Business and Management

Communication Skills for the Practicing Professional, Part 2

By Richard B. Hayter, Ph.D., RE., Presidential Member/Fellow ASHRAE

n the March 2004 issue oi ASHRAE Journal, we discussed the importance of honing communication skills to effectively convey ideas, regardless of whether they are focused on the technology of our business or the management of it. We can all significantly improve these skills if we make a conscious effort to do so. In that article, we concluded with some tips on effective listening. Here we will focus on another important part of communicationspeaking. Most of us are comfortable speaking one-on-one with an associate or within a small group but are generally less comfortable speaking to a larger group, particularly one made up of individuals we do not know, or whom we feel may be critical of our presentation. Fortunately, many of the techniques used in conveying an idea to a small group of friends are identical to those used with a larger audience. Remembering that simple fact may give us the needed confidence to speak to a larger group. A political candidate once used the campaign slogan "Listen, Care and Respond." It is my opinion that those three words can help us prepare for a presentation, whether it is for a small group of peers or a large group of strangers. "Listen" to those to whom you will speak. This is a critical first step in defining opportunities and problems. Here, "listen" is more than just hearing. It means learning about the particular needs of your audience. It is important that you know your audience before you speak. "Care" for your audience by making the effort to understand its needs and providing specific solutions. Do not simply dust off an old speech, but prepare materials that directly relate to the group's current needs. Always build on the strengths of your audience, as you understand them. Christopher Reeve said it best when he stated, "When you look at people, observe their abilities, not their disabilities." "Respond" to the needs of your audience through your communication with them. Certainly parts of previous presentations on the same topic will be valuable resources, but it is important to customize your presentation to include information that you learned as you "listened." Develop techniques that encourage feedback as you speak. Simply asking if there are questions
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may not be sufficient. You may need to introduce some probing issues to get preliminary responses. I learned some simple but effective techniques from professionals during communication training. One of those methods involves associating meaning to each letter in the word "speak." This is similar to the technique we shared in the 2004 column with the word "listen." S = Structure. As you prepare your speech, consider the structure of the presentation and share that structure with your audience. It will help people follow your outline and understand how each part builds on the next. P = Purpose. What is the purpose of your speech? Is it to be informative? Is it to be persuasive? Is it purely for entertainment, or is it a combination? Regardless, as trivial as it may seem, make sure you know. At times, it's appropriate to tell your audience the purpose upfront, particularly if you are trying to be persuasive. Don't wait for them to try to figure out your point at the end. E = Enthusiasm. Be enthusiastic about your topic. If you're not enthusiastic, your audience certainly will not be. Paraphrasing Henry Ford, "Enthusiasm is . . . the irresistible surge of will and energy to execute your ideas." A = Audience. As previously said, know your audience and its needs. Make sure you listen, care, and respond. K = Knowledge. This probably sounds insignificant because you obviously have knowledge about your subject, but many speakers fail when confronted with a challenge and do not have the knowledge to respond. Study your subject before you speak and then study some more. ASHRAE provides a number of valuable resources to assist with our engineering decisions and also offers nontechnical materials to enhance our professional skills. One such material, "TheASHRAE Speakers Manual," is available on the ASHRAE Web site at www.ashrae.org/speakers. Speaking before ASHRAE members is an honor and a joy. I hope you will give it a try. Richard B. Hayter, Ph.D., RE., is associate dean of engineering for external affaires at Kansas State University in Manhattan, Kan.%
May 2006

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