I'm an over analyzer....for those of you who don't know me. I have pondered emails before for HOURS....Lisa might even tell you DAYS. So I tell my mom and Lisa that I'm doing the "presentation" (the term is VERY loose because its not formal at all) on Tuesday and I'll have to stay out at the hotel (if you could call it that...its more like a B&B thats not as, eww you are staying in someones bedroom) since the board meeting ends at 5 or 6 ish and my boss wants me to be "talking" until about 7 and the hotel is on Whidbey Island which you have to take a ferry to. So my mom gets all "WOW WOW" on me, which I take with a grain of salt because she's my mom and has to do that sort of thing. I'm not even quite sure what the board does (as you know from my previous posts) so I'm still not sure that this as big an honor as my mom is making out to be. She says that boards meet with executives and NEVER middle management; which is what I think my title technically is (apparently sales bitch isn't a business term).
So then last Friday, I'm preparing things and one of my bosses says...as he's leaving for the night - so are you going to present to the board on Tuesday. To which I respond, well yes, not really presenting, but yes presenting. He makes this happy days Fonzie grin and gives me the thumbs up. (Yes, I think you can tell his age there) and then he leaves. Which gets me analyzing.....I should have asked....is this a big deal? But I didn't. DAMN. ALL weekend long I over analyze. I worry that regardless of what I put together the board is going to hate it. I try to put together a presentation board that shows really the 4 areas of focus for us; making it look as professional as possible without looking 7th grade science fair. I bought a presentation board at Wally world that stands up on it's own, rubber cement everything to it (well during the weekend I got about 1/2 of it put together) I then schedule a meeting with my boss that gave me the thumbs up to get his take. My boss didn't fly in until late last night and wouldn't have time to see it. Another source of anxiety....what if he hates it?!?!?
But I digress. I bring my board in to my other boss and say "what do you think....is it too 7th grade science fair?" I expected him to say - OH no....looks great. You've out done yourself. Instead he says....well, I know if you had 2 more weeks to compile it would be a different presentation, wouldn't it.
WHAT THE HELL does that mean? Yes?! No?! I've put good effort into this board. Granted...I was verifying that it didn't look immature; but that's your comment. I freat and freak. I compile everything and set it up. He does later in the day state that maybe I could take it to Kinkos and get it put on poster board rather than the presentation board and that might make it look more professional. So I determine he is probably right and decide that I'll take it to Kinko's to finish off the look.
It's not a bad presentation; and honestly had I been given 2 weeks to prepare; he was right it would be different. I would have had time to contact an advertising agency and get our advertising more set in stone rather than just the design concept that I have. I might have more in depth pictures describing everything on our booth. I might have the mock up of our demo stations. Sadly my boss was right; even though I lost sleep over the comment, given 2 more weeks it would be a different presentation with more impressive information.
So today after preparing a handout for the board. I take out to Kinkos to professionalize my presentation board. I set the board I've prepared down on the counter and say to the girl. "I need your help to make this presentation a little less 7th grade science fair" to which she responds...
"Sorry...I can't help you"
Straight face and all. Completely histerically funny...like you'd see on a sitcom. Sadly, not in a sitcom (although I sometimes feel like my life could best be translated to a sitcot).
So after much coaxing...I get her to help. We determine that I need to put all of my visuals on a different piece of paper that will be laminated and then attached to poster board. End project turned out well. I hope. Who knows what the board will think. I did get good feedback from another executive, and manager that said the presentation board that I put together would be fine and the board would enjoy it.
So now I sit and wait for them to come out of their meeting. Keep your fingers crossed for me.
