What made me write this blog? It was a number of things actually. As you go through life, you observe people and their actions. Or, at least, I do. One circumstance is the many times I see people preparing to speak to a group. Whether it is a class, a presentation or a meeting, it seems like they are just not ready. It appears that they really didn't prepare for the task at hand. What initially is a relatively straightforward task has turned into a major issue with several problems. Ultimately their failure to properly prepare becomes someone else's problem. You would think that people that are going to be the center of attention would be prepared, have a "Plan B" and be able to deal with just about any roadblock in their way. Especially in education! These people are supposed to be in control of the activities and situations of the day, or at least the appointed time period allotted. All eyes are on them. Their audience has expectations of the person up front and in the spotlight.
I'll be the first to admit, I have mellowed out a considerable amount in the past several years. I realize we all slip up and forget sometimes AND things do go wrong. With that being said, you should make every attempt to think ahead, prepare for the worse possible scenario, and be ready for anything. When my family was involved in Cross Country racing, my wife and I managed the team. It was a lot of responsibility. It was unacceptable to prepare for a race, travel 6 to 8 hours, pay for all the expenses, only to to arrive on race day and have some $100.00 part, or the wrong torque settings on a steering stabilizer sideline you. We simply could not let that happen. Too much money was involved, too many sponsors to answer to and too many people were depending on us to get it right first time - every time! We literally could not afford to make a mistake or not be totally prepared. The buck stopped with us.
So, what are the results of failing to plan and have a "Plan B"? Many people are prepared to teach a subject or speak to a group. However, then their Plan A hits a bump, they lose focus and start sweating heavily. They studder and stammer and start looking around for someone to wave a magic wand and make everything better. If one piece of their puzzle doesn't fit right, they stop dead cold! They don't know what to do, and everything falls apart. That might be a slight exaggeration but I've seen many people lose focus and have a hard time getting back on track when something goes wrong. On the other hand, I know several Instructors/teachers/presenters that hardly miss a beat when things don't go as planned. Why? They know their subject matter like the back of their hands and they always have a Plan B. It is easily implemented and nothing is lost in the transition.
OK, I know what your are thinking, "we get it, some people are bad at planning". So what's my point? My point is, everyone needs a "Plan B". You should be prepared in the event that Plan A blows up, you can (even with slight modifications) continue on with very little pain. Very little content should be lost, and your participants don't become unruly. The point of this blog is to get you started on the process of planning for Plan B (and even Plan C) if you do presentations, public speaking or teaching of any kind. Specifically, I am going to discuss the equipment and the content medium that you will need for your presentation, lecture, meeting or teaching segment.
You would think that if you are presenting somewhere, they would at least have a computer and a projector. That will not always be the case. Even if they do have the minimum equipment, will it be set up properly? What's to say it might quit working just before your presentation? I would rather be prepared for the worst case scenario and not have to use my gear than to show up and be woefully unprepared. So, let's look at a list of what you might need:
- Computer (laptop).
- Small projector.
- Small portable speakers.
- Extension cords, power adapter and any other associated cables.
- Small portable PA system (depending on the size of the venue).
The computer and projector should have their own dedicated bag with all needed cables and power adapter in their associated bag. The speakers, extension cord and power adapter should be in a separate utility bag or backpack. I would also include an Ethernet cable, just in case.If you use a Mac/Apple computer, you should make sure that you have a video adapter for the projector cable. This is the bare minimum hardware I would travel with. If you do a lot of presenting, and you really need Ethernet access, you should probably invest in a wireless USB modem (IE: Verizon Wireless USB760). Or have the ability to turn your smart phone into a wireless hotspot. The PA (or public address) system is really a stretch. If you are speaking at a location big enough to need one, they should have a house system to use. However, you can find small, affordable units now that are easy to setup and easy to use.
Before going out on a speaking engagement, you should inventory your equipment to make sure you have everything you need. It is also VERY IMPORTANT to inventory your equipment and carefully look over your work are before leaving. It is an irritating task to try to find a missing power adapter for that portable projector or laptop computer you depend on. Plus, it will be an added expense every time you lose a piece of equipment.
With the above list of equipment, you are guaranteed to be prepared for a class or speaking engagement. It might not be optimal (depending on the venue) but it will get you through and make your job a lot easier.
Now, let's turn our attention to the content. Almost everyone uses some type of presentation as a tool to share their content. The most popular presentation software being Microsoft PowerPoint. PowerPoint is a great tool to use to share your content. you need to be aware that PowerPoint is not the only presentation software available. Google has a presentation program in the Google Apps. All of the open source productivity software suites (OpenOffice, LibreOffice) have a presentation program that rivals PowerPoint. In fact, they are all PowerPoint compatible.
Most people think that if they have the hardware requirements covered, and they have a powerpoint presentation, they are all set. Hold on just a minute...... Let's look at some of the potential problems, issues and concerns about your content and how to avoid them. This is another area when a Plan B (and even a Plan C) will make you look like a hero in case something goes wrong.
Let's assume that you have the hardware all covered and it is good to go. You also have a powerpoint presentation on a USB thumb drive. You are set, right? What will you do when you arrive at the venue, get ready to present, plug the thumb drive in and.................IT DOESN'T WORK??????? Does this really happen? Believe in the time I have been in technology, I have actually seen people cry when their USB thumb drives fail! Yes, they fail all the time. USB thumb drives have a life cycle, and it is not a huge one. The life expectancy of a USB connector is between 1200 and 1500 cycles! So, if you are going to have your presentation on a USB thumb drive, you better have a backup. Here is what I recommend you have with you as far as a presentation is concerned:
- Your presentation on a USB thumb drive.
- Your presentation on a CD disc.
- Your presentation on an external USB Hard Drive (different from a USB thumb drive).
- Your presentation (with notes) printed out on hard copy.
In addition to the above, you need your powerpoint presentation converted to:
- A PDF file.
- A JPG or PNG (graphic) file.
- An RTF file.
- A WMV (video file).
- An HTML (web) file.*
A copy of each converted presentation should be on each medium that you carry with you (see above list)! I'm sure you are wondering why you would want so many different copies of a presentation in so many different file formats. OPTIONS! What if you get to the venue where you are to present and their computer doesn't have PowerPoint software on their computer? You are thinking, "No problem, I have my computer. It has PowerPoint". But what if your computer decides to die at this most inopportune moment? No problem! If you have the five or six different file type listed above, you can still show your content. It might not have all the bells and whistles as PowerPoint, but it will get the job done and you will come out smelling like a rose!
- As a PDF, you can display it in Adobe Reader.
- As a JPG or PNG, you can display it in any graphic viewer.
- As an RTF, you can display it in any word/text processor (Word, Wordpad etc...).
- As a WMV, you can display it in most video player (even a portable video player).
- As an HTML file, you can display it in a Web Browser. (PowerPoint does not allow saving as HTML, however other presentation software has that option).
If all else fails, you still have your hard copy of your presentation. If you are a good speaker and can hold people's attention, you will do just fine with the hard copy. If not, you might want to re-consider your line of work (just kidding).
I know this planning and preparing for a Plan B sounds like a lot of work, but once you get a solid plan down and have a complete inventory of tools needed to do the job, you will find that it is actually easier. A side benefit is, when you are prepared for the job, you will find yourself having a lot more fun and the stress level should go down a lot!
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