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Stuck in the Vertical Stack
Those planning presentations are often locked in isolated preoccupation: "My script!" "My video!" "My speech!" "My product!" And each invests their lectern lust with such singular significance that the cumulative impact of meeting elements, as a whole, is lost.
Playing with the Meeting Mosaic
Here's an idea that can improve flow, structure, and strategy:
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Take each element on your meeting agenda and write it down on an index card. Now, line them up and scan the connections. (I put mine on the floor.)
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- Are strong presentations lumped together, when they could be spread around?
- Do several weak speakers follow each other?
- Does meeting interest and impact build?
- Do you need transition material to buffer subject changes, setup a speaker, or introduce a VIP?
- Is that 20 minute presentation really only worth 10 or 12?
- Are there useless agenda redundancies? (Not all repetition is bad.)
- Should some elements be shifted from morning to afternoon? First day to second day? Main tent to breakout?
- Should some presentations be chopped?
Move 'Em Around
Play a little presentation chess. Move your pieces around. Experiment. Revise. Reconfigure. (Risk!) You may be amazed how 50 cents worth of index cards can improve your agenda, your meeting, and your reputation! (Trying to do this on your computer will turn your brain to stone.)
The End Game
Getting this done assumes:
- You've got the muscle to make changes stick.
- You've got time to make them. (It is in the nature of most meetings for planning and production to be late.)
Coming up next: Innovation vs Renovation Confuse these terms at your peril! No joke, it can mean the difference between success and failure!
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