“Few things seem to get CEOs riled up more than lengthy PowerPoint presentations. It’s not the software they dislike: that’s just a tool.
What irks them is the unfocused thinking
that leads to overlong slide presentations. There is wide agreement it’s a problem: “death by PowerPoint” has become a cliché.” Do you make the mistake of unfocused thinking prior to your boardroom presentations? The above quotes are listed under the heading of ‘A simple mindset’ – one of five qualities that Adam Bryant maintains the best CEOs share, in his article Distilling the Wisdom of CEOs. The other four qualities are: ‘Passionate Curiosity’, ‘Battle-Hardened Confidence’, ‘Team Smarts’ and ‘Fearlessness’ (The article was adapted from Bryant’s book, The Corner Office: Indispensable and Unexpected Lessons from CEOs on How to Lead and Succeed, Times Books). The phrase “unfocused thinking’ resonates with me. Many business people don’t think enough, or think in a sloppy manner – prior to a business pitch or before a boardroom presentation – about what is the key message(s) they want the audience to retain and/or act upon. Of course, they also have to deliver the message with conviction, and simplicity throughout the presentation. If they did think – they’d cut down, and in some cases not need PowerPoint slides when they present.Own the Conversation
- Before you next presentation/boardroom pitch take 10 extra minutes to chisel up to three bullet point, key messages you want the audience to retain and/or act upon.
- Read Bryant’s article and/or put it in your ‘to be read’ file.
