How can you use your PM presentation to motivate team members?
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— The LinkedIn Team
As a project manager, you know that your presentation is not just a report of your progress, but also a tool to inspire and motivate your team members. How can you use your PM presentation to effectively communicate your vision, goals, challenges, and achievements, and to foster a positive and collaborative team culture? Here are some tips to help you create and deliver a motivating PM presentation.
Before you start designing your presentation, you need to understand who your audience is and what they care about. Are they senior executives, stakeholders, sponsors, clients, or team members? What are their expectations, needs, and pain points? How can you align your project objectives with their interests and values? Knowing your audience will help you tailor your message, tone, and style to suit their preferences and perspectives.
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Shivani Seunarine
I believe that practice makes perfect so I teach in order to constantly improve my skills. Project Management Practioner | Facility Manager Practioner | Agile Practitioner | Trainer |Business Owner
I found a story is the best way to motivate anyone. Before you start to use this approach connect and get to know them and let the content speak to them.
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Sana Thayyil
WTM Ambassador l Project Manager at Pixbit SolutionsI Volunteer at Headstart I Co-host at Linkedin Local Kerala I Startup Enthusiast
Crafting the presentation in a story telling way will help the team in understanding and relating more. Along with that acknowledge and celebrate achievements which will help your team to get motivated. Recognising hard work contributes to both a positive impact and increased team commitment.
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Lucy E Yamson
Strategic Planning & Execution | Project Management | Regulatory Compliance | LLB, MSc, PMP®
To boost team motivation in project presentations: Start with Purpose: Emphasize project alignment with shared goals. Storytelling Impact: Engage emotionally with a compelling narrative. Visualize Progress: Showcase milestones for team confidence. Celebrate Contributions: Recognize hard work and achievements. Inspire Action: Conclude with a clear call to action. Implement these tactics for team motivation and success. #ProjectManagement #Motivation
Next, you need to define the purpose of your presentation. What do you want to achieve with your presentation? Do you want to inform, persuade, inspire, or engage your audience? Do you want to update them on the project status, showcase your results, solicit feedback, or celebrate success? Depending on your purpose, you will need to craft a clear and compelling narrative that highlights your main points, supports them with evidence, and calls for action or recognition.
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Thalía Romero, CSM
Brand Engagement | Program & Project Management | Team Builder | Change Management | Photographer
Defining your purpose is key. It adds context to why they are there and what the team is aiming to achieve. If there is no clear purpose or objective, this paves a path to an unruly road. Clarity is essential
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Victor Semeniaka
Project Manager | Mentor | Integration manager | Ex-startup founder
True leaders always care about those around them. Every purpose of their speech is aimed at adding value to their audience, their followers. Before you tell people about any problems that you as a leader need to solve, try to think about how it relates to the needs of your teammates. How it can add value to them, how it will help them, not you. Even if your goal is absolutely necessary, even if it is 100% correct, no one cares about your personal goals, everyone thinks about their benefits first. So be sure to make your goal desirable for someone, not yourself.
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Anesu Kafesu
IT and Infrastructure Project Management | PMP® | ITIL 4® | CCNA | CISM® | OCIAA
Identifying your purpose is paramount for any presentation. This central anchor ensures that every part of your content remains aligned and coherent. Your purpose guides not only what you say but how you say it. A presentation meant to inform will differ vastly from one that aims to inspire. Your narrative, visuals, and even tone should echo your intent. By having a lucid purpose, you provide direction for your audience, guiding them through your content seamlessly. In essence, knowing your purpose is like setting a destination on a map, ensuring you and your audience arrive exactly where you intend.
Once you have your purpose and audience in mind, you can structure your content in a logical and coherent way. A typical PM presentation consists of three parts: introduction, body, and conclusion. In the introduction, you should capture the attention of your audience, establish rapport, and state your purpose and agenda. In the body, you should present your key information, such as the project scope, timeline, budget, risks, issues, deliverables, and outcomes. In the conclusion, you should summarize your main points, emphasize the benefits and value of your project, and thank your audience for their support and involvement.
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Anesu Kafesu
IT and Infrastructure Project Management | PMP® | ITIL 4® | CCNA | CISM® | OCIAA
Constructing an effective presentation mirrors building a house. The introduction is the foundation, grounding your listeners. The body forms the main edifice, unfolding specifics in a logical sequence. The conclusion is the roof, encapsulating and providing closure. Each segment has a distinct role, like rooms in a house, ensuring clarity and engagement throughout. Crafting a clear, impactful presentation ensures your message resonates, much like a well-built house stands firm. As with architecture, attention to detail and purposeful design make all the difference in how your constructed narrative is received.
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Srinivasan R
Director || Invited Speaker || Management Consulting || Strategy Consulting ||
The structuring of the content is possibly the most critical part of the PM presentation. There is an inherent information arbitrage between the presenter and the audience. So the presentation must eliminate this gap by structuring the content well. It must take the audience through the journey of diagnosis and solution building so that the audience appreciates the context. The action plan then actually becomes easy and a broad consensus is achieved.
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Iram Khan
PMP Certified | Experienced Project Manager | Project Management Coach & Trainer | LinkedIn Expert
Organize your content logically and compellingly. Begin with an engaging hook, outline the project's significance, detail the steps, and conclude with a motivating call to action. Use storytelling to make the content relatable.
Visual aids can enhance your presentation by making it more attractive, engaging, and memorable. You can use charts, graphs, diagrams, images, icons, or videos to illustrate your data, concepts, processes, or stories. However, you should avoid cluttering your slides with too much text, colors, or animations. Use simple and consistent design elements, fonts, and colors that match your brand and project identity. Also, make sure your visual aids are relevant, accurate, and easy to read and understand.
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Hakan Gümüş, PMP®, PSM I
Project Manager at Sennheiser | Leading Projects to Turn Great Ideas into only Best Audio Products | Product Development w Agile & Scrum | Ask Me Project Management
💡Fun fact, the human brain processes visual content 60,000 times faster than text. That means that a picture is actually worth 60,000 words* 🎧Visuals are your little helpers. Use them wisely! 🗒️* Accordingly to Research at 3M Corporation
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Hussain Ashoor
Senior Project Manager at Baker Hughes
In my experience, using visual aids always help audiences to grasp the message in more effective way and allow you as PM to have a strong conclusion with your stakeholders
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Anesu Kafesu
IT and Infrastructure Project Management | PMP® | ITIL 4® | CCNA | CISM® | OCIAA
Visual aids act as the bridge between your message and your audience's comprehension. Like a vivid illustration in a book, they breathe life into abstract concepts, offering tangible anchors to complex ideas. They're not just embellishments; they're tools that boost retention and understanding. From a pie chart that clarifies percentages to an evocative image invoking emotions, visuals help your message stick. It's like turning your narrative into a movie where listeners can 'see' your points. But, as in cinema, simplicity and relevance are key. Overcrowded visuals can be as confusing as a convoluted plot. So, keep it clear and let your visuals tell the story.
Finally, you need to deliver your presentation with confidence and enthusiasm. You can practice your presentation beforehand, rehearse your timing, and anticipate potential questions or objections. You can also use positive body language, such as eye contact, gestures, and posture, to convey your credibility and passion. Moreover, you can use your voice, such as tone, volume, and pace, to emphasize your key messages and emotions. Most importantly, you should show appreciation and gratitude to your team members for their contributions and achievements, and acknowledge their challenges and feedback.
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Alexey Syrkovsky
Project Manager / Product Owner | 10+ years of experience
Based on my personal experience, preparation is key, and a well-learned script ensures a smooth presentation. — I highly recommend multiple test runs; use your phone or a mirror to self-evaluate. — Voice matters; steer clear of buzzwords for clarity. If needed, voice training can boost your confidence and effectiveness. — Don't forget to acknowledge your team; it adds sincerity and reinforces your message.
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Brian Duke
Senior-Level Digital & Leadership Professional Available for a New Opportunity
Confidence in yourself, your story, the team, in the project I believe are all critical to the success of what you desire to achieve. Audiences are perceptive. If projecting a lack of confidence in either area, then you risk undermining whatever objective and outcome you defined. Lack of preparation, going through the motions, are a disservice not only to you and your story, but also to the audience. Take the time to over prepare, in whatever form that may look like for you. I have also learned that being proactive in seeking out feedback or advice, then taking swift/appropriate action can help instill confidence others have in you. And, always demonstrating appreciation, and celebrating wins reinforces trust and breeds positivity.
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Anesu Kafesu
IT and Infrastructure Project Management | PMP® | ITIL 4® | CCNA | CISM® | OCIAA
Delivering a presentation with confidence can be a game-changer. Your knowledge and hard work come to life when shared confidently. Rehearsing is essential; it familiarizes you with the content and hones your delivery. As you stand there, it's not just your words that matter; your body also speaks. Holding eye contact exudes confidence, your gestures can underline important points, and good posture radiates authority. Voice modulation helps convey the right emotion and maintain audience engagement. But beyond techniques, a genuine acknowledgment of your team's efforts and challenges humanizes your presentation. Remember, confidence is not just in knowing your content, but also in valuing the people behind it.
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Iyetule A.
Head, Corporate Performance @ Ikeja Electric | Transforming people & businesses to top performers using 2 simple frameworks and project management principles | MBA | MSc.| PMP | PRINCE2 | ITIL | Scrum | Six Sigma
While project management presentations are often viewed as tools for motivation, solely relying on them to inspire team members can lead to superficial engagement and short-term enthusiasm. Over-reliance on presentations can create a perception that motivation is driven by words rather than meaningful actions. Rather than depending on presentations alone, fostering an environment of intrinsic motivation through meaningful involvement in decision-making, skill development, and recognition of individual contributions can lead to more sustained and authentic team engagement. By emphasizing tangible actions and a supportive work culture, project managers can cultivate lasting motivation that surpasses the transient impact of presentations.
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Amer Ali
PMI ATP Instructor | 1000+ PMP in 3 years 31 with 99.8% Success rate | PMP Mentor | Coach | Author of 3 Best Selling books on PMP | Whatsapp +971588350833
I like what has been added to it. I will add one more thing. Why don't we ask our audience how they prefer to learn and customize according to them? It's an exciting insight we ask our colleagues with open minds; we can get great insight from them, plus they will be motivated to take action on those initiatives
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Sindhura Ayyagari
Open to Work | PMP Certification in process | Technical writer | engineering analyst | Administrative Professional | Documentation | Training & Development | People & Project Management | Customer Support|
Structure your content specifically to your target audience. A key to engaging your audience and keep them motivated through and after the presentation depends greatly on how we structure it. I strongly believe that the presentation must be tailored to the audience and there is no way to get this right in the first meeting between a project manager and his team members. So he/she must build a trust and understanding by having continous conversations, learning their perspectives and challenges. Once a manager understands their team, he/she can prepare and deliver their presentation effectively while keeping the audience motivated throughout and afterwards. This makes achieving targets and meeting deadlines easier as well.