Author Archive: ffolliet

p cubed presentations > Articles by: ffolliet

At work I'm a Consultant Paediatric Surgeon. That involves Surgical Oncology, Neonatal Surgery and Trauma. There's also a lot of teaching and mentoring. None of this actually makes me particularly clever. I'm pretty heavily into improving presentations and long for the world to lay down the weapon of bulletpoints and embrace creative and engaging presentations. I lead presentation workshops and am currently working up a book on presentations. I did a wee thing at TEDx Stuttgart in 2014 of which I'm quite proud https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qFza3W87eDg Outside all of that I struggle to keep fit, cycle a bit and the odd triathlon. I'm a father, singer, laugher, learner, sharer, blogger, thinker, strummer and much more.

The enemy of good is perfect

March 30, 2017 1 Comment

enemy of good is perfect

Voltaire, apparently, popularised this aphorism: “The enemy of good is perfect.” As with all good philospophy, the longer one thinks about such a concept, the deeper the understanding becomes. It is useful to consider this in the preparation, delivery and…
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p cubed

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What should I do watching a bad presentation?

March 27, 2017 3 Comments

bad presentation

What should I do watching a bad presentation? Sadly, with the desire to improve one’s presentations comes the realisation of how poor many presentations really are. With the connection that Twitter brings and the ability to receive wisdom from conferences far…
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p cubed

Single image per slide

March 18, 2017 0 Comments

When constructing a slide use only a single image. The image should add to the message that is being delivered but not be the message itself. A few words can add meaning but there is no need for a title….
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p2

You don’t need a script

March 13, 2017 2 Comments

don't need a script

You don’t need a script to give a great presentation. Many people use a script and that significantly impairs their delivery. Many people feel they need a script and that impairs their delivery. A script is for preparation and rehearsal…
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p3

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Busy slides

March 10, 2017 0 Comments

busy slides

“Busy slides” happen for many reasons; the script, something to read, the handout , what everyone does, “because of learning styles”, ”academic” and because it is quick and easy. They are not effective, they limit the message, they are not…
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science of fail

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Presentations are your responsibility

March 4, 2017 2 Comments

your responsibility

Presentations are your responsibility. Presentation skills are not innate. Like all other professional skills, they require education, example and feedback to develop. Unfortunately, there is little education, the standard achieved is at best mediocrity and feedback for those delivering presentations is seldom…
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science of fail

Could you send me your presentation please?

March 1, 2017 6 Comments

send presentation

A simple question that belies a lack of understanding of the value of a presentation. “Could you email me your presentation please?” A presentation is the product of the story (p1), the media (p2) and its delivery (p3). A presentation…
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slideument

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On generic slides

February 28, 2017 3 Comments

generic slides

Generic slides are designed so that “anyone can give the same presentation and everyone receive the same information.” Few great presentations are given using generic slidesand many good presentations are made worse using generic slides. Education is not simply about…
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p2

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On being creative

February 22, 2017 0 Comments

creative

It is always encouraging to engage with colleagues in social media and I try to answer questions from there. Thanks to Jennifer Wyman for raising the idea of creativity in presentations. Data slides (2) https://t.co/9Tfeh8gkXE via @ffolliet Check out the P3…
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Data slides (3)

February 20, 2017 3 Comments

image superiority

Data slides must be easily interpreted, memorable and clear. They will support the message, not distract, cannot be taken directly from a scientific document and are best if their theme, font colour fit with the other slides in the presentation.This…
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#htdap

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