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Competency-Based iPLA Guide: Business Communication

I. Overview

How to Use this Guide

This guide is meant to help you understand the knowledge and competencies typically expected of someone who has a college-level understanding of Business Communication. This guide is also meant to help you go through the processes of thinking about your learning and competencies in preparation for writing your Prior Learning Request.  Respond to the activity prompts by drawing from your own experience and using the short scenarios provided to discuss how you would approach each situation.

The activity prompts in this guide act as a worksheet to help you identify and describe your learning. The rubric at the end can help you both formulate your responses and assess your learning. Once you have completed all of the competency activities and assessed that you have college-level knowledge in this area, you will compile a more formal iPLA request, incorporating your responses to the competency activities.

PLA Process

When you are ready, compile your responses into a learning description to create a more formal iPLA request. Once you complete your learning description, submit it to your mentor for review before you submit your iPLA request to PLA Planner, which initiates the evaluation process.

The college will assign an evaluator to your iPLA request. The evaluator uses two sources to assess your learning: 1) your learning description/iPLA request, which you develop from your answers to this worksheet, with any appropriate supporting evidence, and 2) an interview.

The evaluator asks questions to help clarify and verify your knowledge and to gain a better understanding of the depth and breadth of your learning. The evaluator may ask about possible redundancies between a particular credit request and other studies that are listed on your degree program. The evaluator also may suggest changes in the title of your learning components, the number of credits, the level of learning, or liberal arts and sciences credit designations. Once your interview is complete, the evaluator will write a recommendation which is posted in PLA Planner.

To learn more about the evaluation process, please talk to your mentor and read the college’s iPLA guide at https://www.esc.edu/degree-planning-academic-review/prior-learning-assessment/individualized-prior-learning-assessment/

https://www.esc.edu/degree-planning-academic-review/prior-learning-assessment/individualized-prior-learning-assessment/

https://www.esc.edu/degree-planning-academic-review/prior-learning-assessment/individualized-prior-learning-assessment/

Overview of Business Communication

Business communication is the sharing of information between individuals and groups in an organizational setting.  Business communication modes include written, oral, and digital formats, in real or virtual time, using standard conventions of that mode.  Underlying all modes is the communication process, which is important to understand and which may include collaboration, teams, and new communication technologies. 

The following diagram lists some different types of business communications as well as important conventions and processes.  Your learning may fall within some areas and not others, based on your personal experience, and that’s okay. You may also consult other guides, such as Public Speaking, or use the general guide, if they are more appropriate to your learning.

Other important aspects of business communication include:

Conventions:  grammar, style, document formatting, practices of different media Processes: audience considerations, role identification, medium, formatting, teamwork,

evaluation of communication effectiveness

II. Competency Worksheet for your iPLA Request

Competency 1: Describe Business Communication

Activity 1.1 Describe your experience communicating in business, including:  

the contexts or roles in which you learned about this (e.g. administrative assistant, team leader, supervisor/ manager, professional in any field, etc.)

how you gained your knowledge (e.g. on-the-job experience, job-related training, self-study, non-credit courses, etc.)

the types of business communication that you regularly develop and deliver (e.g. written, oral, digital, etc.)

what period of time did this learning take place

Activity 1.2 Describe Your Communication Process

Reflect on the communications that you have created.  What process do you follow when you need to create a business communication (e.g., what elements do you need to consider)? Is the process different for different types of business communication? If so, please explain.

Competency 2: Analyze Communication Situations

Activity 2.1 Consider Audience

How do you tailor your business communications to different roles or audiences in your organization?  

What strategies do you use to develop a business communication for an audience you’re unsure about, or an audience of multiple backgrounds?

Activity 2.2 Apply Audience Analysis

Your organization has been asked to participate in a fundraiser for a local charity.  Write three brief e-mails to encourage participation, one each to:

1. Your boss

2. Your co-workers

3. Your company’s customers

Just write the subject line and body of each email (3-5 sentences).

Activity 2.3 Identify Purpose

You work as the manager of a customer service department for a cable television company. There have been a number of customer complaints recently about both technical issues and quality of services offered. How would you communicate your concern within your organization? 

What communications would you create, and for what purpose?  List the different communications and purposes (you do not have to create the complete communications).

Activity 2.4 Analyze Role & Context

This is a two-part question.

You are part of a secretarial staff that has been discussing the need for flex-time and want to propose this as an option for staff.  You have volunteered to communicate this request to your supervisor. Consider the type of organization you are in – is it formal? Informal? What is your relationship with your boss?

1. Write a brief email to your boss informing her of this request. 2. Explain why your communication was appropriate for your role in the organization and

the type of organization you are in, using specific examples from your communication.

Activity 2.5 Analyze & Identify Modes

A fellow colleague inappropriately forwarded an email to the whole organization, an email that contained confidential information to a specific group.  You’re tasked with damage control.  What communications would you create to whom, using what modes (e.g. written, oral, digital)? 

Please list all of the audiences, communications, modes, and reasons for choosing particular modes for particular audiences (you do not have to write the actual communications).

Competency 3: Use Language Effectively

Activity 3.1 Analyze Oral Communication

View the video below. Answer the following questions based on this video: 

1. What specific problems can you identify on the part of the manager (verbal and nonverbal) with regard to his communication?

2. What specifically should the manager do to communicate more effectively?

Video: https://youtu.be/N7lGqmZprx0

Activity 3.2 Analyze & Revise Written Communication

Read the sample cover letter below. Answer the following questions based on this sample:

1. Identify elements of poor language use (e.g., appropriateness, tone, clarity, style, grammar, typos, etc.). Provide a brief explanation of why each element needs to be revised.

2. Then, revise the letter to use language more effectively. Sample Cover Letter:

pdfSample%20Cover%20Letter%E2%80%94Business%20Communication%20PLA%20Guide.pdf (This content will be opened in a separate window or downloaded to your computer)

Competency 4: Apply Format Conventions

Activity 4.1 Revise for Appropriate Format

Review the following sample resume and PowerPoint slide and select either the resume or the powerpoint slide (just one) to revise to make the format more appropriate. Please note the audience and purpose for each communication.

Make any revisions necessary to get the same information across in a more effective way (e.g., layout, background, text, image, color, overall format, add/remove/edit information, etc.).

Sample Resume:

Donald Smith is applying for a new position as a project manager at a large construction company.

Donald Smith

26 Pront Lane

N Port, Florida 34286

555-307-5555

Qualifications

Versatile, driven and flexible.

Production minded and always striving to increase productivity.

Strong experience in all areas of management

Work Experience

2005-Current

Smith Home Improvement

Owner

Queensbury, New York

Responsibilities:

General Contractor

Specializing in home remodels (additions, kitchens, bathrooms)

In my current position, I own and manage a home improvement company. I do all sorts of contracting work, and have remodeled kitchens, bathrooms, living rooms, and basements, to name a few. I have developed over 20 additions to houses, specializing in older houses that need to be updated with additional bathrooms, larger kitchens, and more. I have very good recommendations, which can be accessed on my Facebook page.

2000-2005

Long Plastics

General Manager

Hudson Falls, New York

Responsibilities:

Hiring and training staff

Managing the facility

2000-2000

MBA Polymers

Extrusion Department Manager/Consultant

Hollywood, California

Responsibilities:

Increasing the production

Hiring and training staff

Managing employees

1997-2000

Ventures

Process Engineer/Plant Manager

Waterbury, Connecticut

Responsibilities:

Optimizing production through procedure and process improvements

Managing production and scheduling

Education

Adirondack Community College: Queensbury, New York

Sample PowerPoint Slide:

This slide is part of a brown bag lunch presentation to employees at an insurance agency.

Activity 4.2 Compare Digital vs. Print Format

Sample Print Brochure:

This is a copy of an ESC brochure for military students currently distributed in print. 

https://empirestate-cbeupload.s3.amazonaws.com/assets/4870/F-1015%20Veterans%20Recruitment%20Bro%202-26-2018.pdf

Describe how you would present this information in digital format and explain the reasons for



your changes.

Competency 5: Address Communication Challenges

Activity 5.1 Analyze Ineffective Communication

What happens when communication is not effective?  Choose a real business communication challenge you experienced, and explain how you dealt with it.

Activity 5.2 Use Communication to Prevent Challenges

You are leading a face-to-face meeting and want everyone to engage in the meeting proactively.  

What communication strategies would you use before and during the meeting to run the meeting smoothly?  Would your strategies differ for an online meeting?  If so, how?

Competency 6: Evaluate Communication in a Business Environment

Activity 6.1 Assess the Impact of Technology

What technologies have you used to facilitate business communication? In what ways has the technology influenced the way in which you communicate in the workplace?

Activity 6.2 Identify Current Trends

Identify trends and/or critical issues affecting people communicating in business today. What should business communicators do to address these trends and issues?

Competency 7: Reflect on Your Knowledge

Activity 7.1 Teach Others

Analyze the importance of each topic of knowledge that you have gained about business communication.  

What training would you focus on to teach a person key concepts in business communication?  

What would be your 4-6 priorities for training, and why?

Activity 7.2 Identify Effective Practices

What informal, general rules have you developed for yourself when creating and delivering business communication, in order to communicate effectively?

Describe Additional Learning

This section is intended to provide you with an opportunity to discuss other learning you may have accomplished that is not already reflected in the Competency prompts.  Please make sure you discuss your learning with your mentor for guidance on how to articulate what you have learned.

III. Next Steps

Step 1: Compile and Write Your iPLA Request, Based on Responses to Worksheet Activities

Review and compile all your responses to the activities from the various competency areas into a learning description. Review your learning description with your mentor. From the questions in the guide and the feedback you receive from your mentor, complete your iPLA request.

Review what you have written and be sure that your learning description conveys your knowledge.

Re-review the rubric, consider the evaluation criteria, and be sure that your learning description meets or exceeds expectations.

Consider the feedback you have received from your mentor. The final iPLA request should reflect college writing; be sure to proofread what you

write before submitting it to PLA Planner.

Step 2: Prepare for your interview

After the evaluator has reviewed your request, he or she will conduct an interview with you to gain a more in-depth understanding of your knowledge. You are expected to participate actively in the evaluation process. The evaluator may ask you to demonstrate or elaborate further on your learning. The evaluator needs to be confident that your learning is college level and not redundant with other learning in your degree plan.

Think about questions that the evaluator may want to ask you and think about possible responses that you can provide. The interview process can be interesting and informative. The interview is an opportunity for you to discuss ways in which you have used your knowledge and applied that knowledge in different situations. It can result in an increased understanding of your learning and provide you with new or differing perspectives.

Rubric for Business Communication

Competency 1: Describe Business Communication Approaches Expectations Meets Expectations Exceeds Expectations Description focuses mostly on experiences and less on processes for creating business communications.

Identifies the necessary elements and processes of creating business communications.

Meets Expectations AND

Identifies additional elements and processes that create compelling business communications.

Explains how processes for different types and modes of communications may vary.

Competency 2: Analyze Communication Situations Consider Audience Approaches Expectations Meets Expectations Exceeds Expectations Minimal or partial description of customizing business communications to audience. 

Description lacks articulation of strategies for developing business communications when the audience is unclear or of multiple backgrounds.

Describes different ways to customize business communications to different roles or audiences in an organization.

Describes several strategies for developing business communications when the audience is unclear or of multiple backgrounds.


Highlights strategies for learning more about the audience before the presentation and adjusts strategies to respond to what is learned about the audience during the presentation.

Apply Audience Analysis Approaches Expectations Meets Expectations Exceeds Expectations Incomplete development of messages that do not address or that partially address audience

Develops messages based on audience needs Meets Expectations AND

needs and interests. and interests.

Develops messages that thoroughly and creatively address audience needs and interest.

Identify Purpose Approaches Expectations Meets Expectations Exceeds Expectations Little or no evidence of ability to identify a purpose for the development of communications.

Identifies purpose for various types of communication and focuses the communication around that purpose. 

Meets Expectations AND

Thoroughly and creatively focuses the communication around the identified purpose.

Analyze Role & Context Approaches Expectations Meets Expectations Exceeds Expectations Partial or little tailoring of messages to different roles or audiences.

Tailors messages to different roles or contexts. 


Tailors messages thoroughly and creatively to address different roles or contexts.

Analyze & Identify Modes Approaches Expectations Meets Expectations Exceeds Expectations Little or no evidence of ability to select a mode of communication.

Selects mode of communication appropriate for situation and content.


Highlights strengths and weaknesses of various modes.

Competency 3: Use Language Effectively Analyze Oral Communication Approaches Expectations Meets Expectations Exceeds Expectations Minimal or partial analysis of verbal and Analyzes verbal and nonverbal communication Meets Expectations AND

nonverbal communication.

Minimal evidence of ability to identify effective communication.

to identify communication effectiveness.

Articulates strategies to improve effectiveness. Offers insightful perspectives on oral communication that ties in additional competencies around audience, role, context, etc.  

Analyze & Revise Written Communication  Approaches Expectations Meets Expectations Exceeds Expectations Minimal or partial analysis of written communication.

Minimal evidence of ability to identify effective written communication.

Analyzes written communication to identify necessary elements for revision.

Revises communication to use language more effectively.


Revision produces a more sophisticated and elegant communication.

Competency 4: Apply Format Conventions Revise for Appropriate Format Approaches Expectations Meets Expectations Exceeds Expectations Minimal or no evidence of ability to revise document to meet format expectations.

Little or no explanation of revisions provided.

Revises documents to meet format expectations for document type.

Explains revisions and connection to format conventions.

Meets Expectations AND 

Provides thorough and sophisticated revisions.

Compare Digital vs. Print Forms Approaches Expectations Meets Expectations Exceeds Expectations Minimal or no evidence of ability to compare print and digital messages and/or identify reasons for differences in content and design.

Describes effective ways to translate print messages to a digital format.

Explains reasons for differences in content and design.


Descriptions and explanations reflect subtleties and details that create a sophisticated and accessible digital

communication.

Competency 5: Address Communication Challenges Analyze Ineffective Communication Approaches Expectations Meets Expectations Exceeds Expectations Minimal or no evidence of ability to analyze ineffective communication and address challenges.

Analyzes ineffective communication and explains strategies for addressing challenges.


Challenges and analyses reflect greater complexity.

Use Communication to Prevent Challenges Approaches Expectations Meets Expectations Exceeds Expectations Minimal or no evidence of ability to use communication to prevent challenges

Develops communication strategies to prevent challenges before and during the communication.

Describes how strategies would differ for online meetings.


Develops creative and detailed communication strategies to prevent communication challenges.

Competency 6: Evaluate Communication in a Business Environment Assess the Impact of Technology Approaches Expectations Meets Expectations Exceeds Expectations No or minimal assessment of the impact of technology on business communication.

Assesses impact of technology on business communication and explains ways in which technology influences the way we communicate in the workplace. 


Discusses the benefits and challenges related to technology and ways to address these challenges.

Identify Current Trends

Approaches Expectations Meets Expectations Exceeds Expectations Little or no identification of trends and critical issues affecting people communication in business today.

Identifies trends and critical issues affecting people communicating in business today.

Recommends ways to address trends and issues


Considers different perspectives around these trends and critical issues.

Competency 7: Reflect on Your Knowledge Approaches Expectations Meets Expectations Exceeds Expectations Minimally identifies important concepts of business communication.

Identifies important concepts of business communication and provides rationale for prioritizing important business communication concepts.


Provides detailed rationale for prioritizing important business communication concepts.

Identify Effective Practices Approaches Expectations Meets Expectations Exceeds Expectations Minimal or no ability to articulate rules for creating and delivering business communication and effective messages.

Articulates rules for creating and delivering business communication and effective messages.


Rules encompass competencies and sub-competencies throughout the guide.

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