|
When PowerPoint Works
Steve Adubato, Ph.D.
Dr. Harold Paz, Dean of the University of Medicine and Dentistry
of NJ--Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, is an excellent example
of someone who uses PowerPoint technology to greatly enhance his
presentation technique. This column has never been overly enamored
with PowerPoint. Many people have come to believe that the core
of their presentation, in fact their actual message, is in the PowerPoint
itself. They become obsessed with the bells and whistles of the
technology. They use way too many slides and they are totally lost
if the technology breaks down.
Dr. Paz, an avid PowerPoint user, has a very different approach.
In a recent presentation before a group of medical and healthcare
professionals, Paz demonstrated some of the fine points of a PowerPoint
presentation. Here were some of the highlights:
--Dr. Paz's presentation was only 20 minutes, which he cut down
from the 40 he originally planned. That's editing 50 percent of
your content. It required cutting out a lot of slides which were
near and dear to his heart, but were not appropriate given the busy
conference agenda scheduled that day. The moral is, less is usually
more.
--There was very little information on each slide. For example,
on a bold blue background, Dr. Paz attempted to communicate specific
information regarding the number of medical students at his school.
He used three bullet-pointed statistics. One was in red, one was
in blue and the other in yellow. Each number stood out and was easy
to follow.
--On another individual slide where there was a significant amount
of information, the doctor only went through certain points that
were relevant for this particular audience in this specific setting.
The key to remember is that you don't have to explain every piece
of information on a slide.
--Keep things moving. Paz didn't stay on any one slide too long.
He didn't get bogged down in the minutia of his presentation. Rather,
he kept his pacing without making his audience feel rushed. This
approach also communicates the message that the presentation isn't
going to last forever, which is usually our greatest fear.
--The doctor also used a map to signify important pieces of information.
This map had certain sections highlighted that helped him make his
point about medical education. A map like this is much more effective
than simply listing your information on a PowerPoint slide.
--A picture can be worth a thousand words. When trying to explain
that the medical school incorporated "small group classrooms,"
there was a picture of a class with a small group of students and
a teacher leading the discussion. This picture is a much more effective
tool than simply having a slide that says, "our school has
a small number of students in each class."
--Bar charts are big. When attempting to show that the school has
taken in an increasing amount of grant dollars, a bar chart from
1992 to 2002 dramatically demonstrated this fact. Again, it is much
more effective to visually see the contrast as opposed to having
a slide that simply says, "our school has taken in X more dollars
in grants in the past 10 years."
Finally, Dr. Paz showed a cover of "US News and World Report"
highlighting the work of his medical school. Again, this is a perfect
example of what PowerPoint can be. Saying it is one thing. Seeing
it is another.
Bottom line? While PowerPoint is often overused and misused, when
it is done right, it can add a great deal to any presentation. It's
just too bad that a presentation like Dr. Paz's seems to be the
exception. What do you think? Write to me.
Dr. Steve Adubato coaches and speaks on the subjects of communication
and leadership and is the author of the book "Speak from the
Heart." Write to him at The Star-Ledger, 1 Star-Ledger Plaza,
Newark, NJ 07102, visit his Web site at www.stand-deliver.com,
or e-mail him at sadubato@aol.com.
Back to Star Ledger
Column
|
