Transcript Contemporary Business Writing Across the Curriculum: Two

The Requisite Skill and Ability
of Real-time Presentations:
Using the Physics of Language to
Advantage in Organizational Contexts
Wayne Smith, Ph.D.
Department of Management
CSU Northridge
1
Notes to COBAE Students
• My observation is that most COBAE students are
good public speakers
• However, team members can use this PowerPoint in
two (similar) ways:
– to help turn good skills into great skills
• By means of individual practice and self-improvement
– to help the one or two members of the team with weaker
skills and abilities improve
• By way of a structure to provide constructive feedback
• This PPT complements the existing (and detailed)
oral presentation scoring guide for Gateway
2
Aspects of Presentation Skills
• VOICE
– Breathing, Centering, Projection
• BODY
– Relaxation, Physical tension, Eye-contact, Nonverbal communication
• EXPRESSION
– Concentration, Focus, Point-of-view, Pacing
3
Successful Characteristics
• VOICE
– Vocal projection is strong; posture supports breath; feet are
grounded and body centered, allowing deep breathing to power
voice; volume is sufficiently amplified and sustained at consistent
level; articulation is clear; speaker is easily heard and understood
• BODY
– Speaker is physically calm and appears relaxed; speaker makes
direct eye contact; physical presence projects animation and
energy; gestures and non-verbal communication enhance
narrative
• PROJECTION
– Concentration is sustained throughout; the speaker is focused
and clear about what she or he wants to say; there is a point-ofview and speaker appears to have emotional/intellectual
connection to her or his narrative
4
Higher-order Abilities (1/2)
• Delivery/Oral
– How strong are the oral components of the presentation?
– Speaker is fluent and poised; uses language comfortably
and appropriately; speaks at an effective rate and volume;
few fillers
• Delivery/Non-verbal
– How strong are the non-verbal components of the
presentation?
– Speaker uses gestures comfortably in line with his/her own
style; eye contact is appropriate for audience; use of space
appropriate for the situation
5
Higher-order Abilities (2/2)
• Visual Aids
– Do the visual aids reinforce the message and add to the
effectiveness of the presentation?
– Appropriate visual aids are used; visual aids serve as a
complement to the speaker and the message to be
delivered; designed effectively; speaker uses visual aid
easily
• Questions and Answers
– Has the speaker handled the Q&A portion of the
presentation competently?
– Speaker answers questions knowledgeably, thoroughly,
and concisely; process is handled smoothly
6
Politeness
• Power Relationships and Social Distance
– honorifics
• Levels of Impoliteness
• Face-Threatening Acts (FTAs)
• Tact
• Speaker Variables
– Sex, Age, Education, Experience, Culture, etc.
• The “Sensitive Line”
7
Some non-verbal principles
Term
Definition
Adaptors
Help us feel comfortable or indicate emotions or moods
Affect Displays
Express emotions or feelings
Complementing
Reinforcing verbal communication
Contradicting
Contradicting verbal communication
Emblems
Nonverbal gestures that carry a specific meaning, and can replace or reinforce words
Illustrators
Reinforce a verbal message
Masking
Substituting more appropriate displays for less appropriate displays
Object-Adaptors
Using an object for a purpose other than its intended design
Regulators
Control, encourage or discourage interaction
Repeating
Repeating verbal communication
Replacing
Replacing verbal communication
Self-Adaptors
Adapting something about yourself in a way for which it was not designed or for no
apparent purpose
8
But I don’t actually think
it works this way…
(see Speech-Act Theory)
9
Sources (excerpted)
• Management Communication for Undergraduates (Spring, 2005)
– M.I.T. OpenCourseWare
– http://ocw.mit.edu/courses/sloan-school-of-management/15-279management-communication-for-undergraduates-spring-2005/
• Oral Evaluation Rubric
– http://ocw.mit.edu/courses/sloan-school-of-management/15-279management-communication-for-undergraduates-spring-2005/studymaterials/oralpresrubrics.pdf
• McLean, S. (2010), Business Communication for Success. Fully
online and accessible at [http://www.flatworldknowledge.com]
• Video Oral Communication Assessment Tool
– Bernard Schwartz Communication Institute, Baruch College (The
City University of New York)
– http://www.baruch.cuny.edu/vocat/
10