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Presentation skills

In all situations when you are presenting information it is important to consider:

  • Who is your audience and what is their level of knowledge in relation to the subject presented?
  • What is the purpose of the presentation and your objective (e.g. to inform, persuade)?
  • Where is the venue (your agency, someone's home, a court of law) and to what extend does this location influence your presentation?
  • When is it taking place in terms of the date, time and how long your presentation will last?

Below are four situations in which you may need to apply presentation skills. Click on each one to find out more.

Presentation skills

Presenting a talk

The following is a checklist for presenting a talk:

  • Prepare the room/presentation setting
  • Prepare any visual aids (e.g. flip charts, pens, overhead projectors, powerpoint)
  • Prepare yourself, ensuring that you know your subject, the content of your presentation and that you feel comfortable with your appearance
  • Keeping strictly to time, rehearse your presentation preferably with a 'critical friend' who is willing to give honest feedback on your performance
  • Make necessary changes in response to the feedback received
  • If you have time, rehearse the presentation again, particularly the beginning and end

Presentation skills

Chairing meetings

Chairing a meeting calls for good communication, observation and listening skills. The following are some brief tips:

  • prepare and plan for the meeting, sending out a call for agenda items beforehand
  • ensure that minutes or a note is being taken of the discussion and/or action points
  • welcome attendees and note apologies for absence
  • run through the minutes of previous meetings and matters arising. Add complicated issues to the agenda
  • ask if additional agenda items need to be added and prioritise the list. The last item on the agenda is normally AOB (any other business)
  • throughout, attempt to keep attendees interested and involved
  • keep to time
  • at the end, set the date and time of the next meeting.

Presentation skills

Case conferences and reviews

  • the person at the centre of the conference/review, their family and other key individuals understand the process and implications and events that led to a conference being convened
  • the views of the individual(s) in question and other key individuals are represented
  • relevant information is gathered, collated and evaluated from other agencies involved and organised and presented thoughtfully
  • all parties are reminded that case conferences can be daunting experiences for all concerned because of the information disclosed and the number in attendance so preparation is vital. Click here to download one example of a preparation checklist. This is for a child protection conference but a similar format can be used in adult services.

Presentation skills

Presenting evidence in court

The nervousness that court appearances often generate can seriously interfere with your capacity to communicate so it is important to take steps to reduce stress by:

  • Preparing and rehearsing your evidence, and reading through your court report. This is particularly important if you are the 'expert' witness in a childcare case
  • Rehearsing how you might answer challenging questions
  • Ensuring that you communicate with key legal people involved so that you are well briefed about the procedures followed in different court hearings
  • Ensuring you tell the truth, even if this may not be consistent with the stance adopted within your agency
  • Ensuring you adhere to the dress code for court which requires more formal attire

It's good to remember that tribunals can tend to be less formal but they also require you to be well prepared