Chapter Sixteen Small Group, Business, and Professional Presentations

Chapter Sixteen

Small Group, Business, and Professional

Presentations

Chapter Sixteen

Table of ContentsCommunicating in GroupsMaking Decisions in GroupsMaking Presentations in GroupsBusiness and Professional

PresentationsDelivering the Presentation*

Chapter Sixteen

Presentational speaking Reports delivered

by individuals or groups within the business or professional setting*

Communicating In Groups

Clear communication is vital to working cooperatively in groups

The quality of a group’s product is often determined by the competence that each person brings to a task*

Communicating In Groups:

Effective Group Participants

Being an effective group participant requires keeping sight of the group’s goals and avoiding behavior that detracts from them*



Eyes on the prize As a group member, your overriding

responsibility is to help achieve the group’s goals

Fight the good fight The best decisions are usually those that

emerge from productive conflict Productive conflict helps clarify ideas,

present counter-examples, and consider worst case scenarios*



Productive conflict is issue-based rather than personal-based

Personal-based conflict Conflict in which group members argue about each other rather than with each other

Issues-based conflict Productive conflict in which group members

critically debate issues on their merits*



Avoid groupthink Groupthink is the tendency to accept

information and ideas without critical analysis; results from strong feelings of loyalty and unity within a group

Avoid groupthink by engaging in productive conflict*



Adopt constructive group rolesTask roles

Group member’s roles related directly to the accomplishment of the objectives and mission of the group

Interpersonal roles Group member’s “relational” roles that

facilitate group interaction*



Avoid assuming close up “counter productive” roles

Counterproductive roles Negative interpersonal roles which focus

solely on individual needs, which are usually irrelevant to the task*


Leading a Group

Capable leadership is critical to the success of any group

One of the primary responsibilities of the leader is to set goals and ensure that they have been met*


Leading a Group

Set goalsEach member of a group should be able to

answer these questions: For what purpose does the group exist? Do all group members understand and accept

the goals? How close is the group to achieving this

purpose? How well are the activities or functions of the

group aligned with these goals?*


Leading a Group

Set goals by using the following steps Identify the problem Map out a strategy Set a performance goal Identify the resources necessary to

achieve the goal Recognize contingencies that may arise Obtain feedback*


Leading a Group

Encourage active participationGroup members may not want to

participate for the following reasons: Apprehension Lack of self-esteem Dominance Status differences*


Leading a Group

Leaders can make use of several techniques to encourage participation Directly ask members to contribute Redirect the discussion Set a positive tone*

Making Decisions In Groups

Effective groups engage in a deliberate process resulting in decisions that all participants understand and to which they are committed*

Making Decisions In Groups

Group decision-making is best accomplished through a six-step process based on the work of John Dewey Identifying the problem Conducting research and analysis Establishing guidelines and criteria Generating solutions Selecting the best solution Evaluating the chosen solution*

Making Decisions In Groups:

Identifying the Problem

This step involves gaining a thorough understanding of the issue at hand

Each participant should share his or her perception of the problem with the group and briefly state what he or she thinks it is all about*


Research and Analysis

The group may need to research an issue for several reasons: To close gaps in information necessary

to analyze the problem properly To clarify or resolve two or more

inconsistent views or positions expressed by participants

To investigate past solutions to similar problems*


Guidelines and Criteria

Group participants should establish criteria by which any solution they propose will be judged

Establishing guidelines and criteria is an interactive process that should end in consensus*


Generating Solutions

This step involves a brainstorming session in which every member contributes as many desirable solutions as they possibly can

No debate and discussion of the merits of the proposal should occur during this stage of the decision-making process*


Selecting the Best Solution

Once potential solutions have been generated, the group can begin to weigh the relative merits of each against the criteria agreed on earlier

Select the solution that best meets the criteria set forth*


Evaluating the Solution

The final step involves evaluating the group’s solution

Part of evaluating the solution involves re-evaluating the criteria and guidelines against which the solution was measured*

Presentations in Groups

Group presentations are similar to presentations done individually

In a group presentation, some or all of the members divide the tasks that would ordinarily be done by one person*

Presentations in Groups:

Assigning Tasks

Together with the group leader, members must decide who will do which tasks*

Presentations in Groups:

The Moderator’s Role

Symposiums and panels require the presence of a moderator, who ensures everyone knows their speaking responsibilities.

Symposium A formal meeting at which several speakers

deliver short speeches on related topicsPanel

A group of persons who discuss a topic in the presence of an audience*

Presentations in Groups: Consistency of Delivery

Inconsistencies between the presenters’ delivery styles spell failure for group presentations

Focus on the purpose and nature of the presentation while isolating the proper delivery style*

Professional Presentations

Beyond the panel and symposium, there are many other forums in which groups deliver their findings*

Professional Presentations:

Public vs. Presentational

There are clear differences between a speech given to the public, and a presentation delivered in a professional setting The audience for a presentation can be

as small as three people Presentational speaking is less formal

than public speaking*

Professional Presentations:

Public vs. Presentational

Further differences between presentational and public speaking Topic selection Audience composition Audience participation Speaker expertise*

Types of Presentations

There are five common types of business and professional presentations: Sales presentations Technical reports Progress reports Staff reports Investigative reports*


Sales presentations A presentation that attempts to lead a

potential buyer to purchase a service or product

Technical report A report that gives detailed information

about a procedure or device*


Staff reports A report that informs managers and

other employees of new developments that affect them and their work

Progress reports A report that updates clients or

principals on developments in an ongoing project*


Investigative reports A report of a study

of a problem that includes recommendations, usually conducted by an outside agent*

Delivering the Presentation

The range of delivery styles may be broader for presentations than for speeches*


Informational style of delivery A delivery style that is precise,

disciplined, focused, clear, logical, and well organized

Instructional style of delivery A delivery style that is stimulating,

engaging, consequential, decisive, and action oriented*


Relational style of delivery A delivery style that is open, candid,

honest, believable, and trustworthyTransformational style of delivery

A delivery style that is emphatic, powerful, insightful, expansive, and visionary*

Documents

Chapter Sixteen Small Group, Business, and Professional Presentations