Know Your Presenter

Excuse the political message of this piece- watch for three things:

-Simplicity of message. A bunch of complicated ideas are boiled down to easily understood bits;
-A clarifying visual is used to illustrate each one;
-An understanding of who the presenter is, and what his strengths are.


"The Truth About The Economy in 2:15"

Robert Reich is 4' 10", but you have no hint of that in the video. The camera is below his eyeline, making him appear tall. The easel is at his height, keeping the perspectives right. He is well lit, and uses a mic so the audio is clear.

He also has art skills- which provides the visuals that move the piece along. The whole thing is well crafted.

Too often we allow our messages to be overwhelmed by the details. Step back, look at the big (possibly cartoon) picture, and simplify.

Seeking vs. Finding

There is a difference between searching online booksellers for the best price on a particular book that was recommended to you, and walking into a bookstore not knowing what you will walk out with.

Most of our modern lives are built around the former, but many of the joys we experience come from allowing something interesting to find us.

Peter

Focus

A friend once worked for a brilliant Big Picture Boss. BPB had a new genius idea every three days, and would excitedly explain it to the staff, expecting it to be implemented into the current product ASAP.

The result was near chaos. Initiatives were begun and quickly shelved to make room for The New Idea. Staff never knew which way they were headed, and never committed much effort to The New Idea, suspecting that it would be dropped before they got it up to speed.

Eventually BPB was managed out of the company because his product wasn't developing in the way management had expected. His lack of focus doomed his career.

Idea generation is great- but it must be contained. Limit the new projects to a Skunk Works within the group, and don't let the New Idea derail the products that pay the bills.

Most importantly, have a sense for which ideas will add value and which would just be nice to have.

Lack of focus can kill a vision.

Peter