Judith Murciano                                                  Harvard University Faculty Arts & Sciences &        

Office Tel: 617- 496-8375L; 493-2777H                  Harvard Law School, Wasserstein Hall 4045

jmurcian@law.harvard.edu (Murciano@fas.harvard.edu) Wednesday 7:40-9:40 p.m.

 

EXPO E-34: Business Rhetoric Syllabus tailored to Spring 2016

Course Focus

This course helps business professionals and students improve their writing for effective written and oral communications so they will be better equipped to accomplish their educational and professional goals. While covering the primary forms of business writing (memos, cover letters, proposals, PowerPoint presentations, and analytical reports), we focus on developing clear sentences, coherent paragraphs, and well-organized documents.  Students master the elements of business rhetoric and become adept at strategies for successfully conveying valuable knowledge and a leadership vision that persuades readers and motivates organizations.  Beyond the Aristotelian rules of communication, students learn powerful and innovative techniques drawn from multiple sources, including media, quantitative and visual narratives. Each student produces written projects and oral presentations, and each student receives critical feedback and individual support as well as workshop team input and top visitor expertise.  The class will strengthen skills in short exercises, an analytical thesis, a business proposal, and an entrepreneurial venture.

 

“Successful communications,” according to Kim Cooper, C.E.O. and former Harvard faculty member, “make something happen. They persuade, motivate and teach. They unify teams and drive change. They improve negotiations, close deals, and create trust. Effective communications express an organization’s unique value proposition, and they are key to inspiring confidence and leadership.” We will explore the practical principles and methods for accomplishing these goals.

 

Required Reference Books (Also, I will provide essential handouts and feedback on canvas)

• Business Communication, Harvard Business School Essentials, Harvard Business School Press
• Writing that Works, Edited by Walter Oliu, Charles Brusaw, and Gerald Alred(reference text)
• Case Studies, Harvard Business School Management Letters, and Articles: (Canvas Readings 2016))
• HBS Press (Results Driven Manager), Written Communications that Inform and Influence (Canvas)
• Writing with Internet Sources: A Guide for Harvard Students:
• http://isites.harvard.edu/fs/docs/icb.topic229960.files/Writing_with_Internet_Sources.pdf
• Elements of Style, William Strunk, Jr. and E.B. White or Diana Hacker, Rules for Writers (grammar)

 

Recommended but Not Required:

• An academic Dictionary (college-edition, not pocket-size)
• Jane K. Cleland, Business Writing for Results (canvas readings)
• & J. Graham, Can Do Writing: Proven Ten-Step System for Fast and Efficient Business Writing
• Jack Griffin, How to Say It at Work (Select chapters and Exercises in Readings 2016)
• Jefferson D. Bates. Writing with Precision (Selections on Canvas: Readings 2016)

 

• Course Design and Requirements
• Prerequisites:

On the first day of all Harvard writing classes, you must complete a brief writing assignment demonstrating that you are prepared to write at the level necessary to succeed in the course. If I have any concerns about your ability, I will communicate with you confidentially via e-mail.

• You must have access to a computer, an e-mail account, and speaker headphones to participate.
• All assignments must be typed, proofread, and free of mechanical errors, so you should allow ample time for editing and revision prior to submitting any materials to me and uploading to our class site.
• This course requires your responsible attendance (consistency and punctuality) and full participation.

 

         Assignments and Homework:

• During the semester, you will complete a series of short writing assignments, letters, memos, reports, and relevant reading assignments, the latter of which will build on your advancing expertise.
• In the second third of the semester, you will be writing a couple of analytical reports leading up to your own business proposals from internal and external perspectives. You will be composing two papers: A brief 2 page Analysis of an HBS Case Study as an external reviewer with team input. This assignment will engage you in the process of negotiation and consideration of multiple stakeholders, evaluations, problem-solving, and decision-making. The second paper will be an internal self-critique analysis of your in-process formulation and drafting of your project proposal, business plan, or organization. I will provide a structured series of questions that will help you think deeply and critically about the drafting of your project, the necessary research and refinements to your methodology, and the varied aspects of tone, narrative, data, branding, marketing, and any additional formulations that are specific to your project and its target audience and goals). This paper will give you an opportunity to witness and engage in how substantive thinking becomes genuinely advanced and sophisticated as you create a situation where your thoughts come alive off the pages you compose as you systematically (and dialectically) respond to the process of a purposeful, persuasive design intended to activate change in the reader or audience for your proposal. This process gives you a solid platform for the success of your final project.
• As a capstone to the final third of the semester, you will write a persuasive business proposal for venture capital or foundation support with an Executive Summary and a budget plan (8-10 pages). Some students may decide to create another type of proposal for grant support or policy reform effectively addressing a problem-solving situation that may be sustainable, scalable, and that requires “investment” (not necessarily financial) of the author’s audience.
• You will also design and deliver a brief oral and PowerPoint presentation (approximately 5 slides) to accompany your business venture or fundraising/organizing proposal.
• You will also be required to write thoughtful, detailed critiques of your classmates’ presentations (we will use canvas folder sites for feedback as well as real-time Blackboard Collaborate input).
• In class (online), we will have essential grammar and rhetorical exercises to hone your skills.
• We will conduct several small group, or team, writing exercises. Everyone’s writing will be workshopped. Responding to your peers’ work will help you become a sharper critic of your own writing.

 

• Attendance: It is the policy of the Harvard Extension School Writing Program that students who miss more than two class meetings risk being failed. Because Writing Program courses depend on sequential writing activities, peer workshops, and participatory class discussion, your consistent attendance is essential. Consistent lateness by more than twenty minutes will count as absences after the second time. Also, going in-and-out of sessions during our webconference class will not count as credit toward your full attendance in class. If you must miss a class, please let me know in advance; note that your assigned work is still due on time.

 

• Completion of work: Because the writing course is a planned sequence of assignments that build upon each other, and because writing workshops affect the schedule of the entire class, you must complete all the assigned exercises to pass the course. You must also write them on schedule – not in the last few days of the term after you have fallen behind. Allow for mechanical failures; save hardcopies of all your work; I recommend you send all materials to the class site and my email accounts. As we will be reviewing drafts in class, please send me all your work in advance for me to use in slides. We maintain a very interactive site for this course; you will upload your written work, and I will provide close reading comments and upload the reviewed document as a learning tool for everyone’s learning experience. I have created individualized portfolios for submission and for feedback. All students have access to these sites on our canvas Expo E 34 Spring 2016 site with delineated folders.

 

• Academic Honesty: The following is Harvard’s policy on academic honesty as stated in the Handbook for Students:
• All homework assignments, projects, lab reports, papers, and examinations submitted to a course are expected to be the students’ own work. Students should take great care to distinguish their own ideas and knowledge from information derived from sources. The term “sources” includes not only published primary and secondary material, but also information and opinions gained directly from other people.
• The responsibility for learning the proper forms of citation lies with the individual student. Quotations must be placed properly within quotation marks and must be cited fully. In addition, all paraphrased material must be acknowledged completely. Whenever ideas or facts are derived from a student’s reading and research or from a student’s own writing, the sources must be indicated.

 

• Plagiarism is the theft of someone else’s ideas and work. It is the incorporation of facts, ideas, or specific language that are not common knowledge, are taken from another source, and are not properly cited. Whether a student copies verbatim or simply rephrases the ideas of another without properly acknowledging the source, the theft is the same. A computer program written as part of the student’s academic work is, like a paper, expected to be the student’s original work and subject to the same standards of representation. In the preparation of work submitted to meet course requirements, whether a draft or final version of a paper, project, assignment, or take-home examination, students must take great care to distinguish their own ideas and language from information derived from sources. Sources include published primary and secondary materials, the Internet, and information and opinions gained directly from other people. Whenever ideas or facts are derived from a student’s reading or research, the sources must be properly cited.

 

You are expected to follow the standards of proper citation and to avoid plagiarism. Please consult the Harvard Guide to Using Sources, prepared by the Harvard College Writing Program for a helpful introduction to all matters related to source use: identifying and evaluating secondary sources, incorporating them into your work, documenting them correctly, and avoiding plagiarism. We also recommend that you complete your online tutorials “Using Sources, Five Scenarios” and “Using Sources, Five Examples” before you submit any written work. These tutorials take 15 minutes each to complete, and they will help you learn what you don’t know about using sources responsibly.

 

In cases of suspected plagiarism, student papers may be submitted to a private contracted service that reviews content for originality. Results from this review may be used to inform the Dean of Students Office in its inquiry. Papers submitted to this service are retained by that company and become part of their database of materials used in future searches. No personal identifying information is submitted or retained by the service.

 

Harvard’s Academic Integrity policy is posted on the website http://www.extension.harvard.edu/2012~13/policies/responsible.jsp. Consult Writing with Sources: A Guide for Harvard Students and Writing with Internet Sources. Hardcopies are available from the Coop.

 

• Grading: Business writing is as serious an endeavor as expository or academic writing. Students who turn in all course work on time, demonstrate a solid understanding of the craft, and produce compelling work may earn top grades. Students who do not submit all required work will not pass. Inferior work, excessive careless errors, or lack of informed participation will adversely affect a student’s grade as will failure to keep up with weekly reading and writing assignments. Students gain great fulfillment from their Harvard experience by meeting all requirements: participating in reading discussions, writing exercises, critical workshop responses, preparing for conferences as well as oral and collaborative presentations.
• Final Project – written venture, grant, or project proposal 25%
• Final Project – oral presentation & Powerpoint slides 20%
• Analysis Papers and Case Study; negotiations w/multiple stakeholders 20%
• Writing exercises, memos, and teamwork (workshops), canvas editing 15%

         Cover letters, email, business plans, benchmarks, research report                10% 

• Grammar review, report documents, web writing/design, quizzes 10%

 

• Grades reflect the quality and quantity of a student's work submitted throughout the term according to the grading standards approved by Harvard and listed below. Students may earn the following grades:
• A and A- grades represent work whose superior quality indicates a full mastery of the subject and, in the case of A, work of extraordinary distinction that communicates effectively with originality, elegance, and precision.
• B+, B, and B- grades represent work of good to very good quality throughout the term; however, it does not merit special distinction. A grade in the “B” range reflects a communication that is well written and well presented, without major flaws, that fulfills the requirements of the assignment, but has weaknesses, especially in the full development of ideas, purpose, or effect.
• C+, C, and C- grades designate an average command of the course material. While a “C” indicates competency in communication, it also indicates a need improvement in key areas for effective delivery such as organization, development, and clarity of expression.
• D+, D, and D- grades indicate work that shows a deficiency in knowledge of the material. These grades identify serious problems with structure, mechanics, and sentence level clarity.
• E is a failing grade representing work that deserves no credit. E may also be assigned to students who do not submit required work in courses from which they have not officially withdrawn by the deadline.

 

*  I will add a series of detailed spreadsheets and tools to our canvas site, so that you can see the different rubrics that are used by professionals evaluating written and oral presentations in academic, business, and foundation settings and competitions.

 

• Class Participation: To foster an intellectual community in class, Business Rhetoric is structured as an online seminar. Throughout the term, we will discuss the work of both professional and student writers, and it is crucial that you come to class prepared to offer insightful comments on assigned readings, as well as helpful feedback on your peers’ work. Such a vital, ongoing substantive conversation – about your writing and that of other scholars – comprises the heart of this course. In order to be effective as a seminar participant, you must complete reading and writing tasks with great care and demonstrate that you have done so. Sharing ideas in written and oral form are marks of intellectual generosity and courage. Our seminar discussions will serve as worthwhile opportunities to practice the skills of public speaking—and listening—so crucial to success in the workplace. You will also learn effective negotiation methods in business and other areas of communication.

 

• Private Conferences: Each of you will “meet with me” individually during the term to discuss your progress. The purpose of our private conferences is to address in detail some of the ways you can accomplish successful revisions of your drafts as you work them into more polished, focused, and compelling communications. Come to conferences prepared. I am committed to discussing with you exactly how you can tailor the work assigned in this class to fit your professional needs. Please feel free to discuss your own work environment and job responsibilities; we can work together to customize your experience in this class. Absence for a conference without proper notice counts as a missed class.

 

• Format for Writing Assignments: All work must be typed and thoroughly proofread. Electronic Submissions: Please upload your assignments in the following way: Go to our canvas folder marked Expos E 34 Spring 2016. Click on Students’ Written Submissions. Upload to the folder with your individually marked name, and please send me a copy of what you have uploaded. In your email to me, you may reflect on the challenges and lessons you noted in the process of creating your assignment. I will respond both in an email message and by uploading to the canvas Feedback Folder with your name.

Please adhere to the following guidelines for any drafts and revisions for your longer submissions (the 8-10 page Executive Summary, budget, grant proposal or organizational project later in the course):

• Use a black printer and white 8 1⁄2 x 11 paper; print only on one side (color for powerpoint slides).
• Use Times, Times New Roman, or Palatino 12-point font.ONLY Microsoft Word doc. or docx
• Use reasonable (one-inch) margins. I give tracked comments, editing suggestions in Feedback.
• For revisions, attach any pertinent pre-writing assignments, all drafts with my comments, and your one-page strategies of revision outline.
• Number your pages starting on the second page.
• Make sure your last name is on every page.
• Put your title on the first page; a cover page will include a self-assessment of your work.
• In the upper right-hand corner of the first page, put your name, course title, my name, the date, and a

         generic description of the work submitted (e.g. Expanded writing exercise #3).

• Keep a hardcopy of all your work (including pre-writing exercises).

 

Course Objectives and Sequence (chapter references to Writing that Works)

Goal I (Sessions 1-2): Chapter 1: Assessing Audience and Purpose: A Case Study; Chapter 2: Organizing Information; Chapter 3: Writing the Draft; Chapter 4: Revising; Chapter 12: Writing Instructions; Chapter 16 Cover Letters and Resume (different modes of communicating a message). Grammar review.

• Analyze the appropriate content, format, and style for creating effective documents and communications (HBS Business Communications, Chapters 1-4)
• Adapt draft to different situations, audiences, and purposes: Write a 5-part Purpose Statement (Graham, Can Do Writing: The Ten-Step System for Fast and Effective Business Writing-on class web-conference slides and posted to canvas Readings).
• Organize and edit documents clearly and effectively considering logic and clarity
• “The Best Memo You’ll Ever Write” (Holly Weeks) & HBS Results Driven: Written Comm (canvas readings)

The general goal for this first section of the course is for students to develop an understanding of their relationship to their audience and text and to develop writing strategies accordingly.  By consulting reference texts, such as Oliu’s, or more traditional expository handbooks, such as Williams’s Style (Chapters 1, 5 and 6) students see how all writing requires revisions and proofreading.  Students are learning best practices for communicating purpose and effecting results at a specific company or firm. 

*  In our case study with Christine Thomas and Harriet Sullivan, we saw how important it was that the content and feedback had to fit together to be persuasive for accomplishing Christine Thomas’s goal. 1) A Memo sends a serious professional message, whereas a letter may be more casual (unless you are writing a business cover letter to accompany and highlight aspects of your resume that specifically form a tight fit with the requirements of the job you are seeking). 2) You need to do your research if you are expecting to present a solution to a problem; 3) You need to know your audience and the reader’s concerns: it was not enough that other companies telecommute; Harriet Sullivan needed to know if her company’s competition (a comparable company that may garner a competitive advantage) is attracting better quality and retaining happier workers because the competition allows for telecommuting.

Goal II (Sessions 3, 4, and 5): Chapter 8: Understanding the Principles of Business Communication; Chapter 9: Writing Business Correspondence; Chapter 5: Collaborative Writing; Chapter 6: Researching Your Subject. HBS Case Studies (class canvas file: Readings).

• Develop teamwork skills and collaborate effectively
• Develop good research questions and strategies
• Gather, evaluate, interpret, and apply information accurately, logically, and ethically
• Produce accessible, well designed every day writing and compelling presentations (HBS Results Driven Business Presentations; How to Grab Your Case in 30 Seconds or Less; Six Ways to Grab Your Audience from the Start); How to Say it at Work: Power Communication for Getting Ahead.

After working on the writing and oral communication process in general, students narrow the focus to how to write business letters and other presentations for multiple audiences. Here students read Chapter 8 because it covers the basic modes of vocational writing of all kinds, and then they move on to specific types of letters in Chapter 9. Students consider international correspondence and complete relevant assignments from case studies. Students gain “Timeless Principles” for conveying trust and leadership.

Goal III (Sessions 6, 7, 8, and 9): Chapter 10: Writing Informal Reports; Chapter 11: Writing Formal Reports; Chapter 13: Writing Proposals. Visual Communication; Effective Stories in Business (Style, 10). I will upload to our Readings excerpts from foremost writers and practitioners in the following areas:

• Writing a Winning Proposition
• Designing Effective Visual Aids (charts and illustrations)
• Communicating the Narrative or Corporate Storyline
• Clear and to the Point: Psychological Principles for Compelling PowerPoint Presentations
• Kuwasaki and Reynolds: Presentationzen on Design and Delivery (web, digital vs. non-digital)
• Bates’s Writing with Precision: 10 Principles and 7 Axioms (Readings excerpts)
• Ultimate Revisions: Tone, Diction, Concision, Persuasion, and Clarity (5 ways to Trim)

 

 Goal IV (Sessions 10, 11, 12, 13): Chapter 14: Giving Presentations and Conducting Meetings;

Chapter 16 Finding the Right Job: resumes, cover letters, and interviews. Mastering effective business communication in multiple forms: from written materials to oral interview and command of body language.

 

• Preparing and Projecting High Quality Presentations (HBS Business Essentials: Backstage and Showtime, chapters 7 and 8 Excerpts in Readings) that Inform and Influence with Interest, Authority, and Precision

 

• Adapting Written and Oral Communication Skills for Achieving Leading Strategic Business Goals

 

Working Schedule and Learning Goals

 

Session One: Wednesday, January 27

In class: Introduction. The Heart of the Course: Essential Principles for Successful Results in Business Communications: informing and influencing your target audience by building skills in writing, speaking, negotiation, media, and leadership. Writing with Precision: Content, Structure, Tone, and Clarity.

 

Objective: Write for a Purpose and Analyze the Audience. Choose style and delivery.

In-class writing assessment test. Class Discussion: Purpose, Audience, Discourse Communities, Rhetorical and Strategies in an organized system. 

 

Read Chapters 1 and 2 in Business Communication: Harvard Business School Essentials.

Principle to Practice: Read Chapters 1 and 8 in Writing that Works.

 

In Class: Mystery Shareholder Documents: Two CEO Reports and student investment

 

Writing Exercise #1: Diagnostic Mini-Essay: Five Important Questions Organization Managers Should Ask and Why

 

Session Two: Wednesday, February 3

In-class: Analysis of class dynamic, group and team assignments. Class Discussion: Purpose, Audience, Discourse Communities, Rhetorical Strategies and Best Business Models. Active vs Passive Communication. Reading backwards from what you want the reader to do and think: Who is this writer and can I trust him by the character he projects and the substantive information and manner he communicates?

 

Objective: Authority, Ownership and Accountability. Discussion of reading assignments.

 

Discussion: Rhetorical Analysis of the Shareholder Reports: Close reading accountability and the connection between ethics and writing. Has the writer legitimately communicated what you will receive in return for your investment? How do you persuade your audience in substance and style?

 

Writing for an Audience: Ethos, Logos, and Pathos: How you tell the story matters to your reader

 

In-class workshop on Blackboard slides:

Writing: Personal Cover Letter assigned. Assignment: Complete Writing Exercise #1: Personal Cover Letter. Email me and upload to Students’ Written Work by Tuesday before class.

 

Think about the audience for this letter: Has the writer researched whom he addresses? Did he use the person’s title? Has he demonstrated effort in creating a match between his distinctive talents, skills, education, background and the specific needs of the company? Has he identified where he saw the job listing for a context of what types of publications he reads and as an acknowledgement of the employer’s decision of where to advertise? Has the author been detail-oriented and careful with grammar and formatting?

 

Reading and Discussion: Be Clear about Your Purpose for Writing (Harvard Business Communications) and Be Effective in the Method you Select: Memo vs Letter (Writing that Works):

 

Lesson in Rhetorical Analysis: Christine Thomas and Harriet Sullivan Case Study: How format and substance cohere with meeting audience expectations for successful outcomes. Use a formal, clear Memo format as part of communicating the seriousness of your message. Do appropriate research that speaks directly to the interest of your audience if you want to achieve a persuasive result.

 

Read: Chapter 5, Harvard Business School Business Communications; Written Communications that Inform and Influence (handout file), “The Best Memo Ever”; Writing Business Correspondence in Writing that Works (Chapters 2, 3, 9, 16). Readings folder in canvas

 

Session Three: Wednesday, February 10

In-class: In class workshops on Writing Exercises #2 and # 3, plus a Review of Grammar:

Effective decision making in writing: Content, Clarity, Brevity, Structure, Diction, and Delivery.

Objective: Precision, Organization, Tone, and Style from draft to revision, words, paragraphs, format.

 

Writing Exercises #2 and # 3: Rhetorical Analysis of the Explicit vs Implict Message Opportunities  

Assignment: Write a Memo to your boss and a Letter to your temporary substitute before taking a long vacation. Upload to Students’ Written Work. Feedback in class and in Feedback folder.

Memo and Letters strive for clarity in purpose and precision from the subject line onwards.

Explicit messages get the point across, but the implicit message provides an enduring value, because of choices you made in tone (remember the power dynamics in authoritative voice and style), in value (demonstrating irreplaceable leadership and organizational skills), and in character, competence, and trust. Knowing when to put it in writing for record keep and accountability and when to pick up the phone to keep it out of email circulation.

 

A formal, well-researched and detailed MEMO may use bullet points to get its point across with concision and accuracy. A LETTER may signal a greater range of prose narrative, but the writer must still consider the audience for choosing the right style, content, tone, and language. In both instances, you will be driven by the change or results you want the recipient to make and the affect you want to have in influencing and informing, because you have communicated effectively.

 

Grammar Review: Reinforce key lessons for editing: Edit for agreement in number (plural nouns with plural verbs), in sentence completion (always ensure you have an independent clause with a subject and verb-predicate for a complete idea), and avoid punctuation errors that cause sentence fragments (only use a semi-colon if you have complete, independent clauses on both sides of your semi-colon).

 

Begin Discussion of “Everyday writing” challenges and analysis. Personal assessment and analysis of everyday writing that you produce. Prepare examples for small group workshops (Letters, emails, memos).

Consider how CVs and Resumes differ from the cover letter?

Harvard Business School Guide to Better Business Writing articles (Readings).

 

Read Chapters 4, 11 and 12, Formal and Informal Reports in Writing that Works.

 

Session Four: Wednesday, February 17

In-class: Group workshop on “Everyday Writing” analyses and writing samples.

Project Proposals: Brainstorming exercises on Effective Presentations  

Objective: Collaborative Group Project; Learning Teams and Persuasive Presenters

 

Assignment: Read: How to Make Your Case in 30 Seconds or Less; and Six Ways to Grab Your Audience Right from the Start from Harvard Business School (Readings). Chapters 5, 13, and 14 in Writing that Works.

 

HBS Case Studies: Read and select the HBS case you want to analyze for problem solving and presentation with a team. Begin teambuilding on the Discussions board of canvas.

 

Session Five: Wednesday, February 24

Review the articles “Making Your Case” and “Grabbing your Audience.”

 

Assignment: Team Workshop: Prepare an Elevator Pitch (30-60 seconds, 150-225 words) to recruit or solidify team members for your Case Study Analysis. Upload it to your Written Folder. Present it orally in class.

 

What are the elements of Persuasive Prose? Team presentations and analysis in oral and written communications. Effective and substantive (CEO) narratives beyond the sizzle.

 

Discussion on Negotiations: How to respond to complaints in Writing: How to Say it at Work? (Readings)

Oral Negotiations:  Getting to Yes with Stakeholders and Difficult Conversations (Excerpts in Readings)

 

Optional: Share a complaint letter you may have written or received (written submissions): tell us in class how the complaint was resolved and the role of the letter in its effect. How has written communication played a role in challenging negotiations? Use concrete examples and analysis.

 

Read: Beyond Business Plans: “The HBS Wicked Ale Case Against Business Plans” (Readings)

Read: A brief description of “How to Read, Discuss, and Write Persuasively about Cases” (Readings)

 

Brainstorm: Be prepared to connect the lessons you hope to gain from the Case Study Analysis to your own business plan or proposal. What challenges do you anticipate that this process of writing with and for an audience can help you address as you grapple with your own ideas and launch?

 

Session Six: Wednesday, March 2

In class Assignment: Team workshops: Prepare a pitch of under 3 minutes of your Case Study. If you choose to use slides (no more than 5), they must be sent to the Team site by March 1, Tuesday before class.

 

Written Assignment: Please upload your Case Study Analysis (2pages) to your Team Site.

 

Read excerpts: Stephen Kosslyn, “Psychological Principles for Compelling Powerpoint Presentations” and Garr Reynolds and Guy Kawazaki, “Presentationzen” (Readings).

Effective use of Quantitative Data and Analysis: How Much Narrative Prose vs Numbers/graphs

 

In-class: Building a First Draft of the Final Presentation, Researching, Stitching, Maintaining topic focus, and other considerations for a realistic assessment of feasibility, scope, scalability, timeline, budget.

 

The Drafting Process: upload in stages (all drafts are ungraded): Cover Ltr., Executive Summary, Analyses of Business Plans Strategies… what will you need and what do you have already to help fuel your launch?

 

Readings: Executive Summary (7 points to consider); Business Plan and SWOT Analysis: strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats your organization will face internally and externally

 

 

Session Seven: Wednesday, March 9

In class Assignment: First Draft Workshop:

 

Assignment Upload: Draft Executive Summary (2 pages), initial (not complete) first drafts of Business Plan or Proposal components: Mission Statement, unique business model, strategy and relationships, brainstorming oral presentations, Powerpoint presentation options, other visual aids, marketing concerns, operational details, and financial plans. Every student should upload an initial 2-5 pages of draft material for small group workshops.

 

Peer Review: I will pair students in advance and ask that you begin the process of sending constructive comments on line into specific workshop folders.  We will have meetings small group meetings in the chat rooms and also come together as a class on Blackboard Collaborate.  

 

Feedback: I will continue to give you direct and extensive feedback on all stages of composition.

 

Assignment: Sign up for Conferences.

 

March 16: Spring Break

 

Session Eight: Wednesday, March 23

Assignment: Building a case for Need, Solvency, Governance, and Sustainability (one page), or

Elements of a Fundraising Proposal: Introduction and Statement of Need (one page)

Draft a Business Plan overview and briefly address revisions to the Business Model, SWOT

The specific type of business plan will need to be responsive to the organization

 

Discussion and Peer Review of Statement of Need

 

Focused Revision Strategies for best outcomes: Self-critique evaluation forms

 

 

Session Nine: Wednesday, March 30

In class: Communicating leadership and innovation in oral and written grant proposals and with venture capitalists.

 

Readings and Analysis of Methods of Conveying Leadership and Management in Written and Oral Communication

The Five Most Important Questions You will Ever Ask Your Organization and HBS Oral Presentation Preparations (Readings).

 

Assignment: Upload drafts of handouts, sources, and visual aids for feedback.

Upload the draft of your Project Goals and Objectives.

Use my 14 point Guide for a complete draft.

 

Session Ten: Wednesday, April 6

In class: Peer Review of Fundraising Proposal: Project Description, Anticipated Outcomes,  & Scaling

Solidify Strategies for Oral Presentation

 

Assignment: Upload the Complete Written Presentation draft with cover letter of revision goals.

                                                                                                                              

Session Eleven: Wednesday, April 13

Assignment: Revise final presentation drafts and compose critical responses and self-assessments

 

Sign up for conferences: Presentation dates and Guest Expert Feedback will be assigned for students’ best advantage. Guests Experts will assist but will not grade final presentations.

 

Session Twelve: Wednesday, April 20

In class: Analysis of FINAL Oral Presentations with Powerpoint and handouts

Guest Speakers (Communications Consultants, Foundation Directors) and Venture Fund Manager

 

Assignment: Final Powerpoint presentations, compose critical responses, and revision.

Writing Exercise: Submit Final Self-Assessment Sheet

 

Session Thirteen: Wednesday, April 27

In class: FINAL Oral Presentations with Powerpoint: Guest Authors and Venture Fund Managers

 

Assignment: Final Powerpoint presentations, compose critical responses, and work on your own writing and revision.

Writing Self-Assessment Sheet

 

Session Fourteen: Wednesday, May 4

In class: FINAL Oral Presentations with Powerpoint and handouts: Guest Authors and Entrepreneurs

 

Assignment: Final Powerpoint presentations, compose critical responses, and work on your own writing and revision.

Writing Self-Assessment Sheet assigned

 

 

Session Fifteen: Wednesday, May 11

Special Class Review: FINAL PRESENTATIONS, EXERCISES, AND SELF-ASSSESSMENT SHEET. ALL FINAL WORK IS DUE ON LAST CLASS DAY (upload file).

 

 

Assignment: Continue communicating effectively to achieve your goals with strength and clarity!