2020-2021 Ross Communication Competency

Speaking Sample Prompt

Explain Something From Your Work

Develop a short (2.5-3 minute) tutorial, or how-to, about something from your work. Your target
audience includes all members of the Ross community, including students in all programs,
faculty, and staff. They will have different levels of knowledge about and interest in your topic.

You should pick something that you can describe confidently and accurately in a short
timeframe, but which is not something everyone knows. Be creative! You can look on
wikihow.com for more examples of how-to’s or search youtube.com for tutorials for videos of
people sharing their expertise in a wide variety of areas. Remember that your presentation must
be about something from work, not a general topic. The examples online will only help you
understand the genre.

Your objective is to communicate clearly and concisely how to do something, to people who
have different levels of knowledge, and who may have no real expertise or interest in the topic.
Being able to explain things clearly to diverse audiences is a skill that you will use throughout
your career, both in speaking and in writing.

You are not required to use slides to supplement your presentation, but you may if you wish –
provided that the majority of the frame shows you, not the slides. You may use gestures and, if it
does not distract from your delivery, you may use items (or images of items) mentioned in your
presentation. Our focus is on evaluating you as a speaker, not on how well you can produce a
video or how creatively you can use props. While your presentation should be engaging, keep in
mind that the goal is to inform, not to entertain.

You may practice as much as you wish. Some people make and watch several vidoes before
deciding which one to upload. Remember that the system will only accept one upload, so be sure
you have selected your best video before uploading.

Follow the guidelines in the instructions on Canvas for framing your shot so that we can see your
body language, expressions, and gestures.

When you’re ready, record your presentation and upload the video or link to the video. You
should choose a moderate to low resolution setting, because using too high a resolution will
make a large file. Large files can cause upload and download problems. If you upload a file to
Drive and send us a link, please keep two things in mind:

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 1. If you copy the link before your video is processed, the link will be to a corrupt file.
Processing begins after the upload completes. Be sure that you click on the icon for the
file you want to link to before creating the link. If it says it is still processing, please wait.
2. Be sure that you set permissions so that anyone with the link from U-M can view the file.
The evaluation team is composed of many individuals, so you cannot just allow one
person viewing rights.

Tips:

– Assess your audience (needs, level of interest, etc.)

– Connect with your audience
– Put content first that is most important (within the presentation as a whole and
within each step)
– Use an explicit organizational framework and unify your presentation
– Provide explanation, when relevant, about materials and steps in the process
– Conclude in a way that lets the audience know you’re done and leaves a positive
impression

Some questions to consider as you develop your pitch:

– Since you only have 2.5-3 minutes, what can you explain completely, without
rushing?
– How can you avoid sounding condescending to your audience, in tone or content?
– How can you connect with the audience? What will make them want to watch
your presentation?
– How can you quickly build credibility in the audience’s eyes?
– How can you concisely provide necessary background or context, without
inducing information overload?
– What information will the audience need? When (at what point in the process)
will they need it?
– How will you explain why certain things must be done or must be done in a
certain order?
– How can you organize content into manageable, actionable pieces that will allow
someone to understand the task?
– How can you use tone of voice, body language, expression, and other aspects of
your delivery to create a memorable, professional impression?

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Evaluation will use the Ross Management Communication Competency Framework, which
includes:

1. Audience: Analyzing and Engaging Your Audience to Get Buy-In

– Are the tone and style adapted to the audience, situation, and objective of the
message?
– Are the concerns of the audience addressed fully and appropriately?
– Is content shaped with the needs of the audience in mind?
2. Content: Making and Supporting Your Points
– Are main ideas and supporting points stated explicitly and appropriately,
given the audience and objective?
– Are points developed with content that is relevant, compelling, and sufficient?
– Is the connection between main points and supporting content clear and
convincing?
3. Organization: Guiding People Through Your Points
– Does the message form a meaningful whole (rather than being a series of
disconnected parts)?
– Is each part of the message linked to the whole and to what comes before and
after it?
– Is material presented in a strategic order with the objective in mind?
4. Task: Meeting Expectations
– Does the message address the task it is intended to do, taking into
consideration the audience and situation?
– Does the message use conventions for its genre effectively?
5. Delivery: Being Credible, Engaging, and Clear
– Is verbal delivery (accent, conversational tone of voice, use of filler words,
rate and rhythm of speaking, volume) managed well enough that the message
is clear and the speaker is credible?
– Does non-verbal delivery (eye contact, gestures and movement, fidgeting)
make the message engaging and credible?
– Does the speaker appear confident, engaged with the audience, and relatable?
– Are words idiomatic, unambiguous, specific, and accurate?
– Is phrasing clear, concrete, and concise?