DNEG

Andrew Schlussel

Through this article Andrew Schlussel emphasises the critical importance of presentation skills in the workplace, highlighting how they influence individual career growth, workplace equity and overall company success.

Quieter, less compelling people in a workplace often get ignored. They might have the better ideas, but if they can’t capture an audience and get their point across, they can be passed over. Before getting into the topic of how to present better, we should first consider why we present.

The best reason to present face to face is you have something you want people to do; an action item. If your only purpose is to share information, there are many other ways of doing that. You’ve probably heard the complaint “This meeting could have been an email.” You don’t want your presentation viewed in that light.

Your audience isn’t going to remember most of what you said during a presentation in the weeks following. What they will remember is how they felt. And if you’re successful, they will have been convinced to do what you were advocating and acted upon that.

People connect emotionally and respond to stories. Every good story has conflict and a main character, a protagonist. The protagonist has a series of conflicts and the choices they make and their actions move the story forward. When you present, the audience member is the protagonist. They are being offered a quest, that is, to do the thing you want them to do. The conflict is between the world as it is and the world as it could be if they would do this important action item that you want them to do. So if you tell a story, where the audience member is the hero and you offer them a quest with conflict, you will connect with them emotionally. People remember how they felt, so they will remember what you said. And if the story is compelling enough to them, they will do what you advocated.

“Begin by offering training that will expose people to fundamental skills that help make them more comfortable and confident when presenting. Simple things like breathing, posture and gestures can make a big difference.”

Much of what happens in the workplace is getting people to do what you want them to do. Those without the skills to do that can feel frustrated and left behind. It is often very challenging for people who are not native speakers to be heard. They are often not listened to or taken as seriously as those who have a better command of the language. The same holds true for those who lack confidence in presenting. This will limit their opportunities for advancement and result in a less equitable environment.

Advancement of the company and its goals is held back when a workforce lacks the presentation skills to get their ideas across in a way that results in action and the ability to champion the best ideas. So it's not just the career path of individuals that is inhibited, but the success of the company itself.

So what can be done about it?

A presentation skill training is a solution. Begin by offering training that will expose people to fundamental skills that help make them more comfortable and confident when presenting. Simple things like breathing, posture and gestures can make a big difference. But it is not enough to just talk about these ideas. They need a chance to practice in a safe and supportive environment where they can give and receive feedback from their peers.

I have been teaching presentation skills at every company I have worked at for over twelve years. We do a series of workshops, where each participant delivers a presentation every session and focuses on one skill at a time. They receive constructive feedback in a safe environment and they offer feedback to their peers. It is transformative. People who are shaking in fear on their first session present confidently by the end of the series, in some cases bringing people to tears with their emotive storytelling.

After years of running these workshops, I launched my own business called Master the Spotlight, where I offer group classes to companies and consult with individuals on presentation skills and communication.

To advance your company and the individuals within it, offer presentation skills training. The more confident your team is at presenting the better chance you will have of letting the best ideas win.