I have contributed to and have been following a blog by Olivia Mitchell, “Speaking About Presenting” where she asked for her reader’s opinion on What would you like to see in PowerPoint slide design in 2009? I have often wondered if other cultures thirst for better presentations and communications.
I have found from my experiences that other cultures have preserved their traditional story telling techniques better than others. I used to be VP of Sales for an international industrial equipment manufacturer. One morning a gentleman named Shaibal walked in to our office from off the street. He had just emigrated to Canada from India with his daughter and wife who was six months pregnant. He had worked for our international company in India and was looking for employment. I knew that India produced good engineers so wehired him. What I found fascinating with Shaibal was his story telling capabilities and how he would verbally paint scenarios to explain complex piping and other mechanical issues. I enjoyed making sales calls with Shaibal because I studied his story telling techniques and the fact that he was always telling stories. Mechanical engineering is not exciting stuff, unless you are a mechanical engineer (I speak from experience . . . yes I am a “propeller head“). The ability to tell stories around pipes and valves takes talent in my books. This pleasant experience of working with Shaibal led me to think that other cultures may have stronger communication skills.
I revisited Olivia’s original post to find a reply by a blogger from China, Xiaoxiaosun has a couple of suggestions for what should be seen in PowerPoint slide design in 2009. Xiaoxiaosun’s wishes are very concise and clear. It seems to me that the quest for more effective PowerPoint slides is not confined to any one culture. It also seems that the thirst for better presentations and communications is a human challenge. Olivia is preparing a round-up post on January 12th. Looking forward to reading what everyone wants to see in 2009!
Hang in there, it is going to be a journey!
Tags: communicaton, PowerPoint, story telling
Tags: communicaton, PowerPoint, story telling
