Group Presentation
Important Note:
Check the Schedule and remember when your team is expected to present. Be there.
Two ways to transfer your presentation files (Powerpoint slides) to my computer.
Email: FI414.HUANG@gmail.com
USB flash drive (bring to class; please arrive early)
Advice:
My grading criteria can be summarized by one question that you can ask yourselves:
"Can someone who hadn't read the case material beforehand learn from our presentation some basic ideas what the case is about and what problems we are trying to solve?"
Ask yourselves this question as you rehearse.
Because I will ask myself this exact question when I grade your performance.
Do no over-prepare and do not try to cover every aspect of the case.
Your team has maximum 25 minutes.
You are more likely to run out of time than having not enough to say. Trust me. You will find out.
If you have perfect answers to all of the questions, what am I here for?
You have 30 minutes. I have 130 minutes. Do the math.
Don't try to ANSWER ALL of the "suggested" questions listed in the Cases section.
The "food-for-thought" questions are food for thoughts for the whole class.
They are not exam questions for you - the presenting team.
You job, instead, is to supply relevant information that can help the class think about the case, by:
Providing background information.
Explaining what the important questions are.
Presenting plausible answers to the questions.
Most likely you won't have much time to elaborate after the first two steps.
There are no RIGHT answers to the questions, only sensible and well-presented arguments.
Suggested planning strategy:
READ the case material from cover to cover.
Every team member should do that, so that you have something to add value to the team
Sit down together and share your thoughts (and maybe pizzas as well).
Reach a preliminary view about the case. Write down the main points that you want to stress.
It is impossible for you to cover all of the suggested questions!
Pick those easier ones to tackle.
Devise a presentation plan.
Allocate tasks among members.
I highly encourage every member to speak on stage.
However, if you wish, you can also give more time to the most eloquent members.
Do a dry run (Remember: practice makes perfect).
Let your teammates help you. They are motivated because their grades depend on you.
What if you feel really nervous?
Drink water. Breath deeply. You can even write a script.
Don't worry about time. Don't look at your watch every 10 seconds.
I will be doing just fine no matter whether you leave 10 minutes or 100 minutes to me.
Even if you are not sure whether what you say is right, pretend that you are an expert.
In the real world, most likely your boss didn't go to a business school. He probably tried to get into the Broad College, but his GPA was too low.
Therefore, he would trust whatever comes out of your mouth, UNLESS, you look really nervous (in which case, he will suspect that you have stolen money from his bank accounts).
It is unlikely that you will overnight obtain all the knowledge, skills, and experiences of a successful Wall Street banker.
Don't try to be perfect.
Focus on what you know and what you've got, and spend more time practicing what you are going to say in class.
Don't be too technical in the presentations. Don't present big tables with too many boring numbers. Your audience can't follow them.
Grading:
Grades are based on collective performance of a team.
Allocate tasks accordingly among members.
Know each member's strength and weakness.
I am grading your performance mostly based on:
How organized, informative, clear, and smooth the presentation is;
How much your classmates can learn from your presentation.
Most important: "Can someone who hadn't' read the case material beforehand learn from our presentation some basic ideas what the case is about and what problems we are trying to solve?"
The presentations account for only 10 points.
Don't over-prepare and kill yourself for it!
I don't grade based on whether your answers are correct or not.
I repeat: there are no CORRECT answers (in this course or in real world business scenarios), only sensible arguments and useful information.