MSC project 3

5/14/24, 11:43 AM Print Pages Draft a Speech Start Here alvarez / E+ Collection / Getty You notice that Carmen has been making more trips to the cafeteria than usual for coffee. “Was it my SPCA deliverables?” you ask. https://leocontent.umgc.edu/content/umuc/tgs/msc/msc620/2242/projects/draft-a-speech/start-here.print-pages.html?ou=927933… 1/33 5/14/24, 11:43 AM Print Pages Carmen breaks a smile. “Of course not. We just have a bit of a delicate situation with SPCA that … now that I think of it, I might ask you to handle. You’re good at diplomacy, right?” You nod cautiously. “The president of our SPCA, Pierre Camberton, is scheduled to deliver a speech to the local rotary club. This is a great opportunity for us to further the SPCA’s objectives, but Pierre is adamant that the speech be about the new senior hires. Although this is a newsworthy topic and one we’ve obviously leveraged to reach some of our publics, it’s not the best hook for a dynamic face-to-face speaking engagement. We need to convince Pierre to change direction—after we figure out what the new direction should be—and then write the speech. We also have to plan for a Q&A and go over some questions the rotary club members might ask. Q&As can get hot quickly if a participant throws a curveball and flusters the speaker.” Carmen takes a sip of coffee. “Before I mix too many metaphors, I’m going to go ahead and assign you to Pierre for the next couple of weeks. He’s a bit strategically challenged, but a sweet guy otherwise. Look out for an email outlining your mission.” Carmen sprints away, and you soon receive the following. https://leocontent.umgc.edu/content/umuc/tgs/msc/msc620/2242/projects/draft-a-speech/start-here.print-pages.html?ou=927933… 2/33 5/14/24, 11:43 AM Print Pages Email FROM: Carmen Amaya, senior account executive TO: You SUBJECT: rotary club speech Click here to open the email. Thank you for tackling this! Here’s what we’re looking at. Pierre will make his speech at a catered lunch at the downtown Marriott Hotel & Conference Center two weeks from now. The speech is a call to action: We want to inspire the rotarians to do something that will help fulfill the SPCA’s goals and objectives. As this is your first speech, I’ll give you lots of guidance … we have a few Parabolic podcasts on the topic as well. Here’s what I need you to do: Confirm publics, communications objective, and message(s). Talk to Pierre. Hear what he has to say, then gently guide him toward your message or messages. Once you’ve brought Pierre around, draft a 5–7-minute speech. Insert some stage directions to help Pierre deliver it smoothly. Read the speech aloud with a Parabolic team member to make sure it sounds good and can be delivered at the right speed in the timeframe allotted. I’ll pair you with another junior account executive. Write and rehearse eight possible Q&A questions and talking points. https://leocontent.umgc.edu/content/umuc/tgs/msc/msc620/2242/projects/draft-a-speech/start-here.print-pages.html?ou=927933… 3/33 5/14/24, 11:43 AM Print Pages Compose an update to the SPCA blog that we can post following the speech. This will help us to convey our message to those outside the rotary club as well as signal to the rotarians that they’re a valued part of our community. Send it all to me to look over, and then we’ll get Pierre ready for his big day. We have about two weeks, so we need to act quickly. As usual, I’ll be in touch. I’ll drop Pierre a note letting him know you’re his primary contact on the speech. Thanks again for taking this off my plate! A Little More Context So far in your work with the SPCA, you’ve composed products meant to be read or viewed. Here, you’re writing for the ear. You’re also conveying your message or messages through another individual, writing in that person’s voice and negotiating with him when he wants to go off-message. Keeping Pierre focused on the objective at hand—in this case, inspiring action—will be a challenge; not every individual you work with will understand the communications plan and his or her role in its implementation. Convincing leaders, executives, and other representatives of your client or organization to promote organizational messages in their speeches and talks, and to tailor the delivery to target publics, is one of the challenges of the field. Working with other people to convey a message in real time to fulfill an outcome objective is a complicated task, but one that can yield significant benefits to a client or organization. If you discover a love and talent for speechwriting, note that good speechwriters are a desired commodity. https://leocontent.umgc.edu/content/umuc/tgs/msc/msc620/2242/projects/draft-a-speech/start-here.print-pages.html?ou=927933… 4/33 5/14/24, 11:43 AM Print Pages Parabolic Radio Episode 202 For one speechwriter’s take on the profession, meet guest speaker Eric Earnhart, Public Relations Director, Virginia Tech. Find out how he builds rapport with leadership, how he prepares them for speeches, and why he thinks writing for the ear is more important than ever. “You Might Find Yourself Becoming Very Popular”: Writing Speeches for Others 0:00 / 26:44 Transcript In addition, you’ll need to anticipate questions and prepare Pierre to answer them. You might have seen some eyebrow-raising content in the information SPCA sent regarding Oliver and Ellie. Biographical red flags are just one example of the types of details onto which your audience will latch. A recent news item might have mentioned the SPCA or another animal protection organization, or there might be a local issue involving animals, such as feral cats in the business district or dogs breaking into chicken coops. If you fail https://leocontent.umgc.edu/content/umuc/tgs/msc/msc620/2242/projects/draft-a-speech/start-here.print-pages.html?ou=927933… 5/33 5/14/24, 11:43 AM Print Pages to prepare your speaker to address anything that might come up, you’re setting up that individual—and the client—to look foolish, uninformed, and even unethical, which will raise questions in your publics of the capability of the organization to fulfill its mission. Ideally, your participation in this event would extend to attending the event. First, you would want to live-tweet about the event and accurately represent it on various platforms. Second, you would want to gather information, including gauging the effectiveness of the speech and assessing its impact on the audience. This would help you fine-tune some of your strategies or adapt some of your messaging. Attending the event would also facilitate follow-up communications. Hearing the questions of the rotarians would help you develop communications products to meet newly uncovered needs. The post-speech blog update in this project will be a way for you to reinforce your call to action and also to broadcast the message in the speech to other publics; after all, anyone can access the SPCA’s blog. You’ll find a hook and use it to create an informal, human interest-inducing post. Planning Your Work You have two weeks to produce the speech, Q&A prep sheet, and blog post; be sure to read through all the steps of the project first so that you can plan your time wisely. Complete the steps as follows: Week 5: Steps 1–2 Week 6: Steps 3–6 submission in Step 5 If you have questions at any time, please visit the Ask the Professor discussion. *Although local SPCAs are real organizations, this project is a fictional scenario. None of the materials provided in the steps are products of this organization. https://leocontent.umgc.edu/content/umuc/tgs/msc/msc620/2242/projects/draft-a-speech/start-here.print-pages.html?ou=927933… 6/33 5/14/24, 11:43 AM Print Pages Competencies Your work will be evaluated using the competencies listed below. 1.4: Tailor communications to the audience. 1.8: Create clear oral messages. 2.5: Develop well-reasoned ideas, conclusions or decisions, checking them against relevant criteria and benchmarks. 4.3: Contribute to team projects, assignments, or organizational goals as an engaged member of a team. 6.5. Develop targeted messages for diverse publics based on specific communications objectives. 7.1. Produce appropriate products for communicating with target publics. 8.1. Apply and/or advise on accepted ethical standards in strategic communications situations. Get the President On-Message Shortly after you review Carmen’s email about the SPCA speech, your phone rings. This doesn’t happen very often, so you gingerly pick up. https://leocontent.umgc.edu/content/umuc/tgs/msc/msc620/2242/projects/draft-a-speech/start-here.print-pages.html?ou=927933… 7/33 5/14/24, 11:43 AM Print Pages Phone Call With Pierre Purestock/Getty “Parabolic Communications,” you say. “Hi there!” a cheerful voice enunciates. “I hear you and I are going to be working together on my speech. I’ve talked to the rotary club a few times and I’m buddies with a bunch of those guys. This is going to be fun.” Before you can assent, Pierre jumps in again. “I know just what I want to talk about. Those two senior leaders we hired, they’re going to shake things up, get us going financially, boost morale. They’re wonderful folks, both of them.” “I’m sure—” https://leocontent.umgc.edu/content/umuc/tgs/msc/msc620/2242/projects/draft-a-speech/start-here.print-pages.html?ou=927933… 8/33 5/14/24, 11:43 AM Print Pages “I can’t wait to tell the gang at the rotary club all about Ellie and Ollie. If they knew what great leadership we’re going to have, they’d be all fired up to help us out.” “I think—” “I know you’ll write an amazing speech. Let’s get together soon to go over it. Can’t wait!” You hang up the phone, a little shaken. Pierre displays no shortage of enthusiasm, but you agree with Carmen that his proposed topic isn’t one that will inspire anyone or turn interest into action. You’ll have to convince Pierre to go in a different direction. Before you can do so, you need to review the situation. First, locate the website of your local rotary club (if possible, a rotary club reasonably close to the SPCA you chose). Browse to find information about the members, your target publics for the speech. Rotarians tend to be VIPs— business leaders with influence in the community. Yours will likely be no exception, but it’s still a good idea to confirm or refine any assumptions you have. Although in this case your publics are chosen for you, you will have opportunities in the future to make this kind of decision yourself as a part of strategy development. Selecting publics and venues (https://leocontent.umgc.edu/content/scor/uncurated/msc/2218msc620/learning-topic-list/selecting-publics-and-venues.html? ou=927933) is a skill; speeches won’t work for every public, but they may be a highly effective tactic for some. If you’ve determined that a speech is a good way to reach a particular public, you’ll want to determine where and how to convey your message. Would a banquet hall be best, or an outdoor setting? Should the speech be tied to a larger event? How should you express your core message to fit the publics and the venue? https://leocontent.umgc.edu/content/umuc/tgs/msc/msc620/2242/projects/draft-a-speech/start-here.print-pages.html?ou=927933… 9/33 5/14/24, 11:43 AM Print Pages As you research your rotary club and its memebers, reflect on the fact that your publics can become influencers: They have family, friends, colleagues, acquaintances, and likely social media accounts through which they interact with even more individuals and groups. Engaging the rotarians through your speech will help you extend your reach to publics beyond the club. Depending on how effective your speech is, this reach could be quite far. Once you’ve researched the rotary club and looked over its mission, upcoming events, and any other relevant information, take a look at the communications objectives you drafted in Project 1. You know that the purpose of this speech is to generate action, so locate the objective that speaks to this outcome. If you have more than one objective that could fit, reflect on which is best for this public. Finally, consider which message or messages will best influence your publics to further your objective. In Project 2, you got some practice in choosing the right message (https://leocontent.umgc.edu/content/scor/uncurated/msc/2218msc620/learning-topic-list/choosing-the-right-message.html? ou=927933) . Which of your messages from Project 1 is optimal for this context? What is the best way to communicate this message? You know that Pierre will use the spoken word, but is there anything else he could do—any actions he could take, any aids he could use—to convey the message? You might find ideas in a packet Carmen has given you on speech delivery (https://leocontent.umgc.edu/content/scor/uncurated/msc/2218msc620/learning-topic-list/speech-delivery.html?ou=927933) . The resource Speech and Presentation Aids: Design and Usage in particular discusses various ways of enhancing a speech, including through slides, flipcharts, other people, animals, and the speaker him- or herself. You may decide not to incorporate any aids—and this is fine—but this is an opportunity for you to consider how to maximize the power of the speech. Note that you won’t have to create any slides or flipcharts, just consider whether you would want to use them and, broadly, what they would convey. https://leocontent.umgc.edu/content/umuc/tgs/msc/msc620/2242/projects/draft-a-speech/start-here.print-pages.html?ou=92793… 10/33 5/14/24, 11:43 AM Print Pages Now that you have a good sense of the whom and the what of the speech, consider how to approach Pierre. Given what you know of his personality and communication style, what will best persuade the SPCA president to change course with the speech? Will he be affected by the bottom line, his relationship with the rotarians, your expert opinion as a communications professional, an idea for the speech that you think would capture his imagination? Think not only about the content of your communication to Pierre but the delivery. Will Pierre respond most positively to an email, a chat, a phone call, a meeting at the coffeeshop? This is the strategy part—the how—of communications, where you consider the channel as well as the tactic. Having tough conversations with the client (https://leocontent.umgc.edu/content/scor/uncurated/msc/2218msc620/learning-topic-list/having-tough-conversations-with-theclient.html?ou=927933) is a vital communications skill, and one you’ll have to master whether you want to or not. No matter what the stakes, or how amenable is your client or leadership to your ideas, lobbying for change is an art. You will find yourself doing this more than once at Parabolic, and with clients who are less friendly than Pierre. https://leocontent.umgc.edu/content/umuc/tgs/msc/msc620/2242/projects/draft-a-speech/start-here.print-pages.html?ou=92793… 11/33 5/14/24, 11:43 AM Print Pages Parabolic Radio Episode 203 For one professional’s take on building relationships with the client— and having the difficult conversations—meet Carrie Schum, Executive Vice President, Hattaway Communications. Find out how she staves off legal issues, convinces CEOs to lead from the front, and alerts the client to a typo. “In the Trenches Together”: Building and Maintaining a Relationship With the Client 0:00 / 39:39 Transcript To consider how to get Pierre’s buy-in on changing the focus of the speech, you might want to refer back to your readings on making a convincing argument (https://leocontent.umgc.edu/content/scor/uncurated/msc/2218msc610/learning-topic-list/making-a-convincing-argument.html? ou=927933) and persuasive writing in strategic communications (https://leocontent.umgc.edu/content/scor/uncurated/msc/2218https://leocontent.umgc.edu/content/umuc/tgs/msc/msc620/2242/projects/draft-a-speech/start-here.print-pages.html?ou=92793… 12/33 5/14/24, 11:43 AM Print Pages msc610/learning-topic-list/persuasive-writing-in-strategiccommunications.html?ou=927933) , particularly the content on appeals. Even if you use the lightest possible touch, it never hurts to employ the building blocks of a sound argument. The techniques you review here will also serve you well when you write the speech. Write down what you’ll say to Pierre. Depending on how you’ve chosen to approach him, this can be in the form of talking points, a paragraph that you would send in an email, or even a dialogue. Not only is this last approach fun, it can help you anticipate Pierre’s responses and role-play the twists and turns the conversation could take. Whatever you compose here should be succinct—a few well-crafted sentences could suffice—and should certainly be no longer than a page. Discussion: Convincing Pierre Visit the Discussions area to share your case to Pierre with your fellow junior account executives. Post not only what you wrote, but how you would convey your thoughts to the SPCA president (phone, email, in-person meeting, etc.). Now, move on to the next step, where you’ll draft the speech. Draft the Speech and the Stage Directions You’ve reached out to Pierre about the topic of the speech but haven’t heard anything yet. You don’t have to wait long, though. Your phone rings. This time, you’re pretty sure who it is. https://leocontent.umgc.edu/content/umuc/tgs/msc/msc620/2242/projects/draft-a-speech/start-here.print-pages.html?ou=92793… 13/33 5/14/24, 11:43 AM Print Pages Phone Call With Pierre Purestock/Getty “Parabolic Communications.” “Hello there! I thought about what you shared with me and I’m game. I love your ideas! Thanks for putting so much thought into this. We want to get everyone at the rotary club excited, and I know you’ll write a great speech.” “Thanks, I—” “I can’t wait to see it. We should get together sometime. Maybe coffee. You folks at Parabolic have been so helpful.” “I’m so glad—” “See you soon, then!” https://leocontent.umgc.edu/content/umuc/tgs/msc/msc620/2242/projects/draft-a-speech/start-here.print-pages.html?ou=92793… 14/33 5/14/24, 11:43 AM Print Pages You hang up, a little dazed but happy. You text Carmen to let her know the good news. Carmen writes back immediately. New Message: Carmen Amaya Pierre is a character, isn’t he? I got the intern at the SPCA to send me footage of him speaking at a couple of venues. Let’s just say that his zest for life is not matched by his skills in oratory. He flails a bit and doesn’t quite seem master of his physical person. To make sure Pierre presents in a polished manner, add some stage directions to the speech as you’re drafting it. Nothing fancy, just some guidance to help him make the best use of the space and any aids he’s using. Keep your notes light; Pierre seems open to anything, but we don’t want to insult him. You concur that the SPCA president could use a few prompts to keep him on target. You’ll write the speech first, then insert some stage directions. Speechwriting in strategic communications (https://leocontent.umgc.edu/content/scor/uncurated/msc/2218msc620/learning-topic-list/speechwriting-in-strategiccommunications.html?ou=927933) is an art, and a talented professional can make a career specializing in it. When you write a speech, you write for the ear, in relatively short sentences that can be easily understood. It helps to read your words aloud or to recruit a friend to listen or even read your work to you. You may find that something that looks brilliant on paper sounds odd when spoken aloud. Two consonant sounds might jar with each other or aurally turn two words into one. For instance, chocolate tea might register as chocolatey; you might decide to try chocolate infusion instead. Also be mindful of style conventions that don’t make sense to the ear: if you https://leocontent.umgc.edu/content/umuc/tgs/msc/msc620/2242/projects/draft-a-speech/start-here.print-pages.html?ou=92793… 15/33 5/14/24, 11:43 AM Print Pages write Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA), the proper noun followed by the acronym will sound strange. You’ll want to pick one or the other. Be mindful of tonality as well. In Project 2, you developed the ability to write in the voice of the SPCA. Here, you’ll want to consider not only that voice, but Pierre’s style of expression, which you know fairly well at this point. Also look at the rotary club website. How does the club express itself? What words, phrases, and ideas convey its essence to visitors? You’ll want to keep all three voices in mind as you write your speech. Other elements to consider are humor, which can be highly effective, and the use of appeals. To what will the rotarians best respond in the middle of their busy week? What will set the SPCA apart from the other organizations seeking their support? Remember, your audience members will be eating lunch, so your words need to compete with their gustatory delight. As you write, consider not only your message, but the use of ethics in speechwriting (https://leocontent.umgc.edu/content/scor/uncurated/msc/2218msc620/learning-topic-list/ethics-in-speechwriting.html?ou=927933) . It can be easy when you’re in the throes of authorial inspiration to overstate a point or exaggerate an organizational accomplishment. You may be tempted to avoid addressing anything controversial. No matter how much you may want to omit an inconvenient bit of information, this will backfire. Your publics need to know that you have enough respect for them to be transparent even when it hurts. This particular speech need not address controversial topics, but you’ll consider them in the Q&A. https://leocontent.umgc.edu/content/umuc/tgs/msc/msc620/2242/projects/draft-a-speech/start-here.print-pages.html?ou=92793… 16/33 5/14/24, 11:43 AM Print Pages Parabolic Radio Episode 204 Speechwriting can be tricky, especially when you’re dealing with classified information. Three guest speakers discuss honoring ethical codes and other considerations in serving the needs of a federal agency. In this interview, meet Randy Lee, Speechwriter, National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (NGA); Scott Michaud, Speechwriter, National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (NGA); and Jim Hickel, Management Consultant and Business Professor. Approved by the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency for public release, 20-135. “You’re Seen as a Trusted Advisor”: Speechwriting in the Public Sector 0:00 / 41:00 Transcript Pierre’s speech will be 5–7 minutes long. Assume that one minute of speaking equals around 130 words and that you’ll want to leave room for any activities or presentations you’ve incorporated into the rotary club https://leocontent.umgc.edu/content/umuc/tgs/msc/msc620/2242/projects/draft-a-speech/start-here.print-pages.html?ou=92793… 17/33 5/14/24, 11:43 AM Print Pages address. (Note that you don’t have to incorporate activities or presentations.) Write the speech, practicing aloud and refining as you go. Use Times New Roman 16-point font, double-spaced, for readability. BanksPhotos / E+ Collection / Getty https://leocontent.umgc.edu/content/umuc/tgs/msc/msc620/2242/projects/draft-a-speech/start-here.print-pages.html?ou=92793… 18/33 5/14/24, 11:43 AM Print Pages Partner Readthrough Once you’ve finished writing your speech, connect with the Parabolic team member Carmen assigned to you. Read your speech out loud and listen to your partner read his or her speech. Or, read your team member’s speech and have him or her read yours. It can be helpful to hear what you’ve written in someone else’s voice. Consider not only the way the words sound and whether the ideas are clearly conveyed, but the substance of the speech. Is the call to action clear and wellsupported? Is the tonality appropriate for the situation? Time your reading to make sure you’re within the 5–7-minute range. Don’t rush the speech to make the time limit: You want to leave time for pauses and laughter. Pierre will certainly not get the message across if he sounds as if he’s speed-reading. If any part of the speech sounds off, work with your team member to consider alternative phrasing or organization. The partner readthrough should take no longer than an hour, but it will help you strengthen your speech quite a bit. If you and your partner are unable to meet because of a time zone difference or some other factor, send each other recordings and communicate via email or discussion. If you encounter any other hurdles, let Carmen know and she may pair you with someone else. When you’re finished with your readthrough, jot down three things you changed about your speech and why. Carmen will want to know how your session went, so hold on to your notes for the submission in Week 6. Now that you’ve drafted and perfected your speech, turn your attention once again to speech delivery (https://leocontent.umgc.edu/content/scor/uncurated/msc/2218https://leocontent.umgc.edu/content/umuc/tgs/msc/msc620/2242/projects/draft-a-speech/start-here.print-pages.html?ou=92793… 19/33 5/14/24, 11:43 AM Print Pages msc620/learning-topic-list/speech-delivery.html?ou=927933) . Pierre is clearly not the Fred Astaire of public address, so you’ll need to help him out a bit You’ve researched the venue and discovered that there will be a podium on a small riser with a fixed microphone and 20 round tables with chairs. The podium is in the back of the room, so you may want to give Pierre guidance on when to arrive, especially if he has equipment or other items to set up. Other items to consider include the following: posture, hand gestures, when to pause (after a joke, dramatic statement, etc.), when to use any presentation aids, when to flip a chart or click to a slide, when to bring on any guests, when to interact with the audience, and anything else you can think of that might be helpful. Insert your stage directions into the speech in brackets, highlighting them or using italicized, bold, or red font. There is no firm rule on how many stage directions to provide; your speech may not need more than three or four bracketed notes, or it might need a few more depending on its complexity. To keep yourself on track, draft your speech, complete the readthrough, and enter the stage directions by the end of Week 5. Next, you’ll work on a Q&A prep sheet to go over with Pierre. Plan for the Q&A https://leocontent.umgc.edu/content/umuc/tgs/msc/msc620/2242/projects/draft-a-speech/start-here.print-pages.html?ou=92793… 20/33 5/14/24, 11:43 AM Print Pages PeopleImages / E+ Collection / Getty You’ve sent Pierre a draft of your speech. Now, you need to prepare for the Q&A session. Carmen stops by to catch up. “Pierre just called me raving about the speech, so good work. Now we have to get him ready for questions. I would count on 10 minutes for the Q&A and the questions running the gamut. Although these small crowds tend to be polite, you never know what will be on their mind the day of the speech. Remember that the rotarians may want to know about anything going on in the world—or in our community—that touches on SPCA-related topics in addition to anything covered in the speech itself. As funny as this sounds, writing and rehearsing Q&As (https://leocontent.umgc.edu/content/scor/uncurated/msc/2218msc620/learning-topic-list/writing-and-rehearsing-q-as.html? ou=927933) is good preparation for crisis communications, where you have to imagine the worst and anticipate all kinds of queries from your publics.” https://leocontent.umgc.edu/content/umuc/tgs/msc/msc620/2242/projects/draft-a-speech/start-here.print-pages.html?ou=92793… 21/33 5/14/24, 11:43 AM Print Pages Parabolic Radio Episode 205 To learn about messaging off-the-cuff and facing tough questions from all kinds of audiences, listen to a lively dialogue between Bob Ludwig, Assistant Vice President, Media Relations, UMGC and David Reel, Maryland Director, Quantum Communications. “Always Be Prepared”: The Art of the Q&A, With a Side of Media Relations 0:00 / 41:28 Transcript “For Pierre’s speech,” continues Carmen, “think of a range of questions the audience might ask, both benign and potentially unsettling, and both pertaining to the content of the speech and completely unrelated to anything Pierre will cover. Come up with six questions and prepare a few talking points (https://leocontent.umgc.edu/content/scor/uncurated/msc/2218- https://leocontent.umgc.edu/content/umuc/tgs/msc/msc620/2242/projects/draft-a-speech/start-here.print-pages.html?ou=92793… 22/33 5/14/24, 11:43 AM Print Pages msc620/learning-topic-list/talking-points.html?ou=927933) for each question. This is your chance to help our president respond honestly, accurately, and gracefully to anything that comes up.” “As always, remember the context of the speech. This is a group of people as anxious for dessert as they are for information. Your talking points should address questions accurately but not be notes for a novel.” “Once you’ve written your questions, go over them with the other junior account executives in a discussion topic I set up on the Parabolic discussion board. After you and your peers have grilled each other, you’ll add two more questions as well as revising your original six. Have fun and see what you learn!” Carmen heads off, leaving you to write your questions and talking points. Questions should be based on the values and interests of your publics, the subject of the speech, and topical items of interest. Refer to all your notes, from the situation analysis and from Project 2, to uncover possible questions and answers. Review SPCA policies and position statements. Also scour the news. You would ideally do this the morning of the speech as well as beforehand to uncover potential bombshells and breaking news. If some of your questions are not answerable through research, use your imagination to compose the talking points you think would be appropriate. https://leocontent.umgc.edu/content/umuc/tgs/msc/msc620/2242/projects/draft-a-speech/start-here.print-pages.html?ou=92793… 23/33 5/14/24, 11:43 AM Print Pages Discussion: Q&A Rehearsal Once you’ve finished drafting your questions and talking points, visit the Discussions area to consult with your colleagues. Choose two of your six questions—one neutral and one challenging—and enter each question in a separate post. Do not include your talking points. Then, choose two questions your peers have posted and write responses to those questions as if you were Pierre addressing a live crowd. If possible, choose one neutral question and one challenging question. Respond to follow-up questions and ask follow-up questions in the posts you created once you receive answers from your peers. This should be a lively session, and it will set you up well to fine-tune your Q&A prep sheet. Now that you’ve experienced the bumps and thrills of an almost-live Q&A session, add two questions to your Q&A prep sheet along with talking points so that you have eight questions in total. Your Q&A won’t cover every possible query the rotarians could conjure, but you no doubt thought of a few additional questions—and answers—while engaged in the discussion with your colleagues. Your Q&A prep sheet should now contain eight pertinent questions with thoughtful, succinct, and well-stated talking points. Next, you’ll compose an update for the SPCA blog to be posted just after the speech. Compose a Blog Update https://leocontent.umgc.edu/content/umuc/tgs/msc/msc620/2242/projects/draft-a-speech/start-here.print-pages.html?ou=92793… 24/33 5/14/24, 11:43 AM Print Pages Morsa Images / DigitalVision Collection / Getty You’ve written your speech and Q&A prep sheet. Now, you’ll compose an update to the SPCA blog to be posted after the event. This kind of communication serves a few purposes. In this case, it broadcasts your call to action to a wider audience. Second, it lets your publics know that the SPCA is active in the community—and transparent about its activity. Third, it further engages the rotarians, who will be reminded of the call to action and will experience a thrill in seeing themselves mentioned on the blog. Finally, the blog itself is a way to signal to all publics that the SPCA is an organization staffed by regular people—maybe even fun people—who want to share human interest moments and show a more relatable side of the nonprofit. Think about how to best tell the story of the rotary club event on a blog. Do you want to use text, images, video, links? If you repurpose any statements from the speech, do you need to massage them for this less formal channel? Describe or sketch any media you want to use. Text should not exceed 400 https://leocontent.umgc.edu/content/umuc/tgs/msc/msc620/2242/projects/draft-a-speech/start-here.print-pages.html?ou=92793… 25/33 5/14/24, 11:43 AM Print Pages words and may be as short as a line or two if it accompanies an image or video. Note any permissions issues or constraints you anticipate around your update. Discussion: SPCA Blog When you’ve finished composing your blog update, post it to the SPCA blog. The update won’t go live just yet, but you can look at other possible updates and comment on them. Once you’ve posted your blog update, turn to the next step, where you’ll assemble all your materials for Carmen. Revise the Speech and Q&A (Submission) You’ve written your speech, Q&A prep sheet, and blog update and are now preparing to send these documents to Carmen. Just as you’re giving everything a last look, your phone rings. https://leocontent.umgc.edu/content/umuc/tgs/msc/msc620/2242/projects/draft-a-speech/start-here.print-pages.html?ou=92793… 26/33 5/14/24, 11:43 AM Print Pages Phone Call With Pierre Purestock/Getty “Parabolic Communications.” “I have a great idea for the speech!” “I’m just about to—” “You’re going to love it. Get this: We’re going on a leadership retreat. We’re booking a cabin on a lake with our new hires to get to know each other and really talk through next steps for the SPCA. This is going to help us gel as a team, give us a jump start, get our blood pumping so we can start improving operations. I want the rotary club to know how excited we are. Let’s put something about that into the speech!” “I don’t think—” “They should know how committed we all are to what we’re doing here. It’s going to be a blast!” https://leocontent.umgc.edu/content/umuc/tgs/msc/msc620/2242/projects/draft-a-speech/start-here.print-pages.html?ou=92793… 27/33 5/14/24, 11:43 AM Print Pages “I can—” “Thanks so much! I’m looking forward to the lunch. I’ll see you there!” You pass Carmen on your way to the cafeteria for coffee. “You don’t look so hot,” she says. “Pierre wants me to add something to the speech.” Carmen erupts into a fit of laughter. “Thanks a lot!” you say. “It won’t be so bad,” says Carmen, still chortling. “We do need to accommodate him—after all, he’s our client—so just find a way to work in a reference to his topic without making it a focal point of the speech. Massage a section, work in a line or two or even an aside, toss the guy a bone.” You head back to your desk. Now you have to change your perfect product and inject the information Pierre wants without confusing your publics or distracting them from the message. Consider the best way to add a few words about the retreat. You might even be able to use the new topic to tactical advantage. Compromise is part of speechwriting—and strategic communications in general, as you’ve learned in the podcasts—and this is good practice in making a small sacrifice to build trust. There will be times when the client will want a major revision or even an overhaul of the product. Make your changes, inserting a comment into the document to let Pierre know where you’ve worked in the addition. Give all your work a final review, checking for ethical compliance, accuracy, effectiveness, and style. https://leocontent.umgc.edu/content/umuc/tgs/msc/msc620/2242/projects/draft-a-speech/start-here.print-pages.html?ou=92793… 28/33 5/14/24, 11:43 AM Print Pages Partner Readthrough Once you’ve finished revising, connect with your Parabolic team member to read through the speech again. See what he or she thinks about the change. Talk through any issues you uncover during the reading, then help your partner in the same way. This should take no longer than an hour. As before, if you encounter any hurdles to meeting with your partner, either send a recording or let Carmen know so she can pair you with another teammate. When you’re finished, jot down anything you changed about your speech or learned during this final readthrough. Add this reflection to your notes from the first time around. You should have four files to send Carmen: Your 5–7-minute speech (around 650–900 words). Include (a) stage directions in brackets and (b) a comment inserted where you added your update. The speech should be in 16-point font, double-spaced, in Times New Roman font, with one-inch margins so that Pierre can take notes. Partner readthrough notes on what you changed and why. You should have 3–5 bullet points with reflections based on your two readthroughs. This should be around half a page, and no more than one page at the most. Q&A prep document. Include eight questions, with talking points for each. Blog update (no more than 400 words). Include text, with any media elements sketched or described. To keep yourself on track, submit your work by the end of Week 6. https://leocontent.umgc.edu/content/umuc/tgs/msc/msc620/2242/projects/draft-a-speech/start-here.print-pages.html?ou=92793… 29/33 5/14/24, 11:43 AM Print Pages Check Your Evaluation Criteria Before you submit your assignment, review the competencies below, which your instructor will use to evaluate your work. A good practice would be to use each competency as a selfcheck to confirm you have incorporated all of them. To view the complete grading rubric, click My Tools, select Assignments from the drop-down menu, and then click the project title. 1.4: Tailor communications to the audience. 1.8: Create clear oral messages. 2.5: Develop well-reasoned ideas, conclusions or decisions, checking them against relevant criteria and benchmarks. 4.3: Contribute to team projects, assignments, or organizational goals as an engaged member of a team. 6.5. Develop targeted messages for diverse publics based on specific communications objectives. 7.1. Produce appropriate products for communicating with target publics. 8.1. Apply and/or advise on accepted ethical standards in strategic communications situations. https://leocontent.umgc.edu/content/umuc/tgs/msc/msc620/2242/projects/draft-a-speech/start-here.print-pages.html?ou=92793… 30/33 5/14/24, 11:43 AM Print Pages Take Action Submit your assignment to your instructor for review and feedback. Follow these steps to access the assignment: Click My Tools in the top navigation bar. Click Assignments. Select the relevant assignment. You’ve stretched your communications muscles quite a bit in working with a client to develop a product through which he can make a convincing call to action. Before moving on to Project 4, reflect on this complicated task. Reflect https://leocontent.umgc.edu/content/umuc/tgs/msc/msc620/2242/projects/draft-a-speech/start-here.print-pages.html?ou=92793… 31/33 5/14/24, 11:43 AM Print Pages https://leocontent.umgc.edu/content/umuc/tgs/msc/msc620/2242/projects/draft-a-speech/start-here.print-pages.html?ou=92793… 32/33 5/14/24, 11:43 AM Print Pages John S Lander / LightRocket Collection / Getty Project 3 Reflection: Parabolic Lounge Before you move on, take a moment to visit the Parabolic Lounge (located in the Discussions area). Discuss the challenges and opportunities you uncovered in working with another human being to convey a message in that person’s voice. Did you enjoy this experience or find it difficult? What did you learn about writing for the ear and responding to questions from a live audience? Did you find it difficult to write the blog update in advance of the event? Discuss what you learned from this project and how you might apply your insights. Now, turn to Project 4, in which you’ll engage all the skills you developed in the last three projects—and learn some new ones—to plan an event. © 2024 University of Maryland Global Campus All links to external sites were verified at the time of publication. UMGC is not responsible for the validity or integrity of information located at external sites. https://leocontent.umgc.edu/content/umuc/tgs/msc/msc620/2242/projects/draft-a-speech/start-here.print-pages.html?ou=92793… 33/33

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