Notorious for being useful at every company and every job, making presentations is the hidden responsibility that both employers and employees don’t talk about enough. No generalization like “presentations slows down action” makes sense either because it is the only bridge between confusion and clarity among teams.

The first part of dealing with this hidden responsibility is through acceptance. It is impossible to evade being asked to make presentations, be a part of presentations, or have half your job be nothing but making slides after slides.

The second part of dealing with it is turning the frustrated feeling towards it upside down. What I mean is, think of why presentations exist in the first place. It is meant to have a human centric approach to present ideas that spark clarity, solves problems, and enhances productivity. Its compassionate nature gives us a creative way to re-ignite our cognitive abilities to do the best form of our work there possibly can be.

Transitioning to this mindset is possible with fine observation skills you can develop that I will teach you how to. The rest of the blog will be an exciting journey of uncovering the delight of communication through presentations.

1) See why you are fascinated by the things you are fascinated by

Apple Vision Pro shouts of a tech-dominated future, and the thought of acquiring it would have crossed your mind, only to see its shortcomings at the $3,499 mark, haha. Nevertheless, the fascinating picture we hold of operating Apple’s Vision Pro using our hands through its virtual and augmented reality is a gift of their keynote presentations.

The Cybertruck’s insane acceleration, its ability to challenge any offroads of the world, of course the autonomous self-drives, and its sleek and modern build have been presented to us in a way that leaves us jaw dropped. How do they do it? Well for one, the product is one-of-a-kind, but for the most part, it's been presented to us as the most convenient, most futuristic tech in history. Is it really? Watch their keynotes.

Digital health tech is the talk of the hour, and for good reason. Visual presentations of AI being able to detect early cancer, end-to-end drug discovery, improving communication between physician and patient, all are boon to humanity, and presentations bridge its awareness to the common public enabling that smile on a patient’s face hearing how his treatment would sail all the more smoothly than before.

Begin to closely observe why you are fascinated by the things you are fascinated by. Because you are the audience to their presentations.

2) Be an active audience to global events

CES Vegas, the biggest tech event of the world ran from 9 - 12 January, 2024. It held keynotes on topics like how marketing is going to change forever from here on, 5G: fad or future, 3D printed foods and robotic chefs, sports stadiums of the future; what’s there to not be intrigued by? The speakers were some of the business tycoons and professionals on their corporate peak, including leadership from all around the world. Their thoughts, visions, and art of presentation is surely something to learn a ton from.

WDO, World Design Organization, displays design events happening across the globe. Including niches like sports, media, entertainment, education, the ecosystem of design learning spans itself from workshops to conferences, to even educational seminars held in colleges. All of them are accessible through online modes, and if you are lucky enough to attend them offline, no experience would be more wholesome than what these events can give you. The presentations held can be abstract, analytical, theoretical, or practical, and it’s the talent of the event teams and presenters that speak in ways we can only absorb a fraction of and still learn a lot.

3) Build avid readership to design journals

McKinsey frequently talks on design leadership and how to deliver the business value of design. A publication from an organization of a stature of McKinsey is extremely in-depth and of high value. How can a design department be redesigned, to what questions should employees be asking to design leaders, all is covered under the insights section of McKinsey’s website, and it not only teaches to master the critical thinking skills that design demands, but sheds light on design leaders across the globe through impactful presentations.

You can look up journals and articles in your domain through comprehensive research on the leading companies of your industry. Korn Ferry, for example, a leader of the talent recruitment domain, offers exceptional journals on workforce management and goal delivery as a hiring manager. These are thought-provoking and educational, but they give a great sense of information on how information is presented across different fronts to different audiences.

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- Aayush