Photo by TheGiantVermin

I had to substitute for a colleague, who’s wife became ill.  He was supposed to present his program to his director, and because I had intimate knowledge of the program, I was asked to step up.  In other words, nobody else wanted to be put on the spot, and I was to be the sacrificial lamb.  Fine.  Oh, I left out one piece of data: I was given an hour’s notice to prepare.

I’ve seen this movie

Being a finance guy, I’m familiar with being interrogated by auditors.  I’ve also given numerous presentations in the past, so I’m pretty comfortable in front of a room.  I always try to do a good job with my preparation, so that I’m not caught off-guard on any questions.  I find it easier when everyone in the room is involved, or at least familiar with the material that I’m presenting.  This keeps it from being just another dog-and-pony show, where there’s no give-and-take between the attendees.

Thinking on my feet

Well, I didn’t have much time to prepare, so I put together a Cliffs Notes version of the program, a quick-and-dirty view.  I hit the highlights, hoping that I could use velocity to get through the meeting unscathed.  Oh, and since I had about 15 minutes remaining after I did all of this, I couldn’t do a proper run-through, a dress rehearsal if you will.  I’m lucky that I shaved this morning!  I didn’t want to look like a babbling idiot in front of  this director.

Put up or shut up

So I stepped up to the podium, and made a joke that my presence was a game-time decision, and that I was pinch-hitting for the program manager.  In the room were 25 people, half of which had no interest at all in the program that I was presenting.  Most were waiting for their turn at the podium, and were busy jotting down notes to themselves.  Boy, was I rusty.  But I did a halfway decent job, and answered any questions for which the director needed clarification.  The presentation was over fairly quickly, as I’ve seen firsthand the grilling these guys get each month.  I’d give myself a B- for my effort.

The takeaway

The takeaway?  Don’t let your skills get rusty.  I’m determined to keep a fine edge on my presentation abilities, just in case I have to fill in again.  Next month, even though the program manager will be presenting, I’m going to prepare my own pitch, even though nobody will hear it but me.  It will help shake the rust off, and hopefully help me regain my diminished skills.

Go forth and practice

So, if you have any muscles that you haven’t flexed in a while, you might consider giving them a workout.  You never know when you’ll be called upon to use them.

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