Obituaries for the often-controversial Irish novelist Edna O’Brien were widely available in the national media this week following her passing at the age of 93.
One such tribute was available on Radio 4 and involved a recording of Ms O’Brien in a 2019 conversation with veteran broadcaster Jenni Murray. Murray asked how the novelist had faced the likely controversy of her written work in a (then) very Catholic Ireland, to which O’Brien responded.
“To write a book you have to feel that it is for everybody and nobody. You have to be true to it as far as you can.”
This is particularly good advice for other budding writers, and I strongly feel that it can also extend to the medium of workplace presentations.
For a truly memorable presentation is likely to be one that challenges the audience to think (at least a little) beyond their personal experiences and comfort zones, and ideally look at a topic with a fresh pair of eyes.
Such an outcome can in fact be extremely rewarding, but similarly does also present a small degree of risk for the presenter and/or their business. With this in mind I thought it worth passing on a few tips for a presenter looking to harness the power of controversy:
Firstly, I would strongly encourage any presenter to avoid preaching to their audience.
As mentioned, the approach taken by O’Brien was to write for herself in the first instance. This can work for a controversial presentation too.
With the above in mind consider which key facts have convinced you of the validity of your approach or argument. Then look to include those facts in a logically structured presentation that calmly and rationally acknowledges the benefits of both sides of the argument, whilst quietly but persuasively leading the audience towards your preferred solution.
It is also important that a novel or controversial opinion or solution is well supported with data and facts provided by sources likely to be considered reliable by most objective observers. I often cite evidence from the House of Commons library (freely available online), balanced and trusted national broadcasters (BBC/ITV/Sky), and not-for-profit think tanks (but not ones with an overt political affiliation) or charities. These sources can add significant weight to your argument.
And lastly, but certainly not least, be honest with both yourself and the audience.
Nothing sells like the truth, and if you can clearly set out the reasons for your belief in the presentation’s suggested outcome or approach then it is likely to land far better than an otherwise lukewarm suggestion.
The 3-step plan listed above is probably the surest way to land a potentially contentious presentation successfully and succinctly with an audience. Controversy is not for everyone, but the returns of such an approach can outweigh the risks if the presentation is built with great care.
Until next time.
Best regards
Steve