In many groups the leader retains all the decision-making power. Some­times this is done after consultation with group members; at other times it is done without consultation.

Making decisions by consensus is considered the most effec­tive strategy. When a group achieves consensus, all members have helped for­mulate the decision, all have agreed on it, and all will support it.

The behavior of group members can be plotted and analyzed on a decision-making grid, which provides a picture of the relationship between concern that a decision will actually work and concern that group mem­bers will be committed to the decision. Most groups can improve their problem- solving effectiveness by using the reflective-thinking framework, a systematic six-step approach to decision making. Another technique that is useful in some situations is brainstorming, which encourages each mem­ber's potential for creativity. Brainstorming can help you change your pat­terns of thinking and find new solutions.

Lecture 6. Communicating to the public. The speaker and the audience.

Outline.

1. Approaching public speaking systematically.

2. Stages of speechmaking.

3. Analysis of the audience and self-analysis.

1. Public communication, unlike interpersonal communication, occurs in a some­what formal setting and requires the communicator to be well prepared. People respond to the challenge of public speaking in a variety of ways. Some believe that speechmaking is an inborn skill. Others view it as torture. These attitudes represent two extremes, and both can cause problems. Overconfident people can run a risk of being inadequate speakers because they conduct little research and thus are ill prepared. People who are overly anxious or fearful may find it terribly trying and nerve-racking to stand before an audience and deliver a talk. The most effective speakers are those who display a healthy respect for the challenges involved in speaking before others and who work systematically to create, prepare, and deliver an admirable presentation.

2. The public speaking process begins when you first consider addressing a group of people. Four main stages of speechmaking follow: topic selection, topic development, the presentation itself, and the postpresentation analysis. During the topic selection stage, your job is to analyze yourself, your audi­ence, and the nature of the occasion; choose a general subject area; focus on :he subject; and narrow its scope until you hit on a particular aspect of the ropic that you can handle in the time allotted. This becomes your purpose or reason for speaking. During the topic development stage, you gather your evi­dence, organize the evidence according to your purpose, prepare visuals, and rehearse. During the presentation stage, your main task is to control your anxiety so that you will be able to deliver your ideas clearly and effectively. During me postpresentation analysis stage, you determine the strengths and weaknesses of your presentation in order to be better prepared to meet challenge when the next occasion arises. It is important to realize that not every phase of this sequence consumes the same amount of time; in fact, the time you will need for each stage vary from speech to speech.

3. A thorough analysis of yourself and a thorough analysis of your audience are the essential preliminary steps in topic selection. Thorough self-analysis is a prerequisite for effective speechmaking. Although at times subjects or topics may be assigned, under many circumstances the choice will be left to you, the speaker. Even when a topic is specified, it is rec­ommended that you conduct a self-analysis to help you uncover aspects tha: you may find particularly interesting or appealing. Such an analysis could also become the basis for personal stories or anecdotes that can eventually be inte­grated into your presentation. At the outset of your preparation, you should take some time for what corporate trainers call a front-end analysis—a preliminary examination of possibilities. Following are three useful forms that a front-end analysis can take.

First, you can begin by reviewing your life in terms of potential topics:

1. Divide your life (thus far) into thirds: early, middle, more recent. Compose one sentence to sum up what your life consisted of during each segment.

(For example, "I lived in with my two brothers and mother and went to elementary school.")

2. Under each summary statement, identify your main interests and concerns at that time of your life.

3. Examine the interests and concerns you listed. Which of them keep recur­ ring? Which have you left behind? Which have you developed only recently?

A second approach is to consider this very moment as a source of potential topics:

1. On the left side of a sheet of paper, list sensory experiences; that is, list everything you are able to see, hear, taste, smell, or touch from your pre­sent vantage point.

2. When you have listed 10 to 15 items, go back over the list and note sub­jects or topics that might be suggested by each observation or experience. Arrange these in a corresponding list on the right side of the paper. For example, if you listed a "passing train" in the left column, you might enter "mass transportation" in the right column. Note: If you are not satisfied with the topics you have identified, move to another location and begin the process again.

A third approach is to work with a newspaper to find potential topics:

1. Take today's newspaper and, beginning with the front page, read a story and compile a list of topics suggested by it.

2. Do not prejudge your ideas. Simply work your way through the paper looking for possibilities.

Information about your audience should come from your personal experience with the group, from original research (for example, news releases and interviews), or both. First, you need to determine audience demographics, including such factors as age, gender, family orientation, religion, cultural background, occupation, eco­nomic status, education, and membership in organizations. Then you should try to predict the attitudes the listeners will have toward you and your presen­tation. Consider the following questions:

1. What do the audience members now know about my topic?

2. To what extent are they interested in my topic?

3. What are their current attitudes toward this topic?

It will help you to know whether audience members are required to attend, are homogeneous or heterogeneous in their attitudes, are favorably or unfavorably disposed toward your position, or are uninterested in your topic altogether. Thus, as you develop your presentation, you must keep in mind the audience'-knowledge of, interest in, and attitude toward the subject matter. These important factors will help you select and shape material specifically for the audience members.