Category Archives: 07c-Telling stories

Creating a compelling vision, engaging an audience, stimulating creative thinking *beyond* the logic and evidence of problem/solution/recommendation type of communication

07a-Crafting an effective formal presentation, 07c-Telling stories, 07d-Delivering a presentation

The Worst Ways to End a Presentation

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Recently, in reviewing articles on pulse media, I came across this article from Business Insider- Worst Ways to End a Presentation by Jacquelyn Smith. In the article Smith discusses the 6 worst ways to end a presentation from a book written by Darlene Price “Well said! Presentations and Conversations that get results.” While a few of these may be a given, some were a good reminder of tactics to utilize  when giving a presentation to drive results.

1. Not announcing you are wrapping up

Announcing you are wrapping up signals to the audience to pay attention. Phrases like “in conclusion,” “in summary,” or “as I conclude, let me leave you with a brief thought” not only highlight that you are ending finishing, they also heighten the audiences attention level and make the closing more memorable.

While I have always tried to signal a conclusion to a presentation, I never thought of it as heightening the audiences attention. Keeping this is mind, I will be more tactical when concluding a presentation and calling it out to the audience by announcing it before the most important point of the conclusion.

2. Not including a summary

Smith points out that the average adult attention span is 5 minutes. This is a limited time frame, and much shorter than an average presentation. Hence it is important to remind the audience of your key points.

Ending the presentation with a question that leads to your purpose is a great example of how to provide a summary in an interesting way that will grab the audiences attention.

3. Not providing a call to action

This is a point I often forget about and want to work on using more often in a presentation.

Smith notes that the point of the presentation is to persuade your audience. There is an action you are asking for from your audience. Whether it is to buy into your product,  formulate a solution, agree with your position, or any others, it is necessary to use an action verb that denotes what you need to take place.

The article provides some great examples from famous leaders. Below is a link if you would like to read more:

Read more: http://www.businessinsider.com/worst-ways-to-end-a-presentation-2014-7#ixzz381gp0EIw

4. Leaving the audience with a dud ending

It is important to leave the audience with the most important piece of information at the very end. Smith correlates concluding with “i’m done,” “thats all,” or “any questions?” to a firework with a wet fuse- dull & boring. Instead she suggests leaving the audience with a compelling thought or phrase that drives the purpose home.

Again in the article she provides some great examples of famous speeches that end with a bang not a dud.

5. Failure to tie up loose ends

Smith summarizes Prices point that failing to link the opening of a presentation – whether it is a story, quote, picture, etc- to the purpose leaves a loose end. By linking the opening to your purpose, whether in the middle of the presentation or in the conclusion, it provides significance and leaves a memorable reminder with the audience.

6. Concluding with Q &A

Smith proposes that ending a presentation with Q&A is the wrong way to go. Instead she via Price, suggests opening for questions during the middle. This will leave your ending for you to define the purpose of the presentation and give the ability to end with the summary and call to action that will drive the point home.

Overall, the tips given by Smith & Price are helpful in crafting the end to any presentation. We all should keep these in mind over the next few weeks as we present for MP.  Maybe Brandon & Smith will even allow for Q&A in the middle, instead of at the end 🙂

07c-Telling stories, 07d-Delivering a presentation

The Silent Story: Striking a Power Pose

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Stories, sales pitches, and every other form of communication rely heavily on word selection, but there is another key ingredient in the recipe: body language.  Our subconscious relies on more than just a string of words to interpret the meaning and depth of a story.  We also use body language to determine the credibility of the speaker.  The interesting thing about body language is that it has a similar effect on both the speaker and the audience.  An article published by the Wall Street Journal says that striking a powerful pose actually changes a person’s hormones and behavior, giving the perception of real power.  The power pose can be practiced before a meeting to start elevating the hormones conducive to a better performance and more confidence.

Professor Amy Cuddy of Harvard University presented a TED talk  titled “Your Body Language Shapes Who You Are” in which she elaborated on her research regarding the impact of the power pose.   In one experiment that she conducted, individuals were asked to assume either a low power pose or a high power pose for 2 minutes.  The results showed that after just 2 minutes, there was a change in the hormones testosterone and cortisol, giving the high power posing individuals a higher tolerance for risk and the low power posing individuals a lower tolerance for risk.

So what exactly is a power pose?  According to Forbes magazine, a power pose can be as simple as standing with arms out, hands on hips, and legs spread open.  The victory arm-pumping in the air is another example.  Although very informal, sitting back in a chair with legs propped on a desk and arms folded behind the shoulders is a classic power pose.  Basically, the act of expanding the body can create a power pose that triggers the brain to think bigger too.

There is a proper time to strike a power pose, whether privately in a bathroom or publicly in front of an audience.  The mindset that is achieved through behavior is one of the most powerful tools that can be utilized in communication.  Your business pitch might just depend on that extra little bump in hormones.

06-Building a case, 07c-Telling stories

Sounding Well-Spoken

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A big part of my job requires me to put together and give presentations on financial results, cost-saving measures, strategy etc. I do not consider myself a poor public speaker, so it is perplexing to me that I often find myself in situations where I have trouble clearly & effectively communicating my thoughts to the group. I ran across a website that has an archive of various executive coaching tips. Among them, there was a short podcast entitled “Sounding Well-Spoken,” which gives listeners suggestions on how to better articulate themselves.

  • Performance improves after you’ve done something at least once. Think before you speak.
  • One minute of thoughtful planning, increases performance ten-fold. Even if you are walking to a meeting, it is not too late to prepare your mind.
  • Here are 3 questions to ‘think’ about before you speak:
  • 1. What idea am I trying to communicate?
  • 2. Exactly how many ideas are there?
  • 3. What would be good one or two-word labels for each idea?

By asking yourself these 3 questions before you speak, you are mentally preparing yourself, which should help you become more articulate.

Please see below for the link to the website:

http://www.essentialcomm.com/tips/execcoachtips.html

01-Structuring a problem, 05-Creating & constructing good solutions, 07c-Telling stories

Crowdsourcing Principles

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When someone thinks of the idea of “Crowdsourcing,” their first thought may be Kickstarter or some very successful micro-lending organizations.  Crowdsourcing for financial support has been hugely successful.  For example, LeVar Burton has raised more than $5MM to bring back the PBS “Reading Rainbow” program via apps. (http://bostonherald.com/entertainment/books/2014/07/levar_burton_s_kickstarter_campaign_brings_hit_pbs_show_app_to_).  On the more ridiculous side, over 1,000 people have contributed and promised to buy the Ostrich Pillow, a pillow you put your head inside to sleep in public (http://www.businessinsider.com/the-most-ridiculous-idea-to-ever-get-funded-on-kickstarter-2012-10_)

Crowdsourcing can be used within your company to solve a wide range of problems.  Often a company that has a “flat corporate structure” where opinions and contributions from all employees are valued have a better chance of innovating.  Effective digital platforms and campaigns cater to the Gen Y workforce that most companies want to attract today. Social networks and transparency are something that this generation takes for granted and they want their work-lives to enhance their digital experience.  The key to fully taking advantage of your workforce is to manage the massive amount of data that can be generated.  Having an issue “champion” to manage the process is the best way to begin.

An employee platform will also help companies identify effective opportunities for additional training, advancement and retention that will amount to huge savings, build reputation and attract the best talent in the long run.  Businesses are losing out on innovative employee contributions if they are not creating a way for employees to freely share ideas for improvement. Organizations are even presenting operating challenges to intra- multidisciplinary teams for new perspectives and problem solving.

Deciding what issues should and should not be posed to the entirety of a workforce is important.  However, some of the most complicated issues deserve the most options.  This is new space for older companies but one worth exploring.

 

 

07c-Telling stories, 07d-Delivering a presentation, storyline structure

9 Public-Speaking Lessons From The World’s Greatest TED Talks

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When asked what my passions in life are, I often respond the same way – food and public speaking (in no particular order). While one is likely to help me further my career and the other is likely to help me further my waistline, they are both still passions of mine.

Public speaking didn’t come naturally to me at first; in fact, there was a time in life where it terrified me. But through practice, practice, and more practice, I came to not only achieve an acceptable level of competency in the skill, but I started to truly enjoy speaking to large groups.

I, like most, am constantly looking for ways to improve my public speaking skills. Like many, I often watch TED talks to gain ideas, inspiration, and witty one-liners to utilize in my presentations. Carmine Gallow’s article entitled, 9 Public-Speaking Lessons From The World’s Greatest TED Talks, is a great synopsis of how there is a style to TED talks, and how this same style can be incorporated into everyday presentations.

There are two ways to summarize this article. The first, and the conventional way, would be with the nine bullet points below. However, it is more exciting to view the most watched TED talk of all time via this link. This TED talk, like many others, illustrates eight of the nine points below (The presenter does not use any materials, so point #8 does not apply).

  1. Unleash the master within.
  2. Tell three stories.
  3. Practice relentlessly.
  4. Teach your audience something new.
  5. Deliver jaw-dropping moments.
  6. Use humor without telling a joke.
  7. Stick to the 18-minute rule.
  8. Favor pictures over text.
  9. Stay in your lane.

Aside from the list, I would like to add one more bullet point that I see as a theme through most of the great presentations that I have seen, the one you may have just watched included.

  1. Take chances.

I would like to point out one skill in particular that this article highlights and the TED talk illustrates – storytelling. This presenter is a phenomenal storyteller. He paints vivid images for the audience through the use of tales about his family, his friends, or moments in history that help bring his points to life. When this powerful imagery is combined with his vibrant scene of humor that both engages and captivates the audience, his message becomes memorable, and he gains instant credibility based on the audience liking him, not his actual subject knowledge.

The points raised in the article do not differ from the lessons learned in MP over the past year. Style, delivery, and content are at the heart of every presentation. The only way to improve these skills is to practice and learn from mistakes made along the way. For anyone with trepidation about public speaking, weather at school or at work, read this article and watch this TED Talk, you will be glad that you did.

Read more: 9 Public-Speaking Lessons From The World’s Greatest TED Talks

Watch the TED Talk: Ken Robinson: How schools kill creativity

 

07a-Crafting an effective formal presentation, 07c-Telling stories, slide-craft, storyline structure

Structure Storytelling into a Formal Presentation

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I will admit that I am not the best at crafting formal presentations. However, I also would not consider myself the worst. I have a technical background and my slide craft and delivery tend to reflect that. Why do my presentations tend to lean towards the technical and away from creativity and storytelling? I think it may because of my misperception that developing a presentation around storytelling means sacrificing structure until the presentation becomes “fluff”.

Nancy Duarte, a self-described communications theorist and empathy architect, is the CEO of a firm that specializes in the application of storytelling and visual thinking to communications in business settings. Duarte has also authored several books on the topic of communications: Guide to Persuasive Presentations, Resonate, Slide:ology, and Slidedocs. Duarte gave a TED Talk (view here) that has changed my understanding of the structure involved in successfully integrating storytelling into a formal presentation.

Here are a few notes that I took away from Duarte’s talk:

1. Understanding Proper Role Assignment

The presenter is not the hero of the story, the audience is the hero. Duarte states that the presenter needs to play the role of a mentor, guiding the audience along from the current state forward to the presenter’s idea.

2. Three Part Structure

Every story has a beginning, middle, and end, right? Yes, but Duarte provides a little more substance. The story should start with a likeable hero who has a desire. This hero should then encounter a roadblock or obstacle. Ultimately, the hero emerges transformed. This is the kind of structure seen in most movies.

3.  Presentation Shape

Should there be a structure to a good presentation? Most novels have an arch shape, in which they start, build into a climax and then return as the story is resolved. Duarte studied several famous speeches and recognized a similar structure, a repeating step function. The beginning starts with “what is” and compares it to “what could be”. Here is how things currently are, but look at how they could be. The remainder of the presentation should be based on the amplification of the gap between these two. The middle of the presentation repeats the back and forth motion of what is, what could be, what is, what could be. The goal is to make the current status quo and normal condition look unappealing. Finally, the end should be a call to action. The presentation should end on a high with the audience imaging how the world could be with your idea.

Two of the presentations that Duarte analyzed that exhibited this structure were Steve Job’s 2007 presentation to introduce the iPhone and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr’s “I have a Dream” speech. For more information regarding Duarte’s work, check out her website.

07c-Telling stories

Laughter Is The Best Visual Aid

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What if I told you, your high school class clown would be a Fortune 500 CEO one day? Would you laugh at me?

This may not be as off-base as one might assume. Laughter not only creates positive affects for the individual, but also can create a contagious and viral benefit – to those you are surrounded by in the workplace.

Personal Benefits

When you laugh – there are a number of different things happening in your body.   Your blood flow increases, your immune system boosts, your blood sugar levels are reduced and you may even adapt healthier relaxation and sleep patterns.

Medical studies, like this one, from the University of Maryland Medical Center have shown that laughter offsets the impact of mental stress as well as decreasing cardiovascular disease. So, while your brains’ cognitive area is thinking and getting a joke, benefitting your personal intellectual abilities, you also have the ability to bring these positive attributes to others, in the workplace.   Not to mention, laughter decreased your stress levels which, as we all know, is a huge benefit to your own personal performance in your job.

Funny person = Creative person

Generally, a funny person, or one who gets humor, and is able to use it to their advantage, provides a number of different benefits in the work place. Individuals winning in the “Comedy Category” are seen as approachable, and individuals who can instantaneously make others feel at ease around them. You’ll also notice benefits in communication, whether it is with your boss, cross-functional team members or Executive leaders.   Just by creating that humor-filled bubble with positive thoughts, you are fashioning a space that is more bonded and cohesive.

A number of companies have seen productivity, employee retention and workplace performance associated with positive emotions, while exercising humor in the workplace. This enthusiasm can create trust, and though you may think can easily go un-noticed, companies have stated in interviews– they have seen intelligence and creativity stem from funny people.

So whether or not at this time you are looking back, wondering if your high school class clown is now a Fortune 500 CEO, as you think of your day to day job – think about lightening up the workplace by spreading some cheer.   You may find yourself interacting with cross-functional team members more positively, able to give a funny “elevator pitch” while you catch a top ranking executive in the sandwich line, or generally start the branding process as an individual who is a team leader, who is approachable and caring, all because you simply have the aptitude to lighten-up a situation, or have a few chuckles each morning with a few co-workers.

Be the leader you would like to see in your leaders, today. Ones who make you feel at ease, ones who are amicable and good-humored and who can simply have a smile on their face at the coffee machine right before their first eight-am meeting. These positive affects not only can help within your body’s immune system and de-stressing, though can assist indefinitely in your advancement in the workplace.

You can find some additional reading on laughter in the workplace below:

http://www.workforce.com/articles/no-joke-stand-up-comedy-training-for-employees-can-improve-workplace-culture

https://faculty.washington.edu/chudler/laugh.html

http://umm.edu/news-and-events/news-releases/2005/school-of-medicine-study-shows-laughter-helps-blood-vessels-function-better#ixzz2qfYaJPA3

http://www.businessweek.com/stories/2007-11-05/humor-in-the-workplacebusinessweek-business-news-stock-market-and-financial-advice

http://www.inc.com/marla-tabaka/5-ways-laughter-can-boost-productivity-and-earnings.html

07c-Telling stories

Selling Your Idea

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Penelope Trunk is one of my favorite career advice bloggers. In one of her older posts, she provides advice on how to get your company to listen to your ideas. While the underlying principles are pretty basic, I find them very valuable and applicable to presenting a recommendation and gaining buy-in at most companies today.

I think often, it’s easy to have an idea that you think is great, and you expect upper management to agree and implement it. In reality, it’s so much more beneficial if you sell your idea in a way that makes it a no-brainer for the decision makers. What’s important to them, and what will their concerns be? If you craft your story in a manner that answers all of those hesitations upfront and also sells your idea, you’ll have better success than expecting them to know the answers.

Penelope provides three tips for selling your idea in, which I think are very useful in crafting any presentation. Know your audience and think about it from their perspective before you try to sell it in.

07a-Crafting an effective formal presentation, 07c-Telling stories, 07d-Delivering a presentation, metaphors, Uncategorized

Storytelling: Displaying the Struggle Between Expectation and Reality

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Most of us in the evening MBA program are knowledge workers.  We don’t work with our hands, we don’t physically produce goods, we either create, analyze or transfer knowledge. Transferring knowledge from one person to another is the most challenging, because no two people think in the exact same way, but also the most important, because it is what drives change. Whether its giving a presentation, writing an important email, or having a tough conversation, my instinct is to fall back on my engineering background and rely on data and facts – and more often then not, doing this doesn’t inspire action.

The Harvard Business Review conducted an interview with screenwriting coach Robert McKee called “Storytelling That Moves People.”  In the interview, McKee talks about how storytelling is a crucial skill for business leaders to be able to motivate their coworkers, customers and partners to navigate through business challenges. McKee describes two types of storytelling that business leaders use.  The first uses conventional rhetoric and statistics, which, if successful, persuades people only on an intellectual level, which doesn’t inspire people to act. The second method of storytelling is to unite an idea with an emotion to persuade people on an emotional level and get them to act.

In the conversation, McKee describes the most difficult part of effective emotional persuasion through story-telling:  discussing the struggle. We all have a tendency, especially at work, to paint a rosy picture.  We want to be viewed as always succeeding, always in control, and always right.  McKee argues that story without a struggle doesn’t inspire because it doesn’t connect people on an emotional level about the challenges we all face.  To be a good storyteller,  according to McKee, “you want to display the struggle between expectation and reality in all its nastiness.”  McKee goes further to say that “the energy to live comes from the dark side…as we struggle against these negative powers, we’re forced to live more deeply, more fully.”

As an engineer working for a marketing company, the most difficult part of my job is persuading others to act while not falling back on data and statistics, and not painting a rosy picture.  Even though its challenging, telling stories that include a struggle has a tendency to unite people as they think about adversity in their own jobs, which usually causes them to rally around your goals.

As McKee says in the article, being a great storyteller alone won’t make you a great leader, but it is a skill that will help make you a better leader and help you to inspire action in others.  You can access the article through the Goizueta Business Library website, through the “Business Source Complete” database (search “Storytelling That Moves People”).

Source:

Fryer B. Storytelling That Moves People. Harvard Business Review [serial online]. June 2003;81(6):51-55. Available from: Business Source Complete, Ipswich, MA. Accessed July 12, 2014.

01-Structuring a problem, 06-Building a case, 07c-Telling stories, 07d-Delivering a presentation, evaluating evidence, stress-testing recommendations

“Born to Run”

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If you’re like me, you enjoy getting book recommendations, preferably non-fiction about real people, doing real things, in real places.  “Born to Run” by Christopher McDougall is just that and also has several parallels to MP concepts that we can learn from.  It begins with a simple subject of running and it’s impact on injuries and transforms into a fascinating story of McDougall’s search for truth and ultimately lead’s to his conclusion that running long distances barefoot is the key to health, happiness, and longevity.  From utlra-marathons to Mexican cartels, this book has a little bit of everything and is highly entertaining.

The MP concepts are evident throughout the book as McDougall starts with a simple problem, gathers information, build’s a case for his hypothesis, and then delivers it in a fun and entertaining story.  Here’s a link to an overview of the book from McDougall’s website if you’re interested in learning more about it:

 

http://www.chrismcdougall.com/book.html