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How NOT to end a session on time
How not to end a session on time If you want to end a session on time, don’t make your final activity an open question-and-answer session. You lose control, as the audience takes over. I’ve seen one presenter faced with an endless stream of questions, each of which...
How to spread the news – in 25 words or less
You are an experienced story-teller. I know this to be true, because you are human. You didn’t get this far in life - owning a computer, reading sophisticated blogs - without having told a few stories. Hell, you may even be a professional. Was it you I heard...
What’s the connection between being ‘in the moment’ and winning?
What’s the connection between being ‘in the moment’ and winning? Here’s a wonderful quote from a sports winner, describing that feeling of being in the moment, the key to skilled improvisation. “I took so much pleasure from that because afterwards Trevor said, ‘Doc,...
How a conference organiser can strip a facilitator’s credibility with a single gesture
How a conference organiser can strip a facilitator’s credibility with a single gesture Most speakers (and I studied this during a recent lengthy conference, so it’s proper research) have trouble sticking to time. They tend to run over if allowed. Which may be mildly...
How to transform a bored audience into a keen bunch of listeners?
How to transform a bored audience into a keen bunch of listeners Give the audience a task at the start of any talk or lecture that's going to last more than 5 minutes. For example, 'Pick out the most important idea’, or ‘Prepare 3 questions you might like to ask the...
Start at the end
Start at the end At a conference I attended recently, one speaker caught our attention by saying at the start, ‘Here’s my best slide’, and projecting a screen titled ‘Conclusion’. This provoked a warm response, a laugh and a murmur of appreciation. It’s a nice tactic...
On the question of inviting questions
On the question of inviting questions When you are giving a presentation, you may or may not want your audience to ask you questions as you go along. When I’m presenting, I’m usually fine with spontaneous questions, as it increases the prospects of people...
How to get a conference off on the right foot
How to get a conference off on the right foot Letting people speak to each other at the beginning of a conference has many benefits. It gets us relaxed and contextualised. You start to know who the people are around you. They become both humanised and professional....
How presenters are presenting a lot more than their message
How presenters are presenting a lot more than their message When you are watching a presenter, you learn a lot about them even if you pay little attention to their words. Are they confident, passionate, authoritative? Or nervous, bored or unconvincing? As Gregory...
What can a facilitator do to create an atmosphere in which good work gets done?
WHAT CAN A FACILITATOR DO TO CREATE AN ATMOSPHERE IN WHICH GOOD WORK GETS DONE? The facilitator’s job includes creating trust. But how do you go about that? I’ve seen facilitators announce that the session is ‘safe’ or that we can all trust each other. But saying it...
The point is not powerpoint
The point is not the powerpoint There were at least 20 presentations during the conference I attended recently, and in half of them the PowerPoint was not starting on time. That's to say that the audience watched the presenter fumbling with projection equipment and...
Chocs Away
Chocs Away! I watched an inspirational presentation on the potentially dull topic of the need to stick to corporate style guidelines in all written communications. Yes, I know. But we were saved from monotony by the fact that 'chocolate' was the word used most often...
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