Methods of business communication

Look at the following situations and decide on the most appropriate way to
communicate from the list (in some cases it could be more than one
1-by Memo

2- by letter

3- in person

4- by email

5- by phone

6- wall announcement
1- manager wants to
inform all staff that 2- HR department 3- Admin assistant
there have been wants to inform staff needs to arrange a
changes to staff that company is meeting between a
benefits package. Info offering free English client and two
is available on course members of staff
company website

4- manager wants an
assistant to book a
5- A new company 6- you want to invite
conference room policy colleagues to a party

8- youwould like to
7- note about office request a three
cleanliness month leave of
absence
 You are working on a project. You think you may
need more information to move forward on the
project, so you want to meet. Write a memo
suggesting a meeting. Include a possible time and

Read and
place to meet and mention the topics you want to
discuss.

follow the
steps below Exchange the memo with your partner

with a
partner Your partner should respond to your
memo. Agree to meet but suggest
another time and place and give a
reason
 Memos
◦ A memo (also known as a memorandum, or "reminder") is used for internal communications regarding procedures or official
business within an organization.
◦ Unlike an email, a memo is a message you send to a large group of employees, like your entire department or everyone at the
company. You might need to write a memo to inform staff of upcoming events or broadcast internal changes.
◦ Businesses can use memos to relay information involving newly updated policy, changes in procedure, or persuade employees
to take an action, such as attend an upcoming meeting, convention, or a celebration for organizational milestones.
◦ How to Write a Memo
◦ Write a heading.
◦ Write an introduction.
◦ Provide background on the issue
◦ Outline action items and timeline.
◦ Include a closing statement.
◦ Review and proofread before sending.
An Example
◦ MEMO
◦ TO:
◦ FROM:
◦ DATE:
◦ SUBJECT:
◦ I'm writing to inform you that [reason for writing memo].
◦ As our company continues to grow … [evidence or reason to support your opening paragraph].
◦ Please let me know if you have any questions. In the meantime, I'd appreciate your cooperation as
[official business information] takes place.
 Meetings (part I)

HOLDING A MEETING IS BEFORE A MEETING YOU AFTER THE MEETING THE

IMPORTANT FOR THE SHOULD HAVE AN AGENDA ATTENDEES SHOULD
PROGRESS OF ANY TEAM RECEIVE ‘MEETING
PROJECTS MINUTES”
◦ 1-Consist of a list of items to be discussed.
◦ 2- Distribute meeting content in advance for better
contribution
◦ 3- Allow chairperson to keep the meeting focused and
achieve its purpose
◦ 4- Present items in the order they appear and the limit Meeting agendas
allocated by the chairman
◦ 5- Help to budget for time and use it wisely
◦ 6. All invited persons have a copy of the agenda
◦ 7. There is room for amendment – flexibility
◦ 8. All items are serially numbered
◦ 9. There are many different templates however the
elements included remain the same
◦ 1. Date :
◦ 2. Time:
◦ 3. Location:
◦ 4. Chairperson’s name
◦ 5.
◦ 6.
Subject: Brief description of the meeting
Elements of an
Previous Issues
◦ 7. Issues to be discussed
agenda
◦ 8. matters arising
◦ 9. Person responsible for any previously
designated issues
◦ 10. Designated time line
Meeting Minutes
◦ Can be defined as a written record of the business
transacted at a meeting.
◦ May well have some legal and authoritative force.
◦ Must summarize the major contributions to the discussion
◦ What was done not what was exactly said
◦ The process of minutes writing is a process of
interpretation, not just repetition
◦ Provide a true, impartial and balanced account of
the proceedings;
◦ Are written in clear, concise and unambiguous
language;
◦ Are accurate; Meeting minutes
◦ Follow a method of presentation which helps the reader
assimilate the content.
cont’d
◦ Papers should be arranged in the order of the agenda
◦ Minutes are a permanent, formal record of the
policies, decisions, and other business that occur
at a meeting
◦ A good agenda is the basis of good minutes
 You should choose someone who is/have

1- Knowledgeable

The minute 2- Good time management skills

taker 3- Objective
4- Good speaker
5- Good listener

6- able to Make everyone feel comfortable

7- able to Work well with the chair

 What Records are useful?

What a —1- All emails

minute taker —2- All electronic files and databases

should know — 3- Expense claims and accounts

— 4- Non-final drafts and working notes
—5- Handwritten notes, spreadsheets, sketches

— 6- Agendas and meeting minutes

Elements to be
included in minutes:

1.Heading (Date, start time and location)

2. Attendees (who was there)
3. Absentees (names and Apologies of
Absence )
4. Who was the chairperson and who the
secretary
5. Approval of any issues from previous
meetings
6. Issues discussed :Statements of what
actually occurred at the meeting (separate
section for each topic)
7. Any Other Business (AOB)
8. The time the meeting adjourned and
when the next meeting is to take place
 Topics that should be included in
meeting minutes

1- KEY POINTS 2- ISSUE

DEBATES 3- NEW 4- ALL RESULTS 5- EXPECTED
(ONLY ONCE) (ONLY PROS AND INFORMATION ACTIONS & WHO
CONS) IS RESPONSIBLE
AND DEADLINES.
◦ 1. It was discussed
◦ 2. It was pointed out
◦ 3. It was reviewed
4. It was decided
Suggested
5. It was agreed Phrases:
6. It was suggested
7. After discussion, the following points arose