Published Aug 8, 2005
We interrupt your regularly-scheduled PRIME photos in order to bring you this breaking stress-out about the three presentations I have to make tomorrow. Three! Including two to people who are substantially senior in grade to me and to any position I might gain in the next few years at Intel, were I to take a job there.
Presentation #1, at the ungodly hour of 9am, is the biggest worry. I’m expounding on my biggest summer project to a very senior team that directs planning and decisionmaking for a specfic market segment. My recommendations could drive a very meaningful change in how Intel works with its customers, and, nedless to say, I’d like to nail this one. Unfortunately, my supervisor on this project will be unable to attend this meeting so I’ll be missing, as they say here at Intel, “air cover”.
Presentation #2 directly follows a big lunch out with my cow-orkers. I’ll be talking about all of my summer projects to a team that takes in the overall supervisors of the group I’m working in. Less stress, but a good chance for me to showcase myself to a wide variety of people who may have openings, or directly know people who have openings, in a year.
Presentation #3 is just to my group. No biggie. But it’s at the end of the day which means I have to keep going non-stop and not let up on my focus or execution. It’ll be a big day!
Some day I will have to learn how to produce decent Visual Aids and how to remain coherent giving a presentation…
Good luck!
Unfortunately, nobody wants to help us produce decent visual aids. One book I recommend is “Beyond Bullets” which has some solid approaches to putting together visuals that help you, rather than hurt you; but, at the same time, you need to be sensitive to the culture you’re presenting in and communicate in the way the culture expects. Even if that way makes your eyes bleed.
Fortunately, remaining coherent is easier. I highly recommend joining a local Toastmasters chapter, you’ll get a tremendous amount of practice and gain a variety of specific, useful, measurable skills. I’m not just the President of Trojan Toastmasters, I’m a client! And I’m, now, well towards the top of my class in presentation skills.
Re: “Beyond Bullets”, did you mean Beyond Bullet Points, by Cliff Atkinson?
Yes, that’s what I meant. The book — and his blog — were originally called “Beyond Bullets,” but apparently someone thought that might be interpreted as a political statement.
Nonetheless, it’s a pretty good book.
Well, how’d they go?
See, I put the answer to that question at the end of the next entry, just to see who was reading regularly. Apparently my photos aren’t good enough to keep your attention.
The answer is: huh, I can present! Oh yeah, I forgot. Must remember to remember that in the future.
Are you kidding (smart ass)? I check your smug site every day for updates!