Cindy Batchelor is a Managing Director at the National Australia Bank, she shares her personal insights about presenting and the role of storytelling within presentations with Gabrielle Dolan
Gabrielle Dolan: Cindy you have a reputation for being a good presenter, do you have any tips?
Cindy Batchelor: I think the key is to think about what your key messages are and then think about how you are going to make them stick. As leaders, when we communicate and present we have to be fully aware that people only have the capacity to take in so much…you can’t have ten key messages and expect people to remember them all
GD: And how do you see the role of storytelling when presenting?
CB: I always think about how I am going to make my messages interesting, and then I think about how storytelling will help me achieve that. Story is such a powerful tool because it helps people remember your message and often retell it.
When I think back to some of the training I have done and presentations I have sat through, it is the stories that I always remember.
GD: How many stories would you advise people to use?
CB: I don’t use a story for everything. You don’t need a story for everything, but when presenting I now think a lot about what I want people to remember or take away from my presentation…..I use a story for those messages.
GD: You signed off on the investment to train the top 100 global leaders at nabCapital, what was your thought process?
CB: We give accountability and responsibility to our leaders and when we do that we need to build their skills, confidence and capability. Our leaders were highly technical, highly effective and highly skilled but there was a gap in the way they engaged with employees. We knew there was a gap so we had the responsibility to fix it, especially after we had asked them to be responsible and accountable for employee engagement.
In regards to the cost of leadership development, it is pretty simple; people just need to understand that this is an investment not a cost.
GD: Who do you think could benefit from storytelling training?
CB: I truly believe any person in any position can benefit from using storytelling.
