Last week I was delighted to read about eight-year-old inventor Amelia Fox.
Amelia saw her parents struggle to lift her disabled brother out of his wheelchair and came up with a simple fabric harness that is built into the wheelchair’s seat cushion which can be and attached to hooks, allowing for easy lifting. As a result, she won a national innovation prize and is off to NASA.
I remember years ago working with a team who was suspicious of anyone who was outside of their department and did not have their level of education and experience. We now live in a constant state of disruption, and past success is no guarantee of success in the future. In order to be innovative and relevant, we constantly need to look at our ideas with fresh eyes – especially when speaking.
Here are some ideas to ensure your message is easily understood and relevant to others.
Run your presentation past someone
- … outside of your career circle
- … with less experience than you
- … who is older
- … who has English as a second language
- … is of a different gender to you
- … at home
- … at a teaching institution
- … with a learning disability
- … with an opposing opinion
Research shows that diverse boards make better decisions which leads to better business outcomes and greater profit – the same applies to your presentation.
And yes, you may even need to consult with an eight-year-old, though unfortunately, Amelia is unavailable; she’s busy hobnobbing it with astronauts in Florida!
- The Three Networking Circles You Need - April 15, 2024
- Mind Matters - February 1, 2024
- Are you a boss or a leader? - September 22, 2023
