4 . In our age of computers and email, why do you think personal presentation continues to be Important in management? Goal To encourage students to appreciate effective speaking as a critical human relations skill.

Background A manager's ability to understand and get along with supervisors, peers, and subordinates is a critical human relations skill. A! the heart of this skill, says Harvard University professor of education Sarah McGinty, is the ability to speak with power and control. McGinty defines

"pCMferful speech" in terms of the foiiCMfing characteristics:

• The ability to speak at length and in complete sentences

• The ability to set a conversational agenda 166 Part II: The Business of Managing

• The ability to deter interruption

• The ability to argue openly and to express strong opinions about ideas, not people

• The ability to make statements that offer solutions rather than pose questions

• The ability to express humour Taken together, says McGinty, "all this creates a sense of confidence in listeners."