Presentation & Writing skills

Presentation & Writing skills

Gert Anbeek en Harry de Weerd Executive Leadership Foundation versie 2013_01 1

Publish and Flourish •  Writing is a mental game •  Writing successfully means break down your story into manageable increments •  Writing with Visualization: no story without picture improves the impact with 100% •  When presenting think in pictures

How do I get my story to my public?

Executive Leadership Foundation Lecture notes

1

Introduction •  Context of reporting skills •  Why is it so important? –  –  –  –  – 

Professionalism Acquisition Advising Consulting Managing a process

•  Your personal expectations?

ISBN 0-273-61710-9

On better writing: what evidence or findings proof the conclusion is right!

Better writing… –  Is NOT less words or shorter sentences –  MEANS formally separating the thinking process from the writing process –  The order of presenting your thinking make things clear or unclear for the reader / listener –  Imposing the proper order is done by a comprehensive structure –  Key skill is: •  which are your major and which are minor ideas •  what evidence or findings proof the conclusion is right!


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Example

An E-mail from the secretary: John Collins telephoned to say that he can’t make the meeting at 3:00. Hal Johnson says he doesn’t mind making it later, or even tomorrow, but before 10:30, and Don Clifford’s secretary says that Clifford won’t return from Frankfurt until tomorrow, late. The conference room is booked tomorrow, but free Thursday. Thursday at 11:00 looks to be a good time. Is that OK for you?

Could we reschedule today’s meeting to Thursday at 11:00? This would be more convenient for Collins and Johnson, and would also permit Clifford to be present.

Logical thinking before writing •  SITUATION •  COMPLICATION •  QUESTION •  SOLUTION / ANSWER

MAIN POINT •  • 

FIRST KEY LINE POINT SECOND KEY LINE POINT

• 

THIRD KEY LINE POINT

•  CONCLUSION


3

Pyramid principle – top down •  Decide on the question

•  Write down the answer (if you know it)

•  Identify the situation

•  Develop the complication

•  Recheck the question and the answer

Pyramid principle


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Pyramid principle – building your story bottom up •  List all the points you think you want to make •  Work out the relationships between them •  Draw the main conclusion •  Then build the pyramid: –  –  –  –  –  –  – 

SUBJECT QUESTION ANSWER SITUATION COMPLICATION NEW QUESTION MAIN POINT

Pyramid principle – tips •  Always try top down first •  Use the situation as the starting point for thinking through the introduction •  Do not omit to think through the introduction •  Always put historical chronology in the introduction •  Limit the introduction to what the reader will agree is true •  Be sure to support all key line points


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Presentation Skills

Upfront …… •  Speaking does not necessarily mean listening

•  Listening does not necessarily mean understanding

•  Understanding does not necessarily mean agreeing

•  Agreeing does not necessarily mean applying

•  Applying does not necessarily mean remembering


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Ancient Greek wisdom

•  Logos: You need to have real good

•  Ethos: As a speaker build your

•  Pathos: Love

arguments

credibility and then build on it

your public: affection of the audience leads to affection of the

audiens on you being the speaker

Design

Build

Execute

Design - Build - Execute

The general approach of this presentation

Design

•  The setting •  Design the pyramid •  Start to think through the conclusion

Build

•  Think in pictures •  Picture the outline •  Think of hand outs •  Think of timing


Execute

•  Prepare your physics •  Mental preparation “I like it to tell you this”

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Design

Build

Execute

Design

Build

Execute

The Setting •  What do you want to accomplish (result) –  Information –  Decision –  Mutual understanding

•  What does your audience look like –  Small meeting group < 5 –  Large meeting group < 20 –  Large scale audience (>20)

•  How much time do you have –  10 minutes –  hour –  workshop - half or whole day

The Setting •  Which equipement do you want to use –  –  –  –  –  – 

Paper Overhead Beamer Flip over Combinations Brown paper session walls

•  Do you need a trial run –  with collegues –  with your manager –  any way: open feedback is needed!


8

Design

Build

Execute

The pyramid principle •  Human beings tend to think in pyramidal grouping •  What belongs to what ..... •  Any grouping of ideas is easier to comprehend when presorte •  The best is all your arguments in 3, but always stop at the magical number of 7 •  Always state the logic of relationships

Design

Build

Execute

Start to think through the conclusion

Logical opening

Main story

•  Findings •  Way of working •  Alternatives •  Examples •  Numbers

•  Setting the scene •  Setting yourself •  Making your point •  Make the audience Listen

Conclusion

•  Seperate conclusion from the rest •  Summarize •  Final Blow •  EVIDENCE


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Design

Build

Execute

Build

Execute

Example

WHAT

Urgency Situation analysis Missie / Vision Goals

HOW

Services / Competencies Structure / Culture Planning CONCLUSION

Design

Example CONCLUSION WHAT

Urgency Situation analysis Missie / Vision Goals

HOW

Services / Competencies Structure / Culture Planning CONCLUSION


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Design

Build

Execute

Build

Execute

Build •  Create a template •  Think of title sheet •  Report or Presentation have different look and feel requirements •  Use pictures •  Use scanned information •  Use photographs

Design

Presentation set as report The main thing to conclude here is that the total use of space on your sheet is to be used and that the font is smaller, because when printed on paper it is still very readable

The conclusion going with this graph is that the findings of our investigation tell us that black is not the same as white.

This leads to the conclusion: Grey is bigger than Green 2000 2005 2010 2020


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Design

Build

Execute

Build •  Limit yourself in the number of points you want to make •  Your audience can only remember 3 points as a maximum •  3 - 7 bullits per sheet •  max. 7 words per bullit •  3 minutes per sheet as a rule of thumb

Don’t hope for more than 3!

If in doubt, leave it out!

Design

Build

Execute

Prepare your physics •  Gestures – warming up •  Grounding •  Center core breath •  Voice


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Design

Build

Execute

Design

Build

Execute

Mental preparation •  Take 5-10 minutes in advance •  Sit on a chair and make ground contact •  Breathe deeply into your belly •  Positive thinking •  Know your conclusion •  Know your pyramid structure

Prepare the room •  Space around yourself •  Picture the room •  Place your equipement without interference •  Beamer •  Overhead •  Flip over •  White board


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Design

Build

Execute

Design

Build

Execute

“ I like to tell you “ •  Love your public •  You like it to tell those nice people your story •  You know you are prepared

Execute The basic structure: •  I tell you what I’m going to tell •  I tell you •  I tell you what I told

•  Always take the audience with you •  Do not summarize; just tell what could / should be done with the information


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Design

Build

Execute

Execute •  Body language •  Be happy and show happiness / joy •  Look to your public •  Look into the middle of the room •  Walk and switch positions

Presenting or powerpointing Wie kan er nog behoorlijk presenteren? Met een echt en ontroerend verhaal? Dat je denkt, ja daar ga ik mee in zee? Iedereen kan tegenwoordig powerpuntjes voorlezen, maar dat is geen presenteren. Nog sterker, de meeste power point presentaties zijn verspilde moeite voor de zender en de ontvanger. Natuurlijk, wie gelikt wil over komen, die kan er in eerste instantie een beetje mee scoren. En soms zijn er cijfers en grafieken te presenteren. Soms. Meestal is het niks met powerpoint. Een spreker die bullets voorleest, die de zaal al lang gelezen heeft, met de rug naar het publiek, of verzonken in zijn eigen laptop. Schandalige vorm van minachting van de gasten. Grofweg driekwart van de communicatie is lichaamstaal: vitaliteit, enthousiasme, een vonk in de ogen, passie. Maar de powerpunters hebben een inschuivende tekst, ehh tenminste als ze de bediening beheersen. Als echt mens met emoties zijn ze uitgeschakeld door hun powerpunten met vaak ook nog eens veel te veel tekst op een plaatje. Ze staan half in het donker. Weg lichaamstaal. En de mensen in de zaal, zoals iedereen sinds ze geboren zijn al geïnteresseerd in andere mensen, die mensen in de zaal moeten naar stompzinnig bewegende powerpuntjes kijken. Een grovere belediging van je publiek is haast niet mogelijk. Wie heeft er nog de guts om een gloedvol betoog uit het hoofd te doen? Daar wordt het publiek verliefd op. Daar worden zaken mee gedaan. Natuurlijk komen de powerpunters een eind, ze hebben hun zaakjes op orde en dat laten ze zien in oogverblindende powerpuntjes, maar de echte mensen komen verder. Ze maken namelijk contact met de zaal. Ze kunnen uitstralen dat ze liefde hebben voor hun vak, uitstralen dat ze een weg weten, uitstralen dat ze betrokken zijn bij hun klanten, de luisteraars in de zaal. Zij horen het als de zaal zucht omdat ze niet ter zake komen. Zij horen het als de zaal gniffelt, zij horen het als de zaal op zijn gemak is en luistert. De powerpunters merken hier haast niets van, want ze hebben het druk. Met hun powerpuntjes. De powerpunters werken niet aan de relatie met hun gasten, maar ze werken aan hun powerpuntjes. Ze vermijden de confrontatie en het contact. Iets bereiken zonder contact? Uren of zelfs dagen powerpunt voorbereiding is helemaal niet nodig als je je vak beheerst en er van houdt. Dan wint de echtheid het, de spontaniteit, de flexibiliteit om op je publiek te reageren, het lef om met lege handen te overtuigen. De kracht van een echt verhaal. Ik wens u sterkte met uw presentaties en ik adviseer u om het eens zonder te doen. Of bij wijze van afkicken, eerst eens met de helft powerpunten, en dan weer de helft. Vooruit de samenvatting mag nog in een powerpuntje, maar verder moet het weer spannend worden voor uw hooggeacht publiek. Dat is een kwestie van respect voor uw publiek. Ik zou haast zeggen van innerlijke beschaving, en van heldenmoed. Applaus zal uw deel zijn.

Bron: Roeland Schweitzer, 2006


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Writing Skills

Easy reading is hard writing •  Academic writing –  –  –  – 

Basic grammar References Avoiding plagiarism Quotations

•  Novel writing –  –  –  –  – 

Creative Inspiring Intrigues and personalities Situation description Plot

•  Journalism –  Facts and figures –  Analysis


•  Business writing –  Facts and figures –  Analysis –  No quotations of interviewees –  Directed towards decision making –  Directed towards planning –  Use pictures, tables, graphics –  Explain pictures, tables and graphics in your text –  Use Boxes for side step information

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Writing skills •  Deficiencies ? –  PRACTICE –  PRACTICE –  PRACTICE

•  Preparation –  –  –  –  – 

Purpose Main goals / conclusion Document structure Pictures / Graphics References

Writing skils References •  Harvard reference system •  Note reference system * note

* This is the example for the note


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Writing skills •  Abbreviations –  Do not use abbreviations if not necessary –  Always explain abbreviations

•  Spelling –  See B7 of the hand out

•  Argumentation –  –  –  – 

Clear Logical: step by step Simple Precise

•  Lay out –  Use is consistently

•  Final pages –  –  –  –  – 

Conclusion Epilogue Glossary Bibliography Index

•  Introduction –  Audience –  Importance of document –  Main reasons that lead to writing the document

Writing Skills

“I write you this long letter, because I have little time …..” Erasmus


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Desicion documents Proposals for the meeting. “4P nota”

Outline

Problem

Position to the problem

Possible solutions

Proposal

•  All 4 P’s in one or two pages A4 •  Sum up for every step where possible the financial implications •  Give implications for Clients, Workers, Internal Processes


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Problem definition •  Define the problem •  NO personal sentiments •  Take your personal view •  Take the view of other parties involved

Position •  From what point of view do you write this memo •  What is at stake for / according to you •  What is your direct involvement


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Possible solutions •  Write down all possible solutions: –  –  –  –  –  – 

do nothing buy new equipement buy second hand equipement lease equipement share with other departments etc.

•  Give per solution plusses and minusses •  DO NOT give your personal judgement •  Give financial and planning consequences •  Give consequences for –  Clients –  Workers / collegues –  Internal processes

Proposal •  Now you should give your favorite solution •  Give your personal judgements •  Give reasons why you judge this to be the best solution •  Give financial and planning consequences •  Give consequences for –  Clients –  Workers / collegues –  Internal processes


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Presentation & Writing skills

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