Ch. 7 Mind Map

Ch. 7 Summary

Designing Oral Presentations

Ch. 7 is about oral presentations and how to go about them. Most people experience communication apprehension so that is very normal. The best way to relieve CA is to be prepared and know your speech very well. If you become very familiar with the material and your speech, it will reduce CA. There are four speech goals. Informative speeches, persuasive speeches, requesting speeches and entertainment/special occasion speeches. When doing an oral presentation, you should know who your audience is. This will help customize your speech to their specific needs. Also, using the right language is very important. This means speeches shouldn’t be too impersonal and dry. You should use personal pronouns and not be too formal. Contractions are good and sentences should be to the point and be idea focused. Your speech should begin with an introduction. This is a brief opening where you go over your main topic idea and give a good first impression. The main part of your speech is the body, which explains your main ideas, and gives supporting details. The conclusion should summarize your main point and close in way that your audience will connect with. Using electronic presentation software, like Powerpoint, can be helpful because they serve as visual aids that make the audience remember your speech better. There are four different speech delivery types. Impromptu, which is on the cuff. A manuscript speech where the speech is written word for word and read off. Extemporaneous speaking is planned but not memorized or written down. Only key ideas are outlined. And finally, a memorized speech is written and memorized fully so there is no manuscript in front of you. I found the strategies at the end of the chapter helpful for me personally. Like most, I get CA and the strategies seem like they would reduce my stress and tension before an oral presentation.

Ch. 6 Mind Map

Ch. 6 Summary - Designing Messages with Words

Chapter six is titled “Designing Messages with Words”. It is about verbal messages and how to be a better verbal communicator. Verbal communication is the use of any linguistic symbols - spoken, sign, or written - to accomplish message goals. So basically the majority of all communication. Everyone has a different verbal style, which is a person’s particular choice of words, phrase or sentence arrangements and the formality of expression they use. There are nine different verbal styles for different situations and purposes. All verbal communications are defined within a set of speech rules that people follow. There are grammatical rules, talking and interaction rules, social rules and semantical rules. If someone works in a specialized field or profession, they may use jargon, which is the specialized language in that field that denotes technical knowledge. Sometimes, language can be used in a limited way which opens the door for miscommunication and confusion. Some of these language limiters are, abstraction, bypassing, fact inference, misused words, euphemisms and adjective cramming. People also sometimes suffer from communication apprehension or CA. This is feeling anxious or uneasy when about to communicate with someone verbally. This can happen anytime, when about to speak to a large group of people or when about to speak to your boss perhaps. The factors that can lead to CA are, introversion, alienation, low self-esteem, cultural divergence, poor communication skills and communication incompetence. The author states that the key to reducing CA is preparation. I myself get very anxious when I have to speak in front of audiences. But I have noticed the more prepared I am, the less severe my anxiety. The author also talks about persuasion and how it is the process of attempting to influence people’s behavior, attitudes or beliefs. And an argument is the vehicle to do that through reasoning. For an argument to be persuasive, it must have reasons, evidence, behind it. Deductive reasoning goes from general to specific while inductive reasoning goes from specific to general. Ethos, pathos and logos are the Greek terms that describe the appeals one may use to get others to agree with them. Ethos is ethics, pathos is emotion and logos is logic. Overall, the chapter taught me to be a better communicator by choosing my words carefully and to flexible with my speaking style depending on the audience.

Ch. 5 Mind Map

Ch. 5 Summary

Business Communication
Chapter 5 Summary

Chapter Five is called “Creating and Using Meaning”. It is about the meaning of messages and communication and how different people give different meanings to the same message. Everyone looks at lets say a message, and can think of it in their own way. When I send a message to someone, I may think it will be understood the way I wanted it to be. But I can not be sure of that because someone else reading the message may give it different meaning due to the fact that he is looking at the world through his/her own eyes. That person may perceive it as something else. This is called the conveyor belt flaw. Messages have intended meaning and interpreted meaning. Intended meaning is the sender’s meaning while interpreted meaning is the receivers interpretation of the message. When a person interprets, they use their past experiences to analyze and connect the dots. Perception is sensing and understanding and organizing is categorizing and putting in order information. In the business setting, messages should be direct and to the point and not vague. In my own work experience, I use to send messages and not be clear as I could have been which caused problems. I learned the clearer and more direct I was, the better usually for everyone.

Ch. 4 Mind Map (Listening)