Using an Outline to Prepare

Preliminary Outline: Why and How to Deal with Anger

1. Introduction
   1. Attention-getter: Personal story about my soccer team
   2. Central idea: Understanding and rejecting the myths about anger to help us deal with it more effectively
   3. Preview of key points: Refuting anger myths, managing anger, and responding to anger
2. Body of presentation
   1. Key point 1: Refuting anger myths
      1. Supporting material: Believing that anger is good
      2. Supporting material: Believing that anger is caused by others
   2. Key point 2: Managing anger
      1. Supporting material: Acknowledging your anger
      2. Supporting material: Avoiding personal attacks
   3. Key point 3: Responding to anger
      1. Supporting material: Identifying the source of anger
      2. Supporting material: Seeking resolution
3. Conclusion

WRITING A FULL-SENTENCE OUTLINE

Some speakers (and students required to do so by their instructors) take the outlining process one step further, expanding their preliminary outline into a full-sentence outline, which may contain every idea, concept, and fact you include in a presentation, depending on how detailed you choose to make it.

Writing a full-sentence outline while preparing a presentation can help you assess whether you have the right number of key points, explanations, and significant supporting material. If you are using MANUSCRIPT DELIVERY (216), a full-sentence outline can be a helpful speaking tool because it clearly separates the major parts of a presentation into concise sections. However, if you are using EXTEMPORANEOUS DELIVERY (215), a full-sentence outline should not be used as your speaking notes, as it shares the disadvantages of manuscript delivery, such as poor eye contact, limited movement, and difficulty modifying content. That said, including some full sentences in your speaking notes can provide precise language and ensure the accuracy of full quotations, important statistics, or specific examples.

As you’ll notice in the following example, a full-sentence outline includes almost all the presentation’s content and comes close to a word-for-word script. Brackets are used to indicate references, and there is a full reference list at the end. If your instructor asks you to submit references, use the style and format they prefer.

Full-Sentence Outline: Why and How to Deal with Anger

1. Introduction
   1. Attention-getter: “Have you ever been angry or enraged?” All of us have. Everyone feels anger at some time—it’s a natural human reaction but can be distressing and harmful. I first noticed the negative effects of anger when I lashed out at a teammate on my soccer team. It was uncalled for and embarrassing. I was benched for the next 3 games.
   2. Central idea: To deal with the causes and consequences of anger, begin by fact-checking your beliefs about anger, finding ways to manage your anger, and learning how to respond respectfully to anger expressed by someone else. Before I recommend methods for dealing with anger, let’s begin by understanding what anger is.
   3. Definition of anger: Anger is “an emotional response to unmet expectations.” Here are some examples: discovering a friend has told a falsehood when you expect them to tell the truth; expecting but not receiving praise for good work; expecting an A on an exam but getting a C. [Ask the audience for additional examples.]

   Transition: I hope this simple definition helps you understand the nature of anger and its causes so you can consider the consequences of expressing anger inappropriately and learn to respond to anger responsibly.

2. Body of presentation
   1. Key point 1: Many of us believe common myths about anger, which prevent us from effectively dealing with anger. [Eifert et al.] Consider the following statements:
      1. True or false? Anger can be helpful, particularly if you feel threatened. This is true and false. True: In some cases, anger can be a warning of imminent danger. False: Anger is rarely helpful; it often makes things worse. If you’re quick to anger, you may regret it later.
      2. True or false? Anger results when someone says or does something that upsets or hurts you. False: While you might blame people or events for your anger, you are the source of anger. If you blame others, you don’t have to change how you behave—and you stay angry. [Tell the story about apologizing to Ari after accusing him of making a mistake.]

   Transition: In addition to understanding the nature of anger, it’s just as important to learn how to manage your anger and avoid making things worse.

   2. Key point 2: Learn how to manage your anger appropriately and effectively. Identifying the causes and consequences of anger can help you respond appropriately to threatening situations. Here are three ways to manage anger effectively [Wilmot and Hocker]:
      1. Admit you are angry. Don’t shout. Control your nonverbal behavior, such as frowning or sneering, clenching a fist, or raising your voice. Calmly state why you are angry. [Tell the story about working with Ruth on a project.]
      2. Avoid personal attacks. Don’t resort to name-calling. Describe the problem as objectively as you can rather than ranting and raging at someone.
      3. Use “I” statements instead of “you” statements. Describe your feelings instead of the bad things someone did to you. Say, “I thought that you would . . .” instead of “Because you screwed up, everything’s a mess.”

   Transition: Learning to manage your anger appropriately is only half of the equation. The other half is learning to manage your response when someone is angry with you.

   3. Key point 3: Learn constructive responses to someone else’s anger. [Wilmot and Hocker]
      1. Acknowledge why they are angry. “I understand how angry you are. Given that the report is due next week, I think I’d be just as upset if I were you. I should have made myself available to help when I said I would.”
      2. Clarify the issue or source of anger. “I don’t think I said I’d write the report. I said I’d give you my notes from the meeting.”
      3. Seek a collaborative approach to resolution. “Let’s sit down and try to solve the problem.”
3. Conclusion
   1. Summarize key points. Remember that myths about anger may prevent you from dealing with it effectively. How can you express your anger in a way that may resolve the problem? And how might you respond to someone else’s anger without making matters worse?
   2. Conclude. Take responsibility for your feelings and behavior when you face an unmet expectation or disappointment. I’ll leave you with another quotation worth remembering. Carol Tavris, author of Anger: The Misunderstood Emotion, wrote: Anger “requires an awareness of choice and an embrace of reason. It is knowing when to become angry . . . when to make peace, when to take action, and when to keep silent.”

   References

   Cahn, Dudley D., and Ruth Anna Abigail. Managing Conflict through Communication. 5th ed. Boston: Pearson, 2014. 187–98.

   Canary, Daniel J., and Sandra Lakey. Strategic Conflict. New York: Routledge, 2013. 56–59.

   Eifert, Georg H., Matthew McKay, and John P. Forsyth. ACT on Life Not on Anger: The New Acceptance & Commitment Therapy Guide to Problem Anger. Oakland, CA: New Harbinger, 2006. 15, 16, 19, 20, 21.

   Svitil, Kathy A. Calming the Anger Storm. New York: Alpha, 2005. 14–15.

   Tavris, Carol. Anger: The Misunderstood Emotion. New York: Simon & Schuster, 1982. 253.

   Wilmot, William W., and Joyce L. Hocker. Interpersonal Conflict. 6th ed. Boston: McGraw-Hill, 2001. 251–53.

Creating a full-sentence outline requires a great deal of time and effort, including multiple revisions, during which you may discover sections that have either too many or too few ideas and information. Do you have enough supporting material? Do you need to revise your central idea based on the key points and supporting materials that are most compelling in your outline? Do your connectives logically lead your audience from one key point or section to another? Keep revising and adjusting until your outline is balanced, well organized, and well supported.