Moment of Truth #9 - Your first Management Presentation.

The first presentation to management is the litmus test of how well you have transitioned, Moment of Truth #9.

It’s a test of your hard and soft skills, albeit the balance will depend on your boss´s style. It can/ should cover a) how well you have landed personally, b) insights on the organisation and the business, and c) what you want to achieve and how.

Some people focus exclusively on what happens inside the meeting room. But in my opinion, what happens outside is just as important. An experienced boss will not rely only on the set-piece presentation but will do their own checking. If you haven’t put in the effort, especially in terms of engagement, the issue will surface.

When I reflect back on my own “debuts” as a leader, or as part of a management team, they were good predictors (positive and negative) of how we were going to perform. Whilst you may not have all the answers, you need to be clear on what battles you want to fight.

Once, when I had to revise down the financial forecast, I was able to rely on a united team, because we had spent the time preparing our position. This bonded us as a team, which went on to turn-around the performance.

How do you approach management presentations?