Simple learning... honestly its really simple... guess what simple should be made more synonymous with... Logical! 'cause most of what is simple is also logical.
I recently had to assist the MD with a business proposal that was to be presented and put across to the board at the Excon due the next week. While I got the essence of the report right, I goofed up where the nitty grittys were concerned.
A mistake made by all and sundry where report submission is concerned is treating a report as they would treat a paper presentation. A report made for a purpose as mentioned above needs to be precise. It needs to find that delicate balance between depth and width. Not to mention that clarity should not be compromised upon. A report is not about being opinionated... that quintessential Hmmm or Arghhh post reading, is for the analysers to decide. Prejudiced views are not the way to go... and are more often than not frowned upon.
The report that I had prepared included figures.... Hordes of them. Volume traded, equity and F&O distribution, value traded, segment wise distribution, asset class bifurcation, break even levels, return calculations, interest hike repercussions etc. Now the point being that many of these figures ran into mullllltiple digits... In keeping with the source I got them form I stated the numbers religiously. Only to find that the report made the reader comprehend the difference between a fill rate of 31234536million and 4578659million. Only then did I realise my folly. My choice of scaling factor was not appropriate. While the accuracy is sometimes compromised, I think it is safe to say that 31234536million is as clear as 31Trillion. It sure is a lot easier to compare 31 trillion and 4.5 trillion.
Lesson well learnt. Shall imbibe them in presentations to come. I am sure that this does not come as a bolt out of the blue for many of you. However I think, many among them, do this kind of scaling subconsciously. Least to say it strengthens the point I made earlier. Simplicity is more or less Logic. And a lot of logic is dictated by instinct... directed by the subconscious mind.
More on similar matter, later.
Coming up:
I recently had to assist the MD with a business proposal that was to be presented and put across to the board at the Excon due the next week. While I got the essence of the report right, I goofed up where the nitty grittys were concerned.
A mistake made by all and sundry where report submission is concerned is treating a report as they would treat a paper presentation. A report made for a purpose as mentioned above needs to be precise. It needs to find that delicate balance between depth and width. Not to mention that clarity should not be compromised upon. A report is not about being opinionated... that quintessential Hmmm or Arghhh post reading, is for the analysers to decide. Prejudiced views are not the way to go... and are more often than not frowned upon.
The report that I had prepared included figures.... Hordes of them. Volume traded, equity and F&O distribution, value traded, segment wise distribution, asset class bifurcation, break even levels, return calculations, interest hike repercussions etc. Now the point being that many of these figures ran into mullllltiple digits... In keeping with the source I got them form I stated the numbers religiously. Only to find that the report made the reader comprehend the difference between a fill rate of 31234536million and 4578659million. Only then did I realise my folly. My choice of scaling factor was not appropriate. While the accuracy is sometimes compromised, I think it is safe to say that 31234536million is as clear as 31Trillion. It sure is a lot easier to compare 31 trillion and 4.5 trillion.
Lesson well learnt. Shall imbibe them in presentations to come. I am sure that this does not come as a bolt out of the blue for many of you. However I think, many among them, do this kind of scaling subconsciously. Least to say it strengthens the point I made earlier. Simplicity is more or less Logic. And a lot of logic is dictated by instinct... directed by the subconscious mind.
More on similar matter, later.
Coming up:
- The lenses used to view the manner in which Presentations are made and delivered.
- An interesting international group which is blossoming in various parts of the city, that works on honing the skills of Speech mavericks!
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