Presentation Myth 6: the Power of 3

Presentation Skills Myths and Realities #6

An usual question: what do wise men, bears, pigs, strikes, friends, Truth, and a guy called Tom all have in common?

Here’s a clue: Aristotle, Julus Caesar, and Tony Blair are also in the same category.

In case you’re still puzzled: they all invoked the Power of 3.

So we know this power is tried and tested. That it’s been around a very long time. So many people know of it, so many people use it. And therein lies the myth.

This was brought home to me – a bit of a personal light bulb moment – on 10 th February 2006. Jamie Dimon, the new CEO of JPMorgan had just given his first Asian town hall address from the Mandarin Oriental in Hong Kong and had asked for any questions.

An MD’s hand shot up. “Jamie, what are your 3 objectives for Asia this year?”.

The new CEO paused (he’s good at that). We looked on in eager anticipation. But the start of the reply wasn’t what we were expecting.

‘So why do there have to be three?’ came the response. ‘It’s these consultants, isn’t it. They go around telling people to speak in threes. I don’t like that’.

And here’s the thing: he’s absolutely right. Attend just about any presentation these days, and you can guarantee the speaker will have ‘3 points’.

It may very well be a powerful number, but the World isn’t that well organised. And in any case, it’s become a cliché. It runs the risk of sounding contrived. Of being Fake.

Also, there’s now another power around. And it’s potentially sinister. The Power of 2.

This is not new. The earliest humans were faced with making quick decisions in order to survive: fight or flight, friend or foe, dangerous or tame? No time for debate, or balanced, considered analysis.

Fast forward to 2024, and we’ve come full circle.

The requirement for quick decisions is back. But with a difference. On the one hand, social media platforms and their accompanying algorithms are polarising society. As Professor Kevin Dutton suggests in his compelling book ‘Black and White Thinking’, “It’s not Truth that grabs our brains – it’s certainty.” We’re wanting bold and confident assertions that confirm what we already believe. These platforms do not leave time or space for constructive dialogue.

On the other hand, when there is some time and willingness to listen and debate – in meetings, on calls, when presenting – contrasting pairs can provide much needed clarity and credibility: Yin/Yang, Asian/Western, Yes/No, Present/Future. The Devil’s Advocate.

All that said, 3 can still be powerful. Just not all the time. Flexibility is the key. Having just the one point can appear very focussed and confident. Alternatively, it could be seen as being light weight, as ill-informed, that you don’t know about ‘Dick and Harry’.

Tip:

If you do have 3 points to make when presenting, and you have notes with you, then say you have 3 points to make. But if speaking without notes – answering questions, for example – don’t put a number on it. Just say ‘a few….’ So easy to forget that third point when under pressure.

As Rick Perry found out in the 2011 Republican Party Presidential Debate. Oops!