The Leader’s THIRD Worst Enemy

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The Leader’s THIRD Worst Enemy

Posted On : Jul-23-2010 | seen (716) times | Article Word Count : 692 |

Michelle (name changed) was presenting her ideas for improvement of the integrated system. She covered all the changes needed in the processes, systems, people skills and resources.

Michelle (name changed) was presenting her ideas for improvement of the integrated system. She covered all the changes needed in the processes, systems, people skills and resources. Sadly, no one was listening. Most of her colleagues, like thieves in the night, were text messaging under the desk, while cautiously glancing around to make sure no one was watching them.

Everyone was busy while poor Michelle was pitching her slides, each packed with too much small print and too many lines. Michelle continued her cumbersome presentation, pretending “business as usual”, reading the slides with her back to the audience. She turned to the listeners from time to time, as if wondering if the people were still there before turning back to the screen.

Have you been in this situation before? I bet you have. I have been there, too. For the last 10 years I have been a Power Point freak. Every idea, even simple ones were carefully crafted into too many slides. Sometimes my presentations had more than 100 slides. Through the years I became so good at preparing presentations that it took only one hour to prepare a complete presentation from scratch. Microsoft should have chosen me to be a product ambassador!

Reading “Real Leaders Don’t Do Power Point” by Christopher Witt a few months back changed my mind. This book is a “must read” for every leader who wants to powerfully get their ideas across. Witt’s premise is that Power Point presentations direct the audience attention to the screen… instead of the presenter. The speaker tells the story, the slide doesn’t.

Alas, many managers have become dependent on Power Point. If the projector stops working, they stop talking. The message they had to give gets buried along with the non-presented slides. The way to stop the Power Point addiction is to follow this simple plan:

Tell them what you’re going to say. Say it. Tell them what you said.

The way to do this is to have one Big Idea. Crystallize your thoughts into a single idea and present it clearly and concisely. Then, develop 3 elements that support the Big Idea. Talk about each of the 3 elements and how they relate to the Big Idea. Add evidence, anecdotes or stories and wrap up with a call for action.

This method is a powerful way to transform a boring presentation into an inspiring speech. Last week I gave a speech in India. A Power Point from the “old days” was ready. Although, the comfort of the projector in the meeting room was inviting, I overcame my addiction. Opening with the Big Idea, I shared an emotional story, developed 3 elements to support the Big Idea and concluded with a summary of the Big Idea and call for action.

Of course, a good speech is short. Longer than 20 minutes is too long. The best speeches made by talented speakers are usually about 7-10 minutes long. The ability to deliver your message in a concise way is a skill every inspirational speaker needs.

Would I ever use a Power Point again? Yes, but only for visual information, such as marketing charts, financial reports, sales figures, system architecture, etc. For inspirational, motivational or persuasive topics – Power Point is not an option.

Remember that a Power Point slide directs attention towards the screen and not towards you. You lose your audience with every slide. If you do use a slide, show it, talk about it and then click “B” to blacken the screen. Continue to talk until you need to show another slide. Also, ask somebody to change slides for you, so you don’t have to look at the screen.

It takes a lot longer to prepare a good speech than it takes to prepare a Power Point. You have to write the Big Idea, memorize the elements and rehearse. It’s important for the speech to have an impact so that the audience takes action.
It is hard work. But it is very powerful and very rewarding too.

Try it and share your success with comments on this blog.

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<h1>The Leader’s THIRD Worst Enemy</h1> Author: <a href='http://www.articleseen.com/profile_Dave Osh.aspx'>Dave Osh</a> Michelle (name changed) was presenting her ideas for improvement of the integrated system. She covered all the changes needed in the processes, systems, people skills and resources. Sadly, no one was listening. Most of her colleagues, like thieves in the night, were text messaging under the desk, while cautiously glancing around to make sure no one was watching them.

Everyone was busy while poor Michelle was pitching her slides, each packed with too much small print and too many lines. Michelle continued her cumbersome presentation, pretending “business as usual”, reading the slides with her back to the audience. She turned to the listeners from time to time, as if wondering if the people were still there before turning back to the screen.

Have you been in this situation before? I bet you have. I have been there, too. For the last 10 years I have been a Power Point freak. Every idea, even simple ones were carefully crafted into too many slides. Sometimes my presentations had more than 100 slides. Through the years I became so good at preparing presentations that it took only one hour to prepare a complete presentation from scratch. Microsoft should have chosen me to be a product ambassador!

Reading “Real Leaders Don’t Do Power Point” by Christopher Witt a few months back changed my mind. This book is a “must read” for every leader who wants to powerfully get their ideas across. Witt’s premise is that Power Point presentations direct the audience attention to the screen… instead of the presenter. The speaker tells the story, the slide doesn’t.

Alas, many managers have become dependent on Power Point. If the projector stops working, they stop talking. The message they had to give gets buried along with the non-presented slides. The way to stop the Power Point addiction is to follow this simple plan:

Tell them what you’re going to say. Say it. Tell them what you said.

The way to do this is to have one Big Idea. Crystallize your thoughts into a single idea and present it clearly and concisely. Then, develop 3 elements that support the Big Idea. Talk about each of the 3 elements and how they relate to the Big Idea. Add evidence, anecdotes or stories and wrap up with a call for action.

This method is a powerful way to transform a boring presentation into an inspiring speech. Last week I gave a speech in India. A Power Point from the “old days” was ready. Although, the comfort of the projector in the meeting room was inviting, I overcame my addiction. Opening with the Big Idea, I shared an emotional story, developed 3 elements to support the Big Idea and concluded with a summary of the Big Idea and call for action.

Of course, a good speech is short. Longer than 20 minutes is too long. The best speeches made by talented speakers are usually about 7-10 minutes long. The ability to deliver your message in a concise way is a skill every inspirational speaker needs.

Would I ever use a Power Point again? Yes, but only for visual information, such as marketing charts, financial reports, sales figures, system architecture, etc. For inspirational, motivational or persuasive topics – Power Point is not an option.

Remember that a Power Point slide directs attention towards the screen and not towards you. You lose your audience with every slide. If you do use a slide, show it, talk about it and then click “B” to blacken the screen. Continue to talk until you need to show another slide. Also, ask somebody to change slides for you, so you don’t have to look at the screen.

It takes a lot longer to prepare a good speech than it takes to prepare a Power Point. You have to write the Big Idea, memorize the elements and rehearse. It’s important for the speech to have an impact so that the audience takes action.
It is hard work. But it is very powerful and very rewarding too.

Try it and share your success with comments on this blog.About the Author: <a rel="nofollow" href="http://daveosh.com/">Original article</a> by Dave Osh who is a forward thinking leader who has steered his way to the corporate pinnacle. His <a rel="nofollow" href="http://daveosh.com/2009/11/29/leader-third-worst-enemy/">Thought Leadership blog</a> is a wealth of stories, ideas, experiences, values, traits and skills which every manager who seeks a breakthrough towards international enterprise leadership needs. Article Source: <a href='http://www.articleseen.com/Article_The-Leader’s-THIRD-Worst-Enemy_26673.aspx'> http://www.articleseen.com/Article_The Leader’s THIRD Worst Enemy_26673.aspx</a>

Article Source : http://www.articleseen.com/Article_The Leader’s THIRD Worst Enemy_26673.aspx

Author Resource :
Original article by Dave Osh who is a forward thinking leader who has steered his way to the corporate pinnacle. His Thought Leadership blog is a wealth of stories, ideas, experiences, values, traits and skills which every manager who seeks a breakthrough towards international enterprise leadership needs.

Keywords : Dave Osh, leadership, CEO, corporate, management, development, training, skills, business, qualities, organization, effective,

Category : Self Improvement : Self Improvement

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