Modules 1 and 2 for June 1st

Modules 1 and 2 work together because Module 1 discusses the messages in communication, and then Module 2 focuses on the audience of the messages in business.  In Module 1 we first see the differences between school writing and business communication.  In short, school writing is more limited, traditional, and formal and business communication can be diverse, innovative (new), friendly, and interesting.  We learned in Module 1 that there are internal and external audiences, which are people inside or outside the organization.  One of the most important points in Module 1 was the topic of the purposes of messages in organizations.  We learned that the three basic purposes are to inform, persuade or request, and build goodwill.  Building good will is vital in organizations because this lets others build a positive reputation towards you and your organization when it comes to judging your communication.  We also learned how to analyze business communication situations.  When you analyze the situation you need to understand what’s at stake, decide if a message should even be sent, what type of channel should you use, what should be said, and how it should be said, and then it’s time to form a solution, which should always solve the problem and fulfill the psychological needs of others involved.  The solution should be composed by understanding the situations, brainstorming solutions, get permission to change anything, and follow PAIBOC (purpose, audience, information, benefits, objections, context).  In Module 2 we learned there can be a primary audience, secondary audience, initial audience, a gatekeeper, and a watchdog audience.  It’s also important to apply to PAIBOC to the message in choosing your message for a certain audience.  We learned the two-person communication model with feedback.   The two most important things from Module 2 was talking about empathy and organizational culture, including the Myers-Briggs and VALS.  I think that this is most important because understanding who your audience actually is vital to effective and efficient communication.  To be able to put yourself in someone else’s shoes can be very eye opening, and in the workplace this can be very beneficial, considering the diversity that may exist.