A problem-solving approach to preparing professional presentations

This paper describes a systematic approach to preparing presentations that uses a four-step problem-solving method familiar to most professionals. Step 1, understanding the problem, involves analyzing the speaker's purpose, the character of the audience, and the demands of the situation. Step 2, devising a plan, consists of selecting a strategy to integrate information from the first step with the speaker's knowledge of the subject. Step 3, carrying out the plan, uses conventional techniques of organization, explanation, and visual representation to compose a draft of the presentation. Step 4, examining the solution, compares the draft with the plan and modifies the presentation in response to feedback.