• Managing People: 5 Important
Principles
| Correspondence: Memos |
 |
January
25, 2005
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| To: |
Memo
recipient |
| From: |
Your
name
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| Subject: |
Brief
subject |
| Cc: |
Other
who will receive this memo (use this line only if there are others) |
This is the
general format for writing a memo. Do not indent new paragraphs,
and single space the text, while using double-spaced format between
paragraphs.
Feel free to
use bullet points, as formatted and punctuated below, when:
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•
You have a list of things you want to highlight. |
|
•
You have some major points you would like to make. |
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•
You have some other great reason for doing so. |
Be sure to use parallel construction when you
construct your bullet points. And remember that you may not use
one lone bullet. You must have at least two, or don't use
any.
Finally, be
sure to close your memo the same way you open it, with a short, pithy
summary
of the subject matter. Never just end the memo without returning
to the central purpose.
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| Correspondence: Thank
You letters (Carlisle-Dickinson Web Project) |
|
HUB
Box 1234
Dickinson College
Carlisle, PA 17013
February 16, 2005
<space>
<space>
|
If there is a logo in the right corner,
put the address on the left margin. |
If not, put the address off to the
right,
using tabs to move it over here.
|
HUB
Box 1234
Dickinson College
Carlisle, PA 17013
February 16, 2005 |
May 1, 2007
<space>
<space>
Ms. Susan Smith
2300 Mill Road
Carlisle, PA 17013
<space>
Dear Ms. Smith:
<space>
This short note is sent to thank you for participating in the
Dickinson-Carlisle Web Project. I know Jeremy Jiff enjoyed
working with you on your web site, and we appreciate your role in
helping to provide our students with an opportunity to:
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|
|
<space>
•
develop their technical skills
<space>
• develop their marketing skills
<space>
• reach beyond the college community
to enhance their learning
experience
|
<space>
We hope you enjoy the
final product. We will keep it posted as long as
you like, free of charge, on the Dickinson-Carlisle web project site
at:
<space>
http://dickinson.edu/carlisle
<space>
The specific address for your web
site is:
<space>
http://dickinson.edu/carlisle/address.html
<space>
Thanks again for participating in this project and for giving our
Policy Studies students an opportunity to hone their web publishing
skills.
<space>
Sincerely,
<space>
<space> <signature
here>
<space>
Mary Smith, Dickinson
Class of '06
Phone: 245-1311
E-mail: smithm@dickinson.edu |
| Correspondence: Cover
letters |
|
When writing cover letters to policy projects you author,
use the
standard letter-writing style illustrated in the "Thank You" letter,
above, but drop the address at the very top and just put the date. Then
structure the content along the following lines:
Paragraph 1:
Identify the task that was assigned, who assigned it, when, and with
what expectations.
Paragraph 2:
Describe how you attacked the assignment: Who worked on it, for
how long, using what resources and methods?
Paragraph 3:
Briefly discuss the degree to which you were able to accomplish the
assigned task, identifying the general results and specific limitations
that you encountered along the way.
Paragraph 4: Thank
anyone who supported your endeavor here, and thank the "client" for the
opportunity to work on this project. Invite the client to contact
you with questions, and let the client know you are available for
further consultation (perhaps, in order to overcome some of the
limitations noted in paragraph 3), as needed.
Signature block:
All members of the team should sign each letter. Put the names in
two columns, and have each member sign immediately above his or her
name (see below).
<Jane signs here>
Jane Smith
|
<Buster
signs here>
Buster Luster
|
<John signs here>
John Doe
|
<Cindy
signs here>
Cindy Smathers
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| Writing guidelines |
|
Clear,
concise, technically well-written work products are very important in
this course, and writing will weigh substantially in the grade you get
on the work products you produce. Here are some important "Do's"
and "Don'ts" that will help bring your writing up to standard:
Things you should do:
• Employ the "sandwich" principle:
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Open every piece of writing with an overview, describing your purposes.
-
Close
every piece of writing with a summary of material you covered. |
•
Use page numbers (on work products that run more than 2 pages).
•
Adhere to page limits and
standard styles--for backgrounders and such, double-space text and use
the 12-point Times or Arial font, with the standard one-inch margins
that
most word processing programs employ as the default.
•
Read your work aloud to check for clarity before you turn it in.
•
Cite relevant sources in APA style, and save "quotations" for
statements that are particularly profound.
• Use
full titles with acronym in parentheses at first usage; for
example:
The
Department of Defense (DoD) is in trouble. The DoD failed . . . .
• Use
headings and, in longer
works, subheadings to organize your writing (see the Headings and
Subheadings section of this style guide).
• Run
spelling checker, then check again, for correctly spelled, but misused
words.
• Use words
like “fact” cautiously; use the word “prove” not at all.
• Be
careful with use of singular and plural pronouns; |
|
-
WRONG: The
DoD published a good report, and they did so in record time.
- RIGHT: DoD officials
published a good report, and they did so in record time.
- RIGHT: The DoD published a
good report, and it did so in record time. |
| •
Use gender neutral language; |
|
- WRONG: Congressmen cannot be
trusted.
- WRONG:
Congressmen/Congresswomen cannot be trusted.
- RIGHT: Members
of Congress cannot be trusted. |
•
Type two spaces after the period at the end of every sentence.
•
Check for widows or orphans on pages before printing final copies of
your work.
•
Email us with questions before it is too late for us to be of any help. |
Things
you should not do . . .
• Do not use first-person narrative
style (unless writing assignment is first-person or informal).
• Do not use contractions.
• Do not use the word it’s; this is NOT the possessive of
it; it’s is a contraction meaning it is.
• Do not use overblown or flowery language; when it comes to
descriptive adjectives, follow this rule: "When in doubt, leave it out."
• Do not use slang or common parlance phrases, for example:
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|
- WRONG:
The pros and cons of this issue will be discussed.
- RIGHT:
The costs and benefits of this issue will be discussed. |
• Do not leave widows or orphans on
pages.
• Do not employ run-on sentences or run-on paragraphs (which are
just as common) -- paragraphs that |
| Headings and Subheadings |
|
Major Section Headings
Should Be Centered, and Boldfaced
(Remember to Capitalize Main Words)*
The Next Level Down
The second level heading is like the first, only it is placed flush
left. Remember that you may not have just one item in a
level. If you use a level of heading or subheading, you must have
at least two items within that level.
|
The Third Level Down. The
subheading at the third level (if used) is indented, boldfaced, and
followed by a period. It precedes the paragraph in the same line
as the beginning of the text for that paragraph. Feel free to use
bullet points at any time it makes sense, as formatted and punctuated
below:
• You have a list of things you want to highlight.
• You have some major points you would like to make.
• You have some other great reason for doing so.
|
*As with citation styles, there
are many
acceptable styles for headings and subheadings. This is one good
one, so let us use it.
NOTE:
Never put a heading at the very bottom of the page, with the text
beginning at the top of the next page. Instead, add hard returns
or force a page break above the heading so that it is not "orphaned" on
one page from the text that begins on the next page.
| Formal
outlines |
|
Outline
commandments. . .
1. Begin each
outline with a thesis statement.
2. Use parallel
construction.
3. Use sentences
unless single words or short phrases are clear.
4. Use the standard
format hierarchy (see the example, below).
5. Never use
"orphan items" -- if there is only one item in a subcategory, then that
item really belongs as part of the general category.
Outline example . . .
Thesis:
Teamwork is an important part of the educational experience within the
Policy Studies major.
I. Learning teamwork skills can pay
immediate dividends in the form of increased quality and quantity of
work produced.
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A. Improving the management of resources |
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1. Time management
2. Playing to
strengths of team members |
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a. research |
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(1) library
(2) personal
interviewing
(3) surveys |
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b. writing
c.
creativity
e. public
speaking
f.
substantive expertise
g. personal
experience
h.
technology
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(1) computers <--
orphan item (incorrect)
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h. computer
technology <-- the correct way to proceed if computers is the
only item to list
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B. Increasing the
breadth of perspectives considered
C. Minimizing risks
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II.
Learning teamwork skills can pay longer term dividends, given that the
work of the world is done almost exclusively in teams.
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A. Professional life
B. Family life
C. Service
in the community <-- construction technically not parallel
(incorrect)
C. Community service <-- parallel construction
(correct)
|
Press
Release
Press
Release (.pdf)
Thirty-Two Ways To Create
News for Your Organization
1. Tie in with news events of the day.
2. Work with another publicity person.
3. Tie in with a newspaper or other medium on a mutual project.
4. Conduct a poll or survey.
5. Issue a report.
6. Arrange an interview with a celebrity.
7. Take part in a controversy.
8. Arrange for a testimonial.
9. Arrange a speech.
10. Make an analysis or prediction.
11. Form and announce names for committees.
12. Hold an election.
13. Announce an appointment.
14. Celebrate an anniversary.
15. Issue a summary of facts.
16. Tie in with a holiday.
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17. Make a trip.
18. Present an award.
19. Hold a contest.
20. Pass a resolution.
21. Appear before public bodies.
22. Stage a special event.
23. Write a letter.
24. Release a letter you received.
25. Adapt national report, surveys for local use.
26. Stage a debate.
27. Tie into a well-known week or day.
28. Honor an institution.
29. Organize a tour.
30. Inspect a project.
31. Issue a commendation.
32. Issue a protest. |
From
Wilcox, Ault and Agee, Public Relations:
Strategies & Tactics, 3rd ed.
(1992),
p. 274.
| Oral Presentations |
|
•
NEVER READ an oral presentation
• ALWAYS
provide a
snappy OPENING and a CLOSING, just as when writing
• GOOD ORGANIZATION
of KEY POINTS, is even more important than when writing
• Be
sensitive to
your time constraints (talking fast is not a solution to running
overtime)
| Debate |
|
• Timing:
Each student should
speak on his/her point(s) in the time frame allotted. You should
practice, practice, practice to hit the target.
(Note: If you have too much info, cut it down rather than trying to
speak
faster.)
• Pace
and voice
volume:
Speak slowly, deliberately, and LOUDLY. Most debaters err on the
side of speaking to quickly and softly.
• Reading:
Do not read
your presentation. You may read a short quote if you choose to
use one (the operative word
there is SHORT.)
• Redundancy:
Do not repeat
the same points over and over. Coordinate within the group so
that
each person contributes something different, new, and unique to the
case.
At least one person (and maybe 2) should be assigned to play the role
of
"attack dog(s)." These debaters anticipate and then attack the
argument(s) the members of your
team expect the members of the opposing team to make.
| PowerPoint
Presentations |
|
Download
a PowerPoint presentation (PPT) on composing and delivering good PPT's
by clicking here:
| Backgrounders |
|
• DO NOT JUMP to
conclusions
• Consider
all resources (opportunities and hurdles)
• Consider
the client’s orientation: Avoid personal bias, maintain dispassionate
balance
• Consider
stakeholders, cultural, and structural (e.g., legal) issues
| Recommendations |
|
Style
Set each recommendation off with a bold-faced
statement, followed (perhaps, if you happen to have two or more sub-recommendations)
a couple of bullet points.
| Recommendation
1: Study hard to get good grades. |
|
• In the
classroom: Attend every class and take good notes
• Outside
of class: Read all assignments, more than once as necessary
•
In the professor's office: Meet with
professor(s) to clear up any confusion before exams and papers are due |
Notice the use of
"parallel construction" above. Now follow up on this parallel
construction as follows: Elaborate with one intro paragraph that
addresses the general recommendation, followed by a separate paragraph
for each for the three sub-recommendations.
Substance
•
Remember to put the problem in context (how big is it and how sure are
you?)
• Remember
that not all
recommendations are equal: Sort by or at least consider the costs,
impact, and political
feasibility of each recommendation. How confident are you in each
one? What externalities do you or can you anticipate?
• Include benefits
and costs of all options (including inaction)
• Think about what
other info needs to be collected (and cost & benefits of
waiting)
• Have you dealt
with the issue of incentives (to change behavior)?
• Have you paid
attention to ethical considerations?
• Have you thought
“outside the box?”
| Contact Information |
|
Prof.
Jim Hoefler, Ph.D.
Coordinator, Policy Studies Program
Department of Political Science
Dickinson College
Carlisle, PA 17013
Office:
(717) 245-1311
Fax: (717) 245-1479
Email: hoefler@dickinson.edu |
Contact information
for other faculty in the
Policy Studies program
|
http://www.dickinson.edu/departments/law/policy/style.html
  j. hoefler
12.17.04
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|
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Guide
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Studies Majors
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Web Project
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Program in London: 2005
Semester in Washington
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