ABSTRACT

ASSIGNMENT Give a five minute briefing on a technical subject that calls for a visual aid to help the audience understand the subject.

COMMENTARY Briefings are usually thought of as short information speeches given in a business setting. Sometimes positioned at the beginning of the workday, briefings might be given on a wide range of topics. The focus of this chapter is the technical briefing, a short speech that explains specialized or complex information a speaker knows well. If you know how to approach this kind of speech, you should have confidence in giving other types of briefings involving less complex material. Obviously, briefings should be brief because time constraints weigh heavily in many organizational settings. A briefing is not the occasion for detailed explanations or instructions. Concentrate on clearly organized essential information. Keep in mind the following guidelines when preparing a briefing.