ENGL 012-TECHNICAL COMMUNICATIONS

LESSON 1. FUNDAMENTALS OF TECHNICAL COMMUNICATIONS

Technical communication is a broad field and includes any form of communication that
exhibits one or more of the following characteristics:
 Communicating about technical or specialized topics, such as computer
applications, medical procedures, or environmental regulations.
 Communicating by using technology, such as web pages, help files, or social
media sites.
 Providing instructions about how to do something, regardless of how technical
the task is or even if technology is used to create or distribute that
communication.
The value that technical communicators deliver is twofold: They make information more
useable and accessible to those who need that information, and in doing so, they
advance the goals of the companies or organizations that employ them. The following
examples illustrate the value of the products technical communicators produce or the
services they provide.
 Software instructions help users be more successful on their own, improving how
easily those products gain acceptance into the marketplace and reducing costs
to support them.
 Medical instructions help patients and care-providers manage a patient’s
treatment, improving the health of the patient while reducing costs and risks
associated with incorrect care.
 Functional specifications and proposals help one group of technical experts
communicate effectively with other technical experts, speeding up development
cycles, reducing rework caused by misunderstandings, and eliminating risks
associated with miscommunication.
 Training programs provide people with new or improved skills, making them more
employable and their organizations and products more efficient and safer.
 Well-designed websites make it easier for users to find information, increasing
user traffic to and satisfaction with those websites.
 Technical illustrations clarify steps or identify the parts of a product, letting users
focus on getting their task done quickly or more accurately.
 Usability studies uncover problems with how products present themselves to
users, helping those products become more user friendly.

The following is a partial list of the different jobs within technical communication:
 Technical Writers & Editors
 Indexers
 Information Architects
 Instructional Designers
 Technical Illustrators
 Globalization & Localization Specialists
 Usability & Human Factors Professionals
 Visual Designers
 Web Designers & Developers
 Teachers & Researchers of Technical Communication
 Trainers and E-Learning Developers
What all technical communicators have in common is a user-centered approach to
providing the right information, in the right way, at the right time to make someone’s life
easier and more productive. (https://www.stc.org/about-stc/defining-technical-
communication/)

Features of Technical Communication

 Features of Technical Communication

o Clarity

o Conciseness
o Objectivity
o Detail-oriented
o Use of visuals
o Audience-specific
o Compliance with standards & regulations
o Format and layout is precise and standardized

Any form of communication that can assist users to accomplish a specific task or goal is
considered technical communication. A technical communication’s main goal is to
assist users who need specific information on how to complete tasks, use products, or
operate equipment.

Features of
Technical Description
Communication

It is important to use language and terminology appropriate for the

Clarity intended audience in technical communication.

Information or details should not be sacrificed for conciseness in

Conciseness technical communication.

Objectivity, unbiased opinions, and facts should be the hallmarks of

Objectivity technical communication.

Often, technical communication contains specifications and instructions

Detail-oriented for use, as well as accurate and detailed information.

A diagram, an image, or a chart can help convey information more

Use of visuals effectively and complement written text in technical communication.

Technical communication should be tailored to the specific needs and

Audience-specific knowledge level of the intended audience, whether they are experts in
the field or non-experts.

Compliance with Information such as safety warnings and compliance certificates should
standards & be included in technical communications in accordance with applicable
standards and regulations.
regulations
Format and layout is In order to ensure consistency and ease of use, technical
precise and communication often follows specific format and layout guidelines.
standardized
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Distinction Between General and Technical Communication

General Communication Technical Communication

1. General communication conveys a 1. Technical communication conveys a
general message. technical message.
2. General communication is informal in 2. Technical communication is mostly
style and approach. formal.
3. General communication does not have 3. Technical communication follows a
a set pattern of communication. set pattern.
4. It is mostly oral. 4. Technical communication can be
done in both oral and written form.
5. General communication is not for 5. Technical communication is always
specific audience. for a specific audience.
6. General communication doesn’t use 6. Technical communication mostly
technical aids, jargons, tables, diagrams, involves jargon, graphs, tables.
graphics etc.
7. General communication aims at 7. Technical communication aims at
sharing and amusement. imparting information.
8. General communication has 8. Technical communication is brief and
diffuseness. concise.
9. General communication can be vague 9. Technical communication has clarity.
or ambiguous.
10. General communication is of 10. Technical communication is of
subjective nature. objective nature.
11. General communication can be 11. Technical communication has
pompous, decorative and bombastic. simplicity.
12. General communication is not 12. Technical communication is accurate
accurate and precise. and precise.
13. General communication related to life 13. Technical communication is related to
in general. specific field profession.
14. General communication does not 14. Technical communication has a fixed
have a fixed format. format.
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Language as a Tool of Communication

The basic knowledge of language is essential for understanding the intricacies of writing
and speaking skills. Language employs a combination of words to communicate ideas
in a meaningful way. By changing the order of words in a sentence, the meaning can
also be changed, or even made meaningless.

The images carried in the mind and the memories of these images shape the
individual’s thoughts and actions. No two persons can have the same or identical
viewpoints. Individuality is the sum of these myriad experiences. People use language
to give meaning to their experiences. Since language is not exact, many a time it leads
to misunderstanding.

Eminent linguists Noam Chomsky and Ferdinand de Saussure contend that language is
artificial, restricted, abstract, arbitrary, creative, repetitive, and recursive.

Language is Artificial: Language is not something natural. It has been created by

people. Human speech came into existence and meaning is attached to words. It does
not exist in isolation and every symbol is attached to a particular thought or thing, called
a referent. Quite often, there is no connection between the symbol and the thing.

Example: UNESCO (United Nat ions Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization)
as a name came to be recognized only after the organization was founded after World
War II.

Language is Restricted: Thoughts, when translated into language, lose some of their
meaning in the process. This is because of the restrictive nature of the language.
Sometimes it is difficult to express one’s feelings as words have limited expression
which is the reason for the restriction. Sometimes we cannot find words to express our
feelings. It is important that the language be used as accurately as possible.

Language is Abstract: It is an important feature as it makes generalization possible.

The abstraction in language makes it possible to categorize, making it easier to analyze
new information. An existing word takes many similar ideas. The users associate
meaning with words and symbols, which are expanded to include similar or other
objects.

Example: Shirt, trousers, t-shirt, etc. can all be generalized under the category- clothes.

Language is Arbitrary: There is no direct relationship between a word and the idea or
object it represents. Language keeps evolving to include new concepts and words.
Language has evolved as a cultural system of agreements in which each word was
agreed upon to mean something or a group of similar things. For example, there is no
relationship between the word ‘chair’ and the idea it represents.

Language is Creative: Language is creative in the sense new words are added in the
course of time. This is necessary because of social, cultural, and technological
changes. Hence, it is imperative that language should be able to encompass and give
meaning to new inventions. New words are added every year to English language and
find a place the updated versions of popular dictionaries.

Example: Telephone, mobile, I-pod, etc. are the recent additions to English as these
instruments were not known two centuries ago.

Language is Repetitive: Language suffers from redundancy or repetitions. In the same

sentence, there can be more than one word that refers to a plural noun. While in some
cases it would seem necessary, in other it adds to wordiness.

Example: There are many boys seated on the chairs. (Many, Boys and Chairs indicate
the presence of more than one.)
Language is Recursive: All languages contain some basic templates (structures) in
grammar. These structures can be used for a variety of expressions and sentences.
One can generate any number of sentences using the same basic grammatical
templates. The same structure can be repeated to make different sentences. Also, there
is no limit to the potential length of a sentence.

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Eight Dimensions of Communications

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Reading Comprehension
What is reading comprehension and why is it important?
“Real reading has to do with thinking, learning, and expanding a reader’s knowledge
and horizons. It has to do with building on past knowledge, mastering new information,
and connecting with the minds of those you’ve never met.”

Zimmerman, S. and Hutchins, C. (2003) Seven keys to comprehension: How to help

your kids read it and get it! New York: Three Rivers Press.

Reading comprehension is the ability to read text, process it and understand its
meaning. It relies on two, interconnected abilities: word reading (being able to decode
the symbols on the page) and language comprehension (being able to understand the
meaning of the words and sentences).
When we make sense of a text, however, we don’t just remember the exact words and
phrases we read. Rather, we form a mental model of what the text describes by
integrating the sense of the words and sentences into a meaningful whole, like a film
that plays in our head.

Good comprehension is vital if reading is to have a purpose, if a reader is to engage

with and learn from a text and, ultimately, if a reader is to enjoy what they’re reading.

For more information about the nature of comprehension, an excellent introduction is

provided by Understanding and Teaching Reading Comprehension: A handbook by
Jane Oakhill, Kate Cain and Carsten Elbro (Routledge, 2014).

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What is technical writing?

Technical writing is a form of communication that professionals use to convey

information about specialized topics. A technical writer might create content to provide
instructions or explain technical concepts regarding environmental regulations,
computer applications or medical procedures. Some of the most common industries that
rely on technical writing include:

 Engineering
 Computer software and hardware
 Robotics
 Chemistry
 Finance
 Consumer electronics
 Forestry
 Aeronautics
 Medical and healthcare
 Biotechnology

Examples of technical writing

Here are some prominent examples of technical writing:

 Instruction manuals
 E-learning content
 Product specifications
 Product descriptions
 Reports
 Press releases
 Business proposals
 Job descriptions
 Textbooks

A technical writer may be writing for a specific industry, in which case the language
tailors toward the education level of its audience. However, sometimes a technical writer
is writing for a general audience. Many of the details provided by technical writers are
complex, so the process of writing involves analyzing the information and presenting it
in a way that's easy for anyone reading it to understand, even someone who does not
have a lot of experience with the topic.

The Flow of Communications

Communication within a business can involve different types of employees and different
functional parts of an organization. These patterns of communication are called flows,
and they are commonly classified according to the direction of interaction: downward,
upward, horizontal, diagonal, external. As you learn about each of these, we will
discuss how these flows function at Little Joe’s Auto.

Downward Communication

When leaders and managers share information with lower-level employees, it’s called
downward, or top-down communication. In other words, communication from
superiors to subordinates in a chain of command is a downward communication. This
communication flow is used by the managers to transmit work-related information to the
employees at lower levels. Ensuring effective downward communication isn’t always
easy. Differences in experience, knowledge, levels of authority, and status make it
possible that the sender and recipient do not share the same assumptions or
understanding of context, which can result in messages being misunderstood or
misinterpreted. Creating clearly worded, unambiguous communications and maintaining
a respectful tone can facilitate effective downward communication.

Upward Communication

Upward communication is the transmission of information from lower levels of an

organization to higher ones; the most common situation is employees communicating
with managers. Managers who encourage upward communication foster cooperation,
gain support, and reduce frustration among their employees. The content of such
communication can include requests, estimations, proposals, complaints, appeals,
reports, and any other information directed from subordinates to superiors. Upward
communication is often made in response to downward communication; for instance,
when employees answer a question from their manager. In this respect, upward
communication is a good measure of whether a company’s downward communication is
effective.

The availability of communication channels affects employees’ overall satisfaction with

upward communication. For example, an open-door policy sends the signal to
employees that the manager welcomes impromptu conversations and other
communication. This is likely to make employees feel satisfied with their level of access
to channels of upward communication and less apprehensive about communicating with
their superiors. For management, upward communication is an important source of
information that can inform business decisions. It helps to alert management of
new developments, levels of performance, and other issues that may require their
attention.
Horizontal Communication

Horizontal communication, also called lateral communication, involves the flow of

messages between individuals and groups on the same level of an organization, as
opposed to up or down. Sharing information, solving problems, and collaborating
horizontally is often more timely, direct, and efficient than up or down communication,
since it occurs directly between people working in the same environment.
Communication within a team is an example of horizontal communication; members
coordinate tasks, work together, and resolve conflicts. Horizontal communication occurs
formally in meetings, presentations, and formal electronic communication, and
informally in other, more casual exchanges within the office.

When there are differences in style, personality, or roles among coworkers, horizontal
communication may not run smoothly. According to Professor Michael Papa, horizontal
communication problems can occur because of territoriality, rivalry, specialization, and
simple lack of motivation. Territoriality occurs when members of an organization regard
other people’s involvement in their area as inappropriate or unwelcome. Rivalry
between individuals or teams can make people reluctant to cooperate and share
information. Specialization is a problem that occurs when there is a lack of uniform
knowledge or vocabulary within or between departments. Finally, horizontal
communication often fails simply because organization members are unwilling to
expend the additional effort needed to reach out beyond their immediate team.

Diagonal Communication

Diagonal communication is the sharing of information among different structural levels

within a business. This kind of communication flow is increasingly the norm in
organizations (in the same way that cross-functional teams are becoming more
common), since it can maximize the efficiency of information exchange. The shortest
distance between two points is a straight line. Diagonal communication routes are the
straight lines that speed communications directly to their recipients, at the moment
communication is necessary. Communications that zigzag along horizontal and vertical
routes, on the other hand, are vulnerable to the schedules and availability of the
individuals who reside at each level.

External Communication

Another type of communication flow is external, when an organization communicates

with people or organizations outside the business. Recipients of external
communication include customers, lawmakers, suppliers, and other community
stakeholders. External communication is often handled by marketing and sales. Annual
reports, press releases, product promotions, financial reports are all examples of
external communication.

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Common Barriers to Effective Communication:

 The use of jargon. Over-complicated, unfamiliar and/or technical terms.

  Emotional barriers and taboos. Some people may find it difficult to express
their emotions and some topics may be completely 'off-limits' or taboo. Taboo or
difficult topics may include, but are not limited to, politics, religion, disabilities
(mental and physical), sexuality and sex, racism and any opinion that may be
seen as unpopular.
 Lack of attention, interest, distractions, or irrelevance to the receiver.
 Differences in perception and viewpoint.
 Physical disabilities such as hearing problems or speech difficulties.
 Physical barriers to non-verbal communication. Not being able to see the
non-verbal cues, gestures, posture, and general body language can make
communication less effective. Phone calls, text messages and other
communication methods that rely on technology are often less effective than
face-to-face communication.
 Language differences and the difficulty in understanding unfamiliar
accents.
 Expectations and prejudices which may lead to false assumptions or
stereotyping. People often hear what they expect to hear rather than what is
said and jump to incorrect conclusions.
 Cultural differences. The norms of social interaction vary greatly in different
cultures, as do the way in which emotions are expressed. For example, the
concept of personal space varies between cultures and between different social
settings.

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 LESSON 2. FORMS OF TECHNICAL COMMUNICATION
There are many different forms of technical communication. Some of these forms
are as follows:
 Television
 Radio
 Computer Programs
 Speeches
 Online Documents
 Manuals
 Email
Some of these forms are thought of more often, like manuals and email, when
thinking of technical communication. Other forms, such as television and radio, can
also be used to communicate technical communication.
Characteristics of Technical Communication
According to.Markel, technical communication has seven major characteristics,
and these.are shown below:
 Addresses particular readers.
 Helps readers solve problems.
 Reflects an organizations goals and culture.
 Is produced collaboratively.
 Uses design to increase readability.
 Consists of words or graphics or both.
 Is produced using high tech tools.
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Technical Report
1. Introduction

A technical report is a formal report designed to convey technical information in a clear

and easily accessible format. It is divided into sections which allow different readers to
access different levels of information.
2. Structure

A technical report should contain the following sections:

Section Details

Must include the title of the report. Reports for

assessment, where the word length has been specified,
Title page
will often also require the summary word count and the
main text word count

A summary of the whole report including important

Summary
features, results, and conclusions

Numbers and lists all section and subsection headings

Contents
with page numbers

States the objectives of the report and comments on the

way the topic of the report is to be treated. Leads straight
Introduction
into the report itself. Must not be a copy of the introduction
in a lab handout.

The sections which make Divided into numbered and headed sections. These
up the body of the report sections separate the different main ideas in a logical order

A short, logical summing up of the theme(s) developed in

Conclusions
the main text

Details of published sources of material referred to or

References quoted in the text (including any lecture notes and URL
addresses of any websites used.

Other published sources of material, including websites,

Bibliography not referred to in the text but useful for background or
further reading.

List of people who helped you research or prepare the

Acknowledgements
report, including your proofreaders

Any further material which is essential for full

understanding of your report (e. g. large scale diagrams,
Appendices (if appropriate)
computer code, raw data, specifications) but not required
by a casual reader
3. Presentation

For technical reports required as part of an assessment, the following presentation

guidelines are recommended:

The report must be printed single sided on white A4 paper. Handwritten or

Script
dot-matrix printed reports are not acceptable.

Margins All four margins must be at least 2.54 cm

Page Do not number the title, summary or contents pages. Number all other
numbers pages consecutively starting at 1

A single staple in the top left corner or 3 staples spaced down the left hand
Binding margin. For longer reports (e.g. year 3 project report) binders may be
used.

4. Planning the Report

The main stages of the writing process:

 Collect your information. Sources include laboratory handouts and lecture notes,
the University Library, the reference books, and journals in the Department office.
Keep an accurate record of all the published references which you intend to use
in your report, by noting down the following information;

Journal article:
author(s)
title of article
name of journal (italic or underlined)
year of publication
volume number (bold)
issue number, if provided (in brackets)
page numbers

Book:
author(s)
title of book (italic or underlined)
edition, if appropriate
publisher
year of publication

 Creative phase of planning. Write down topics and ideas from your researched
material in random order. Next arrange them into logical groups. Keep note of
topics that do not fit into groups in case they come in useful later. Put the groups
into a logical sequence which covers the topic of your report.
 Structuring the report. Using your logical sequence of grouped ideas, write out a
rough outline of the report with headings and subheadings.
5. Writing the First Draft

Who is going to read the report? For coursework assignments, the readers might be
fellow students and/or faculty markers. In professional contexts, the readers might be
managers, clients, project team members. The answer will affect the content and
technical level and is a major consideration in the level of detail required in the
introduction.

Begin writing with the main text, not the introduction. Follow your outline in terms of
headings and subheadings. Let the ideas flow; do not worry at this stage about style,
spelling or word processing. If you get stuck, go back to your outline plan and make
more detailed preparatory notes to get the writing flowing again.

Make rough sketches of diagrams or graphs. Keep a numbered list of references as

they are included in your writing and put any quoted material inside quotation marks.

Write the Conclusion next, followed by the Introduction. Do not write the Summary at
this stage.

6. Revising the First Draft

This is the stage at which your report will start to take shape as a professional, technical
document. In revising what you have drafted you must bear in mind the following,
important principle:

 The essence of a successful technical report lies in how accurately and concisely
it conveys the intended information to the intended readership.

During year 1, term 1 you will be learning how to write formal English for technical
communication. This includes examples of the most common pitfalls in the use of
English and how to avoid them. Use what you learn and the recommended books to
guide you. Most importantly, when you read through what you have written, you must
ask yourself these questions:

 Does that sentence/paragraph/section say what I want and mean it to say?

If not, write it in a different way.
 Are there any words/sentences/paragraphs which could be removed without
affecting the information which I am trying to convey?
If so, remove them.

7. Diagrams, Graphs, Tables and Mathematics

It is often the case that technical information is most concisely and clearly conveyed by
means other than words. Imagine how you would describe an electrical circuit layout
using words rather than a circuit diagram. Here are some simple guidelines:

Keep them simple. Draw them specifically for the report. Put small
Diagrams diagrams after the text reference and as close as possible to it. Think
about where to place large diagrams.
 For detailed guidance on graph plotting, see the 'guide to laboratory
Graphs
report writing'

Is a table the best way to present your information? Consider graphs, bar
charts or pie charts.
Dependent tables (small) can be placed within the text, even as part of a
Tables sentence.
Independent tables (larger) are separated from the text with table
numbers and captions. Position them as close as possible to the text
reference. Complicated tables should go in an appendix.

Only use mathematics where it is the most efficient way to convey the
information. Longer mathematical arguments, if they are really necessary,
Mathematics
should go into an appendix. You will be provided with lecture handouts on
the correct layout for mathematics.

8. The Report Layout

The appearance of a report is no less important than its content. An attractive, clearly
organized report stands a better chance of being read. Use a standard, 12pt, font, such
as Times New Roman, for the main text. Use different font sizes, bold, italic and
underline where appropriate but not to excess. Too many changes of type style can look
very fussy.

9. Headings

Use heading and sub-headings to break up the text and to guide the reader. They
should be based on the logical sequence which you identified at the planning stage but
with enough sub-headings to break up the material into manageable chunks. The use of
numbering and type size and style can clarify the structure as follows:

10. References to Diagrams, Graphs, Tables and Equations

 In the main text you must always refer to any diagram, graph or table which you
use.
 Label diagrams and graphs as follows;

Figure 1.2 Graph of energy output as a function of wave height.

In this example, the second diagram in section 1 would be referred to by "...see

figure 1.2..."
 Label tables in a similar fashion;

Table 3.1 Performance specifications of a range of commercially available

GaAsFET devices
 In this example, the first table in section 3 might be referred to by "...with
reference to the performance specifications provided in Table 3.1..."
 Number equations as follows;

F(dB) = 10*log10(F) (3.6)

In this example, the sixth equation in section 3 might be referred to by "...noise

figure in decibels as given by eqn (3.6)..."

11. Originality and Plagiarism

Whenever you make use of other people's facts or ideas, you must indicate this in the
text with a number which refers to an item in the list of references. Any phrases,
sentences or paragraphs which are copied unaltered must be enclosed in quotation
marks and referenced by a number. Material which is not reproduced unaltered should
not be in quotation marks but must still be referenced. It is not sufficient to list the
sources of information at the end of the report; you must indicate the sources of
information individually within the report using the reference numbering system.

Information that is not referenced is assumed to be either common knowledge or your

own work or ideas; if it is not, then it is assumed to be plagiarized i.e. you have
knowingly copied someone else's words, facts or ideas without reference, passing them
off as your own. This is a serious offense. If the person copied from is a fellow student,
then this offence is known as collusion and is equally serious. Examination boards can,
and do, impose penalties for these offences ranging from loss of marks to
disqualification from the award of a degree.

This warning applies equally to information obtained from the Internet. It is very easy for
markers to identify words and images that have been copied directly from web sites. If
you do this without acknowledging the source of your information and putting the words
in quotation marks then your report will be sent to the Investigating Officer and you may
be called before a disciplinary panel.

12. Finalizing the Report and Proofreading

Your report should now be nearly complete with an introduction, main text in sections,
conclusions, properly formatted references and bibliography and any appendices. Now
you must add the page numbers, contents and title pages and write the summary.

13. The Summary

The summary, with the title, should indicate the scope of the report and give the main
results and conclusions. It must be intelligible without the rest of the report. Many
people may read, and refer to, a report summary but only a few may read the full report,
as often happens in a professional organization.

 Purpose - a short version of the report and a guide to the report.

 Length - short, typically not more than 100-300 words
 Content - provide information, not just a description of the report.
14. Proofreading

This refers to the checking of every aspect of a piece of written work from the content to
the layout and is an absolutely necessary part of the writing process. You should
acquire the habit of never sending or submitting any piece of written work, from email to
course work, without at least one and preferably several processes of proofreading. In
addition, it is not possible for you, as the author of a long piece of writing, to proofread
accurately yourself; you are too familiar with what you have written and will not spot all
the mistakes.

When you have finished your report, and before you staple it, you must check it very
carefully yourself. You should then give it to someone else, e.g. one of your fellow
students, to read carefully and check for any errors in content, style, structure and
layout. You should record the name of this person in your acknowledgements.

15. Word Processing / Desktop Publishing

Advantages Disadvantages

Word processing and desktop publishing

Word processing and desktop publishing
packages offer great scope for endless
packages never make up for poor or
revision of a document. This includes
inaccurate content
words, word order, style and layout.

They can waste a lot of time by slowing

They allow for the incremental production
down writing and distracting the writer with
of a long document in portions which are
the mechanics of text and graphics
stored and combined later
manipulation.

They can be used to make a document Excessive use of 'cut and paste' leads to
look stylish and professional. tedious repetition and sloppy writing.

If the first draft is word processed, it can

They make the process of proofreading look so stylish that the writer is fooled
and revision extremely straightforward into thinking that it does not need
proofreading and revision!

Two useful tips:

 Do not bother with style and formatting of a document until the penultimate or
final draft.
 Do not try to get graphics finalized until the text content is complete.

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techreportwriting

The Seven C’s of Effective Writing

If the purpose of writing is communication, then all writers need to be clear, coherent,
complete, concise, consistent, correct, and credible.
1. Be clear

It is important to be clear about your intention in writing and your purpose in

communicating with your readers. For example, scientific, medical, and technical
publications may be complex and detailed, but that is no excuse for muddiness. As
Strunk and White say in The Elements of Style, if you must be obscure, ‘Be obscure
clearly!’ Remove obstacles between you, the writer, and what you want to say.

C-tip for clarity – If writing is unclear, it may need to be taken apart and put back
together; a long sentence may need to be divided into two shorter sentences.

2. Be coherent

Is the writing logical and does it make sense and express your meaning, without gaps
and contradictions? Do the headings flow in a meaningful sequence that makes them
easy to follow? Are all the points connected and is the flow and tone of the writing
appropriate?

C-tip for coherence – Look at grammar, punctuation, spelling and choice of words. Do
the words say what you, the writer, want to communicate? Are there any points that are
repetitious, confusing or ambiguous?

3. Be complete

Does the writing include all the steps in the argument so that it is easy for the reader to
follow? Are all the loose ends tied up in the story? Have all the references been
included? Do all the illustrations have matching captions?

C-tip for completeness – Check that your readers have everything they need to be
informed and prepared for action, if required.

4. Be concise

When you are being concise, unnecessary words and phrases are deleted or replaced
with a simpler version – for example, ‘the fact that’ or ‘the reason why is that’, can be
replaced with ‘because’. Remove filler words, such as, ‘definitely’, ‘basically’ and ‘kind
of’. You can go too far in deleting words, leaving a minimal, pared back version of the
text. Would John Lewis be better to edit their slogan, ‘Never knowingly undersold’ as
‘Never undersold’? Probably not! Too much deletion sucks life out of the writing.

C-tip for conciseness – Aim to avoid wordiness and make every word count. A useful
guide is that the active voice is more concise than the passive voice, and a positive
expression is more concise than a negative expression.

5. Be consistent

Is your writing well-organized and consistent? If your writing is inconsistent, readers

may doubt the accuracy and reliability of your facts. How are numbers, capitalization,
italicization, quotations, hyphens, and references being used? How many levels of
headings and sub-headings are there? What rules of grammar, punctuation and spelling
are being applied?

C-tip for consistency – Follow a house style or style sheet that lists conventions for
spellings, capital letters, date format, numbers, units, and references. Engage an editor
to check the application of the house style or create a style sheet for your project.

6. Be correct

Correct communication is free from mistakes and errors and is easily understood by
your readers. Thorough research and fact checking ensure that writing is honest and
accurate. If you are using technical terms, are they known to your readers or do they
need further explanation?

C-tip for correctness – Even the most experienced writers miss errors and typos.
Engage an editor or proofreader to check your grammar, spelling, and punctuation.

7. Be credible

If you are not known to your readers, does this piece of writing enhance your
reputation? Common advice to aspiring writers is to write about what you know. If you
are in unfamiliar territory – for example, if you are writing in a different historical period –
have you completed thorough research so that there are no distracting inaccuracies?

C-tip for credibility – It is essential to do your research and ask a content expert to
check your facts.

You may come across additional Cs, such as concrete, courteous and creative.

 concrete – does your writing stick to the facts and give details to enliven the
message?
 courteous – is your communication friendly, open and honest? Do you write with
the reader in mind?
 creative – does your message communicate creatively to keep your readers
engaged?

Using the seven Cs as a checklist for your writing helps you to communicate effectively.
This ensures that you stay clear, coherent, complete, concise, correct and credible.

‘Writing is long periods of thinking and short periods of writing’ Ernest Hemingway

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Resume vs. Curriculum Vitae: What's the Difference?

What Is a Curriculum Vitae?

A curriculum vitae (CV) provides a summary of your experience and skills. Typically,
CVs for entry-level candidates are longer than resumes—at least two or three pages.
CVs for mid-level candidates who have amassed numerous publications tend to run
much longer.

Note

CVs include extensive information on your academic background, including teaching

experience, degrees, research, awards, publications, presentations, and other
achievements.

CVs are lengthier than resumes and include more information, particularly details
related to one’s academic and research background.2

A curriculum vitae summary is a one-to-two-page, condensed version of a full

curriculum vitae. A CV summary is a way to quickly and concisely convey one’s skills
and qualifications. Sometimes large organizations will initially ask for a one-page CV
summary when they expect a large pool of applicants.

What to Include in Your Curriculum Vitae

Your curriculum vitae should include your name, contact information, education, skills,
and experience.

In addition to the basics, a CV includes research and teaching experience, publications,

grants and fellowships, professional associations and licenses, awards, and other
information relevant to the position you are applying for.

Note

Start by making a list of all your background information, and then organize it into
categories.
What Is a Resume?
A resume provides a summary of your education, work history, credentials, and other
accomplishments and skills.1 There are also optional sections, including a resume objective and
a career summary statement.

Note

Resumes are the most common document requested of applicants in job applications.

A resume should be as concise as possible. Typically, a resume is one page long, although
sometimes it can be as long as two or three pages.3

Note

Resumes often include bulleted lists to keep information concise.

Resumes come in a few types, including chronological, functional, and combination formats.
Select a format that best fits the type of job you are applying for.4
https://www.thebalancemoney.com/cv-vs-resume-2058495
Engineering Technical Reports

Introduction
Technical reports include various types of "technical" information. For example, if you need to
report why a design or piece of equipment failed, you'd write a forensic report. Or, you might
have to write about a design you created. Then, you'd produce a design report or, you may need
to combine these two. Many report types are classified as technical reports. You should always
determine what information you need to convey and who your audience is before you start
writing.

Technical reports present facts and conclusions about your designs and other projects. Typically,
a technical report includes research about technical concepts as well as graphical depictions of
designs and data. A technical report also follows a strict organization. This way, when other
engineers read what you write, they can quickly locate the information that interests them the
most.

Audience
As a student, you might assume that your technical report's audience is your instructor, however,
this may not always be the case. Your instructor may ask you to produce a report for your peers
or for other engineers. However, you shouldn't always assume that your audience has a strong
engineering background or is familiar with the engineering terminology you use. Always check
with your instructor to know who your audience is.

As an engineer in the field, the most likely audience for the technical reports you produce is
other engineers with a background similar to yours. This audience is more likely to understand
the terminology you use. However, you should always evaluate who your readers will be before
assuming they will understand your jargon. Consider how your readers will use your report. For
instance, you might submit a technical report to a publication or your technical report may
present a specific design. The audiences in each situation have different needs. Audiences may
read the publication for information and insight while audiences reading about your specific
design may critique your design or make decisions based on its content.

General Format
Technical Reports have an organized format because a majority of your audience may not read
the entire report in one reading. This specific format allows readers to quickly locate the
information they need.

Most technical reports include the parts listed below. However, you may be required to include
or exclude specific sections. Be sure to check with your instructor before using the format
outlined here.
Transmittal Letter

Transmittal letters often accompany reports and inform readers of a report's context. Typically,
the letter includes information not found in the report. For example, the letter contains
information about the particular project and/or due dates. A Transmittal Letter is a business letter
and should be formatted accordingly; that is, you should include the recipient's address, your
address, a salutation and closing. Depending on the project, you may also need to include contact
information. Always check with your instructor to determine whether or not you should attach a
transmittal letter to your report.

Title Page

A technical report should always include a title clearly identifying the report. A title should be
descriptive and accurate, but not wordy, verbose or too terse.

Abstract

The Abstract is extremely important because it helps readers decide what to read and what to
pass over. The idea of the Abstract is to give readers an honest evaluation of the report's content,
so they can quickly judge whether they should spend their valuable time reading the entire
report. This section should give a true, brief description of the report's content. The most
important purpose of the Abstract is to allow somebody to get a quick picture of the report's
content and make a judgment.

Since an Abstract is a brief summary of your report, its length corresponds with the report's
length. So, for example, if your report is eight pages long, you shouldn't use more than 150
words in the Abstract. Generally, Abstracts define the report's purpose and content.

Executive Summary

Typically, Executive Summaries are written for readers who do not have time to read the entire
technical report. An executive summary is usually no longer than 10% of the report. It can be
anywhere from 1-10 pages long, depending on the report's length. In the executive summary, you
should summarize the key points and conclusions from your report. You might include an
executive summary with your report, or the summary can be a separate document.

Some reports only include an abstract while others include an executive summary. Always check
with your instructor to determine which to include or if you should include both.

Table of Contents

A Table of Contents includes all the headings and subheadings in your report and the page
numbers where each of these begins. When you create a Table of Contents, one of the most
important decisions you have to make involves design. A good Table of Contents distinguishes
headings from subheadings and aligns these with the appropriate page numbers. This also means
you should pay attention to capitalization, spacing, and indentation.
List of Figures & List of Tables

These two separate lists assist readers in locating your photos, drawings, tables, graphs and
charts. Like the Table of Contents, you need to present both of these in an organized, appealing
format. Typically, you can shorten a figure or table's title when you create these lists.

Report Body

In a technical report, the body typically presents an Introduction, various other sections,
depending on your topic, and a Conclusion. Throughout the body, you should include text (both
your own and research from other sources), graphics, and lists. Whenever you cite information or
use graphics from another source, you must credit these sources within your text. Check with
your instructor to know which reference style to use.

References

Whenever you cite information (this includes graphics) from another source, you must credit the
source in your References. Always check with your instructor to determine which reference style
to use.

Appendices

Appendices include information that is too large to fit within your report, yet information
necessary to your report. For example, large graphics, computer print-outs, maps, or sample
codes are best placed in Appendices. When making decisions about what to place in an
Appendix, consider whether or not the material interrupts the reading flow. For instance, six
pages of calculations would obviously cause readers to loose their train of thought. Appendices
always appear at the end of a report.

Example Technical Report

As you read the example, keep in mind that this technical report was a requirement for CE208 at
Colorado State University. The course instructor, Dr. Tom Siller, commented on this document.
Other instructors or job situations may have different opinions or require a different format.
Transmittal Letter

December 12, 1996

Dr. Tom Siller

Colorado State University
Fort Collins, CO 80524

Dear Mr. Siller:

We are submitting to you the report, due December 13, 1996, that you requested. The report is
entitled CSU Performing Arts Center. The purpose of the report is to inform you of our design
decisions for the center. The content of this report concentrates on the structural and acoustical
aspects of the CSU Performing Arts Center. This report also discusses cable-stayed technology.
If you should have any questions concerning our project and paper please feel free to contact
Mike Bridge at 491-5048.

Sincerely,
Mike Bridge
Lead Engineer

Instructor Comments

This is not a very good business letter. In a business letter, you typically present your own
address in addition to the receiver's address. Also, my address is incomplete. They need to
include "Department of Civil Engineering." And what about a logo? Letterhead? Typically,
businesses have letterhead.

Another problem is that the contact phone number is buried in the text. This makes it easy to
miss. A good idea is to list the contact phone number under your title at the bottom.
This letter should also provide a context for the project, "This final project was completed for CE
208…" In other words, this project represents your last say; no more is coming.

Title Page
CSU Performing Arts Center

MASK Engineering
Fort Collins, Colorado
Group 9

Project Engineers: Mike Bridge

Alice Lake
Simon Civil
Karen Nuclear

Instructor Comments

The title page here is missing key information. There should be date and client name (That'd be
me!). A client in this environment is the class. For instance, you might say, "submitted for" or
"to," something of that nature.

The format looks good. I like the use of bold in spots. It highlights the text.

It's also good that they identified themselves with the group.

Abstract

Abstract

MASK Engineering has designed a performing arts center for the CSU campus in order to
provide a complex that will better serve the campus and the community. This facility will not
only improve the performing arts programs on campus, but will encourage students and
community members to attend more cultural events in Fort Collins. The capacity of the new
facility will exceed that of existing structures on campus, and the quality of sound and aesthetics
will be improved. Some of the features included are a large performing hall, a coffee shop, a
banquet hall, and a recording studio. The total area of the complex is 56,500 square feet split into
three levels.

Instructor Comments

This abstract summarizes the accomplishments of the project and what it will do. It also
summarizes some of the actual design and indicates that it's going to include a performing hall,
coffee shop, banquet hall, and recording studio.

The writing, however, could be a little tighter in my opinion. The first sentence looks like it's
around 20 words long. First of all, that whole expression "will better service the Campus and the
Community" doesn't mean anything. What does "better serve" mean? And so, I look at
something like that and say, "Mask Engineering has designed a new Performing Arts Center that
will meet the needs of the theater community," or something more specific.

And then the second sentence is typical. It gives the particular vehicle for doing the programs. It
implies the facility improves programs, and I'm not sure that's quite the right subject in a
sentence like that. There's no point in a "but" here. It will do this and this; it's not a contrast.
They're not contrasting anything. And so, there are some grammatical problems here. I think
these kinds of grammatical problems come up because students don't read carefully. They write
it. To avoid this construction, read it sentence by sentence and say, "What does this sentence
accomplish for me?" And you can see that this sentence structure doesn't accomplish; it implies
there's a contrast, well, there is no contrast.

Then the abstract gets stronger. "The capacity of the new facility will exceed that," so they get
very specific. "The quality, sound and ascetics will be improved. Some of the features included
are this." They're very good at being descriptive and saying this, this and this. The struggle I
think engineering students have is the motivational lead-in to their material. They're more
comfortable at the descriptive aspect of their material.

Acknowledgments

Acknowledgments

MASK Engineering would like to thank Dr. Michael Schaff of the CSU Music Department and
Ms. Annie Cleveland from the CSU Theater Department for their expertise and input for the
CSU Performing Arts Center. We would also like to thank Dr. Tom Siller for his aid in our
research and use of his research materials.

Excecutive Summary

Introduction

Our main goal was to design a Performing Arts Center for the CSU campus that would blend
well with the rest of the campus. To achieve this goal, our group split into two smaller groups;
Alice in one and Simon, Mike, and Karen in the other. Alice concentrated on acoustical aspects
of the complex. Simon, Mike, and Karen concentrated on the structural plans.

Location

In this section, we specify the exact location of the structure and why we believe it is a prime
location.

Cable-stayed Technology

Here, we present our rationale for using cable-stayed technology. We base this technology on
several other existing structures.

Main Hall Acoustics

One of the key characteristics of a concert hall that greatly influences sound quality, is its
reverberation time (the time before the decay of the reflected sound). In the construction of the
main hall for the CSU Performing Arts Center a balance will be determined that will create a
reverberation time of two seconds, as independent of audience size as possible.

Materials

In this section, we discuss the materials to be used. Retractable banners will be built into the
ceiling, and can be lowered to create this effect. Cloth seats will be used as they best assimilate
an occupied audience area ( Beranek 1962 ). This allows sound within the hall to be independent
of audience size. The low sound absorbency of plaster also makes it ideal for the creation of the
desired reverberation time of two seconds.

Design Considerations
The intensity of the direct sound should not be too weak, but at the same time, it must not
become uncomfortably loud. This problem will be dealt with by limiting the length of the room,
and by designing the surfaces above and around the stage to project the sound evenly throughout
the concert hall. Another problem arises with the seats placed under a balcony. To prevent a
muddiness within the sound, the depth under the balcony should not exceed the height of the
opening beneath the balcony.

Floor Plans

The Colorado State University Performing Arts Center consists of three levels. The total area of
the complex is 56,500 square feet. The basement and ground floors consist of 20,500 square feet
apiece. The second floor has a square footage of 15,500.

Conclusion

During the duration of the project, we accomplished our goal of designing a Performing Arts
Center for the CSU campus that would blend well with the rest of the campus. A cable-stayed
support system for the roof will allow for a compact facility and an unobstructed view for
patrons. In order to achieve the best acoustical results in the main performance hall, we have
designed a rectangular hall made of plaster. We have also designed the hall so that the depth
under the balcony does not exceed the height of the opening beneath the balcony. The total area
of the complex will be 56,500 square feet split into three levels. The main hall will have a seating
capacity of 1,200.

Instructor Comments

Introduction: You don't need to summarize the paper's introduction since the introduction is
generally an overview to the whole report. In other words, don't summarize what you're going to
summarize.

Executive Summary: This summary is too short compared to the report's length.

Location: This information doesn't tell me squat. They should have said something like, "This
report presents the location at the northwest corner of the Oval as being the ideal location. The
motivation for this decision is documented in this section." This is a summary. Summaries
should inform me; they shouldn't tell me what I'm being told.

Main Hall Acoustics: This section is more informative. Here, they tell me the key
characteristics influencing sound quality. As for the phrase "It will be determined," well, hasn't it
already been determined? They should have written, "In the construction of the main hall for the
CSU Performing Arts Center, a balance of x was defined. This creates a reverberation time of
two seconds." You need to positively say what's been done. In other words, you did this, you
designed it.

Conclusion: You should only summarize the conclusion if it's really a conclusion and not a
summary. By this I mean have you come to a conclusion? Based on everything you've done,
have you made conclusions or recommendations and not summarized what you've covered in the
report?
Table of Contents

Table of Contents

Acknowledgments................................i

Abstract..............................................ii

Executive Summary.............................iii

List of Figures..................................iv

List of Tables....................................v

Introduction.........................................1

Location..............................................3

Cable-Stayed Technology.....................5

Acoustics............................................8

Floor Plans........................................12

Conclusion........................................16

References.......................................17

Instructor Comments

First of all, I like the dots that make the visual connection. This report does not go into much in
the way of subsections, and so from that standpoint, it is probably appropriate not to number the
sections. This table of contents doesn't use subsections, which is adequate for the length of this
project. I'm expecting a more detailed table of contents this year. I'd like to see further
subsections on ideas. That helps writing be more organized.

Example of Table of Contents with Subsections:

1.0 Introduction..........

1.1 Background...........
1.2 Significance of Load and Compression Force.........
1.2.1 Load...........
1.2.2 Compression Force............

Here, the main topics are at one level, then indented to the next level. And they're just great
visual clues. One of the purposes of the table of contents is to give readers a visual map of the
document. They can look at this before they start reading and know where things fit. Writers
need to think of a table of contents as providing a mental map for readers.

List of Figures

List of Figures

Figure 2.1

map of campus.................................4

Figure 3.1

bridge diagram.................................6

Figure 3.2

building diagram...............................6

Figure 3.3

Alamodome......................................7

Figure 4.1

balcony design...............................11

Figure 5.1

basement level floor plan.................13

Figure 5.2

ground level floor plan.....................14

Figure 5.3

second level floor plan....................15

Instructor Comments

The captions on this list are weak, and this is obvious because of the phrases, "Map of Campus,"
"Bridge Diagram." There's no use of capitalization because they're just phrases. This is a
balancing act. You don't want to write long sentences, but you don't want to write something
that's so vague readers aren't certain what it means. For example, a reader might ask "What
campus?" The students are obviously thinking in their own minds of one campus, CSU. They
need to think beyond that. One of the things I try to impress on students in figures and tables too,
is that sometimes these will be pulled out of your report. And so now, they're out of context.
You've got to balance giving enough information, so someone can interpret it when it's out of the
context of the existing report. Captions should not be so overly verbose that you've got a
paragraph. I think a figure caption should be about one line at the most. At times captions may
get a little longer, but I find those distracting.

Report Body

Introduction

The purpose of designing a performing arts center on the CSU campus is to provide adequate
capacity and higher quality of sound and aesthetics as compared to the existing structures in the
region. Factors that MASK Engineering considered included accessibility, cost effectiveness,
location, and an efficient use of space. Our intent was to preserve the open space of the CSU
campus and to design the complex in such a manner that it will blend well with its surrounding
environment.

We at MASK Engineering believe that this project will greatly benefit both the CSU campus and
the surrounding Fort Collins community. Such a facility will lead to the improvement of the
performing arts programs on campus. It will directly affect the students and professors in the
music, theater. and dance programs at the university, eventually increasing enrollment in these
disciplines. There are approximately 230 students in the performing arts programs at CSU right
now. The amount of space that is available to these students is inadequate for their performances.
The construction of this complex will not only provide them with the space they need, but will
also continue the growth of these programs, making CSU a leader in the education of the
performing arts.

These changes at the university will result in a heightened cultural awareness in the community.
Currently, community events are held at the Lincoln Center, while CSU sponsored events are
held at the Lory Student Center theater. A new facility will bring community and university
events together and will allow a greater variety of outside events to be brought to Fort Collins.
The location of this complex on campus will bring a greater number of students to these events
due to the elimination of transportation problems.

MASK Engineering has focused on the structural and acoustical aspects of the CSU Performing
Arts Center, while hiring other firms to handle the parking, mechanical and electrical operation,
and utilities. A cable-stayed support system has been chosen, and a floor plan has been drawn up
that will produce the best acoustical results. A. L. handled the acoustical aspects of the complex,
while S.C., K.N., and M.B. concentrated on the structural plans. We are planning for the
construction of this complex to begin within the next few years.

Location

The site chosen for the Colorado State University Performing Arts Center is the plot of land upon
which Green Hall now stands (Figure 1). This area was chosen primarily for its location on the
CSU campus and its proximity to the downtown area. Green Hall is a condemned building and is
not currently used for anything beyond university storage. Some office space has been granted to
the branch of the CSUPD dealing with parking violations, but this department could easily move
back to its old location at Aylesworth Hall. Our firm believes that this space would be better used
as a home for the performing arts than as the site of a crumbling warehouse.

We have considered possible disturbances that the construction of the performing arts center on
this plot might cause. Due to the close proximity of Green Hall to Allison Hall and Parmelee
Hall, we have decided to begin construction early in the summer, after classes have ended. Green
Hall will be torn down first, and construction of the performing arts center will begin
immediately. This will allow us a good start on the project while students are not living in the
nearby residence halls. According to the front desk at Braiden Hall, which is located near the
Morgan Library construction site, residents do not have a problem with noise and there have
been no complaints of disturbances. MASK Engineering believes that this will be the case for the
residents in Allison and Parmelee when they return in the fall as the performing arts center is
finished.

Figure 2.1

Map of campus - circled area represents site where Green Hall currently stands

Cable-stayed Technology

A cable-stayed support system was chosen for the design of the CSU Performing Arts Center.
One reason for choosing this system was to allow for a more compact facility because the space
available on campus was limited. Another reason was to give patrons an unobstructed view of
events by eliminating the need for columns.

The original use of cable-stayed technology was seen in bridges. German engineers established
the design of cable-stayed bridges in the 1950's and 1960's. This technology was eventually
adapted to buildings, using cables to support the roof. Each tower is buttressed by two sets of
cables, transferring the load into the ground. Without a roof load to support, columns are not
needed in the complex and the space can be used in more ways.

The concept behind cable-stayed technology is to have the supporting reactions to the load
directed in only vertical directions as opposed to vertical and horizontal. It also eliminates any
tension and/or compression force (Figures 3.1 and 3.2) . For a building, the load of the roof is
directed through the cables, to the towers, and down to the ground. The walls do not support the
roof as they normally would; only the cables are used to hold up the roof. An example of a cable-
stayed building is the Alamodome, a multipurpose stadium in San Antonio, Texas (Figure 3.3).
Our model is based on this design.
Figures 3.1-3.2
 Figure 3.3

Main Hall Acoustics

Background
One of the key characteristics of a concert hall that greatly influences sound quality, is its
reverberation time (the time before the decay of the reflected sound ). For orchestral or band
music, the ideal reverberation time is approximately two seconds. Any times approaching 1.6
seconds will lead toward a dry, dead sound ( Beranek 1962 ). The other extreme is a time that is
too long. This causes the music to lose its clarity, an excessive loudness, and the blending of
incompatible chords ( Beranek 1962 ). A hall's reverberation time can be affected by such things
as the volume of the room or the number of people in the audience. In the construction of the
main hall for the CSU Performing Arts Center a balance will be determined that will create a
reverberation time of two seconds, as independent of audience size as possible.

Sound quality is also greatly determined by the warmth of the sound. Warmth is determined by
the fullness of the bass tones. If the middle frequencies of a sound have longer reverberation
times than the low tones, then the sound will become brittle (Beranek 1962 1).

Materials
Table 4.1 gives the absorption coefficients of different frequencies for common surfaces. It
shows that materials such as heavy curtains or thick carpet absorb are the ideal choice for
decreasing the intensity of higher frequencies. This leads to the production of a more full, warm
sound. Retractable banners will be built into the ceiling, and can be lowered to create this effect.
Cloth seats will be used as they best assimilate an occupied audience area ( Beranek 1962 ). This
allows sound within the hall to be independent of audience size. The low sound absorbance of
plaster also makes it ideal for the creation of the desired reverberation time of two seconds.

Design considerations
The intensity of the direct sound should not be too weak, but at the same time, it must not
become uncomfortably loud. This problem will be dealt with by limiting the length of the room,
and by designing the surfaces above and around the stage to project the sound evenly throughout
the concert hall. Another problem arises with the seats placed under a balcony. To prevent a
muddiness within the sound, the depth under the balcony should not exceed the height of the
opening beneath the balcony, as shown in figure 4.1 ( Beranek 1962 ).
Table 4.1
Absorption coefficients of different frequencies for main hall surfaces

Frequency ( Hz )

Surface 125 250 500 1000 2000 4000

heavy fabric 0.14 0.36 0.57 0.72 0.70 0.62

heavy carpet on concrete 0.02 0.06 0.16 0.37 0.59 0.64

cloth seats 0.44 0.60 0.76 0.87 0.80 0.70

plaster on brick 0.01 0.01 0.01 0.02 0.04 0.06

Table based on: Beranek, L. 1966. Music, Acoustics, & Architecture. John Wiley and Sons, Inc.,
New York.

Figure 4.1
Balcony design

Figure based on: Beranek, L. 1966. Music, Acoustics, & Architecture. John Wiley and Sons,
Inc., New York.

Floor Plans

The Colorado State University Performing Arts Center consists of three levels. The total area of
the complex is 56,500 square feet. The basement and ground floors consist of 20,500 square feet
apiece. The second floor has a square footage of 15,500.

The basement level of this center (Figure 5.1 ) includes two main dressing rooms with shower
facilities as well as four private dressing rooms with individual restrooms for guest performers.
The mechanical room for the building will be in the basement, housing such devices as the
heating, ventilating, and air conditioning equipment as well as the mechanics for the elevator. A
spacious performers' lounge has also been added in to the basement to provide a relaxing
environment for the center's performers.

The building's main floor (Figure 5.2 ) includes the main performance hall as well as a small
rehearsal hall. The main hall is 5,000 square feet and has a seating capacity of 1,200. A coffee
shop and art lounge have been included in this plan for the enjoyment and convenience of the
patrons. A large classroom is provided for dance classes as well as rehearsals. Sufficient office
space is included adjacent to the center's box office.

The top floor of the CSU Performing Arts Center (Figure 5.3 ) includes a walk- around balcony
overlooking the main lobby as well as a balcony for the main performance hall. An elevator is
provided for travel between the first and second floors. A recording studio is also located on this
floor as an added bonus.

Figure 5.1
Basement level floor plan
 Figure 5.2 Ground Level

Figure 5.3 Second level floor plan

Conclusion

In conclusion, MASK Engineering has carefully planned out the details of the proposed CSU
Performing Arts Center. This facility will be a benefit to the performing arts programs at CSU,
the students and faculty of CSU, as well as the members of the community. It will allow for the
improvement of programs in the area and growth of interest in cultural events. The site of Green
Hall will be accessible to both students and the community, and will use the space on campus
most efficiently, preserving the green areas. A cable-stayed support system for the roof will
allow for a compact facility and an unobstructed view for patrons. In order to achieve the best
acoustical results in the main performance hall, we have designed a rectangular hall made of
plaster. We have also designed the hall so that the depth under the balcony does not exceed the
height of the opening beneath the balcony. The total area of the complex will be 56,500 square
feet split into three levels. The main hall will have a seating capacity of 1,200. The facility
contains necessary rooms to accommodate the performers, and several rooms to make the visit of
the patrons more enjoyable.

Instructor Comments

Introducton:

The one thing lacking in this introduction is a good, brief description of their design. The
discussion about the benefits, etc. are not clear to me without first hearing what their solution is.

They do a good job of discussing the motivation for their project.

I personally like the introduction to end with a brief description of what the remaining portions
of the report contain.

A little more background and possibly a map would help this discussion. DO NOT assume your
reader is as familiar with this as you are.

Figure 2.1: With this figure, I'm not certain whether or not this is the caption or part of the title
of the figure. This says, "Map of Campus, circle area represents the site where Green Hall
currently stands." That mixes what it is. A revised caption would read something like "Map of
CSU Campus Indicating Proposed Site Location."

The map also borders on plagiarism. When you take a figure from someone else's work, you put
in the caption "from" and you list the document and that document better be in the references.
And it's not "based on," it's "from." And that's a subtlety you need to learn. There's a distinction
between something that is "from." To get permission to use this map, the writers would have to
get copyright approval from the source. If they based it on, if they've redrawn the figure and
they've used this map as a source, then they should, even at that point say, "based on," or "the
CSU Map is from such and such source, page such and such, dated such and such." It needs to be
a complete reference.

Another problem is that by looking at this map, I can't read a darn thing from it. I know that's the
Oval. And I know the Weber building because I live in it. But the scale is so off, and the
reproduction is so bad that they should have made the decision to either find a better original or
not used it at all.

They should also include an arrow to Green Hall. The circle's not quite sufficient. The Oval isn't
that different from the circle. Part of the problem is that the scale is wrong. I shouldn't have to
look at a figure and guess what writers want me to see. It should be blatant.

In terms of the placement of this figure, I have several thoughts. The writers put their figures on
separate pages within the body of the text. That's an acceptable style. I have no problem with
that. It comes after its first reference in the text, which is important. The inappropriate thing is
referring to it in the text as "figure 1," and referring it on the paper as figure "2.1."

Figures 3.1 and 3.2: These figures are labeled "Figures 3.1 and 3.2." Which one's which? They
should not be put together. What I mean by this is they can be on the same page, but Figure 3.1
needs to be where Figure 3.1 is and Figure 3.2 need to be where Figure 3.2 is. The figure
numbers should not both be up at the top. The reader shouldn't have to guess "is there a dividing
line between the figures or does it divide some where else?" If they had captions associated with
those figures' numbers, that would not have occurred. I actually like figure numbers underneath
the figure, not above the figure.

With these figures I again wonder if they were taken from some source not referenced. And so,
I'm not sure these are originally hand drawn by the students. Now if they are, they could have
done a better job because the legends don't fully tell me what it means. The dark square means
compressive force, and I don't know what that means. I understand "load" and I understand
"supporting reactions," but I don't understand "Building diagram?" That's a building?

I'm not convinced these were meant to be two figures. I think they should be one. They're talking
"cable stay" technology which would of been nice to have in the title. I think they're trying to
draw an analogy between "here's how a bridge is done, and here's how it's also now being done
in buildings." But it's not coming through.

This figure is placed at the right location. The key thing with placement in text is to put the
figure as close as possible after it is first referenced. Never put it before you reference it and
don't bury it deeply in the text. This is one of the clues that leads you decide whether you do an
appendix or not. If you find you're having so many figures that when you try to put them in text
they're turning out to be five pages straight of figures, that's a clue that you have so many figures,
they're probably better handled in the back.

Figure 3.3: I know the writers didn't take this photograph! And I want to know who did take the
photograph because that person needs to be credited. This figure's location in the text is fine. I'm
happy with their style of one figure per page.

The quality of this reproduction is not very good. But that's always hard with photographs. It
does make their point, which is the tall columns with the cables coming off. However, the fine
details have been wiped away, so it's a bad photograph for their purposes.

This visual also works off the previous two visuals since it represents another way of looking at
the particular structure. Whenever you can, especially when you're dealing with new technology,
you've got to give people good visual images. And anyway you can do that is useful. Schematics
allow you to do certain things like add arrows and show load paths. So this had a different
function. The other two depicted load paths. This one was trying to give the viewer a big picture
of what this looks like. After all, a bridge is difficult to imagine.

Table 4.1: This table accurately sites its source, "Table based on such and such." However, it
gives too much information. All that is needed is the author's name, so readers could then look it
up in the references.

Some suggestions are to put "Based on Byronic L 1966." all within the caption. Then the table
would physically separate the title if I felt there was a title too, separate from the caption. It
would then be clear, spatially, that there's a caption up here. And below is the title on the table.

Another alternative would be to "footnote" the table. Not a real footnote, but a footnote within
the table. This can be done by using an identifier like a "star." So I might say, "Table," if it's the
whole table, and put, "Table 4.1*" showing that there's a clue to come, down at the bottom. If
there were particular pieces of information in here, a particular column or something, such as just
the surface frequency or heavy fabric, or it was two of these, I could then put stars on there and
indicate, "This was based on this person's work, as opposed to my original work.

Figure 4.1: When a figure like this needs to be drawn, you should follow normal conventions for
drafting, including dimension lines with arrowheads. I'm assuming the "D" and "H" represent
"depth" and "height."

A figure is for clarification, and this one raises many questions. I don't know what the point of
this figure is. I'm assuming there's a value here. If this was to be a conceptual diagram
representing, "We now can do a sensitivity D over H," then you might do that. But I think they
were trying to show us how big is was. It's not a very good figure because it leaves too much to
my imagination. This is not worth a thousand words.

Figure 5.1: A scale should be included here. Also, these should be numbered. Students should
indicate how each one works (e.g. doors, etc.).

Figure 5.2: A scale should be included here. Also, is that the Performance Hall in the middle?

Figures 5.1, 5.2, & 5.3: These were done with AutoCAD, so it's hard to criticize the quality of
them because this is what AutoCAD produces.

"M" and "W" should be explained; I am assuming these stand for a Mens' Room and a Women's
Room. There are better visual ways of doing that more explicitly, as with international symbols,
etc. Also, "E" for "exit" is a little short.

These are meant to be schematic floor plans. And they are. It'd be nice to have a "north arrow"
here. Students will always think of a "north arrow" on a map, but they won't necessarily think of
it on a building. It's important because it helps readers tie back to the orientation of the building
on the site.

These serve very well as schematics. They do not serve well as details. They don't show doors;
they don't show windows. But this design is more at the conceptual level, so I understand why
they did it. The detail fits the purpose. The problem is, when readers look at this example, they
don't necessarily know that whole context.

It really would have been nice to have put these visuals in the front. A neat way to have done that
would have used this as a figure on the title page to introduce the concept right up front.

The captions on these are all right. If you put to much lettering on a figure, it gets busy. This is
actually a pretty good balance. They're descriptive enough. I understand just about what
everything is. I'm not sure what the basketball-like part is since it's not labeled. But overall, these
are pretty good, typical, schematic drawings.

Using a different font is a stylistic mistake. If you have an area that you want to label and the
font you're using doesn't fit in there, don't just use a real small font because it fits. Move the label
out and put an arrow to it.
References
Baranek, L. Music, Acoustics, & Architecture. New York: John Wiley and Sons
Inc.,

1966.

Kosman, Josh. "The Rest of the Best." Civil Engineering, July 1994, 44-48.

Newhouse, Elizabeth L., ed. The Builders: Marvels of Engineering. Washington

D.C.:

The Book Division, National Geographic Society, 1992, 50, 74-5.

Instructor Comments

This is a fairly low number of references. Three is minor. Sometimes, you might not have
references because much of your text is original work on your part, but then you should include
appendices on calculations and such.

Appendices: When deciding to place information in an appendix, ask yourself, "Are there reams
and reams of figures that are best put in an appendix or will using a small number of figures
integrate better throughout the text?" and "Do I have a source document that’s very critical to the
report I want to attach to it, a data report or letter that is secondary to the actual writing, but not
secondary to the major issue of the report?" Much of this depends upon your interpretation. A
likely source for appendices is computational results. I like to think you’re doing work, so it’s
logical to do screen dumps or spreadsheet dumps of tables and calculations. The best place for
these is in appendices.

Perspectives on Technical Reports

Dave Alciatore, Mechanical Engineering

Writing Technical Design Reports as a Group

"Often, technical design reports require that multiple experts help write them. This is called
"concurrent engineering." This way, everyone involved with a project contributes. More ground
gets covered this way. The report is also a good way to document a design. Then, if problems
arise later, everyone can refer to the document. This helps determine where changes were made,
etc."

Report Content

"Every company has different means of documentation. Typically, in industry, you won't have to
provide as much history in a technical report. This is because in academia, we want you to
document your thought processes and project evolution. In industry, you will concentrate more
on the initial problem, requirements, and solutions. "
Neil Grigg, Civil Engineering

Multiple Reports for a Project

"Suppose your engineering task is to build a retaining wall. As the main engineer, you've got to
consider many aspects: the load, the height, the structural design. You'll write a report where you
state the goals and how they will be accomplished. This includes input parameters, the conditions
in which you have to work, alternatives, recommendations. Next, soil engineers may actually test
the soils at the location. They would then produce a report about what they found. Every project
generates multiple reports. "

Report Content

"Many designs begin with identifying the problem, determining the goals, and creating a list of
alternatives. The next part is the evaluation. This includes the technical, legal, economic,
financial, environmental, and social evaluations. Then you make recommendations based on
these evaluations. Most reports, especially design reports include this information. "

Tom Siller, Civil Engineering

An Example Technical Report

"I once helped produce a report about rock fracturing for a whip site. In that report, we stated the
situation, how we would analyze the situation, (because we wanted to be hired as the engineers
for the project), the analytical tools we would develop, and our results based on those analytical
tools. We did not present a shaft design. Overall, the report presented our way of understanding
the issues that would help design a shaft."

Your Report's Purpose

"If your report's purpose is to create an artifact, then you have to present all the technical aspects
of the design. This way, someone can read the report and build your artifact. You have to be
aware of very fine details whenever you write a report. For instance, will your designs receive
public approval? Are you in compliance with regulatory agencies? And so why you are writing
the report helps you determine what details to include and exclude."

Citation Information
Dawn Kowalski. (1994-2023). Engineering Technical Reports. The WAC Clearinghouse. Colorado State
University. Available at https://wac.colostate.edu/repository/resources/writing/guides/.

Copyright Information

Copyright © 1994-2023 Colorado State University and/or this site's authors, developers, and
contributors. Some material displayed on this site is used with permission.
LESSON 3: TECHNICAL PRESENTATION: STRATEGIES AND TECHNIQUES

Introduction

A successful career depends on the ability to give effective technical presentations,

whether at a conference, to your research group, or as an invited speaker.

One of the most effective ways to improve your work is to see the reactions of others
and get their ideas and advice.

Think about the presentations you attend (or have attended in the past), especially if
they are similar in some way to yours. What was boring about the other presentations?
What was interesting about them? What did you take away from the presentation? What
could you have told someone about the topic, 30 minutes after the end of the
presentation?

The Content

Before you start preparing a talk, you need to know your goal and know your audience.
You will have to customize your presentation to its purpose. Even if you have previously
created a talk for another venue, you often need to make a new one, particularly if the
audience differs or you have done more work in the meanwhile.

The goal of a talk you give to your research group is to get feedback to help you
improve your research and your understanding of it, so you should plan for a very
interactive style, with lots of questions throughout. In a conference talk, questions during
the talk are unlikely, and you have much less time; your chief goal is to get people to
read the paper or ask questions afterward. In a seminar or invited talk, you want to
encourage questions, you have more time, and you should plan to give more of the big
picture.

The goal of a talk is similar to the goal of a technical paper: to change the audience's
behavior. Decide what the change is, and focus your talk around that. Typically, you
have done some research, and to effect the change you need to convince the audience
of 3 things: the problem is worthwhile (it is a real problem, and a solution would be
useful), the problem is hard (not already solved, and there are not other ways to
achieve equally good results), and that you have solved it. If any of these three pieces
is missing, your talk is much less likely to be a success. So be sure to provide
motivation for your work, provide background about the problem, and supply sufficient
technical details and experimental results.

When you give a talk, ask yourself, “What are the key points that my audience should
take away from the talk?” Then, elide everything that does not support those points. If
you try to say too much (a tempting mistake), then your main points won't strike home
and you will have wasted everyone's time. In particular, do not try to include all the
details from a technical paper that describes your work; different levels of detail and a
different presentation style are appropriate for each. Never paste PDF of a table from a
paper to slides. Reformat the table to be more readable and to remove information that
is not essential. The talk audience does not have as much time to comprehend the
details as a paper reader does.
Before you create slides, a good way to determine what your talk should say is to
explain your ideas verbally to someone who does not already understand them. (You
may use a blank whiteboard, but that often is not necessary.) You may need to do this a
few times before you find the most effective way to present your material. Notice what
points you made and in what order and organize the talk around that. Slides should not
be an obstacle that constrains your talk, but they should support the talk you want to
give.

Do not try to fit too much material in a talk. About one slide per minute is a good pace (if
lots of your slides are animations that take only moments to present, you may have
more slides). Remember what your key points are and focus on those. The key point
should be written on the slide, for example as its title or as a callout. Don't present more
information than your audience can grasp; for example, often intuitions and an
explanation of the approach are more valuable than the gory details of a proof. If you try
to fit the entire technical content of a paper into a talk, you will rush, and the audience
may come away understanding nothing. It's better to think of the talk as an
advertisement for the paper that gives the key ideas, intuitions, and results, and that
makes the audience eager to read your paper or to talk with you to learn more. That
does not mean holding back important details — merely omitting less important ones.
You may also find yourself omitting entire portions of the research that do not directly
contribute to the main point you are trying to make in your talk.

Just as there should be no extra slides, there should be no missing slides. As a rule,
you shouldn't speak for more than a minute or so without having new information
appear. If you have an important point to make, then have a slide to support it. (Very
few people can mesmerize an audience on a technical topic and leave the audience
with a deep understanding of the key points, without any visual props. Unfortunately,
you are probably not one of them.) As a particularly egregious example, do not discuss
a user interface without presenting a picture of it — perhaps multiple ones. As another
example, you should not dwell on the title slide for very long but should present a
graphic relevant to the problem you are solving, to make the motivation for your work
concrete.

The slides

Slide titles. Use descriptive slide titles. Do not use the same title on multiple slides
(except perhaps when the slides constitute an animation or build). Choose a descriptive
title that helps the audience to appreciate what the specific contribution of this slide is. If
you can't figure that out, then you do not yet understand your own material.

Introduction. Start your talk with motivation and examples — and have lots of
motivation and examples throughout. For the very beginning of your talk, you need to
convince the audience that this talk is worth paying attention to: it is solving an
important and comprehensible problem. Your first slide after the title slide should be
motivation, such as an example of the problem you are solving.

Outline slides. Never start your talk with an outline slide. (That's boring, and it's too
early for the audience to understand the talk structure yet.) Outline slides can be useful,
especially in a talk that runs longer than 30 minutes, because they help the audience to
regain its bearings and to keep in mind your argument structure. Present an outline
slide (with the current section indicated via color, font, and/or an arrow) at the beginning
of each major section of the talk, except for the introductory, motivational section.

Conclusion. The last slide should be a contributions or conclusions slide, reminding the
audience of the take-home message of the talk. Do not end the talk with future work, or
with a slide that says “questions” or “thank you” or “the end” or merely gives your email
address. And leave your contributions slide up after you finish the talk (while you are
answering questions). One way to think about this rule is: What do you want to be the
last thing that the audience sees (or that it sees while you field questions)?

Builds/animations. When a subsequent slide adds material to a previous one (or in

some other way just slightly changes the previous slide), all common elements must
remain in exactly the same position, pixel-for-pixel. A good way to check this is to
quickly transition back and forth between the two slides several times. If you see any
jitter, then correct the slide layout to remove it. You may need to leave extra space on
an early slide to accommodate text or figures to be inserted later; even though that
space may look a little unnatural, it is better than the alternative. If there is any jitter, the
audience will know that something is different, but will be uneasy about exactly what
has changed (the human eye is good at detecting the change but only good at localizing
changes when those changes are small and the changes are smooth). You want the
audience to have confidence that most parts of the slide have not changed, and the only
effective way to do that is not to change those parts whatsoever. You should also
consider emphasizing (say, with color or highlighting) what has been added on each
slide.

Keep slides uncluttered. Don't put too much text (or other material) on a slide. When a
new slide goes up, the audience will turn its attention to comprehending that slide. If the
audience has to read a lot of text, they will tune you out, probably missing something
important. This is one reason the diagrams must be simple and clear, and the text must
be telegraphic. As a rule of thumb, 3 lines of text for a bullet point is always too much,
and 2 full lines is usually too much. Shorten the text, or break it into pieces (say, sub
bullet points) so that the audience can skim it without having to ignore you for too long.

Do not read your slides word-for-word. Reading your slides verbatim is very boring and
will cause the audience to tune out. You are also guaranteed to go too fast for some
audience members and too slow for others, compared to their natural reading speed,
thus irritating many people. If you find yourself reading your slides, then there is
probably too much text on your slides. The slides should be an outline, not a transcript.
That is, your slides should give just the main points, and you can supply more detail
verbally. It's fine to use the slides as a crutch to help you remember all the main points
and the order in which you want to present them. However, if you need prompting to
remember the extra details, then you do not have sufficient command of your material
and you need to practice more before giving your talk.

Just as you should not read text verbatim, you should not read diagrams verbatim.
When discussing the architecture of a system, don't just read the names of the
components or give low-level details about the interfaces between them. Rather, explain
whatever is important, interesting, or novel about your decomposition; or discuss how
the parts work together to achieve some goal that clients of the system care about; or
use other techniques to give high-level understanding of the system rather than merely
presenting a mass of low-level details.
(It's possible to overdo the practice of limiting what information appears on each slide,
and you do want to have enough material to support you if there are questions or to
show that the simplified model you presented verbally is an accurate generalization. But
the mistake of including too much information is far more common.)

Text. Keep fonts large and easy to read from the back of the room. If something isn't
important enough for your audience to be able to read, then it probably does not belong
on your slides.

Use a sans-serif font for your slides. (Serifed fonts are best for reading on paper, but
sans-serif fonts are easier to read on a screen.) PowerPoint's “Courier New” font is very
light (its strokes are very thin). If you use it, always make it bold, then use color or
underlining for emphasis where necessary.

Figures. Make effective use of figures. Avoid a presentation that is just text. Such a
presentation misses important opportunities to convey information. It is also wearying to
the audience.

Images and visualizations are extremely helpful to your audience. Include diagrams to
show how your system works or is put together. Never include generic images, such as
clip art, that don't relate directly to your talk. For example, if you have a slide about
security, don't use the image of a padlock. As another example, when describing the
problem your work solves, don't use an image of a person sitting at a computer looking
frustrated. Just as good pictures and text are better than text alone, text alone is better
than text plus bad pictures.

When you include a diagram on a slide, ensure that its background is the same color as
that of the slide. For example, if your slides have a black background, then do not paste
in a diagram with a white background, which is visually distracting, hard to read, and
unattractive. You should invert the diagram so it matches the slide (which may require
redrawing the diagram), or invert the slide background (e.g., use a white slide
background) to match the diagrams. A light-colored background with dark text is usually
the best choice (preferably white background with black text; see the next paragraph
about eye candy).

Do not use eye candy such as transition effects, design elements that appear on every
slide, or multi-color backgrounds. At best, you will distract the audience from the
technical material that you are presenting. At worst, you will alienate the audience by
giving them the impression that you are more interested in graphical glitz than in
content. Your slides can be attractive and compelling without being fancy. Make sure
that each element on the slides contributes to your message; if it does not, then remove
it.

Emphasis. Slides that are monocolor black on a white background can be boring. This
tires the audience, and it may prevent them from appreciating the big picture. Use color,
callouts (e.g., arrows or speech bubbles), or other mechanisms to draw attention to the
most important parts of your slides or graphs. For example, suppose you have a list of
3-5 bullet points, each one line of text long. You might want to emphasize the 1-3 most
important words in each bullet point.
Color. On an outline slide, use boldface and also a right arrow (⇒) in the left margin to
indicate the current section of the talk.

The Presentation

Make eye contact with the audience. This draws them in. It also helps you determine
when they are confused or have lost interest, and whether your pacing is too fast or too
slow.

Stand and face the audience.

 Don't give a talk while seated. Standing gives you more energy, the talk is more
dynamic, and it is easier to maintain eye contact.
 Do not face the screen, which puts your back to the audience. This is off putting,
prevents you from getting feedback from the audience's body language, and can
cause difficulty in hearing/understanding you. Do not look down at your
computer, either, which shares many of the same problems.
 Don't stand in front of the screen. This prevents the audience from viewing your
slides.
 Being animated is good, but do not pace. Pacing is very distracting, and it gives
the impression that you are unprofessional or nervous.

When giving a presentation, never point at your laptop screen, which the audience
cannot see. Amazingly, I have seen many people do this! Using a laser pointer is fine,
but the laser pointer tends to shake, especially if you are nervous, and can be
distracting. I prefer to use my hand, because the talk is more dynamic if I stride to the
screen and use my whole arm; the pointing is also harder for the audience to miss. You
must touch the screen physically or come within an inch of it. If you do not touch the
screen, most people will just look at the shadow of your finger, which will not be the part
of the slide that you are trying to indicate.

If you find yourself suffering a nervous tic, such as saying “um” in the middle of every
sentence, then practice more, including in front of audiences whom you do not know
well.

If you get flustered, don't panic. One approach is to stop and regroup; taking a drink of
water is a good way to cover this, so you should have water on hand even if you don't
suffer from dry throat. Another approach is to just skip over that material; the audience
is unlikely to know that you skipped something.

Think about your goal in giving the talk. When presenting to your own research group,
be sure to leave lots of time for discussion and feedback at the end, and to present the
material in a way that invites interaction after and perhaps during the talk. (When
presenting to your own group, you can perhaps give a bit less introductory material,
though it's hard to go wrong with intro material. It should go quickly for that audience;
you ensure that everyone is using terms the same way; and it's always good to practice
presenting the motivation, context, background, and big ideas.)

For computer science conferences, the typical dress code is “business casual”. (For
men, this is a dress shirt with slacks or jeans.) Some people dress more formally, some
more casually. The most important thing is that you are comfortable with your clothing; if
you are not, your discomfort will lead to a worse presentation.

Answering Questions

Answering questions from the audience is very hard! Even after you become very
proficient at giving a talk, it will probably take you quite a bit longer to become good at
answering questions. So, don't feel bad if that part does not go perfectly, but do work on
improving it.

Just as you practice your talk, practice answering questions — both the ones that you
can predict, and unpredictable ones. Give practice talks to people who are willing to ask
such questions.

When an audience member asks a question, it is a good idea to repeat the question,
asking the questioner whether you have understood it, before answering the question.
This has three benefits.

 You ensure that you have understood the question. When thinking under
pressure, it can be far too easy to jump to conclusions, and it is bad to answer a
question different than the one that was asked. A related benefit is that you get to
frame the question in your own words or from your own viewpoint.
 You give yourself a few moments to think about your answer.
 If the audience member does not have a microphone, the rest of the audience
may not have been able to hear the question clearly.

Be willing to answer a question with “no” or “I don't know”. You will get into more trouble
if you blather on or you make up an answer on the fly.

In-class presentations

For an in-class presentation by a student, you will be judged on how well other people
understand the material at the end of the class, not on how well you understand the
material at the beginning of the class. (You do need to understand the material, but that
is not the main point.)

When you present someone else's paper in class, you should cover not only the
technical details (people generally do a good job of this), but also what is novel and why
others didn't do it before. That is just as important but very often overlooked. Focus on
what is important about the paper, not just on what is easy to explain or to give an
example for.

Know what your main point is, and don't get bogged down in easier-to-understand but
less interesting details. Try not to bring up a topic until you are ready to discuss it in
detail — don't bring it up multiple times.

Encourage questions — it's the best way to deepen understanding — and be able to
answer them. If other students wrote questions in a reading summary, be responsive to
them. When you ask a question, don't assume the answer in the form of your question.
For example, don't ask, “Was there anything novel in the paper, or not?” but “What was
novel in the paper?” It can be very effective to ask a question that reveals
understanding of a subtle or easy-to-misunderstand point (but an important one!) in the
paper, because this will lead the audience members to reflect both on the paper and on
the way, they read and understood it. Don't be too abstruse, and don't get bogged down
in unimportant details just to show your mastery of them.

Examples are often very helpful. Augment your talking with visuals on the board or
slides. Either is fine. The board may encourage more interaction (and it slows you down
in a beneficial way) but does require pre-planning; don't just go up and start drawing.
Most people find comfort in having pre-prepared slides, and slides can be a good choice
because they can be more legible and detailed, can include animations, etc. Don't
waste a huge amount of time on elaborate slide decks, though; that is not the point.

Practice talks

Always give at least one practice talk before you present in front of an audience. Even if
you have read over your slides and think you know how the talk will go, when you speak
out loud your ideas are likely to come out in a different way. (This is true about writing,
too: even if you know what you want to say, it takes several revisions to figure out the
best way to say it.) In fact, you should practice the talk to yourself — speaking out loud
in front of a mirror, for example — before you give your first practice talk. In your
individual practice session, you must say every word you intend to in the actual talk, not
skipping over any parts.

It can be a good idea to keep your practice talk audience relatively small — certainly
fewer than 10 people. In a large group, many people won't bother to speak up. If the
pool of potential attendees is larger than 10, you can give multiple practice talks, since
the best feedback is given by someone who has not seen the talk (or even the material)
before. Giving multiple practice talks is essential for high-profile talks such as
conference talks and interview talks. Avoid a small audience of people you don't trust,
who might be unanimous in a wrong opinion; getting a balance of opinions will help you
avoid making too many mistakes in any one direction.

Videotape yourself to see how you come across to others. This information can be a bit
traumatic, but it is invaluable in helping you to improve.

When giving a practice talk, number your slides (say, in the corner), even if you don't
intend to include slide numbers in your final presentation.

When giving a practice talk, it is very helpful to distribute hardcopy slides (remember to
include slide numbers) so that others can easily annotate them and return them to you
at the end of the talk. (Also, the audience will spend less time trying to describe what
slide their comment applies to, and more time writing the comment and paying attention
to you.) For non-practice talks, don't give out hardcopy slides, as they would tempt the
audience to pay attention to the piece of paper instead of to you.

Go to other people's practice talks. This is good citizenship, and cultivating these
obligations is a good way to ensure that you have an audience at your practice talk.
Furthermore, attending others' talks can teach you a lot about good and bad talks —
both from observing the speaker and thinking about how the talk can be better (or is
already excellent), and from comparing the feedback of audience members to your own
opinions and observations. This does not just apply to practice talks: you should
continually perform such introspective self-assessment.

https://homes.cs.washington.edu/~mernst/advice/giving-talk.html

LESSON 4. TECHNICAL COMMUNICTION SKILLS

Interview Skills

Interview skills are skills or actions that allow a person to be more effective throughout
the interview process for a new position. Not all interview skills are conventional.

Rather, many interview skills help candidates prepare for the interview and guide them
as they participate in job interviews. Acing job interviews requires in-depth preparation
as well as the ability to feel comfortable and confident when discussing your skills,
experience and qualifications with hiring managers.

The following are 10 of the most important interview skills that can support the interview
process and help set you apart from other candidates:

1. Research

Before you go into an interview, it's important to spend time researching both the
company and the position you're applying for. There are several ways you can research
an organization, including by:

 Reviewing their website, especially the "About" page

 Googling the company name and reading any press releases or other information
available
 Looking at the company's social media platforms
 Talking to employees of the company, if possible
 Researching job platforms that provide feedback from current and previous
employees about the company

You should also take time to obtain as much information as possible about the job
you’re interviewing for. Thoroughly review the job listing, look on the company website
for the job listing if available to see if additional details are included and look up current
employees who hold the same or similar positions.

You can also research the job title in general to get a more broad idea of what's
expected and typical duties in that position. The more you know about the position, the
better prepared you'll be when going into the interview.

2. Preparation

You should avoid going into an interview unprepared. Doing so may reflect negatively
on you as a candidate, and most hiring managers can easily detect applicants who are
not prepared. Set aside at least an hour to prepare the day before or on the day of the
interview. Here are a few actions to take when preparing:

 Re-read the job description and determine the most relevant responsibilities and
requirements for the position.
 Come up with several specific answers to potential questions related to the
position you're applying for and the duties that will be expected of you.
 Make a list of the essential aspects of the job so you have it on hand when
answering and asking questions during the job interview.
 Go over your cover letter and resume you provided to the company to ensure
you remember how you initially presented yourself.
 Spend several minutes or even hours researching possible interview questions
related to the position you're applying for and the industry the company is part of.
 Look up less specific interview questions that aren't directly related to the job, but
may still be asked. For example, practice a few behavioral and situational
interview questions.
 Practice answering interview questions with a friend or family member so you
feel comfortable when answering questions during the actual interview.
 Prepare several specific examples from your previous job experience, including
milestones, challenges and successes. These will support your interview
answers and help strengthen your responses.
 Look over your notes you prepared on the company during the research process
to ensure the information is fresh in your mind when going into the interview.

3. Punctuality

On the day of the interview, make sure you arrive at least 15 minutes before the
scheduled interview time. Punctuality is an important trait that hiring managers and
employers value and gives them an idea of how punctual you will be on a daily basis if
you’re hired for the position.

To ensure you arrive on time, consider planning out your outfit the night before and
ironing it so that it's ready the next day. You should also back your purse or briefcase
the night before and ensure you have a copy of your resume and cover letter on hand.
Set an alarm and make sure you have reliable transportation for the time of the
interview.

4. Professionalism

There are several aspects that go into professionalism, and all of them are important
when attending a job interview. To begin, ensure your attire is professional and tasteful
and is neatly pressed and clean.

Avoid wearing clothes that are too casual, too large or small, too revealing or too
flamboyant. Aim for an outfit with neutral colors that match and are not distracting or
offensive. If you’re unsure of the dress code requirements for the interview, dress in a
more formal way to avoid dressing too casually.

When arriving at the interview location, use professional language when checking in
and greeting the interviewer. Be polite to everyone you come into contact with, including
other employees and receptionists. The more polite and professional you’re in your
actions and words, the more kind and pleasant you can come off to employers.

5. Communication

Good communication skills are crucial during the job interview process. This includes
written, verbal and nonverbal communication skills. A few key tips to keep in mind when
communicating with others during an interview include:

 Address the interview by name and ensure you pronounce the name or names
correctly.
 Begin the interview with appropriate small talk. It's best to come prepared with a
few conversation starters that are professional and conducive to an interview
setting.
 Match your communication style to the hiring manager. For example, if the hiring
manager is communicating in a professional way, try to match your tone to theirs.
If they’re more upbeat and offer jokes here and there, don't be afraid to do the
same as long as they're appropriate.
 Avoid interrupting the person who’s interviewing you.
 Don't use jargon or abbreviated language.
 Try to avoid using speech fillers like "um" and "like."
 Be aware of your own nonverbal cues to ensure you’re presenting yourself in a
professional and positive way.

6. Listening

Listening skills are another important component of a successful interview experience.

It's easy to listen to a person, and while doing so to think to yourself how you’ll respond.
While this may seem wise, it can also prevent you from actually catching the person’s
entire message. Listen attentively and give your full attention to the hiring manager,
paraphrase what they said either in your mind or out loud when appropriate and use
nonverbal cues such as nodding to convey that you’re engaged.

You should also ask for clarification if you misunderstand something that was said to
ensure communication is effective. Avoid quickly changing the subject and take note of
any nonverbal cues the interviewer is giving you, such as facial expressions and tone of
voice, to further understand what's being said.

7. Ask questions

Hiring managers often ask candidates if they have any questions during or after the
interview. Interviewers look for candidates who ask genuine questions to help them gain
a better understanding of the company and the role. Arrive at the interview prepared
with a few questions to ask the interviewer that demonstrates a genuine interest in the
opportunity and provides a chance to further discuss elements of the job that may not
have been covered.

8. Confidence

Confidence has a significant impact on how you’re perceived by interviewers. Arrive at

the interview ready to discuss your experience, accomplishments and abilities in a
confident way that conveys your own belief in yourself to perform the duties of the
position you applied for. Work to exude a balanced and kind sense of confidence rather
than simply boasting about your qualifications.

9. Showing interest

It's important to convey your genuine interest in the position during a job interview. If
you give off a sense of disinterest or apathy, the interviewer may think you don't truly
want the position or care about the outcome of the interview. Work to show earnest
interest in the organization and position and a passion for your work and your abilities to
complete the duties of the job.

10. Follow-up

Following up soon after an interview is considered crucial by many recruiters and hiring
managers. A simple thank-you card or thank-you email can go a long way to show the
interviewer you’re genuinely interested in the position and are grateful for their time. Try
to send a follow-up email or note the same day as the interview or the next day at the
latest.

https://www.indeed.com/career-advice/interviewing/interview-skill

GROUP DISCUSSION

A group discussion is a conversation among participants about a specific topic. The

selection procedure employed by organizations and educational institutions frequently
includes a group discussion. The candidates discuss the assigned subject to present
information, viewpoints, and conclusions. Employers employ this method to examine
applicants’ soft talents and screen them.

Types of Group discussions are:

 Factual Group Discussions

 Opinion-Based Group Discussion
 Group conversations based on case studies
 Abstract Group Discussion
Factual group discussions: These discussions focus on the real world and test a
candidate’s ability to digest information and analyse socioeconomic or everyday
concerns.

Opinion-Based Group Discussion: Test how well candidates can articulate their
beliefs and viewpoints. These group talks tend to focus more on views than facts.

Group conversations based on case studies: These discussions mimic real-world

circumstances. The group is given the specifics of a fictitious scenario by the panelists,
and then the group must work together to address it.

Abstract Group Discussion: These are abstract group discussions. In these, the
interviewers check to see if a candidate can approach the subject at hand with
originality and lateral thinking.

TIP: One strategy to keep engaged in the conversation is to analyze the subject and
suggest ideas or subtopics that have not been raised by the other candidates.

Skills Required to Evaluate in Group Discussion

The panelists assess a candidate’s performance in a group discussion based on their

proficiency in the following areas:

Subject Expertise: Your knowledge of the subject matter for the position is the first
thing that employers assess. Employers, for instance, want you to have in-depth
knowledge of their products and sales process if you seek a sales position.
Creativity/Originality: Innovative solutions and unconventional thinking are required for
some jobs. The panelists may use group activities in these situations to evaluate your
creativity and originality of ideas when working in a group.

Voice: Controlling your voice’s pitch, volume, and tone are all examples of
communication abilities. In a typical group discussion, employers listen for a forceful
approach, an authoritative voice, clarity in speech, and an audible tone.

Bodily language: Your body language conveys a lot about your behaviors and attitude
at work.

Fluency: Speaking clearly is a necessary ability for positions in sales or customer

service.

Initiative: Self-starting is a sign of good leadership abilities. The panelists will initially
assess your attempts to initiate and establish the flow of the conversation.

Active hearing: For managerial or customer service roles, active listening is a crucial
skill. In a typical group, everyone tries to emphasise their points to gain attention.

https://www.mygreatlearning.com/blog/group-discussion-in-interviews/

SEMINAR/CONFERENCE PRESENTATION SKILLS

Presentation Skills and Techniques

Presentations skills and public speaking skills are very useful in many aspects of work
and life. Effective presentations and public speaking skills are important in business,
sales and selling, training, teaching, lecturing, and generally feeling comfortable
speaking to a group of people.

Developing the confidence and capability to give good presentations, and to stand up in
front of an audience and speak well, are also extremely helpful competencies for self-
development and social situations.

Presentation skills and public speaking abilities are not limited to certain special people
- anyone can give a good presentation, or perform public speaking to a professional and
impressive standard. Like most specialisms, this requires preparation and practice.

The formats and purposes of presentations can be very different, for example: oral
(spoken), multimedia (using various media - visuals, audio, etc), PowerPoint
presentations, short impromptu presentations, long-planned presentations, educational
or training sessions, lectures, and simply giving a talk on a subject to a group on a
voluntary basis for pleasure. Even speeches at weddings and eulogies at funerals are
types of presentations.
Creating presentations: Step-by-Step

This is the basic sequence of actions for creating and preparing a presentation up to the
point of actually delivering the presentation to an audience:

1. Define purpose
2. Gather content and presentation ideas
3. Structure the subject matter (sections, headings, order)
4. Develop how to present it (style, elements, props, equipment)
5. Prepare presentation (wording, design, materials, equipment)
6. Practice and rehearsals (get feedback, refinement)
7. Plan venue, control the environment
8. 'Dress rehearsal' if warranted
9. Relax and prepare yourself - confidence and control

Prepare the Presentation

Consider:

1. What's the purpose?

2. For whom?
3. What outcomes and reactions are you seeking?

Consider the more detailed nature of:

1. Subject and content, audience needs, type of presentation, equipment and

venue.
2. Create and gather ideas - brainstorm, mind-map, initially random, be innovative
and daring.
3. Materials, media, exercises, case studies, statistics, props, quotations, analogies,
and participation.
4. Anticipate questions, know your subject and reference points
5. Decide your notes system - cue cards, sheet notes.

Create and Design the Presentation

1. Plan the structure - sections, order, headings, intro/middle/close.

2. Tell'em what you're gonna tell'em, tell'em, tell'em what you told'em.
3. Use the ' rule of three'
4. Points of interest ('spice') and activities - early impact - create a credible
impression.
5. Consider audience attention span and audience profile to get the language and
tone right
6. Build the presentation, prepare equipment, prepare materials and props, and
create your prompts or notes.
7. Dry-run practise timings, fall-backs/contingencies.
8. Practise full presentation ('dress rehearsal'), get feedback, refine, practise and
practise. Practice gives you control. Control gives you confidence. Confidence
and control overcome fear.
Deliver your Presentation

1. Relax.
2. If necessary, revisit your notes about how to relax. Stress can be managed, and
to a small degree, it is part of the presentation experience. Butterflies are exciting
and beautiful, even if they are not in perfect formation.
3. You have prepared and practiced, so your presentation will succeed and be
enjoyable.
4. Smile.
5. The audience is on your side.
6. Use a solid well-rehearsed opening, to make an immediate friendly impact.
7. "Tell'em what you're gonna tell'em, tell'em, then tell'em what you told'em."
8. Use confident body language, control, firmness, and confidence, speak your
audience's language, and accentuate the positive (be positive and upbeat).
9. Pause when you need to and don't apologise for it - pausing is perfectly okay.
10. Use audience participation where possible, be clear, calm, close powerfully and
simply and gratefully, and have fun!

https://www.businessballs.com/communication-skills/presentation-skills-and-
techniques/
EFFECTIVE BUSINESS COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUES

To communicate effectively, you need to be good at active listening, message delivery

and asking for feedback. These are some of our favorite techniques for taking
communication skills to the next level.

Adapt the message to your audience

One of the first things you should do for effective communication is learn how to adapt
your communication (style and messaging) for different audiences. If you’re talking to
your safety team about a new policy, they’re probably already aware of the problem, so
you can get deeper in the weeds of execution details. But when you roll out the same
policy to frontline employees, adjust your message. Most likely, you’ll take a broader
approach. Explain the purpose of the policy and how it should be physically carried out
in their day to day.

The same is true for any situation. You would address a group of kindergartners, tech
entrepreneurs, cattle farmers and fitness professionals differently based on the topic,
what you’re trying to convey and where the discussion is taking place.

Prepare for the message delivery

How are you standing? Is your body language open and inviting? Are you making lots of
eye contact or looking at a screen?
Before any communication, whether it’s a one-on-one meeting or major speech, prepare
yourself. You might spend a few minutes taking deep breaths before a presentation or
review a meeting agenda before a huddle.

Be authentic as you communicate

According to a post from Quantified Communications, authentic leaders are 50% more
passionate, with messages that are 29% clearer. They exude warmth and openness.
When talking to colleagues and subordinates, they have a sense of immediacy and are
fully present in the conversation.

People also want to work more with authentic leaders and communicators. Being
trustworthy and reliable ultimately makes your job easier because people will want to
collaborate with you.

Be enthusiastic and engaged when speaking

People are more receptive to positive stimuli. Smiling and showing your enthusiasm are
top strategies for better communication. By using these techniques, you make people
more likely to listen to you and buy into what you’re saying.

Manage nonverbal signals to control the message

According to body language researcher Albert Mehrabian, 55% of communication is

nonverbal and 38% is vocal, while only 7% consists of spoken words.

This means it’s incredibly important to manage your nonverbal signals. If you’re
constantly glancing at the clock with your feet pointed toward the door, your audience
will think you aren’t interested in the conversation. For better communication, your
nonverbal signals and spoken words must be in sync.

Practice active listening when people respond to you

Active listening isn’t just hearing what someone says. It involves showing your
engagement with the discussion by asking questions and caring about what they say.
By being an active listener, you demonstrate your interest in the other person’s
message and build a stronger relationship with them. It also helps you remember details
from the conversation.

You know those people who never forget a name? They’re probably active listeners.
One tactic is repeating the person’s name back to them during an introduction. But you
can also do this on projects by repeating directions or rephrasing what someone has
said to make sure you fully understand. Nodding, making eye contact and leaning
forward also show you’re engaged.

Ask for feedback from team members

One of the most effective and efficient ways to improve your communication is to ask for
feedback. After all, most of us learn and grow through change.
Start by creating a process for giving feedback. This could be a brief, post-meeting
survey or an in-person discussion. Also, implement an open-door policy so employees
feel like they can approach you with any of their problems.

Probe for understanding to confirm you’re being heard

Asking questions shows the speaker how engaged you are in the conversation. It also
gives you more information and a natural opportunity to practice active listening.

Handle conflicts respectfully

You won’t always agree with your team members, bosses and subordinates. Even if you
won’t see eye to eye on everything, you do need to communicate in a respectful way if
you want to keep your working relationship going. As a general rule, never say anything
in anger you would want to take back once you calm down.

Use the right tools

Sometimes, the best tip for effective communication is figuring out which tool to use.
There is a time and place for tools like email, one-on-one conversations, team
discussions and group meetings. Each tool has its own benefits and limitations, so think
carefully before choosing one tool over another.

 Email: People use email communication for simple updates and questions. If you
want a group discussion or need to address a complex topic, email can quickly
spiral out of control. For more complex matters, you should use a different tool.
 Slack: Slack is efficient for all types of conversations because you can do
individual and group chats across different channels. It integrates with more than
2,000 apps like nTask, Time Doctor, Dropbox, Drift and Trello, so your teams can
work in their other tools simultaneously without needing to switch contexts. Send
a file in one project channel, give quick feedback in another or launch a meeting
right in the chat.
 One-on-one conversations: One-on-one conversations are great for
constructive criticism and individual training. But they aren’t ideal if you need to
address things to a team or provide a simple update. Use one-on-one
conversations for sensitive or complex exchanges.
 Team discussions: Team discussions are typically brief, on-the-fly chats. Use
these for real-time group collaboration when there’s a specific goal in mind, or for
 stand-ups and scrums. Avoid using these for updates on projects that don’t
overlap or where a large portion of attendees are unaffected.
 Group meetings: These are great if you need to train or update the entire group
at once. Use these sparingly. If you’re conveying something that can be sent in a
short message, do that! When you do need a group meeting, schedule it ahead
of time and have a clear agenda with expected outcomes.

Timing is everything

If you need to discuss a project update or find an important document, you have to find
the right moment. One of the top strategies for better communication is to pay attention
to your colleagues’ crunch times and deadlines. When someone else is facing a
looming deadline or a problem at work, they’ll have a difficult time hearing anything
you’re trying to tell them.

Determine the time of day and platform where members of your team are most open to
communication. For example, if they check and answer messages after 4 p.m., prepare
your conversation and have it available for them within their preferred time frame.

Become a better communicator

Whether you want to move up the ladder or get your project across the finish line
smoothly, effective communication is crucial. By using these simple techniques, you’ll
not only be a more authentic, engaged speaker, you’ll be more effective at your job and
working with colleagues.

https://slack.com/blog/collaboration/effective-business-communication-
techniques

VERBAL COMMUNICATION SKILLS

Verbal communication refers to the use of language to convey information. Verbal

communication skills represent more than speaking abilities—they demonstrate how
you deliver and receive messages in both speaking and written interactions. These
skills focus on how you communicate rather than what you say. Because of this, you
can utilize nonverbal techniques such as body language to enhance your interactions.

Examples of effective verbal communication skills include:

 Active listening
 Asking for clarification
 Asking open-ended questions to gain insights
 Recognizing and responding to nonverbal cues
 Speaking clearly and concisely
 Using humor to engage audiences

Why are verbal communication skills important?

Verbal communication skills matter because they enable you to build rapport with other
people, which creates more positive interactions and stronger work relationships. With
these skills, you can convey a sense of confidence and ensure that your audience
understands your message or expectations. The ability to communicate clearly helps
you succeed in various work situations, including projects, negotiations and job
interviews.

How to Improve Verbal Communication Skills

You can use the following 10 steps to help improve your verbal communication at work:

1. Think before speaking

People often feel uncomfortable with silence, but pausing before answering a question
can improve your response. Taking time to reflect allows you to organize your thoughts
into a concise, clear statement. If you feel rushed to answer, that feeling will get
reflected in how you respond, so your message may not come out as intended. Pauses
convey a sense of thoughtfulness, so your audience will gain the impression that you
considered the best response before speaking.

Similarly, if your counterpart pauses for a moment, do not feel the need to jump in and
counter the silence. The person will appreciate that you gave them the time to
contemplate their response, rather than interrupting their thought process. Not only
does this show professionalism, but it also demonstrates your interest in hearing what
they have to say.

2. Use concise language

Being succinct when speaking not only make your message easier to understand but
also gets your main points across to the audience sooner. Before speaking, ask yourself
how you can present the information as clearly and in as few words as possible.
Whether you are writing or speaking, avoid using complicated words and sentences or
including irrelevant information. Taking these steps will ensure your audience clearly
understands your primary points and can respond accordingly. This skill is especially
beneficial when providing instructions or expectations to colleagues, as your directness
ensures there is little confusion.

3. Understand your audience

To effectively communicate messages, you need to understand your audience and put
yourself in their position. Not everyone has the same knowledge or background as you,
so ensure you explain information in a manner easily understood by anyone—especially
when discussing complex or technical topics. Also, try to take your audience's culture or
personality into consideration, as different demographics have their own communication
preferences. For example, you would speak to a close friend much differently than you
would to an executive at a company.

Before presentations, ask yourself what your audience wants and needs to know and
what their knowledge base is. When you understand who you are speaking to, it makes
it easier to tailor your message to their needs. Taking this tailored approach also
ensures your audience stays interested because you provide only the most relevant
information they want to hear.
4. Be mindful of your tone

Your tone plays a crucial role in verbal communications, and how you use it can affect
the way your audience engages with you. Combing a friendly and warm tone with a
smile makes a positive impression. Meanwhile, speaking in a flat or monotone manner
can make you appear uninterested, which can put off an audience. Also, try to vary your
tone and use inflection to emphasize important points. This technique is an easy way to
focus the attention of your audience.

You can also use the verbal modeling method, in which you try to copy the tone of
another person. For example, during a conversation, speak softly when they speak
softly or if they have excited energy, try to match it. People feel drawn to voices that
sound like theirs, making this a helpful method of increasing engagement.

5. Pay attention to your body language

Your body language can affect how you deliver messages despite it being a nonverbal
method of communication. Ways to convey confident body language include
maintaining eye contact and having relaxed body language. You can also use gestures
or facial expressions to emphasize points and grab audiences' attention or focus.

6. Employ active listening

Listening is as essential as speaking during conversations because it demonstrates a

genuine interest in the other speaker and guarantees you understand their needs. As a
result, you will find it easier to build rapport and relationships. To apply active listening
skills, give the other person your full attention to ensure you not only hear the words
they say but also the message they want to convey. When the other person feels heard,
they feel more interested in reciprocating and hearing what you have to say.

Some effective active listening techniques include:

 Avoid making judgments about or stereotyping others.

 Remove any potential distractions, such as a noisy setting.
 Focus on what the other person is saying, rather than thinking about what you
want to say next.
 Ask clarifying questions to ensure you fully understand the information or
message.
 Wait until the other person finishes speaking before responding.

7. Speak with confidence

Confidence is crucial because if you sound like you do not believe in what you are
saying, neither will your audience. You want to establish that you have credibility or
authority, which makes people trust you and feel more interested in listening to you.
There are a variety of ways to convey confidence, including the way you hold yourself
during conversations and the tone of voice that you use.

One way to build confidence before planned conversations, presentations or speeches

is to make mental or physical notes about what you will discuss. These notes do not
have to be a script but should highlight the main points you want to make. Your notes
provide a direction for your verbal interaction, showing you know what you need to
focus on or where you need to steer the conversation. Having a plan will make you feel
much more prepared, boosting your confidence.

8. Show your authentic self

While you can gain inspiration from other communicators to improve your skills, always
bring your honest self to interactions. People feel more drawn to speakers who seem
genuine and act transparently. For example, if you do not have the answer to a
question, it is okay to admit it. Your colleagues will respect your honesty more than if
you pretend to know something and provide a response that ends up inaccurate.

Furthermore, showing your authentic self during a conversation or presentation helps

you build relationships because your audience gets to know you as a person. It conveys
a sense of comfort and ease that lets them genuinely engage with you. If they feel like
you are faking your personality or putting on a show, it can create distance between
you. As a result, it may make it harder to build trust because they cannot tell how real
the conversation is.

9. Practice your skills

Now that you know the various ways to improve verbal communication skills, you must
practice them. Not only will this develop these skills, but it can also help you feel more
confident in your speaking abilities. Apply these techniques as often as possible in your
daily work and personal interactions to ensure you feel comfortable using them.

Practice alone by speaking in front of a mirror or recording yourself doing a presentation

or speech. When watching yourself, you can study your body language and take steps
to improve it—for example, by using or limiting your gestures and maintaining a smile or
friendly demeanor. When you record yourself, assess your voice and tone. Again, you
can use these recordings to determine which areas you need to work on to speak more
clearly and concisely.

10. Gain feedback

You can also practice your verbal communication skills in more realistic settings, such
as in front of friends or family. Not only will this help you feel more comfortable speaking
in front of others, but it also allows you to gain feedback. If you have a speech or
presentation planned, perform it as you would in front of the actual audience and ask
these friends and family to judge your verbal and nonverbal communication abilities.
Their insights will instruct you on what you already do well and where you need
improvement.

Seeking feedback does not strictly apply to practice situations. After you make a
presentation at work, ask a trusted colleague or a supervisor for their opinion on your
performance. Asking a supervisor can provide added benefits, as it shows them that
you strive to develop yourself professionally. Once they know about your interest in
building these skills, they can watch your future performances and gauge your progress
or provide you with more opportunities for verbal communication development.
Nonverbal communication is one of many tools that can help you make a good
impression in interviews and in your professional life. However, candidate assessments
should be based on skills and qualifications, and workplaces should strive to be
inclusive and understanding of individual differences in communication styles.

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verbal-communication-skills

NONVERBAL COMMUNICATION SKILLS

10 Tips for Improving Your Nonverbal Communication

Strong communication skills can help you in both your personal and professional life.
While verbal and written communication skills are important, research has shown that
nonverbal behaviors make up a large percentage of our daily interpersonal
communication.

How can you improve your nonverbal communication skills? Paying closer attention to
your nonverbal signals is an excellent place to start. You can also focus on factors such
as tone of voice, eye contact, body language, and the context in which the
communication occurs.

The following tips can help you learn to read other people's nonverbal signals and
enhance your ability to communicate effectively. With practice, you can become more
adept at conveying meaning without saying a word.

1. Pay Attention to Nonverbal Signals

People can communicate information in numerous ways, so pay attention to a variety of
signals including:

 Body movements
 Eye contact
 Gestures
 Posture
 Tone of voice

All of these signals can convey important information that is not put into words. For
example, eye contact can help establish how attentive a person is. Tone of voice might
reveal hints about their emotional state. Even posture can help convey how interested
and engaged a person is in a conversation.

By paying closer attention to other people's unspoken behaviors, you will improve your
own ability to communicate nonverbally.

2. Look for Incongruent Behaviors

You should pay careful attention if someone's words do not match their nonverbal
behaviors. For example, someone might tell you they are happy while frowning and
staring at the ground.
When words fail to match up with nonverbal signals, people often ignore what has been
said and focus instead on unspoken expressions of moods, thoughts, and emotions.
Therapists, for example, utilize these incongruencies to look for how a client might feel
during a session.

So when someone says one thing, but their body language suggests something else, it
can be helpful to pay extra attention to those subtle nonverbal cues.

Be aware that other factors might contribute to these differences. Physical challenges
may affect a person's ability to convey signals, so consider other reasons why words
and behaviors might not match up.

3. Focus on Tone of Voice

Your tone of voice can convey a wealth of information, ranging from enthusiasm to
disinterest to anger. Tone can be an effective way to amplify your message.

Start noticing how your tone of voice affects how others respond to you and try using
your tone to emphasize ideas that you want to communicate.

For example, if you want to show genuine interest in something, express your
enthusiasm by using an animated tone of voice. Such signals not only convey your
feelings about a topic; they can also help generate interest in the people listening to you
speak.

Researchers have found that tone of voice can affect how people respond to healthcare
practitioners. Patients report greater satisfaction when treated by surgeons who use a
non-dominant tone of voice. People who use more vocal variety in tone of voice are
rated as more trustworthy and attentive.

4. Use Good Eye Contact

Good eye contact is another essential nonverbal communication skill. When people fail
to look others in the eye, it can seem as if they are evading or trying to hide something.
On the other hand, too much eye contact can seem confrontational or intimidating.

While eye contact is an essential part of communication, it's important to remember that
good eye contact does not mean staring fixedly into someone's eyes. How can you tell
how much eye contact is appropriate?

Some communication experts recommend intervals of eye contact lasting three to four
seconds. Effective eye contact should feel natural and comfortable for you and the
person you are speaking with.

5. Ask Questions

If you are confused about another person's nonverbal signals, don't be afraid to ask
questions. A good idea is to repeat back your interpretation of what has been said and
ask for clarification. Some examples of this:

 "So what you are saying is that..."

  "Do you mean that we should..."
 "What I'm hearing is that you think..."

Such questions can help clarify a conversation and encourage the other person to keep
talking. These questions are part of active listening and help demonstrate your interest
and engagement in the conversation.

Sometimes simply asking such questions can lend a great deal of clarity to a situation.

For example, a person might be giving off certain nonverbal signals because they have
something else on their mind. By inquiring further into their message and intent, you
might get a better idea of what they are really trying to say.

6. Use Signals to Add Meaning

Remember that verbal and nonverbal communication work together to convey a

message. You can improve your spoken communication by using body language that
reinforces and supports what you are saying. This can be especially useful when
making presentations or speaking to a large group.

For example, suppose your goal is to appear confident and prepared during a
presentation. In that case, you will want to focus on sending nonverbal signals that
ensure that others see you as self-assured and capable. You can strike a self-confident
stance by:

 Standing firmly in one place

 Keeping your shoulders back
 Keeping your weight balanced on both feet

Matching your body language to your verbal messages can help convey greater
meaning and clarify your intentions.7 Body movements and stance are important, but
facial expressions, eye gaze, mouth movements, gestures, and personal space are also
essential components.

7. Look at Signals as a Whole

Another important part of good nonverbal communication skills involves being able to
take a more holistic approach to what a person is communicating. A single gesture can
mean any number of things or maybe even nothing at all.8

The key to accurately reading nonverbal behavior is looking for groups of signals
reinforcing a common point.

If you place too much emphasis on just one signal out of many, you might come to an
inaccurate conclusion about what a person is trying to say.

For example, imagine that a person sounds and looks confident in their words and body
language, but you notice that they don't make much eye contact. If you were to base
your assessment on eye gaze alone, you might conclude that they were anxious or
unsure, when in reality, they are just tired or distracted.
8. Consider the Context

When you are communicating with others, always consider the situation and the context
in which the communication occurs. Some situations require more formal behaviors that
might be interpreted very differently in any other setting.

Consider whether or not nonverbal behaviors are appropriate for the context. If you are
trying to improve your own nonverbal communication, concentrate on ways to make
your signals match the level of formality necessitated by the situation.

For example, the body language and nonverbal communication you utilize at work are
probably very different from the sort of signals you would send on a casual Friday night
out with friends. Strive to match your nonverbal signals to the situation to ensure that
you are conveying the message you really want to send.9

9. Be Aware That Signals Can be Misread

According to some, a firm handshake indicates a strong personality while a weak

handshake is taken as a lack of fortitude. This example illustrates an important point
about the possibility of misreading nonverbal signals. A weak handshake might actually
indicate something else entirely, such as arthritis.

Always remember to look for groups of behavior. A person's overall demeanor is far
more telling than a single gesture viewed in isolation.

Interpreting nonverbal communication is complex and relies on various abilities,

including interpersonal skills and emotional intelligence. Understanding that situations
can be misread, different factors can affect how a person comes across, and the impact
of your own biases can help you better interpret different nonverbal signals.

10. Practice, Practice, Practice

Some people just seem to have a knack for using nonverbal communication effectively
and correctly interpreting signals from others. These people are often described as
being able to "read people."

In reality, nonverbal communication is a skill you can improve. You can build this skill by
paying careful attention to nonverbal behavior and practicing different types of
nonverbal communication with others.

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DIMENSIONS OF ORAL COMMUNICATIONS

Please watch the You Tube discussion:

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5 Ways to Cultivate Flow When Speaking

When was the last time you experienced flow?

Dropping into a flow state is one of those amazing moments when you forget yourself
and become one with your activity.

Self-consciousness dissolves, anxiety dissipates, the effort seems to disappear, and

reality almost feels timeless.

There has been a lot of research and discussion around flow states because they
impact our performance and mental wellness. It has been studied in sports, games,
chess, and artistry, but when it comes to speaking, it’s not often discussed.

I want to tell y’all that when you are speaking, you CAN cultivate a flow state and it will
benefit your performance on stage!

Flow is all about being at your peak level where you are so focused that nothing
interferes and that is exactly what happens when you are in your groove on stage.

You’re not anxious. You’re not tired. You’re not distracted.

Your attention, energy, and awareness are flowing out with concentration, and your
audience can feel it!

Speaking is a great fit for cultivating flow because it's challenging, which is one factor
necessary to achieve a flow state along with enjoying the work you are doing.

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Here are my 5 tips for you to start bringing flow to your presentations:

1. Cut out all distractions before you speak and on stage (You need clarity to
achieve flow!)
2. Speak about what you’re excited and passionate about (Enjoyment is key)
3. Use music to energize & motivate you before you speak and to bring your
audience into a similar energetic space.
4. Practice, practice, and practice, (More mastery = More chance of reaching flow)
5. Take care of your body (Eat well, hydrate, get ample rest)

Flow is thought of as an activity just one person feels, but I can tell you from my years of
professional speaking that in certain moments it can even feel like an entire room is in
flow together.

When you are able to authentically connect with an open audience you can come
together into a state of group concentration and conversation that yields everyone
positive results!
Next time you are going to present or even participate in a team event, see if you can
bring a little flow into the room to improve you and your team’s performance, connection
capacity, and productivity.

Important professional qualities

Having these 12 professional qualities can help you succeed in your career:

1. Willingness to learn

True professionals are always open to learning more and advancing their skill set. You
can do this through continued education or self-learning. Rather than waiting for your
manager to train you, you initiate the learning. A high-quality employee is eager to try
new things and even learn from making mistakes along the way.

2. Positive attitude

Having a positive attitude is an important professional quality because it's a key part of
facilitating a good work environment. Your positive attitude can inspire others to feel the
same way. By having a sense of optimism, you're more likely to work toward the
solution rather than dwelling on the problem. Positive people tend to have a "can-do"
attitude, which helps work toward the company's goals.

3. Conflict resolution

When a conflict arises, a professional works to resolve the problem. They use
productive communication to learn all sides of the story and work toward a compromise.
It's important that during such situations you remain neutral and are careful of what you
say to others. Professionals tend to be the bigger person and only speak kindly of their
colleagues. It's professional to keep conflicts private and to follow company procedures
to handle them.

4. Helpfulness

Volunteering to take on extra tasks or to help out a coworker is a true sign of a

professional. When you put in extra effort, it's likely that your team will notice and
appreciate the value you add to the workplace. Showing that you are willing to take on
new responsibilities can prove that you are ready for the next step in your career. Those
who do more may be more qualified for a promotion or raise.

5. Integrity

Integrity is an important trait for any person to have. It ensures that you are trustworthy
and honest about your decisions. It means that you genuinely want to see your team
succeed and will work toward the common goal. When you have integrity, people feel
more secure about letting you work with private information or important tasks.

6. Calm under stress

Remaining calm during stressful situations

is how you can show your true professionalism. This is especially important when
working with clients or customers. Rather than focusing on the chaos, you can take a
moment to breathe and figure out a solution. Staying poised and confident can help you
maintain healthy relationships even when situations become more intense.

7. Solution-oriented

When a problem arises, a professional person instantly starts to create proactive

solutions. Instead of just pointing out a problem you find, you share the problem and
then offer a way to fix it. When you can contribute innovative or unique ideas to a
brainstorming session, it shows that you have initiative. Always be thinking of ways you
can make other people's jobs easier or prevent problems entirely.

8. Self-motivated

Being able to motivate yourself shows that you have a sense of independence.
Managers tend to appreciate employees who can figure out what they need to do with
little direction. A self-motivated person can stay on task, maintain their energy and show
their ambition. Finding ways to motivate yourself, such as maintaining healthy habits or
creating a personal reward system, can help improve this quality.

9. Kind demeanor

A professional always treats work colleagues with kindness. They try to be helpful, say
nice things and uplift those around them. Likewise, they strive to make a good
impression on behalf of the company. Whether this is through the way they dress or act,
they are always remembering that they are a representative of where they work. It's
important to be mindful of what you put out into the world since it can be a reflection of
your company's employee standards.

10. Responsible

Other employees and management can expect a professional-acting person to get their
work done. If you say you're going to do something, you follow through on it. Using a
calendar to keep track of commitments and always showing up on time are things
professionals are sure to do. Likewise, if they find they cannot finish a task on time or
make a meeting, they promptly communicate this and find a solution for such situations.

11. Collaborative

Along with working well on their own, a professional employee can effectively
collaborate with others. Having strong teamwork skills makes you pleasant to work with
and may give you more opportunities to work on new projects. A key component of
being collaborative is giving others the chance to share their opinions and insights.
Giving your coworkers a chance to speak and building upon what they say is a part of
being a team player.
12. Confidence

Being confident in your role is one way to show that you are an effective employee.
Volunteering to give a presentation or train a new team member communicates that you
know how to do your job well. Standing up straight, dressing with a purpose and
acknowledging your coworkers are all ways to show your confidence.

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