Good PM7 – Can you present?

Posted: May 28th, 2009 | Tags: presentation skills, Project Management, Project Manager skills | No Comments »

“Never tell a story because it is true: tell it because it is a good story.” – John Pentland Mahaffy

Here is another of the skills that I believe makes a “good” project manager – the ability to present.

Most project managers who work for a profesional services organization will at some point attend a “presentation skills” course of some sorts. How many actually make this a core competence?  All too often I still see a lot of “”death by powerpoint” type sessions. In my opinion – a sure way to loose your credibility as a “profesional”.  Not all of us will be able to present like Steve Jobs (my personal favourite presenter) but we can surely get to the point where we can effectively communicate a message.  I am not going to give a 5 minute course on presentation skills here – enough of those around if you care to search for them.

My personal strategies for presenting:

1. Know your subject – Nothing will make you more nervous than the knowledge that you do not really know what you are talking about. If you do not know enough – get a co-presenter that does know enough.  Presenting in a team can be very effective if planned properly.
2. Know the audience – Try and find out as much as you possibly can about your audience. Who are the key decision  makers, who are their influencers, who can only say “no” and block a decision….  Also check up on their knowledge of the subject you are presenting.  You need to ensure that you pitch your message at the right level to the key people.
3. Have a storyline – make sure that you presentation follows a storyline.  It has to start somewhere (reason for knowing verybody’s previous exposure) and then follow a clear path to the desired outcome.  This is also why you need to have a clear agenda and every now and again explain where you are in this agenda.  It makes it easier for people to follow your message.
4. Use pictures – They say more and also allows you to interact better with your audience. Tray to minimize those bullet points.  They are good for training sessions.
5. Every slide must have a message – be sure that every slide you use has only one message.  Ensure that this message comes out.  Put it at the  bottom of the slide or build an animation.
6. Manage your time – Everybody’s time is limited.  All of us have tight schedules and one meeting that overruns can ruin my day!  Have respect for other people’s time.

Most important – R E H E A R S E – Do not go into a presentation unprepared. When I present a new topic I use a ratio of 4:1 – 1 hour presentation = 4 hours of rehearsal (dry runs included).  If it  is something I have presented before my ratio drops to 2:1.  Never go into a presentation without rehearsing!

Final point – Learn to tell stories and not make speeches!  People listen to stories and “sit through” speeches. Remember how you parents or grandparents told you bed time stories? That is what I am talking about.

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