Staff perform last checks on their presentation behind a curtain, before the opening of the 10th Annual European Business Aviation Convention & Exhibition (EBACE) at Palexpo at Cointrin airport in Geneva May 04, 2010. REUTERS/Denis Balibouse
BOSTON (Reuters) - At the heart of many a tedious business meeting are long, pointless PowerPoint presentations that leave the audience gasping for air, says Harvard Business Review.
The Management Tip of the Day offers quick, practical management tips and ideas from Harvard Business Review and HBR.org (www.hbr.org). Any opinions expressed are not endorsed by Reuters.
“Far too many meetings are boring and tedious, and the use of PowerPoint ups the chances that the meeting will become a snooze-fest. Here are three ways you can fight the boredom and ensure PowerPoint doesn’t ruin your next meeting.
1. Limit time. After 90 minutes, most people lose focus. Keep your meetings to an hour, or 90 minutes at most.
2. Send materials ahead of time. All materials should be sent the day or night before, and should include a one-page executive summary.
3. Skip the PowerPoint altogether. Most PowerPoint presentations simply cover what people should already know coming into the meeting. Have the presenter give a five to ten minute introduction and then spend the bulk of your meeting discussing and formulating an action plan.”
-Today’s management tip was adapted from “Make Meetings Work: Fight the PowerPoint” by Robert C. Pozen and Justin Fox.
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