EN.663.618 Chap.10 Plan B: Presenting Through Disruption
Plan B: Presenting Through Disruption
A company profile with a hidden twist
The Cool Company Profile in Plan B Mode counts for 10% of the grade, needs slides and runs 5 to 7 minutes. The brief sounds simple: profile a company with a great working environment, happy staff, social impact or real innovation, and persuade fellow MSEM students to apply for an internship or a full-time role. The twist is the Plan B.
On the graded day each speaker picks a random disruption that stays hidden until it happens, and the grade reflects both how persuasive the content is and how well the speaker copes with what goes wrong.
Content still has to win
A calm recovery cannot rescue a thin profile.
The packet asks for research that reaches beyond a quick web search, for many direct links between the company and the MSEM program, and for slides in the Presentation Zen style of clarity, elegance and memorability. The WIIFY is two-fold: fellow students want a reason to apply, while the professor, who will not be applying, wants to know about good opportunities for students.
A strong hook is expected by this point in the semester.
Matching the response to the problem
The packet's hints sort disruptions by cause. If the slip is genuinely yours, apologise once and move on rather than falling into a cycle of apologies. With a heckler, allow a comment or two and then suggest continuing the conversation after the talk, without ever turning aggressive.
With an expert who wants to debate, agree to disagree and steer back to your main point. For tension in the room, one smart, witty remark helps, as long as it is never snide, insecure or aimed at anyone present.
Making the message stick anyway
The last hints are the ones that protect the grade.
Keep moving, take charge of the situation, and keep articulating the WIIFY, because audiences want a speaker to do well and will forgive a lot when someone manages the moment for them. Repeat the main message more often and more explicitly than you would in a smooth talk. The rubric's speech-specific quarter rewards exactly that: a positive reaction, no amplification, steady professionalism and a message that sticks.
What this chapter covers
- 01
What Plan B Mode adds to the Cool Company Profile
- 02
Choosing an MSEM-relevant company and researching past the obvious
- 03
A two-fold WIIFY for students and the professor
- 04
One apology for your own mistake, then forward
- 05
Handling a heckler or a debating expert calmly
- 06
Using humour to defuse tension without overusing it
- 07
Repeating the main message after the disruption
- 08
The speech-specific rubric lines for Plan B
Worked example · free
Recover from a laptop that will not connect
- 2Acknowledge the problem once, calmly and without blaming anyone.
- 1Ease the room's tension with one light, inclusive remark.
- 2Restate the main message and the two-fold WIIFY without the slides.
- 1Link each move to a speech-specific rubric line.
Key terms
- Plan B Mode
- A graded presenting condition in which a randomly drawn, hidden disruption interrupts the talk and the speaker must adapt while still persuading.
- Two-Fold WIIFY
- A statement of benefit written for two audiences at once, here the students who might apply and the professor who wants good opportunities for them.
- Amplifying the Problem
- Any reaction, such as repeated apologies, panic or aggression, that makes a disruption larger than it was and pulls attention away from the message.
Plan B: Presenting Through Disruption FAQ
How do I prepare for a disruption I can't see in advance?
Rehearse against categories instead of specifics. The packet names logistical snafus, technical dilemmas and other disruptions, so practise a version with no slides, one with a persistent interrupter and one with a debating expert. Script a single recovery sentence that restates your message; that sentence works whatever the draw turns out to be.
Should I apologise if something goes wrong during my presentation?
Only if the fault is genuinely yours, and then only once. The packet warns against a cycle of apologising. After the single apology, move the talk forward. If the cause is the room, the equipment or another person, acknowledging it calmly is enough and no apology is needed from you.
Is it okay to make a joke when a presentation goes wrong?
Yes, if it is smart and kind. The packet recommends a witty comment to release tension but warns against snide, insecure or inappropriate humour and against joking at anyone's expense, including a heckler. Use it once; keep joking only if the problem gets much worse and the room grows visibly tense.
What kind of company should I pick for the cool company presentation?
Pick one that genuinely suits MSEM students for internships or full-time jobs, and whose environment, employee happiness, social impact or innovation you can show. The rubric has a line for selecting and presenting an MSEM-relevant company, and the packet expects research that a simple web search would not reveal.
Assessment move
Two sessions before Nov. 9, run the profile three times with a friend who secretly chooses one disruption each round: a dead screen, a heckler or a stubborn expert. Record each run, then check the rubric's speech-specific lines against the video and rewrite your recovery sentence until it restates the message in a single breath.
