Comm - Chapter 14

Being an informed speaker
It is critical to conduct research on the topic you speak to. In order to effectively provide a speech that you present yourself as an expert, you should research and know any and all background information. Be prepared to answer questions and know your subject matter.

Although I have been with my company for about 11 years and run large cross-functional teams, I am not typically the expert, nor do I ever present myself to be. However, as the team lead, I present information to the sponsors and stakeholders of the project. I tend to do a lot of research, gather data, information and either bring expertise statements or subject matter experts along to field questions.

The research can be very difficult to gather at times. Sometimes the projects are so technical I find myself poring over information on the Internet, technical books and many interviews.

We also use benchmarking, industry journals, networking and utilize other company system’s information.

As the book states, it can be a tedious, long and arduous process to do the research but if validates your subject/speech matter.

All of the research information is documented, filed either electronically or traditionally. It is noted in the documents appropriately and all of the information is always readily accessible to others.

Presentation – visual aids
My most favorite part of the job is creating a pleasing, professional presentation. The conference venue is important, at times I have placed posters with vital information around the room and, if there is time, I like to create a presentation that’s fun, concise and informative. Remember, a PPT is a series of bullet points with no more that 5 to 8 words each. (and even that, in my opinion is excessive!)

There are some more points to remember, besides research, presentation and speech aids. Always expect the unexpected! I can’t tell you how many times there was technical difficulty and I went a la hardcopy! I am always prepared by having the presentation in hardcopy form, a USB drive to load up on a stationary computer (when my laptop won’t do), and I always copy everything into a folder on the laptop’s desktop. Most folks will tell you that I am well over prepared (on the verge of anal-retentive). However, I’m not delaying my meetings 15 to 20 minutes for techno reasons!