4 deadly communication mistakes

The 4 deadly mistakes...

1, Start a presentation by opening PowerPoint or the mail by typing into Outlook/ Lotus notes
2. Merge bits and pieces from presentations/ notes made by others
3. Expect the presentation/ communication to be bad
4. Use complex charts, tables, words wherever possible

Why are we calling these common preparation steps - mistakes?

Preparation Step: PowerPoint or Outlook are not software that aid thinking. You are busy adjusting font sizes and colours - not thinking about what needs to be actually said.
Even worse than this is merging presentations or others work. This is like trying to create the best car in the world by merging engine from BMW, doors from Renault, windows from Hyundai. It just does not work!

Expectation Step: Your expectation that the communication will be bad reflects in your words, body language and voice. After that, you can’t blame your audience for believing you!

Delivery Step: Complexity is a great way to turn off audiences. No one who sees a 10 X 10 table is interested in reading it, even if their lives depend on it. Straining the brain is hard work! Keep your words as well as charts/ graphs simple enough for audience to understand easily.

In brief, it is best to prepare your material separately in a notepad (by hand or software) and keep things simple. With all that preparation, you will be convinced yourself that your communication is good and your audience will believe you too!