Presenting to Boards: Practical Skills for Corporate Presentations
by Julie Garland McLellan
ISBN: 978-1451594065, Publisher: Great Governance, USA, March 2010
Reviewed by: Sean Spencei, April 2011
This book is beautifully concise.
You can't say that about many works these days. In anything to do with the Board or Presenting heft seems to be normal.
Therefore the book is extraordinarily useful. It also seems to me complete - there are other places to go for general theory but what's in here is focussed on the actuality of the situation. The reason it's brief is that Julie knows what she is talking about - she is an experienced Board member, board consultant and board trainer and she is also an accomplished presenter and speaker on Board issues.
So the distillation here is exactly and no more than you need to get it right for your next or first Board presentation. It has one of the best summaries of the Board's function that you will find anywhere, so 'knowing the audience' is clearly expressed. It also beautifully delivers the critical core advice on presentation skills without the waffle. And it is based on the fact that you and the Board members are human!
I particularly like this latter aspect. Julie is clear about dealing with the stress of presenting, the psychology of directors (and why their 'normal' can look strange), the emotional context and the need to get simple physical details right (will your clothes stay on?!). In other words while the theory is very solid, the practicality runs deep.
So, with the brevity comes a warning - don't skim! This is a book in which each word, particularly in the 'Top Tips', works hard. The theoretical summaries cover libraries in paragraphs but you get what you need for the context. It will take some effort to deal well with all the items on some of her lists - but she lights the path well. By using the built-in note areas you end up with your personal framework for greatly improving your success in the one event that could lift or halt your career.
What you will need to bring is a good dose of humility, reflection, self-honesty and focussed application - which of course are all requisite to good presentation to any group!
1 Sean Spence consultants to boards and senior executives. Full details are available at www.seanspence.com.au.