Presentation Examples: When Simplification Backfires
Simplifying complex topics is essential for effective communication. However, when technical professionals rely on tired analogies or mismatched examples, they’ve crossed the fine line between simplifying and oversimplifying. They’ve created noise and unintentionally signaled (at least in the decision maker’s mind) that they don’t fully understand the subject themselves.
The Car Analogy Problem
One of the most overused examples in asset management is the personal car. It’s familiar and simple to explain. But it has almost nothing in common with the infrastructure and industrial systems we’re actually talking about.
A car doesn’t operate 24/7. It doesn’t have multiple owners, regulatory oversight, or mission‑critical consequences when it fails. It doesn’t require lifecycle modeling, risk-based prioritization, or coordinated capital planning.
The Iceberg Problem
The iceberg example in risk management intent is more than just “many risks are hidden.” When used correctly, its deeper purpose is to shift leaders from event‑level thinking to root cause and pattern-level thinking. Most technical professionals use it incorrectly for event-level decisions, making the example feel overworked and non‑relevant in executive settings.
Use Examples That Match the Work
A better approach is to choose simple examples that remain within the same universe as the problem. A valve, a pump, or a short run of pipe can illustrate condition, failure modes, maintenance strategies, and lifecycle decisions without distorting reality. These examples are simple but relevant. They help the audience connect the dots without forcing them to mentally translate from an unrelated domain.
The Tip
The tip is to make your examples align with the decision maker’s problem. The goal is to help them understand the issue well enough to allocate resources (staff time and money).
Reference:
Solomon, J. D. (2026, August 26). Choosing the right example: Why decision makers judge you by it. Communicating with FINESSE on Substack. https://communicatingwithfinesse.substack.com/p/choosing-the-right-example-why-decision
JD Solomon champions practical communication skills that help technical professionals convey complex ideas clearly and confidently. Learn more at www.jdsolomonsolutions.com and www.communicatingwithfinesse.com.
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