The document discusses how to effectively organize messages to help audiences understand, accept, and not waste time on irrelevant information. It recommends defining a clear main idea and supporting it with logically presented evidence. Careful organization can soften unwelcome news and persuade skeptical readers. Good organization saves readers time by avoiding irrelevant details. The document provides tips for generating ideas, limiting scope, choosing a direct or indirect approach, and using examples and stories to back up points.

1. The ability to organize messages
effectively is a skill that helps readers
and writers alike.

2. 1. It helps your audience understand your message.
By making your main idea clear and supporting it with logically
presented evidence, you help audiences grasp the essential
elements of your message.
1. It helps your audience accept your message.
Careful organization also helps you select and arrange your
points in a diplomatic way that can soften the blow of
unwelcome news or persuade skeptical readers to see your point
of view.
It saves your audience time.
Good organization saves readers time because they don’t have to
wade through irrelevant information,

3.  Defining Your Main Idea
 The topic of your message is the overall subject, and your main
idea is a specific statement about that topic.
 techniques to generate creative ideas:
 Brainstorming. Working alone or with others, generate
as many ideas and questions as you can.
 Journalistic approach. The journalistic approach asks who,
what, when, where, why, and how questions to distill major thoughts
from unorganized information.
 Question-and-answer chain. Start with a key question the
audience is likely to have, and work back toward your mes- sage.

5. Storyteller’s tour. Some writers find it
helpful to talk through a communication
chal- lenge before trying to write. Record
yourself as you describe what you intend
to write.

6. Storyteller’s tour. Some writers find it helpful to talk through
a communication chal- lenge before trying to write. Record
yourself as you describe what you intend to write.
Mind mapping. You can generate and organize ideas by using
a graphic method called mind mapping.

7.  The scope of your message is the range of information
you present, the overall length, and the level of detail—
all of which need to correspond to your main idea.
In addition to limiting the overall scope of your message,
limit the number of major supporting points to a half
dozen or so—and if you can get your idea across with
fewer points, all the better.

8.  After you’ve defined your main idea and supporting points, you’re
ready to decide on the sequence you will use to present your
information.
 Direct approach. When you know your audience will be
receptive to your message, use the direct approach: Start
with the main idea (such as a recommendation,
conclusion, or request) and follow that with your
supporting evidence.
 Indirect approach. When your audience will be
skeptical about or even resistant to your message,
you generally want to use the indirect approach:
Start with the evidence first and build your case
before presenting the main idea.

9.  After you have chosen the direct or indirect approach, the next
task is to figure out the most logical and effective way to present
your major points and supporting details.
 Start with the main idea. The main idea helps you establish
the goals and general strat- egy of the message, and it summarizes
(1) what you want your audience members to do, think, or feel
after receiving the message and (2) why it makes sense for them to
do so.
 State the major points. Support your main idea with the
major points that clarify and explain your ideas in more concrete
terms.

10.  Provide examples and evidence.
 After you’ve defined the main idea and identified major
supporting points, you’re ready to back up those points with
examples and evi- dence that help audience members understand,
accept, and remember your message.
 Story telling technique:
 Storytelling is such a vital means of communicating that, in the
words of management consultant Steve Tobak, “It’s hard to
imagine your career going anywhere if you can’t tell a story.”

11.  The end