Higher education is not a neutral terrain; it has consistently embodied distinct values. Whether rooted in liberal arts, scientific inquiry, or vocational training, each academic pursuit has a set of underlying principles. Universities serve as places for shaping perspectives and molding societal attitudes. From fostering critical thinking to promoting cultural norms, higher education actively transmits values. Acknowledging the values of higher education should be celebrated. Take a look at the mission statement of any institution of higher education to see the values that are the core of the institution. Students can determine what institution aligns with their values. This is why we have 4,000 institutions of higher education and not just Ivy League institutions.
Presentations
How many presentations have you observed that were poor presentations? Good presentations that have impact and meaning don’t just happen by accident. All too often presenters spend 10% of their time preparing for a presentation and 90% giving the presentation.
If you want to present quality presentations that leave an impact spend your time like this:
Outline/Research 30%
Develop Content 30%
Rehearse/Practice 30%
Present 10%
Start by developing a good outline for the content and researching it. Consider who will be receiving your presentation and ensure it will connect with them. Spend your next 30% developing content for the presentation. We have all experienced “death by PowerPoint”. By spending time developing content you can share impactful information from your outline and research data. There are many tools available to create meaningful presentations. What gets overlooked too often is spending time rehearsing and practicing the presentation. Anticipate how the presentation will go. Make sure you can present in the time parameters. Ensure you will engage your audience. By using these steps it is time to present.
90% of a strong presentation happens before you ever present. Let me know what your tips are for a good presentation with impact.
Fuel
After winning the US Open, Coco Gauff commented on how the naysayers fueled her fire. Tom Brady in a recent podcast talked about the desire to win being fueled by negative comments made about him from the other team. Finding motivation to achieve can come from many sources. When you have a growth mindset you seek to turn failure into an opportunity to learn; mistakes into teachable moments; and setbacks into ways to move forward.
There will always be tough days, even tough weeks. Instead of letting them hold you back, use the tough moments as motivation to push forward. Take what happens in a setback to drive you on to be better.
What can fuel your fire today?
Big Goal
When you focus on big goals, the gap between where you are and where you want to go seems large. No one who got big goals done used a hack or shortcut to get them. Instead, they consistently inched forward.
There is always something you can do today to get a little better, to move a little closer, to put yourself in a better position. It's not pretty. It's not sexy. It's not fast. It doesn't even make for a good story. But it works.
To move forward this week answer these questions:
How will I create value?
What am I expected to accomplish this week?
Whose support is critical?
How will I get some wins?
What skills do I need to develop to be better in my role?
Achieving the big goal takes consistent effort every day – it doesn’t happen in just one day.