Chapter 3 Chapter Overview & Objectives

Chapter Overview

This chapter covers the steps involved in planning, producing, and refining business messages. You’ll learn how to get ready to write focused, purposeful messages that respond to both the needs of your readers and the specifics of a situation. You’ll be introduced to strategies to help you overcome writer’s block, organize facts and ideas, and find the best way to transmit your message. You’ll also learn best practices for both collaborative writing projects and providing feedback to peers.

Learning Objectives

In this chapter, you will learn to do the following: 

1. Recognize the four key concepts of the writing process.
2. Consider contextual factors and genre differences when you write.
3. Identify the steps in the writing process.
4. Plan a message according to its purpose, scope, audience, medium or channel, design, and content.
5. Use prewriting techniques to generate content and gather ideas.
6. Describe types of detail and narrative used in business messages.
7. Organize business documents with informal and formal outlines.
8. Apply strategies for overcoming writer’s block and writing under pressure.
9. Employ guidelines for revising and editing your messages and critiquing others’.
10. Use methods for effective group communication, including collaborative writing.