{"id":210,"date":"2019-05-06T22:50:53","date_gmt":"2019-05-07T02:50:53","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/pressbooks.bccampus.ca\/professionalcomms\/?post_type=chapter&#038;p=210"},"modified":"2019-05-11T23:58:52","modified_gmt":"2019-05-12T03:58:52","slug":"4-5-you-attitude-you-view","status":"publish","type":"chapter","link":"https:\/\/pressbooks.bccampus.ca\/professionalcomms\/chapter\/4-5-you-attitude-you-view\/","title":{"raw":"4.5 You attitude (you view)","rendered":"4.5 You attitude (you view)"},"content":{"raw":"Considering the rhetorical aspects of any writing situation, such as purpose, stance, and audience, is an essential part of adapting the\u00a0style\u00a0of a message for any audience.\u00a0Adopting a\u00a0you-centered\u00a0business style\u00a0can help you achieve your purpose, choose a stance, and analyze your audience.\u00a0 A\u00a0you-centered business style\u00a0employs the\u00a0you view\u00a0and\u00a0an audience-centered tone\u00a0to choose particular words and adopt a targeted tone in a message.\r\n\r\nThe \u201cyou view\u201d<span>\u00a0<\/span>analyzes and emphasizes the reader\u2019s interests and perspectives. Because the reader\u2019s interest or benefit is stressed, the writer is more likely to help the reader understand information or act on a request. Adopting a<span>\u00a0<\/span>you view<span>\u00a0<\/span>often, but not always, involves using the words<span>\u00a0<\/span><em>you<span>\u00a0<\/span><\/em>or<span>\u00a0<\/span><em>your<span>\u00a0<\/span><\/em>rather than we, our, I, and mine. Consider the following sentence that focuses on the needs of the writer and the organization (we) rather than on those of the reader.\r\n<ul>\r\n \t<li>We have not received your signed invoice, so we cannot process your payment.<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\nEven though the sentence uses the word \u201cyour\u201d twice, the first clause suggests that the point of view focuses on the writer\u2019s need to receive the invoice to process the payment. The word \u201cwe\u201d itself is not problematic, but the<span>\u00a0<\/span>we view is. Consider the following revisions, written with the<span>\u00a0<\/span>you view.\r\n<ul>\r\n \t<li><em>We understand the importance of processing your payment<\/em><span>\u00a0<\/span>and will process it as soon as we receive your signed invoice.<\/li>\r\n \t<li><em>So you can receive your payment promptly<\/em>, please send your signed invoice.<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\nThe needs and benefits of the reader are stressed in both of these examples. The first example focuses on the needs of the audience by associating the payment with \u201cimportance.\u201d The second revision emphasizes the benefits to the reader by including the second-person pronouns \u201cyou\u201d early in the sentence.\r\n\r\nBoth revisions also use an\u00a0audience-centered tone, so the writer is more likely to motivate the reader to act. An\u00a0audience-centered tone\u00a0foregrounds the reader\u2019s needs, preferences, and benefits. Incorporating an\u00a0audience-centered tone\u00a0into your writing means that you consider the words you choose\u00a0<em>and<\/em>\u00a0the ways in which you assemble those words in a sentence.\r\n<h2>Workplace Case Studies<\/h2>\r\n<h3>Case Study 1: Delivering Negative News<\/h3>\r\nLet\u2019s consider a few examples based on specific workplace situations. Imagine that you are a Human Resources Manager who must inform employees that paychecks will be delivered a day late. Employees with direct deposit agreements will not be affected. A writer who does not analyze the rhetorical situation before carefully considering style might hastily write, \u201cDue to an error made by our payroll company, all employees who never signed up for direct deposit will receive their paychecks late.\u201d\r\n\r\nThe writer\u2019s purpose in this writing situation is to tactfully deliver negative news. The writer\u2019s stance should be professional and empathetic, especially since the writer\u2019s audience will probably be disappointed, irritated, or frustrated by the message. Consider the following revision, written with the<span>\u00a0<\/span>you view\u00a0and an\u00a0audience-centered tone.\r\n<ul>\r\n \t<li>We apologize for the inconvenience caused by the fact that an issue at PLT processing will delay the next paycheck date by one day. By signing up for direct deposit, you can ensure that your pay will never be delayed.<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\nThe writer achieves their purpose by including a buffer with an\u00a0audience-centered tone\u00a0(<em>We apologize for the inconvenience<\/em>) before the bad news (<em>an issue at PLT processing will delay the next paycheck date by one day<\/em>). The writer also includes the reason for the negative news (<em>an issue at the payroll company, PLT processing<\/em>). The writer uses the second-person possessive pronoun \u201cyour\u201d in the second sentence to promote the\u00a0you view. The writer also maintains a problem-solving and empathetic,\u00a0audience-centered\u00a0tone by waiting until the second sentence to remind the audience that they can sign up for direct deposit.\r\n<h3>Case Study 2: Promoting Safety in User Manuals<\/h3>\r\nAnother writing context might require a writer to compose a user manual for a ceiling fan. User manuals provide instructions for the setup, operation, and maintenance of a product. Most user manuals also include safety precautions and troubleshooting guides and charts. A writer who does not analyze the rhetorical situation before writing a section about mounting a ceiling fan might write a sentence like, \u201cBe sure to read the following important information about where Super Air Flow fans might best be installed before mounting the fan.\u201d\r\n\r\nHowever, the writer\u2019s purpose is to inform the reader about how to choose locations that will not cause safety issues or damage either furniture or the structure of a room. The writer\u2019s stance should be informative and helpful, especially since the audience will probably appreciate learning about how and where to safely mount their fan. Consider the following revision, written from the\u00a0you view\u00a0and with an\u00a0audience-centered tone.\r\n<ul>\r\n \t<li>Before mounting your new Super Air Flow fan, read the following helpful recommendations.<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\nThis revision incorporates the\u00a0you view\u00a0by referring to the user as the owner of the fan (many user manuals are called owner manuals). The revision also adopts a\u00a0you-centered tone\u00a0by subordinating the dependent clause that refers to the fan to the independent clause that offers the reader \u201chelpful recommendations.\u201d These revisions will help the writer achieve their purpose\u2014promoting safety.\r\n<h2>Principles and Guidelines for Practice<\/h2>\r\n<ol>\r\n \t<li>Consider your purpose from the\u00a0you view.<\/li>\r\n \t<li>Analyze the audience and their potential reactions.<\/li>\r\n \t<li>Adapt your message to the receiver\u2019s needs by putting yourself in that person\u2019s shoes (adopt the\u00a0you view) and emphasizing the reader\u2019s benefits (adopt a\u00a0you-centered tone).<\/li>\r\n<\/ol>\r\nNote: Although emphasizing second-person pronouns (you\/your) instead of first-person pronouns (I\/we, us, our) can help you cultivate a\u00a0you-centered business style, a you-centered style should include both a\u00a0you view\u00a0and an\u00a0audience-centered tone\u00a0that emphasize the reader\u2019s needs and interests.\r\n<table>\r\n<tbody>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td><strong>I\/we View<\/strong><\/td>\r\n<td><strong>You View and Audience-Centered Tone<\/strong><\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td><\/td>\r\n<td>Please share your valuable thoughts about parking on the attached survey; your opinions matter.\r\n\r\nBecause your ideas count, give us your thoughts on the attached survey about parking.<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td>I need to know what type of model you have before I can do anything.<\/td>\r\n<td>Would it be possible for you to tell me what type of model you have so that I can help you solve this problem?\r\n\r\nI can help you solve this problem. Would it be possible for you to tell me what type of model you own?<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<tr>\r\n<td>All employees must immediately fill out the enclosed questionnaire so that we can allocate our continuing education funds to employees.<\/td>\r\n<td>You can be one of the first employees to sign up for our continuing education funds by immediately filling out the enclosed questionnaire.\r\n\r\nBy immediately filling out the enclosed questionnaire, you can be one of the first employees to receive continuing education funds.<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<\/tbody>\r\n<\/table>\r\n<strong>Attribution<\/strong>\r\n\r\nThis chapter is taken from\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/writingcommons.org\/chapters\/professional-technical-communication\/tone-style-in-ptc\/1082-diplomacy-tone-and-emphasis-in-business-writing\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/writingcommons.org\/you-centered-business-style\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">You-Centred Business Style<\/a>\u00a0in the\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/writingcommons.org\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Writing Commons<\/a><span>\u00a0and is used under a\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by-nc-nd\/4.0\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">CC-BY-NC-ND 3.0 Unported license.<\/a><\/span>","rendered":"<p>Considering the rhetorical aspects of any writing situation, such as purpose, stance, and audience, is an essential part of adapting the\u00a0style\u00a0of a message for any audience.\u00a0Adopting a\u00a0you-centered\u00a0business style\u00a0can help you achieve your purpose, choose a stance, and analyze your audience.\u00a0 A\u00a0you-centered business style\u00a0employs the\u00a0you view\u00a0and\u00a0an audience-centered tone\u00a0to choose particular words and adopt a targeted tone in a message.<\/p>\n<p>The \u201cyou view\u201d<span>\u00a0<\/span>analyzes and emphasizes the reader\u2019s interests and perspectives. Because the reader\u2019s interest or benefit is stressed, the writer is more likely to help the reader understand information or act on a request. Adopting a<span>\u00a0<\/span>you view<span>\u00a0<\/span>often, but not always, involves using the words<span>\u00a0<\/span><em>you<span>\u00a0<\/span><\/em>or<span>\u00a0<\/span><em>your<span>\u00a0<\/span><\/em>rather than we, our, I, and mine. Consider the following sentence that focuses on the needs of the writer and the organization (we) rather than on those of the reader.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>We have not received your signed invoice, so we cannot process your payment.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Even though the sentence uses the word \u201cyour\u201d twice, the first clause suggests that the point of view focuses on the writer\u2019s need to receive the invoice to process the payment. The word \u201cwe\u201d itself is not problematic, but the<span>\u00a0<\/span>we view is. Consider the following revisions, written with the<span>\u00a0<\/span>you view.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><em>We understand the importance of processing your payment<\/em><span>\u00a0<\/span>and will process it as soon as we receive your signed invoice.<\/li>\n<li><em>So you can receive your payment promptly<\/em>, please send your signed invoice.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>The needs and benefits of the reader are stressed in both of these examples. The first example focuses on the needs of the audience by associating the payment with \u201cimportance.\u201d The second revision emphasizes the benefits to the reader by including the second-person pronouns \u201cyou\u201d early in the sentence.<\/p>\n<p>Both revisions also use an\u00a0audience-centered tone, so the writer is more likely to motivate the reader to act. An\u00a0audience-centered tone\u00a0foregrounds the reader\u2019s needs, preferences, and benefits. Incorporating an\u00a0audience-centered tone\u00a0into your writing means that you consider the words you choose\u00a0<em>and<\/em>\u00a0the ways in which you assemble those words in a sentence.<\/p>\n<h2>Workplace Case Studies<\/h2>\n<h3>Case Study 1: Delivering Negative News<\/h3>\n<p>Let\u2019s consider a few examples based on specific workplace situations. Imagine that you are a Human Resources Manager who must inform employees that paychecks will be delivered a day late. Employees with direct deposit agreements will not be affected. A writer who does not analyze the rhetorical situation before carefully considering style might hastily write, \u201cDue to an error made by our payroll company, all employees who never signed up for direct deposit will receive their paychecks late.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The writer\u2019s purpose in this writing situation is to tactfully deliver negative news. The writer\u2019s stance should be professional and empathetic, especially since the writer\u2019s audience will probably be disappointed, irritated, or frustrated by the message. Consider the following revision, written with the<span>\u00a0<\/span>you view\u00a0and an\u00a0audience-centered tone.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>We apologize for the inconvenience caused by the fact that an issue at PLT processing will delay the next paycheck date by one day. By signing up for direct deposit, you can ensure that your pay will never be delayed.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>The writer achieves their purpose by including a buffer with an\u00a0audience-centered tone\u00a0(<em>We apologize for the inconvenience<\/em>) before the bad news (<em>an issue at PLT processing will delay the next paycheck date by one day<\/em>). The writer also includes the reason for the negative news (<em>an issue at the payroll company, PLT processing<\/em>). The writer uses the second-person possessive pronoun \u201cyour\u201d in the second sentence to promote the\u00a0you view. The writer also maintains a problem-solving and empathetic,\u00a0audience-centered\u00a0tone by waiting until the second sentence to remind the audience that they can sign up for direct deposit.<\/p>\n<h3>Case Study 2: Promoting Safety in User Manuals<\/h3>\n<p>Another writing context might require a writer to compose a user manual for a ceiling fan. User manuals provide instructions for the setup, operation, and maintenance of a product. Most user manuals also include safety precautions and troubleshooting guides and charts. A writer who does not analyze the rhetorical situation before writing a section about mounting a ceiling fan might write a sentence like, \u201cBe sure to read the following important information about where Super Air Flow fans might best be installed before mounting the fan.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>However, the writer\u2019s purpose is to inform the reader about how to choose locations that will not cause safety issues or damage either furniture or the structure of a room. The writer\u2019s stance should be informative and helpful, especially since the audience will probably appreciate learning about how and where to safely mount their fan. Consider the following revision, written from the\u00a0you view\u00a0and with an\u00a0audience-centered tone.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Before mounting your new Super Air Flow fan, read the following helpful recommendations.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>This revision incorporates the\u00a0you view\u00a0by referring to the user as the owner of the fan (many user manuals are called owner manuals). The revision also adopts a\u00a0you-centered tone\u00a0by subordinating the dependent clause that refers to the fan to the independent clause that offers the reader \u201chelpful recommendations.\u201d These revisions will help the writer achieve their purpose\u2014promoting safety.<\/p>\n<h2>Principles and Guidelines for Practice<\/h2>\n<ol>\n<li>Consider your purpose from the\u00a0you view.<\/li>\n<li>Analyze the audience and their potential reactions.<\/li>\n<li>Adapt your message to the receiver\u2019s needs by putting yourself in that person\u2019s shoes (adopt the\u00a0you view) and emphasizing the reader\u2019s benefits (adopt a\u00a0you-centered tone).<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p>Note: Although emphasizing second-person pronouns (you\/your) instead of first-person pronouns (I\/we, us, our) can help you cultivate a\u00a0you-centered business style, a you-centered style should include both a\u00a0you view\u00a0and an\u00a0audience-centered tone\u00a0that emphasize the reader\u2019s needs and interests.<\/p>\n<table>\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td><strong>I\/we View<\/strong><\/td>\n<td><strong>You View and Audience-Centered Tone<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td><\/td>\n<td>Please share your valuable thoughts about parking on the attached survey; your opinions matter.<\/p>\n<p>Because your ideas count, give us your thoughts on the attached survey about parking.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>I need to know what type of model you have before I can do anything.<\/td>\n<td>Would it be possible for you to tell me what type of model you have so that I can help you solve this problem?<\/p>\n<p>I can help you solve this problem. Would it be possible for you to tell me what type of model you own?<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>All employees must immediately fill out the enclosed questionnaire so that we can allocate our continuing education funds to employees.<\/td>\n<td>You can be one of the first employees to sign up for our continuing education funds by immediately filling out the enclosed questionnaire.<\/p>\n<p>By immediately filling out the enclosed questionnaire, you can be one of the first employees to receive continuing education funds.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<p><strong>Attribution<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>This chapter is taken from\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/writingcommons.org\/chapters\/professional-technical-communication\/tone-style-in-ptc\/1082-diplomacy-tone-and-emphasis-in-business-writing\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/writingcommons.org\/you-centered-business-style\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">You-Centred Business Style<\/a>\u00a0in the\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/writingcommons.org\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Writing Commons<\/a><span>\u00a0and is used under a\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by-nc-nd\/4.0\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">CC-BY-NC-ND 3.0 Unported license.<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":320,"menu_order":5,"template":"","meta":{"pb_show_title":"on","pb_short_title":"","pb_subtitle":"","pb_authors":[],"pb_section_license":""},"chapter-type":[],"contributor":[],"license":[],"class_list":["post-210","chapter","type-chapter","status-publish","hentry"],"part":50,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/pressbooks.bccampus.ca\/professionalcomms\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapters\/210","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/pressbooks.bccampus.ca\/professionalcomms\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapters"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/pressbooks.bccampus.ca\/professionalcomms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/chapter"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pressbooks.bccampus.ca\/professionalcomms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/320"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/pressbooks.bccampus.ca\/professionalcomms\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapters\/210\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":272,"href":"https:\/\/pressbooks.bccampus.ca\/professionalcomms\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapters\/210\/revisions\/272"}],"part":[{"href":"https:\/\/pressbooks.bccampus.ca\/professionalcomms\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/parts\/50"}],"metadata":[{"href":"https:\/\/pressbooks.bccampus.ca\/professionalcomms\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapters\/210\/metadata\/"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/pressbooks.bccampus.ca\/professionalcomms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=210"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"chapter-type","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pressbooks.bccampus.ca\/professionalcomms\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapter-type?post=210"},{"taxonomy":"contributor","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pressbooks.bccampus.ca\/professionalcomms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/contributor?post=210"},{"taxonomy":"license","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pressbooks.bccampus.ca\/professionalcomms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/license?post=210"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}