EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
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The CPA profession’s
continuing professional education
regimen requires a supply of
class presenters, or discussion leaders,
who in turn receive honoraria, CPE credit
and the satisfaction of imparting valuable
skills and knowledge. CPAs considering
becoming discussion leaders can take
several exploratory steps, including
facilitating live CPE sessions or speaking
at local CPA chapters. State CPA societies
often need new discussion leaders for live
CPE presentations. Course materials can be
obtained from the AICPA and other sources
and typically include a guide for
discussion leaders and supporting
illustration slides.
Some tips for giving
a presentation: Slides should
complement, not duplicate, oral content.
Presenters should develop strategies to
encourage group discussion, including
asking questions in different ways. When
asked a question they can’t answer,
discussion leaders can invite answers from
the audience or promise to research the
question and follow up later.
After the
presentation, discussion leaders
can learn from course
evaluations, especially any written
comments.
James Schaefer, CPA, DBA,
is a professor of accounting at the
University of Evansville, Evansville, Ind.
His e-mail address is
js2@evansville.edu. The author would
like to thank Stacey
Wilson, Michael Matthews
and Allan Bachman
for their helpful comments. |
P
roviders of continuing professional
education are frequently looking for discussion
leaders to teach classes. And most CPAs at some
point have probably wondered what it would take to
be a discussion leader. The benefits
include pay as well as what most discussion
leaders find is a greater reward: the satisfaction
of sharing knowledge. Discussion leaders also earn
CPE credit for themselves. However, being a
discussion leader is harder than it looks, and
most CPAs have little or no training as public
speakers. But with the proper attitude, sufficient
preparation and development of presentation
skills, anyone can become a good discussion
leader. This article explains how preparation and
knowing what to expect can help make the
experience a successful one.
THREE KEY COMPONENTS The
most important component of a good discussion
leader is a desire to succeed. Keep in mind that
live CPE is expensive, and participants are giving
up valuable time to attend. Your goal should be to
give the participants knowledge and perspective
that helps them in their careers in ways they can
readily appreciate. In his book How to Run
Seminars & Workshops , Robert Jolles
suggests that a realistic expectation is a
stimulating training session that is “delivered
professionally and leaves the participant
motivated and satisfied.” Second is
knowledge of the subject matter. The discussion
leader must know the material backward and
forward. Every audience at a CPE program will
include CPAs who have worked with the material and
have questions regarding its implementation.
The third component is being a good presenter.
The discussion leader sets the tone for the whole
program. More than just presenting the material,
he or she answers questions, involves participants
and keeps the program on track.
HOW TO GET STARTED There
are many ways to become a discussion leader. One
approach is to attend live CPE programs. State CPA
societies offer a variety of CPE programming,
often hiring discussion leaders for course
materials they have purchased from publishers such
as the AICPA. The advantage to teaching an AICPA
course offered by a state CPA society is that the
course materials are already developed and are
updated regularly. Attending state CPA
society-sponsored CPE programs allows you to make
contact with the society’s personnel. Tell them
you are interested in becoming a discussion leader
and ask how to get started. Michael Matthews, the
director of CPE for the Florida Institute of CPAs,
asks potential discussion leaders to send a
one-page biography, including any testimonials
received from previous speaking engagements.
Stacey Wilson, the manager of member services
for the Indiana CPA Society, adds, “We look for
people with the potential to be both dynamic and
interactive. Another aspect is finding someone who
is very knowledgeable, if not an expert, on the
topic at hand.” The importance of
credentials depends on the nature of the course.
“If it is a course on digital forensics, being an
expert is more important than credentials held,”
says Allan Bachman, education manager for the
Association of Certified Fraud Examiners. “But if
it is a course on fraud prevention, being a
Certified Fraud Examiner would be a plus.”
If you want to get a feel for what it is like
to be a discussion leader, offer to be a
facilitator (the person who helps with the sign-in
sheet, distributes material and administers
evaluations). Being a facilitator allows you to
interact with both the discussion leader and the
participants. If you are nervous about
becoming a discussion leader, contact a local
chapter of your CPA society, the Institute of
Internal Auditors (IIA) or Institute of Management
Accountants (IMA) and offer to present a short
program. Chapters are always looking for
programming. Short programs at this level are
usually more casual, and participants may have
lower expectations. If you are an expert
or have considerable experience with a subject,
consider writing your own course. Most CPE vendors
are always looking for new programming and would
welcome a proposal. Matthews suggests sending a
one-page summary of the proposed topic, including
the targeted audience, the course’s objective and
what knowledge people will walk away with. The
AICPA’s Web site provides a link to all of the
state CPA societies (
www.aicpa.org/yellow/ypascpa.htm). If
you want to get some training first, apply to
attend the IIA’s Instructor Development Course. It
is tuition-free and runs for 3½ days.
Presentations are taped and critiqued. For more
information, contact Richard Gipson (
richard.gipson@theiia.org).
BEFORE THE CPE PROGRAM Once
you commit to being a discussion leader, you will
receive a contract from the provider that details
what the provider expects from you and includes
information on expense reimbursement as well as
the honorarium. Most CPE providers ask that you
return your expense form within 30 days, although
in the spirit of cooperation you should return it
at your earliest convenience. You should read the
contract carefully, because it contains important
information on what the provider needs from you
beforehand as well as other expectations, such as
arrival time. Most CPE providers ask that you
arrive at least 30 minutes before the starting
time, although 60 minutes is a good idea.
Keep in mind that once you sign and return the
contract, the provider (and everyone who registers
for the program) is counting on you to honor the
commitment. Only a serious medical emergency in
your immediate family should prevent you from
honoring a commitment to be a discussion leader.
The CPE provider should give you a
Discussion Leader Guide (unless you
have agreed to write your own course). Typically,
the guide will contain a full copy of the
participant manual, along with Discussion
Leader Notes for each chapter and a
Microsoft PowerPoint file. You should plan on
spending several hours reviewing the course
material. The more you prepare, the more
comfortable with the material and confident you
will be. Your preparation schedule should include
a good night’s rest before the program, to allow
you to be refreshed and enthusiastic.
ON THE DAY OF THE PROGRAM
Professional attire, even if it is not
requested or required, helps create a favorable
first impression. Introduce yourself to as many of
the participants as possible. They will appreciate
it and be more inclined to interact with you. At
the beginning of the program, announce your
schedule, including breaks and lunch. And stay
hydrated, as your vocal cords need it.
Most experienced discussion leaders alternate
between using PowerPoint, discussion, and
question-and-answer, especially in all-day CPE
programs. In fact, experienced presenters strive
not to overuse PowerPoint. In her book Death
by PowerPoint, Cherie Kerr argues that the
PowerPoint presentation should only serve as a
background. The AICPA discussion leader
guides offer several means of explaining the
course material. For example, the slides provided
can be used to present inherently complex
accounting topics. And reviewing the
end-of-chapter questions and problems is a good
way to reiterate the key concepts without using
PowerPoint. In the best programs,
participants are active and involved. If you have
a relatively small group (30 or fewer), you could
have them all introduce themselves and briefly say
why they attended. This sets up an interactive
atmosphere. Keep in mind you don’t need everyone’s
participation, just enough to keep the audience
engaged. You could break larger audiences into
groups to discuss end-of-chapter problems, then
have each group select a spokesperson to give the
group’s response. Asking questions also increases
participation. In How to Run Seminars &
Workshops , Jolles says the best way to get
the audience involved is effective use of
questioning. Presenters can begin with a
fact-based question: “Can anyone…?” and if they
get no responses, try an opinion-based question:
“Does anyone have an opinion…?” The approach works
especially well with smaller groups. Once
you get the audience involved in the discussion,
they likely will have questions for you. Jolles
stresses the importance of thanking questioners
for their input as well as not discounting
questions. You also should develop an approach for
dealing with questions you cannot answer. This
happens to every discussion leader, and they all
worry about it. When it happens, give yourself a
few seconds to think, and make sure you understand
the question. If in doubt, try repeating the
question. This may prompt the questioner to
elaborate. If you still cannot answer the
question, admit you do not know the answer and ask
if anyone in the audience can help. Often, someone
can, and this is where you benefit from developing
skills. Every experienced discussion leader has
asked for help from the audience, and when
participants contribute, you are really leading
the discussion. If no one can help, offer to
research the issue and get back in touch with the
person asking the question, then move on.
Finally, do not tell lawyer jokes. You never
know who is in your audience or who might be
offended. If lawyers are in attendance, they
likely are J.D./CPAs, and they can be great
participants. Avoid any off-color, sexist,
religious or other comments that might be
offensive.
AFTER THE PROGRAM At the
conclusion of the program, you may want to give
the participants your contact information,
especially if you were unable to answer a question
or promised to follow up on something. Say goodbye
to as many people as possible and thank them for
attending. The CPE provider should have
made some arrangement for the participants to
complete evaluation forms. The provider usually
will give you a summary of the evaluation results.
You should spend some time looking at the
numerical scores and comments and reflect on them.
Be sure you understand the measurement scale and
the wording of the responses. For example, if
respondents are rating you on a scale of one to
five, and a three is “good,” do not be upset if
your scores do not average over a four. Accept the
written comments in good faith and give them
careful consideration. We all enjoy reading
positive comments about our work, but becoming a
good discussion leader includes carefully
considering the more critical comments. Most
critical comments are not meant to be personal
(even if they seem so). As hard as they can be to
read, ask yourself if they are valid. For example,
if participants say you are too soft-spoken or
went too fast (or too slowly), give it some
thought. Regarding the evaluation results,
Bachman says, “While there are benchmark numerical
scores we like to see, we also want to know if the
discussion leader was able to answer the questions
put forth and keep the audience interested. We
look for discussion leaders who tied the
presentation to the course material, while tying
in their own personal experiences. These make for
the best programs.”
Talking Points
Remember that people who
show up to hear you want to believe that
you’re smart, interesting and a good
speaker.—William Germano, “The
Scholarly Lecture: How to Stand and
Deliver,” The Chronicle of Higher
Education, Nov. 18, 2003.
Rehearse your
presentation, preferably with a live
audience. This will yield unbelievable
results! Also explain why your topic is
relevant and important to CPAs.
Participants want to leave your
presentation with useful information and
ideas they can apply
immediately.—Michael Matthews,
director of CPE, Florida Institute of
CPAs.
When a speaker is able to
elaborate on the topic, drawing from
his/her own experiences, rather than
just reading from the manual and slides,
it makes for a much better and
well-received course.—Stacey
Wilson, manager of member services,
Indiana CPA Society.
One of the trademarks of
good presenters is that they enjoy their
work and are committed to a product that
adds value.—Barbara Wollmershauser
and Jim B. Baker, CSA Sentinel,
January 1997.
Maintain a positive
attitude when addressing questions by
your trainees. Questions from the
trainees demonstrate a show of interest
in the material as well as an
environment conducive to a
discussion.—Robert L. Jolles, How
to Run Seminars & Workshops,
2nd ed., John Wiley & Sons, 2001.
The sole purpose of a
PowerPoint presentation is background
for your presentation/show. It should
not be the whole show.—Cherie Kerr,
Death by PowerPoint: How to Avoid
Killing Your Presentation and Sucking
the Life out of Your Audience,
ExecuProv Press, 2002. |
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