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<p>About the Author xv</p> <p>Acknowledgments xvii</p> <p>How This Book Differs From Other Communication Guides xix</p> <p>Previously Published Material xxi</p> <p>Also By Stephen Wilbers xxiii</p> <p>Welcome xxv</p> <p><b>Introduction 1</b></p> <p>Who can benefit from this book 2</p> <p>How this book differs from other textbooks & communication guides 2</p> <p>How this book evolved from my writing & teaching 4</p> <p>How to read this book using the SQ4R method 6</p> <p>How this book is organized 7</p> <p>Questions to ask yourself as you read this book 9</p> <p><b>Part ONE—Writing 11</b></p> <p><b>Chapter 1 Explaining Complex Technologies Clearly 13</b></p> <p>Writing in stages 14<br /> Think of yourself as a translator 15<br /> Adopt the seven habits of highly effective writers 15<br /> Approach writing as a process 17<br /> Don’t be blocked by writer’s block 18</p> <p>Communicating internationally without ambiguity 20<br /> Don’t confuse non-native speakers of American English 20<br /> Limit your use of prepositionalized English 22<br /> Don’t assume that American & British English are identical 22<br /> Don’t be too quick to laugh at ESL or ELL errors 23</p> <p>Connecting your thoughts with sentence & paragraph structure 24<br /> Write in sentences, but think in three-part paragraphs 25<br /> Break sprawling sentences & paragraphs into shorter units 27<br /> Use introductory elements & transitions to connect your thoughts 27</p> <p>Emphasizing key points with sentence variety 29<br /> Use trailing elements & asides for variety, emphasis, & elaboration 29<br /> Invert your sentences for variety, transitions, & coherence 30</p> <p>Just for Fun: How Charles the Great changed Latin to our benefit today 34</p> <p>Get Out of Jail Free: e.g. for i.e. 36</p> <p><b>Chapter 2 Breathing Life into Scientific & Technical Writing 37</b></p> <p>Supporting your explanations with detail 39<br /> Support your argument with colorful, specific detail 39<br /> Evoke the five senses to make your descriptions come alive 41<br /> Don’t neglect smell, the most evocative of the five senses 42<br /> Use graphs, tables, figures, & equations to highlight, illustrate, & explain 43</p> <p>Animating your sentences & descriptions with verbs 44<br /> Use verb-driven clauses to convey information succinctly & emphatically 44<br /> Use colorful, action verbs to animate your descriptions 46</p> <p>Working with verbs, noun stacks, & sentence variety 49<br /> Keep your verbs within sight of their subjects 49<br /> Unstack those noun stacks 51</p> <p>Just for Fun: Nominalize your verbs to inflict pain on your reader 58</p> <p>Get Out of Jail Free: It’s for its 59</p> <p><b>Chapter 3 Expanding Your Expressive Range 61</b></p> <p>Using your first person subjective voice 63<br /> When appropriate, write in the first person for a more engaging style 64<br /> Know the difference between transitive & intransitive, active & passive 65<br /> Use the first person in theses & dissertations when appropriate 66<br /> Know when not to write in the first person 67<br /> Use an overtly subjective voice to convey honesty, personality, & warmth 69</p> <p>Going beyond “Plain English” to more varied expression 72<br /> Know the value of “Plain English,” but recognize its limitations 72<br /> Vary your sentence structure & length 74<br /> Punctuate your beat with pauses 75<br /> Place key words at the beginning & ending of your sentences 75</p> <p>Expanding your vocabulary to convey nuance, beauty, & complexity 76<br /> Collect good words 77<br /> Look up & learn new words as you read, starting with this book 78</p> <p>Just for Fun: American poet runs afoul of Plain English guidelines 82</p> <p>Get Out of Jail Free: Principle for principal 84</p> <p><b>Chapter 4 Connecting with a Wider Audience 85</b></p> <p>Getting your reader’s attention 88<br /> Know how to write a good lead (or lede) 88<br /> Use colorful quotes to enliven your writing 90<br /> Collect examples of good leads (or ledes) for ideas & inspiration 91</p> <p>Structuring your articles, blogs, messages, texts, & tweets 94<br /> Follow a newsletter checklist to meet a tight deadline 94<br /> Use a three-step structure in your email messages 96<br /> Tweet short & sweet – and with integrity 98<br /> Base your level of formality and correctness on four touchstones: Purpose, audience, subject, & occasion 100</p> <p>Communicating correctly 102<br /> Know the rules & know when to break ’em 103<br /> Proofread for eight errors of hurry & haste 105</p> <p>Communicating inclusively 107<br /> Recognize all genders, ages, & ethnicities 107<br /> Be aware of gender differences in communication patterns 112<br /> Avoid ambiguity when writing to non-native English speakers 113</p> <p>Just for Fun: SlumberWrite software guaranteed to produce soporific writing 116</p> <p>Get Out of Jail Free: Complementary for complimentary 118</p> <p><b>Part Two —Speaking 119</b></p> <p><b>Chapter 5 Mastering the Physical & Behavioral Skills of Public Speaking 121</b></p> <p>Connecting with your posture, dress, & appearance 123<br /> Stand & sit tall 123<br /> Dress appropriately for the audience & the occasion 124</p> <p>Connecting with your eyes 124<br /> Look directly into their eyes 125<br /> Expect less audience feedback when presenting online or on camera 125</p> <p>Connecting with your voice 126<br /> Don’t underestimate the power of your speaking voice 126<br /> Play your voice like a musical instrument it is 127<br /> Be proud of your accent 128<br /> Enunciate your words 129</p> <p>Connecting with your gestures, facial expressions, & movement 130<br /> Expand your gestural range 131<br /> Make your face interesting 131<br /> Claim your space early & hold your ground 132</p> <p>Just for Fun: Sailing, writing, & speaking 134</p> <p>Get Out of Jail Free: There’s for there’re & subject-verb nonagreement 136</p> <p><b>Chapter 6 Feeling & Projecting Confidence 137</b></p> <p>Feeling confident 139<br /> Get control of your mind & your body by breathing 139<br /> Prepare, release tension, & adjust expectations 139<br /> Take a six-step approach to feeling confident 140</p> <p>Projecting confidence 140<br /> Speak at full volume 141<br /> Don’t rush your delivery 141<br /> Take the twelve-step approach to projecting confidence 142</p> <p>Recovering from mental lapses & technical glitches 142<br /> Prepare a safety net 143<br /> Remember that the audience is on your side 144<br /> Be prepared to be challenged 145<br /> Aim for good, not perfect 146</p> <p>Just for Fun: Speaking your mind & breaking the rules like Jesse Ventura 148</p> <p>Get Out of Jail Free: Myself for I, Me, and Bobby McGee 150</p> <p><b>Chapter 7 Connecting with Content, Conviction, & Humor 153</b></p> <p>Opening, holding, & closing well 154<br /> Get their attention 154<br /> Give an overview & emphasize transitions 156<br /> Prepare a good closing 156</p> <p>Playing your part convincingly 158<br /> Play it for all it’s worth 158<br /> Show them the real you 159<br /> Underscore key points with visuals 159</p> <p>Making it fun by having fun 161<br /> Know which types of humor work best 162<br /> Play it safe with self-deprecating humor 165</p> <p>Just for Fun: Papa says to maintain parallel structure 168</p> <p>Get Out of Jail Free: Nonparallel structure 169</p> <p><b>Chapter 8 Practicing, Delivering, & Evaluating Your Presentation 173</b></p> <p>Creating muscle memory by practicing 175<br /> Rehearse your words out loud 176<br /> Practice your gestures & expressions 176<br /> Practice working within your allotted time 176<br /> For most presentations, don’t read your text 177</p> <p>Handling difficult questions & inappropriate questioners 177<br /> Decide whether and when to take questions 178<br /> Answer the question when you can 178<br /> Know how to manage an interview & how to talk to the media 180</p> <p>Evaluating presentations with a score sheet 182<br /> Enforce a strict time limit 182<br /> Offer timely feedback & constructive criticism 183<br /> Concentrate on strengths & note areas for improvement 183<br /> Use a score sheet to identify and evaluate skills 183</p> <p>Just for Fun: Even Eliza Doolittle trips over the rules of English grammar 187</p> <p>Get Out of Jail Free: Who or whom do you trust? 188</p> <p>Epilogue 191</p> <p><b>Appendix A Words Every Educated Person Should Know 195</b></p> <p><b>Appendix B Sixteen Common Language Errors 199</b></p> <p>Remember the eight language errors that got you out of jail 199</p> <p>Avoid eight additional common language errors 202</p> <p><b>Appendix C Key Physical & Behavioral Skills of Public Speaking 207</b></p> <p><b>Appendix D Key Themes & Strategies 209</b></p> <p>Key themes & highlights from Chapter Summaries 209<br /> Part One: Writing 209<br /> Part Two: Speaking 210</p> <p><b>Appendix E Works Cited, Recommended Reading, & Style Guides 213</b></p> <p>Works cited 213</p> <p>Recommended reading 216</p> <p>Style guides 217</p> <p>Index 219</p>

<p><b>Stephen Wilbers, PhD, </b>is a keynote speaker, speech coach, and award-winning author. He teaches written and oral communication skills in the University of Minnesota’s Technological Leadership Institute. His clients include the Mayo Clinic, Medtronic, 3M, and a variety of state bar associations.

<p><b>Explore this insightful guide to the development of persuasive leadership skills perfect for students and managers in technical fields</b> <p>Many technical managers receive little or no training in the persuasive arts. Though technically skilled, they often lack the ability to engage effectively with an audiences outside their field. <i>Persuasive Communication for Science and Technology Leaders: Writing and Speaking with Confidence</i> delivers a thorough treatment of how to connect with audiences whose knowledge, values, personal experiences, ethnic background, gender, and worldview may differ from their own. <p>Written in a highly readable and entertaining style, this book goes beyond the scope of a standard textbook on persuasive communication. Its practical lessons illustrate the techniques of effective scientific and technical writing while emphasizing values-based leadership for a more just, inclusive, and sustainable world, a theme that seems particularly pertinent during these times of multiple crises, misinformation campaigns, and science denial. <p>The distinguished speaker and author explores the broader importance of language and explains various techniques for expanding your expressive range and your professional influence. He will also teach you methods for conveying information clearly and precisely as well as in ways that inspire and leave a lasting impression. <p>You will also benefit from: <ul><li> A thorough introduction to knowing and connecting with your audience, using voice, tone, and point of view for results, and engaging your reader with compelling openings</li> <li> An exploration of explaining complex technologies clearly, succeeding with challenging writing assignments, and applying a variety of persuasive strategies for agile responses to a rapidly changing world</li> <li> An examination of speaking effectively while thinking on your feet, including how to create a safety net and how to recover from momentary lapses</li> <li> Easy-to-remember guidance on avoiding common language errors that might undermine your credibility or, worse yet, make people stop listening to you</li></ul> <p>Perfect for undergraduate and graduate students in scientific and technical fields such as engineering, geology, botany, climatology, and epidemiology, <i>Persuasive Communication for Science and Technology Leaders: Writing and Speaking with Confidence</i> will earn a place in the libraries of technical managers and leaders who seek to better connect with their audiences.

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