Engineered to Speak Helping You Create and Deliver Engaging Technical Presentations

Engineered to Speak: Helping You Create and Deliver Engaging Technical Presentations

Technical expertise alone is not enough to ensure professional success. Twenty-first century engineers and technical professionals must master making the complex simple and the simple interesting. This book helps engineers do what they love most: take a complicated system and create a stronger solution. You will learn tips and strategies that help you answer one essential question, “How can I get better at sharing my ideas with a variety of audiences?”

In Engineered to Speak, Alexa Chilcutt and Adam Brooks combine their expertise in messaging and public speaking with research that illustrates how effective communication contributes to career advancement. Each chapter contains inspiring stories from practicing engineers around the world as well as useful examples, exercises and repeatable processes for creating compelling messages.

This book helps technical talent become better speakers, better communicators, and ultimately better leaders. This helpful guide demystifies the art of oral communication by breaking it down into ten easy-to-follow-processes that can improve the ability of professionals at any level. By the end of Engineered to Speak, you’ll understand how to gain buy-in, identify and expand your Sphere of Influence, amplify your message, deliver compelling presentations, and learn from those who’ve embrace these skills and enjoyed professional success.

ALEXA S. CHILCUTT, PHD, is an Associate Professor and Director of the Public Speaking Program at the University of Alabama and an Executive Education faculty member for Johns Hopkins Carey Business School. She has served as the Communication Instructor and developed curriculum for The University of Alabama's NSF Research Experience for Undergraduates program, "Fluid Mechanics with Analysis Using Computations and Experiments" (FM-ACE), from 2011-Present. Alexa and Adam provide professional development training for corporations.

ADAM J. BROOKS, PHD, is an Assistant Professor and Director of The Speaking Studio at the University of Alabama, Department of Communication Studies. He is also a two-time national champion speaker who has helped coach numerous presenters to national acclaim. His work has been recognized by the National Speech and Debate Association, and The National Forensic Association.

A Note From Series Editor xi

About the Authors xiii

Acknowledgments xv

PART I: RECOGNIZE COMMUNICATION OPPORTUNITIES

1 WHY THIS BOOK? 3

1.1 Why Now? 5

1.2 Managers 6

1.3 Engineers and Technical Professionals 6

1.4 Students 7

1.5 Embracing Your Power as a Presenter 7

1.6 How to Use this Book 8

1.7 Calls to Action 9

2 DEMYSTIFYING COMMUNICATION AND ENGINEERING 11

2.1 The Place to Start 12

2.2 Rejecting Stereotypes 13

2.3 Debunking the Myths 14

2.3.1 Myth 1: Good Communicators Are Not Anxious 14

2.3.2 Myth 2: Some People Are Naturally Great Speakers 15

2.3.3 Myth 3: Winging it Works 16

2.3.4 Myth 4: Need to Be the "Sage on Stage" 16

2.3.5 Myth 5: Data Is Supreme 17

2.3.6 Myth 6: Time - I Must Fill It 17

2.3.7 Myth 7: Extroverts Make Better Speakers 18

2.4 Calls to Action 18

2.4.1 Communication Assessment Questions 18

2.4.2 Level of Anxiety in Public Speaking Situations 19

2.4.3 Putting Knowledge into Practice 20

3 RECOGNIZING COMMUNICATION OPPORTUNITIES 23

3.1 The Sphere of Influence Model 24

3.1.1 Internal Interactions Quadrant 25

3.1.2 Leadership Interactions Quadrant 26

3.1.3 External Interactions Quadrant 27

3.1.4 Personal Interactions Quadrant 28

3.2 Communicating to Connect 28

3.3 Listening Hang�]Ups 29

3.4 Active Listening Tactics 31

3.4.1 Paraphrasing 31

3.4.2 Priming 31

3.4.3 Expressing Understanding 31

3.4.4 Use of Nonverbal Body Language 32

3.5 Putting it into Practice 32

3.6 Calls to Action 34

4 ASKING THE QUESTIONS 37

4.1 Asking the Questions 38

4.1.1 Who Am I Speaking to? 39

4.1.2 What Is the Purpose of My Presentation? 39

4.1.3 What Is the Desired Outcome? 39

4.1.4 What Information Matters Most? 40

4.1.5 Why Should they Care? 40

4.1.6 When Am I Speaking? 41

4.1.7 Where Am I Speaking? 41

4.1.8 How Should I Present? 41

4.2 Analyzing your Audience 42

4.2.1 Captive Verses Voluntary Audiences 42

4.2.2 Knowledge 43

4.2.3 Technical and Nontechnical Audiences 43

4.2.4 The Jargon Barrier 44

4.3 Competing for Attention 45

4.4 Opposing Viewpoints 46

4.5 Calls to Action 47

PART II: APPLY THE PROCESS

5 ORGANIZING AND OUTLINING YOUR PRESENTATION 51

5.1 Benefits of Organization – Decreasing Uncertainty 52

5.2 Engineering the Outline 52

5.2.1 Informational Organizational Pattern 53

5.2.2 Put it into Practice 54

5.2.3 Persuasive Organizational Patterns 56

5.2.4 Transitions 57

5.3 How to Begin your Presentation 57

5.4 How to Close your Presentation 59

5.5 Preparation Outline 60

5.6 Calls to Action 60

6 PERFECTING YOUR PITCH 63

6.1 Lead with Meaning 64

6.2 Start with an Essential Truth 64

6.3 Use Evidence to Tell your Story 65

6.3.1 Building Compelling Narratives 66

6.3.2 Applying the STAR Method 66

6.4 End with the Call to Action 68

6.5 Calls to Action 69

7 VISUALIZING YOUR MESSAGE 71

7.1 Understanding why Visuals Work 73

7.2 Designing your Slides 75

7.2.1 Storyboard Design 76

7.2.2 Keep it Simple 77

7.3 Handling Handouts 79

7.4 Physical Objects/Demonstrations 81

7.5 Real�]time Writing and Drawing 82

7.5.1 The White Board 82

7.5.2 The Flip Chart 83

7.6 Calls to Action 85

8 CREATING CHARISMA 87

8.1 Dynamic Delivery 88

8.2 The Voice 88

8.2.1 Tone 89

8.2.2 Volume 90

8.2.3 Rate 91

8.2.4 Pausing 91

8.2.5 Articulation 92

8.3 Body Language 94

8.3.1 Eye Contact 94

8.3.2 Gestures 95

8.3.3 Stance 96

8.3.4 Using the Space 97

8.4 Calls to Action 98

PART III: COMMIT TO IMPROVEMENT

9 PRACTICE, FEEDBACK, AND ANXIETY REDUCTION TECHNIQUES 103

9.1 Practice Makes Better, not Perfect 104

9.2 Giving and Receiving Feedback 107

9.2.1 Requesting Real Feedback 108

9.2.2 Providing Feedback to Others 110

9.3 Managing Anxiety Through Uncertainty Reduction Tactics 112

9.3.1 Get Outside of Yourself 112

9.3.2 The Audience Is There for You 113

9.4 Fielding Questions 114

9.4.1 Addressing Opposing Viewpoints 115

9.4.2 Stumped? 115

9.5 Calls to Action 116

10 PROFESSIONALLY SPEAKING 119

10.1 Embracing your Influence 120

10.2 Taking the Lead 121

10.3 Being Part of the Strategy 122

10.4 Breaking out of Bad 123

10.5 Reading the Signs 124

10.6 Listening 126

10.7 Finishing Strong 127

APPENDICES 129

Appendix A: Self-Assessments from Chapter 1 130

Appendix B: Sphere of Influence/Active listening from Chapter 3 132

Appendix C: Asking the Questions from Chapter 4 135

Appendix D: Organizing and Outline Your Presentation from Chapter 5 136

Appendix E: Perfecting Your Pitch from Chapter 6 141

Appendix F: Visualizing Your Message from Chapter 7 144

Appendix G: Creating Charisma from Chapter 8 147

Appendix H: Practice, Feedback, and Anxiety Reduction Techniques from Chapter 9 150

Appendix I: Ten Session Communication Curriculum 153

Index 169

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