There are many ways to structure your slides. One of the techniques I love is called “5 5 5 rule”:

* 5 Words (or less) per line or bullet point
* 5 Lines or bullet points (or less) per slide
* 5 Slides (or less) per presentation

This means, you can use a maximum of 125 (5*5*5) words to make your point. It may seem too little. But, remember that a slide is not a document and brevity is your friend. If you work on condensing complex topics, stories and data in a crisp manner that suits your audience, your presentation is already set for success. If the listeners are still confused, you are there to add additional context and clarity.

Try the “5 5 5 Rule” with a few complex topics you want to present. You will observe that having less number of words actually enables you, triggers your creativity and strengthens your messaging.

Also remember that words are not the only tools in your armour. You can use visuals such as diagrams, pictures, graphs and flow charts to reinforce your messaging. A mix of text and visuals is pleasing to eyes and improves the stickability of your storytelling.

Not all delegations are equal. Hence, whenever you delegate work, it is important to remove ambiguity and set clear expectations for all parties concerned.

One of the good frameworks to think about this is called “Five Levels of Delegation”, from author Michael Hyatt‘s book “Free to Focus“:

Level 1: Do Exactly What I Say (Just Execute)

Level 2: Research and Report (Tell me what you found)

Level 3: Research and Recommend (Tell me what you think)

Level 4: Decide and Inform (Tell me what you are going to do)

Level 5: Act Independently (I trust you. Run the show. Good Luck.)

Sometimes, you may start in Level 1 and go up. But, it is not mandatory. Depending on the task, delegatee’s skills and the existing trust between the delegatee and the delegator, we can skip some steps and start at a higher level too.

Interestingly, Level 5 may be the most difficult for many delegators. But that’s what sets you free for a higher level.