ASSIGNMENT: Imagine that you have been
asked to give a five-minute oral presentation at the next staff meeting.
The purpose is to teach your colleagues some strategy or technique for
better communication. Feel free to draw on the content you have already
learned in this class!
Since you will not be able to share a screen, it is recommended that you
do not try to teach people how to use a technology, but some other best
practice. You may do something related to technology, as long as you do
not need to do a demonstration. Use of visual aids is optional and will not be assessed directly.
Example topics could be:
- Humor at work: what’s appropriate and what’s not
- How to soothe an angry customer on the phone
- How to give constructive criticism in person
- Advice for professional emails
These are some suggestions, but you can select any topic that is related
to workplace communication and which can be explained in five minutes.
Don’t be daunted by the time limit. That’s as long as ten television commercials, which usually tell a story and make a pitch in 30 seconds!
In order to foster learning and growth, all work you submit must be
newly written specifically for this course. Any plagiarized or recycled
work will result in a Plagiarism Detected alert. Review Touchstones: Academic Integrity Guidelines for more about plagiarism and the Plagiarism Detected alert. For guidance on the use of generative AI technology, review Ethical Standards and Appropriate Use of AI.
A. DIRECTIONS
Step 1: Review Guidelines
As you begin, remember to follow the seven guidelines of professional communication.
- Know your objective (to teach a communication skill).
- Understand your audience (these are your colleagues; you have a professional relationship but also know each other well. Your colleagues want the presentation to be helpful and engaging, even entertaining).
- Be relevant. Make sure the presentation stays focused on a communication skill everybody can use.
- Be clear, concise, complete, and consistent. Because the presentation is short, pay special attention to being concise. Make sure that you can finish it in under five minutes. Your colleagues don’t want to go late into their lunch hour! Be consistent in your use of language and avoid using jargon.
Step 2: Select Topic and Draft Presentation
Select a topic and draft your presentation on paper as an informal outline. Prepare and practice. Organize your talking points so you can make full use of the full five minutes without going over. Time yourself and make appropriate edits until your presentation fits the five minutes.
You may want to review the content on Organizing Presentations.
Step 3: Record Video
Record a 5-minute video of yourself delivering your presentation. Remember that the assessment will be of verbal and nonverbal delivery, so use of visual aids is optional (meaning it is not necessary for you to have a visual aid. However, it is necessary for you to be on camera giving this presentation). If you do use them, make sure they are visible on the screen. You must also be clearly seen on camera giving this presentation.
Note: You do not have to dress formally but should choose a wardrobe and background that are professional, or at least not distracting. It is important that you convey yourself as a professional and that background noise is minimal so that your speech can be clearly heard.
You may want to review the content on Delivering Presentations.
Step 4: Review Video
Review your video to make sure you like the results and that the recording was successful. But don’t overdo it! If you deliver the same speech too many times it will be harder to maintain a natural tone. Four or five runs should be plenty.
Step 5: Submit Video
Submit your video for a grade.