ENG 333 Communication for Science and Research

"Know your audience" is the key to any effective organizational presentation. One way to begin understanding your audience, and their needs, is to think of them as stakeholders . A stakeholder has interests that are affected by the goals and activities of another group (e.g., a company, a department, etc.). The kinds of stakes that your audience has will affect their level of concern.

When you think about your audience, you need to consider their needs and determine the uncertainty that they have. Uncertainty is the discrepancy between what your audience knows, feels, and believes, and what they must know, feel, and believe in order to take action. People usually need more than just information in order to act. For example, people may lack confidence, or perceived authority, as evidenced by the saying, "That's not my job." A good presenter understands that most people do not separate feelings and thinking.

For today's exercise, I want you to read some background information about the wetlands case in Eugene, Oregon, and I will then ask you to do a little audience analysis.

Exercise

1. Read the background about the wetlands case.
2. Read the information that relates to the different stakeholders in this real-life scenario. NOTE: These were prior group presentations and are included here to provide you with information.
   • Team 1
   • Team 2
   • Team 3
   • Team 4
3. For today's assignment, you need to do the following three steps:
   1. Choose 3 people, or groups, from the list of stakeholders
   2. Identify one uncertainty for each stakeholder.

      Consider what feelings, beliefs, and information each stakeholder will need in order to feel motivated to accept your recommendation, or opinion. If the audience is likely to have no problems of belief or feelings, then stress the information that is needed.

      For example, when analyzing employees of a company that is reorganizing its internal management chain, the following method can help identify uncertainty:

      Information Needed = How company will handle personnel matters

      Information Possessed = Rumors

      Uncertainty = Fear of job loss

      Beliefs Needed = Company resists firing people without cause

      Beliefs Held = Jobs are on the line

      Uncertainty = Will I be fired?

      Feelings Needed = Company stands behind its people

      Feelings Now = I'm at risk

      Uncertainty = Will I still have a job?

   3. Email your analysis to me.

Optional: Access the homepage for this case for more information.

NOTE: You might find it useful to type in timeline in the Words to Search field at the top of the left frame to see links to relevant events that have transpired in this case.