You may have to communicate risk to engineers, shareholders, the general public
So: Be consistent with words, names, important
tenns
A void acronyms, jargon, provide definitions
Consider diagrams or visuals when working with
the
media
or
in any public presentation
Use familiar terms
of
reference to explain magnitude
of
risk
Indicate level
of
certainty
If
information
is
unavailable, admit it
When asked,
"If
you're
not sure
of
risk,
how
can
I know
I'll
be
safe" or
if
you
don't
know the answer,
ADMIT
IT.
This is not a question about data.
RISK COMMUNICATION GONE WRONG
B~e:
accept your share
of
responsibility
Costs: focus on benefit to be derived, not on cost
of
fixing problem
Humour: nothing about risk is funny
Avoid negative words and phrases:
do
not say ''this is
not
Chemobyl."
Off
the record: you are
AL
WAYS on record.
Speculation: avoid being a seer
Personal identity: speak for your organization; so use
"We."
155
ORAL
REPORTING
156
157
TO PUBLICIZE
YOUR
PROPOSAL
to
increase
your
chances
of
getting it accepted:
Call
an
assembly
(invite the
Board
of
Govemors, the CEO's
of
your
company,
the
Dean
and
so
on)
(you will
have
to
find
the place
to
present
your
idea
and
reserve
the
room
and the
technical
equipment
needed for the presentation)
and
present your
idea
in
brief,
in
an
oral delivery
(Remember
that
your
persona is one
of
the
tools
you
use
to
persuade.)
and
Write a press release, announcing to the public that a proposal will be introduced orally
to
the Board,
etc.
and
that,
as
the
proposal
is
of
public
interest,
members
of
the
municipal
community are
invited.
158
ORAL
REPORTS
1.
IMPROMPTU
----
SHARING
OF
PERSONALITIES
RATHER
THAN
IDEAS;
SHARES
SPEAKER; RISKY
IN
TECHNICAL REPORTING
2.
SPEAKING
FROM
MEMORY
•••
WRITING
OUT
A SPEECH
AND
MEMORIZING
IT
----
ADVANTAGES:
COMPLETE
PHRASEOLOGY
DISADVANTAGES:
INFLEXIBLE;
DANGER
OF
MEMORY
LAPSE;
DOES
NOT
PERMIT
SKIPPING-
LOSES
COHERENCE
SPEAKER
THINKS
OF
WORDS
RATHER
THAN
IDEAS
LACKS
SPARK
OF
SPONTANEITY
3.
EXTEMPORANEOUS
SPEECH
--
REPORT
IS
PLANNED
&
ORGANIZED
IN OUTLINE
(WITHOUT
DEFINITE
PHRASEOLOGY)
INCLUDING VITAL FACTS
&
FIGURES
TYPED
,
SPACED
,
UNDERLINED
IMPORTANT
SECTIONS CAPITALIZED
ON
NOTE
CARDS
ADVANTAGES:
FLEXIBILITY
,
COMMITTED
TO
THOUGHTS
SPONTANEITY
WITH
WORDS
PERMITS
EXTRA
CLARIFICATION, CONDENSATION,
AMPLIFICATiON
CONTACT
WITH
AUDIENCE
(EYES)
100-120
WORDS
PER
MINUTE
DISADVANTAGES:
INCOMPLETE
PHRASEOLOGY
159
4.
MANUSCRIPT
SPEECH
:
OFTEN
TECHNICAL
REPORT;
CONTAINS
COMPLEX
INFORMATION
OR
EXTENSIVE
STATISTICAL
DATA
SUCH
REPORTS
DO
NOT
CONFORM
WELL
TO
THE
EXTEMPORANEOUS
TECHNIQUE
PREPARED
LIKE
A
WRITTEN
REPORT,
IN
FULL,
BUT
MORE
PERSONAL
(II
IT
SEEMS
TO
MEII,
II
I'M
REMII\II)ED
OF
••.
II)
TYPED
IN
FULL,
SPACED,
CAPITALIZED
HEADINGS
UNDERLINED
(THREE
TYPED.
PAGES
=
5
MINUTES)
USES
FACE
9
GESTURES.
VOICE
VARIATIONS
THE
ABILITY
TO
COMMUNICATE
IDEAS
THROUGH
SPEECH
IS
ONE
OF
HUMANITY'S
GREATEST
GIFTS.
160
GUIDELINES TO GIVING AN ORAL
BEFORE YOU BEGIN
Thank the person who introduced you.
