What obvious answers are you overlooking?
This past Sunday we sailed the good ship Asterix. Sailors were blessed with fabulous weather on Sunday. 15 to 24 knot winds. Ground speed of 4 to 8 knots with the sun at 80 Degrees. If one could order sailing weather on Long Island Sound, then yesterday would have been my first choice on the menu.
We went through the routine as the 27 Horsepower diesel chugged out of the harbor. The captain turned into the wind. The sail covers came off and were stowed, the instruments were powered up. We removed the fenders and stowed them below decks. Everything was going according to plan when the captain shouted "There is something wrong. The helm is all jammed up." The crew gathered around the helm while our captain stated "We must have caught a line. We need to pull ashore and dive underneath to clear the line".
My first thought was "How are we going to steer into the dock with a stuck rudder?". This is not a car where you pull over to the side of the road for repairs. On the sea, you are on the surface and there is no easy way to get on land. With an immovable rudder, I didn't see how we would get ashore safely.
Lobster Pots are flourishing in Long Island Sound at the moment. The markers float on the water like unwanted weeds in a fertilized flower garden. Captains steer boats steer around the markers like a stunt driver dodging road marking cones while driving on a test track. It was very possible that we had not seen a lobster pot while preparing for voyage and a snagged a line in the rudder.
All aboard were in shock - no-one volunteered to dive under and disentangle a rudder in the murky, cold Long Island Sound water.
We watched while the captain struggled with the helm. Sure enough - it was jammed solid. Not moving to port nor starboard. It was stuck tight. It looked like someone was going to be braving the Atlantic ocean.
Then we heard a question - "Is the auto helm engaged?" The captain indignantly said "Of course not. Do you think I am stupid? We are hardly out of the harbor." Then the captain checked and sheepishly disengaged the auto helm which released the rudder. Sighs of relief turned into the joke of the day as we kidded the captain for the rest of our voyage.
Apparently the captain and us crew members are all so well trained that we follow the routine without thinking, including setting the auto helm to keep us facing into the wind while we raise the sails.
The lesson we should all learn from this situation is that our first reaction should be to step back when we encounter something unexpected. Don't assume the worst. As presenters, we get so used to the routine that we overlook the obvious and jump straight into complex solutions for simple problems. When you encounter an unexpected response from your audience, step back and look at an obvious issue, before trying to implement a complex solution.
For example, when you realize that you are regularly reading your slides to your audience, don't jump to a complex solution such as trying to memorize the text on your slides. The obvious solution to reading text on slides is to eliminate the text from your slides. Use your slides only for photos or visuals. Internalize your message so that you don't have to describe your message in text on slides.
When you debrief after your presentation (and I sincerely expect you to debrief after every presentation to see where you can improve), answer this question. "Did I read any text to my audience". If you read slides to your audience, then you lost eye contact and possibly even turned your back to your audience.
Then consider logical solutions to help you improve in this situation. How can you convey your message to your audience without text on slides? Think about using handouts for them to take home while you convey the principles of your message with stories and metaphors.
You may be caught up in the moment and unable to think of logical options to your situation. Just as our captain was convinced that a line was caught up in the rudder, and was not open to consider other options you may not be able to accept alternative options for your presentation.
This is when you need an outsider's opinion. Our captain needed a crew member to question the auto helm engagement. Video tape your presentation and ask an experience presenter for feedback. Otherwise, you may be diving under the stage to inspect your cables when the real issue is that you have too much text on your PowerPoint slides.
We went through the routine as the 27 Horsepower diesel chugged out of the harbor. The captain turned into the wind. The sail covers came off and were stowed, the instruments were powered up. We removed the fenders and stowed them below decks. Everything was going according to plan when the captain shouted "There is something wrong. The helm is all jammed up." The crew gathered around the helm while our captain stated "We must have caught a line. We need to pull ashore and dive underneath to clear the line".
My first thought was "How are we going to steer into the dock with a stuck rudder?". This is not a car where you pull over to the side of the road for repairs. On the sea, you are on the surface and there is no easy way to get on land. With an immovable rudder, I didn't see how we would get ashore safely.
Lobster Pots are flourishing in Long Island Sound at the moment. The markers float on the water like unwanted weeds in a fertilized flower garden. Captains steer boats steer around the markers like a stunt driver dodging road marking cones while driving on a test track. It was very possible that we had not seen a lobster pot while preparing for voyage and a snagged a line in the rudder.
All aboard were in shock - no-one volunteered to dive under and disentangle a rudder in the murky, cold Long Island Sound water.
We watched while the captain struggled with the helm. Sure enough - it was jammed solid. Not moving to port nor starboard. It was stuck tight. It looked like someone was going to be braving the Atlantic ocean.
Then we heard a question - "Is the auto helm engaged?" The captain indignantly said "Of course not. Do you think I am stupid? We are hardly out of the harbor." Then the captain checked and sheepishly disengaged the auto helm which released the rudder. Sighs of relief turned into the joke of the day as we kidded the captain for the rest of our voyage.
Apparently the captain and us crew members are all so well trained that we follow the routine without thinking, including setting the auto helm to keep us facing into the wind while we raise the sails.
The lesson we should all learn from this situation is that our first reaction should be to step back when we encounter something unexpected. Don't assume the worst. As presenters, we get so used to the routine that we overlook the obvious and jump straight into complex solutions for simple problems. When you encounter an unexpected response from your audience, step back and look at an obvious issue, before trying to implement a complex solution.
For example, when you realize that you are regularly reading your slides to your audience, don't jump to a complex solution such as trying to memorize the text on your slides. The obvious solution to reading text on slides is to eliminate the text from your slides. Use your slides only for photos or visuals. Internalize your message so that you don't have to describe your message in text on slides.
When you debrief after your presentation (and I sincerely expect you to debrief after every presentation to see where you can improve), answer this question. "Did I read any text to my audience". If you read slides to your audience, then you lost eye contact and possibly even turned your back to your audience.
Then consider logical solutions to help you improve in this situation. How can you convey your message to your audience without text on slides? Think about using handouts for them to take home while you convey the principles of your message with stories and metaphors.
You may be caught up in the moment and unable to think of logical options to your situation. Just as our captain was convinced that a line was caught up in the rudder, and was not open to consider other options you may not be able to accept alternative options for your presentation.
This is when you need an outsider's opinion. Our captain needed a crew member to question the auto helm engagement. Video tape your presentation and ask an experience presenter for feedback. Otherwise, you may be diving under the stage to inspect your cables when the real issue is that you have too much text on your PowerPoint slides.
Labels: Presentation Tips
posted by Wayne Botha @ 6:57 PM
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