Length: 300-400 words

Objective:

Write a brief memo to your employees. In the memo, explain why etiquette is important to employees individual careers as well as the companys overall success.

Assignment scenario:

In this assignment, you will practice writing a memo given the scenario outlined below:

As the regional manager of an international accounting firm, you place high priority on professional etiquette. Not only does it communicate respect to your clients, it also instills confidence in your firm by showing that you and your staff are aware of and able to meet the expectations of almost any audience. Earlier today, you took four recently hired college graduates to lunch with an important client. You've done this for years, and it's usually an upbeat experience for everyone, but today's lunch was a disaster. One of the new employees made not one, not two, but three calls on his mobile phone during lunch. Another interrupted the client several times and even got into a mild argument. The third employee kept making sarcastic jokes about politics, making everyone at the table uncomfortable. And the fourth showed up dressed like she was expecting to bale hay or work in a coal mine, not have a business lunch in a posh restaurant. You've already called the client to apologize, but now you need to coach these employees on proper business etiquette.

Assessment criteria:

• Professionalism: Does your writing demonstrate the traits of professionalism as described in your textbook (i.e. excellence, dependability, teamwork, respect, high ethical standards, and positivity)?
• Sense of Audience: Does the assignment demonstrate an audience-centered approach? Does it follow the principles for reaching audiences as described in your book?
• Organization: Has detailed attention been given to the organization of the assignment, both in terms of overall organization and in terms of organizing individual sections and paragraphs?
• Style and Tone: Does the style and tone of the assignment match the needs of the situation?

Strategies for planning and pre-writing a memo:

As you plan this document, focus on the following:

1. Analyze the situation by defining your purpose and developing an audience profile.
2. Gather information by considering the information needs of your audience and determining your own focus as the writer.