I asked this question from some of our my brilliant colleagues, whom I was lucky to support in preparing for their promotion panels. I did so, because I know how it feels.
Early in my career, I was so focused on being the smartest person in the room 🤓that I forgot a key point: communication is about connection, not just content.
As an energy trader, I loved data and concepts, but I did not feel that my message always went through. It's already a hard enough fight when you are the junior, and I really didn't need more setbacks.
I remember one particularly disastrous meeting where I proudly presented a new market opportunity, with figures, graphs and forecasts. But when I finished, the room was silent. At the end, someone asked me to explain the main points in simple terms that everyone could understand.
Ouch. How could I, with all my knowledge and expertise 🤓, have failed so spectacularly at getting my message across?
That day, I started to realize, that it's not enough to push through all the figures. I had to make my message relatable - so it resonated with the audience.
A long process started back then, and it's still in progress. I started paying more attention to whom I find is an impactful presenter and what's their trick. Also, I asked for feedback, not just on the content of my work, but on how I delivered it. And then: practice, practice and practice.
Now I know, that the best communicators are those who can adapt their style to their audience - meeting the people where they are.
I learned I need to put data in context, focus on my main message and practice empathy. In other words, I need to tell a story. Just like this story, that was born during a lunch break at the beautiful Lake of Zurich.
And you, do you give a presentation or tell a story?
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