Aristotle once defined rhetoric as, "the available means of persuasion in any given situation" (http://www.prenhall.com/). Many of us are being persuasive, even when we're not meaning to be. For example, when I write a resume and fax it to a company, I'm doing it with the persuasive goal of getting an interview with that company. Rhetorical problems in the workplace usually involve difficulties in the construction of persuasive text or documents, and many of us face these problems on a regular basis. Rhetorical awareness can help us get through these issues and create an outstanding document. To have rhetorical awareness we must first understand that workplace writing is persuasive and then we must consider the rhetorical situation, which includes defining the purpose, audience, stakeholders and context of the document being created.Another element that should always be thought about is the addition of a visual element. Visual rhetoric leads us through a list of questions to ask ourselves when creating a work document. These questions include:
- Should I use a visual?
- What kind of visual should I use?
- What should the visual look like?
- Where should the visual be placed on the document?
- How should visual and written elements relate to one another?
- How should the document look?
- What form should the document take? - for example should it be a print document or an electronic document?
Visuals such as graphs, images or icons can persuade the thoughts of others as long as they relate to the document. After going through these questions we can make a better decision about the end look of the document and whether it's necessary to add the visual. I hope this helps you create your next work document. Just remember to always think rhetorically!
Source: http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/624/01/
Technical Communication Textbook
Being able to effectively define the purpose and audience for a document in the workplace is very important. Maybe you could elaborate on tips for improving rhetoric in the workplace. Great information on visuals!
ReplyDeleteFirst off I loved how you introduced your topic with Aristotle's quote. Rhetoric and understanding how to use it for your benefit is key to getting farther ahead in the workplace. A grammatical error or two but otherwise great info! Way to condense it so it's easy to grasp.
ReplyDeleteGreat quote, and I love the cartoon. Rhetoric is sometimes a tricky concept to understand however once you have mastered it, you will become a much better writer.
ReplyDeleteGreat job at explaining rhetoric! Rhetoric can be very hard to define. It is very important to remember that visuals are part of rhetoric, but maybe you could include some more information on other forms of rhetoric. I love the comic!
ReplyDeleteThe cartoon is great! Your post covered the 5 c's perfectly. The questions that one should ask themselves when creating a visual were very helpful as well. Great job Logan!
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