correspondence package: reflection

After completing the Correspondence package assignment I have become more aware of the need for tone and professionalism when writing a formal letter.
I chose to approach each scenario as a high official in my firm. For instance, I was the manager in the first position. Although not specified, I chose to take a manager position in the second scenario as well. I think that taking this position helped me remember that I needed to keep a professional tone through out the paper. I altered my tone a bit during the first scenario to better fit the paper. For instance, I knew that I needed to speak as if I was not above the client, so I did not speak as if I were a manager. I used a lot of dialogue that was understanding of the client’s complaint to make the client feel in charge. In the second scenario, I used a more authoritive tone to get the point across. I felt that the situation needed to be dealt with and a stern tone was most effective.
I felt the first scenario’s genre is limiting in me being able to convey ideas because I constantly have to keep the client in mind.
This assignment met a few course goals. First, I can now solve problems and create ideas. This was used in both scenarios. As a manager, I needed to solve the problem and present a feasible idea. Second, I can analyze communication contexts. In this project I needed to analyze why photocopies were being over used and come up with a good plan to decrease photocopy usage. Third, I can communicate ethically. This was a big thing I learned. Communicating ethically does not mean to just communicate in the right way. It means communication that best fits the audience. Knowing the audiences culture and needs will help anyone better communicate ethically. Fourth, I can communicate effectively with diverse audiences. This is kind of the same as the last goal I learned. You can analyze what type of person you are dealing with by the vocabulary used in their writing. There is a diverse rang of people and it is important to handle each one effectively.