Member-only story
When My Boss Tore Up My Report, It Changed My Career Forever
Here’s how learning the hard way about the power of presentation transformed my work — and how it can transform yours, too.
One of the defining moments of my career wasn’t an award or promotion.
It was the day my boss looked at a proposal I’d spent three weeks preparing, tore it in half, and tossed it aside.
I was stunned — until he gave me the reason why.
That lesson on the importance of presentation, on respecting the effort behind the work by showing it clearly, changed everything for me. And it just might change how you think about presenting your own work too.
The Reason Behind the Tear-Up
It felt like a blow when it happened.
I spent weeks developing the report with the R&D, finance, product supply, procurement, and packaging teams. At least 200 hours of work had gone into the project. After the initial shock wore off, my boss explained.
He said, “We spend so much energy developing projects, refining each detail, anticipating every scenario. But if we don’t present that effort in an easy-to-consume way, we’re selling ourselves short.”
