I was working with a client yesterday on a presentation they were planning.
The key thing I noted before we began working was that my client continuously used the words do, doing and done in phrases like:
"I have this presentation to do." and "I'm doing this presentation next week." and " After I've done talking through the presentation."
As many people are inclined to 'do' my client had written the content of the message first and then brought me in to help with the style, form and performance.
The challenge for my client during the session was that having written the content first, he had now learned it like a script and during the rehearsal kept stopping because he'd got a word wrong or missed out a sentence.
After a few minutes of this we stopped and talked about the difference between human being and human doing in the context of a presentation. When we 'do' a presentation we are generally going through a process of delivering a structured message
which opens with specific and relevant points of interest and ends with a finale that reinforces the key messages.
At the end our audience should be in no doubt about the reasons and benefits of having sat or stood, watched and listened to us present. And if we've 'done' that well, we will feel we have achieved our objective.
But what if something goes wrong with the 'doing' of the presentation?
Perhaps the venue has been changed, or maybe the environment where we planned to stand or sit has been shifted around.
Maybe the technology is different than we had planned, or worse, has crashed altogether and we can't show our amazing slides, play the funny or moving video, or dazzle them with our innovative use of audio.
What about if when we arrive and there are more or less people than we expected, or we are faced with an unexpected audience?
All these factors and more can undermine you and be the un-doing of a presentation.
However, when we are 'being' the presentation we totally embody the message in 4 dimensions.
This means that the first aspect we have to prepare is the 4th dimension - the 'INTENTIONAL' - expressing our intentions.
Why are you giving this message rather than someone else?
What does it mean to both you and your audience?
Why do you care?
What do you know about the content even without looking at notes?
What do you intend the audience to feel, think and do after hearing, seeing, experiencing you being your message?
What need does your message serve in your team, your organisation, the world?
What are the central, values, drives and guiding principles behind the message and how are you connected to them in 4 D?
In order for you to 'be' rather than just 'do' when presenting, not a word of content should be written, not one slide should be built or video selected before questions like these have been answered.
After your INTENTIONAL exploration, you should be able go to speakers corner in Hyde Park and deliver your message with nothing but the clothes you stand in.
That's human being rather than human doing.
So, if someone gives you a pre-prepared presentation to deliver, ask them why they want YOU specifically to deliver it.
If they say that you are the only person who is available, then ask them if it's an important message that needs to land with people.
If they say yes, then just politely hand it back and explain to them why it's best if you don't just 'do' it.
On the other hand if they say because you are the only person who can make this message stick, then tell them you will write and design your own version.
There is a real difference between being connected to a message and doing it with energy and conviction.
So, next time you hand over a presentation on a USB stick for loading onto a laptop, just say:
"Here are the slides for the presentation I'll be being later."
No comments:
Post a Comment