Podcast review - "Creating Enchantment" by Guy Kawasaki.

I enjoy running.  Running is a great hobby because it only requiires you (one person) some shoes and some exercise.  One of the benefits of running is the time that you have available to think, reflect or listen.

The Stanford Entreprenurial Thought Leaders series is one pocast that I have been listening to for the past 12 months (ever since I finally managed to get an iPod).  And for the past 12 months this series of podcasts has continued to be listened to - week in and week out.

I was blown away by the awesomeness that is the podcast by Guy Kawasaki.  This is a totally well rounded speech delivered by the consumate professional that is Mr Kawasaki.

What is delivered is a 60 minute master class in both management and innovation techniques, as well as a tutorial in how to write a speech, create a presentation and how to pull it off with ease.  This presentation, I think, was set up as a sales pitch for the new book "Enchantment" by said author stated above.  What really happens is the presentor takes the big lessons of the book, breaks them down into a series of easy to understand points and leaves the listener with the challenge of applying all the lessons to themselves.

Here;s some background on Mr Kawasaki -

"Guy Kawasaki is the co-founder of Alltop.com, an “online magazine rack” of popular topics on the web, and a founding partner at Garage Technology Ventures. Previously, he was the chief evangelist of Apple. Kawasaki is the author of ten books including Enchantment, Reality Check, The Art of the Start, Rules for Revolutionaries, How to Drive Your Competition Crazy, Selling the Dream, and The Macintosh Way. Kawasaki has a BA from Stanford University and an MBA from UCLA as well as an honorary doctorate from Babson College."

(Source: http://www.guykawasaki.com/about/)

So if you a) enjoy running, b) enjoy great presentations or c) want management advice - then I recommend you download this podcast.

Here is the presentation - http://ecorner.stanford.edu/authorMaterialInfo.html?mid=2669

Communication Lessons

When you are trying to explain a situation to a manager or another person who is joining you after the journey has already started, keep these thoughts in mind -

• Assume nothing.  Before you go and speak to the relevant people prepare your presentation and information in such a way that any person could pick up your work and work out what the main points and thrust are without anyone else having to explain it to them.
• Start at the beginning.  I mean right at the beginning.  You might know where you are up to and where things are at but for the new person it is highly likely they will have no idea what you are talking about.  So make sure you start at the beginning.
• Provide an overview. Give some guidance on what the problem/project looks like from a birds eye view.  Take the big picture into account and express the big ideas.
• Lay the groundwork.  Once you communicated the big idea then you can move into the finer details.  Avoid getting into the detail too early and thereby missing the big picture and getting lost in the detail.
• Allow time for feedback or changes.  Try to have as much time as you can so you can go back and edit or redirect your thinking before you hit the deadline or require an extension of time.  Be organised.

(Image: http://www.flickr.com/photos/will-lion/2595886084/)

The Value of Visual Thinking in Social Business

I hope this slide show interests you as much as did me.  Check it out:

The Value of Visual Thinking in Social Business

View more presentations from David Armano.

(Okay so this is a cheat of a post.  Borrowing someone elses idea.  Still - it's a brilliant presentation.  Enjoy)

Smart Presentations

Stuck on how to present that vital piece of information? Use the chart above to guide you in the right directon.

(Via http://www.socialhallucinations.com/)

Presentations that Work

The ability to present ideas is a skill that can be learnt. There isn't a lot of difference between a good presentation and a killer presentation.

Just observe a few simple rules and you too can improve -

1. Know your content!
2. Get early wins with your audience.
3. Have a laugh! Don't be so serious or nervous
4. Stay on track.
5. Practice.
   

Powerpoint is an excellent tool for producing eye catching graphics and creating slides that people enjoy. This website is a library of excellent powerpoint slide shows - http://www.slideshare.net/.

Some can be downloaded, but the main point is to draw inspiration from other people's work to enable you to be creative also.