Comments on: Presenting: A Train Wreck http://www.commakazispeek.com/blog/2006/07/30/presenting-a-train-wreck/ Wed, 23 Nov 2011 16:30:33 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2 By: Jeff Zwier http://www.commakazispeek.com/blog/2006/07/30/presenting-a-train-wreck/comment-page-1/#comment-573 Jeff Zwier Tue, 08 Aug 2006 15:48:00 +0000 http://www.commakazispeek.com/blog/2006/07/30/presenting-a-train-wreck/#comment-573 I just had to take a moment between meetings to offer some support, Tom. What could be a more difficult situation to be in than communicating to a room full of communication professionals? Whether or not you had been able to follow all of the 'lessons learned' in your post, it has been my experience as a conference speaker that there are some situations where one is just set up for feedback failure. <br/><br/>One of those situations is when everyone was expecting someone else and is disappointed by the no-show. You get to inherit a bunch of conference attendee let-down that has nothing to do with you, and as soon as you stumble just a little, the audience attributes their bad feelings to you. I'm with Donna - you know your stuff, and all my interactions with you indicate that you can and will succeed in this sort of thing in the future. Hang in there! I just had to take a moment between meetings to offer some support, Tom. What could be a more difficult situation to be in than communicating to a room full of communication professionals? Whether or not you had been able to follow all of the ‘lessons learned’ in your post, it has been my experience as a conference speaker that there are some situations where one is just set up for feedback failure.

One of those situations is when everyone was expecting someone else and is disappointed by the no-show. You get to inherit a bunch of conference attendee let-down that has nothing to do with you, and as soon as you stumble just a little, the audience attributes their bad feelings to you. I’m with Donna – you know your stuff, and all my interactions with you indicate that you can and will succeed in this sort of thing in the future. Hang in there!

]]> By: Tom Keefe http://www.commakazispeek.com/blog/2006/07/30/presenting-a-train-wreck/comment-page-1/#comment-571 Tom Keefe Mon, 31 Jul 2006 11:27:00 +0000 http://www.commakazispeek.com/blog/2006/07/30/presenting-a-train-wreck/#comment-571 Thanks for talking me off of the ledge, Donna (just kidding, everybody)! I deeply appreciate your encouragement.<br/><br/>Yes, I will be a better presenter whenever the next opportunity arises. However, that'll have to wait until I complete my current assignment as play-by-play announcer for Ron Wright's park district softball team: The Tacoma Train Rex.<br/><br/>Just kidding; Ron wouldn't return my phone calls.<br/><br/>(Hey, I'm starting to feel better already; blogging CAN be therapeutic, after all.)<br/><br/>Tom Thanks for talking me off of the ledge, Donna (just kidding, everybody)! I deeply appreciate your encouragement.

Yes, I will be a better presenter whenever the next opportunity arises. However, that’ll have to wait until I complete my current assignment as play-by-play announcer for Ron Wright’s park district softball team: The Tacoma Train Rex.

Just kidding; Ron wouldn’t return my phone calls.

(Hey, I’m starting to feel better already; blogging CAN be therapeutic, after all.)

Tom

]]> By: Donna Papacosta http://www.commakazispeek.com/blog/2006/07/30/presenting-a-train-wreck/comment-page-1/#comment-570 Donna Papacosta Mon, 31 Jul 2006 09:35:00 +0000 http://www.commakazispeek.com/blog/2006/07/30/presenting-a-train-wreck/#comment-570 Tom, I was in the audience in Vancouver. I think you are being too hard on yourself! I admire you for stepping in at the last minute. That was brave. (And I think all of us have at least one presentation where we could have done better.) Look, you have taken this experience and turned it into something you (and now your blog readers) can learn from. Having spent some time with you at the IABC conference, and as a reader of your blog, I know you're warm, intelligent, witty and you have a lot to say. NEXT TIME you speak at IABC you'll be terrific because you'll let the real Tom shine through, right? Tom, I was in the audience in Vancouver. I think you are being too hard on yourself! I admire you for stepping in at the last minute. That was brave. (And I think all of us have at least one presentation where we could have done better.) Look, you have taken this experience and turned it into something you (and now your blog readers) can learn from. Having spent some time with you at the IABC conference, and as a reader of your blog, I know you’re warm, intelligent, witty and you have a lot to say. NEXT TIME you speak at IABC you’ll be terrific because you’ll let the real Tom shine through, right?

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