I look forward to guest blogging additional content related to my January/February FORUM article on honing your presentation skills. I find the best blogs are the ones that have a vibrant dialogue in the comments section, so I promise to respond if you read and write. You are reading, right?
Let me kick things off with my final point in the article: prepare to be present. Most presenters do a decent job at tactical preparation, the other points I outline in the article. Less common is strategic preparation (a term from consultant/facilitator Marybeth Fidler that I recently heard ASSH CEO Mark Anderson use).
Strategic preparation isn't about slides, handouts, or teaching techniques. It's about advance anticipation and consideration for all the situations you may have to manage during a presentation or workshop. This advance strategic thinking allows you to be fully present during the actually program, deeply listening to and connected to the participant and their needs and calling audibles in your format and flow based on your read of the group.
Preparing to be present is perhaps the greatest gift you can give to participants because it allows you to engage with them and to respond to their needs and cues. Failure to prep at this strategic level means you're tied to (or held hostage by) your outline or slides, neither of which may advance the learning or change you hope your presentation creates.
What questions about preparing to be present (or any of the tactical prep areas) can I respond to? Let's get the conversation started.
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