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Developing a Plan B When Giving Engineering Presentations

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Developing a Plan B When Giving Engineering Presentations is a guest post by Shoots Veis, P.E.

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 goes out.  While the projector’s light is now dim, the look on the speaker’s face resembles that of a deer in the headlights.

We have all seen something like this happen.  If you are unlucky, it has happened to you.  What happens next depends on your speech preparation.  If you included a Plan B as part of your speech preparation, then you can move on from the mishap with little disruption.  Most likely, you will impress the audience with your grasp of the subject matter and your ability to carry on without the projector.

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Don’t Ignore Opportunities to Celebrate Engineering

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Don’t Ignore Opportunities to Celebrate Engineering is a guest post by
Shoots Veis, P.E.

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 to study engineering.  The outreach events from the past year were then highlighted and a new batch of Professional Engineers were given plaques after reciting the Engineers’ Creed.  A heartfelt moment was shared when a new member of the Engineering Hall of Fame was introduced and reflected on his career.

The evening went along fruitfully until the Project of the Year awards.  All the goodwill and energy in the room built up over the evening was quickly drained from the room with back-to-back dreadful speeches by engineers receiving Project of the Year awards.  It was like an iron curtain dropped to halt all of the evening’s enjoyment.  The first engineer/speaker received the small project award. He was unprepared to speak about the project, rambled off subject, and could not make himself heard. It was dreadful.

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Speech Preparation: Preparing and Not Preparing for Presentations

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Speech Preparation is a guest post by Shoots Veis, P.E.

Speech Preparation

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 at the conference and the day I would speak.  My proposal was accepted and I celebrate each time I get to convey the message, because I want my audience to walk away with a heightened appreciation for infrastructure.

Developing the presentation was not a burden because I believe in the issue and expended the effort necessary to develop a good speech.  I focused on defining the scope and objectives to fit them into a 30 to 45-minute time frame.  I found just the right story to open the speech and used graphical slides to reinforce each point.  I practiced several times before my first delivery and made small adjustments to the presentation after each delivery.  I have given the speech many times and it has never failed to be a hit.

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Presentation Visual Aids – Design a Tool, not a Crutch

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This is a guest post by Shoots Veis, P.E.

Visual Aids
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 of engineering.

The same principle applies to an effective presentation.  Visual aids, including the set of slides that are shown during the speech, should be a tool to assist with communication, not a crutch for the speaker to lean on because they didn’t prepare.  Too many speakers believe creating a slide deck is all there is to public speaking.  Instead of properly preparing and delivering a good speech, they rely on poorly designed visual aids to do the work for them.

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