In 2007 my personal organisation structure was terrible. I saw a video of a talk at Google by Merlin Mann on the concept of Inbox Zero . I was completely blown away not just the idea but by the presentation. Merlin credits one man for that presentation; Garr Reynolds.
Inspired, I went to Garr’s blogsite Presentation Zen and as soon as I could I went out and bought his book “Presentation Zen”. I read it voraciously. This was what I had been searching for in terms of improving presentations for so long. My life changed.
Presentation Zen is clear and simple. Rather than seeing presentations as something to be endured or avoided, you see them as an opportunity to inspire, encourage and to change the world. By the application and development of design principles along with years in medical education, I saw a direction that my presentations might improve. Amazingly, I got to meet my hero, one cold December night in London in 2010 as we walked to a pub following his presentation at the Apple Store in Oxford Street. We talked about presentations and he could not believe how bad medical presentations could be. “So,” he laughed, “why don’t you change them?” I laughed too.
So I started to think more deeply about presentations, why they annoyed me and maybe how we could improve them. A year later, Garr graciously invited me to an international seminar he was running on presentation skills for accredited presentation coaches. One small catch, he wanted me to give a presentation, immediately after he had explained to them how to do it! No pressure then? I learned a lot that day. I met amazing people, talked presentations and my life changed again.
As part of my Masters course my Professor encouraged us to blog, “anyone can have an opinion but if you have to write about it in five paragraphs, then you will start to understand it.” So, I blogged about Clinical Leadership. Inspired by that, on 5th March 2013, I published my first blog post on presentation skills. What started as simple thoughts and complaints about bulletpoints shared into the void became in time advice to colleagues on why and how to improve. It has now expanded into as complete an understanding as I can manage about everything to do with presentation skills shared here as a free resource. It has been consolidated into lectures, workshops and seminars, advice to University Faculties, journal articles, membership of international societies and an international reputation in the subject.
I now work with amazing people, because of presentations. I have some very dear friends and amazing experiences I would never have had, because of presentations. I have had the opportunity of speaking at TEDx Stuttgart and countless international conferences, because of presentations. I have helped so many friends and colleagues make a difference in their lives and worlds with their presentations and hear them getting excited about giving presentations. And I’m even in the 3rd edition of Garr’s book because in my little way I am changing medical presentations! Presentation Zen All this started because of a Giant and his throwaway line in 2010.
The presentation I gave for Garr’s meeting in 2012 was entitled, “What I’m most proud of.” The header image of this post was my final slide. It is because of giants like Garr, his thinking and his passion, that presentations are changing and that will change the world.
先生 私を教えてれてありがとう
Sensei watashi o oshie terete arigatō
Teacher, thank you for teaching me
(i think)