A lot of people associate editing and revising work as painful.

This is because in many companies it happens at the last minute and is a reactive process. You spend time trying to fix all the mistakes and end up being frustrated with the final process.

There's a better way.

Here are three things that can help:

#1 - Start with a solid storyline

Before you even think about opening PowerPoint, start with a storyline or outline. This is the skeleton of your presentation, and getting it right can save hours of frustration later:

• Use the Pyramid Principle to organize your thoughts and data
• Create a bulleted outline that communicates your ideas top-down
• Review your outline with your team or manager before making slides. It's important to make sure everyone is aligned on the story and flow of the presentation
• Use your outline as your guide as you build the presentation. Often your ledes will directly match bullet points from your outline

A well-structured storyline prevents "frankensteined" decks that lack coherence and clarity.

#2 - Embrace detailed feedback

Every edit is a chance for feedback, but too many people wait until the end of the project for that feedback.

Since you already have a rough outline, take your early work and show it to someone. Explain the direction of the project and tell them what you need feedback on. Be specific.

At McKinsey, my manager would take my slides, edit them, and print out each copy. Then he'd show me a slide-by-slide comparison and he would explain every change. It was invaluable.

Some of the changes were so small (think small word tweaks or formatting adjustments) that I wouldn't have noticed if he hadn't pointed them out.

I was surprised at how quickly I was able to internalize these things in my next versions.

#3 - Sharpen your written communication

Often, the root cause of endless edits is unclear communication.

While this often takes a lot of practice and high-quality feedback, the following can be helpful to consider too:

• Remember the "illusion of transparency" - the reality that most people interpret ideas in different ways. We often overestimate how clearly others understand what we are trying to say (it can be a fun test to ask people to write a sentence of what they think the takeaway of something is. Even if they are close, most people will use very different language and tone).
• What are you really trying to say? This is my favorite question to ask people when they are trying to improve their communication. They often respond with, "Oh I'm just trying to say X, Y, Z." Then I respond, "Just say that!"
• Avoid using jargon or complex language: While jargon is nice to use, especially inside your own company, often you are overcomplicating the message. Is there an easier way to say the same thing?
• Invest time in improving your writing skills: I love writing, so I'm a bit biased. My favorite writing resources are The Writing Life by Annie Dillard, On Writing Well by William Zinsser, and the How I Write Podcast by David Perell.