Effective communication strategies and practices

Communicating Effectively

The five choices that a speaker can make are invention, arrangement, style, delivery and memory. Invention refers to the resource that are used in the speech -- cards, slides, or other aids. Arrangement reflects the structure and content of the speech. Style reflects the tone or style of the speech -- how does the speaker intend to make the point. Style can be humorous, argumentative, informative or some other style. The delivery includes things like gestures, use of hands and other body language. How the speaker uses eye contact is important here in the delivery. Finally, memory refers to how the speaker will ensure that the audience remembers the material. This can mean punctuating key moments with jokes, or it could mean using graphs and visuals, or it could mean that key points will be subject to repetition.

The delivery method plays an important role in constructing a presentation. The degree of audience interaction, for example, is affected by the delivery method. There is a much lower degree of interaction with things like video conferencing because the speakers are limited in their ability to communicate non-verbally or with props. As Marshall McLuhan said, the medium is the message. The choice of delivery method actually affects how you present, and how the presentation is perceived. Unless there are oceans involved, for example, video conferencing is going to be perceived as less important that face-to-face. A conference room is a big empty room, so even for example choosing the right room can make a difference with respect to how a presentation is perceived.

3. Hearing is physical, but listening implies cognition. So while in hearing one's ears can pick up sound waves and convert them into sound, that does not mean that the person has understood any of it -- they could have maybe not even been paying attention. Listening is more active and cognition is required. Listening has to do with the attention of the listener, which will be focused on the speaker. Listening critically is different again, and it implies listening and thinking about what you are hearing. It is not enough to simply remember the message but to actually think critically about the message in order to listen critically.

4. The parts of a speech are based on classical understanding. The introduction is the first part of the speech. This opening section sets the tone and introduces both the speaker and the topic to the audience, and with any luck it captures their attention. The second part of a speech is the statement of the issue, which flows quickly into the exposition of the arguments. Some speeches will have a refutation of opponents' arguments, though this is often set aside unless in the debate context. There is a conclusion at the end of the speech, to summarize and reinforce the message.