Introduction

  • Have you ever received a letter in the mail from your school?
  • What did it look like?
  • What information was in the letter?
  • Why did they send you a letter instead of just telling you at school or calling you on the phone?

Even if you have not received a letter from someone, you have received text messages on your phone or emails from your instructor in this course.

  • What was “missing” in these communications?
  • What is a bonus feature of using text messaging or letters?
  • Aren’t you able to go back and re-read anything you didn’t understand?

Lesson Objectives

Following successful completion of this lesson, students will be able to...

  • Explain the importance of effective communication skills in the workplace.
  • Explain what factors cause communication to fail and ways to make sure that communication is clearly defined, clearly communicated and understood.

Essential Questions

  • When should written communications be the channel to use in communicating?
  • What is missing from written communications?

Enduring Understandings

  • Effective communication skills are critical in the workplace.

The above objectives correspond with the Alabama Course of Study: Workforce Essentials standards: 6.