Don't fear the Powerpoint: Professor to develop Great Course on presentations

Here’s good news for all who have sat heavy-eyed in a meeting, fearing they might fall victim to death by PowerPoint. Jennifer Waldeck, Ph.D., associate professor in Chapman University’s Department of Communication Studies, has been tapped by
The Great Courses
to develop a series on business presentation skills. And yes, one of the segments will address those ubiquitous slide shows.

The Great Courses, the leading producer of premium-quality video and audio course content, is expanding from its traditional base of humanities content into business topics, intent on reaching a new audience, Waldeck says.

Public speaking is often listed as one of people’s top fears, but it’s frequently a job requirement. Among the topics Waldeck has planned for the series are how to bring the art of storytelling to a business presentation, managing anxiety and crafting a persuasive message for a resistant audience.

“Public speaking has become so important to just about everyone’s career,” she says.

PODIUM POINTERS:

• Anxious about public speaking? Writing about that fear is a good way to manage it, Professor Waldeck says. She suggests listing everything that worries you.
• “You’ll see that a lot of them are irrational,” she says. Then replace the negative list with a positive one.
• “If your fear is boring everyone in the room, say, ‘Hey, I’ve spent all this time developing interesting content, I know my audience and I’m meeting them where they are. I can’t possibly bore them.’”