Scenario
You are a team lead for Firm X, a major department store chain that operates in 17 states in the United States. The company targets shoppers under the age of 35. Firm X sells clothes, electronics, home furnishings, and more recently, groceries and other household goods. Part of your responsibilities is to generate a consistent work schedule for your employees, but this has become more challenging. Because you make the extra effort to accommodate your employees’ needs, you have noticed that more and more of your team members are younger professionals with small children who are struggling to find affordable child care that is flexible enough to meet the demands of Firm X’s shift schedules.
In an attempt to convince Firm X’s management that an in-house childcare facility would be a significant benefit to the employees, you have arranged a meeting to propose this idea with store and regional leadership. You know that this will be a major financial investment for the company, so you will need to be persuasive in your proposal.
To prepare to write your persuasive proposal that will convince leadership to agree to your idea, you have decided to review an example of an effective speech or piece of persuasive writing made by a prominent person to gain a better understanding of the most effective rhetorical strategies they use to connect with their intended audiences. Completing a speech reflection will develop your ability to break down a point and examine how it is developed and argued effectively. By analyzing a speech, you will be able to identify examples of how literary and rhetorical tools can be used to strengthen your argument. Ultimately, your goal is to prepare a childcare proposal that will be presented to your leadership team in order to initiate this change within your company.
Directions
Speech Reflection
To better understand how rhetorical techniques are used in a persuasive manner, choose one of the two speeches below: Franklin D. Roosevelt’s Pearl Harbor address to the nation, or George W. Bush’s 9/11 address to the nation. Then, complete the speech reflection activity below.
FDR: Pearl Harbor Address to the Nation https://www.americanrhetoric.com/speeches/fdrpearlharbor.htm
George W. Bush: 9/11 Address to the Nation https://www.americanrhetoric.com/speeches/gwbush911addresstothenation.htm
After reviewing the speech of your choice, reflect on five rhetorical aspects of the speech by responding to the guiding questions for each of the categories below. Provide a brief (50–100 words) response to the each of these questions on the Speech Reflection Worksheet in the Deliverables section.
Get audience attention: How does the speech grab the audience’s attention and set the stage for what is to come?
Present the problem: How does the speech identify the issue at hand and highlight major concerns?
Offer a solution: What is proposed as a way to address the issue presented in the speech?
Vision for the future: What are the long-term effects of this particular situation on the audience?
Call to action: What portion of the conclusion of the speech appeals to the reader to take action related to the issue?
Childcare Proposal
To build support for your cause, you will need to write a 300- to 500-word proposal to your leadership team addressing the points shown below. Remember the rhetorical and/or persuasive techniques that you analyzed in the speech reflection, and utilize any techniques that may help build your persuasive proposal. Be sure to address all aspects of this issue so that the leadership team has as much information as possible to make any future decisions.
Note: For this project, assume that Firm X has the same values as your current or previous place of employment. Also, be sure to attribute sources where necessary using appropriate citation methods.
Be sure to address all of the following in your written proposal:
Project name
Your name and position
Summary of issues or concerns
Desired outcome
Benefits of the project
Action items (Next steps)
What to Submit
Every project has a deliverable or deliverables, which are the files that must be submitted before your project can be assessed. For this project, you must submit the following:
Speech Reflection Worksheet
Complete and submit this worksheet, reflecting on five rhetorical aspects of your chosen speech by responding to the guiding questions. Each response should be 50-100 words in length.
Childcare Proposal
Write a proposal to your leadership team that addresses all the points listed in the prompt. Remember the rhetorical and/or persuasive techniques that you analyzed in the speech reflection, and utilize any techniques that may help build your persuasive proposal. Be sure to address all aspects of this issue so that the leadership team has as much information as possible to make any future decisions. Your proposal should be 300-500 words in length.
