Project Managers: Ace Your Next Presentation Using ChatGPT

Some of the best advice people tend to offer around presentations is “practice makes perfect”. Using conversational AI as a practice partner can make you more focused, efficient and confident as you prepare to present. At a higher level, it’s a way to become more influential with less work – and influence is critically important as a Project Manager.

Here's a step-by-step approach to making all of that happen.

Step 1: Focus on What Matters - Define Your Topic and Objectives

Begin by summarizing your presentation's topic and listing your main objectives. Ask ChatGPT to help narrow your focus and provide a clear direction.

Examples of prompts:

• "What are some ways to effectively communicate the importance of our project to stakeholders?"
• "Can you suggest a creative way to frame our presentation to make it more compelling?"
• “What are some of the alternative options to this project and why is this the best one?”

Step 2: Find the Best Angle - Generate Ideas and Content

Use ChatGPT to generate fresh ideas by asking open-ended questions related to your topic. Allow ChatGPT to provide you with a range of responses that you can use to build your argument.

Examples of prompts:

• "What are some innovative ways to approach our project that we may not have considered yet?"
• “What are the risks this project mitigates?”
• "How can we emphasize the positive impact our project will have on the organization [or community]?”
• “What are the opportunities it surfaces?”"

Step 3: Sequence and Prioritize - Organize Your Ideas

Utilize ChatGPT to structure your argument by asking it questions such as "What is the best way to organize my ideas?" or "What are the most effective ways to present my argument?"

Use ChatGPT's suggestions and ideas to organize your presentation coherently.

Examples of prompts:

• "What is the most persuasive way to organize our data?"
• "Can you suggest a way to frame our argument that would resonate with our stakeholders?"
• “What will matter most to [stakeholder group]?”

Step 4: Use Your AI Sounding Board - Practice and Rehearse

For each of your major arguments, ask ChatGPT to “present a counter to the following argument [paste in the argument]” or “Show me a stronger version of this argument. Underpin it with facts where possible.” This forces you to think more deeply about the most important parts of your presentation and make you better prepared.

General prompts, asking for high-level suggestions, can help you refine things further:

• "How can we address common objections that stakeholders may have to our project?"
• "Can you help us think of a way to strengthen our argument with data?"
• "Can you suggest a way to make our presentation more interactive?"
• "How can we use storytelling techniques to make our presentation more engaging?"

It’s great to have a presentation partner who has seen it all. ChatGPT can be that partner for you. Generative AI can help, not only with the presentation you need to deliver this week, but also by making you more influential long-term.