Module 3 : COMMUNICATION In the

Workplace
Table of contents
1. Introduction/Overview
1.1. Learning Outcomes
1.2. Workplace Dynamics
1.3. Workplace communication
1.4. Multi-Generational Diversities
2. The Small Group Discussion
2.1. Introduction
2.2. B. Planning a Small Group Discussion
2.3. D. CHOOSING TOPICS FOR GROUP DISCUSSIONS
2.4. E. Physical Setting Formats for Small Group Discussion
2.5. F. SEATING ARRANGEMENTS of Participants
2.6. SAMPLE SCRIPT FOR PANEL DISCUSSION
3. Technical Writing in the Workplace
3.1. Introduction
3.2. Features of Technical Writing
4. Writing Workplace Communication Materials
4.1. Introduction : Written Communication in the Workplace
4.2. Activity : Making your Own Resume
4.3. Resume or Personal Data Sheet
4.4. Activity: Responding to a WANT Ads
4.5. The Cover Letter
4.6. Creating your Personalized Web Resume
4.7. Business Letters
4.8. Parts of the Business Letter : MORE DESCRIPTIONS
4.9. ILLUSTRATION ON SOME PARTS OFTHEBUSINESS LETTER
4.10. Letter of Inquiry
4.11. Letter of Claim
4.12. Adjustment Letter
4.13. Letter of Request
4.14. Memos, Reports, and Other Written Documents in the Workplace
4.15. Memorandum Formats
4.16. Five Tips for Effective Business Memos
4.17. Incident Report
4.18. How to Conduct Effective Meetings
4.19. How to make your next team meeting productive and interesting
4.20. Minutes of Meeting
4.21. The Email
4.22. Fax Messages
 3. Technical Writing in the Workplace
Learning Outcomes:

At the end of this lesson, you should be able to;

a. Understand what technical writing is;

b. learn the features of Technical writing;

c. know how technical writing was affected in the workplace due to globalization.

3.1. Introduction
Technical Writing in the Workplace

Technical writing is a form of written communication used mainly as correspondence

and in the production of written outputs valuable to an organization. As an act of writing in
the workplace, it pertains to written communication present in all kinds of organizations,
jobs, and professions.

3.2. Features of Technical Writing

Features of Technical Writing

A. Accurate- A technical written work is accurate when it deals with facts that are
completely true. An accurate report uses words, sentences, numbers, or figures that exactly
express what the written work intends to convey. (Bantin 2008 in Baraceros, 2011).

1. Document accuracy refers to the proper coverage of your topics in appropriate detail.
Often an accurate document needs to focus clearly on a problem. Document accuracy is
generally cultivated by a clear problem statement and by a preliminary outline. These
writing tools help you focus your writing effort by reducing your data in a way that solves a
theoretical or practical problem.

2. Stylistic accuracy concerns the careful use of language to express meaning. Accurate
language requires the careful use of paragraph and sentence structure and word choice to
describe and analyse your topics effectively. As a writer, you gain command of accuracy by
studying the elements of style and by learning to apply those elements to your drafting,
revising, editing, and proofreading. Stylistic accuracy is also a matter of using words
precisely.

3.Technical accuracy requires stylistic accuracy but is not based solely on it. The
effective document in science and technology must be grounded in a technically accurate
understanding and representation of the subject. Technical accuracy depends on the
writer's conceptual mastery of the subject and its vocabulary, as well as on his or her ability
to analyse and shape data with a minimum of distortion. In science and technology,
enormous creative energy is given to mastering this technical aspect of subject
development.

B. Clear

Your written work is clear, if in one reading your readers are able to easily understand
the main message or point of the whole composition. You can achieve this if you remember
that writing clearly is thinking clearly, as well as with the use of simple, concise, specific and
grammatically correct language structures. (Gustav 2008).

C. Formal

In technical writing, you cannot just write anything you like in any way you want because
some writing standards underlie the structure, pattern, format, and language of this kind of
writing. You have to adhere to these agreed upon technical writing rules because your
readers judge the value for credibility of your output based on how you conform to the
conventions governing this kind of writing.

D. Graphical

Graphs like tables, charts, figures, diagrams, maps, pictures, and other illustrations are
necessary in technical writing to support the written information provided. Since technical
writing deals with technical information, visual representations help in expressing
specialized meanings, or ideas known only to a specific set of people.( Bertoline, 2009 in
Baraceros, 2011).
E. Objective

Technical writing must avoid inclusion of individual and subjective judgement in

relaying information. Being straightforward and direct, forms of technical writing should
avoid including inner thoughts, sentiments, or feelings in order to adopt an impartial or
impersonal stand or attitude towards what is written.

F. Practical

Forms of technical writing should be practical in the way that they function according
to their purpose.

G. Specialized

Technical Writing usually functions within a specific demographic. Language used is

specialized and easily understood by a specific set of readers.

H. Diverse

Technical writing as on-the-job writing is prone to extensive exposure to multicultural

clients and co-workers. Cross-cultural or multilingual communication brought about
globalization through the internet, materialized through technical writing will lead you to
various topics, ideas, people, methodologies, concerns, purposes, formats, and language.

i. Straight Forward
 A straightforward manner of writing means presenting facts and information
honestly and directly. Unlike other forms of writing like literary and expository writing that
permit the writer to hide meanings through figurative language-technical writing presents
ideas in a frank, unequivocal, or clear cut-way.

j. Authoritative

To describe technical writing as authoritative is to think of it as a piece of writing

with the ability to command or to enforce something on anyone. Forms of technical writing
use an authoritative voice to exude credibility in relaying information.

k. Presentable

Any technical writing output must be presentable, without any grammatical or

typographical errors. A technical writer must ensure that his or her output always
undergoes proofreading.

3. Workplace Communication as Technical and Professional Communication

Due to globalization- inevitable gives rise to professional communication which entails

technical communication. Professional communication encompasses written, oral, visual,
and digital communication that may be used in part or in full in creating, delivering,
consuming, and managing information and date for business purposes. Professionals in
different disciplines are therefore needed for writing, editing, reading, speaking and listening
to maintain effective operations management in the workplace.

Workplace communication is technical in a work environment where management and

employees focus on manufacturing and marketing products and services for target clients
and customers. Opinion papers, technical reports, business proposals and presentations,
and similar types of writing are written, read, listened to, and disseminated for various
business purposes. A specialized language or technical jargon is used relative to the field it
is intended for.

In the long run, effective workplace communication brings about more customers or
clients and brings profits for the company. Stakeholders, management, and the employees
get fair share from the benefits of customer satisfaction and continued patronage.

4. Writing Workplace Communication Materials

Learning Outcomes

At the end of the lesson, students should be able to:

1. Discuss workplace corresponding;

2. Distinguish the various types of business letters, memos, reports, and

other written

document in the workplace; and

3. Observe the guidelines in writing effective workplace communication

materials.

4.1. Introduction : Written Communication in the Workplace

As in any form of correspondence, business or workplace correspondence involves
three factors: the sender, the message, and receiver. As the sender initiates the process,
the intended reader is expected to respond according to the nature of the business letter. A
business letter, for example, must be deemed worthy to be read in order for the sender to
gain feedback.

The message, the purpose, and the target receiver or audience must all be considered
in writing any business letter. The message and its purpose should be clear for the letter to
be properly understood by the intended receiver.

When you write a business letter, read your work as if you are target reader and ask
yourself the following questions:

Does the message appear to be important?

Is the message easy to understand?

Tips for Effective Written Communication in the Workplace

To ensure the effectiveness of written communication materials in the workplace, the

following qualities must be remembered:

A-ccuracy – The content must be truthful and accurate. It must stay true to facts. Sweeping
statements that may be challenged letter on should be avoided.
B-revity – Sentences must be kept short and direct. Simple, carefully chosen words and
expressions should be used while information overload is avoided. Nonetheless,
completeness should never be sacrificed for brevity.

C-larity – Visualize the reader in front of you wishing only to hear precise words whose
meanings cut across quickly and clearly to him or her. A good grasp of grammar will be a
great help.

Select the format that is the standard, prescribed, and acceptable to the situation
presented to the parties in the transaction.

Courtesy, whether in written oral form, is more implicit than explicit in purposive
communication. Use positive words that are proactive and not reactive. Correct word usage
and sentence structure will make a real difference.

4.2. Activity : Making your Own Resume

After learning the different portions of a Personal Resume, create your own resume.
make first a Complete resume on a Word file, with a Profile picture on the upper left hand
portion.
Follow the following Categories;
1. Personal Information- including Family background
2. Educational Qualifications
3. Computer skills
4. Working Experiences
5. Seminars and Training Attended
6. References

Then, save the file on a pdf file. Submit it on the activity Box intended for this assignment.

4.3. Resume or Personal Data Sheet

At the end of this lesson, students should be able to:

Write their own resume or personal data sheet as an attachment to their

application letters.

Sample Resume/Personal Data Sheet

Personal Information

Name : JUNIOR B. ANGELO

Home Address : 7332 Sunny Villas, Pearl St., East Fairview, Quezon City

Contact Nos. : 7778889/09228791807

Date of birth : 02 January 1985

Place of Birth : New Era Medical Center, Quezon City

Gender : Male

Height : 2 meters

Weight : 85 kilograms

Civil Status : Married

Citizenship : Filipino

Nationality : Filipino

Ethnicity : Ilocano

EDUCATION

1. Doctor of Science in Civil Engineering

University of Wisdom, Quezon City, Philippines

2. Master of Science in Civil Engineering

University of knowledge, Cebu City, Philippines

3. Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering

University of Engineering and Technology, General Santos City, Philippines

Secondary Education

General Santos Science Academy, General Santos City, Philippines

Elementary

San Fernando Central Academy, San Fernando City, Pampanga, Philippines

ELIGIBILITY

Civil Engineering Executive Examination, 2010

Civil Engineering Senior Examination, 2007

Civil Engineering Licensure Examination, 2004

WORK EXPERIENCES

1. Consultant- Global Infrastructure Corporation, EDSA, Makati City.

2. Professorial Lecturer - School of Engineering and Technology, University of wisdom

Central Avenue, New Era, Quezon City

3. Former Secretary- Department of Public Works and Highways,Republic of the Philippines

4. Regional Director- Department of Public Works and Highways, National Capital Region

5. District Engineer- Mandaluyong City Engineering District

6. Project Engineer - Mandaluyong City Engineering District

SCHOLARSHIPS

1. Asian Development Bank

2. Graduate Civil Engineering Scholarship

3. Department of Science and Technology

4. BS Civil Engineering Scholarship

INVENTIONS AND PUBLICATIONS

1. Quick Fix Low Cost Bridge

2. Intellectual Property Office

3. Dura Dwell Afforedahaus

4. Intellectual Property Office

5. Modern Structural Designs

6. National Book Store, Inc.

7. Strength of Materials

8.Asian Publishing Corporation

AFFILIATIONS

1. President-Philippine Association of Civil Engineers.

2. Chairperson-Foundation of Civil Engineering Education

3. President- Family of Filipino Fathers

ACHIEVEMENTS
1. Most Outstanding Professional Civil Engineer, Asian Development Bank

2. Best Filipino Father Award-Office of the President,Republic of the Philippines

3. Topnotcher - Civil Engineering Executive Examination

TRAININGS AND SEMINARS

1.Resource Speaker-Techniques,University of Tokyo, Japan.

2. Resource Speaker- Reconstruction Techniques for Devastated community, University of

Thailand

3. Resource Speaker- Planning a model Community, Mall of Asia Convention Center,

Philippines

COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT

1. Spillways Rehabilitation Volunteer- National Capital Region

2.Residential Structures Rehabilitation Volunteer- City of Marikina and Province of Rizal

4.4. Activity: Responding to a WANT Ads

Instruction
Option 1: Choose among the sample advertisements here, and respond with your
own cover letter and resume attachment.
Option 2: Choose from the net, and respond to the ad. Attached the clip reference.
For CMT and Allied Health Courses

For Business group:

For Any Group
For College of CRIMINOLOGY GROUP

or you may choose this...

4.5. The Cover Letter

Here is a sample cover letter for your Resume

983 Culbreth Rd.

Charlottesville, VA 22903
 January 5,
2021

The Hiring Manager

Garvey, Schubert & Barer

123 14th Street

Los Angeles, CA 90064

Dear Hiring Manager:

Please accept this letter and the attached resume as an indication of my sincere interest in
the open legal assistant position at Garvey, Schubert & Barer that I found on CAVLink, the
University of Virginia’s job database. I graduated in December 2014 with a degree in History
and Sociology and would like to gain experience in the legal field before applying to law
school. While reviewing your website, I was pleased to see that your firm operates in a wide
variety of spheres. The areas of your practice to which I am particularly attracted are the
Environment & Natural Resources and Land Use & Condemnation sectors.

Throughout my college career, the courses I found most interesting were those revolving
around subjects such as law, business, and land use. After taking a course in Land, Law and
The Environment, my professor took me on as an intern to work at the University’s Institute
for Environmental Negotiations. My internship included reading reports, analyzing data,
conducting active research contacting persons of interest to arrange interviews, and giving
reports of my findings. From my coursework and professional experiences, I have
developed the researching, analytical thinking and writing skills necessary to be a
successful legal assistant. In addition, I am aware of the long hours and hard work that is
required of the role. I am ready to dedicate myself to Garvey, Schubert & Barer in much the
same way that I committed myself to being a varsity athlete. As a member of the swim
team, I devoted up to 30 hours a week to practices, travel and competition while
maintaining a full course load.

I am eager to learn from the many successful lawyers at Garvey, Schubert & Barer holding
high peer review ratings in accordance with Martindale-Hubbell Legal Network. I hope that
you will afford me the opportunity to become a member of your team.

Thank you for your time and consideration. I can be reached via phone (865-987-2222) or
email ([email protected]).

Very
Sincerely yours,
 Wilson
Huffman

4.6. Creating your Personalized Web Resume

Instructions:

This activity requires you to a FREE website, to post your Professional Resume.
You will use your Resume done previously, and then posted as BLOG in a website.
Some of the FREE websites that you can explore are : wordpress.com/blogspot.com or
wix.com.
This post can be your LIFETIME WEB Resume.

MODEL RESUME ---> Miss Ashley Keith Desear (Sample Engineering Student's Work)

-----> Aaron Celajes (Sample BSCS Student's work)

4.7. Business Letters

Business Letters

Business letter are essential in the workplace, especially in the external operations of an
organization. It is though business letters that an organization can reach out to its clients
and vice versa. The different kinds of business letters illustrate the different communication
situations that constantly need to be addressed by the internal and external function of an
organization.

There is a pre-specified format for writing a business letter. There are some parts of a
business letter and rules associated with them. Let us start to know how to write a business
letter by knowing the parts of a business letter.

Parts of Business Letter

A business letter will be more impressive if proper attention is given to each and every part
of the business letter.

There are 12 Parts of Business Letter

1. The Heading or Letterhead

2. Date

3.Reference

4. The Inside Address

5. Subject

6. Greeting
7.Body Paragraphs

8. Complimentary Close

9. Signature and Writer’s Identification

10. Enclosures

11. Copy Circulation

12. PostScript

Let us discuss the parts of a business letter.

1. The Heading or Letterhead

It usually contains the name and the address of the business or an organization. It can also
have an email address, contact number, fax number, trademark or logo of the business.

2. Date

We write the date on the right-hand side corner of the letter below the heading.

3. Reference

It shows the department of the organization sending the letter. The letter-number can also
be used as a reference

4. The Inside Address

It includes the name, address, postal code, and job title of the recipient. It must be
mentioned after the reference. One must write inside address on the left-hand side of the
sheet.

5. Subject

It is a brief statement mentioning the reason for writing the letter. It should be clear, eye
catchy, short, simple, and easily understandable.

6. The Greeting

It contains the words to greet the recipient. It is also known as the salutation. The type of
salutation depends upon the relationship with the recipient.

It generally includes words like Dear, Respected, or just Sir/Madam. A comma (,) usually
follow the salutation.

7. The Body Paragraphs

This is the main part of the letter. It contains the actual message of the sender. The main
body of the mail must be clear and simple to understand. The body of the letter is basically
divided into three main categories.

Opening Part: The first paragraph of the mail writing must state the introduction of the
writer. It also contains the previous correspondence if any.

Main Part: This paragraph states the main idea or the reason for writing. It must be clear,
concise, complete, and to the point.

Concluding Part: It is the conclusion of the business letter. It shows the suggestions or the
need of the action. The closing of the letter shows the expectation of the sender from the
recipient. Always end your mail by courteous words like thanking you, warm regards, look
forward to hearing from your side etc.

8. The Complimentary Close

It is a humble way of ending a letter. It is written in accordance with the salutation. The
most generally used complimentary close are Yours faithfully, Yours sincerely, and Thanks
& Regards.

9. Signature and Writer’s Identification

It includes the signature, name, and designation of the sender. It can also include other
details like contact number, address, etc. The signature is handwritten just above the name
of the sender.

10. Enclosures

Enclosures show the documents attached to the letter. The documents can be anything like
cheque, draft, bills, receipts, invoices, etc. It is listed one by one.

11. Copy Circulation

It is needed when the copies of the letter are sent to other persons. It is denoted as C.C.

12. PostScript

The sender can mention it when he wants to add something other than the message in the
body of the letter. It is written as P.S.

A. Standard Formats of Business Letters

The three standard formats of business letters are full-block, modified-block, and semi-
block. The differences between these thee are illustrated through the following examples

Source: Ambida, Galicha and Oandasan, 2019)

A.1 Full-Block
 Young Entrepreneurs Institute

369 MapleStreet, Amorsolo Village

Makati, Metro Manila

April 21, 2018

Values Formation Staff

Kensington Road

Mapayapa Village, Manila

To whom this may concern:

Dear Sir/Madam:

A friend me training that your entre conducts value-laden seminar-workshops for

business practitioners. This interests me as I am presently looking for s group to handle
our newly-enrolled students.

I would like to inquire regarding the cost and capacity of your services so I may be able to
gauge if you can cater to our group’s needs.I am looking forward to hearing from you
soon.

Cordially yours,

Ismael M. Villegas

Administrative officer
A.2 Modified Block
Young Entrepreneurs Institute

369 MapleStreet, Amorsolo Village

Makati, Metro Manila

April 21, 2018

Values Formation Staff

Kensington Road

Mapayapa Village, Manila

To whom this may concern:

Dear Sir/Madam:

A friend me training that your entre conducts value-laden seminar-workshops for

business practitioners. This interests me as I am presently looking for s group to handle
our newly-enrolled students.

I would like to inquire regarding the cost and capacity of your services so I may be able to
gauge if you can cater to our group’s needs.

I am looking forward to hearing from you soon.

Cordially yours,

Ismael M. Villegas

Administrative officer

A.3 Semi-Block
 Young Entrepreneurs Institute

369 MapleStreet, Amorsolo Village

Makati, Metro Manila

April 21, 2018

Values Formation Staff

Kensington Road

Mapayapa Village, Manila

To whom this may concern:

Dear Sir/Madam:

A friend me training that your entre conducts value-laden seminar-workshops for

business practitioners. This interests me as I am presently looking for s group to handle our
newly-enrolled students.

I would like to inquire regarding the cost and capacity of your services so I may be
able to gauge if you can cater to our group’s needs.

I am looking forward to hearing from you soon.

Cordially yours,

Ismael M. Villegas

Administrative officer
 4.8. Parts of the Business Letter : MORE DESCRIPTIONS

1. Heading. It is the topmost part of any correspondence containing the company

name, seal or logo, company address, website, and even communication lines. It indicates
the source of the document.

Example:

WORLD BUILDERS COMPANY

Commonwealth Ave. ,Quezon City

www.wbc.com.ph

2. Date. A part that shows the day, month and year when the document was written.

Example: 06 May 2009

16 July 2009

3. Inside Address. It states the name of the person or office when the letter is
forwarded. Four major information appear in this part: the name of the addressee, position,
office name, office address, and if mailed through the postal service, include the postal code
or ZIP code. The presence of the postal code facilitates expeditious sorting of mails by the
machine.

Example:

ENGR. MICHAEL V. BENAVIDEZ, JR.

Project Engineer

Satellite Communication

1107 Central Avenue, New Era, Quezon City

Note:

1. The line spells the title, first name, middle initial, surname and other name of
addressee in uppercases letters.

2. The second line is exclusively a space for the designation or position which may be
changed anytime.
3. The third line states the name of the company, and

4. The fourth line contains the postal code followed by the complete address or
traceable location of the letter receiver.

5. Never write to a person whose complete name is not known to you.

4. Salutation. This is the greetings of the letter. Common greetings may be illustrated
through these styles:

Example:

Dear Engineer Benavidez: - if the writer is a superior or of same rank with the addresses.

S i r : - if the writer considers himself a subordinate of the addressee.

5. Body. It contains the message or content of the document. This part normally
includes information about time, date, place, people, topic and mechanics of the subject of
the document.

6. Complimentary Close. This serves as the farewell part of the document. Common
closes include yours truly, truly yours, very truly yours, sincerely, sincerely yours, respectfully
yours.

7. Signature Block. It indicates the complete name and signature of the party who
sends the document, Signature Block donates accountability on the part of the signatory.

8. Reference Initial. This part reflects the alphabetic, numeric, or combination of the
both as code of the document writer, encoder or secretary who are secondary accountable
persons as to the veracity, truthfulness or authenticity of the document.

9. Copy Furnish Notation. A part of the letter spells the names of persons or offices
that are provided another copy of such document. It is indicated by cf: not cc: as the latter
denotes carbon copy notation. In modern technical communication, we do not use carbon
paper anymore, the most primitive material in replicating copies, because resograph, laser
printers or other photocopying machines perform the production of affordable multiple
original copies.

10. Postscript. It reiterates, stresses or emphasizes an information that is stated at the

body of the document. It does not supply a forgotten information. In some cases, writers
use N.B. ( nota bene ) or note well or simply “note”

11. Enclosure Notation. Also called attachment, denotes that other document
accompanies the main paper. Below the signature block the writer indicates: enclosed as
stated or attached as stated.

12. Notation Line. A part indicated below the signature that contains the name and
signature of the signatory’s superior. The notation line evidences that the signatory that the
signatory thereon consents or is knowledgeable or aware about the totality of that
document. Normally, “Noted” appears which means consented “Noted by” means
consented by a proxy of the noting party.

13. Subject Line. It spells the topic of the document or a memorandum.

14. Date Line. In a memorandum, the date when the instrument was penned by the
issuing party.

15. Sender Line. This is a part of the memorandum that reflects the position only of the
issuing authority.

16. Addressee Line. It is a part of the memorandum that indicates the names of limited
number of memorandum receivers or collectivity of concerned addressees.

17. Through Line. This part of a document shows the channel, the immediate superior
whom the sender channels a document intended to be sent to further higher ranks in the
same organization. As a matter of protocol, this procedure avoids bypassing the immediate
superior, and is a prudent showing of ethics about communication processes.

18. Attention Line. A part indicated on the letter, if the sender intends to convey a written
message to a subordinate of a superior in another organization. As a matter of protocol
again, courtesy needs to be accorded to the chief of office who will thereafter signal an
action of a subordinate whose name appears at the attention line.

See the next page for the illustration of thisparts.

4.9. ILLUSTRATION ON SOME PARTS OFTHEBUSINESS LETTER

WORLD BUILDERS COMPANY

Project Division ( Heading )

10 Central Avenue, New Era, Quezon City

10 April 2009 ( Date )

ENGR. DARIO M. ORENCIA

President ( Inside Address)

World Builders Company

10 Central Avenue, New Era, Quezon City

THROUGH: ENGR. RYDELLE T. PALABASAN ( Through Line )

 Building Administrator

Sir: ( Salutation )

We are forwarding to your office the Bid documents for the proposed Central Office Building
of the Global Telecommunications Company for your further comments and approval.
( Body )

Thank you.

Yours truly, ( complimentary Close )

ENGR. JOSEPH T. RESPICIO

Project Engineer ( Signature Block )

Noted: ( Notation Line )

ENGR. REYNALDO M. DELA CRUZ

Chief, Project Division

Rab ’09 ( Reference Initial )

Enclosed a/s: Bid documents

( Enclosure Notation or Attachment Notation )

Copy furnished : 1. Accounting Division

2. Human Resource Division

( Copy furnish notation )

Note again: 1. Using cc: ( carbon copy ) is not applicable at present because we use all
original printed copies using a modern printer and not through carbon paper replication any
more.

2. In the Through Line: if more than two names are involved use THROUGH
CHANNELS I nstead of the names.

GLOBAL TELECOMMUNICATIONS COMPANY

101 EDSA, Quezon City

10 May 2009

ENGR. DARIO M. ORENCIA

President
World Builders Company

10 Central Avenue, New Era, Quezon City

ATTENTION: ANGR. JOSEPH T. RESPICIO

Project Engineer ( Attention Line )

Sir:

In relation to your project proposal, may we request you to furnish us a copy of your Project
Engineer’s curriculum vitae.

Thank you.

Yours truly,

ENGR. RONALYN S. AGUINALDO

Chief Engineer

SAMPLE MEMORANDUM FORMAT

Memorandum

INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY CENTER

Centro, Cebu City

MEMORANDUM TO : ALL EMPLOYEES ( Addressee Line )

FROM : The Manager ( Sender Line )

SUBJECT : Updating of Form R-201 ( Subject Line )

DATE : 02 February 2010 ( Date Line )

Based on the Board Meeting dated 22 January 2010, the company will effect another salary
adjustment effective 01 April 2010. Such salary adjustment shall be based on performance
and other criteria spelled in our employee Manual.

In view hereof, we require you to update your Form R-201 until 25 February 2010 for
objective determine of your salary rate.

For your information and compliance.

ALBERT A. VINLUAN

4.10. Letter of Inquiry

 A letter of inquiry, also known as a letter of interest, is written to ask for specific
information regarding a particular subject matter. Letters are usually written to inquire
regarding particular goods or services of a business.

The sample letter below illustrates the standard format of business letters .

This is is an example of a letter inquiry.

St. Bonaventura Crafts

92 Ma. Rosa, Roxas City, Capiz

895-7721

February 24, 2018

Charlotte k. Lejrame

Vice-President

EMERALD COMPANY

192 Acacia Road

Valle Verde, Pasig

Subject: Capiz Shell Souvenir Items

Dear Mrs. Lejrame

In reply to the need for more information about our special offer of capiz shell souvenir
items to be added to the reservation package for you guests come April to May 2018, find
the attached leaflets and brochures for your review.

As a Le café Perks Club member, you are entitled to a number of promos as they are
available from quarter to quarter. Since we have you in our mailing list, updates on these
will be sent to you on regular basis.
Thank you for you continued patronage.

Sincerely yours,

Mrs. Kimberly V. Mitterash

President

Ref. : kvm: nfl Enclosure : leaflets and brochures (4)

Cc : Armand Cruz

4.11. Letter of Claim

A letter of claim is usually used in legal matters to assert some kinds of wrongdoing.
This letter aims to notify the one responsible for the said wrongdoing and demands a
response that would address its effects. Claims are also used in the context of legal
matters especially in instances of a breach of contract.

EMERALD COMPANY

19 Acacia Road

Alle Verde, Pasig

147-2369

April 21, 2018

Ms. Elaine Castor

Manager

J&Js Food Catering Co.

Dear Ms. Castor,

In behalf of the entire emerald company, we are writing this letter to inform you that a
number of the participants in our company event which you catered suffered from food
poisoning. All who reported to have suffered symptoms of food poisoning stated having
eaten one common viand. Since your catering company as solely responsible for all the
food prepared at the event, we believe that you should take responsibility for such
unfortunate circumstance our employees had to go through.
As such, we would like to hear as to how you want to address this situation. Our company
believes that you aim to provide excellent service above anything else which is why we are
expecting you to pay the hospitals bills of our employees who suffered food poisoning.
Aside from this, we are also requesting a partial refund of the fees paid for your services in
order to compensate for the trouble this incident has caused our company.

We are expecting your response to this letter as soon as possible. If no response is given,
we will have to opt to resolving this matter legally.

Sincerely,

Oliver Armin

HR Management, Emerald Company

4.12. Adjustment Letter

An adjustment letter is a response to a letter of claim. It contains the response to the
claimant’s statements, whether the claims are welcomed or not. If welcomed, the letter
would also include offers to resolve the effects of the action deemed to be unacceptable as
well as the explanation for it. If it is not, the claimant is entitled to a constructive, non-
adversarial tone in the adjustment letter.

Matilde’s Unique Decors

Balintawak, Quezon City

Tel. No. 09123876549

April 24, 2018

Mrs. Cleo Grape

Supervisor

Crafts And Stuffs Company

Dear Mrs. Grape:

It is with regret that some of the figurines that were delivered to you had defects which
seemed to have gone unnoticed despite our strict quality control measures. These certainly
would have to be replaced with new ones but we can only deliver within two weeks.

Our production staff are on two-week holiday and will be back to work only on the last week
of the month. Should the period of waiting be a cause for lost business, we would gladly
send a refund of you initial down payment for the order that you placed.

We still look forward to being your business partner in the future.

Sincerely,

Ms. Kitchie Paquete

Sales manager

4.13. Letter of Request

A letter of request reports situations which demand actions and decisions to be acted
upon. In the workplace, a letter of request is a formal letter which requests a specific
product or service within the professional business context.

September 12, 2018

Mr. Felizardo L. Benitez

Manager, Le Café

Central Eastern University, Neuva Ecija

Dear Mr. Benitez:

The department of social science requests your kind assistance is skirting five (50 tables in
the afternoon of September 18 at the special Function Room. This will be in preparation for
the School Sciences Celebration 2018 which will be held on September 18-20, 2018
I will be so grateful for your prompt action on this matter. Your presence as well during the
said occasion will be most-awaited.

Sincerely yours,

Ms. Cleotilde U. Young

Chairperson

Social Science 2018 Celebration

4.14. Memos, Reports, and Other Written Documents in the Workplace

A memorandum (memo) is a written serves as a reminder for particular matter. Memos
relay information to a large number of readers at the same time. A memorandum is a
document that records events in the workplace for everyone’s information.

Types of Memo

1. Instruction Memo – contains directives that organization members need to follow

(e.g., a memo to remind employees to strictly follow the company’s dress code)
2. Request Memo – contains a request for the provision of facilities and services (e.g.,
request for the use of the conference room for meeting)
3. Announcement Memo – notice of an important event in the organization (e.g., hiring,
company fire dill)
4. Transmittal Memo – notice officially announcing the release of a report (e.g., memo
transmitting the annual report manager)
5. Authorization Memo – granting permission to the undertaking of an operation in the
organization (e.g., permission to receive a document)

Memos are used for the internal undertakings of an organization whereas business
letters are used for external operations of the organization. Memos are more focused on
the flow of communication within the organization.

Format of a Memo

Word processing software programs have varied memo temples to choose from
making it easier to write memos. As indicated in the inverted pyramid, the information
should flow from the most important to the least. On the next page is a sample memo.

The following should be considered in writing a memorandum:

1. Use formal or academic language

2. Clarity
 3. Conciseness

4. General use of the active voice of the verb

5. Absence of grammar lapses

The signature finishes the Memorandum.

 PIONEER UNIVERSITY

MALATE, MANILA

COLLEGE OF ARTS AND LETTERS

TO/FOR: Dr. Venicio Y. Madamba

Dean, College Of Arts And Letters

Thru: Prof. Benilda S. David

Chair, Department Of Literature

From: Ms. Wilhelmina O. Santos

QC 10 – Research Chairperson

Subject: Research Forum

Date: July 11, 2018

In response to the call to develop research capacity and enhance research productivity in
the academe, I request your approval on the following event:

What: Research Forum on “Vision with a Mission”

When: August 7, 2018, 9:00 A.M. to 12:00 P.M.

Where: Mini-theatre.

Participants of the event are CAL students whose program courses require submission of
theses for oral defense and selected faculty representatives from the nine departments in
the college who have ongoing research studies, invited speakers are tasked to discuss
method triangular, research ethics, and instruments in research.
 4.15. Memorandum Formats
Memorandums or memo - (or memorandum, meaning “reminder”) is defined by
Merriam-Webster as a "brief written message or report from one person or department in a
company or organization to another." In practice, a memo is used for communicating
policies, procedures, or related official business within an organization. It is often written
from a one-to-all perspective, broadcasting a message to an audience, rather than a one-on-
one, interpersonal communication. It may be used to update a team on activities for a given
project or to inform a specific group within a company of an event, action, or observance.

A memo’s purpose is often to inform, but it may occasionally include an element of

persuasion or a call-to-action. All organizations have informal and formal communication
networks. The unofficial, informal communication network within an organization is often
referred to as the grapevine, and it is characterized by rumour, gossip, and innuendo.

On the grapevine, one person may hear that someone else is going to be laid off and
start passing the news around. Rumours change and transform as they are passed from
person to person, and before you know it, the word is that they are shutting down your entire
department!

One effective way to address unofficial speculation is to spell out clearly for all
employees what is going on with a particular issue. If budget cuts are a concern, then you
could send a memo explaining the changes that are imminent. If a company wants
employees to take action, they may issue a memo. For example, on February 13, 2009,
upper management at the Panasonic Corporation issued a declaration that all employees
should buy at least $1,600 worth of Panasonic products. The company president noted that
if everyone supported the company with purchases, it would benefit all (Lewis, 2009). While
memos do not normally include a call-to-action that requires personal spending, they do
usually represent the organization’s interests. They may also include statements that align
business and employee interest.

Memo Format

A memo has a header that indicates who sent it and who the intended recipients are.
Pay particular attention to the title of the individual(s) in this section. Date and subject lines
are also present, followed by a message that contains a declaration, a discussion, and a
summary.

In a standard writing format, we might expect to see an introduction, a body, and a

conclusion. All these are present in a memo, and each part has a purpose. The introduction
in the opening uses a declarative sentence to announce the main topic. The body
elaborates or lists major points associated with the topic, and the conclusion serves as a
summary. Let’s examine a sample memo.
HEADING FORMAT. The heading should be at the top of the page, aligned to the left-hand
side of the page. Capitalize the words

“TO:”, “FROM:”, “DATE:”, and “SUBJECT:”.

A sample heading would look like:

TO: Name and job title of the recipient

FROM: Your name and job title

DATE: Complete date when the memo was written

SUBJECT: (or RE What the memo is about (highlighted in some way)

When constructing the heading, be sure to double space between sections and align the
text.

You may choose to add a line below the heading that goes all the way across the page. This
will separate the heading from the body of the memo.

Example Memo:

To: All Employees

From: Maya James, President, Provincial University

Date: September 21, 2015

Subject: Future Expenditure Guidelines

After careful deliberation, I have determined it is necessary to begin the initial steps of
a financial stewardship program that carries Provincial University through what appears to
be a two-year cycle of a severe provincial shortfall in revenue and subsequent necessary
legislative budget reductions.

Beginning September 24, 2015, the following actions are being implemented for the
General Fund, Auxiliary Fund, and Capital Fund in order to address the projected reductions
in our provincial aid for the remainder of this year, 2015/2016, and for the next year,
2016/2017.
 Only purchases needed to operate the university should be made so that we can begin
saving to reduce the impact of the 2016/2017 budget reductions.

Requests for out-of-province travel will require approval from the Executive Committee
to ensure that only necessary institutional travel occurs as well as purchase, including in-
province travel and budget transfers, will require the appropriate vice president’s approval.

Please understand that we are taking these prudent steps to create savings that will
allow ProvU to reduce the impact of projected cuts in expected 2016/2017 legislative
reductions. Thank you for your cooperation. Please direct any questions to my office.

4.16. Five Tips for Effective Business Memos

1. Audience Orientation

Always consider the audience and their needs when preparing a memo. An acronym or
abbreviation that is known to management may not be known by all the employees of the
organization, so, if the memo is to be posted and distributed within the organization, your
goal should be clear and concise communication at all levels with no ambiguity.

2. Professional, Formal Tone

Memos are often announcements, and the person sending the memo speaks for a part
or all of the organization. While it may contain a request for feedback, the announcement
itself is linear, from the organization to the employees. The memo may have legal standing,
as it often reflects policies or procedures.

3. Subject Emphasis

The subject is normally declared in the subject line and should be clear and concise. If
the memo is announcing the observance of a holiday, for example, the specific holiday
should be named in the subject line—for example, use “Thanksgiving weekend schedule”
rather than “holiday observance.”

4. Direct Format

Memos are always direct, meaning they get to the point quickly and the purpose is
clearly announced.

5. Objectivity

Memos are a place for just the facts and should have an objective tone without
personal bias, preference, or interest on display. Avoid subjectivity.

4.17. Incident Report

An incident report, also called accident report, records the occurrence of an
unusual event in the workplace. This repeat usually follows a template that comes in forms
to be filled out by the witness to the incident. The main components of an incident report
are the problem description, action taken, and recommendations.
D.M. Paper Company

14 Siapo Road, Pacdal, Baguio City

437-1182

For: Samuel Reyes

Head Supervisor, Printing Department

From: Daniel Vargas

Area Supervisor

Date and time of incident: February 21, 2018, 3:35 PM

Nature of incident: Equipment breakdown

Person/ involved: Elio Armin

Problem Description:

At 3:35 pm, three out of the five cutting machines in use suddenly stopped
working which caused task interruption.

Action Taken:

Employees working in the cutting area tried to find out the cause of the machine
breakdown but it was no use. The maintenance crew was then called to ty to fox the
machines to no avail. Following this, it was decided that it would be necessary to call an
expert technician to fix the machines. According to the technician, the machines overheated
which caused them to shut down. He also mentioned that the machines are already in need
of replacement considering how long they have already been in use.

Recommendations:

To prevent a similar incident from happening again, it is recommended that the

standard check-ups of all equipment be strictly implemented to determine if any equipment
is in need of repairs or replacements. It is also ideal that employees have a standard
operating procedure in the event of machine breakdown in order to mitigate task
interruption as much as possible.

4.18. How to Conduct Effective Meetings

4.19. How to make your next team meeting productive and interesting
 4.20. Minutes of Meeting
A meeting is a gathering of people to discuss, plan, make decisions, and resolve issues
together. For documentation purposes, a detailed and descriptive report is prepared.

The minutes of the meeting has the following component:

Introduction

1. Name and address the organization

2. Type the meeting (special, executive, committee, board, regular, emergency)

3. Call the order – time, date, presiding officer

4. Attendance – for groups less than twenty (20) members, with both present, late, and
absent included

Body

● Reading, correction, and approval of minutes of the previous meeting

● Business arising from the previous meeting
● New business

Conclusion

● Announcement – time and date of the next meeting

● Other matters – mew matters that may need to be covered in future meeting
● Time of adjournment
● Name sand signature of the minutes-taker
● Name and signature of presiding officer

Clubs, organizations, and companies have prescribed formats for the minutes of their
meeting. The minutes-taker has to flexible enough to adopt what is customary to the group.

In preparing the minutes of the meeting, the minutes-taker must ensure

that the minutes are:

1. in chronological order;
2. factual, brief, and fee from editorial comments or slating of factual statements;
3. the gist or a recording od summary of the meeting and not a transcription of the
matters discussed; and
4. a verbatim export of parliamentary points, motions, resolutions and points of order.

A simplified variation of taking minutes of a meeting is possible if and only permitted

by the group in the assembly.

4.21. The Email

Email - is a means or system for transmitting messages electronically (as between
computers on a network).

Email has changed the face of communication. What used to take days or even
weeks to reach recipients can now be sent with the click of a button. Even with these
modern technologies in place, students should still be aware of how to impress companies,
prospective employers, and others with their ability to compose a letter in correct business
letter format. This on-demand practice prompt provides a valid reason that guides students
through including the correct parts to a business letter.

A. Components of an Email:

1. Subject Lines - The email subject lines are like newspaper lines. They state the gist of
the message and require specification. If the message deals with a deadline, the specific
date must be included in the subject line.

2. Greetings and Sign-offs - It is appropriate to use greetings and sign-offs in writing the
message. Directly proceeding the message to the intended receiver is not sound. The
purpose or context of the sending the email must be considered as well as the receiver you
are writing to. To avoid offending a person, address the person more formally such as:

* Dear President Duterte,

* Dear Professor X,

* Hi, Ceasar,

If the name of the person is unknown or if the email addresses a diverse group, use
something generic but polite like:

* To whom it may concern,

* Dear Members of the Board of Directors,

* Hi, Everyone,

The closing is very significant because it provides the receiver of the email an information
of whom is writing to him. It is therefore mandatory to sign-off with the name of the sender
at the end of the message. Consider writing your affiliation as well. For example:

* Prof. Thelma L. Luza

New Era University - College of Education

* Eden G. Resuento
 NEHS - Batch 1992

For the closing, state something concisely but friendly. Merely signing-off with the name of
the sender can be done as well:

* Thank you,

* Best wishes,

* Regards,

For a very formal message, such as a job application, use the kind of closing that you might
see in a business letter:

* Sincerely, * Respectfully yours,

3. Cc: and Bcc: (‘carbon copy’ and ‘blind carbon copy’) Copying an individual is beneficial
when a sender wants to proliferate the same exact information or message to another
aside from the main recipient. In the professional arena, copying another person on an
email not only speeds up the dissemination of information but it also gets the job done.

Be aware, however, that when the sender sends a message to more than one address
using the Cc: field, both the original recipient and all the recipients of the carbon copies can
see all the addresses in the To: and Cc: fields. Each person who receives the message will
be able to see the addresses of everyone else who received it.

Blind copying emails to a group of people can be useful when the sender does not want
everyone on the list to have each other’s addresses. The only recipient address that will be
visible to all recipients is the one in the To: field. If the sender does not want any of the
recipients to see the email addresses in the list, he can put his own address in the To: field
and use Bcc: exclusively to address his message to others. However, the sender must not
assume that blind copying will always keep recipients from knowing who else was copied—
someone who is blind copied may hit “reply all” and send a reply to everyone, revealing that
they were included in the original message.

Tips for Effective Business Emails

1. Proper salutations should demonstrate respect and avoid mix-ups in case a message is
accidentally sent to the wrong recipient. For example, use a salutation like “Dear Ms. X”
(external) or “Hi, Barry” (internal).

2. Subject lines should be clear, brief, and specific. This helps the recipient understand the
essence of the message. For example, “ABC Sales Proposal attached.”

3. Close with a signature. Identify yourself by creating a signature block that automatically
contains your name and business contact information.

4. Avoid abbreviations. An email is not a text message, and the audience may not find your
wit cause to ROTFL (rolling on the floor laughing).
5. Be brief.

6. Format cleanly. Include line breaks between paragraphs for ease of reading.

7. Do a three-stage review (including structural edit, copy edit, and proofread) before you
press send. It will take more time and effort to undo the problems caused by a hasty, poorly
written email than to get it right the first time.

8. Reply promptly. Watch out for an emotional response—never reply in anger—but make a
habit of replying to emails within 24 hours, even if only to say that you will provide the
requested information within 48 hours.

9. Use “Reply All” sparingly. Do not send your reply to everyone who received the initial
email unless your message absolutely needs to be read by the entire group.

10. Avoid using all caps. Capital letters are used online to communicate yelling and are
considered rude.

11. Email ahead of time if you are going to attach large files (audio and visual files
are often quite large) to prevent exceeding the recipient’s mailbox limit or triggering
the spam filter.

12. Give feedback or follow up. If you don’t get a response in 24 hours, email or call. Spam
filters may have intercepted your message, so your recipient may never have received it.

Example Email Form:

Subject: Welcome to the [our name] Store.

Dear [customer name],

Thank you for registering with the [our name] Store. You can manage your personal
information from the “My Account” section of the website when you sign in to the [our
name] Store.
Here, you can change your contact details and password, track recent orders, add alternate
shipping addresses, and manage your preferences and profile, all in this single convenient
location.

Thank you for your interest in the [our name] Store!

We look forward to your next visit.

Example Custom Email:

To: Sean Carlson Physical Plant Manager, XYZ Corporation

From: Miles Nickel, Construction Site Manager, McCrady ConstructionSent: Monday, March
05, 2015, 2:47 p.m.
Subject: Construction Interruptions

Sean,

I know employees of XYZ Corporation are looking forward to moving into the new ABC
Street building in June, but recently, groups of employees who do not have business here
have been walking through the building. These visits create a safety hazard, interrupt the
construction workers, and could put your occupancy date in jeopardy.

Please instruct your staff members who haven’t already been moved to ABC Street to stay
out of the building. If they need to meet with someone who has already moved, they should
conduct their business and leave promptly via the nearest staircase.

We need to avoid further interruptions so our construction workers can get the building
ready for occupancy on schedule. If you have any questions, please call me.

Thanks,

Miles

Miles Nickel, Construction Site Manager, McCrady Construction

1234 Main Street
Big City, B.C. P8C 9D9
(555) 123-4567 x222
[email protected]
www.mccradycon.com

Example Email Form from A Student

Subject: Materials for Wed; Staff Meeting

Hi, everyone—

For tomorrow’s 3 p.m. staff meeting in the conference room, please bring 15 copies of the
following materials:

● Your project calendar

● A one-page report describing your progress so far
● A list of goals for the next month
● Copies of any progress report messages you have sent to clients this past month

See you tomorrow—

Jane
 4.22. Fax Messages

Fax Cover Sheet - is a sheet that is faxed through to your recipient before your actual fax
message. Cover sheets are optional in fax marketing. Their intended purpose is to identify
the sender and provide some contact information, as well as to state the intended recipient
and their information.

In general, fax cover sheets usually have some or all of the following contents:

• Company name or logo

• Date

• Name and fax number of receiver

• Name, fax, and phone number of sender

• Number of pages

• Subject*

• Message*

• Confidentiality Notice

*These are not always included. Use them if you have additional information not
covered by the fax contents.

Example Fax Cover Sheet:

FAX Smith & Sons. Ltd.

To: James Milford

From: Leonard Smith Fax: (555) 212-0988 Fax: (555) 313-0122

Date: 08/09/2015 Phone: (555) 401-9876

CONFIDENTIAL Pages: 5

Subject: Employment Contract

Message:

James,
Please sign and return the attached contract at your earliest convenience.

If you have any questions or concerns, please contact my office.

Best Regards,

Leonard.