Anonymous
09/25/2019 17:58
Subject: Re:How long does it take you to prep a presentation?
Anonymous wrote:
And what is your strategy?
I generally enjoy public speaking and have earned a reputation for being good at it. However, at my workplace, it’s generally assumed that it only takes 2 hours to put together and deliver a good talk, and now that I’m giving a lot of them, I’ve decided that is bullshit - and because I’m not willing to get up in front of people and not do a good job, I find myself putting in a lot of effort on in my own time. I’m curious how much time other people take prepping a talk - from deciding what to cover to assembling slides, etc. as I prepare to advocate for more support for myself in this role.
For purposes or argument, assume I’m talking about presenting on a topic you are knowledgeable about but to a new audience that may require tweaking of the story-line and new content, with medium-high stakes (e.g. presenting at a professional meeting or to a new potential client, not a casual talk at a staff meeting or your debut on the TED stage).
It doesn't really matter what we think or what we do in terms of advocating for more support for yourself in this role. What do the other good speakers at your company do? Do they also put in a bunch of extra preparation time? Do they prepare quickly? Are they just not that good?
If there's simply an expectation that a certain level of quality is "good enough," and you want to put in extra effort to achieve a higher level to maintain what you consider your personal brand, then you need to first persuade your superiors that your company (not just you) will benefit from putting on truly excellent (as opposed to merely adequate) talks. And that the benefit is greater than the cost of the support you want to request.[code]
That’s really the heart of the issue. As an organization, we’ve chronically underinvested in communication and outreach, and very few people on staff (I can think of only one) can effectively communicate what we are all about, which has very much been to our disadvantage. I’m in a good place to step up, and our new leadership is hungry for it, but there’s no precedent for what that means in terms of staff time. Some knowledge of norms from workplaces where this is supported would be helpful.
Anonymous
09/25/2019 16:23
Subject: How long does it take you to prep a presentation?
Anonymous wrote:And what is your strategy?
I generally enjoy public speaking and have earned a reputation for being good at it. However, at my workplace, it’s generally assumed that it only takes 2 hours to put together and deliver a good talk, and now that I’m giving a lot of them, I’ve decided that is bullshit - and because I’m not willing to get up in front of people and not do a good job, I find myself putting in a lot of effort on in my own time. I’m curious how much time other people take prepping a talk - from deciding what to cover to assembling slides, etc. as I prepare to advocate for more support for myself in this role.
For purposes or argument, assume I’m talking about presenting on a topic you are knowledgeable about but to a new audience that may require tweaking of the story-line and new content, with medium-high stakes (e.g. presenting at a professional meeting or to a new potential client, not a casual talk at a staff meeting or your debut on the TED stage).
It doesn't really matter what we think or what we do in terms of advocating for more support for yourself in this role. What do the other good speakers at your company do? Do they also put in a bunch of extra preparation time? Do they prepare quickly? Are they just not that good?
If there's simply an expectation that a certain level of quality is "good enough," and you want to put in extra effort to achieve a higher level to maintain what you consider your personal brand, then you need to first persuade your superiors that your company (not just you) will benefit from putting on truly excellent (as opposed to merely adequate) talks. And that the benefit is greater than the cost of the support you want to request.
Anonymous
09/25/2019 16:21
Subject: How long does it take you to prep a presentation?
I have about ten base presentations that took me hours and hours to put together initially.
To get those ready now for a presentation - I would say I can do it in 2 hours. I do a little research to add updates and the most recent of references / current events so it comes across as relevant to today. I tweak the content for the audience to be sure examples and material is specific. I add or remove slides or bring slides in from other presentations to fit the length and focus.
I tend to do these two hours within 24 hours of the presentation so that it is all very fresh. I don't rehearse presentations because I want them to come across as unrehearsed so I don't spend time on that. I will write myself a few speaking notes if there is something I really want to be sure I emphasize.
To get those ready now for a presentation - I would say I can do it in 2 hours. I do a little research to add updates and the most recent of references / current events so it comes across as relevant to today. I tweak the content for the audience to be sure examples and material is specific. I add or remove slides or bring slides in from other presentations to fit the length and focus.
I tend to do these two hours within 24 hours of the presentation so that it is all very fresh. I don't rehearse presentations because I want them to come across as unrehearsed so I don't spend time on that. I will write myself a few speaking notes if there is something I really want to be sure I emphasize.
Anonymous
09/25/2019 16:19
Subject: Re:How long does it take you to prep a presentation?
Anonymous wrote:2 hours is no time to prepare a good presentation, honestly. You can do it once, if you have some material that you can re-use, and the topic is fresh in your mind.
The minimum lead time I need for a short presentation (up to 30 minutes, for the sake of this argument), would be 2 days. I wouldn’t necessarily be 2 full days working on it, but I need time to mature the ideas in my head. I’d do a first set of slides, and then adjust 2-3 times before the final version.
I usually know at least 1-2 weeks in advance that I have a presentation coming up and that works well for me.
+ 1
Anonymous
09/25/2019 16:14
Subject: Re:How long does it take you to prep a presentation?
2 hours is no time to prepare a good presentation, honestly. You can do it once, if you have some material that you can re-use, and the topic is fresh in your mind.
The minimum lead time I need for a short presentation (up to 30 minutes, for the sake of this argument), would be 2 days. I wouldn’t necessarily be 2 full days working on it, but I need time to mature the ideas in my head. I’d do a first set of slides, and then adjust 2-3 times before the final version.
I usually know at least 1-2 weeks in advance that I have a presentation coming up and that works well for me.
The minimum lead time I need for a short presentation (up to 30 minutes, for the sake of this argument), would be 2 days. I wouldn’t necessarily be 2 full days working on it, but I need time to mature the ideas in my head. I’d do a first set of slides, and then adjust 2-3 times before the final version.
I usually know at least 1-2 weeks in advance that I have a presentation coming up and that works well for me.
Anonymous
09/25/2019 16:04
Subject: How long does it take you to prep a presentation?
And what is your strategy?
I generally enjoy public speaking and have earned a reputation for being good at it. However, at my workplace, it’s generally assumed that it only takes 2 hours to put together and deliver a good talk, and now that I’m giving a lot of them, I’ve decided that is bullshit - and because I’m not willing to get up in front of people and not do a good job, I find myself putting in a lot of effort on in my own time. I’m curious how much time other people take prepping a talk - from deciding what to cover to assembling slides, etc. as I prepare to advocate for more support for myself in this role.
For purposes or argument, assume I’m talking about presenting on a topic you are knowledgeable about but to a new audience that may require tweaking of the story-line and new content, with medium-high stakes (e.g. presenting at a professional meeting or to a new potential client, not a casual talk at a staff meeting or your debut on the TED stage).
I generally enjoy public speaking and have earned a reputation for being good at it. However, at my workplace, it’s generally assumed that it only takes 2 hours to put together and deliver a good talk, and now that I’m giving a lot of them, I’ve decided that is bullshit - and because I’m not willing to get up in front of people and not do a good job, I find myself putting in a lot of effort on in my own time. I’m curious how much time other people take prepping a talk - from deciding what to cover to assembling slides, etc. as I prepare to advocate for more support for myself in this role.
For purposes or argument, assume I’m talking about presenting on a topic you are knowledgeable about but to a new audience that may require tweaking of the story-line and new content, with medium-high stakes (e.g. presenting at a professional meeting or to a new potential client, not a casual talk at a staff meeting or your debut on the TED stage).