Transcript Strategies for Engineering Communication

Persuasion
Emphasis is on the audience
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Knowledge and background
Fears
Expectations
Values
Criteria for judging your case
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Persuasive Appeals
Appeal to your audience
 Appeal to logic or reason
 Appeal to values
 Appeal from your credibility
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Means of Persuasion
Use appeals to generate content and approach
 Appeal to reason: What facts or authorities support my
case?
 Appeal to values, concerns, and fears: What content is
needed? What approach is appropriate?
 Appeal from credibility: How do I present myself?
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Identification
Persuasion requires identification
 Have you identified shared beliefs and points of
agreement?
Identification requires respect
 Can you recognize and appreciate differences in subject
matter, approach, conventions, terminology, ways of
thinking?
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Models of Persuasion
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Use models only as guides
Be creative
Problem-solve
Focus on audience’s needs, expectations, values, and
fears.
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Adversarial Persuasion
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Introduce topic
Explain facts and issues; define terms
State your case
Provide supporting evidence
Refute other positions and explain why your solution is
superior
6. Summarize arguments and refutations
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Adversarial Persuasion
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Adversarial Example
Robert: The report is due this week and I haven’t seen your part
of it yet. The boss has demanded that I have the completed
report on his desk by Friday morning and everything is finished
except your part. This project is the most important thing we are
working on. Our company stands to lose a lot of money if the
report is late. A week ago, you promised me that your part of the
report would be completed in a day. I’m still waiting, and I’m
running out of time (and patience). As it stands now, I will have to
work late tomorrow evening just to revise and format your part of
the report. I must have your report by first thing in the morn-ing.
Work all night if you have to. Your job may depend on it.
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Collegial Persuasion
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Present conflict as problem
Demonstrate understanding of other position
Identify when other position is valid
State own position without overstating it
Identify when it is valid
Describe benefits of your position or propose a
compromise
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Collegial Persuasion
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Collegial Example
Hi Bob, It sounds like we are going to run into some problems
meeting our deadlines for the report. I understand you have a lot
of other work to do that is interfering with you completing your
part of the report. I know your other commitments are very
important and normally it wouldn’t matter if you were a bit late.
But I really do need your part of the report as soon as possible.
Perhaps the deadline we face has slipped your mind. The boss
has told me that the entire report must be completed by Friday
morning because our company stands to lose a lot of money if it
is submitted late and jobs could be lost. If you will get me your
part of the report by tomorrow afternoon, I will let him know that
you went out of your way to complete it. Thanks Bob.
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Constructive Criticism
1. Describe the other’s specific behavior or action
When you do _____
2. Describe the specific result of the behavior or action
_____ results
3. Suggest an alternative behavior
I wish you would do ______ instead
4. If appropriate, suggest a way to implement that change
You can accomplish that by ______
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Constructive Criticism
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Constructive Example
Bob: When you give me your part of the report late, I must
work a lot of overtime in order to meet the deadlines for the
project. I wish you would give me your work at the agreedupon time instead.
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Connotation
Connotations are contextual meanings
Snarl Words
Purr Words
Chimney
Stack
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Flue
Smokestack
Atmospheric Emission
Dispersion System (AEDS)
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Inclusive Language
Generic Language
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He
Businessman
Chairman
Foreman
Husband, Wife
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Inclusive Language
 He or she, S/he, They
 Entrepreneur
 Chair
 Supervisor
 Spouse
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Guidelines for Inclusive Language
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Avoid nouns that imply gender
Avoid gendered nouns with negative connotations
Avoid gender stereotyping
Use neutral or dual pronouns
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Switch to the plural
Use both pronouns (he or she)
Combine pronouns (s/he)
Omit pronoun or replace with a definite article (the)
Alternate pronouns throughout a document
Use third-person plural pronouns as the singular (they, them,
their)
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Example of Generic Language
For example, a user selects “Compile” in order to collect
timing signals. Later, he selects “Analyze” to produce a
series of graphs for the compiled timing data.
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Revising Generic Language
Original
Revised
For example, a user
selects “Compile” in order
to collect timing signals.
Later, he selects “Analyze”
to produce a series of
graphs for the compiled
timing data.
For example, users select
“Compile” in order to
collect timing signals.
Later, they select
“Analyze” to produce a
series of graphs for the
compiled timing data.
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Principles of Persuasion
 Respect readers and let them guide planning, drafting, and
revising
 Appeal to reason, to values, and from your credibility
 Build on a foundation of shared beliefs and points of
agreement
 Respect different ways of thinking and different perspectives
 Use models only as guides
 Note the connotations of words
 Employ inclusive language
 Be honest
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