Member Article

?My boss says I've got to do a PowerPoint!?

With Simon Raybould at Curved Vision Theatre

You’d be amazed at how many times I’ve heard that in the introductions of our training sessions: sometimes it’s even true. While it’s true that sometimes your boss will tell you “to PowerPoint” (interesting how it’s become a verb, isn’t it – rather like “to Google”) it’s at least as common for people to be told something like “I need you to do a presentation on….” but for them to be so inured in the PowerPoint culture that they assume they’ve got to use PowerPoint without thinking about it.

While I have nothing in particular against the idea of using PowerPoint (though it has some technical issues which mean I think there are better alternatives) I always advise such people to do the Fuse Test. This is something I’ve mentioned before, but it bears repeating, I think. If the fuses went in the room where you’re about to present, could you find an alternative way to make your presentation: is the PowerPoint absolutely essential? If it isn’t, why are you using it in the first place? Consider the alternatives!

I’ll talk about what the alternatives might be next time.

As always, questions and comments to me at sme@curved-vision.co.uk or check out the Blog of presentation hints and tops at www.curved-vision.co.uk/presentation-skills-blog.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Ruth Mitchell .