This is a new series I’m starting, which is translating what people might say to you in performance reviews, but what they really mean. I was having a conversation with someone, and she told me she got this feedback.

So here’s what it means:

It means that your manager is looking for consistency from you that they’re not seeing. Now I know everyone makes mistakes. But nothing gets more frustrating to a manager when you make lots of little mistakes, or when you make the same mistakes over and over again. It makes them feel like 1) you’re not listening or paying attention, or 2) if these things are wrong, something else is wrong with the presentation. The saying “The devil’s in the details” is absolutely true.

Here’s what helps: a checklist. Simple, but effective. Make a list of all the things you’ve gotten wrong in the past, and when you do your next whatever, make sure you check your checklist. At the least, you’ll know you’re not making any old mistakes.

Some things to put on a checklist for presentations:

1. Spell check and grammar check. I know basic. But still see this.
2. Font size consistency across the pages: titles always the same.
3. Page numbers.
4. Numbers tie: meaning a number on one page matches it on another page. Lots of time people forget to update all the places where the number is used.
5. No slang, colloquialisms. Try not to use acronyms.
6. Check dates: if the dates have past, the status is usually completed, but people miss this because they just cut and paste from the last presentation.
7. If the presentation is a big one, do a table top exercise prior to submission. This is when you bring a few people into a room to read the presentation, page by page. Often, you’re in the process of making lots of updates: that’s when you start losing sight of the overall deck. Take a moment and look at the whole presentation with fresh eyes.
8. Give the deck to someone you trust who is detail oriented to review and read before you submit.
9. The information has to stand on its own. If I need you to explain it, it doesn’t.
10. Label clearly: simple colors and legends. Be consistent. If orange means legal expenses, don’t make it blue later in the deck.

When details get missed the first time, it’s usually brushed off as a one time mistake. The problem happens when it becomes a pattern: then it’s not a rare occurrence, but who you are.