I'm starting to think there should be a test you have to pass before you present at a national conference

Or a course you have to attend, maybe run by @ffolliet.bsky.social

Conformity. And, sadly, the generally low expectation of presentations.

Your presentations don't work. If you knew and accepted this, you would change. Why haven't you?

The Blue Nile- A Walk Across The Rooftops

niche. we played it in January

Uh. Holy flip. 😳

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The future of presentations is not about slides, it never was. The future of presenting is not about more tech, more ai, more polish, it is about clarity of message, audience engagement and ultimately, effective communication. It was never about…

https://ffolliet.com/2025/08/29/never-about-slides/

New post: Never about slides https://ffolliet.com/2025/08/29/never-about-slides/

MEN - The season is almost upon us.

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It might be a research funding panel, a conference plenary or your first research presentation but you want to get it right. It's too important. So you add more: more slides, more bulletpoints, more references because it's too important. This…

https://ffolliet.com/2025/08/27/its-too-important/

Post Edited: It’s too important https://ffolliet.com/2025/08/27/its-too-important/

Yes sir!

it's a challenge for so many of us, isn't it? Great at what we do, invited to speak but not so great at speaking. (worse, not knowing that, yet it being clear at the presentation. )

help me share the ideas more widely here Robin? Thank you

thank you. how can we improve our proximity?

Post Edited: Being an expert https://ffolliet.com/2025/08/14/expert/

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Expertise in a topic does not make you an expert in presentation. You may know more than anyone else in the room. That does not necessarily mean they will understand by reciting that. Nor does not mean they will remember. It does mean they will not act. This…

https://ffolliet.com/2025/08/14/expert/

Kintsugi The way presentations are currently constructed, delivered and received is not the result of laziness on the part of presenter or audience. Presentations are built with effort, intention and time but with a concept that breaks the result. The Japanese art of kintsugi recognises the value of a piece of pottery and in its damage, it is repaired, often with gold. Presentations are broken but should not be thrown in the trash. They can be repaired with kintsugi and returned to intended function and experiences of real value.

Kintsugi

The way presentations are currently constructed, delivered and received is not the result of laziness on the part of presenter or audience. Presentations are built with effort, intention and time but with a concept that breaks the result. The Japanese art of kintsugi recognises the value…

New post: Kintsugi https://ffolliet.com/2025/08/07/kintsugi/ The way presentations are currently constructed, delivered and received is broken. kintsugi recognises the value of a broken piece repairing it with gold. Presentations can be improved to experiences of real value.

Useless Most presentation feedback is useless. "Thank you for your excellent presentation. I very much enjoyed it." This really is not the critical review you hoped it would be. Feedback needs to be actively sought, shared in the spirit of improvement and as part of a conversation. Vague, polite platitudes unsolicitedly offered and based on what the listener felt are useless when it comes to development of presentation skills.

Useless

Most presentation feedback is useless. "Thank you for your excellent presentation. I very much enjoyed it." This really is not the critical review you hoped it would be. Feedback needs to be actively sought, shared in the spirit of improvement and as part of a conversation. Vague, polite…

New post: Useless https://ffolliet.com/2025/08/05/useless/

Proximity Poor presentations break proximity with a message that simply lists data. Slides that are beautiful but unrelated separate understanding from meaning. A fluent spoken message from a speaker disconnected from the audience loses impact. Great presentations have proximity.

Proximity

Poor presentations break proximity with a message that simply lists data. Slides that are beautiful but unrelated separate understanding from meaning. A fluent spoken message from a speaker disconnected from the audience loses impact. Great presentations have proximity.

Poor presentations break proximity with a message that simply lists data. Slides that are beautiful but unrelated separate understanding from meaning. A fluent spoken message from a speaker disconnected from the audience loses impact. Great presentations have proximity.

To be or not to be Most of us have heard, even recited, the start of the soliloquy from Hamlet. "To be or not to be? That is the question." Few of us would consider that recitation had any impact. Anyone can download and read the piece. It isn't the same as being delivered by an actor, on stage, in costume and in the moment. A presentation is not simply a script, read out on a stage. The delivery of a presentation (p3) demands much more than that.

To be or not to be

Most of us have heard, even recited, the start of the soliloquy from Hamlet. "To be or not to be? That is the question." Few of us would consider that recitation had any impact. Anyone can download and read the piece. It isn't the same as being delivered by an actor, on stage,…

New post: To be or not to be https://ffolliet.com/2025/07/31/to-be-or-not-to-be/

Delivery of a presentation is more than just reading it out

I know In the Star Wars film, The Empire Strikes Back, there is a dramatic and romantic moment where Princess Leia calls to Han Solo as he is about to be immersed in Carbonite. "I love you!" she calls. His response has become iconic. The slide below shows how most presentations would relate that scene as below. "I know". Subtitles are not required. Like your powerpoint

I know

In the Star Wars film, The Empire Strikes Back, there is a dramatic and romantic moment where Princess Leia calls to Han Solo as he is about to be immersed in Carbonite. "I love you!" she calls. His response has become iconic. The slide below shows how most presentations would relate that…

New post: I know https://ffolliet.com/2025/07/29/i-know/

Change So now what should we do once we have recognised that there is glitch in The Matrix? Change. Having seen that we fall into the trap of using the slidewear to construct a powerpoint rather than a message, what should we do? Understanding the Presentation Paradox that we do what we hate in the construction and delivery of a presentation, what should we do? Seeing that science describes the problem, even if we see the problem all around us so now what should we do? Change.

Change

So now what should we do once we have recognised that there is glitch in The Matrix? Change. Having seen that we fall into the trap of using the slidewear to construct a powerpoint rather than a message, what should we do? Understanding the Presentation Paradox that we do what we hate in…

New post: Change https://ffolliet.com/2025/07/27/change/

Wallpaper Choosing wallpaper for a room involves decisions of colour, pattern, and density. Buying wallpaper before you have even bought the house it is going in makes no sense. But you probably decided on the template for your last presentation before you considered the content. Presentations are not about the decoration.

Wallpaper

Choosing wallpaper for a room involves decisions of colour, pattern, and density. Buying wallpaper before you have even bought the house it is going in makes no sense. But you probably decided on the template for your last presentation before you considered the content. Presentations are…