Own the Room: Business Presentations that Persuade, Engage, and Get Results

7Presenting in Teams

Watching the debacle of the 2008 U.S. Olympic men’s and women’s teams in the 4 X 100 meter relays in track and field was painful but instructive. Both teams were brimming with medal and world-record holders, and they were favorites to win the gold. However, neither team even qualified for the finals. Their Achilles heel was the handoff of the baton, a seemingly insignificant transfer of a hunk of pipe. These world champions failed to recognize the importance of working together as a team, believing the race was only about individual raw speed and power. But without the finesse of an effective handoff and the connection and cooperation between team members, they experienced the agony of defeat and watched others savor the ...