Welcome to this week’s Discuss HR, the HR blog written for and by members of Human Resources UK.
We’re now entering the final few posts of the year and will be shortly starting our 3rdyear of existence and it’s moment like this that never cease to amaze me about how time flies! Today is the final post of the year for Jill Hart-Sanderson who once again illustrates her ability to write about her experiences so that we can all relate to them. (Ed Scrivener)
What’s the Point?
How often do you watch the television with the subtitles switched on? When you are about to watch (and listen to) an important announcement, news story or documentary do you reach for the subtitle button? Unless you have a hearing impediment your answer is probably no.
Would seeing the words on the screen help you understand the message better, or would it distract you?
Recently I attended a series of workshops run by very knowledgeable professionals. Despite the fact that they were presenting to a group of people as part of their regular job role, they started the session by saying they weren’t presenters. They then took turns to speak to the group - reading from their pre-prepared PowerPoint slides which were projected onto a large screen. A paper copy of the slides was also given to each of the attendees. The content of the presentations was very interesting but the way in which it was delivered made most of the attendees glaze over after about two minutes. The workshop lasted seven hours and at the end of it I was asked what exactly had I learnt and how could have the day been improved.
I’m sure most of you have experienced this type of scenario, and it still unfolds every day in many organisations around the country. So what did I learn and how could the day have been better?
PowerPoint can be a wonderful tool – but when it is used purely as a memory aid for the presenter it can be a real distraction. If the whole ‘speech’ is typed on a screen there are too many words to read while you are trying to listen at the same time. The element of surprise is also lost, as the attendee can read ahead and scan for that important piece of information. The audience has come to find out something in person. If it were merely about the words then they could have just read about it in their own time from the comfort of their own office. To attend a presentation, course of workshop of any kind is about the complete experience which makes the time, cost and effort of actually attending worthwhile.
Perhaps the workshop I attended could have been improved if the ‘presenters’ had considered Neil Fleming’s VAK model which claims that we all have a preferred learning style:
- Visual – thinking in pictures, diagrams etc.
- Auditory – listening and discussion
- Tactile – moving, touching, doing
Most people may have a preference to one of the styles but use parts of all three when receiving new information. I appreciate that how something is presented depends on time, type and size of the audience, but by being aware of the attendees’ diversity could have meant that some of these styles were incorporated instead of reading through text on a slide.
PowerPoint can be a brilliant way of presenting a clear chart, diagram, picture or even animation (which would also appeal to the visual learners amongst us!). Without the constraints of a script projected on a screen the presenter is free to talk about their subject with knowledgeable enthusiasm and really connect with their audience.
The next time you are preparing a presentation to the board, arranging a training course, or asking a candidate to produce a PowerPoint presentation at interview why not ask ‘what is the point of using slides and will they enhance what is being said’?
The late Steve Jobs was famously quoted as saying “People who know what they're talking about don't need PowerPoint". What are your thoughts and experiences?
About the author
Jill is passionate about using creativity to unlock people's potential, finding practical solutions that make a real difference to organisations. Her extensive management experience in both the public and private sectors combined with HR consultancy has given her a real insight into how great HR can transform individuals and businesses.
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Discuss HR is the blog for Human Resources UK, the leading LinkedIn group for those involved with HR in the UK. Next week’s Discuss HR will be written by HR Director Sheena McLullich.
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