I’m working on a writing exercise and need an explanation to help me learn.

Assignment:

You are a student worker at FIU for the past two years, and you are now graduating in two months. Write a letter to your supervisor, Ms. Walker, indicating that you are no longer able to continue working as a student worker. Your letter should express appreciation for the experience and insight gained as an employee. Keep in mind the five goals of delivering bad news

.Preparation:Review Chapter 11: Writing Negative MessagesFormat:Use the modified block letter format for this assignment. Please note the differences carefully.There are two main ways to format a negative message letter; directly or indirectly. For this exercise, you will be utilizing the indirect approach. You view Ms. Walker as a mentor, and wish to maintain a professional relationship with her. The format of your letter tells the reader a lot about you and your professionalism. Since you do not want to completely cut ties, it is important to leave a lasting respectful impression. Pay particular attention to your letter’s margins, line spacing, font type and size, and placement of letter parts such as the return address, date, inside address, salutation, complimentary close, and signature block.The contact person for this position is: Ms. Walker, Supervisor, 11200 SW 8thStreet, Miami FL, 33199.

Recommended OrganizationIntroduction/Opening: Open the letter with a buffer. Express appreciation for the opportunity, Be genuine in tone. Body/Discussion:In the first paragraph of the body, explain the situation and deliver bad news. Be clear, professional, and concise. Avoid restating bad news. Minimize use of negative words.In the second paragraph, acknowledge the insight gained and express appreciation again. Indicate that you wish to maintain communication.

Conclusion/Closing: Begin your closing paragraph with a courteous transition and thank the employer for the opportunity. Conclude your letter by indicating how the reader may contact you if he has any questions.

Business Proposal Assignment

You work as a communication specialist at Warby Parker, reporting to co-CEO David Gilboa. Using the skills you’ve been practicing in this course, respond to this challenge:

You’re helping Gilboa prepare a report about the company. Gilboa characterizes the report as a “public business plan,” in that it will discuss the company and its objectives, strategies, and operations without disclosing the sort of confidential information that a typical business plan includes. The secondary audience includes potential investors, employees, and business partners.

To help overcome shoppers’ reluctance to buy eyewear online, Warby Parker has been test marketing the concept called Home Try-On, in which people in the South Florida test market can order five pairs of frames, keep them for five days at no cost, then decide which pair they would like to order, and which they will send back. This gives shoppers lots of time to try on the frames they are considering and get the opinions of family and friends.

On the job (Internal, Unsolicited Proposal)

Write a 2-3 page internal proposal, in memo format, to Mr. Gilboa, with your evaluation of the test market results and your recommendation on how the company should proceed with this concept based on that test. Remember to include headings or sub-headings for each section in the proposal that explain this program-e.g. Background, Solution, Recommendation, etc. Make sure to correctly identify and analyze your audience, as well as any possible secondary audiences. Remember, Mr. Gilboa, the person to whom you submit your proposal, is in a position to order the implementation of the change recommended.

It is important that you develop this memo with your own thoughts and input. You can make the test market experience good or bad, and base your recommendation on that. Make up any information you wish to bolster your case; in the real world, you would have this kind of data and information before you would write this memo.

Here is an example: A rough outline for a favorable recommendation:

Subject: Home Try-On Market Concept Test

Background: As you know…profits down, store rents rising, we are seen as an old-fashion, undynamic company by the general public. Question: is the internet the answer? Marketing came up with the concept of Home Try-On, and began test marketing it in South Florida in November of last year.

Perceived Risks Prior to Test Market: Concept too confusing for the public? What if customers did not return the 4 pairs of frames they did not want? What sort of breakage might be expected? Would postage and handling be too costly?

Test Market Results: The public seemed to love the concept. Orders very high. 98% return rate on 4 pairs they did not want. Virtually no breakage. Minimal shipping and handling costs, because customers had to agree beforehand to absorb these costs.

Recommendation: Expand test market to the entire East Coast for an additional 4 months. Prepare to go nationwide if results from that test equally encouraging.

Assignment: As the Human Resources Manager at XYZ Industries, Inc., it is your pleasure to announce the addition of annual performance-bases bonuses for mid-level managers and above. These bonuses will require annual performance reviews to discern the amount of the bonuses. Draft a memo explaining this scenario to this specific group of employees.

Format: See email with General Memo Format. Body of memo should be single-spaced, with an empty line between paragraphs. All paragraphs should be left-justified, without any indenting at the beginning of each paragraph.

Address the memo to all mid-level managers and above at your company.

Recommended Organization

Header: Begin your memo with the four standard memo heads (Date, To, From, Subject). The Subject should be the positive message.

Body/Discussion: Remember that memos do not begin with greetings or salutations. This is a direct approach announcement of positive news, so begin your first paragraph with the news. Then go on to explain what factors led to this new program (e.g. increased sales, rising stock price, market share gain, etc.) and why the decision was made to reward employees with the surplus funds. Go on to assure the employees that they deserve this reward, and thank them for their contributions to the company’s success.

The following paragraph is where you explain that the amount of bonus each employee will receive will be based on performance reviews, and tell then what department will conduct these reviews, when they will begin and when they will be finished, when employees will learn how much they will receive, and when it will be paid to them.

The final paragraph is where you explain that the company looks forward to continuing this bonus program in the future, commensurate with company performance. Thank the employees again for their outstanding contributions, and conclude the memo by indicating how the reader may contact you if he/she has any questions.