How many times have you sat through a powerpoint presentation where the speaker went on far too long? I bet you are saying it happens far too often for your liking!
One cure for the ailing PPT comes in the form of Pecha Kucha, a Japanese-inspired method of giving presentations that is really effective. Pecha Kucha (pronounced pe-chach-ka) comes from the Japanese phrase for “chit chat” and is based on a simple formula: 20 slides x 20 seconds per slide. It forces the presenter to a much greater level of clarity, knowing that he or she has only 6 minutes and 40 seconds to present…and the slides automatically advance every 20 seconds.
I used Pecha Kucha to develop a talk I recently gave on the next revolution in cataract surgery, which involves using a laser to improve upon the current procedure. The beauty of this method is that it can be applied to any subject in any field
Started in 2003 in Tokyo by a pair of architectural designers, “Pecha Kucha Nights” now take place in over 300 cities worldwide (see www.pecha-kucha.org). I’ve given several of these presentations, and I can tell you first-hand that it works well in forcing a higher level of organization. You truly have to stick to your point or you will never “Beat the Clock” (for those of you who remember that TV game show).