Managerial Communication of Analytical Work

When business and management science students graduate and have a job, they give many managerial communications about analytical work, but typically they are not taught how to give presentations in their undergraduate courses. We describe the characteristics of the “managerial presentation” and contrast them with characteristics of the “narrative presentation” that is given to technical peers and focuses on process. We then use the business analysis lifecycle to describe and contrast the real world and the model world. Implications for instruction build upon empirical data gathered at Georgia Tech for the presentation skills identified through interviews with engineers, managers, and senior executives in the workforce. We conclude by reviewing processes already used effectively for teaching the relevant presentation skills at Georgia Tech.