Lessons from teaching: Giving an effective board presentation
Lois Margaret Nora, MD, JD, MBA
I recently had the privilege of presenting to a group of Executive Leadership in Academic Medicine® (ELAM) fellows. The topic was working with governance boards, particularly formal presentations in those settings. Invitations to participate in governance meetings are a meaningful statement of confidence in the invitee. They are also an opportunity for the invitee to have an impact, so bringing a strategic approach to these presentations is important.
Pillars of an effective presentation
I encourage people to think about these formal presentations in three parts: preparation; the actual presentation; and post-presentation debriefing.
Preparation takes the most time, and deliberate, organized preparation is key to a successful presentation. Some of my favorite strategies for effective preparation include developing a formal “game plan” for the presentation, clarifying the overarching goal of the presentation, and researching meeting attendees so you can tailor your approach to their perspectives and interests.
During the presentation, it’s helpful to present different types of information in different ways that meet the learning styles of the attendees. It’s also important to observe the body language of listeners, so you can adapt or pivot if appropriate. One of the harder but more important things to do is to genuinely welcome the least welcome question. Boards are charged with asking tough questions. Recognizing this and being prepared to answer with confidence will reinforce your effectiveness.
After the presentation, it is important to debrief and follow-up. This includes tying up loose ends, such as providing additional data, answering questions you could not fully address during the discussion, and other things. And if you also make a habit of debriefing about what went well and what didn’t, you can use those lessons to inform and hopefully improve your next board presentation.
Debriefing from my own presentation
In my opinion, one of the best parts of teaching is learning from others. My discussion with the ELAM fellows informed my thinking in some interesting ways on some of the topics we explored.
One of the more interesting discussions during the session came from fellows who challenged my recommendation that professionals reflect the culture of the boardroom in how they dress. We had an interesting discussion about the balance between personal authenticity and boardroom norms, and what happens when there is tension between the two. The discussion heightened my awareness of how boardroom norms can feel very limiting to some people, and it also speaks to the importance of getting greater diversity on boards.
Another interesting discussion unfolded after I told a story of a colleague who recognized a meeting attendee’s visual impairment and adjusted documents to meet his needs. Angel Dorsey, MS, who is ELAM’s instructional designer, approached me after the meeting to share a helpful set of guidelines she has created for disability-friendly digital documents. I plan to integrate these tips into my own materials, along with future talks about presentations like this one.
My thanks to the ELAM leadership team for a chance to connect with this year’s group of fellows, and for the always welcome reminder that there is always more to learn.
