Making a Presentation? Bring a Snake.

Multitasking Not... You've heard of the expression "analysis paralysis," right?  That's when you're deluged with so much information that you cannot make a decision.  Well, don't feel too bad; it turns out that there's a biological explanation.  Information overload is exactly why prey animals form herds.  "Far from giving the predator an easy opportunity, the overwhelming abundance of similar animals swamps the attention-limiting capacity of the predator's brain."  (The Attention Economy by Davenport and Beck)

That's because all information must go through a "bottleneck" in our brain.  First priority goes to items for our survival and propagation (safety, food, sex).  Oh-oh, not so good for your business plan.  That's why, if you bring a snake to your next presentation, you'll get your audience's attention.  Genetically, your audience CANNOT ignore a snake.  (Hey, it might be a viper.)  But here are three more benign ways to capture their attention: First, offer very few pieces of information at a time.  Second, make your bid for attention different from anything around it.  And third, remember that people want acceptance and admiration before paying attention to a task.

As I've said many times, it's a huge privilege to capture your attention each week with the PikeNet Dispatch, which is short and (hopefully!) sweet.  So please encourage your colleagues to sign up by forwarding this copy.  And thanks to our sponsor, Peregrine Systems.  If you're curious about how Peregrine's corporate portfolio management application can benefit your company, contact Nancy Sanquist and mention my name. 

--Peter Pike / ppike@pikenet.com