Module 3.7 – Ability to Communicate

 

Module 7 – Introduction

            The image you have right now is probably one of the reasons why you are where you are in the organizational hierarchy in terms of your career and professional development. Improving your image as a communicator—the way people judge your written and oral presentations—will play a major factor in your ability to advance.

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1. Ability to Communicate

            If people have trouble reading, understanding, or even hearing, what you’re saying, they are not going to spend much time trying to figure it out. You will be, in effect, relegated to the back of the room, the back of the pack, the back of the career path.

            Your ability to communicate simply, quickly, and effectively will be a major factor in determining what people think about your abilities in general.

            We are talking about both oral and written communication. In terms of oral communication that includes casual conversation, sales presentations, and formal speeches. For writing, this includes e-mails, memos, letters, formal reports and other longer documents.

            Your ability to communicate plays a major factor in your image, which will be reflected in the way people see, think about, and treat you.

            The image you have right now is probably one of the reasons why you are where you are right now in the organizational hierarchy in terms of your career and professional development.

            Improving your image, the way people look at you, will play a major factor in your ability to advance; as long as the improved image you display reflects valuable new—or up-until-now undiscovered or unrecognized—skills, talents, and abilities.

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2. In the Beginning Was the… Idea

            Whether you plan to write about your idea, speak about it, or both, you can’t do either until you actually have the idea. Once you have it, it has to be analyzed and developed.

            Both writing and speaking are processes for communicating ideas. That means you should have at least a rough idea about what it is you want to say before you start saying it. We have all read reports and memos and heard presentations and speeches where it was embarrassingly obvious that the people responsible for them didn’t really know themselves what they wanted to say.

            As a result, their image suffered.

            People who do this on a regular basis quickly lose respect, and their associates—and supervisors—stop taking them seriously. In many cases they did have a good idea to start with. The problem was that it was not properly thought out and developed.

            This does not mean that you have to have everything figured out before you start writing. Writing—and speaking—can be part of the thought process.

            You quite often don’t realize how something sounds until you write or say it.

            Or, you will have several different ideas in your head and the process of writing or speaking about them will lead you to make connections that you might not have come up with had you merely been thinking about them.

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3. In the Beginning Was the… Idea (Continued)

            This is why writers often work in teams, why speakers rehearse in front of friends and associates, and why brainstorming is such an effective way to generate ideas. Creative minds feed and feed off one another.

            The problem develops when you take these ideas and put them out for general consumption or discussion before they are ready. It’s like an actor reading a play once and then going on stage to star in it. Actors need time to think about the characters they are portraying. They have to learn the lines, figure out the blocking and movement, determine which props they will use, and try different ways of saying each line as they look for the best presentation possible.

            The real problem is that too many people try to pass off their initial ideas and their thoughts about them—rough drafts—as finished work.

            Professional writers know that one of the biggest obstacles to becoming a professional—to making a living by selling what you write—is that so many people refuse to rewrite what they have written, and then rewrite it again, and again, and again, if necessary, until they get it just right.

            Professional speakers know that one of the biggest obstacles to becoming a professional—to making a living by speaking in public—is that so many people both refuse to rewrite what they have written, and then also refuse to rehearse again, and again, and again until they say it just right.

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4. Effective Writing

            As we have seen, you cannot write something and make it clear and easy to for your readers, or listeners, to follow until you understand it yourself and have worked out what you want to say—and how you want to say it.

            As Albert Einstein put it: “You do not really understand something unless you can explain it to your grandmother.”

            Since presentations and speeches both start out as writing—at least they should—we will start out with 10 steps to help you improve your writing. These steps apply to all types of writing, from e-mails, memos, and letters to organizational reports, training manuals, even novels. This also includes oral presentations and speeches:

  1. Know what you want to say.
  2. Know to whom you want to say it.
  3. Know how you are going to say it.
  4. Research and organize your ideas.
  5. Present them logically.
  6. Back up your statements with facts and evidence.
  7. Do not overwhelm them with statistics or numbers.
  8. Build credibility.
  9. Keep it simple.
  10. Keep it short.

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5. Steps to Effective Writing

1)         Know what you want to say.

            This is all about developing your ideas, and we have already covered it.

2)         Know to whom you want to say it.

            Your audience will help you shape your message. Even when you are writing about the same subject, different audiences will want to know different things about it. If you are preparing a detailed proposal for a new product, for example, the people in engineering will have different questions and areas of concern than those in transportation, human resources, and marketing.

3)         Know how you are going to say it.

            The message has to match the medium. A speech is not the same as a letter. An annual report is not a TV commercial. Make sure that your writing and writing style is appropriate for the message, the medium, and the audience.

4)         Research and organize your ideas.

            Make sure you have all the information you will need to base your work on, and then have it organized. It can be as much of a physical process as it is a mental one. Make sure you know where all the information is so you can find it when you need it.

 5)        Present them logically.

            We all learned how to outline stories, reports and term papers while we were in school. Depending upon the length of the piece they are writing, most professional writers still do it. In many cases your outline will become your first draft. It is the skeleton of what you write. You will add and expand each line, fleshing it out.

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6. Steps to Effective Writing (Continued)

6)         Back up your statements with facts and evidence.

            If you are making claims in your writing, prove that they are true. Give your audience enough information so that they can judge for themselves that it is true. Writing has more impact and is more credible when you show that something is true instead of merely stating that it is true.

7)         Do not overwhelm them with statistics or numbers.

            Use enough numbers and statistics to make your point. But do not go overboard. Just because you have five pages of figures doesn’t mean that you have to use all of them.

8)         Build credibility.

            Why should anyone believe you? You must make sure what you say is honest, focused, easy to understand, as interesting as possible, and show why it is relevant—how it applies to them.

9)         Keep it simple.

            Good writing is clear, focused, and easy to follow and understand. It has a clearly defined beginning, middle, and end.      

10)       Keep it short.

            In the classic writing text book, “The Elements of Style,” William Strunk, Jr., writes: “Vigorous writing is concise. A sentence should contain no unnecessary words, a paragraph no unnecessary sentences, for the same reason that a drawing should have no unnecessary lines and a machine no unnecessary parts.”

            Thus, when you have said everything that needs to be said… stop writing.

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7. E-mail, Memos and Letters

            E-mails, memos, and letters are all designed to communicate information to specific people. Your organization’s procedures and organizational culture will often tell you when to use each. They will also often dictate what type of letterhead to use for letters and the form for memos and e-mails. They may even have templates for specific types of communications such as announcements, meeting agendas, product updates, price changes, personnel changes, etc.

            Printed-on-paper letters are usually reserved for “formal” announcements; information that requires a real signature and is to be saved and filed, destined to become part of the permanent record.

            Most routine in-house communication today is via memo and e-mail. We are regularly swamped by both of them.

            The first thing we look at when we see a memo or e-mail is who it is from. If we know them, we have an idea of what to expect. Some people send dull, boring and confusing messages. They are dreaded, and their reputation—image—reflects that. Others are succinct and to the point. We know that a message from them will be clear and concise, and their reputation—image—reflects that. We open the memo or e-mail with much of our “reaction” to it already in place. It is not a matter of who is brighter, more experienced, better educated, or even a harder worker. We judge the message by the messenger.

            If you send out 15 e-mails or memos a day, you are putting your image on display and leaving it open for re-evaluation 15 times a day.

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8. Report Writing

            If you are working on a short story, a novel, a script, a poem, or any other type of non-work writing, it is your intellectual property. You own it.

            If you are putting together a project/programme purpose report, or doing any other job-related writing, however, it is not your work. It is the organization’s. It must say what the organization wants to say and do so in the way the organization wants it said. Even if your name is on it, the organization owns it and has final say on its form, format, style, tone, look, and content.

            However, it is your reputation that is on the line.

            One of the underlying principles of marketing, public relations, sales, and advertising is that perception is reality. If you believe something, then for you it is true.

            So, if your boss and fellow employees believe that you turned in a slipshod, scattered, and poorly done report; you really did turn in a slipshod, scattered, and poorly done report.

            The “judging” of a piece of writing starts even before the reading does.

            If it is messy, sloppy, has obvious mistakes or typographical errors, if it doesn’t look as “attractive” or “professional” as other reports, or if it fails to follow the appropriate style, people will judge the work accordingly.

            One of the sad truths about the human race is that we can get so caught up in form, that we ignore content or substance. People—including action sponsors/beneficiaries, beneficiaries, and bosses—will often fail to recognize good work because it doesn’t “look” like good work.

            Not only must it be good work, it must look like good work if you want to be looked upon as a good worker.

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9. Oral Presentations, Reports and Speeches

            Actors do not write the lines that make them famous.

            In many cases no one—including the actor who said them—actually remembers who really did write them.

            At times, most people don’t even remember the name of the movie, TV show, or play in which the line was said, or even what it was about.

            What’s important is both the line and the way the actor said it, that blend of form and content that makes the total much more than the sum of its parts, and that “greatness” is usually applied to the actor.

            It is often the same for politicians and CEOs who have “nameless” speechwriters.

            When you deliver a report, presentation, or speech, your style, your performance, will often be remembered longer than your words.

            There are Ph.D.s who could make the discovery of human-like life on other planets sound boring, and school dropouts who can hold a room spellbound simply by talking about their day.

            Which of them had the most important information to deliver?

            Which of them is the “better” speaker?

            Which of them has a better “image?”

            Like an actor about to go onstage, every time you stand up to talk to a group of people you become a performer as well as a presenter. The better you are at performing, the better your image will become.

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10.  Creating A Positive Public Speaking Image

The three main ways that you can create a positive public speaking image is through the content of your presentation, the delivery of you speech, and the use of language.

Here are some suggestions about content to help create a positive image:

·        Demonstrate a thorough understanding of your topic.

·        Assure that your material is well organized.

·        Express your interest in the audience.

·        Express your concern and good will toward the audience.

·        Where appropriate, present your credentials.

Here are some suggestions about delivery to help create a positive image:

·        Speak clearly.

·        Speak conversationally—do not read your presentation and do not memorize your presentation.

·        Speak loudly enough to be heard and understood by the entire audience; speak at a rate your audience can follow, and enunciate your words clearly.

·        Use vocal variety: vary your pitch, rate, and volume.

·        Dress appropriately for the occasion.

·        Stand and gesture in ways that you feel comfortable with.  Be relaxed, but alert.  Don’t use preplanned gestures or movements.

·        Maintain eye contact with your audience.

·        Use facial expressions that reflect the mood and tone of your speech.

 

Here are some suggestions about language to help create a positive image:

·        Use clear and precise language; keep it simple.

·        Use appropriate language.  Use jargon only when the audience will understand it.  Avoid insensitive or offensive language.  Use familiar words.

·        Use vivid language to make your speech lively.

·        Express your concern and good will toward the audience.

·        Where appropriate, present your credentials.

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Assignments

 

Multiple Choice

 

1.         Your image as a communicator is

a.       The way people judge your written presentations

b.      The way people judge your oral presentations

c.       Both of the above

d.      None of the above

 

2.         Your ability to communicate plays a major factor in

a.       Your pay

b.      Your image

c.       Your friendships

d.      None of the above

 

3.         Processes for communicating ideas are

a.       Writing

b.      Speaking

c.       Both of the above

d.      None of the above

 

4.         You cannot write something and make it clear and easy for your readers or     listeners to follow until

a.       You understand it yourself

b.      Your boss approves it

c.       You see the audience reaction to it

d.      None of the above

 

5.         You should make sure that your writing and writing style is appropriate for

a.       The message

b.      The medium

c.       The audience

d.      All of the above

 

6.         Writing has more impact and is more credible when you

a.       State something is true

b.      Prove something is true

c.       Both of the above

d.      None of the above

 

7.         Most routine in-house communication today is via

a.       Email

b.      Memo

c.       Both of the above

d.      None of the above

 

8.         The first thing we look at when we see a memo or email is

a.       The subject

b.      The length

c.       The writing style

d.      Who it is from

 


True or False

 

1. ______        Your ability to communicate simply, quickly, and effectively will be a                           major factor in determining what people think about your abilities in                            general.

2. ______        The image you have right now does not have much to do with                                     where you are right now in the organizational hierarchy.

3. ______        Improving your image will play a major factor in your ability to advance.

4. ______        You quite often don’t realize how something sounds until you write or say                   it.

5. ______        Problems develop when you take your ideas and put them out for general                               consumption or discussion when they are ready.

6. ______        Presentations and speeches both should start out as writing.

 

Answers:

1.                  T

2.                  F – your image is probably one of the reasons you are where you are in the organization.

3.                  T

4.                  T

5.                  F – before they are ready

6.                  T

 


Summary

 

            As we have seen, your ability to communicate simply, quickly, and effectively will be a major factor in determining what people think about your abilities in general. You must do more than merely produce good work; you must be seen to produce good work by developing effective and impressive writing and speaking skills.

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Test

1. ______        Problems arise when people try to pass off their initial ideas and their                          thoughts about them as finished work.

2. ______        You should overwhelm your audience with statistics or numbers.

3. ______        Your audience should not shape your message.

4. ______        Good writing is clear, focuses, and easy to follow and understand, with a                                clearly defined beginning, middle, and end.

5. ______        Emails, memos, and letters are all designed to communicate information to                   specific people.

6. ______        If you are putting together a project/programme purpose report, or doing any other job-related                 writing, it is your intellectual property.

7. ______        Perception is reality: if you believe something, then for you it is true.

8. ______        Form is often more important that content or substance.

9. ______        When a politician makes a powerful speech, the speechwriter often gets                                  recognized.

10. ______      The better you are at performing, the better your image will become.

 

Answers:

1.                  T

2.                  F – should not

3.                  F – will help you shape your message

4.                  T

5.                  T

6.                  F – it is not your work.

7.                  T

8.                  T

9.                  F – politician gets the recognition

10.              T


Bibliography

 

DeFrancis, J. (1989). Visible speech: The diverse oneness of writing systems. Honolulu: University of Hawaii Press.

 

Fletcher, L., & Crochiere, N. (2001). How to design and deliver speeches. New York: Longman.

 

Sarnoff, D. (1970).  Speech can change your life.  New York: Doubleday.


Glossary

 

Ability to communicate – Will be a major factor in determining what people think about your abilities in general.

 

Writing and speaking – Processes for communicating ideas.

 

Rough draft – One’s initial ideas and their thoughts about them. Problems start when this is passed off as finished work.

 

Outline – A way of putting information together logically.  This will often become your first draft.


Learning Objectives

 

  • The image you have right now is probably one of the reasons why you are where you are in the organizational hierarchy in terms of your career and professional development.
  • You must do more than merely produce good work; you must be seen to produce good work by developing effective and impressive writing and speaking skills.

 


Q&A

 

1.  What are ten steps to improve your writing?

To improve your writing, you should know what you want to say, to whom you want to say it, and how you are going to say it. You should research and organize your ideas, and present them logically. Also, backing up your statements with facts and evidence is a good idea, but do not overwhelm them with statistics or numbers. You need them to build credibility and keep it short and simple.

 

2.   What are ten tips for giving better speeches?

To give a good speech, you should know the room, your audience, and your material. Try to relax and visualize yourself giving your speech.  You should realize that people want you to succeed so do not apologize. You should concentrate on the message – not the medium, and try to turn nervousness into positive energy and gain experience.

 

3.  Why is it so important to rewrite what you have written?

Once you have an idea, it has to be analyzed and developed. When you write something before you really know what you want to say, your image suffers. You do not often realize how something sounds until you write or say it, and problems develop when you try to pass off a rough draft as the finished work.

 

End of Module