Discussion board | Applied Sciences homework help

1. Mayer, M. E. (1998). Behaviors leading to more effective decisions in small groups embedded in organizations. Communication Reports, 11, 123–132.

431 810 appendix IV Sample Presentations

• Sample Plan for an Informative Presentation The following presentation is typical of informative talks given every business day. In this scenario, the personnel specialist in a medium-sized company has gathered a group of staff members together to describe the features of a tax-reduction plan as part of the employee benefits. Notice how the speaker uses most of the strategies covered in Chapters 9–12 to make her ideas clearer and to increase the attention of her audience.

The speaker’s goal is to help listeners decide whether they are interested enough in the benefits plan to attend a much longer meeting on the subject. She wisely chose this approach to avoid going into detail about the plan when some people might not be interested. By giving a short description of how the plan works, she can keep this introductory talk brief and simple. [The promise of increasing take-home pay is a guaranteed attention-getter.] I know you’re busy, but I don’t think you’ll mind taking a few minutes away from work this morning. You see, I’m here today to show you a way that you can increase the amount of money you take home each month. [This opening illustrates the persuasive element No, I’m not going to announce an across-the-board raise. But increasing your salary isn’t the only way to boost your income. Another way that works just 811 that is called for in many informative presentations.] as well is to reduce your taxes. After all, every dollar less you pay in taxes is like having a dollar more in your pocket. [An overall view of the plan is presented here.] In the next few minutes, I’ll explain the company’s flexible benefits plan. It’s a perfectly legal option that lets you increase your real income by cutting the amount of taxes you pay, so that your income will grow even without a raise. I know this sounds too good to be true, but it really works! I’ve already signed up, and I figure it will save me almost $2,000 a year. It can probably save you a lot, too. [A brief transition alerts listeners to the first main point in the body of the presentation: the difference between before- and after-tax dollars.] Before you can appreciate how the flexible benefits plan works, you have to understand the difference between before-tax and after-tax dollars. [The speaker shows Exhibit 1 here.] Before-tax dollars are the amount that shows up every month in the “Gross Amount” box on our paychecks, but we don’t get to spend our full salaries. There are several deductions: federal income tax withholding, Social Security (the amount in the “F.I.C.A.” box), state tax withholding, and disability insurance premiums (the amount in the “S.D.I.” box). What’s left in the “Net Amount” box is our pay in after-tax dollars. 432 [The enlarged display of a familiar paycheck stub clarifies the unfamiliar concepts of before- and after- tax dollars.] EXHIBIT 1 Paycheck Stub [The speaker wisely avoids a complicated discussion of before- Once all those deductions are taken away from our pay, every before-tax dollar shrinks in value to about 73 cents [The speaker shows Exhibit 2 here.], and that’s in a low tax bracket. If your 812 and after-tax dollars in different tax brackets.] income is higher, then the difference between before- and after-tax dollars is even bigger. This means that it takes at least $136.33 in after-tax dollars to buy something that costs $100 in before- tax dollars. [The visual display increases the clarity and impact of the difference between before- and after-tax dollars.] EXHIBIT 2 Value of Before- and After-Tax Dollars [The transition here makes the movement to the second part of the body clear.] You can probably see now that it’s better to buy things in before-tax dollars whenever you can, and that’s what the flexible benefits plan lets you do. Let me explain how it works. 433 [An internal preview orients the audience to the next two points.] The flexible benefits plan is great because it allows you to pay for some important items in before-tax dollars. The plan lets you set aside pay in two categories: medical costs and dependent care. Let’s cover each of these in detail so you can see which expenses are covered. [The speaker generates audience involvement by inviting listeners to consider their own expenses in the following areas.] A look at the chart entitled “Allowable Medical Expenses” shows which items you can use under the flexible benefits plan. [The speaker points to each item in Exhibit 3 as she discusses it.] As I cover these expenses, think about how much you spend in each area. [The chart helps listeners understand which expenses are covered.] 813 EXHIBIT 3 Allowable Medical Expenses [The hypothetical example helps listeners understand how the plan works in real life.] First we’ll talk about health-insurance deductibles and co-payments. Under our company’s policy, you pay the first $300 of expenses for yourself and each dependent. You also make a $10 co-payment for each visit to a doctor. Let’s say that you and one dependent have to pay the $300 deductible each year, and that you made five visits to the doctor. That’s a total of $650 per year you could have covered under the plan. [A citation helps prove that the cost of medicines is considerable.] Drugs and prescriptions include every kind of medicine you buy, even if you buy it over the counter without a prescription. Don’t forget that the plan also covers payments you make for everyone you claim as a dependent: your kids, maybe your spouse, and maybe even an older parent whom you’re caring for. An article from Changing Times magazine says a family of three spends an average of $240 per year on drugs. Maybe you spend even more. Whatever you do spend on medicine can be included in the plan, which means you will pay less for it than if you used after-tax dollars. 434 [Examples of typical vision-care fees illustrate the potential costs in this area.] Vision care and equipment include eyeglasses and contact lenses as well as any fees you or your dependents pay to optometrists or ophthalmologists. With a pair of reading glasses costing at least $45 and a new set of contact lenses costing more than $80, those expenses can really mount up. 814 Psychologists and psychiatrists are also covered, which means that any counseling you receive will cost a lot less. Dental care and orthodontia are covered, too. If you or your dependents need major dental work, this difference can amount to a lot of money. If you’re paying for your kids’ braces, you can really save a bundle. We did some checking, and the average orthodontic treatment today runs about $3,500 over 3 years—or more than $1,000 per year. [Comparing the unfamiliar benefits plan to the familiar notion of a discount helps make the advantages clear.] Nobody likes to spend money for medical expenses like these, but paying for them with before-tax dollars under the flexible benefits plan is like getting a discount of 20 percent or more—clearly, a great deal. [The transition here uses signposts to mark a shift to the second type of expense covered by the plan.] Medical costs aren’t the only expenses you can include in the flexible benefits plan. There’s a second way you can boost your take-home pay: by including dependent care in the plan. [The example of potential savings under the plan is a guaranteed attention- getter for working parents.] For most people, dependents are children. Any costs of caring for your kids can be paid for in before-tax dollars, meaning you’ll pay a lot less. You can include day care services, preschool fees, even in-home care for your child. We did some checking and found that the cost of keeping a child in preschool or day care in this area from 8:30 in the morning until 5 PM averages about $5,000 per year. By shifting this amount into the flexible benefits plan, the real cost drops by more than $1,000. Not bad for filling out a few forms! [A restatement of the thesis is combined with the introduction of an example to support its claim.] When you combine the savings on health care and dependents, the potential savings that come from joining the flexible benefits plan are impressive. Let’s take a look at a typical example of just how much money the flexible benefits plan can save. 815 Your personal situation probably won’t be exactly like this one, but you can still get a feeling for how good the plan is. [The speaker shows Exhibit 4.] 435 EXHIBIT 4 Savings with Flexible Benefits Plan [The chart provides a visual outline of the example. Without the exhibit, the dollar amounts would be too confusing to follow.] Suppose your salary is $23,500 and you have a spouse and one child. Let’s say that your health and dependent expenses are pretty much like the ones we’ve been discussing here today. [The speaker points to the “Salary Reductions” section of chart.] Your health insurance deductibles and co-payments amount to $650, and you spend $240 over the year on prescriptions and drugs. Let’s say that one person in your family needs one set of eyeglasses. You all get dental checkups, and you don’t even have cavities! You spend $1,800 on child care— not bad these days. If we look at the top third of the chart, it might seem that enrolling in the flexible benefits plan will cost you more. After all, your salary would be $23,500 without the plan but only $20,570 with your expenses deducted from the plan. 436 816 [As the speaker points to the “Annual Savings” line on the chart, the audience sees in real dollars the potential advantage of the plan.] However, look what happens once we add taxes into the equation. [The speaker points to “Taxes” section of chart.] Since your pay with the plan is less, you pay less in taxes. A little subtraction shows that the difference between the $6,204 you’d pay without the plan and the $5,481 you’d pay with it amounts to a savings of $723. This is just a small example of how much you can save. If your expenses are higher—if you have more medical costs, for example—the advantage is even greater. As your salary goes up and you move into a higher tax bracket, the advantages grow, too. And don’t forget that the savings I’ve been talking about are just for one year. As time goes by, your earning power will grow even more. [In a restatement of the thesis, the speaker returns to the main advantage of the plan.] Now you can see why we’re so glad to offer the flexible benefits plan. It can boost your take-home pay even before you get a raise. It costs you nothing. [Listeners are told what to do next if they are interested in the plan.] If you’re interested in learning more, we encourage you to read the booklet I’ll hand out in a moment. It contains a worksheet that will help you estimate how much you stand to save under the plan. If the idea still interests you, please attend the workshop we’ll be holding next Friday during the lunch hour in the third-floor meeting room. At that time, we can answer your questions and make an appointment for each of you to sign up at the personnel office. In the meantime, I’ll be happy to answer any questions you have now.

• Sample Sales Presentation The following presentation (outlined in Figure A4.1) demonstrates most of the persuasive principles covered in Chapter 12 as well as the general guidelines about speaking to an audience introduced in Chapters 9 through 11. The purpose and approach are based on a sound audience analysis. As

817 you will see, the talk has a clear thesis and a clear, logical organizational structure. A variety of verbal and visual supports add interest, clarity, and proof. FIGURE A4.1 Outline of Sample Presentation The speaker’s company, Ablex Technologies, manufactures sophisticated electronic components. One of its best customers is BioMedical Instruments (BMI), which produces a wide variety of sophisticated medical diagnostic instruments. The company’s biggest contracts with BMI are for kidney-dialysis and blood-analyzer parts, which total almost $1 million per year. Under a much smaller and older contract, Ablex also supplies BMI with parts for an X-ray unit. BMI no longer makes the unit, but is committed to furnishing current users with replacement parts until the machines drop out of use, and Ablex is obliged to supply BMI with these parts. Producing these X-ray unit parts is usually a problem: Orders are small and sporadic, leading to delays and headaches for everyone 437 concerned. The speaker is presenting a plan that offers a better way to handle replenishment of the X-ray unit parts. 818 The audience is Mary Ann Hirsch, the buyer at BMI, and two production engineers. Although the purchasing director and the chief project engineer are not attending the presentation, they will rely on the information gathered by their subordinates and, ultimately, will be the ones to approve or reject this idea—so in a way, they are part of the audience, too. [The introduction emphasizes the positive aspects of the relationship with the customer. A brief sketch of the problem establishes common ground. “We’re in this together, and it’s no good for either of us.”] We’ve been involved in a long, positive relationship with BMI. The only troubles we’ve ever encountered have come from the X-ray parts. Even though they are just a small part of our business with you, they seem to involve the greatest headaches for both you and us. The timing of these orders is impossible for you to predict, which makes it hard for us to get parts from our suppliers and deliver the product to you quickly. This leads to all sorts of problems: unhappy customers who have to wait for the equipment they ordered and time spent by people at both of our companies keeping in touch. 438 [The preview lists the main advantages of the plan that will be proposed.] We think there’s a better way to handle the X-ray problem. It’ll reduce frustration, cut costs, and let all of us spend our time on more productive parts of our jobs. Before we talk about this new plan, let me review why the present arrangement for handling X-ray orders is such a headache. [A transition leads to the “problem” section of the presentation.] The main problem we face is irregular orders. A look at the order history for the last year shows that there’s no pattern—and no way to predict when customers will order replacement parts for their X-ray units. [The speaker shows Exhibit 5 here.] [The visual exhibit clearly demonstrates 819 the unpredictable nature of customer orders.] EXHIBIT 5 X-Ray Parts Ordering Pattern [An example shows the problems flowing from irregular orders.] This unpredictable pattern makes it tough for us to serve you quickly. We have to order parts from our suppliers, which often can take a long time. For instance, with the February 17 order, it took 6 weeks for our suppliers to get us the parts we needed to manufacture the X-ray components you needed. Once we had the parts, it took us the usual 4 weeks to assemble them. As you said at the time, this delay kept your customer waiting almost 3 months for the components needed to get its equipment up and running, and that’s poison for customer relations. [An example highlights amount of time wasted.] Delays like this aren’t just bad for your relationship with customers; they also waste time—yours and ours. Mary Ann, do you remember how many phone calls and letters it took to keep track of that February order? In fact, every year we spend more time on these X-ray orders that involve a few thousand dollars than we do on the dialysis and blood-analyzer parts that involve around a million dollars annually. That’s just not a good use of time. 439 [A transition leads to the second consequence of irregular orders: wasted time. “Solution” part So we clearly have a situation that’s bad for everybody. Fortunately, we believe there’s a better way—better for you, for us, and for your customers. This plan involves your giving us an annual purchasing forecast for X-ray parts. Instead of waiting for your customers to place individual orders, you would estimate the total sales likely to occur in a year. Then we would acquire enough 820 of the presentation then introduced.] parts from our suppliers to assemble those items so that we could have them ready quickly as your customers place orders. [The advantages of the solution are previewed in the chart.] This simple plan has several advantages. They’re summarized on this chart, but let me explain them in a little more detail. [The speaker shows Exhibit 6 here.] EXHIBIT 6 Advantages of Annual Forecasting for X-Ray Parts [The strongest advantage to the listeners is introduced first to develop a positive impression early.] The first advantage is that advance purchasing will speed up delivery of your orders. Instead of waiting for our suppliers to ship parts, we can begin to assemble your order as soon as you send it. You can get an idea of the time savings by looking at how much time this plan would have saved on the order you placed in February. [The speaker shows Exhibit 7.] [A bar chart graphically demonstrates the amount of time saved.] EXHIBIT 7 Annual Forecasting Speeds Delivery Time 440 821 [A transition leads to the second advantage of the plan: flexibility. A hypothetical example helps the audience visualize this advantage.] Besides being quick, the plan is flexible. If you wind up receiving more orders than you anticipated when you made your original forecast, you can update the plan every six months. That means we’ll never run out of parts for the X-ray units. Suppose you projected 1,400 units in your original forecast. If you’ve already ordered 1,000 units six months later, you could update your forecast at that point to 2,000 units and we’d have the parts on hand when you needed them. [A transition leads to anticipation of a possible listener objection: What if orders decrease? Credible authority is cited to support this point.] This semiannual revision of the forecast takes care of increases in the number of orders, but you might be wondering about the opposite situation—what would happen if there are fewer orders than you expected. The plan anticipates that possibility, too. We’re willing to extend the date by which you’re obliged to use your annual estimate of parts to 18 months. In other words, with this plan you’d have 18 months to use the parts you expected to use in 12 months. That’s pretty safe, because Ted Forester [BMI’s vice president of sales and marketing] predicts that the existing X-ray machines will be in use for at least the next six or seven years before they’re replaced with newer models. [An internal review reminds listeners of the previously introduced advantages and leads to identification of a third benefit: less wasted time.] Flexibility and speed are two good advantages, but there are other benefits of this plan as well. It can save time for both you and us. You know how much time we spend on the phone every time there’s a surprise X-ray order, and I imagine you have to deal with impatient customers, too. Talking about delays is certainly no fun, and with this annual purchasing plan it won’t be necessary because we can guarantee delivery within 4 weeks of receiving your order. Think of the aggravation that will avoid! [The second most important advantage is introduced last, By now, you can see why we’re excited about this plan. But there’s one final benefit as well: The plan will save you money. When we order our parts in larger quantities, the unit price is less than the one we’re 822 where it is likely to be remembered by listeners.] charged with smaller orders. We’re willing to pass along the savings to you, which means that you’ll be paying less under this plan than you are now. Notice how ordering a year’s supply of parts drops the unit price considerably. [The speaker shows Exhibit 8.] 441 EXHIBIT 8 Annual Forecasting Reduces Unit Price You can see that this plan is a real money saver. Compare the savings you could have realized on last year’s order of 597 units if this plan had been in effect. [The speaker shows Exhibit 9.] EXHIBIT 9 One Year’s Saving with Annual Forecasting Plan [The conclusion reviews the plan’s advantages and makes an appeal to the listeners to adopt it.] So that’s the plan. It’s simple. It’s risk-free. It’s convenient. It’s flexible. Along with all these advantages, it can cut your costs. We’re prepared to start working with you immediately to put this plan into action. If we start soon, we’ll never have to deal with X- ray headaches again. Then we can put our energy into the larger, more satisfying projects that are more rewarding for both of us. 442 823 appendix V Crisis Communication An organizational crisis has several defining characteristics: It is unexpected. An organization’s leadership may anticipate the possibility of a crisis, but they can never identify the exact moment that a crisis will occur, nor can they predict the nuanced details of the situation. It creates uncertainty. Both the organization and the public will know little information about a crisis when it first emerges. The organizational leadership may be concerned about a crisis’s threat to its core values, operations, reputation, and financial standing. Depending on the type of crisis, the public may also be concerned about the health, safety, privacy, or financial stability of themselves and their loved ones. It is a turning point. As we discussed in Chapter 5, conflict presents both danger and opportunity. As a result of effective crisis communication, an organization may emerge even stronger than it was before the crisis occurred. Understanding and mastering the steps involved in each of the stages of crisis communication are crucial for business professionals. Even the most successful companies with the most humanitarian values are susceptible to crisis. The impact of crises is exacerbated by digital age technologies— one simple tweet can go viral around the world and become a news story within minutes.1 824 Furthermore, organizations can be held liable for failing to have a crisis plan. On April 17, 2013, an explosion occurred at the West Fertilizer Company in West, Texas, killing 15 people. As a result of this crisis, the company faced federal fines totaling $118,300 for two dozen serious safety violations, including its lack of a crisis plan.2 The tips presented in this appendix will help you prepare for and respond to a crisis situation in your workplace.

• Stages of Crisis Communication There are three stages of crisis communication: prevention, response, and evaluation.

Prevention Although we cannot anticipate every potential crisis we will face, it is important that we do our research in an attempt to prevent as many crises as possible. Crisis prevention consists of the following steps: Anticipate crises that may occur based on the industry, location, size, operations, and personnel of your organization. Also consider crises that may occur at nearby facilities and how those incidents might affect your organization. Monitor the current social and political landscape. Consider whether certain issues that are gaining traction could pose threats to the company. Monitor the organization’s reputation. Are there patterns of complaints that have gone unaddressed? Would the public perceive the organization to be part of the fabric of the community? When it comes to the public’s willingness to trust your organization’s response to a crisis, having a neutral reputation may be just as bad as having a poor reputation. 443 Talk to your stakeholders and determine their expectations regarding your organization. What do your employees, employees’ family members, board of directors, unions, investors, customers, suppliers, 825 community leaders, regulators, legislators, and media expect? Most crises begin as a simple violation of stakeholders’ expectations. Research crises that have occurred at your organization and at organizations that are similar to yours in terms of industry, size, and operations. A crisis that has occurred in the past or has affected a similar organization is likely to be repeated. Assemble a crisis team that includes members representing each of the departments within your organization. This crisis team should meet often and be tasked both with attempting to resolve issues before they become crises, and with preparing for potential crises. Train at least two spokespersons on how to engage with the media and the public. The tips presented in Chapter 12 will be useful in this training. Response Each crisis situation calls for a unique response based on the organization’s crisis history, perceived responsibility, legality, and other factors. Nevetheless, all crisis response statements should meet the following standards:3 Be timely. The public will expect a response almost immediately. A good rule of thumb is to issue an initial statement, letting the public know that the organization is aware of the crisis and is gathering details, within 1 hour after identification of the crisis. In this initial statement, a specific date and time for release of a follow-up statement (typically within 24 hours) should be provided. It is important to know media deadlines, as journalists will often want a comment for their stories within a certain time frame. If your organization is unable to provide a comment within this time frame, it leaves the door open for speculation and rumors. The longer it takes an organization to respond, the guiltier the public will likely perceive it to be. Be honest. Your statement should consist of facts. You should not speculate about the cause of the crisis or attempt to make excuses for the organization. If you do not have enough information, be honest about that fact, and let the public know that you will update them as soon as you do have information. 826 Be empathetic. Demonstrate sincere concern for your public, even if you do not agree with their perspectives. Use nonverbal expressions that communicate empathy, and use supportive verbal communication that demonstrates regret. While it may be acceptable to apologize for a rogue tweet sent out by an employee, you must be careful with what you say during serious crisis situations that may become legal matters. Although you may want to apologize to demonstrate empathy, such a statement could be perceived as an acceptance of responsibility or an admission of guilt by an organization. Consulting with a legal team will help you make judgments about how you can express regrets. Be interactive. Encourage two-way communication, or dialogue, with your stakeholders. Listen to and address their concerns. Solicit their feedback. Communicate with them using the channel(s) they trust. Make them feel like insiders who matter. Research has shown that an effective crisis response statement will also explain confirmed crisis facts (what, when, where, why, and how) and tell stakeholders what they 444 need to do to physically protect themselves during the crisis.4 It is also important to tell the public what the organization is doing to correct the wrongdoing and prevent future occurrences. Consider the following statement issued by Blue Bell CEO and president Paul Kruse following a Listeria outbreak traced to the company’s ice cream in April 2015:5 [Explains what the company is doing to correct the wrongdoing] We’re committed to doing the 100 percent right thing, and the best way to do that is to take all of our products off the market until we are confident that they are all safe. At every step, we have made decisions in the best interest of our customers based on the evidence we had available at the time. We have brought in one of the world’s most respected food safety microbiologists to inspect our plants and systems to help us get to the bottom of this issue. 827 [Provides confirmed facts; demonstrates honesty] Through further internal testing, we learned today that Listeria monocytogenes was found in an additional half gallon of ice cream in our Brenham facility. While we initially believed this situation was isolated to one machine in one room, we now know that was wrong. We need to know more to be completely confident that our products are safe for our customers. [Explains what is being done to prevent future occurrences] As Blue Bell moves forward, we are implementing a procedure called “test and hold” for all products made at all of our manufacturing facilities. This means that all products released will be tested first and held for release to the market only after the tests show they are safe. In addition to the “test and hold” system, Blue Bell is implementing additional safety procedures and testing including: Expanding our already robust system of daily cleaning and sanitizing of equipment Expanding our system of swabbing and testing our plant environment by 800 percent to include more surfaces Sending samples daily to a leading microbiology laboratory for testing Providing additional employee training At this point, we cannot say with certainty how Listeria was introduced to our facilities. We continue to work with our team of experts to eliminate this problem. 445 [Provides customers with information about how to protect themselves; corrects the situation by offering a We urge customers who have purchased Blue Bell products to return them to the place of purchase for a full refund. Consumers with any concerns or questions should call 979-836-7977 Monday–Friday 8 a.m.–5 p.m. CST or go to www.bluebell.com for the most up- to-date information. 828 refund; opens the door for interaction] [Expresses empathy] We are heartbroken about this situation and apologize to all of our loyal Blue Bell fans and customers. Our entire history has been about making the very best and highest-quality ice cream, and we intend to fix this problem. We want enjoying our ice cream to be a source of joy and pleasure, never a cause for concern, so we are committed to getting this right. Evaluation The final step in the crisis communication process occurs after an organization has suffered a crisis. It is important for the crisis team to convene and evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of the crisis prevention and response. Damages to life, property, financial standing, reputation, and business continuity should be discussed. The goal should be to retain what worked and identify an action plan for resolving the issues that did not work. It is also important to make sure that the organization’s stakeholders are satisfied with the crisis response. If any issues are left unresolved, the crisis could be reignited. References 1. Leopold, T. (2012, March 6). In today’s warp-speed world, online missteps spread faster than ever. CNN. Retrieved from http://www.cnn.com/2012/03/06/tech/social-media/misinformation-social- media/