Communicating Effectively

I’ve observed that many presentations are either aimless in their goal or too focused on sounding smart. The goal I strive for is to get my point across effectively, which is often to guide the audience to the same conclusion I’ve reached. Other goals with the audience may include: engage a compelling narrative, starting a Socratic discussion, etc.

With that in mind, these tips have been especially helpful to me throughout the year:

• Know the main point(s) I want to communicate.
• Then build a framework, narrative, and supporting evidence that lead explicitly to that conclusion.
• KEEP IT SIMPLE, STUPID 😘

Helpful Resources

These resources will help you develop a more effective structure and presentation style:

• Improve your chances of getting a paper accepted: UChicago - LEADERSHIP LAB: The Craft of Writing Effectively

• General writing advice (all pages are extrememly valuable): Duke - Orwell’s 6 Rules for Writing

• Giving a talk: MIT - How to Speak

• Designing better posters: MIT - Toward an Even Better Poster

• Figures and data visualization: Berkeley - Data Visualization Design