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Planning an Effective Presentation, Part 5
Envision the Desired Outcome
Strategic-planning gurus, religious mystics, warrior kings, military strategists, and tennis coachs – among many others – all seek to tap the power of outcome-envisioning. Whether it’s the Inner Game of Tennis, The Art of War, the Tao, or whatever – the wise among us have always understood that creating a clear vision of the end helps us to find our path from the beginning. It boils down to answering the question, “How do I get there from here?�
Once you’ve developed clarity about 1) What the presentation will ideally accomplish; 2) Whether a presentation is the best way to accomplish this goal; 3) Why you are the best person to make the presentation; and 4) What you are to accomplish with the presentation audience; you are much more powerfully positioned to envision the outcomes you wish to create.
What is key to success, however, is not just conjuring a vision out of thin air. Unless you can channel von Clausowitz or Genghis Khan, you’re better off informing your intuition with a few facts and observations that are borne out of a sound discovery process focused on what ‘s necessary to succeed.
When you envision the desired outcome, force yourself to vividly and explicitly describe what the outcome looks like. Get a pad and pencil, sit down, and write it out. There are a variety of techniques you can use ranging from developing a list of attributes to more free-flowing, intuitive processes like brain-mapping. What’s key is to describe the future you want to create. Jody (see June 12 blog if you haven't followed the last week's posts) might write something like this:
As I did the presentation, people were really paying attention. Nobody was fiddling with their blackberries or doodling on paper. Lots of notes were being taken. People were entertained by my approach. They clearly were having a great time and only a couple of people razzed me. I was able to finish the presentation in plenty of time so that a lively discussion among those present occurred. A number of clarifying questions were asked and several good ideas about how we might improve the strategies were raised. Several of my co-workers thanked me in front of everybody for the clear and effective job. One week after my presentation, people are actively engaged in pursuing the goals and objectives outlined in the presentation. Everyone who attended, including Sarah, is referring to the presentation in meetings. When I walk around the office, I see the objectives slide pinned up on cubicle bulletin boards. I’ve been asked to give the presentation again to the senior management team in a week. HR has taken the strategies section and is looking at job descriptions to see whether or not job duties reflect the strategies we’re pursuing moving forward.
In Summary
I’ve spent a lot of time on what is required to front-load an effective presentation. That’s because the nuts and bolts part of planning and making a presentation are somewhat straightforward, especially when one compares them with what I call the “cooking� that’s required ahead of time.
If you want impeccable execution, start with impeccable strategy. To do that, don’t collapse the thinking and doing into one domain. If you want both your thinking and your doing to be effective for you, give each their due. Focus on one at a time.
Posted on June 15, 2006 06:30 AM | Permalink
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