ADVICE FROM THE EDITOR TO ENSURE THE SMOOTH AND EFFICIENT CONDUCT OF OUR STAFF MEETINGS
To prepare your presentations for the staff meeting here are some advice I remind you of in order to be captivating, effective and efficient… I hate boring staff meetings as you know… WHO?
Don't forget that your colleagues and I are non-experts on the topic that you're presenting so be as clear as possible. Be ready to tell us what the most important information is and what you want us to know from your talk. Please, organise your presentations by using a clear structure for us to be able to follow the development of the ideas of your talk. Here is some help… Introduction Look for a sentence that will get your audience's attention State what the main focus of your talk is Explain how you have organise your talk In a word, let the audience know what to expect.
WHAT? and HOW?
Body of your talk Divide it into different main points Structure the information (eg: chronological or cause and effect or spatial…WH?...) Use visual aids if you want. If you do, here are some advice: Don't use visuals unecessarily-it should be clear why you use each of them Don't use too many slides Make them big and clear Think of what you will explain when showing the slides. Don't read each slide aloud…it's boring… The presentation is being done by you, not by your slides… Conclusion Plan how you are going to end your talk so that we will know that you've finished…
READING VERBATIM
And keep in mind that I don't want my journalists to read anything because it's irksome for the staff!!!
Nevertheless, if you need to read some short sections, please read to the audience and not to your notes!!! And to manage to do it, you need to practise because reading aloud is a real skill my fellow journalists…
And remember that what you have written on your page might appear short, but when you read it aloud it may take longer than expected and I hate staff meetings when they last for hours… You know I don't like tiresome presentations which make me sleepy. Thus, if you think you speak in a monotone, tape yourself and try to vary the way you use your voice: be lively, please!
VOICE-TONE
BODY LANGUAGE
Conversely, avoid speaking too quickly…and make pauses so that we'll have the time to acquire figure out everything and acquire knowledge. Last year, I was working with an excellent journalist but each time there was a meeting staff, I couldn't bear him because:
He got stuck on one journalist or he would only look down at his notes, at his computer or up at the screen as if the staff didn't exist.
When I was a younger, I learned the profession of journalist with an editor I really liked a lot since he was talented but each time he intended to entrust me with a mission, he would fidget and fiddle with his papers, notes, pens or other equipment. That got on my nerves so much that I would leave his office without having understood a single word of what he had tried to explain to me.
Thanks for not forcing me to undergo such a painful situation anymore… Rehearse your presentation in front of a mirror if need be! I know that many journalists like speaking in broken English. I'm not the type of editor who will LANGUAGE agree to such a way of speaking during our staff meetings. That's why I'd like all of you to pay much attention to use appropriate words, expressions and grammar… Say your talk out loud while standing up. Use your notes and slides. Find an audience (a friend, colleague, family member) and ask for feedback (e.g. What were the - main points? weaknesses? strengths?) REHEARSE Audio/video tape your rehearsal and watch yourself. Time how long it takes. Modify your talk and rehearse again. IF YOU FOLLOW MY ADVICE, BE SURE THAT I WON'T MESS WITH YOU FOR THE REST OF YOUR PROFESSIONAL LIFE!!! I SWEAR!!!