Management Tip of the Day: What Went Wrong in Your Last Presentation?

 

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April 15, 2014 What Went Wrong in Your Last Presentation? Have you given a presentation recently? If so, try this exercise to strengthen your next one. Reflect back on your performance and assess your talking points. No matter how well you planned your presentation in advance, the actual delivery will often expose flaws, gaps, or other shortcomings (even for polished presenters). You may discover glitches, such as a missing step in a process you outlined. Make a list of these flaws as soon as possible, while your memory is fresh, and promptly incorporate the changes into your slides. Watching a video recording will also help you identify minor problems with delivery, like weak opening remarks or awkward attempts at humor. You may also see trouble spots regarding the audience's reaction: Are people nodding, or nodding off? Taking notes, or engrossed in their phones? Note weak moments, and develop specific fixes to sharpen your skills. Adapted from Presentations (20-Minute Manager Series).

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