j e s r u s h . c o m

PowerPoint — originally a mac application — was purchased by Microsoft in the late 80’s or early 90’s and reached its tipping point around 1993. It became ubiquitous in schools and businesses and it wasn’t long before the term ‘death by Powerpoint’ entered the common vocabulary.

The problem with Powerpoint is that people use it as a kind of big screen word document. They fill the slides with bullet points and company logos. The text closely follows the presenter’s spoken word.

However research has consistently shown that it is much more difficult to understand information being communicated audibly and in writing at the same time (Patty, Anna [2007]. Researcher points finger at Powerpoint. Sydney Morning Herald).

Enter Pecha-Kucha, a valiant attempt to restore order to the presentation world. Pecha-Kucha is a worldwide movement started in the far east, it involves giving presentations in a very particular format: 20 slides, each shown for 20 seconds (and automatically advanced). It’s kind of like Haiku for Toastmasters.

The effect of Pecha-Kucha, is that it forces you to tell a story verbally, and support it (rather than mirror it) with your slides. Effectively, the slides end up being pictures or illustrations with little or no text. They reinforce (rather than replace) what the speaker is saying with sticky, creative images that stay with you after the presentation.

The Pecha-Kucha folks aren’t saying that all business presentations should be seven minutes or less, but they are saying that most of us have the whole Powerpoint thing backwards.

Find a Pecha-Kucha gathering near you and get some practice!

It’s been said that 70-90% of project management is communication. So I was very interested when Patty Azzarello turned me on to a little book about communicating ideas called, ‘Made to Stick,’ by Chip and Dan Heath. The interest was justified.

This is one of the five best business books I’ve ever read. The Heath brothers take you on a wild romp through urban legends, advertising, and the mind’s jungle to tease out why some ideas “stick” with you and others don’t. Why is it that we remember the bathtub-ice-kidney-heist after hearing it one time, but can’t name the auto manufacturer in that TV commercial we’ve seen four times?

Because, Chip and Dan argue, the kidney heist is simple, unexpected, concrete, and emotional… They spend about 200 pages exploring these and other aspects of “sticky” messages while tying in some some remarkable research from academia.

Most importantly, they step you through the process of making your own messages more sticky. If this sounds like a marketing book, don’t be fooled: You will quickly find yourself applying this concepts to all kinds of communications… with your team… with your superiors… with everyone.

I was stunned by how dramatically ‘Made to Stick‘ “stuck” with me and actually improved by ability to communicate. Insanely recommended.