Persuasive Communication for Science and Technology Leaders

Stephen Wilbers, PhD, is a keynote speaker, speech coach, and award-winning author. He teaches written and oral communication skills in the University of Minnesota’s Technological Leadership Institute. His clients include the Mayo Clinic, Medtronic, 3M, and a variety of state bar associations.

• About the Author xvAcknowledgments xviiHow This Book Differs From Other Communication Guides xixPreviously Published Material xxiAlso By Stephen Wilbers xxiiiWelcome xxvIntroduction 1Who can benefit from this book 2How this book differs from other textbooks & communication guides 2How this book evolved from my writing & teaching 4How to read this book using the SQ4R method 6How this book is organized 7Questions to ask yourself as you read this book 9Part ONE—Writing 11Chapter 1 Explaining Complex Technologies Clearly 13Writing in stages 14Think of yourself as a translator 15Adopt the seven habits of highly effective writers 15Approach writing as a process 17Don’t be blocked by writer’s block 18Communicating internationally without ambiguity 20Don’t confuse non-native speakers of American English 20Limit your use of prepositionalized English 22Don’t assume that American & British English are identical 22Don’t be too quick to laugh at ESL or ELL errors 23Connecting your thoughts with sentence & paragraph structure 24Write in sentences, but think in three-part paragraphs 25Break sprawling sentences & paragraphs into shorter units 27Use introductory elements & transitions to connect your thoughts 27Emphasizing key points with sentence variety 29Use trailing elements & asides for variety, emphasis, & elaboration 29Invert your sentences for variety, transitions, & coherence 30Just for Fun: How Charles the Great changed Latin to our benefit today 34Get Out of Jail Free: e.g. for i.e. 36Chapter 2 Breathing Life into Scientific & Technical Writing 37Supporting your explanations with detail 39Support your argument with colorful, specific detail 39Evoke the five senses to make your descriptions come alive 41Don’t neglect smell, the most evocative of the five senses 42Use graphs, tables, figures, & equations to highlight, illustrate, & explain 43Animating your sentences & descriptions with verbs 44Use verb-driven clauses to convey information succinctly & emphatically 44Use colorful, action verbs to animate your descriptions 46Working with verbs, noun stacks, & sentence variety 49Keep your verbs within sight of their subjects 49Unstack those noun stacks 51Just for Fun: Nominalize your verbs to inflict pain on your reader 58Get Out of Jail Free: It’s for its 59Chapter 3 Expanding Your Expressive Range 61Using your first person subjective voice 63When appropriate, write in the first person for a more engaging style 64Know the difference between transitive & intransitive, active & passive 65Use the first person in theses & dissertations when appropriate 66Know when not to write in the first person 67Use an overtly subjective voice to convey honesty, personality, & warmth 69Going beyond “Plain English” to more varied expression 72Know the value of “Plain English,” but recognize its limitations 72Vary your sentence structure & length 74Punctuate your beat with pauses 75Place key words at the beginning & ending of your sentences 75Expanding your vocabulary to convey nuance, beauty, & complexity 76Collect good words 77Look up & learn new words as you read, starting with this book 78Just for Fun: American poet runs afoul of Plain English guidelines 82Get Out of Jail Free: Principle for principal 84Chapter 4 Connecting with a Wider Audience 85Getting your reader’s attention 88Know how to write a good lead (or lede) 88Use colorful quotes to enliven your writing 90Collect examples of good leads (or ledes) for ideas & inspiration 91Structuring your articles, blogs, messages, texts, & tweets 94Follow a newsletter checklist to meet a tight deadline 94Use a three-step structure in your email messages 96Tweet short & sweet – and with integrity 98Base your level of formality and correctness on four touchstones: Purpose, audience, subject, & occasion 100Communicating correctly 102Know the rules & know when to break ’em 103Proofread for eight errors of hurry & haste 105Communicating inclusively 107Recognize all genders, ages, & ethnicities 107Be aware of gender differences in communication patterns 112Avoid ambiguity when writing to non-native English speakers 113Just for Fun: SlumberWrite software guaranteed to produce soporific writing 116Get Out of Jail Free: Complementary for complimentary 118Part Two —Speaking 119Chapter 5 Mastering the Physical & Behavioral Skills of Public Speaking 121Connecting with your posture, dress, & appearance 123Stand & sit tall 123Dress appropriately for the audience & the occasion 124Connecting with your eyes 124Look directly into their eyes 125Expect less audience feedback when presenting online or on camera 125Connecting with your voice 126Don’t underestimate the power of your speaking voice 126Play your voice like a musical instrument it is 127Be proud of your accent 128Enunciate your words 129Connecting with your gestures, facial expressions, & movement 130Expand your gestural range 131Make your face interesting 131Claim your space early & hold your ground 132Just for Fun: Sailing, writing, & speaking 134Get Out of Jail Free: There’s for there’re & subject-verb nonagreement 136Chapter 6 Feeling & Projecting Confidence 137Feeling confident 139Get control of your mind & your body by breathing 139Prepare, release tension, & adjust expectations 139Take a six-step approach to feeling confident 140Projecting confidence 140Speak at full volume 141Don’t rush your delivery 141Take the twelve-step approach to projecting confidence 142Recovering from mental lapses & technical glitches 142Prepare a safety net 143Remember that the audience is on your side 144Be prepared to be challenged 145Aim for good, not perfect 146Just for Fun: Speaking your mind & breaking the rules like Jesse Ventura 148Get Out of Jail Free: Myself for I, Me, and Bobby McGee 150Chapter 7 Connecting with Content, Conviction, & Humor 153Opening, holding, & closing well 154Get their attention 154Give an overview & emphasize transitions 156Prepare a good closing 156Playing your part convincingly 158Play it for all it’s worth 158Show them the real you 159Underscore key points with visuals 159Making it fun by having fun 161Know which types of humor work best 162Play it safe with self-deprecating humor 165Just for Fun: Papa says to maintain parallel structure 168Get Out of Jail Free: Nonparallel structure 169Chapter 8 Practicing, Delivering, & Evaluating Your Presentation 173Creating muscle memory by practicing 175Rehearse your words out loud 176Practice your gestures & expressions 176Practice working within your allotted time 176For most presentations, don’t read your text 177Handling difficult questions & inappropriate questioners 177Decide whether and when to take questions 178Answer the question when you can 178Know how to manage an interview & how to talk to the media 180Evaluating presentations with a score sheet 182Enforce a strict time limit 182Offer timely feedback & constructive criticism 183Concentrate on strengths & note areas for improvement 183Use a score sheet to identify and evaluate skills 183Just for Fun: Even Eliza Doolittle trips over the rules of English grammar 187Get Out of Jail Free: Who or whom do you trust? 188Epilogue 191Appendix A Words Every Educated Person Should Know 195Appendix B Sixteen Common Language Errors 199Remember the eight language errors that got you out of jail 199Avoid eight additional common language errors 202Appendix C Key Physical & Behavioral Skills of Public Speaking 207Appendix D Key Themes & Strategies 209Key themes & highlights from Chapter Summaries 209Part One: Writing 209Part Two: Speaking 210Appendix E Works Cited, Recommended Reading, & Style Guides 213Works cited 213Recommended reading 216Style guides 217Index 219