Making the executive presentation: senior executives' information needs require a unique approach, but it is critical to learn how to get their attention.(Career Path)

It is a common refrain heard from records and information management (RIM) professionals: "I can't communicate with my management." Like it or not, it is the burden of those who want to communicate to do so effectively. Given a continuing flattening of organizations, opportunities for presentations should increase; how effective they will be is another matter.

While the purpose, topic, and content of senior-level presentations will vary widely, there are presentation concepts that all can value and apply to top management presentations.

Different Level, Different Information

Ultimately, senior managers have different values and responsibilities than lower-level managers, and so a different approach is needed in making presentations to them. The information needs of those at the operational levels focus on current and past activities and transactions. Information needs at this level are usually of internal origin-well-defined, detailed, structured, recurrent, and tied to specific continuing processes and objectives. On the other hand, senior managers, who are responsible for strategic planning and visionary functions for the organization, have much different needs. At this level, the focus is on information from external sources, future-oriented, non-discrete, often informal (meetings vs. written reports), and related to the needs of the organization overall rather than one unit or process.

According to Robert Anthony, author of Planning and Control Systems, there is nothing new to these observations, but these important differences often are overlooked or misunderstood by those who make presentations to upper management. If such differences are not considered carefully, it is likely that everyone's time will be wasted, and inept presenters may find doors closed to future opportunities for executive presentations.

Scope

A common problem with presentations to upper management is the presenter's …