Chapter 11: Making oral and written presentations
Activity 1:The Four Toughest Talks in Business
Difficult conversations
Throughout any given business day, managers communicate with others hundreds of times. Although many of these interactions happen spontaneously and do not require any forethought or planning, there are times when managers participate in conversations in which they must communicate difficult news, such as the termination of an employee. To be successful, these conversations require prior preparation.
The article ‘The Four Toughest Talks in Business’ by Michael Kaplanat advice on how to make the best of difficult conversations.
Based on the content of the article, how would you prepare for a difficult conversation? Which of the four suggestions offered is the most important? Which is the least important? Are there any other types of conversations for which these suggestions might be useful? Explain your answers.
Activity 2:Now That We Have Your Complete Attention...
Effective presentations
As the business world moves increasingly towards team-based operations and projects, presentations are becoming commonplace within organisations. In fact, the ability to conduct an effective and interesting presentation can make or break a young executive’s career. Although many business students have formal classes on communication and presentations, few young executives get the instruction they need to take their presentations to the next level.
The article ‘Now That We Have Your Complete Attention...’ at a number of suggestions about how to make presentations successful.
What does the author mean by the statement ‘Incite, don't inform’? What about ‘Don’t talk to strangers’ and ‘Perform, don’t present’? Are there any suggestions made in this article that you think would not work? Why? How do the suggestions of this author compare with those provided in chapter 11 of your text?
Activity 3:Audience Interaction Tips for Public Speakers
Audienceinteraction
When giving an important presentation, it is necessary to hold the attention of the audience. One way of doing this is take deliberate steps to include the audience, rather than just talk at them.
The article‘Audience Interaction Tips for Public Speakers’ by Lisa Braithwaite at suggestions as to ways in which audience inclusion and interaction can be maximised.
Which of these suggestions do you believe is the most useful? Which is the least useful? Which of them could you easily incorporate into your own presentation style? How would you go about doing this? Why is it desirable to have audience interaction?
Activity 4: Seven Strategies for Handling Difficult Questions - What to Say When You Don't Know the Answer
Difficult questions
For many people, the fear that accompanies the giving of presentations is a product of the unknown and uncontrollable aspects of the presentation, specifically the audience’s questions and comments. However, with appropriate preparation these aspects of the presentation need not be cause for concern.
Read the article ‘Seven Strategies for Handling Difficult Questions - What to Say When You Don't Know the Answer’ by Mary Sandro at which offers seven techniques for addressing difficult questions.
Which of these strategies would you feel most comfortable adopting if you did not know the answer to a given question? Which would you prefer if you did not know the answer off the top of your head, but thought you could piece it together if you were afforded a little time to consider it? How would you go about practising these techniques to avoid blurting out ‘I don’t know’ in response to a question put to you during a presentation?
Carlopio et al., Developing Management Skills 4e, © 2008 Pearson Education Australia