Lessons Learned

Few days ago, my senior design team conducted a presentation at Rockwell Collins. It was a "report out" presentation, sort of a formal type, where we presented our results on the ideas we proposed few months ago.

Though we were prepared, but based on our performance, I think there's a lot to learn from. For exp don't let Ted drive. etc.

Later that day, I had the privileage to attend a  professional development workshop organized by the IEs, the focus was speech design and delivery! Had a great time with the inspiring speaker who taught us a lot. 

So here are a few lessones I learned that might be benefitial:

1. You gotta give a good Impression on your 1st minute of the presentation. A very very good 1st minute impression will make the audience excited about you talking. A bad 1st minute impression has put an engineer into sleep that day.

2. Begin a presentation with an agenda is unavoidable, really. However, if an agenda was created for the sake of doing it, it creates no value. A good agenda shuold have a good flow, good sequence, appropriate amount of topics, and clearly numbered.

3. Ted can't drive! It was the part where there's an optimus prime looking truck raced side to side to a compact car, while Vin Diesel (Ted) driving his compact car tries to do a front flip! or maybe 360 I really don't know! But failed. obviously. So for that 2 hours drive back to Ames I was so awake.

4. Focus on what audience needs to see, not what you want to show. So hide those 5 pages time studies data, 8 pages systemic layout planning, details, and explanations. 

5. After N months of hard work, what's the impact?

6. During questions and answers section, it's OK to say "I don't know, let me get back to you later".

(From the workshop)

7. Have a plan B if things don't go as you expected.

8. Talk to the audience, not your notes.

9. Have a good rate of activity: Slow down you gestures. Breath, speak, pause. Breath, speak, pause. Hold longer eye contact with each audience member (your rate of speech will slow down).

10. When answering a question, rather than beginning your answer with "er" or "uhm", use the person's name, then respond. 

Hope it's helpful!