To Drive Change You Must Present Your Case

by Gayle Brickman

The ability to clearly and convincingly communicate how your program will impact the bottom line is the key to success.
Published in The Human Resource Professional

 

The role of human resources is changing. The diverse work force and expanding global boundaries continue to put new demands and pressures on corporate America.

 

To help position companies for future growth, HR professionals are being called upon to drive change and results, not just monitor them. In fact, experts predict that leading change will become HR's greatest contribution to the corporation. To facilitate this growing responsibility, HR managers find themselves as part of the top management team, often reporting directly to the CEO.

 

For years, HR has been trying to gain credibility with upper management. Now, senior management acknowledges the importance of managing the work force, and it wants HR to provide programs. David Ulrich, a professor at the University of Michigan School of Business points out, "Companies are now finding that the HR issues are, in fact, center stage to business competitiveness. It's a role that has been talked about for years, and is now becoming a reality. "

 

Once at the leadership table, HR professionals are expected to add value. Creating HR programs is the crux of adding value. But this is only half the battle. You can have the best ideas and strategies, but if you cannot convince the CEO to proceed, they do not mean a thing.

 

As you move up the organizational ladder you will be called upon to speak publicly in a variety of situations, including:

• Presenting your ideas to upper management and persuading them to implement them.  

• Explaining to employees the reasons behind a recent downsizing.  

• Training personnel on a new software program.  

• Addressing a group of potential recruits.  

• Conducting a team or department motivational meeting.

 

Whatever the situation, the key to success is effective communication. How well you convey your message - how clear, concise and convincing you are - will dramatically impact the success or failure of your presentation.

 

Spending a lot of time preparing does not mean you will be well-prepared. For example, look at a presentation to the CEO. Sure, you must know the CEO. You need to find out, as much as possible, about your boss' hot buttons. You also have to know the business, so that you can make sure your program is linked to and supports the overall goals and objectives.

 

But having done your homework is only step one, not all the steps. Being able to clearly and convincingly communicate how your program will impact the bottom line is the key to success. Your job as a presenter is to make sure your intended message is heard.

 

This can only be achieved if your speech is clear, concise and well organized. The more organized you are, the more comfortable and confident you will be during the presentation, and the more effective and exciting you will be in selling your program. Whether talking to a handful of top executives or an auditorium filled with employees, one fact remains constant - the key to effective communication is organization. Learning how to organize your thoughts, defining your goal, identifying your audience and developing your theme, will give you the confidence you need to communicate effectively.

 

Preparing for a presentation can be done in five systematic steps. You already have the knowledge and expertise, so make sure your audience knows it. Following these steps you will enhance your credibility, improve your delivery and ensure that you communicate your message clearly and reach your goal.

 

As a successful HR professional, you know that the formal presentation is one of many times you will be called upon to speak. You may be asked to give impromptu project updates, address other key decision-makers, conduct informal training sessions or communicate quickly to employees during a crisis situation. These five steps can be easily modified to help you prepare for these situations as well.

 

Step 1. Presentation analysis. Before you put pen to paper, take a good look at your presentation. Why are you making this presentation? Whom are you talking to? How long do you have to talk?

 

Analyzing your audience and situation will ensure that you prepare a presentation that is targeted to their wants or needs, and that will help you reach your goal. Specifically, the analysis will:

 

• Cut down the time you spend preparing by eliminating unnecessary or inappropriate information.

• Ensure that you use terminology appropriate for your audience's level of understanding. 

• Help you anticipate questions or opposition from the audience. 

• Allow you to take the same topic and quickly tailor it for a different audience.

 

The first, and perhaps most critical, point in analyzing your audience is to define your goal. To a large extent, the goal will depend on why you are making the presentation. Are you selling an HR program? Communicating a policy change? Promoting the company to a group of recruits? Or holding a weekly staff meeting? Knowing specifically what you need to address will enable you to create a presentation to meet that goal.

 

Step 2. Funneling to generate your topic. By failing to focus on an appropriate topic, you can actually sabotage your own presentation. Too often, people try to present too much information, hoping something will stick. But "data dump" overwhelms and confuses the audience. As a presenter, your job is to help the audience understand your message and to give them only information they can readily process and retain.

 

Just as a funnel is wide on the top and narrows on the bottom, the technique of funneling allows you to take a broad topic and narrow it to one that is more focused and manageable. Funneling the information helps you arrive at a specific theme for your presentation - for example, how your proposed program will positively impact the company's bottom line - and keeps you focused on what your audience needs or wants to know so you can reach your goal.

 

Step 3. Creating a focus statement. Although not specifically revealed to your audience, the focus statement keeps you focused and helps you stay on track while preparing your presentation. It serves as a constant reminder of how your information will be defined, developed and included in your presentation. The focus statement is comprised of three elements:

 

• Presentation goal. Your goal will be the answer to the question: "What do I want my audience to know, feel or do?" Be as specific as possible, in pinpointing what you hope to accomplish. The clearer your goal, the better you will be at communicating with your audience, and the more efficient you will be in reaching it.

• Presentation theme. Virtually all presentations fit into two categories - informative or persuasive. By determining whether you intend to inform or persuade, you will be better able to identify what the presentation is about. Keep in mind that the theme must be specific and must offer a benefit. For example, "To inform the CEO about a new program" is too broad for most situations. "To persuade the CEO that the new program will enhance recruitment and retention efforts" is more specific and prompts you to focus on a concrete message and targeted benefits for your audience.

• Presentation information. Generally, the theme of the presentation will determine the kind information you need to give your audience. Categories of information include steps, methods, types, benefits or reasons why. So, if you are trying to persuade the CEO that the new program will positively affect recruitment and retention, the only information you should give him or her are specific reasons why.

 

Step 4. Identify main points. The category of information helps you determine the main points of your presentation. In the above example, one main point could be that the new program promotes a more family friendly work environment. You would then go on to support this reason with illustrations and examples. Research has shown that people think in threes. Three reasons might be:

 

• Allows telecommuting provided specific criteria are met.

• Enables people to job-share in certain positions.

• Defines career track according to performance, rather than time at work.

 

By categorizing your material under three main headings, the information will be so tightly organized and will flow in such a logical sequence that your audience will absorb and retain the information with little effort.

Step 5. Map out the presentation. Developing what I call a Speaker's Map is the crux of making a confident, smooth effective presentation. Based on this map, you create a blueprint for your presentation in which all the components of your speech are incorporated onto one sheet of paper.

Following the map's route is easy and natural for both you and the audience. Key words and phrases are used to trigger your memory and keep you focused throughout the presentation. When interruptions occur, you can quickly get back on track by simply glancing at your map. Finding because you are not reading to the audience. With a natural delivery comes increased eye contact, more natural gesturing and real enthusiasm. As your delivery improves, so does your success.

Putting It All Together

No matter what the situation or audience, effective communication with your prospect is the key to success. If your message is lost or misunderstood, even the best HR program will fail to capture the CEO's attention and receive the consideration it undoubtedly deserves. There are a variety of ways to create a presentation; but, by following these five systematic steps you will:

Save time. Identify and reach your goal. Improve your confidence and delivery.Give your audience a clear and concise message.

Organization is the foundation to successful communication. It will allow you to fully communicate your knowledge and expertise and help you achieve your ultimate goal to drive change.