The Requisite Skill and Ability of Real-time Presentations:

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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

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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

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Aspects of Presentation Skills

• VOICE
• Breathing, Centering, Projection
• BODY
• Relaxation, Physical tension, Eye-contact,
  Non-verbal communication
• EXPRESSION
• Concentration, Focus, Point-of-view, Pacing

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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-of-view and
  speaker appears to have emotional/intellectual
  connection to her or his narrative

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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

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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 QA portion of the
  presentation competently?
• Speaker answers questions knowledgeably,
  thoroughly, and concisely process is handled
  smoothly

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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

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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

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But I dont actually thinkit works this way
(see Speech-Act Theory)
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Sources (excerpted)

• Management Communication for Undergraduates
  (Spring, 2005)
• M.I.T. OpenCourseWare
• http//ocw.mit.edu/courses/sloan-school-of-managem
  ent/15-279-management-communication-for-undergradu
  ates-spring-2005/
• Oral Evaluation Rubric
• http//ocw.mit.edu/courses/sloan-school-of-managem
  ent/15-279-management-communication-for-undergradu
  ates-spring-2005/study-materials/oralpresrubrics.p
  df
• 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/