How to present to executives
Reading time
1. Know all your details
Know and be able to speak to all the details. Review your own work and ask yourself what somebody else might ask you about it, then make sure you have a solid answer to all those questions.
Even things that are technically outside of your purview: saying “I don’t know, that’s their team.” finger pointing is a shitty answer if it impacts your work in some way. Present with ownership of the end-to-end solution. (for an example of a better answer if you don’t know, see next point)
2. But don’t fib
When you don’t know something, don’t fib or try to make something up. Just say “You know what, I don’t know. I will go figure it out and get back to you later today.”
Executives spend their entire day trying to smell out people that are trying to bullshit them. You can’t. So don’t try.
3. And don’t lose yourself in the details
When you present, despite you knowing all the details, don’t show (or talk about) all the details.
Stay high-level, give the overview, then let them ask for more if they want more.
Executives are busy, have little time, and just want the most critical info to be able to steer the company in the right direction.
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