You-Attitude
“You-attitude,” a phrase used by Kitty O. Locker in
Business and Administrative Communication,
refers
to a style of writing that puts readers’ needs first. Specifically, you-attitude “emphasiz[es] what the
reader wants to know, respecting the reader’s intelligence, and protecting the reader’s ego” (Locker
36). Locker details five strategies for achieving you-attitude in your writing:
1. Talk about the reader, not about yourself.
Without you-attitude:
We at the Meijer Center for Writing believe our services can help students
become better writers.
You-attitude:
You’ll improve as a writer by working with a trained peer consultant at the Meijer
Center for Writing.
2. Refer to the reader’s request or order specifically.
Without you-attitude:
Your order has arrived.
You-attitude:
Your tables and chairs (invoice #42250) have arrived.
3. Don’t talk about feelings, except to congratulate or offer sympathy. In most
professional settings and situations, your feelings are irrelevant.
Without you-attitude:
We are pleased to offer students writing consultations on Sunday
evenings.
You-attitude:
You can now visit the Meijer Center for Writing on Sunday evenings, 5 p.m. – 8
p.m.
You-attitude:
Congratulations on your promotion to Assistant Manager! I was pleased to read
about it in the company newsletter.
4. Use
you
more often than
I
in positive situations. Doing so accentuates the good
news associated with the reader.
Without you-attitude:
I will make every effort to ensure you get an appointment.
You-attitude:
You will be notified of your appointment time within 24 hours.
5. Avoid the word
you
in delivering bad news, as it can be interpreted as accusatory
and over-accentuate the negative.
Without you-attitude:
Because you did not proofread your paper, you will earn an F.
You-attitude:
A number of proofreading errors have been made in the paper.
You-attitude:
The paper includes a number of proofreading errors.
Note: One strategy for avoiding
you
in negative situations is to use passive verbs; another strategy is
to place emphasis on things, not people.
For more information about you-attitude, see the following text, which is available in the Meijer Center
for Writing and Michigan Authors, LOH 120:
Locker, Kitty O.
Business and Administrative Communication.
7
th
Edition. New York: McGraw-Hill, 2006.
