8.3 Presenting as a Team
Suzan Last and Candice Neveu
Since many projects are undertaken in teams, presentations related to those projects are also often given as a team. Presenting coherent and engaging information as a team takes practice and coordination, and while different team members may share the work by being responsible for different elements of the preparation and delivery, sometimes giving a presentation as a team can entail more work than doing a solo talk. Below are some useful resources that provide information on things to consider when presenting as a team.
Key Takeaways
How to Coordinate a Team Presentation (Coursera: Oral Communicaiton for Engineering Leaders) (4:45 min.)
This video resource is presented by two professors who teach at Rice University in Engineering Leadership. They model and discuss how to coordinate a team presentation.
20 Things that Great Presenting Teams Ask Before They Open Their Mouths (Inc. com)
In this article, communications expert Deborah Grayson Riegel poses 20 questions that you should consider as a team in preparing for your presentation. This is a great list and would help your team consider perhaps the less obvious things.
Ask the Experts: Presentation Strategy for Team and Group Presentations (Total Communicator e-zine)
Peter Guiliano, communications consultant and Chairman of Executive Communications Group, provides tips on preparing and delivering successful team presentations.
10 Rules for Presenting as a Team (Public Words)
Nick Morgan PhD, a communications professor and coach, offers some advice for team presentations. While some info overlaps with the sources above, he does offer some additional tips and suggestions that may be of interest such as ways to handle discussion.
Review these slides based on Deborah Grayson Riegel’s “20 Things that Great Presenting Teams Ask Before They Open Their Mouths”. Each slide features an item that you and your team should decide on before your group presentation.
H5P: 20 Things To Do When Presenting as a Team
Considerations:
- Decide who will be accountable for the overall presentation. Who will get to make the final decision and have veto power?
- Decide who will be responsible for which elements. Will someone look after design and another person look after content?
- Will there be one person who will do a final revision to ensure the presentation has a consistent and cohesive look and sound?
- Will the group seek objective feedback from anyone outside the group?
- Decide on when each part is due and who is responsible to keep the project on schedule,
- Deciding on schedule and expectation for practicing as a team. Agree on how much time is needed for this aspect.
- Assign someone to be responsible for ensuring all AV requirements are met and working properly. Decide who is responsible for running the presentation.
- Decide on how to introduce the presentation and presenters.
- Decide on how team members will position themselves during the presentation.
- Decide on what non-speaking team members should do or not do during the presentation.
- Decide on how the presentation time will be divided and how you will keep track of time during the presentation especially if someone is over time.
- Decide on which team member will take notes, distribute materials, and write on flipcharts.
- Do you need a microphone? One for the group, or one each? If so, what kind and who will obtain this?
- What action will you take if someone says something incorrect or inaccurate?
- What if a team member isn’t at their best or is too nervous to present?
- Decide on who will watch the audience for cues. How will that person communicate this to the rest of the team?
- How will team members transition from one speaker to the next? Should they use a standard phrase?
- Decide on how to divide up the Q and A section.
- Who will be the point person for the team if any follow up is needed?
- How can be best support each other and allow everyone to shine? Is there space to mentor a new skill or use someone to their best ability?
