Nail the Narrative First. The Details Write Themselves.
Before you build the deck or open your mouth, answer three questions: who is this for, what is the 30-second version, and what do you want them to walk away with. Get that setup right and cross-functional collaboration stops being a negotiation, because the message is already tight.
Transcript
I've got a tip that's going to save you a tremendous amount of time in your life — and if you work at a big company, even more time.
Before you create any type of communication, whatever that is, or before you even speak — I've learned this the hard way — you need to start with: who are we talking to? What is it, at a 15-second summary or 30-second summary, what is it that you're trying to tell these people? And finally, what do you want them to walk away with — either a set of information, or a feeling?
That's the setup. Whether it's a PowerPoint where you have an executive summary or next steps. Whether it's an individual slide where you have a title and a subtitle and then the bottom, where we go from here.
Once you have the narrative set up, the details will follow seamlessly, and you'll be able to collaborate cross-functionally around your team seamlessly — because the message is tight, and the person getting the message is clear about what you're telling them and what you want from them.
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