Page 6 - Leadership Basics 6

Making Presentations

Not all presentations are formal and organized. Some are comparatively casual. We may, for
example, be explaining to a colleague why we are making a particular schedule change, or on the
domestic scene, we may be giving our opinions on where the annual family holiday should be.

Presentations are more than just informal discussions. They have a purpose. We are trying to gain
something from them. It may be as simple as increased understanding on the part of the other

person or it may be more complicated, such as the commitment to an idea. But all presentations are
designed to achieve something.

Formal presentations can cause a great deal of consternation. You hold the floor and everyone looks
to you in expectation. Although your ideas and the way you arrange your material may make sense
and be profitable to all concerned, you may still fail to reach your objectives because of poor
presentation. You may, for example, have a stunning idea for saving people’s time and effort, but

because it is not skilfully presented, it is not well received and is not implemented. Content
therefore is not the be all and end all. We have to develop effective presentation skills if we are to
get the message across clearly and, in many cases, persuasively. These skills can be learned. You can
learn how to gain attention, how to organize your ideas, how to reinforce information and how to
deliver the presentation. Giving presentations can be a highly rewarding experience.

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