“Wow, that meeting was great. I wish it was a lot longer.”
“When she explains things everything seems more complicated. It’s great.”
“He never gets to the point. I love listening to him.”
“His presentations are always so hard to follow. I love feeling overwhelmed.”
“Her slide decks look like a passage from Moby Dick. I wish my decks looked more like that.”
They never say these things. None of them. Ever.
Instead the vast majority of people complain about meetings and presentations and slide decks that are never clear, never get to the point and never end on time. We all know how it feels to be on the receiving end of really bad meetings and presentations.
But here is an important question for you to ponder. What do people say about your meetings and presentations? Do you know? Are you sure?
Here’s how you can avoid being part of the problem. The rules are simple:
Be clear. Your first draft is never as clear as you think it is. It will take some thought and several iterations to get it right.
Be brief. Some detail is fine. The operative word is “some.” Rather than assume all the detail needs to be included, assume very little of it does. Make the detail have to earn its way in. Otherwise put it aside.
Be seated. There is almost no such thing as “too short.” Be the person who gives time back to your colleagues.
Have a great day.
—
Does your team:
– Overwhelm the audience with too much detail?
– Make things too complicated?
– Fail to ask for what they want or need?
Does your organization:
– Waste time because of poor internal communication?
– Take too long to make decisions?
– Struggle to clarify and frame discussions?
Do your leaders:
– Exhibit poor executive presence?
– Lean on incomplete communication skills?
– Fail to align the organization?
We transform teams and individuals with repeatable toolsets for persuasive communication. Explore training, coaching, and consulting services from The Latimer Group.
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