Business Correspondence Critique

The following is a business letter that is addressed to my mother:

Dear Madam

Budget 2009: One-off Income Tax Rebate for the Year of Assessment 2009 “Defer GIRO” Option for Individual Income Tax Instalment

One-off Income Tax Rebate

To help taxpayers cope with the economic downturn, the government is giving a one-off income tax rebate of 20%, up to a maximum cap of $2,000, for the tax payable for Year of Assessment (YA)2009. This rebate will be applied on income earned in year 2008 by all individual tax residents. IRAS will compute this rebate automatically. You do not need to apply for it.

“Defer GIRO” Option for individual Income Tax Instalment

To help ease the cash flow problem which some taxpayers may be experiencing, taxpayers who are on GIRO instalment payments are given an option to defer their income tax instalment payments on the tax payable for YA 2009 such that the GIRO deductions will start in August 2009 and end in April 2010. There will be no deductions from May 2009 to July 2009. Please refer to the appendix for more information on how your instalment payments would be affected if you opt for the deferment.

Sign Up by 15 March 2009

If you wish to opt for your instalment payments to start in August 2009, you can sign up online at the IRAS website (http://www.xxxxx) from 9 february to 15 March 2009, using your SingPass. You will be granted the instalment deferment once you have signed up and no further changes can be made. Singaporeans (including Permanent Residents), Employment Pass Holders, Entrepreneur Pass Holders and S-Pass Holders may apply for a SingPass website (http://www.xxxxxx).
If you do not have a SingPass or if you need any clarifications on the above, please email us at XXXXXXX or call XXXXXXXX for assistance.

Yours faithfully

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The above letter is in a block format with open punctuation. On the positive side, this letter contains all the necessary standard components of a business letter. Besides, the writer delivers the good news message in a very direct, clear-cut way. Bold Subheadings which precisely summarise the main idea of each paragraph enable the reader to find information of interest quickly in this letter. In addition, the letter contains very specific information such as the definite amount of tax rebate and the deadline of application of the “Defer GIRO” Option. Furthermore, different channels for the application of the “Defer GIRO” Option and enquires are explicitly presented. These factors add up to the concreteness and completeness of this letter.

However, there are some minor flaws which can be improved on. For instance, the length of the first sentence of the second paragraph is too long and this may cause the reader to lose concentration.In addition, there is an incorrect use of a dangling modifier. This sentence can be improved by splitting it up to several shorter statements and avoiding the use of the dangling modifier. Another imperfection that can be rectified is the cohesion of certain sentences. For example, the last two sentences of the first paragraph do not flow smoothly. To achieve smooth transitions between these sentences, conjunctions like “as” can probably be used.

Solutions to an interpersonal conflict

I shall describe an interpersonal conflict situation that happened during a backpacking trip in Europe. A (female) and B (male) were two university students who were assigned exchange programme places at the same foreign university in Europe. Both of them only got to know each other two months before the start of their exchange programme. They contacted each other usually via email and rarely met face to face to develop a better understanding of each other personality. As this was the first trip for A and B to Europe, both of them hoped to visit some of the famous monuments and cities in Europe. Thus, they decided to embark on a month-long backpacking trip before the start of the autumn term.

On the second day of the trip, A suddenly told B not to follow her anymore in a furious tone before storming away. B was totally stunned and totally puzzled of A’s unexpected reaction. On the first day of the trip, A took a more proactive role. She was always reading off the map to find directions to different destinations – train station, hostel or places of interest etc. When in doubt, A would take the initiatives to seek directions from the locals. However, B took a more “backseat” role. He would just tag along with A and was more engrossed in taking photos. The sudden irate reaction by A was probably triggered by B “laid-back” attitude – not volunteering himself to seek out for directions.

Thus, what would be the appropriate actions that B could carry out so as to resolve this unpleasant interpersonal Conflict?

Importance of effective communication

Effective communication skills are valuable tools especially in situations where there are constant needs for interactions. Being tactful and mindful of our speech, we can avoid unnecessary misunderstanding with other individuals. As active listeners, we are more likely to understand the needs of the other party. Thus, these skills enable good relationships to be fostered and maintained.

In project work where teamwork and cooperation are key ingredients to success, effective communication skills act as catalyst to hasten the process. This is because ideas and suggestions can be shared quickly among group members, enabling the group to come to an agreement quickly. In addition, instructions can be disseminated accurately between the leader and the members. These factors allow the project to be completed hastily. The importance of these skills can also be utilized in other activities. For instance, in team sports events like soccer, swift “communication” between players is one of the crucial factors for a victory. However, the hastening effect of effective communication skills is applicable only if each of the team members is cooperative enough to contribute his or her parts. I remembered doing a project for a module titled “Remote sensing” with a fyp(final year project) history student. He did not complete the part that he was assigned to do. Instead, he just kept on assuring me and my friend that he would complete his part and always stressed that he was bogged down with his fyp. In the end, I and my friend had to help him to complete his part.

Besides, effective Communication skills are essential during travelling. Wandering in foreign places where we hardly speak or understand the local language, non-verbal communication skills such as hand signs may be helpful when we want to clear our doubts or ask for directions. In addition, as we are aware of the local customs and practice, we are less likely to do actions that offend them. I do feel that effective communication skills are important during travelling. During my secondary school geography trip to New Zealand, I encountered an embarrassing situation. I was unaware that the mode of greeting by the Maoris is by the rubbing of noses. Thus, I was momentarily stunned when a maori warrior came really close to me. In the end, he had to press my head so as to commence the nose rubbing action. On another trip to a small town in Austria, I had a difficult time communicating with locals. This is because the majority of the dwellers are elderly who speak only German. Fortunately, I am able to ask for directions by showing them a tourist map, the name of the place of attraction and also by using basic hand signs for going “straight”, “left” or “right”.

Lastly, effective communication skills are lifesaving tools in situations of emergency. For example, if we discover a bomb in a bus, the damages are reduced if we can convey what we discover quickly to the police.