Video tape communications

Record your task and segment assignments and keep them handy as a reference during the presentation. Make sure you have a back-up plan in case you need to make changes at the last minute. Years ago, I presented a leadership development class to a group of 20 professionals. The final video case study was a real tearjerker, a plant manager who poured his heart and soul into his work and his employees. He literally cried on camera as he spoke of his devotion to his work force. With a riveting introduction, I popped the videotape into the machine…and saw a blank screen! It turned out that last video segment had been deleted from the presentation! My back-up plan was not well prepared, and I ended up acting out the final video as though I were on stage. My audience was amused, though probably not impressed or educated! Since that "surprise", I've made a habit of double-checking my resources and material beforehand, and outlining for myself what I'll do in the event that things don't go according to plan. In the case of my missing video, I should have had a brief summary of the video's key message handy, so that I could encourage group discussion to bring out the learning points.