Stop Throwing Solutions at People
Paul Tilich, a well-respected Protestant theologian of the 20th century, once said:
“The fatal pedagogical error is to throw answers, like stones, at the heads of those who have not yet asked the questions.”
My paraphrase is this: The fatal presentation error is to throw solutions, like stones, at the heads of those who have not yet realized the problem.
Figuring out why the audience would want to do what you want them to is the main question you have to ask yourself during the planning phase. And the easiest way to answer that question is to discover how your idea will help them solve a problem.
Many presentations are designed just this way. It’s such a common format that it even has a name: “the problem/solution model.” But here’s the problem with the model — all too often presenters mention the problem in passing only to jump to the solution.
Here’s my suggestion instead. Make them hurt. Or at least make your listeners understand the problem and feel its pain.
Your proposal — your solution — will require people to invest some time or energy. You want them to do something with what you’re proposing, right? It will cost them. So they will resist, until and unless they realize how much the current situation — the problem — is already costing them.
So if you’re building your presentation around a solution, be mighty sure that your listeners understand the problem and feel its pain. Then, and only then, start talking about your idea, your solution. Just make sure that the pain (time, energy, etc.) of adopting and implementing your solution is less than the pain of not changing.
Do you spend much time talking about the problem and its associated pain? If so, do you have any suggestions or advice about how to do it well?
Photo courtesy of Martin Dougiamas at Flickr.
June 30th, 2009 at 10:15 am
So true.
The presentation doesn’t happen in the words of the speaker, but the minds of the listeners.
Who cares if you’ve talked about the problem - if it hasn’t created the response in the listeners, it hasn’t happened!
Nice work, as ever…
July 1st, 2009 at 11:09 am
Andrew,
Thanks for bringing the question back to where it belongs — in the minds of the listeners. Too often presenters assume that the listeners are aware of the problem. I always want to make sure they agree with me, that they know — in their minds, not just in mine — what the problem is, its extent, and its impact.
July 5th, 2009 at 12:15 am
[...] Witt advises identifying the problem before proposing solutions. The fatal presentation error is to throw [...]