As leaders and managers, we are often asked to give presentations to our team regarding a new project, initiative, or policy. Or it could be an update on the organization’s bottom line or a situation where we need to present information and then ask our colleagues to provide feedback.
Regardless of the type of presentation, when asked to present, in addition to putting together your speaking points, you must also consider whether you should provide a handout to support your remarks.
I often share the story of Jim, who immediately before his presentation distributed a thick handout with lots of detailed information about a project. There were numerous charts and graphs along with about 20 pages of text. Within 30 seconds of Jim’s presentation, half of the 10 other managers started thumbing through the handout. This clearly distracted Jim and from that point on he had a really difficult time getting the audience’s full attention.
This doesn’t mean that you should never distribute handouts. Instead, you must consider the pros and cons of doing so. With that in mind, consider the following when it comes to whether to prepare a handout for your next presentation:
· Keep it brief. If you are going to use a handout, never distribute something that is more than a few pages. The best handouts are a page or two with bulleted, boldly typed information with key points, themes, statistics or questions. It is really a basic outline for your audience to follow. Also, when possible, incorporate simple visuals, graphs, or charts in a handout, that will help support the more complex information you are sharing.
· Be conversational. Your job is to fill in the blank space in between the bulleted points on the handout. The more you read verbatim what you’ve handed out, the more you invite your audience to ignore you and become obsessed with what is on the printed page. Or worse, they will ignore both you and your handout and start checking e-mail or text messages on their phone while you are still presenting. A presentation should be engaging and conversational, so don’t let a handout get in the way of keeping your audience interested in what you are saying.
· Pick your spots. Only provide a handout if it enhances or supports your presentation. Don’t do it just to do it, because even the best handout will be somewhat of a distraction. Remember, while your audience is reading the handout, you’ve lost eye contact with them. If you are having a difficult time being objective about whether to use a handout, ask a trusted colleague who will give you honest feedback.
· Keep it practical. Make sure your handouts can be utilized by your audience after your presentation. One of the handouts I use in a typical communication and leadership seminar is titled, “Top 10 Keys to Making a Great Presentation.” It’s a simple list of ten practical tools. There is no detailed explanation, but it is helpful to audience members who want to remember the points raised in the actual presentation and share it with other colleagues in the workplace.
· Timing matters. Another option is to distribute the handout after the presentation. Tell folks you will be providing material to them to reinforce the messages communicated in your presentation. This is helpful because some professionals really like having something tangible to take away from a presentation and it lets them know to expect it at the end. Or, better yet, you can let your audience know that you will be e-mailing them supporting information, so they can have a digital version to refer to later.
On this edition of “Lessons in Leadership”, Steve Adubato and Mary Gamba talk with Delaney McGowan, Senior Producer, One-on-One with Steve Adubato, and Chloe Swift, Associate Producer, Caucus Educational Corporation, about the lessons they learned joining a new team in a remote environment. Then, Steve talks with Dennis Wilson, President & CEO (Retired), Special Advisor, Delta Dental of NJ and CT, together with Paul Di Maio, President & CEO, Delta Dental of NJ and CT, about succession planning, effective communication, and the keys to leading your team.
