Competency

Discuss presentation of data using editorial thinking and communication.

Scenario

You are the facility manager for EnVision, a high-tech vehicle maker located in Atlanta. This new company designs, manufactures, and sells electric vehicles and charging units. EnVision’s unique designs, technical prowess, and limited competition has placed them in the enviable position of having a high demand for their line of products. This demand has generated over a billion dollars in pre-sale orders, and a new manufacturing facility is required to meet customer’s needs. The firm’s CEO, Mark Hammel, has asked you to assist him in selecting a new site that will accommodate a new state-of-the-art facility.

Mr. Hammel has been busy preparing a presentation to the board of directors and investors regarding new facility needs and has shown you the first draft of his presentation. Some of his thoughts seem biased and his original mockup of the presentation outline looks to be missing many of the ideas of editorial thinking and communication that you know are necessary in the business world.

As a responsible manager, you realize that presentations need to be objective and unbiased. To adhere to these principles, you have decided to review other presentations and documents which were used to influence various audiences. While doing so, you need to note the language and content of each and determine the language most appropriate for editorial presentation. The following three presentations include the best opportunities for you to share your thoughts using examples for the CEO on improvement in his presentation:

Instructions

Prepare a memo to CEO, Mark Hammel that showcases examples of good and poor presentations, and address the following questions. Make appropriate recommendations for how to proceed with the presentation you are working on with Mr. Hammel in your explanations.

Review the three influential presentations provided and perform the following evaluations in your memo:

• Do biases from the presentation material exist in these examples? What leads you to assume that biases are present?
• Evaluate the presentation materials and rank them according to their degree of objectivity and bias.
• Provide suggestions for how each of the example presentations could be improved to increase objectivity and reduce bias.