Presenting

I have a love-hate relationship with presenting.  On one hand, I love sharing my knowledge and experiences with people.  On the other hand, I am more of an introvert so it can be uncomfortable.  Recently, I have had to make presentations in my graduate school classes as well as in real life, so it is time to share what I have learned.

1. Do not wait until the last minute.  I have this bad habit of procrastinating on things until they are so pressing they have to be done today.  I try and space out time working on my presentations so that I can always look at it with fresh eyes.  This also allows me to think through issues in my presentation to make sure that I am giving the best presentation I can.
2. Understand that there will be technical glitches.  I like seeing great presenters because it shows me what is possible.  I recently got the opportunity to watch Cara North’s presentation on engagement and thought it was spectacular, so I tried to incorporate some of her ideas into an upcoming presentation.  I also know that sometimes things do not work out ideally, so I have a plan should the new ideas do not work out.  I also try and have every cord I could ever need or want with me, just so I am not reliant on the facility to provide something in an emergency.
3. Know your audience.  Who I am presenting to matters.  My grad school peers will find certain things important/funny/enlightening/etc. while my co-workers might not.  do you best to cater your message to the group you are presenting to.
4. Do not be afraid to admit things that do not go right.  In the worst case scenario, it is ok to be honest with the people watching your presentation.  When my presentation in grad school was not going the way I hoped it was, my peers understood and were gracious to me.  Everyone makes mistakes…afterwards, learn from your mistakes.