Developing a Plan B When Giving Engineering Presentations

  The mutter of the crowd begins to subdue as the moderator asks people to settle into their seats for the next engineering presentation.  After a brief intro, the presenter steps to the front of the room.  After a smooth speech introduction, the speaker is just going to his first slide when the projector light […]

Don’t Ignore Opportunities to Celebrate Engineering

It was Engineers Week and I attended a nice banquet to celebrate.  The evening commenced with drinks and socializing among local engineers and their guests, followed by a decent dinner.  The program began mid-meal, with the emcees telling jokes and getting the proceedings underway.  First up, scholarships were given to local high school seniors intending […]

Speech Preparation: Preparing and Not Preparing for Presentations

    I’m always excited when I get to deliver a speech, so I sent in an application to speak at a conference of operators on one of my favorite subjects.  I had spent two months with speech preparation and would be able to deliver it a couple of times for practice, between the acceptance […]

Presentation Visual Aids – Design a Tool, not a Crutch

  Engineers use a variety of tools to complete their daily tasks. The list may include a calculator, a computer with the right software, and a book of engineering standards. These tools support the practice of engineering and make for a more productive engineer.  They assist the engineer, but they do not replace the practice […]