Why it’s better to think twice when you’re doing it “for the audience.”

Read more thoughts on the art of communicating week-daily at https://michaelgerharz.com/blog

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I'm just quickly going over this graph,” she said.

And she's doing it with good intentions.

Because that thing she's going quickly over is actually

not that hard to understand.

Also, it's probably not the most exciting part of her presentation.

So, just going quickly over it, seems like a great service to her audience.

Except that usually, it's the exact opposite.

Because she's going over it so quickly that her audience doesn't even have

the time to read the graph, let alone understand it, let alone question it.

What was easy for her is hard for her audience if only for the simple fact that

it is new and that the time available wasn't enough to fully grasp it.

When in doubt, assume that it's harder to see the point than you think it is.

Rather than go quickly over something that is easy, ask yourself, how to

focus on the most relevant bits.

Rather than go quickly over something that is unexciting, ask yourself

how to make it more exciting.

Lighting the path.

Is the presenter's job, not the audience’s.

And part of that is making sure that your audience has the time to fully

grasp what you're telling them.

Focus on the relevant parts, make sure they have the time to fully grasp it,

make it easy for them to understand it, and if it's unexciting, make it exciting.