Building on the BLUF technique we learned last week, I want to share a foolproof presentation format that will finally answer that common question we face in the workplace:
“What should the agenda be for this week’s presentation?”
Every week you sit there scratching your head trying to find some new way to capture the audience’s attention. You try and shuffle speakers, you think up new topics, but eventually… it all just feels a little stale.
The weekly status update that you so painstakingly put together now feels like you’re all just going through the motions and, by the end of the meeting, everyone looks a little greyer than when they arrived ☠️
Fear not! The solution to your problems is here: The BLIND method
The BLIND method is a military technique used for effective communication. It stands for:
- BL: Bottom Line ➡️ the main point or reason for the meeting (see last week’s email 😁)
- I: Impact on the organisation ➡️ the risk of acting or not taking action
- N: Next steps ➡️ the most important actions or decisions to take next
- D: Details or discussion points to support the bottom line ➡️ any further context or analysis including the appendix
This is the same structure I’ve used in many of my weekly project updates at both the team, operations, as well as at the executive level.
It just works 👌
It’s everything you need for the audience to take action on the focal point of your meeting. Nothing more and nothing less.
The benefits of using this structure are similar to what we outlined with the BLUF technique. What’s more, you can use it for meetings, emails, presentations… wherever you need to get your audience to act.
In a world where we’re pushed to make critical decisions all the time, the benefits of putting extra effort into shaping your communications go a long way.
While we’re at it, here’s another military acronym you can apply: FOCUS
- FOCUSED: On the key issue only
- ORGANISED: Keep your content ordered to make sense and be straightforward
- CLEAR: Use unambiguous and concise language
- UNDERSTANDABLE: Only include the messages that are relevant to the audience
- SUPPORTED: Substantiate your claims with facts (i.e. data)
In our quest to save the world one presentation at a time, borrowing these communication protocols from the military will give us the ammo we need to get there 🫡
Good luck and have fun sharing your work!
This brings our series: Presentation Power-Up Basics to an end. I hope the last month has helped establish a solid foundation to take your slides from Boring to Brilliant.
Is there a particular area that you currently struggle with? Let me know with a reply and I will create a lesson just for you 🏆
Edition #13 done. Hope you have a fantastic week!
✌️ + ppt
Fareed.
Say hi on Twitter or LinkedIn
Did you enjoy this edition?
Join 200+ ambitious professionals reading my newsletter. Subscribe and get practical tips every Tuesday to level up how you share ideas at work💡
Leave a Reply