Presentation Skills Training for Civil Engineers

Instructor

Angela Libby Jankousky
Angela, Principal of Turning Point Presentations, is a speaker and speaking coach, specializing in technical and business presentations. Angela is also principal of EME Solutions, an environmental engineering consulting firm.

Angela has been an engineer, manager and executive in mining and manufacturing corporations. She served as the head of Johns Manville’s Health Safety and Environment Department from 1994 –1999. She has a B.S. and an M.S. in Environmental Engineering in Civil Engineering, both from the University of Illinois. She has also earned an M.B.A. from the University of Colorado at Denver.

Angela has served as an adjunct faculty member at the University of Denver, teaching classes in environmental management and environmental auditing, and currently teaches environmental classes at Red Rocks Community College.

Angela is an award-winning public speaker and is a member of Toastmasters. She is also a member of the Colorado Hazardous Waste Management Society.

Course Description

In this interactive two-day workshop, you will hone your presentation skills. Participants will improve their ability to give technical presentations that are clear, compelling, concise and credible.

The seminar will consist of both lecture and an opportunity to practice the skills discussed. Many presentation skills courses focus exclusively on delivery of the presentation. While speech mechanics (content organization, eye contact, gestures, vocal variety, etc.) will be discussed, this class is specifically geared to the presentation of technical and quantitative information. Participants will benefit from the instructor’s coaching and from the feedback of fellow workshop participants.

The seminar teaches five principles for technical presentations:

People:
Understanding what your audience already knows and what they want and need to know. Example audiences include:potential clients, business decision makers, or colleagues at a technical conference.

Purpose:
Knowing what you want to achieve. You will learn to identify your explicit purpose and your implicit purpose. You’ll build a coherent outline with an attention-getting opening, a clear, concise, orderly middle, and a powerful conclusion. You’ll learn tools for making your content memorable.

Picture:
In a strong technical presentation, each point is illustrated in some way. The illustration might be made with statistics, charts and graphs,quotations, supporting examples, analogies, photographs, simulations or models. These allow the information to be conveyed clearly. Example techniques discussed include: statistical analysis, present value analysis, Monte Carlo simulations, graphical presentation of quantitative data, and sensitivity analysis.

Polish:
A polished speaker is credible and avoids distracting habits that detract from his or her message. You’ll learn rules of thumb for making PowerPoint® overheads legible and compelling.

Passion:
Your enthusiasm piques the interest of your listeners and demonstrates your commitment to your message. You’ll practice techniques that will help you turn nervousness into positive energy.

Many important business and technical decisions are made on the basis of presentations. Poor presentations can result in bad decisions. Reinforce your technical skills by learning the craft of effective presentation. This will allow you to serve your clients better – and will enhance your career potential.

Seminar Benefits

• Improve both the content and delivery of your presentations
• Avoid poor decision making due to weak or confusing presentations
• Focus your presentation to achieve the desired purpose
• Learn to display data in a compelling format
• Avoid “Death by PowerPoint®”
• Get feedback on your presentation from the instructor and other students
• Enhance your professional potential

Who should attend

Civil engineers and other technical professionals who need to present quantitative information to clients, colleagues, and business decision makers. The course is appropriate to all levels of management.

Learning Objectives

Students' achievement of the learning outcomes will be assessed by having students deliver practice presentations during the workshop.