Your Presentation Skills May Be Holding You Back

I had breakfast this week with one of the top executives at one of the world's most admired companies.  She was in New York for her company's board meeting.  As is custom at many companies, this division CEO was going to present to the board her division's strategy.  She then shared how one of her peers has been stymied by his stiffness and general discomfort making presentations.  "He is so stiff our CEO won't let him present to the board," she said.  "One of the most important skills for success here," she added, "is the ability to give compelling presentations - to our employees and externally."  

It isn't just at this particular company where presentation skills are a central skill for success and career management.

Whether early in your career or as you rise towards the executive suite, it’s critical that you learn how to present well.  Meetings and formal presentations are often the stage on which you make or break your reputation.   People are judging you all the time, assessing the extent to which you are on top of your material, how smoothly you communicate what you know, and whether your messages tap into what the audience cares about.  

So make sure that you know - or learn - how to communicate effectively when speaking in front of a group.   Like becoming a great interviewer, you can learn how to become a great presenter.  Presentation skills are learnable.  Practice often, take lessons on the side if necessary, and seek out feedback that will help you increase your confidence.  Try out different presentation techniques and find the style that works for you.  Authenticity to your own style and personality are imperative.  If you can, develop the nuanced capability to work a well-timed sense of humor into your presentations; it helps make you memorable and sets people at ease and keeps them engaged. 

So don't be like the executive barred from presenting to the company's board. Make it a priority to become a compelling presenter.