last updated 10/5/2016

IMAGE MANAGEMENT
 adapted from G. Powell. (1988) Women and men in management. Sage. and
C. Conrad. (1990) Strategic Organizational Communication, 2nd ed.. Holt.

POSITIVE IMAGE MESSAGES. To be successful, you must produce messages that promote a positive image of yourself in public in your organization. In most American organizations the following three image traits are highly valued. You must appear to be:

1. RATIONAL - 
   • (the employee) justifies comments that are organized/ relevant/acceptable to others, 
   • limits emotions, 
   • says predictable things
      
2. PROFESSIONAL - 
   • expresses values and perceptions appropriate to role and rank, 
   • forms relationships with equals or superiors only, 
   • adopts in-group language
      
3. LOYAL - 
   • makes only positive comments in public about co-workers, job, firm; 
   • expresses a willingness to sacrifice time and personal life for his/her organizational role.

Constructing Effective Messages means GIVING GOOD REASONS for what you advocate

• Universal good reasons (These reasons are likely to work as support or justification for your positions in most situations) - fairness, equality, consistency, strength, morality (in the appropriate context) -- also lesser reasons often work: "science shows us that ...",  "others firms are doing it"

• Topoi - the "good reasons" of your organization, that is those reasons and justifications for viewpoints that are commonly used by others successfully in your organization. Listen for and find them!!