Harvard Business Review Guides Ultimate Boxed Set (16 Books)

Share the Stage

Audiences find monologues boring. Thanks to advances in entertainment, they’ve become accustomed to quick action, rapid scene changes, intense visual stimulation, and soundtracks that make the heart race. They’re no longer willing to sit attentively for an hour while a single speaker drones on.

The key to getting and holding their attention is having new things continually happen. You can do that by:

• Bringing in other presenters: Invite others to join you on the stage or by video. Consider which experts or analysts in your organization or industry would add meat and credibility to your presentation. And look for ways your team members can play to their strengths. If your colleague Sam is quick on his feet, for example, have him ...