High-Quality Presentations: Key Ideas

High-Quality Sessions/Presentations: Key Ideas

Have Clear Outcomes Some authors describe effective session preparation as “planning with the end in mind.” Others define effective planning as “holding mental maps of session goals.” The key idea here is that as a presenter prepares a session, they begin by thinking about the goals of the session: What they expect the participants to gain from being there. Another way of prompting this kind of thinking is to answer the question: In what way or ways will my participants be different after leaving my session? In this light, it may be helpful to think about the nature of your session: . Will participants add new knowledge? . Will participants leave with new skills? . Will new perspectives be gained through the session? . What changes (in participant outlook, perceptions, mental models) are targeted through the session’s design?

Elevate the Main Points The general wisdom about making your main ideas “stick” is that if you say ten things, you say nothing. Another way of saying this is “if everything is important, then nothing is important.” Effective presenters seek to give the spotlight to their most important points. They ask themselves: “What percentage of my speaking/presenting time is going to these main points?” “How am I helping my audience understand what I consider to be most important from what I consider less important?” “How can I, through my planning, ensure that the main message stands out in my participant’s memory of the session?”

Prepare an Interactive Session Plan There is a temptation in planning a presentation to strive for ambitious “coverage” of information. This desire needs to be tempered by the rules of TMI and TMW. Too Much Information (TMI) and Too Many Words (TMW) actually work against a high-quality session experience, because they can cause participant discomfort and inattentiveness. Effective presenters know that they need to mix their content with processes that allow participants make meaning of what they’ve read, heard, or experienced. A 10-2 principle may help planning of a session; balance ten minutes of information sharing with at least two minutes of structured process time. It may be helpful to map out the agenda of the session, balancing the presentation of information with activities that are conducive to making meaning. Presenters may want to ask, “How can participants leave this session having experienced new information through interactive processes?” Keep It Real: Use Stories and Examples One mistake that often occurs in presentations is that “the message” is too abstract. The presenter offers concepts and conclusions, but little evidence. Big picture ideas, lacking the concrete details, come across less understandable and less plausible. All too often, stories and examples are used as the “garnish” of the session. Many presentations communicate with, say, three parts exposition to one part example. Most experts in communication suggest that this is backward; compelling presentations place stories and examples as the main entrée – three stories or examples should substantiate each idea.

Robert Garmston, “The Presenter’s Mind” Journal of Staff Development, Summer 1997 (Vol. 18, No. 3)

Robert Garmston, “Presentation: Ouch! These Six Slips Can Bruise and Strain a Presentation” Journal of Staff Development, Fall 2000 (Vol. 21, No. 4)

Chip and Dan Heath, Making Your Presentation Stick, http://www.madetostick.com

One e-article worth reviewing is “Ten Things You Should Know About Powerpoint Abuse” http://articles.techrepublic.com.com/5100-22_11-5875608.html