Oral Reports
For some people, giving an oral report is a terrifying experience. It brings up fears of "dry mouth," hostile audiences, and questions that are impossible to answer. Here are some tips that have helped us prepare for oral reports. Experts tend to use these strategies, and indeed, we've learned them by observing people who are good at giving oral reports.
Allow Time for Questions
Before preparing the oral briefing or presentation, find out how much time is available, where the report will be given, and who the audience will be. Those receiving an oral report usually want to discuss findings, respond to the results, or ask questions. The most successful oral reporters allocate only one third to one half of the time for the presentation, and the remainder is spent in follow-up discussion. Therefore, a fifteen-minute report may include a five-minute presentation and ten minutes for questions, clarifications, and discussion of future action.
Cite the Most Important Things First
The first few minutes in an oral report are critical, and the speaker will need to quickly set the stage for the presentation of findings. Carefully lay out the framework describing why the study is important to the audience. The oral presentation must be focused on the key points, citing the most important finding first and then moving to less important findings. Within these first few moments, the speaker should highlight several key factors. For example, Why was the study needed? What do we know now that we didn't know before? How can these findings be used? It is important to quickly engage the audience, involve them in the report, hook them into the study, and explain clearly why the research effort was important.
Some communications experts have recommended that the most important points be presented at the end of an oral presentation-that lesser points build toward a crescendo. This does not work well in evaluation or research reporting, where people receiving the report often have time restrictions and limited patience and where interruptions regularly occur. In these situations, conciseness is valued. Place the most important findings at the top of the list.
Also, the outline used in the written report does not transfer well to oral reporting. Often researchers make the assumption that a report is a report, whether it is oral or written, and that the sequence of information presented should be consistent in both kinds of reports. Oral reporting is different, and it requires special thought and preparation.
Be Careful of Ho-Hum Syndrome
When planning for the oral report, it is helpful to consider the ho-hum syndrome. Ho-hum is best characterized by the questions going through the minds of the audience: "Do we really need this study?" "Don't we know this already?" "We paid to have somebody study this?" or "Shouldn't this staff member be doing something really important instead of conducting these studies?" To us, the results might seem enormously important with far-reaching implications, but to a busy decision maker, they might sound like hairsplitting and avoidance of real work. Often the best procedure is to address it head-on by saying, "This study is important because..." Or tell the audience what the other possible hypotheses were, that we now know the correct course of action, and, as a result, time and resources are saved.
Limit Your Points
Try to limit your report to fewer than seven points. Studies in cognitive psychology suggest that most people can remember only five to seven items in short-term memory. Use short, active phrases to describe points as opposed to complete sentences. These brief phrases are designed to do two things: convey the important concepts and be easily remembered.
Use Visuals and Quotes
Visuals can effectively highlight the points. Key points and quotes tend to be memorable when displayed visually. Use drawings from the groups if you used this type of question. Selected quotations or even brief tape recordings of actual comments can also be very effective in the oral report, but they must be used in moderation. (Also, the audience members shouldn't be able to identify the voices because you promised confidentiality. Therefore, don't do this in a work environment where colleagues could identify one another.) When it comes to visuals, the researcher has an array of options at differing levels of technology. One of the most basic is the briefing chart. These can be made on posterboard or foamboard and used to highlight key points. In addition, these charts can be reproduced in smaller 8 1/2-by-ll-inch handouts and shared with the audience. Investigate the possibility of using presentation software on your computer. Professional-quality results can be obtained with minimal skill.
Tell Your Audience What You Want Them to Do
Sometimes the purpose of the oral report is unclear to the audience. We have seen oral reports in which group members just looked at each other for a few awkward moments when the report was done. This uncomfortable silence was then followed by some type of action typical of elected bodies. Someone usually moves that the report be approved or accepted. Then they can move on to really important matters. In these situations, the group was never told why it was receiving the briefing. At the beginning or end of the report, the reporter should indicate what action is recommended or why the report is presented, such as to provide a briefing, form a study committee, continue discussion at a later time, seek funds to implement the findings, approve a new course of action, and so on. It is dangerous to assume that the audience will know what to do with the report.
Select the Right Reporter
Some people have a natural or acquired talent for preparing written reports. Others are great at presenting oral reports. Select your reporter based on ability and credibility and not because of his or her role in the focus group study. Some individuals are gifted in presenting findings. Consider these people. As important, however, is the credibility of the reporter. At times, a volunteer or someone from outside of the agency or organization is more credible. ("Of course the project director is going to say they need more money for special education. That's her job!") The best choice is to have an individual who is both skillful and credible present the results.
Naturally, the reporter will need to be sufficiently acquainted with both the process and findings. The reporter should practice the oral report and allow sufficient time for preparation and collegial feedback. Hastily prepared reports often have awkward construction, vague points, misspellings, and other aspects that limit their acceptance by users.