2. Roles are the positions that we adopt when we
communicate.
Roles can be characterized:
◦ In terms of the type of action we are doing
◦ In terms of our relationship to our audience
3. Managerial Roles:
◦ Leader
◦ Facilitator
◦ Coach
◦ Liaison
◦ Idea Generator
◦ Mediator
Communicative roles:
◦ Speaker
◦ Listener
◦ Reader
◦ Writer
Roles can be characterized by the type of
action that we do:
4. Roles depending on our status in an organization:
◦ Executive
◦ Subordinate
◦ Peers/Coworkers
This is sometimes called “writing up” or “writing
down” depending on one’s position on the
corporate ladder.
5. The relationships between speaker/listener or
reader/writer or the managerial role being played
determine what type of communication is most
appropriate.
◦ Levels of formality
◦ Choice of genres
◦ Use of appeals
6. What role am I playing as communicator and as
manager?
What is my relationship to my audience?
Am I “writing up” or “writing down” within a
company?
If I’m writing to people outside the company, what
relationship do we have?
7. What role am I playing as communicator and as
manager?
What is my relationship to my audience?
Am I “writing up” or “writing down” within a
company?
If I’m writing to people outside the company, what
relationship do we have?
