Articles and Best Practices
Communication on two wheels

Emboldened by the warmer than usual temperatures, I took a ride on my road
bike recently, my first of the new season.  It’s been several months since my
bike and I logged in any mileage, so there was some question regarding how
well we’d both survived the winter.

I picked a familiar and easy route, pumped up the tires and put out my bike
gear the night before, and looked forward to getting out and about.  Riding on
streets and bike paths I haven’t seen since November, I noted the new
construction, memorable landmarks and, much to my chagrin, broken glass
that hadn’t been swept.  But it was a nice first ride.

I also noted the similarities between my ride and, yes, business
communications.  Now trying to gain insight by comparing disparate situations
is risky.  But the more I thought about it, the better the analogy held up.  So
here are a few insights for you road warriors, whether you’re riding your bike
or preparing for your next presentation

    Plan your trip – This is relatively easy but often overlooked.  Bikers who
    ride regularly will choose a destination for each trip to give the ride a
    rationale.  Similarly, your presentation needs a purpose.  Are you
    offering your audience a call to action?  Do you need colleagues to
    understand and support your vision?  Are you preparing them for
    changes to come?  In other words, where are you going?

    Watch out for glass – Riding into the sun, you can see the broken
    glass on the road, twinkling in the light.  When I’m riding with the sun at
    my back, however, the glass on the road is virtually invisible.  My
    perspective has changed but I know the glass is there.  So I prepare by
    using the right tires on my bike and doing my best to remember where
    to expect this potentially debilitating hazard.  You know where the
    dangers are when you prepare a presentation, from the disagreeable
    manager to the skeptical client to the bad news you need to deliver.  
    Address your audience’s concerns and be ready with answers to the
    questions they’ll raise.  

    Look for alternative routes – There are some barriers you can’t go
    through or go over.  So you need to choose a different path to arrive at
    your destination.  Just remember that for bikers as well as presenters, it’
    s important to keep moving forward.  

    Expect the unexpected – City bikers know to watch for car doors that
    suddenly open in front of them, dogs that run out to welcome them to
    the neighborhood, or potholes that spread like weeds.  Likewise, you
    should be ready if things get in your way.  So make like a boy scout and
    be prepared.  I once saw a presenter get an enthusiastic round of
    applause when he pulled out a set of back-up slides on transparencies
    after the laptop displaying his presentation crashed.   

As a presenter, you need to log in the miles.  You can’t safely participate in a
100-mile century ride without putting in the time to train for it (trust me, I’ve
tried it).   Your ability to prepare and deliver effective presentations won’t
come overnight.  It takes practice on a regular basis.  

So pump up your tires and get on the road, metaphorically speaking.  

Does the analogy have legs, er, wheels?  Share your thoughts below.
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