Scientists: Your Slide Deck Is Why They Don't Take You Seriously!

Have you ever been on the very first slide of your presentation, and then been asked about something on slide 10 by one of the key decision makers in the room?...

You then jump to slide 10, answer the question, and then another stakeholder drags you to back slide 4.  Completely destroying your carefully planned narrative.

This happened to me, several times at the start of my career, and it stung.

I worried I wasn’t being heard.  Not because my science lacked value, but because my message wasn’t landing.

In the lab, detail was everything.  I took pride in showing every method, every variable, every nuance.  But when I presented to decision-makers, I watched their eyes glaze over.  My passion for rigour was being lost in translation.  Something had to change.

As my career progressed, I learned that the shift required wasn’t about dumbing things down.  It was about starting my presentation with impact.  

• Impact First: "How does my work affect our bottom line or strategic goals?"

• Clear Plan: "What are the next steps and timeline?"

• Concise Details: "Give me the highlights, not a data dump."

Once I learned to frame the science as a relevant story, people leaned in.  They cared.  They acted.

The data didn’t change.  The story did.

Disagree?  Tell me why scientific rigour should come before business impact.  I'll wait.