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Planning an Effective Presentation, Part 2
Why Me?
“Why me?’ is about the last question that pops to mind when one hears a request to do a presentation. That is, unless you count yourselves among the legions of people who would rather be tarred and feathered than speak in public. But, it is a very important question to consider. 
You were chosen for a reason. Somebody thought you were the right person. Whoever asked you thinks you’ll do a good job. This person has a vision about this part of your future. The have assumptions about your skills and abilities. They harbor expectations about how you’ll perform.
You’d better find out what they are.
Unfulfilled expectations can create big problems, and not just for you. The person who is sponsoring you into your role may be acting as a champion for you in the organization. Champions are hard to come by, so you don’t want to inadvertently disappoint or lose yours. Your champion might have more at stake than you do. Your champion may have had a conversation with her boss that might have sounded something like this:
Your boss (Sarah): “I know that Jody is junior in my department, and that you’d prefer that I deliver this presentation myself.
The big boss (Jesse): “Sarah, as important as this presentation is, what we have at stake is even more important. We must improve performance in our department. That’s the bottom line. I think we stand a better chance of communicating our goals and strategy if you deliver the message, not somebody junior to you – no matter how talented they are.�
Sarah: “Jesse, we can’t succeed without better performance from our junior staff. Our goal here is to motivate the young talent in our organization. We want to show them that when they work hard and smart that they will be rewarded and recognized. Jesse, we need to show that we mean it by doing it. The best way to demonstrate that we will reward hard work is to give someone like Jody – everybody knows Jody works hard – a high-profile moment.�
Jesse: “Jody’s a good, solid staffer, Sarah. That’s not the issue. We also need somebody who is capable of communicating not only where we’re going, but how we’re going to get there. We need somebody who can describe the problem clearly, communicate our goals, and the strategies we’re going to use to achieve them.�
Sarah: “What Jody brings to the table is reliability and integrity. When Jody says something will happen; it happens. Jess, more than one person around here has had their fat pulled out of the fire by Jody. There are smarter people among her peers, but nobody who is trusted or liked more. By having Jody deliver this presentation, we’re using the best possible channel. I think, as a result, we’re more likely to rally successfully.�
Jesse: “Alright, Sarah. We’ll go with Jody. Don’t broadcast this, but I’m going to show up at this presentation. I want people to know that I care and that I’m paying attention. Besides, I want to see for myself whether Jody has as much going as you say. Now, let’s move on….�
So let’s recap:
1. This presentation is considered by leadership to be a key intervention in the organization. It is part of a larger strategy. You (Jody) have been tapped for strategic reasons. Your brand (integrity, reliability, motivated, hard-working) is being put to work while it’s being rewarded.
2. You have NOT been chosen for your speaking and presentation skills.
3. Your boss has put herself on the line for you. It’s clear that she trusts you and believes in you. Ironically, because she believes that you are reliable, she may not let you know just how important this presentation is to her. This is both good news and bad news. While she may work with you on what the content should be and what the goals are, she may not communicate clearly. You may also not be listening as well as you might be. That’s why a probing conversation is important – one that uncovers and clarifies what you need to know.
4. You probably think that your boss gave you this assignment. In fact, the big boss tapped you, if somewhat reluctantly, because your boss recommended you. You’ve got more at stake than you think, and so does the organization.
5. Your boss sees something in you that you may not see in yourself. This is another reason to have that probing conversation. In this case, you are both the medium and the message.
6. Both Jesse and Sarah assume (and probably for the wrong reasons) that you’ll do a good job at presenting. They may not be considering everything.
7. Jesse is going to show up and it will probably be a surprise to you when it happens. If you’re not really prepared, it could throw you for a loop. If you are prepared, it may still unnerve you a little, but your chances of doing well are much better.
Posted on June 12, 2006 06:30 AM | Permalink
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