EMBA Oral Presentation Rubric Organization Intro: Attention Intro: Significance Intro: Preview Organization Focus (Concise) Content Delivery Conclusion Word Choice Audienceorientation Credibility Q&A Visual Aids Excellent (4) Acceptable (2) Needs Work (0) Total Presenter captured the audience s attention from the start Presenter clearly explained the significance of the presentation to the audience Presenter clearly previewed main points of the presentation The presenter made clear, logical transitions throughout the presentation Content was extremely well focused Presenter effectively summarized main points or objectives Presenter consistently used clear and distinct words and avoided jargon Presentation was clearly targeted at the audience interests, benefits, and level of formality The presentation was strongly supported by credible resources Presenter effectively responded to questions; built support Visual aids clearly and succinctly enhanced the message Presenter attempted to capture the audience s attention Presenter provided some indication of the presentation s significance Presenter briefly mentioned main points of the presentation The presenter made somewhat clear transitions throughout the presentation Content was generally well focused Presented provided brief conclusion to the presentation Presenter generally used clear diction and some jargon Presentation spoke effectively to the audience s interests and level of formality The presentation showed evidence of research Presenter handled questions; maintained support Visual aids supported the message Presenter made little or no effort to capture the audience s attention No explanation of the presentation s significance No preview was provided in the introduction The presenter made abrupt, unexpected transitions Content was poorly focused Presenter ended abruptly; provided little or no conclusion Presenter rarely used clear words and phrases Presentation did not target or address the audience The presentation showed little or no evidence of research; the presenter presumed credibility Presenter struggled with questions; lost support Visual aids distracted from the message Presenter could be clearly heard Presenter was generally heard, Presenter s low volume made it Volume by the entire audience at all times though volume dropped occasionally difficult for some to hear clearly Presenter consistently used an Presenter generally used an Presenter spoke either very Pace engaging, conversational pace effective delivery pace rapidly or haltingly Fillers No fillers Some fillers Many distracting fillers Presenter consistently used Presenter generally used effective Presenter used flat Modulation effective voice modulation; voice modulation; avoided flat monotone/bad reading avoided flat monotone/bad reading monotone/bad reading Articulation Non-verbal: Facial Expression Non-verbal: Body Language Non-verbal: Gestures Engagement Eye Contact Passion Executive Presence Presenter consistently and clearly articulated each word Presenter used effective facial expressions to support the message Presenter used effective body language Presenter used effective gestures to support the message Presenter maintained a strong and consistent audience engagement Presenter maintained strong and consistent eye contact Presenter communicated an appropriate level of interest and passion about the topic Presenter projects confidence and assurance Presenter generally used clear articulation; some mumbling Presenter used some facial expressions to support the message Presenter used some body language Presenter used some gestures to support the message Presenter generally engaged the audience Presenter maintained some eye contact with the audience Presenter showed some interest and passion about the topic Presenter shows some confidence in the presentation Presenter generally mumbled Presenter used few to no facial expressions to support the message Presenter used little body language Presenter used few to no gestures to support the message Presenter made little or no effort to engage the audience Presenter maintained weak, inconsistent eye contact Presenter indicated little to no interest and passion about the topic Presenter appears uncertain and hesitant regarding the message 1
2 EMBA Written Communication Rubric
The Elements of Business Writing Gary Blake & Robert W. Bly Principles of Composition 1. Use the active voice. 2. Avoid long sentences. 3. Use simple language. 4. Delete words, sentences, and phrases that do not add to your meaning. 5. Break your writing into short sections. 6. Use specific and concrete terms. 7. Write in a natural, conversational style. 8. Keep ideas parallel. Principles of Organization 9. Organize your material according to the way your reader thinks about the subject. 10. Organize your material logically. 11. Delete the warm-up paragraph. 12. Use an executive summary. 13. Separate fact from opinion. 14. Delete unnecessary closings. 15. Use headings and subheadings. Principles of Wording and Phrasing 16. Avoid wordy and redundant phrases. 17. Use small words. 18. Avoid sexist language. 19. Know the proper use of the most commonly misused words and phrases. 20. Substitute modern business language for antiquated phrases. 21. Substitute original language for clichés. 22. Avoid jargon. 28. Be your most pleasant self. 29. Use contractions to warm up your message. 30. Avoid unnecessary hedging. 31. Avoid sarcasm. Principles of Persuasion 32. Gain your reader s attention in an appropriate manner. 33. Awaken a need for an idea before presenting the idea. 34. Stress benefits, not features. 35. Use facts, opinions, and statistics to prove your case. 36. Don t get bogged down in unnecessary details or arguments. 37. Tell the reader what to do next. 38. Before making a request, give the reader a reason to respond. 39. Do not assume the reader has been persuaded by your argument. Principles of Punctuation, Grammar, Abbreviation, Capitalization, and Spelling Principles of Tone 23. Write to express, not to impress. 24. Prefer informal to formal language. 25. Prefer positive words to negative words. 26. In a sentence containing both good and bad news, give the bad news first. 27. Write to change behavior, not to express anger. 3
EMBA-Specific Tips for OMBs (One Minute Briefs) Get to the point fast! Avoid overly descriptive versus analytical message; highlight the analytics Be explicit; avoid vague generalities Clarify focus what s the main idea Edit ruthlessly What sticks? S U C C E S Simplicity Unexpectedness Concreteness Credibility Emotional Stories From: Chip Heath and Dan Heath, Made to Stick: Why Some Ideas Survive and Others Die (Random House, 2007) 4
From: Stephen E. Toulmin, The Uses of Argument Updated Edition (Cambridge University Press, 2003) 5
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7 https://www.slideshare.net/
Executive Presence 1. Eye Contact 2. Facial Expression 3. Body Language 4. Gestures 5. Vocal Qualities 6. Conversational Pace 7. Message Architecture Sample Presentations https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vn4u5fqrodq http://www.dailymotion.com/video/xdr0f 8