The goal of this exercise is to help you learn how to predict your readers' probable questions when you are defining the objectives of a communication.

The Exercise

In this exercise, you are to (1) read a memo and think about what questions various readers of it might have, and (2) rewrite the memo for another audience, taking into account the questions they would have.

As you work on this exercise, keep in mind Chapter 3's Guideline 4: Identify Your Readers' Important Characteristics. Specifically, Chapter 3 discusses three related types of readers:

Your Assignment

Part 1: In the first part of this exercise, you are to read a memo written by Mary Stewart, think it over in light of Chapter 3's guidelines, and then identify questions its readers would want answered that are not answered in the memo.

Here is background information related to the memo. You and Mary both work at Harrelson's Greenhouse, which has experienced tremendous growth over the past several years. After graduating from Kansas State University with a degree in Horticulture, Marty Harrelson opened his own, small greenhouse in Lawrence, Kansas. After a few years of relatively slow growth, his one-man business took off, largely because of the development of several large suburbs near the business.

Now, six years later, Harrelson's Greenhouse has become Harrelson's Greenhouses, with 56 greenhouse locations nationally. Although business is booming, Marty, who is now president of the company, has realized that growth has its drawbacks. Quite simply, Marty just doesn't have enough time anymore to take the "hands-on" role he used to take when the business started. Specifically, he doesn't have time to keep current on various new breeds of plants, new strains of plant diseases, new health and safety regulations, and a host of other topics.

Consequently, Marty asked his head horticulturist, Mary Stewart, to write him a brief memo outlining any problems and making recommendations in response to those problems. That memo is at the bottom of this page.

As you read Mary's memo, think about the three different, but interrelated, kinds of readers mentioned in Chapter 3. They include the following:

• decision-makers (in this case, Marty Harrelson)
• advisers (a group of about four people within the organization whose opinions Harrelson particularly values)
• implementers (the managers of the 56 greenhouses).

After you've read though the memo once or twice, make a list of questions you think each of the above audiences might have when reading the memo. What would each audience be most concerned about? What kinds of information would each audience be most interested in?

Part 2: Imagine you are Mary Stewart and Marty Harrelson has asked you to rewrite your memo to the implementers, who will be asked to actually make the changes your memo suggests. Harrelson likes your ideas, but he said he doesn't have time to explain them to his managers, so he has asked you to.

Think especially about these questions:

• What kind of information will my audience want?
• Will they be concerned about how the information I am going to present will affect their jobs?
• How could I organize my memo to better convey that information?
• What kind of tone would be best suited for this audience?

When you have a good sense of the questions your implementer audience will want you to answer, rewrite Mary's memo, which is at the bottom of this page.

The Memo

Right now, there seem to be roughly two areas we have not paid enough attention to as we have expanded: plant breeding and plant nutrition. In the following memo, I will briefly identify these areas and explain why they are important.

1. Plant breeding: Although we used to have a relatively strong breeding program, we have cut it back drastically over the past few years. Specifically, our breeding for pest resistance program has been entirely eliminated; we now rely on various other breeders and greenhouses for assurances about plant resistance to pests. As you are well aware, we suffered a tremendous loss in last year when the Irius vidiliripul larvae infested and nearly destroyed our geranium population. Quite simply, we can not afford to rely on other greenhouses and breeders for assurances about pest resistance.

Recommendation: Although it may be costly at first, revamp the pest resistance program.

2. Plant nutrition: We are following the same guidelines in this field made ten years ago—much has changed since then. For instance, while Harrelson's Greenhouse still follows the root system mineral transport model of nutrition, there have been recent studies which suggest that foliage transport may supplement root transport in ways that help make certain plants stay healthier for longer. Also, there have been advances in diagnosing nutrient deficiencies that have proved remarkably accurate. Indeed, our west coast competitors are already utilizing this new information and technology.

Recommendation: Hire a specialist in plant nutrition. I believe the above recommendations, although requiring some initial investment, will serve the long-term interests of Harrelson's Greenhouse.

Please feel free to let me know if you have any questions.