Preparing Outstanding Presentations - Part 1 - Understanding your audience.
HTML - A Primer - Web pages are not necessarily all that difficult to construct.
Industy 2000: Road Map to Engineering Careers - EAB Workshop on developing personal strategies for technical vitality to be held in Dallas at the Grand Kempinski Hotel. NOTE: *Update since newsletter went to press* EAB has received grant to help sponsor workshop and has dropped the registration fee to $0. See EAB homepage for details and to register (http://www.ieee.org/eab/)
Legislative Reports - Congress looks at deregulating electric utilities and Civilian users given equal access to GPS.
Section Activities - RAB Recognizes Alan Triggs; Signals is looking for authors; IEEE Anniversaries (do you remember when you joined?)
June 6-7 Road Map to Engineering Careers: A Workshop on Personal Strategies for Technical Vitality
June 19 Consultants Networking Meeting
June 22 Career Transitions Workshop
June 24 ICC '96: Career Focus Series
by Cheryl Reimold, IEEE Professional Communications Society, reprinted from PCS Newsletter
A presentation is a great chance to further your career. The reason is simple: most presentations are ill-conceived and poorly delivered. So, if you can become one of the few who do it right, you'll stand out like a shining beacon in a dark wasteland. People will pick you for key projects because they can count on you to sell the work at presentation time.
In this series, we'll look at the principles that will enable you to prepare outstanding, career-boosting presentations.
Your starting point, and the key to strong preparation, is a thorough understanding of your listeners, including their needs and limitations. Great presentations are radical in their focus on the audience. They address real people with real needs and ask them for a real response. Poor presentations (including many that seem quite "polished") play out in thin air, removed from the audience, in an abstract space of ideas. Because they don't address real people, they rarely get a real response, either.
Your first job, then, is to understand clearly (1) who the audience is, (2) what you want them to do or believe, and (3) what their important needs and interests are.
In a presentation skills seminar, one engineer gave an excellent, informative presentation on a certain computerized system intended to replace error-prone manual control. However, when we discussed the presentation in detail, it turned out to be totally misdirected. The talk was to be given to operators, who were resisting the new system because it was unfamiliar and not yet fully functional. The system needed fine-tuning and the engineers needed the operators to help define the relevant variables to measure.
So, the real purpose of the talk was to persuade the operators to support the new system and contribute what they knew. A theoretical, detailed "information" talk could never achieve that purpose. How could the presenter do it better? By clearly understanding his purpose and then translating it into a main message and key points that speak to the needs and interests of the audience:
Possible key points:
With this outline, the presenter has the basic material to shape into a successful, audience-focused presentation. Remember, "if you want to please people, you must please them in their own way." -Lord Chesterfield
Next time, we'll see just what the proper "shape" or structure is and how it grows out of the audience's limitations.
Jeff Carrell, Electronic Communications Chairman
HTML or HyperText Markup Language, is the underlying component of what you see when browsing the World Wide Web. However, just because you are seeing neat graphics, a plethora of colors, moving objects, sound bytes, and even watching real-time video clips, the effort that goes into what you see is not necessarily all that difficult (well, maybe just a little bit :-).
HTML is the standard way of creating a document (web page) that can be universally viewed by applications called 'browsers.' A browser such as Netscape or Microsoft Internet Explorer, interprets the document formatting characteristics and displays the document in a GUI presentation. Add to this the capability of imbedding graphics, sounds and video files, as well as hyper-links to other places/ systems, and you have a powerful presentation medium.
Although there are standards for HTML (version 1.0, version 2.0 and version 3.0 is in draft stages), there is also the capability for a vendor to add extensions. These extensions provide more formatting capability for a particular browser, that other browsers may or may not adopt. That is why you see more and more web pages with the disclaimers of "...best when viewed with xxx browser." At this time, Netscape is the most popular and widely supported browser on the market.
Creating an HTML document can actually be a simple task. HTML uses "tags" or formatting variables, that when input into a document correctly, are not displayed themselves, but instructs the browser to present the information in a certain way. This includes headers, text formatting, hypertext-links, loading of graphics files and so on. The next time you are on the 'Net surfing around, choose an option that can display the actual source of the current web page (available in most browsers). By doing this, you see what I am talking about. Another thing to try is to save *neat* web pages to your computer as files. This is a *very* easy way to get started on your own. By reviewing and analyzing the HTML codes in these files, you can start creating your own web pages.
You can create HTML documents using a text editor like Windows Note Pad, a word processor that has an HTML add-on such as Internet Assistant for Word for Windows, HTML editors like HoTMetaL and even some browsers.
As a note, the IEEE has now made it standard policy for new documents and manuscripts submitted for publication to be created in SGML (Standard Graphics Markup Language- HTML's parent). This allows for easy trans-portability across many computing platforms. More and more on-line documentation provided by vendors is HTML formatted.
The following is an HTML file:
<title>Hello,IEEE'ers</title>
<h1>Main Header/Title</h1>
<h2>Next Title</h2>
<h3>Medium Title</h3>
<h4>Little Title</h4>
Paragraphs end with a <p>
Unnumbered lists can look like this:<p>
<ul>
<li>ComSoc
<li>CompSoc
</ul>
Have comments for me? <A HREF="mailto: j.carrell@ieee.org">Click here to contact me via email.</A><p>
<p>
The end.<p>
The resulting view with Netscape:
The figure shows the resulting view with a browser. As you can see, HTML is powerful. But like anything else, you can miss a little simple tag and your doc will not appear as you want it. So, a bit of advice, always review your HTML docs before you publish them.
The following are excellent web sites with tons of HTML and related info:
http://miso.wwa.com/~boba/masters1.html
http://www.cnw.com/~drclue/Formula_One.cgi/HTML/ HTML.html
http://www-mtl.mit.edu/MTL/people/ fischer/INDEX.html
http://info.er.usgs.gov/network/resources.html
There are also many books available on HTML - visit your favorite bookstore and peruse a few. Also, CompUSA and Computer City have books at a 20% discount.
OK folks, I now have a listing of over 450 people in the Section with email addresses, most of which I never knew about. If you have an email ID, *please* send me your address. I am updating my "master blaster" distribution list and will be adding these to it.
IEEE Educational Activities will sponsor the "Industry 2000: Road Map to Engineering Careers - A Workshop on Personal Strategies for Technical Vitality" on June 6-7 at the Grand Kempenski Hotel in Dallas. This workshop will help to determine and establish the educational elements of a personal strategic plan for lifelong technical vitality,
Participants from industry, government, academia, and professional societies will convene to identify an appropriate career development planning methodology--a "career road map"-taking into account technical and non-technical skills development. Participants will also identify the features of a life-long learning educational system to guide professionals throughout their careers, and develop curricula to be included in career planning tools.
Fee for the workshop is $125. For registration or additional information, contact Gale Latzko, Outreach Coordinator, IEEE Educational Activities, (908) 562-6526, g.latzko@ieee.org or check out the EAB Web site at <http://www.ieee.org/eab>.
With telecommunications reform out of the way, Congress has shifted its sights toward deregulation of the electric utility industry. Hearings have been held in both the House and Senate on the status of the electric utility industry and the question of the Federal role, if any, over a "competitive industry."
The legislation at issue is a bill (S. 1526) introduced Jan. 25 by Sen. Bennett Johnston (D-LA), which has these key elements: ensuring retail access; recovery of "stranded costs"; shared Federal/state responsibility (Federal role limited to ensuring competition); setting a schedule for transition to competition; ensuring a "level playing field" with repeal or modification of existing laws; and guaranteeing recovery of nuclear decommissioning costs.
Another bill pending in the Senate is S. 1317, an enabling act on the road to deregulation. It would repeal some laws affecting regulation and transfer functions from the Securities and Exchange Commission to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) and the Public Service Commissions of the various states.
As the debate begins, political considerations will be linked with economic and technical issues. Questions being raised by lawmakers include: Will stockholders need to be protected in their "legitimate" expectations of continuing dividends? How valid are the perceived benefits of deregulation: lower prices, shot in-the-arm to the economy and improvement of US ability to compete in the world? How will deregulation affect the goals of encouraging conservation, protecting the environment, and fostering renewable energy?
The deregulation pace quickened in late April with a decision by FERC that requires utility companies to open their transmission lines to other power producers. The decision requires utilities that control interstate transmission lines to charge their competitors no more than they pay for use of their own lines. It also requires that utilities provide "open access" to interstate transmission services.
In late March, the White House announced that the 24-satellite Global Positioning System (GPS) will be opened up to provide improved signal accuracy to a host of civil, commercial and scientific users. The new policy will eventually give the new users the same degree of accuracy that has been previously available only to the Department of Defense (DoD).
GPS was designed by DoD as a dual-use system to enhance the effectiveness of military forces. Up until now the various industries and individuals who used GPS had to be content with signals less accurate than those available to the military. This "selective availability" will gradually be phased out, putting civilian users on the same footing as military.
The White House predicted that the technology that succeeded in Desert Storm "will bring us safer sire travel, improved transportation on roads and highways, and faster response to emergencies by rescue vehicles." The Transportation Department will serve as the lead agency for all Federal and civil GPS matters.
Section Membership Development Chairman Alan Triggs received the Regional Activities Board Leadership Award in recognition of his outstanding contributions to the Section and the UNT Student Branch. Alan was cited for "implementing effective strategies for membership recruitment, retention, recognition and recovery." Congratulations, Alan.
Signals is inviting all Section members with a flair for writing to submit articles on technical or professional topics of interest for publication in the newsletter.
Articles should be two-pages in length (10 pt. font). They should be of general interest and written in a clear, concise manner using direct expression and active voice. Signals will edit for length, structure, style and clarity. Author is responsible for developing and ensuring factual information. Submit papers (email preferred) to j.eason@ieee.org or address below.
So, pick up your pens or fire up your computers and help us keep your fellow members informed and up-to-date. This is your opportunity to see your name in print and on the Web. And, if that's not incentive enough, we will be presenting an annual award to the author of the best paper.
We'd like to recognize some of our fellow members for their long-time committment to the profession on the anniversary of their joining IEEE (or IRE and AIEE). This will become a monthly feature of Signals, so keep an eye out for people you know and congratulate them next time you see them.
60 yrs G. C. Hutchenson
55 yrs J. G. Ivy
50 yrs A. G. Evans
45 yrs William R. Schock G. E. Tempero
40 yrs Robert B. Hodge D. R. Greenlee
J. M Buzbee L. Crittenden
M. E McClanah L. S. Gee
35 yrs E. C. Oertel Ryland Baldwin
Jon B. Wells James Browne
Bobby Joe Abel Mo-Shing Chen
30 yrs Myrtis N. Coleman Robert L. Ewing
B. R. Hughes Jack R. Keeling
Glenn C. Snell Robert G. Hoch
J. R. Jenkins Robert J. Kubala
Charles V. Smith Jerry H. Graves
Carl R. Manning
25 yrs Randy E. Estes Ijaz Ahmad
Edwin J. Goodwin Robert Krause
Timothy G. Staley John L. McCoy
20 yrs Richard H. Allison Glenn E. Funk
David G. Heolscher Thomas L. Lane
William R. Meszko John C. Nelson
Cyril T. Nute Thomas Doyle
Nathan M. Falk Lee P. Jenderko
Timothy O'Conner Kevin J. Brosi
Richard Q. Corley John P. Hatton
Brian D. Brumback John M. Newell
Don K. Ward Jeffrey Bledsoe
A lightweight boat is floating in calm water. A man walks from one end of the boat to the other. Does the boat move while he is walking, and then stop; continue moving; or not move at all?
Answer to last month's Brainbuster:
Fill in the nine squares below with the numbers 1 to 9, using only one of each, so that the sum of any three numbers obtained by adding them horizontally, vertically, or diagonally is 15.
4 9 2 3 5 7 8 1 6
JUNE Road Map to Engineering Careers: IEEE Educational Activities
6-7 A Workshop on Personal Stragegies for Technical Vitality
Thurs-Fri, 8 am
Participants at this two-day workshop will determine and establish the
educational elements of a personal strategic plan for lifelong
technical vitality. A follow-on to Industry 2000, a workshop to focus
on the technical vitality of engineers, this meeting will provide an
opportunity to develop a road map for engineers to plan, manage and
assess their career development. See article on p. 4 for additional
information.
Grand Kempenski Hotel, Dallas.
JUNE Networking Meeting Consultants' Network
19
Wed, 6:30 pm Networking is one of the key elements in making a consulting practice
successful. This month, the Consultants' Network is taking the
opportunity to have randomly selected audience members present their
consulting specialties. Please come prepared to present a five-minute
summary of the services and/or products you sell, your top two
marketing strategies, and how the Consultants' Network has helped or
can help your consulting practice.
Ben E. Keith Hospitality Room, Beers Distribution Plant, 7001 Will
Rogers Blvd. Exit I-35W South at Alta Mesa.
JUNE Career Transitions Workshop IEEE-USA Career Equality Cmte
22
Sat, 9 am This 6-hour workshop is designed to help individuals identify some of
the obstacles that prevent them from taking charge of their careers in
turbulent times. It also helps them to discover possibilities for
growth and opportunities that may already be present in a career or
organizational change. Helpful for all engineers, managers and their
spouses. No charge for members (or their spouses). $25 for
non-members. See p. 1 for additional info.
UTA Nedderman Hall, Rm. 202. Cooper and Border Streets in Arlington.
JUNE ICC '96: Career Focus Series IEEE-USA Career Equality Cmte
24
Mon, 8:30 am Series organizer LeEarl Ann Bryant has recruited members of various
IEEE-USA committees, including Employment Assistance and Consultants'
Networks to participate, as well as company representatives from Texas
Instruments, Aerospace Corporation and Dallas Semiconductor. This
series is being offered free of charge. See p. 1.
Dallas Convention Center.