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| 1 | |
When you are crafting a negative message to your superior, it's best to do all of the following EXCEPT: |
| | A) | Describe the problem. |
| | B) | Ask for action. |
| | C) | Recommend a solution. |
| | D) | Assure your superior that the problem won't happen again. |
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| 2 | |
The secondary purpose of a negative message could be any of the following EXCEPT: |
| | A) | To maintain a good image of the organization. |
| | B) | To reduce risk or legal liability. |
| | C) | To reduce or eliminate any further correspondence on the same subject. |
| | D) | To prepare the reader for the next piece of negative news you know you will have to convey. |
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| 3 | |
The direct approach is most effective for conveying negative information in all of the following cases EXCEPT: |
| | A) | When demonstrating firmness is necessary and maintaining goodwill is not. |
| | B) | When the audience favours directness. |
| | C) | When the negative news will come as a surprise. |
| | D) | When you're announcing a policy decision. |
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| 4 | |
You should NOT put the negative news in the subject line when |
| | A) | The negative news is very serious. |
| | B) | You are refusing a request that you received by email. |
| | C) | You are conveying an error you made. |
| | D) | You are initiating the negative. |
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| 5 | |
Is the subject line "Improving Warehouse Operations" appropriate in a negative message to superiors? |
| | A) | Yes, because it focuses on solving the problem. |
| | B) | Yes, because the word "improving" makes the subject line seem positive. |
| | C) | Yes, because a negative subject line would probably make the boss think that you caused the problem. |
| | D) | Yes, because it doesn't immediately convey a negative. |
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| 6 | |
In which of the following situations would it be MOST appropriate to use a buffer? |
| | A) | When the audience values harmony. |
| | B) | When the reader is suspicious of the writer. |
| | C) | When the reader won't take "no" for an answer. |
| | D) | When the negative news is so serious that it might alienate the reader. |
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| 7 | |
When you have bad news to communicate, it's a good idea to offer the reader an alternative in which of the following situations? |
| | A) | When it offers the reader another way to get what he or she wants. |
| | B) | When it suggests that you really care about the reader. |
| | C) | When it allows you to end on a positive note and present your organization in a positive light. |
| | D) | In all of the above situations. |
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| 8 | |
How would a reader probably interpret the following apology? "We apologize for sending you the wrong item. We misinterpreted the item number on your handwritten order." |
| | A) | As an apology because the company made an error. |
| | B) | As a negative message implying that the reader's handwriting is illegible. |
| | C) | As an attempt to hide the fact that the warehouse shipper probably grabbed the wrong item to send. |
| | D) | As an attempt to avoid the extra paperwork of backdating the order because the correct item was out of stock. |
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| 9 | |
A publisher's use of a form letter to reject an aspiring author's manuscript can convey |
| | A) | A positive image of the publisher's success in attracting so many manuscript submissions that it had to create form letters to respond to them. |
| | B) | A tone of goodwill for taking the time to respond to the author. |
| | C) | A negative image of a publisher that isn't perceptive enough to recognize a great manuscript when one is submitted. |
| | D) | A negative tone towards the quality of the writer's work, which the publisher did not consider worthy of a personal reply. |
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| 10 | |
Alicia is replying to an e-mail from the chair of her charity's board of directors asking whether the organization achieved its fund raising goals for the year. It didn't. The failure was due to the municipal government cutting its donations budget at the last minute, leaving her charity with an unexpected $25,000 shortfall. How should she reply to the chair's question? |
| | A) | I'm sorry to tell you that no, we didn't achieve our goal. If the municipal government hadn't cut its donations budget at the last minute, we would have. |
| | B) | Unfortunately no, we didn't. We needed $25,000 from the municipal government in order to achieve our goal, and a budget cut meant we didn't get it. |
| | C) | Due to the municipal government's unexpected and last-minute cut to its donations budget, we didn't receive $25,000 we were expecting. As a result, we didn't achieve our fund raising goal for the year. |
| | D) | We didn't achieve our goal because we didn't get $25,000 we were expecting from the municipal government. |
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| 11 | |
Which is the most accurate description of the appropriateness of an apology in a negative message? |
| | A) | No apology is necessary if you are not at fault. |
| | B) | A negative message should never include an apology because of potential legal liability. |
| | C) | A sincere apology, even when the writer is not at fault, will build goodwill. |
| | D) | An apology should be avoided because it might encourage the reader to challenge the writer's decision. |
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| 12 | |
Whenever you face a negative situation, consider recasting it as a positive or persuasive message in all of the following cases EXCEPT: |
| | A) | When the negative news leads to a benefit that you know readers want. |
| | B) | When you're concerned about a significant negative backlash from readers. |
| | C) | When readers can be engaged in helping to solve the problem. |
| | D) | When you can offer readers a benefit before the negative news takes effect. |
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| 13 | |
A researcher found that effective negative letters exhibited all of the following qualities EXCEPT: |
| | A) | They contained full reasons for the rejection. |
| | B) | They did not talk about the reader's emotions (such as disappointment or anger). |
| | C) | They were easy to read, with natural phrasing and familiar words. |
| | D) | They invited the reader to contact the writer if more information was needed. |
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