Running head THE IMPORTANCE OF CLARITY AND CONCISENESS1THE .docx

Running head: THE IMPORTANCE OF CLARITY AND
CONCISENESS 1
THE IMPORTANCE OF CLARITY AND CONCISENESS
7
6-2 (The Importance of Clarity and Conciseness)
Chaston D. Carter
Southern New Hampshire University
There have been many issues of ineffective communication
causing directives not to be carried out properly due to its
unclear nature. For an example there was an email sent out that
stated that the recipient (within the R&D team) was to “create a
presentation discussing the new product and send it to the
departments who are interested.” The sender of the email did
not specify the product he was talking about, since there can be
multiple products under development in the R&D department. In
addition to this, he didn’t list down any specifications of the
aforementioned presentation, the agenda, the length, the
purpose, and what it should cover. He also failed to elaborate
which departments would be considered “interested”, and what
would be the basis on which the R&D team should select the
departments to whom the presentation is to be sent.
The second example involved a request for help from the Sales
department to Technical Support to help them “with a list of the
biggest problems with our hot products”. The sales department
only mentioned a list of the problems, and didn’t actually list
down the problems themselves. If the Technical Support had an
idea of the problems that were faced, they would be adequately

prepared to deal with them, and appoint the right man for the
job. Secondly, the sales team did not elaborate which products
it considered the hot products. And lastly, they also did not set
an appointment for the meeting, nor did they highlight the
impact of the problems on the sales of the product, and
consequently, did not communicate effectively the intensity of
the situation. The last example included a memo from the
Finance department to all departments to “reduce the number of
suppliers being used to better control costs”. This is a very
general statement and the finance department did not tell how
the cost would be saved and how much impact reducing each
supplier would bring. They also did not explain how to reduce
the suppliers and still carry on the routine tasks normally. No
instructions on how to carry out the order accompanied it.
After close review of these directives, they seem to lack clarity,
which is unacceptable. To improve these messages, we must
eliminate certain barriers within in communication. Clarity in
communication is essential for effective communication.
However, a lot of potential barriers can arise in communication
such as messages with complex content, information that is not
been transmitted willfully, ineffective communication through
the hierarchy, and no trust amongst different parties because of
competition. (Boundless, 2016).
There are three main barriers that we have had an issue with,
one is which the complexity of our messages is when they are
being sent. It very important that when sending out a message to
make sure you provide just the right amount of information
while avoiding being too complex as well.
The over use of complex terminology can also cause the
audience to not fully grasp the concept of the message, which
results in lack of clarity.“The best way to make sure your
message doesn’t come off to complex is to stick to the point by
using clear and concise messages that are easy for your
audience to understand.” The second barrier we are facing is
withholding information when something is asked. Due to
company policies most information is kept confidential within

an organization. To avoid withholding information we need to
make sure the information that is needed is easily accessible, as
well as readily available (Boundless, 2016). Another thing to
consider is to make sure no information is left off, that may be
needed in the long run. It is important that when you are
wanting someone to create some type of presentation to discuss
a new product, that they are aware of what products they will be
discussing, and which specific departments to send it to.
Another widely occurring barrier regarding communication that
arises often in organizations with a tall structure is the
miscommunication or issues in the transfer of information
amongst the different levels of hierarchy. Since there are rigid
boundaries at each level, the information tends to not be
completely transferred, or the junior employees are too hesitant
to ask their seniors for clarification due to the extent of
formality between them.
When a presentation contains clarity, it makes it easier for the
person who is receiving the message to fully grasp the message
that is being conveyed. Clarity has proven to make
comprehending a lot easier to the receiver, and since a concise
message saves the receiver and sender time it plays a major role
in communication. Conciseness can be achieved in a business
message, by avoiding repetition, and complex terms. As a result
of all this, it is crucial that the information to be transferred is
communicated by very direct and to the point sentences, all the
while making sure that all the required information is
incorporated properly, so that the message is concise, but full of
relevant content. One must not cut out part of the message in
the attempt to achieve conciseness. (admin, 2009).
A message can only be considered an effective one when
the recipient of the message understands all the information
exactly the way the sender wanted. If the one who receives the
message comprehends the content just as intended by the
sender, then it is successful communication. (admin, 2009). All
of this can be achieved, when everyone works together as one.

It is important that when sending a message to take time to read
what is being sent beforehand. Last but most importantly never
be afraid to ask questions. Whenever you receive a message and
you’re not able to grasp it, always ask for clarification.
The second barrier to communication is the privacy policies of
an organization and the general competitiveness of the market
due to which some organizations do not reveal all of their
information to all the levels of the company. To avoid this
barrier, the communication system should be automated, where
appropriate information should be readily available to the
people who have authorization. Efficient use of information
technology should be made to come up with a centralized
information system so that all employees have the ease of
access to the required information, whenever they need it.
The third barrier to communication is a rigid and tall structure,
and formal culture of an organization. Due to the rigidity of the
hierarchy, as well as the intimidation faced by the juniors from
their seniors, the information amongst the levels is often
miscommunicated or lost. There are lasting effects of this loss
of information and to tackle this problem, there needs to be an
organization wide change, where the senior levels of
management have an open door policy and people comfortable
in asking them questions and for clarifications. There should
also be a less bureaucratic way of information transmission
because, the lesser the people involved in a communication
channel, the more efficient it will be.
In conclusion, a company is as efficient as its communication
channels. All the operation of an organization are dependent on
smooth communication amongst the various departments, and
within departments themselves. Communication can be tricky
when it comes to conveying the message of your message
properly to your recipient. It can also pose a problem when the
information to be communicated is of sensitive nature and is not
to be made available to the public. Another issue with
communication is the barrier between the various levels of
hierarchy in a tall structured organization. All of these issues

can be solved by a little planning beforehand. For instance, the
first issue can be resolved by sticking to the point and keeping
it short, yet complete. The second issue can be tackled by the
automation of information to ensure privacy as well as ease of
access. And the third issue can be solved by a change in culture.
All in all, communication, while confusing and tricky
sometimes, can be made efficient by taking simple steps.
References
Boundless. “The Importance of Clarity in Professional
Settings.” Boundless Business. Boundless, 26 May. 2016.
Retrieved 27 Jun. 2016
from https://www.boundless.com/business/textbooks/boundless-
business-textbook/business-writing-5/introduction-to-business-
communications-42/the-importance-of-clarity-in-professional-

settings-218-3434/
admin. (2009, March 13). Notes desk. Retrieved June 28, 2016,
from http://www.notesdesk.com/notes/business-
communications/the-seven-cs-of-effective-business-
communication/
IT 520 Module Five Short Paper Guidelines and Rubric
This course includes five short business memos. These are
designed to actively test your understanding and to apply that
knowledge to potential real-world
situations. These writing activities also provide practice in
communicating your reasoning in a professional manner.
Determining Audience Needs (Module Five)
As the new technical communications manager for International
Gadgets (IG), you have developed a good idea of the various
internal and external audiences for
communications across the enterprise.
You have learned that IG is organized into five main areas
consisting of Research & Development (R&D), Manufacturing,
Sales & Marketing, Technical Support,
and Finance/Accounting. Each area has its own structure:
– New Product Development and Product Enhancement
teams
– Detroit, Shanghai, and Purchasing teams

– U.S. Sales, U.S. Marketing, European
Sales, European Marketing, Partner Management, and Online
Sales teams
– the exception, as there is only a single
team handling this function
– Corporate Finance and Corporate
Accounting teams
– Corporate HR team with ties to HR
representatives at each work site
In addition to the internal departments, IG staff interface with a
wide range of external entities and individuals including
customers (large accounts, individuals
via web sales), distribution partners, component suppliers,
subcontractors (design and occasional manufacturing). IG also
contracts with Amazon to handle all its
product logistics—warehousing, packaging and shipping, and
returns.
However, you have noticed that different audiences do not
always have the same needs from similar announcements. For
example, a communication
announcing the launching of a new product means different
things to different departments.
In a memo to your communications team, instruct them on ways
to discover the needs of the stakeholders in different areas of
the company so that a new
product announcement will be relevant to them.

Rubric
Guidelines for Submission: Review the Purdue Owl: Memo
website for suggestions and formatting guidelines on memo
structure.
Critical Elements Exemplary (100%) Proficient (90%) Needs
Improvement (70%) Not Evident (0%) Value
Audience Analysis Meets “Proficient” criteria,
and ideas are substantiated
with specific and relevant
details
Accurately identifies
stakeholder and draws
conclusions about that
audience’s needs supported by
specific detail
Accurately identifies
stakeholder and draws
conclusions about the
audience’s needs, but does not
support with specific detail
Does not identify a
stakeholder
30
Recommendations Meets “Proficient” criteria
with substantial detail for the

rationale
Provides a discussion
highlighting the
recommendations, with
sufficient detail for rationale
highlighting the
recommendations, but lacks
Does not provide a discussion
highlighting the
recommendations
30
Conclusions Meets “Proficient” criteria,
and conclusions are
substantiated with specific and
relevant research
Draws informed conclusions
that are justified with evidence
Draws logical conclusions, but
does not defend with evidence
Does not draw logical
conclusions

30
Articulation of
Response
Submission is free of errors
related to citations, grammar,
spelling, syntax, and
organization and is presented
in a professional and easy-to-
read format
Submission has no major
errors related to citations,
grammar, spelling, syntax, or
organization
Submission has major errors
spelling, syntax, or
organization that negatively
impact readability and
articulation of main ideas
Submission has critical errors
organization that prevent
understanding of ideas
10

Earned Total 100%
https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/590/03/
IT 520 Module One Short Paper Guidelines and Rubric
Prompt:
Team Building and Collaboration (Module One)
International Gadgets is a company with offices throughout the
United States and in Europe. There has been a history of
miscommunication within office
departments, between offices, and, most importantly, between
the company and its wide customer base. You have been hired
as a manager in the newly
created communications department. The purpose of your
position is to improve these problematic channels of
communications.
Company Background
International Gadgets (IG) is a multinational company of 1,300+
employees and over $4 billion in revenue. Headquartered in
Manchester, New Hampshire, the

company designs, manufactures, sells, and supports a variety of
low- and high-tech business productivity tools.
IG has manufacturing facilities in Detroit, Michigan, and
Shanghai, China, and sources component parts from suppliers in
Vietnam, China, Brazil, and the United
States. While IG maintains sales offices in New York, Chicago,
Los Angeles, London, Munich, Paris, Moscow, and Brussels, its
products are sold throughout the
United States and all of Europe and in China through a partner
firm. IG employs both a direct sales force targeting its top
1,000 customers as well as selling via its
website. Sales offices also include service and support
operations, managed separately from the sales teams. The
company is considering expanding more
directly into China and exploring the possibility of opening a
sales office in Beijing.
IG’s current top-selling product is the OfficeDrone, designed
for workplace monitoring. The OfficeDrone is a small
unmanned aerial vehicle for indoor use that
includes real-time video monitoring and a targetable built-in
water pistol and reservoir. The OfficeDrone is marketed to
management and security teams to
break up water cooler conversations and other non-productive
behaviors among groups of workers.
IG has introduced several new products and experienced rapid
growth during the past year with many new employees in all
departments. The management
team has greatly expanded as well, including several first-time
managers, and is experiencing difficulties in functioning as
effectively as in the past.
Communications within and between all parts of the
organization, external partners, and suppliers and customers, are
at serious risk of completely breaking

down.
In a recent example, Detroit Manufacturing was unable to meet
a product delivery deadline because of parts shortages from
supplies. (The component parts
originated in Brazil and had been seriously delayed due to a
dockworker’s strike at U.S. West Coast ports.) Manufacturing
believed they had informed Sales of
the delay, but Sales indicated they had never received that
information and ended up losing the customer to a competitor.
In another example, European sales
were impacted when Switzerland unexpectedly devalued its
currency, impacting IG’s profitability. Revised profitability
forecasts were provided by several of the
European sales offices, but others did not understand the
request from the corporate office due to how it was worded, and
the delay in response led to
unnecessary costs.
Your first task is to hire a small team to address these issues.
Write a report to management describing the makeup and roles
of your proposed team, what
attributes you will be looking for in team members, and what
you hope to accomplish with your new team. Be sure to offer
solid reasoning in all areas of your
report.
Rubric
structure.

Description of
Business Case
Meets “Proficient” criteria,
details
Accurately describes the
business case and uses specific
details in explanation
business case, but lacks
specific details in explanation
Does not accurately describe
the business
30
rationale
highlighting the

highlighting the
highlighting the
recommendations
30
and conclusions are
relevant research
conclusions
30
Articulation of
Response

read format
organization
10
Earned Total 100%
IT 520 Module Six Short Paper Guidelines and Rubric

The Importance of Clarity and Conciseness (Module Six)
As the new communications manager for International Gadgets,
you have come across many examples of ineffective
communications, including some older
directives that were never carried out, mostly because of their
unclear nature.
One example included an email stating that the recipient (within
the R&D team) was to “create a presentation discussing the new
product and send it to
interested departments.” Others included a request from Sales to
Technical Support for “a list of the biggest problems with our
hot products” and a memo from
Finance to all departments to “reduce the number of suppliers
being used to better control costs.”
In a memo to your team, describe what is wrong with directives
such as these and how to improve these messages so that they
are delivered to the recipient
with clarity and conciseness.
structure.

Description of
Directive
details
Accurately describes areas of
the directive that lack clarity
and conciseness and uses
specific detail in explanation
Accurately describes areas of
the directive that lack clarity
and conciseness, but lacks
Does not describe the directive 30
rationale
highlighting the
recommendations with
highlighting the

highlighting the
recommendations
30
and conclusions are
relevant research
conclusions
30
Articulation of
Response
read format

organization
10
Earned Total 100%
IT 520 Module One Short Paper Guidelines and Rubric

Prompt:
Team Building and Collaboration (Module One)
International Gadgets is a company with offices throughout the
United States and in Europe. There has been a history of
miscommunication within office
departments, between offices, and, most importantly, between
the company and its wide customer base. You have been hired
as a manager in the newly
created communications department. The purpose of your
position is to improve these problematic channels of
communications.
Company Background
International Gadgets (IG) is a multinational company of 1,300+
employees and over $4 billion in revenue. Headquartered in
Manchester, New Hampshire, the
company designs, manufactures, sells, and supports a variety of
low- and high-tech business productivity tools.
IG has manufacturing facilities in Detroit, Michigan, and
Shanghai, China, and sources component parts from suppliers in
Vietnam, China, Brazil, and the United
States. While IG maintains sales offices in New York, Chicago,
Los Angeles, London, Munich, Paris, Moscow, and Brussels, its
products are sold throughout the
United States and all of Europe and in China through a partner
firm. IG employs both a direct sales force targeting its top
1,000 customers as well as selling via its
website. Sales offices also include service and support
operations, managed separately from the sales teams. The

company is considering expanding more
directly into China and exploring the possibility of opening a
sales office in Beijing.
IG’s current top-selling product is the OfficeDrone, designed
for workplace monitoring. The OfficeDrone is a small
unmanned aerial vehicle for indoor use that
includes real-time video monitoring and a targetable built-in
water pistol and reservoir. The OfficeDrone is marketed to
management and security teams to
break up water cooler conversations and other non-productive
behaviors among groups of workers.
IG has introduced several new products and experienced rapid
growth during the past year with many new employees in all
departments. The management
team has greatly expanded as well, including several first-time
managers, and is experiencing difficulties in functioning as
effectively as in the past.
Communications within and between all parts of the
organization, external partners, and suppliers and customers, are
at serious risk of completely breaking
down.
In a recent example, Detroit Manufacturing was unable to meet
a product delivery deadline because of parts shortages from
supplies. (The component parts
originated in Brazil and had been seriously delayed due to a
dockworker’s strike at U.S. West Coast ports.) Manufacturing
believed they had informed Sales of
the delay, but Sales indicated they had never received that
information and ended up losing the customer to a competitor.
In another example, European sales
were impacted when Switzerland unexpectedly devalued its
currency, impacting IG’s profitability. Revised profitability
forecasts were provided by several of the

European sales offices, but others did not understand the
request from the corporate office due to how it was worded, and
the delay in response led to
unnecessary costs.
Your first task is to hire a small team to address these issues.
Write a report to management describing the makeup and roles
of your proposed team, what
attributes you will be looking for in team members, and what
you hope to accomplish with your new team. Be sure to offer
solid reasoning in all areas of your
report.
Rubric
structure.
Description of
Business Case
details

business case and uses specific
details in explanation
business case, but lacks
Does not accurately describe
the business
30
rationale
highlighting the
highlighting the
highlighting the
recommendations
30
and conclusions are
relevant research

conclusions
30
Articulation of
Response
read format
organization

10
Earned Total 100%
Running head: THE IMPORTANCE OF CLARITY AND
CONCISENESS 1
THE IMPORTANCE OF CLARITY AND CONCISENESS
3
6-2 (The Importance of Clarity and Conciseness)
Chaston D. Carter
Southern New Hampshire University
Please Read all directions in RED, AND MAKE ALL Changes !
(****Please re-Write all references in Quotation marks “
” )
**I need this paper put in a memo formatted style paper**

There have been many issues of ineffective communication
causing directives not to be carried out properly due to its
unclear nature. For example, there was an email sent out that
stated that the recipient within the R&D team One example
included an email stating that the recipient (within the R&D
team) was to “create a presentation discussing the new product
and send it to the departments who are interested.” (Good
effort; but you did not identify and describe what is wrong with
directives in noted ALL three communications – you only
noted/described just ONE.) After close review of these
directives, they seem to lack clarity, which is unacceptable. To
improve these messages, we must eliminate certain barriers
within in communication. “There can many barriers to clarity in
communication, which include complex messages, information
being withheld, ineffective communication throughout the chain
of command, and also lack of trust due to competition
(Boundless, 2016).” Must quote and properly/completely cite
(including page or paragraph number).
There are two “Needs to be 3 Barriers instead of 2, and the
other ones need to be addressed in paper” main barriers that we
have had an issue with, one is which is the complexity of our
messages when they are being sent. It very important that when
sending out a message to make sure you provide just the right
amount of information while avoiding being too complex as
well.
The over use of complex terminology can also cause the
audience to not fully grasp the concept of the message, which
results in lack of clarity. Must quote and properly/completely
cite (including page or paragraph number). “The best way to
make sure your message doesn’t come off to complex is to stick
to the point by using clear and concise messages that are easy
for your audience to understand (Boundless, 2016).” The
second barrier we are facing is withholding information when
something is asked. Due to company policies most information
is kept confidential within an organization. To avoid
withholding information we need to make sure the information

that is needed is easily accessible, as well as readily available
(Boundless, 2016). Another thing to consider is to make sure no
information is left off, that may be needed in the long run. It is
important that when you are wanting someone to create some
type of presentation to discuss a new product, that they are
aware of what products they will be discussing, and which
specific departments to send it to.
When a presentation contains clarity, it makes it easier for the
person who is receiving the message to fully grasp the message
that is being conveyed. Clarity has proven to make
comprehending a lot easier to the receiver, and since a concise
message saves the receiver and sender time it plays a major role
in communication. Conciseness can be achieved in a business
message, by avoiding repetition, and complex terms. Must quote
and properly/completely cite (including page or paragraph
number) unoriginal verbiages obtained and used verbatim,
Please re-word this“Therefore, it is important to use brief and
straight to the point sentences, while including relevant material
to ensure your messages are concise. Achieving conciseness
does not mean to lose completeness of message (admin, 2009).”
Must quote and properly/completely cite (including page or
paragraph number) unoriginal verbiages obtained and used
verbatim, Please re-word this“The message is said to be
effective when the receiver understands the same meaning that
the sender was intended to convey (admin, 2009).” All of this
can be achieved, when everyone works together as one. It is
important that when sending a message to take time to read
what is being sent beforehand. Last but most importantly never
be afraid to ask questions. Whenever you receive a message and
you’re not able to grasp it, always ask for clarification.
Please identify all 3 main barriers and provide recommendation
for all 3 not one barrier, Lastly please draw/include logical
conclusions in this paper. Conclusions should return to/revisit
and summarize ALL the main points.

References
Boundless. “The Importance of Clarity in Professional
Settings.” Boundless Business. Boundless, 26 May. 2016.
Retrieved 27 Jun. 2016
from https://www.boundless.com/business/textbooks/boundless-
business-textbook/business-writing-5/introduction-to-business-
communications-42/the-importance-of-clarity-in-professional-
settings-218-3434/
admin. (2009, March 13). Notes desk. Retrieved June 28, 2016,
from http://www.notesdesk.com/notes/business-
communications/the-seven-cs-of-effective-business-
communication/

Running head THE IMPORTANCE OF CLARITY AND CONCISENESS1THE .docx

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