Business Communication Syllabus
B45.2105.U2
Professor:
Office:
Phone:
Email:
Office Hours:
Teaching Fellow:
Tuesday, August 18, 6 – 9 PM; Thursday, August 20, 6 – 9 PM; Sunday,
August 23, 9 AM – 4 PM; Tuesday, August 25, 6 – 9 PM; Thursday,
August 27, 6 – 9 PM; and Sunday, August 30, 9 AM – 4 PM.
KMC 3-130
Patricia Bower
KMC Shimkin 3-130
212-998-0085
pbower@stern.nyu.edu
By appointment
Maria Samoilescu mailto:mia215@stern.nyu.edu
Course Overview
Effective Communication is a vital component to so many aspects of business life. From investment
banking to marketing, from entrepreneurship to corporate planning, understanding the techniques of
business communication will be an invaluable addition to every Stern student’s portfolio of
knowledge. This two-week, intensive version of the course is very compressed as well as highly
interactive and participative; you will work on teams to improve presentation delivery, the effective
use of visual aids; persuasive communication; and business writing in a variety of formats.
Deliverables will include written documents and oral presentations primarily based on cases. You
will present both individually and in a team and will receive feedback to improve your presentation
effectiveness. In the final team presentation, you will craft an oral presentation that will persuade your
audience to accept your strategic recommendations. By doing this, you will see how ideas, data and
advocacy are combined for a professional, persuasive presentation.
Pre-Work
Read Guide to Presentations, Chapters 1 – 3.
Read the RIM case and begin to think about the Team Benchmark Presentation assignment.
Complete the short Student Information Sheet (on Bb) and post it to Bb “Assignments.”
Try to form a team of five students that you will work with in the class. (You can view the
class list in the “Communication” section of Bb). If you do not know any of the other
students, I will help you form a team during Session 1.
5.) Prepare to deliver a 2- to 3-minute Individual Benchmark Presentation about the most
important piece of business advice you have received in your career.
1.)
2.)
3.)
4.)
Required Materials, available at or through the NYU Professional Bookstore




Munter and Russell, Guide to Presentations, 2nd Edition. Prentice Hall, 2008. Available in
the NYU Professional Bookstore.
“Crucial Conversations,” HBS Publishing short case.
“Active Listening,” Darden Business Publishing note.
“Research in Motion: Managing Explosive Growth,” Ivey Business Publishing case.
Required Materials, available online at no cost

SEC, A Plain English Handbook – available free online at:
http://www.sec.gov/news/extra/handbook.htm.
Blackboard
I use Blackboard (Bb) to post announcements, videos, slides, and documents related to our class.
Please check it regularly, as I will not always alert you by email.
Grading
Your final grade will be based on both class participation and your completion of the following
assignments:
Item
Description
Due date / session
Weight
1
Completion of Information Form, (Individual)
Due: 8/12/09 at 12
midnight
*
2
Benchmark Informative Presentation (Individual)
Session 1: 8/18/09
*
3
“Crucial Conversations” Case Email (Individual)
This will be the completion of an in-class
assignment.
After Session 2: at 12
midnight on Friday,
8/21/09
5%
4
Self- Evaluation and Peer Feedback on Individual
Benchmark Presentations
Before 3: at 12
midnight on Saturday,
8/22/09
*
5
Team Benchmark Presentation (Team)
Session 3: 8/23/09
10%
Team Benchmark Presentation (Individual
Delivery)
Session 3: 8/23/09
10%
6
Visual Aids Exercise. This will be an in-class
assignment.
Session 3: 8/23/09
*
7
Self-Evaluation and Team Feedback on Team
Benchmark Presentation (Individual)
Before 4: at 12
midnight on
Wednesday, 8/26/09
5%
8
Final Persuasive Presentation (Team)
Session 6: 8/30/09
25%
Final Persuasive Presentation (Individual
Delivery)
Session 6: 8/30/09
20 %
Participation (includes * items above as well as
elements described below)
Throughout the course
25 %
TOTAL
100
9
Class Participation
You can excel in this area if you come to every class on time, stay through the end of class, and
contribute to your own learning as well as the learning of others in the following ways:





Provide strong evidence of having thought through the assigned material.
Listen attentively in class.
Advance the discussion by contributing insightful comments and questions.
Demonstrate interest in your peers’ work by asking questions, and/or sharing constructive
feedback with your peers, when appropriate.
Post assigned comments and documents on time to the designated location in Blackboard.
August 2009 Business Communication, Professor Bower
Page 2
Absences
Given the short duration of this class, attendance at all sessions is required. Stern policy states that
you may be excused for medical and family emergency only. Please notify me and your teaching
fellow as soon as possible in the case of any anticipated absence from class. If you know, before the
course begins, that you must be absent for even one class, then it might be best to register for a later
section.
Laptops
We will use laptops in Sessions 2 and 3 for specific in-class exercises. Be sure to bring your laptop
to class on these dates. If you do not own a laptop, arrange to borrow one from the IT Helpdesk
before class begins. They need a few days notice. In general, laptops will not be necessary in class
and I expect them to remain closed.
Pre-work: Due midnight on Thursday, August 13 in Bb “Assignments”
Deliverable: THE STUDENT INFORMATION SHEET
This is not a graded assignment, but your timely submission and thoughtful, thorough
answers will contribute to your course participation grade.
Download and fill out the form (provided in Course Documents) and submit to
Blackboard “Assignments.” Be sure to include your own name in the filename—e.g.,
“Smith Info Sheet.”
Session 1: Tuesday, August 18, 6 – 9 PM
Topics:
Course and Student Introductions
Communication Strategy: Class Discussion of RIM case using Guide to
Presentations model
Individual Benchmark Presentations
Brief Discussion of Presentation Delivery Skills
Preparation for TEAM BENCHMARK PRESENTATION, due Session 3 (Sunday,
August 23).
Reading:
Munter and Russell, Guide to Presentations (GP), Chapters 1- 3
Deliverable: THE INDIVIDUAL BENCHMARK PRESENTATION
Prepare to deliver a 2- to 3-minute presentation about the best piece of business
advice you have ever received in your career. Review Guide to Presentations (GP)
on presentation structure and delivery before the first class. Think about your
audience and how you can ensure that your message is clear, memorable, and useful
to them.
This assignment is also not graded, but give it some thought before you come to class.
Try to organize it around the principles outlined in GP, and practice it a few times so
you can exhibit your best delivery techniques. Also think about how you might
structure your short presentation and apply the principles of audience analysis
discussed in Guide to Presentations. As a starting “benchmark” of your presentation
August 2009 Business Communication, Professor Bower
Page 3
skills, this assignment is important to your progress in the class. Do not plan to use
any visual aids. Talk to your audience.
Session 2: Thursday, August 20, 6 – 9 PM
Topics:
Interpersonal Communication
Active Listening
Email Communications
Structuring Information in Writing and Speaking
Personal Laptop required for this session.
Reading:
“Crucial Conversations” case, HBS Publishing short case
“Active Listening,” Darden Business Publishing note
Read GP Chapter 4.
IN-CLASS EMAIL ASSIGNMENT: Follow-up email from Todd McKenna to
Scott Lang. We will start to write these messages in class and you will send them to
my email inbox, with a CC to your teaching fellow. This is an individual assignment
that you must complete and send by 12 Midnight on Friday, August 21.
Based on our class discussion of the case, and your own understanding of important
conversations like this one, decide how Todd might communicate with Scott at this
point in time to save their relationship—and possibly his job. Think carefully about
Todd’s objectives for the message.
Compose an email memo from Todd (in your voice) that can achieve your objectives.
Incorporate effective elements of tone, organization, and document design as you
write your message. Read over the handout entitled “Top Down Guide to Email”
posted in Course Documents. For help with organization and writing style, look over
the wonderful document posted by the SEC online: A Plain English Handbook.
You will receive feedback on your writing based on the following criteria:
Evaluation criteria: Effective subject line; clear objective; audience understanding and appropriate
style and tone; organization; document design; correctness; and timely submission.
Due: Midnight, Saturday August 22
Deliverable: SELF EVALUATION AND PEER FEEDBACK ON BENCHMARK
PRESENTATIONS DUE
This assignment will enable you to work on your own individual delivery skills
throughout the course as well as be an effective coach to your teammates. There are
several steps to the assignment:
1) Read the handout, provided in Course Documents, titled “How to Review
Streaming Videos.”
August 2009 Business Communication, Professor Bower
Page 4
2) Watch the streaming video of your own Benchmark Presentation (posted in Course
Documents→Class Videos). Follow the four steps outlined in the handout mentioned
above. Watch it several times and make a few notes on each step that you can use in
your posted comment, described below.
3) Go to your Group Page Discussion Board in Bb. You will see a forum called
“Comments on the Benchmark Presentation.”
Post a comment in the Bb Forum about your own performance on the Benchmark
Presentation. Title your comment: “Self-Evaluation of Individual Benchmark
Presentation.”
4) Go back and watch the videos of your teammates. Post a second, single comment
that includes feedback to all of your teammates. Comment on each person—their
strengths first; then, suggest improvements for each person. Title this second posting,
“Comments to Team on Individual Benchmark Presentations.”
Evaluation criteria: Depth of analysis; specificity; tone; timely submission. These comments will be
given participation points as follows: 3= in-depth, outstanding; 2=adequate/could offer more detail;
1=skimpy/not specific or really useful.
Session 3A: Sunday morning, August 23
Topics:
Presenting as a Team
Deliverable: TEAM BENCHMARK PRESENTATION
A 10-minute team presentation during session two.
All team members must speak.
Your visual aids must include at least two originally designed charts.
This assignment gives you the opportunity to be videotaped, analyze your team
presentation techniques, and subsequently receive group and individual feedback. As
a result, you will be able to establish personal and team-oriented goals for your final
presentation.
Tasks:
Read the “Research in Motion: Managing Explosive Growth” case. During session
one, we will discuss the case, and I will distribute a specific audience and
presentation objective to each team.
We will imagine that David Yach, chief technology officer for software at RIM, has
asked five or six teams of external R&D specialists to analyze the strategic expansion
options outlined in the case. One or two options may be analyzed by more than one
team.
Each team may do additional research to expand on their assigned topic. The case
cites many sources, and as you know, RIM continues to develop its product line to
suit a changing marketplace. I highly recommend that you do some additional
reading about the company before class begins on August 18 so you will ready to
hit the ground running for this first team presentation. Feel free to bring in points
August 2009 Business Communication, Professor Bower
Page 5
about the economy, the political/cultural issues involved in manufacturing abroad,
current or future competitors, format developments, etc.
This presentation is meant to be informative. Yach wants to know all of the angles
before he takes anything up to senior management. You will not make specific
recommendations or advocate a particular plan of action at this time. Just present an
overview of your chosen option and support your assertions with data.
Review Guide to Presentations, chapters 1 – 3 as well as chapter 6, with special
attention to chapter 6. Using your understanding of audience, intent, and targeted
content, collaborate with your team members to prepare a short team presentation.
Load your presentation file onto the podium computer when you come into class.
Bring one printed copy of your presentation slides.
Grading Criteria for Team Benchmark Presentation
1. Content/Objective: Content appropriate and specifically tailored to audience. Engages attention.
2. Structure: Ideas are organized logically for impact and retention; opening, body, and close
appropriate.
3. Team Delivery: Clear transitions guide the listener; smooth hand-offs from speaker to speaker;
consistent preparation, energy and conviction from all presenters.
4. Individual Verbal and Vocal Elements: Persuasive language, rate of speech, volume, vocal
emphasis, use of fillers.
Individual Non-verbal Elements: Eye contact, stance, facial expression, gestures, and use of space
convey credibility, confidence and conviction
5. Overall presentation timing appropriate. Content divided equally among speakers (as much as
possible).
Session 3B: Sunday afternoon, August 23
Topic:
Designing and Using Visual Aids
Persuasion
Reading:
GP, Chapter 5
Zelazny handout on storyboarding (distributed in class)
After the Team Benchmark Presentations, I will place copies of some data and charts
on Bb in Course Documents. You will download these items to your laptop hard
drive, and we will use them for the in-class exercise after lunch.
Personal Laptop required for this session.
Session 4: Tuesday, August 25
Topics:
Managing Q&A
Impromptu Speaking
Reading:
Review GP, Chapter 4, pages 67 - 75
Deliverables: At this session, each team will have ten minutes in class to prepare a short
presentation on a current events topic to be distributed at the beginning of class. A
spokesperson for the team will then present the team response—followed by a Q&A
August 2009 Business Communication, Professor Bower
Page 6
session involving all team members, practicing Q&A techniques discussed in class.
No specific individual deliverables.
Due by midnight on Wednesday, August 26
Deliverable: VIDEO SELF-EVALUATION AND TEAM FEEDBACK ON TEAM
BENCHMARK PRESENTATIONS.
Once again, this feedback assignment will help you continue to develop your own
individual presentation skills as well as help your teammates achieve their best
performance.
1) Watch the video of your Team Benchmark Presentation. This time, post one
comment that reviews both the team performance as a whole as well as the individual
performances of your teammates.
In this posting, comment on individual delivery skills as well as how well you believe
your team coordinated the entire presentation. For example, a.) Was there consistency
between presenters in terms of preparation, energy and confidence? b.) Were the
handoffs smooth? c.) Did you organize your presentation effectively and use
transitions that connected all of the individual points to one core “Big Idea”?
d.) Did you all make good use of the presenting space? e.) Did you seem like a wellcoordinated team—or just five presenters, speaking one after the other?
2) Post a completed “Presentation Checklist” form that evaluates your own
presentation in detail. At the end of the form, on a second page, you will set specific
goals for improvement as you work on the Final Team Presentation.
Post both your comments about your team as well as your personal Presentation
Checklist (uploaded as a Word file) to your Group Page Discussion Board on Bb
before class.
Evaluation criteria: Depth of analysis; specificity; tone; timely submission. 5 points.
Session 5: Thursday, August 27
Topic:
This class will be devoted to coaching sessions with each team. We will work in two
rooms: in one room, I will work with each team individually talking about audience,
strategy, and organization. In the other room, teams will rotate in to work with the
TF on visual design and delivery issues. A sign-up schedule will be arranged during
Session 4.
Session 6: Sunday, August 30--Last Class
Deliverable: TEAM PERSUASIVE PRESENTATION
You may now assume that your team is an external consulting group, hired by David
Yach, to make recommendations to senior management and the RIM Board of
Directors about how the company can manage expansion and encroaching
competition.
August 2009 Business Communication, Professor Bower
Page 7
You may take any approach that you believe will help the company deal with the
issues presented in the case. This is definitely a persuasive presentation—so you
should consider the following questions in preparing your presentation:
 How will your recommendations benefit the firm?
 Who are the main stakeholders who will be affected by the new expansion
plan? And what are the primary audience’s chief concerns? Their hot-button
issues? How will you frame your message to address these points?
 What appropriate data will provide quantitative evidence to support your
recommendations?
 How can the company implement your recommendations?
 What needs to happen next? What’s the appropriate timeline?
Don’t be afraid to be creative in your recommendations. And again, look for data
outside the case to support your argument. You will find a number of resources
posted in Course Documents, but feel free to bring in any other information you may
find—as well as your strategic knowledge and personal insights.
Presentation Specifics:
 Team presentation lasting 20 minutes, which includes approximately 5
minutes for questions/answers. All team members must speak, with speaking
time approximately equally distributed.
 Six copies of slide deck printed out (one for the professor and five for the
team appointed to serve as your “Executive team”). Print four to six slides per
page; do not provide full-page layout.
 Include a minimum of three originally designed data charts in your
presentation.
 Presentation times and speaking order will be assigned and posted to Bb,
Course Documents, before class begins.
 Bring your presentation slides to class on a jump drive. Arrive in class in time
to upload your file to the classroom “Desktop.”
August 2009 Business Communication, Professor Bower
Page 8
Business Communication Agenda
Date
Topics
Pre-work:
Due first day
of class
Readings
Deliverable
Form a team of five members
Read Munter and Russell,
Guide to Presentations (GP),
Chapters 1 - 3
Prepare Individual
Benchmark Presentation
Read RIM case
Munter and Russell, Guide to
Presentations (GP), Chapters
1–3
RIM case
GP, Chapter 4
“Crucial Conversations: case
“Active Listening” note
Bring laptop to class
Post Student Information Sheet
to Bb “Assignments” by
midnight, Thursday, August 13
Session 1
8/18/09
Course Introduction
Communication Strategy
Intro to Business Speaking
Session 2
8/20/09
Interpersonal Communication
Active Listening
Structuring Information
Email communications
After session
2:
Session 3
8/23/09
Completion of in-class email
exercise: message from Todd
to Scott
Team Presentations
Persuasion
Session 3B
8/23/09
Designing and Using Visual
Aids
GP, Chapter 5
Gene Zelazny handout
(distributed in class)
Session 4
8/25/09
Managing Q&A
Impromptu Speaking
Review GP, Chapter 4, pages
67 – 75
Before 5:
8/27/09
Personal Evaluation of team
performance
Session 5:
8/27/09
Coaching Sessions
Session 6
8/30/09
Final Team Persuasive
Presentations based on RIM
case
Individual Benchmark
Presentation (max. 3 minutes)
Due at midnight, Friday,
8/21/09
Bring laptop to class
Team Benchmark Presentation
Post personal Presentation
Checklist and Comment about
your team’s Benchmark
Presentation to Group Page
Discussion Board. Due by
midnight on Wednesday,
8/26/09
Prepare for Final Presentation
and be ready to discuss
audience, strategy,
organization issues with
Professor Bower. Slide
review with TF.
August 2009 Business Communication, Professor Bower
20-minute Team Presentation
6 copies of slide deck
Bring slides on a jump drive
Page 9