Category: Management Training

Posted on

How to Create and Deliver Amazing Virtual Presentations

Remember the days of whiteboard jitters and projector mishaps? The world of communication has evolved, and virtual presentations are now the new normal. Whether you’re connecting with colleagues across continents or captivating clients remotely, mastering the art of online presentations is key to success.

By testing your equipment beforehand and having a backup plan, you can navigate any potential bumps in the road such as technical hiccoughs with grace.

The rewards do outweigh the risks, and true magic of virtual presentations lies in their accessibility and global reach. Imagine captivating an audience worldwide, all from the comfort of your own space!

How to Create and Deliver Amazing Virtual Presentations

Navigating the Virtual Landscape: Challenges and Opportunities

Compelling content is the lifeblood of any presentation, and the virtual world demands clarity and conciseness.

Ditch the text-heavy slides and embrace powerful visuals like infographics, animations, and high-quality images. Remember, templates are your friend, ensuring a consistent and professional look.

Let your visuals complement, not overshadow, your message. Crafting Content that Captures Hearts (and Minds).

Become the Star of the Show: Delivering with Confidence

You are the star of your virtual show, and your authenticity and enthusiasm are the spotlight. Speak clearly and confidently, adjusting your tone for emphasis. Remember, eye contact with the camera builds connection.

Utilise natural gestures and facial expressions to engage your audience, and weave in stories, humour, and personal anecdotes to leave a lasting impression.

How to Create and Deliver Amazing Virtual Presentations

Engage Your Audience: Make it Interactive!

Virtual presentations are bursting with potential to go beyond a one-way information dump. Embrace this potential and transform your presentation into a shared experience with these interactive tools and techniques:

Spark real-time discussion:

    • Live polls and quizzes: Use platforms like Mentimeter or Kahoot! to instantly gauge audience understanding and inject playful competition. Ask multiple-choice questions about key points, conduct polls on audience preferences, or even run live trivia related to your topic.
    • Word clouds: Tools like Slido allow the audience to anonymously contribute keywords or phrases on a specific topic. Watch the word cloud evolve in real-time, generating discussion and revealing shared perspectives.

Break the ice and encourage participation:

    • Open-ended Q&A: Don’t wait for the end. Throughout your presentation, pose thought-provoking questions using chat features or Q&A tools. Respond directly to audience queries, fostering a dynamic dialogue and keeping everyone engaged.
    • Virtual whiteboards: Platforms like Miro allow real-time collaborative brainstorming. Present a central question or prompt, and let the audience contribute ideas and build upon each other’s thoughts, fostering creativity and teamwork.

Go beyond visuals:

    • Live demonstrations: Don’t just describe, show! Conduct live product demos, software walkthroughs, or even interactive case studies to bring your message to life and keep your audience visually stimulated.
    • Gamification: Platforms like GooseChase offer scavenger hunts and interactive challenges related to your presentation theme. Encourage friendly competition and exploration, motivating audience participation and reinforcing key learning points.

Remember, the key is to choose tools that align with your content and audience. Don’t overload your presentation with gimmicks, but strategically integrate interactive elements to create a dynamic and memorable experience for all.

Embrace the Virtual Stage: Conclusion

Virtual presentations are a powerful platform for connection and inspiration. By acknowledging the challenges, leveraging the digital advantages, and incorporating these tips, you can create presentations that resonate and leave a lasting impact.

So experiment, get creative, and most importantly, be yourself. Your passion and authenticity are your greatest assets.

Ready to take your virtual presenting skills to the next level?

Explore these valuable resources:

How to Avoid “Death by PowerPoint Presentation” – Virtually – Blog.

How to Improve Your Presentation Skills – Infographic.

Remember, the virtual stage awaits! Go forth and captivate your audience with your amazing presentations.

Sources:

https://swmcommunications.co.za/mastering-the-art-of-presenting-virtually/

https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/01455613231158799?icid=int.sj-full-text.similar-articles.4

https://blog.prezi.com/how-to-make-a-presentation/

https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbesagencycouncil/2020/11/25/presentations-and-presentation-skills-in-the-age-of-virtual-meetings/

Posted on

The First 90 Days: A Guide for New Managers

30 days – Leadership

Congratulations on your promotion!

This is the forming stage for your team. Team members will be feeling uncertain about their new manager and how things might change. If they are happy with their current situation they will be skeptical and resistant. If they are unhappy, they are going to be looking to you to improve their lot. You need to step up and take the lead and also inspire and build trust.

However, you also need to understand what is expected of you from your direct managers. You can’t lead a team unless you are given some idea of where you need to go and why.

The First 90 Days, a guide for new Managers

What you need from your manager(s)

  • What is expected of you?
  • What are your objectives and how do they link to corporate strategy?
  • How will your performance be measured?

What your team needs from you

  • Build trust by doing what you say you will do
  • Regular team meetings
  • Set clear expectations about ‘how we do things around here’
  • Explain what the team’s purpose is and how each person contributes to that
  • Get to know what everyone does and how the processes work
  • Look for ways to improve efficiency and productivity
  • Observe, ask questions, and learn
  • Make firm decisions for the team
  • Understand the strengths and weaknesses in the team
  • Provide encouragement and feedback

60 days – Management

 Now that you have built some confidence as a leader it is time to also manage the productivity of the team as well as focus on individuals. You need to provide clear direction, delegate effectively, monitor results, and provide helpful feedback.

Ask for clear KPIs from your Manager and then translate them into team and individual goals. Your task as a manager is to focus and motivate the team to achieve goals and you can’t do that unless you understand them as individuals.

Now is the time to introduce slight changes to process to improve efficiency. Expect resistance from some, so clearly explain the benefits for the individual, focusing on what motivates them.

The First 90 Days, a guide for new Managers

From your managers

  • Clear KPIs
  • Feedback and coaching

To your team

  • Have regular 1:1 meetings with your team members
  • Get to know individuals – what they enjoy and don’t enjoy, how they prefer to be managed, and what motivates them
  • Provide ongoing training and coaching where required
  • Provide continuous feedback
  • Delegate more tasks
  • Introduce minor changes to improve efficiency and productivity
  • Set clear goals and KPIs in line with departmental objectives


    90 days – Development

 Now that the team has had some time to settle down and you have proven they can trust you, they should be working together more smoothly. Now you can start to focus on building the capability within the team and developing individual skills. You can delegate more responsibility and also involve the team in decision making and planning. This will provide individuals with more ownership which leads to stronger engagement.
The First 90 Days, a guide for new Managers

From your managers

  • Feedback and coaching
  • Support for your ideas and plan for the next quarter

    To your team
  • Regular Team and 1:1 meetings with your team members
  • Celebration of wins
  • Continuous feedback
  • Ongoing coaching and training
  • Support where required
  • Individual motivation
  • Ask for more ideas to improve efficiency and productivity
  • Involve the team in decision making
  • Delegate more responsibility to individuals
  • Enable the team to succeed by providing the resources they need

Summary

The first 90 days as a manager are always challenging, but by focusing more of your attention on the team than on your own tasks during this time, you will find your new role much less demanding and stressful overall.

Further reading:

If you are a new manager, or an experienced manager who wants to apply a little more theory to your practice, have a look at a bit of further reading!

 3 Skills for New Managers – blog

New Managers: How to Boost Efficiency with Introduction to Management Expert Tips – Infographic