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Effective Communication Strategies for Writing and Presentations

Learn how to improve your communication skills through explicit phrasing, analysis, and presentation. Enhance your email writing, memo review, and discussion abilities. Master the basics of presentation and visual design. Develop your personal style and engage your audience effectively.

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Effective Communication Strategies for Writing and Presentations

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  1. Agenda • E-mail case discussion • Mini-lesson: explicit phrasing • Analysis and presentation assignment • Presentation basics

  2. E-mail memo review • Pick up your memo from the professor • Exchange copies with a partner, then discuss the following: • In memo you wrote, what information did you include? What did you leave out? Why? • What questions does your partner’s memo raise or leave unanswered for you? • Why did you use the tone you did in writing to Jack? Does your partner think it works?

  3. E-mail memo discussion • Key objective: communicate a decision in a fair, positive manner • Other considerations: • Keep Jack’s enthusiasm • Keep Jack from unauthorized monitoring • Maintain harmony in the office

  4. Mini-lesson: explicit phrasing Statements that show are more effective in engaging the reader than those that simply tell

  5. The “show and tell” test • Telling: I believe I am a good candidate. • Showing: I am a good candidate because… (or, even better: Because of …, I am a good candidate.) • Telling: It is important to consider… • Showing: Employee reaction is a significant concern to MPI because...

  6. Show and tell examples • I understand your intentions were good, but… • I hope you will agree that my position is the best one. • We can’t have people worrying that MPI is violating their trust. • I believe detailed monitoring goes against everything we stand for here at MPI. • It is my feeling that monitoring too closely will cause more problems than it solves. • I think it is important to consider other options.

  7. Analysis and presentation assignment • What is required? • Abstract: short; should sell the presentation; due 3/8 • Presentation: 5-7 minutes; include analysis and examples; due 3/13 or 3/15 • Where to look for documents? • Choose a topic by the March 6 class • Pairs for the assignment were chosen randomly

  8. Presentation basics • Determine your purpose • Assess your audience • Plan your organization • Gather support/evidence • Select visuals • Practice and revise

  9. Visuals for presentations • San serif fonts are easiest to read (like this, not this) • Use passages from the document • Break it down into several slides • Underline or highlight interesting passages • Suggest revisions • Remember, a picture is worth a thousand words (charts, graphs, and figures also sometimes work better than words alone)

  10. Visuals for presentations • Don’t let visuals control the presentation - they should support content, not draw attention to themselves • Technical capabilities of the room: • PowerPoint (Office 97) • Transparencies (color or B&W) • Chalkboard and whiteboard • Video tape

  11. Characteristics of voice • Pitch: practice speaking in a range that is comfortable for people (not nasal or gravelly). Vary your pitch to add interest • Rate: speak slowly, but don’t be afraid to increase your rate to show your excitement • Volume: make sure everyone can hear you and that the people in the front aren’t overwhelmed • Pause: consider this your “oral white space” and use it for maximum effect

  12. Characteristics of nonverbal behavior • Posture: you’re more credible if you have good posture • Movement: use it for effect. Good speakers are often dynamic, moving around to stress points. Don’t pace or fidget, which will distract your audience • Gesture: should underscore your content, not draw focus from it. Don’t use the same one over and over • Eye contact: make everyone in the room think you are talking to him/her

  13. What is your personal style? • Not everyone is a born performer • Cultural values affect presentation styles • By now you’ve probably developed strategies for giving presentations that work for you, but if you haven’t, practice several ways of giving your presentation: with detailed notes, with sketchy notes, with lots of movement, with no movement, standing, sitting, etc. • Get a feel for what you are most comfortable with • When you are most comfortable, you will project confidence to your audience

  14. Document analysis exercise • With your partner, complete the exercise • Your pair will briefly present its analysis to the class • You and your partner may also use this time to discuss possible topics and a schedule for completing the External Document Analysis assignment

  15. Assignment • Choose a topic for the analysis and presentation assignment • Read Ch. 15 in EBC

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