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Week 1: Analyzing Messages

Messages Analyzed
Mr. Wilbert Jones
Week 1
Frederick R. Paige III












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When sending messages in a business-related setting, it is always important to remember
that the message must be clear, concise, and appropriate for the intended reader. Clear
communication is a vital link for any situation where messages are going to be exchanged. The
outcome of a message can either be effective or ineffective due to the content, wording and
interpretation. Whenever messages can be analyzed to improve the effectiveness of
communication it usually gives the sender and receiver a more positive outlook on the process.
According to Roebuck (2006), Today, nearly two-thirds of U.S. workers are employed
in the service sector, and knowledge is becoming the most important product. We live in a
networked worked in which everyone is connected to everyone else. Knowledge and updated
information is the basis for any good company. Without updated information in a fast response
time, companies can lack the necessary tools to compete with their rivals. Whether that
company be dealing with shipping, commerce, food industry, hospitals or transportation, updated
information is the means of success.
I work for a police department in which its primary and most effective means of
communication is through email correspondence. There are over 1,800 employees who all need
to get disseminated the same information in a timely fashion. Through the use of the Internet,
mobile phones, tablets, and car computers; email is the most widely used form of
communication. There was a department wide email sent out from Detective Smith one day;
who was actively searching for a suspect in the area who was committing crimes.
The purpose of the email that Detective Smith sent was to inform and instruct Officers on
what to do if they encountered this suspect. The email read: This female has been hitting CVS
pharmacies throughout the city. I will be signing warrants on her today for a case in which I was
given good information that she is hitting stores all over town. If you have any larceny cases
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involving a black female, please be on the lookout for the following individual committing
larcenies throughout Charlotte, specifically at CVS pharmacies. She is using someone elses
vehicle and mostly steals baby formula and other items for resell. In the past she has been with
at least one other person when committing the larcenies. If she is detained, please transport her
to detectives to be interviewed.
This email that was sent was very clear and concise on what Detective Smith wanted us
to do if we encountered this subject. There was also a picture attached to the email for an even
more concise description of the suspect in question. Because so many emails are sent
department wide and senders of emails want the audience to be attentive, the emails are usually
kept short, descriptive and crisp. The purpose of sending the email this way is to ensure the
receiver can properly decode the email without unnecessary information.
The environment of the message was proper due to the audience. The effectiveness of
the email was appropriate and well received because of the peer relationship that was conveyed
during the message. Detective Smith was soliciting information and also help at the same time
and was not being overbearing to her specific needs. The effective organizational structure of
the email was vital to the successful communication. There was no demanding, begging or
pleading, just informative information.
Miscommunication is a factor that can determine if the receiver can properly interpret the
message then appropriately give feedback. Roebuck (2006) stated, Because so much
information must be processed, some of it gets lost. You can prevent such information loss by
becoming concerned more with the quality of your communication than with its quantity. By
understanding this concept and applying it to communication, this behavior can essential to
gaining the listening and understanding of the receiver. Nonverbal messages are key as the
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communicator sends the message. The sender should pay careful attention not to disrupt the
content of the message by the tone and the way words are spoken. Reading between the lines is
always something to take into effect when sending out informative correspondence. Because
there may be a perception of an underlying message it is imperative that the sender be conscious
of the verbiage and tone.
Determining the specific purpose of your correspondence is a goal that senders must
convey. To effectively communicate in writing the sender must be clear, maintain the subject
and frame the specifics. In the email that Detective Smith sent out, he stated the purpose was to
seek out the suspect and apprehend them. The suspect was identified and also linked to a variety
of crimes that had been committed. According to Raffoni (2009) How someone frames an issue
influences how others see it and focuses their attention on particular aspects of it. Framing is the
essence of targeting a communication to a specific audience. The frame of the email was the
suspect, the information given was descriptive, and the request to apprehend them was the
instructions. Detective Smith correctly captured the audience by sending it out to all employees
who were able to achieve the goal of apprehending the suspect.
My response to the email sent was positive because of the factors of the sender. As
discussed earlier, the sender was specific by framing the subject, clearly informing his peers on
instructions surrounding the subject, and asked politely for assistance. There seemed to be no
miscommunication by the sender and no hidden messages that could be read in-between the
lines. Peer related assistance from other co-workers seemed to be backing the message. There
did not seem to be arrogance in asking for assistance or a demanding demeanor. These factors
could have produced a negative response from the receivers of the email causing the email to be
deleted without thought or a negative sub conscious message.
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Although I did not reply to the correspondence by sending a reply email, I still had a
response by actively looking for the suspect in question. My positive response to this email was
influenced by concise, sincere, and brief information that was conveyed. The sender influenced
my reaction by the way the email constructed. Basic communication skills are needed in
everyday interaction, especially in a business setting. A fundamental tool for being an effective
communicator is establishing a thought and transforming that thought into some type of
correspondence. How the audience receives that message is a direct reflection upon the sender.




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References
Roebuck, D. B. (2006). Improving Business Communication Skills (4
th
ed.). Upper
Saddle River, New Jersey: Prentice Hall.
Raffoni, M. (2009, January). Leaders: Frame your Message for maximum Impact., (14)1,
3-4.