questions This memo is an obvious improvement over Memos 1 and 2. But what features make it better? What has Buddy done (finally) to make this memo more professional? How is the tone different from Memo 2? Will Buddy keep his job?

cliches to avoid – link

http://clichesite.com/alpha_list.asp?which=lett+1

fonts

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ezyRovNSaHs

Logical Fallacies link

http://www.csun.edu/~dgw61315/fallacies.html

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gSrC0TQnqP8

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gR_nfmo5Z0w

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CiI334ThWGM