Monthly Archives: October 2013

#290 Metrics, shmetrics

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If a co-worker tells you that they don’t agree with your methods, or that they don’t think your role is important, first check to see if they understand your methods, or if they have worked with someone who performed your role. It is likely that his or her statement is a reflection of a personal bias, and not a reflection of your value to the organization.

For example, if your role is to measure, generate reports and metrics about the organization, your co-worker may say, “I trust my gut, I don’t think we should manage by the numbers.” Clearly, this person does not have the experience of using numbers. Yes, there are those who have blind faith in numbers, that is an extreme position and is a problem as well. But dismissing the use of metrics completely is prejudicial.

What if such a person is your boss? If you cannot turn the situation around and prove your value, you are headed for a lose-lose situation. It is a chance to hone your marketing skills and learn to work with a personality type that ruffles your feathers. Don’t lose that chance to improve. But don’t limit your career by not cutting your losses either.

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#289 Preparing for a presentation

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If you have a role of any importance in the corporate world, you will be asked to make a presentation from time to time. I’d suggest you make the following versions:

  • The full monty version. This is the version you will deliver in a perfect world, under perfect circumstances. The more senior you are, the higher the stakes, the more likely this will be the case. Keynote addresses, town hall meetings, and deep dives fall in this category.
  • The one page version. What if you were told a few minutes before your presentation that you could only present one slide? To most of you this will come as a deep shock, but it can be done.
  • The condensed version. This is a more realistic scenario. In a management offsite, the earlier speakers will take more time than allotted, random questions will waste time, and poor time management by the facilitator will rip the schedule to shreds. Be prepared with the top 3 to 5 slides to make your point. Ask for follow up meetings to review and take decisions that were not taken due to a truncated schedule.

This is not as hard as it sounds. If you know what you want to say, and who needs to hear the message, it is actually fun. Film makers do this all the time. They make the full movie, then they make a trailer, and then the film may be chopped up further to show on network television.

Giving up what you wanted to say is the hardest part. Knowing what to say so that the right message gets to the right person at the right time is the most important part of the preparation.

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