Leadership Solutions

Leadership: Augghhhhh!

This one was bad.

But it had the promise of being good, which is why I felt so disappointed.

I'm writing about a presentation that I attended recently.

The presentation was delivered by an excellent speaker who had impressive credentials. The title was intriguing. The slides were well done. The stories were memorable.

All totaled, it was a wonderful collection of definitions, vocabulary, and facts.

Only one thing was missing.

Wisdom.

You see, an effective presentation causes a change.

That is, an effective presentation moves people to make decisions, take actions, or do something. In order to accomplish this, the speaker must talk about what to do and how to do it.

But this presentation was just words. The speaker could have recited numbers from a phone book.

Nevertheless, I took eight pages of notes.

About 20% consisted of facts, which I have already discarded. The rest consisted of ideas for articles and other things that came to mind while I was avoiding boredom.

So maybe this presentation really wasn't that bad. Because I am taking action as a result of it. For example, I just wrote this article.

Key Point: People want wisdom. They already know the rest.

Much success,

Steve Kaye

714-528-1300

PS: My workshop shows people how to give effective presentations that cause change.

Author, Speaker, IAF Certified Professional Facilitator

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Leadership Solutions: Presentation Slides

Before you give your next presentation, answer these questions.

1) Can they read it?

Look at the slides on your computer from a distance of ten feet. Then eliminate every word that you are unable to read.

Why?

If you can't read it, no one can. And any information that people can't read is useless.

2) Does it matter?

Most people put too many words on their slides. In fact, some people put the entire text of their presentation on their slides. In that case, they can stay home and let the audience read the slides.

Eliminate all extra words. Your slides should contain a maximum of six lines with a maximum of seven words per line.

3) Is it correct?

Take care of the obvious.

Run a spell check on the text. Then show your slides to a colleague (or two). Ask them to proof read for typos, clarity, and consistency.

4) Will it fit?

First, recognize that people spend an average of three minutes talking about each slide. Of course, this depends upon the intent of the slide. Some title slides spend only seconds on the screen.

Then rehearse your presentation with a clock. Plan a time budget, if necessary, with milestones that you can use to check your progress.

5) Does it work?

Conduct a dry run in the meeting room with the equipment that is in the room. Make sure that your slides, computer, software, cables, . . . everything works.

6) Will they like it?

Invite your boss and a few colleagues to attend the dry run in #5. Then ask for their comments after you finish.

All of these tips will help you design slides that create a positive impression (which some people find useful).

Key Point: Make sure your slides support your presentation.

Much success,

Steve Kaye

714-528-1300

Author, Speaker, IAF Certified Professional Facilitator

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Leadership Solutions: Worst Speaking Experience

Recently someone asked me about my worst speaking experiences.

So, in the spirit of being helpful, here are my most memorable events, with the One Lesson learned from all of them.

1) I was told to cut my presentation in half while being introduced. Thus, I had to revise my presentation in real time while delivering it. 

2) I was asked to add an hour to a three-hour program just before starting; then during the second break I was asked to finish early. So, after adding material, I had to collapse the ending so that everything finished properly.

3) I have arrived to find rooms that were completely unsuitable. This included finding chairs and tables piled in a corner (so I set up the furniture before anyone arrived for my workshop) or finding the chairs facing away from the stage (so I turned them around).

4) Once only two people came to an event because there had been a typo in the announcement. Even my client didn't attend. But I still delivered my presentation.

5) The client moved the venue to a different hotel, but forgot to tell me. After spending a frantic half hour making calls on a Saturday morning, I found someone who knew where the conference was being held. (And I arrived in time for my keynote presentation.)

6) Worst. I had to speak in a room with no electricity, no air conditioning (during the summer), and no lights (except sunlight from windows). Thus, I could not use a projector or play any of the audio tapes that I had prepared. At times I walked around the room holding out overhead slides so that the participants could read information that was critical for my workshop.

7) I have also had to deal with all sorts of other inconveniences, including hecklers, fuzzy sound systems, and missing equipment. But these are just part of the background noise in the speaking business.

The Lesson: None of this matters (at least not to the client).

And so, each time I did the best that I could with what I had.

Period.

And I never mentioned anything about what was going on or what I had to do. I just did my job, which was to give the best presentation that I could.

Why?

My job is to make life easy for the client.

That includes being gracious, respectful, and creative regardless of any problems that might exist.

And I'll admit that my experiences are rather bland compared to some of the stories that I've heard from other speakers. For example, I've never been chased off a stage by a mob of drunks.

Key Point: Some speakers really earn their fee.

Much success,

Steve Kaye

714-528-1300

Author, Speaker, IAF Certified Professional Facilitator

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Leadership Solutions: Speaking Fear

Some people deserve to feel afraid.

Why?

They worked hard to earn it.

For example, consider a business presentation.

Suppose you had:

1) Neglected to determine the purpose of your presentation, and

2) Neglected to plan, prepare, and rehearse, and

3) Neglected to check with key members of the audience on what they wanted?

That is, how would you feel if you knew that you had done everything possible to guarantee a public display of incompetence before the people who will determine the future of your career?

Afraid.

Maybe really afraid.

Of course, you can feel confident by simply taking care of the three steps above.

Key Point: Confidence begins with knowing that you have prepared for success. 

Much success,

Steve Kaye

714-528-1300

Author, Speaker, IAF Certified Professional Facilitator

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Leadership Solutions: Quack Note Address

One day, the animals in the forest gathered for their annual conference.

This was special because they had invited a very important senior executive duck to give the keynote address.

After an impressive introduction, the duck waddled to the microphone.

And the duck began to quack about how wonderful it was to be a senior executive duck.

Then the duck quacked about being a duck.

At first, the deer look at the bears, as if to ask, "Do you care about this?"

On and on, the duck quacked about being a duck.

The squirrels looked at the mice as if to ask, "So what?"

As the duck quacked on, the animals became restless. Some napped. All of them were bored.

Finally it was over, and the duck received a polite applause, mostly because it was over.

So, what went wrong?

The duck talked about a subject that interested only one person in the room -- the duck.

Take this as a friendly reminder to design your next presentation to focus on a topic that everyone cares about -- the people in your audience.

Key Point: If you plan to speak about yourself in your next presentation, you may as well quack.

Much success,

Steve Kaye

714-528-1300

Bringing life to dreams

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Leadership Solutions: Guarantee

Guaranteed: If you are an executive, this will happen:

You will be asked to speak at an event.

It may be a company picnic, an annual sales meeting, or a professional conference.

So what do you expect might be the goal for this presentation?

Let's start with what it's not supposed to be:

1) Read an essay on your company's history.

2) Complain about the current performance of the employees.

3) Report on financial data.

And yes, I have seen executives deliver presentations on topics like these at picnics, banquets, and conferences.

Ouch.

Topics like this insult and bore the audience.

Actually, your goals should be to:

1) Leave people feeling proud of (or impressed with) your organization.

2) Create hope in the future.

3) Provide an example of leadership that people can aspire to.

Key Point: Leaders prepare gracious, appropriate presentations for large events.

Much success,

Steve Kaye

714-528-1300

Helping leaders find solutions

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Leadership Solutions: Real Gratitude

If you belong to an association that bestows awards, you must have watched a ceremony where people were honored for their contributions or achievements.

Most people say nice things after receiving the award.

And occasionally, someone brags about working harder than anyone else or complains about not receiving the award sooner.

I've seen this happen with about a fifth of the awards presented. And that's too often.

When this happens, I want to go up to the stage and tell the recipient, "Excuse me, we made a mistake. We're giving the award to someone else."

So, here is a friendly reminder to act like someone who deserves an award when you receive one.

And here's a tip: If you suspect that you might be honored with an award, write out a brief (positive) acceptance speech. Then show that speech to a few trusted colleagues. Collect their comments and make adjustments as needed. And finally, rehearse the speech so you can say it naturally.

After all, you want the members of the association to agree with the committee that chose you.

Key Point: Champions excel at being grateful.

Much success,

Steve Kaye

714-528-1300

Helping leaders find solutions

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Leadership Solutions: Your Real Topic

Last week I spoke at a breakfast meeting in Pasadena.

Before my presentation I did the following:

1) Woke at 4:45 AM

2) Drove an hour

3) Ate a food bar and a banana for breakfast

4) Spent ten minutes searching for the meeting room

5) Moved furniture to provide a comfortable setting

So, what did I speak about?

How to hold Effective Meetings.

And I never mentioned freeway traffic, maps, or furniture.

Why?

Because I went to that meeting to talk about them (the audience) and how they could be more effective leaders.

I did not go to talk about me.

Key Point: Every presentation is about them. Make that the focus of every presentation.

Much success,

Steve Kaye

714-528-1300

Helping leaders find solutions

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Leadership Solutions: Professional Preparation

Last week I was asked to read a passage at a funeral service.

In preparation, I:

1) Obtained a copy of the text.

2) Rehearsed reading the text out loud a half dozen times.

3) Read the text silently a few times.

4) Asked the hosts about logistics, such as where I should stand, when I would read, how I'll know it's time, and so on.

5) Imagined that I was the author of the text.

6) Practiced breathing exercises to relax my voice.

Then I read the passage, naturally with appropriate feeling.

All totaled, I spent almost a hour preparing for a simple reading that lasted less than a minute. And I did that even though I am a professional speaker who has given thousands of presentations over the past twenty plus years.

So, what's the point?

The difference between an amateur and a professional is preparation.

If you want to be an effective speaker, you will take the time to prepare.

Key Point: Your preparation for a presentation reflects your respect for the audience and your pride in your work.

Much success,

Steve Kaye

714-528-1300

Helping leaders find solutions

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Leadership Solutions: How to Show Data

Suppose you are planning a presentation, and you want to show data. Here's what to do.

Don't show it.

Really.

No one wants to see it. At least they certainly don't want to see it on the screen, all crammed into a huge table that no one can read.

Instead, do the following:

1) Show summaries of data, such as key numbers, on your slides. These can be presented in small tables (such as four or five rows and three or five columns).

2) Instead of tables, show lists of conclusions.

For example, you might say: "Temperatures increased with pressure." or "The test sample lasted longer than our current product."

3) If you absolutely must show a table of data, distribute it during your presentation at the point when people need to refer to it.

Note: if you distribute a book of data before your presentation, everyone will read it while you talk, which means they are ignoring everything that you're saying.

Note: your audience is interested in the conclusions, lessons, and recommendations that resulted from your data. They are not interested in the data.

Key Point: People care about wisdom more than facts. If this were otherwise, the phone book would be a best seller.

Much success,

Steve Kaye
One Great Meeting
714-528-1300

Meetings that matter. Workshops that work.
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