Business Communications

Communication Components

Digital Citizenship

Business Writing

Desktop Publishing

Oral Communications

Virtual Meetings

Career Activities

Demonstrate compliance with the school’s ethics policy regarding copyrighted materials, plagiarism, authenticity, proper citations, privacy, and proper use of technology resources.

Identify, analyze, and critique the basic components of communications, such as the message, the sender, the receiver, the mode, the noise, and the response. This includes conducting responsible research when necessary, developing effective arguments, composing meaningful and coherent messages appropriate to the intended audience, and polishing one’s delivery skills to deliver an effective and credible message, followed by listening. 

Differentiate between verbal and nonverbal communications when interacting with peers, subordinates, superiors, and customers. List specific techniques for effective communications and evaluate how different cultures and generations attach different meanings to various gestures, intonations, and other communications techniques.

Practice and implement proven communication techniques to foster positive interpersonal relationships in the business atmosphere, such as:

Create a rubric for evaluating and selecting the best electronic communication tool for a given task or situation. Using scenarios from business and industry, identify appropriate tools for various situations and defend selections through a persuasive narrative, based on the application of the rubric.

Research and analyze various aspects of good digital citizenship. In groups, discuss the effects of technology on day-to-day and business communications. Select one topic (such as hacking of a customer database, social media, etc.) for further exploration and develop an electronic presentation employing to demonstrate the implications of the topic on society, as well as business and industry.

Compile significant points regarding courtesy and propriety in a digital business world (“netiquette”) and prepare a presentation or web page that includes the topics of 

Evaluate, create, and revise business correspondence, e-mail messages, short contracts and reports, electronic forms, and small legal documents for a business in standard English using the following:

Analyze examples of written digital communications (e-mails, instant messaging, etc.). Compare and contrast writing conventions required to master this form of communications.

Analyze examples of writing for evolving digital platforms such as social media applications. Compare and contrast writing conventions required for commonly used applications and construct an event announcement for a local business in formats appropriate for at least three different social media/networking tools.

Locate a website used by a business to sell a product or service. Evaluate the website’s design, content, text, images, layout, and color. Discern the site’s effectiveness and ease of navigation, including the use of hyperlinks. Using persuasive writing, produce a critique addressing the pros and cons of the site, and offer recommended revisions.

Create, adjust, and publish business document projects to typographic standards:

Configure and send typographic output for designing camera ready documents on destination printer, color model (RGB, CMYK, etc.), preprint color requirement, and process color separations.

Manipulate, enhance and produce digital photographs, graphics, or other art elements utilizing photographic and / or graphic editing software.

Draft and edit two speeches: (1) to persuade, and (2) to inform. Incorporate planning and preparation to deliver speeches that adhere to the following expectations:

Critique the purpose of various speaking assignments to identify the design and goal, such as to inform, educate, convince, persuade, or lead to action. 

Plan, prepare, and conduct a short business meeting, including following-up after the meeting. Write an agenda, develop and produce necessary materials, facilitate the meeting effectively, and prepare a follow-up email thanking the attendees for their participation and summarizing key takeaways and action items.

Promote, organize, and practice creative problem-solving using the brainstorming approach, incorporating common techniques such as predefined time limits, short breaks, goals, visual aids, and record-keeping. 

Plan, organize, schedule, and deliver a webinar to one or more distant parties using computer conferencing tools (e.g., telephone or voice over IP, online conferencing system).

Plan, organize, schedule, and conduct a web videoconference or simulation with one or more distant parties using computer conferencing tools (e.g., webcams, high-speed Internet, computer)

Prepare an electronic portfolio 

Research interview questions focused on engaging with the potential employer. Identify one company and conduct mock job interviews to practice asking clear questions and providing clear job interview responses.

Conduct a job search of positions in one or more career areas of interest using tools such as https://www.jobs4tn.gov and other online employment resources; complete a job application; participate in mock interviews with partner businesses and/or through participation in a student organization event. 

Address the appropriate use of and ethics related to social media in personal and professional situations and its impact on career search processes, as well as its impact on the professional reputation of a person.

Establishing and maintaining positive relationships with coworkers and customers (e.g., being fair, helpful, tactful, gracious, and appreciative). 

Recognize manifestations of tension and employ recommended strategies to resolve the situation in the most favorable ways (e.g., collaborating, compromising, accommodating).

Practice various interactions and conflict resolution strategies by participating in role-play exercises and structured controversies, allowing students to model positive/supportive behaviors that respect varying perspectives and viewpoints of others and yield consensus decision-making. 

Message priority (urgent, normal, or low)

Consent to share (property rights)

Confidential or sensitive information (privacy)

Message formatting (fonts, color, case, informal abbreviations, emoticons) 

Employing word processing and simple spreadsheet programs

Using proper grammar essentials, including parts of speech, vocabulary, punctuation, sentence structure

Applying accepted business styles, including fonts, margins, layout, color, formats for dates, times, currencies, proper names

Using acceptable business language, vocabulary, acronyms

Writing for social media

Writing for the internet

Using word processing, spreadsheet, and desktop-publishing software

Planning layouts based on estimation and calculations to achieve accepted balance of text, art, photos, and white space

Applying consistent style standards, including fonts, margins, layout, color scheme, and image and text formats 

Inserting and formatting merged graphic elements, such as charts, graphs, photos and artwork, and text embellishments 

Incorporating editing and revision markings to incorporate desired changes by the author/editor

Appropriate for various audiences and purposes 

Delivered with enthusiasm and appropriate body language

Structured to guide the listener to the desired objective or response

Includes facts and research, in addition to original claim(s) and counterclaim(s) supported by evidence

Revised based on peer feedback

Prepare an invitation, agenda, and overall script for the webinar, outlining the planned verbiage and business-related flow of information. Include guidelines, minutes and follow-up. 

Single-handedly or as a team, conduct the webinar or simulated webinar according to the agenda. 

Leverage the video, audio, and meeting enhancement tools available through the selected webinar software, such as highlighting, chat, polling, and question features to maximize audience interaction.

Save, and edit, if needed, a short audio/video recording of the webinar for later publication.

Prepare an overall agenda for the web conference, outlining the planned exchanges of information, positioning and appearance of people, and switching between video sources (e.g., webcams, document cams, and other imagery).

Follow the agenda to complete the web-meeting exchange, either single-handedly or as part of a team.

Use effective communication and engagement strategies (such as effective meetings facilitation) to encourage active participation by all parties connected to the meeting. 

Save, and edit if needed, a short audio/video recording of the web meeting for later publication.

Including work products demonstrating career preparation skills, using an assortment of media (text, photos, video, hyper-linked pages).

Including a professionally formatted résumé and other supporting documents such as cover letter and application.

Packaged on a suitable media (e.g., CD, DVD, memory stick, web site).