2020 SFBAC Officer Training Workshop (Kane) - PowerPoint Presentation

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2020 SFBAC Officer Training Workshop (Kane)

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The Big Roundup: The Capture and Care of Great Guest Speakers

Choosing a speaker: Who does what and whenInviting a speaker: Successfully Capturing the Critter Caring for the speaker: Meeting essentials & best practices

2020 SFBAC Officer Training SessionJanuary 25 2020Ron Kane & Bill DeHope OEB

Failing to Plan is Planning to Fail

Have regular technical meetings Have regular planning meetings

Create a calendar ASAPA 4-talk year can be done serially; more frequently needs parallel processingPlan & Train in January 1st meeting in March2nd meeting in May 3

rd meeting in September w/ call for Nominations for officers4th meeting in November w/ electionThis schedule allows planning the nth+1 mtg at the nth mtg This schedule allows 1-2 months of

eGrid publicity, vTools, emailingsOfficers must know their duties and what’s expectedChapter Excom meetings also count and are important for coordinationThe Speaker Coordinator is the critical position—who is it in your world? 2020 SFBAC Officer Training Workshop (Kane) 2

2020 SFBAC Officer Training Workshop (Kane)

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Suggested Local Chapter Officer DutiesTreasurerHas access to the IEEE CBRS bank account

pays the bills, maintain the checkbook & financescommunicates performance-to-budget to other officerstrack assets (cash-on-hand, computer eqpt

, coffee pot…) responsible for preparing next-year’s budget SecretarySubmits vTools meeting announcements and final attendance reportmaintains a member/guest database (SAMIEEE, past attendees)maintains Excom

minutes, maybe the Chapter website?

assists VC in publicity, venue reservations

Vice Chair/Speaker Coordinator (SC or VC)

invites, coordinates, and introduces technical speakers

back-up Chair (when Chair is absent, whether physically or…)

Chair

responsible for a chapter meeting all IEEE requirements

calls & chairs meetings sets agendas, appoints committees

nags everyone to keep to

The Plan (the Yearly Calendar & 61-day cycle) Announces, runs, and reports a yearly electionthe conduit to, and representative of, the Section

Suggested officer progression/rotation

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Technical Meetings: Basic Questions with no wrong answersExcom Planning Meetings (where Choosing the Speaker gets done) Excom meeting separate from the TM (lunch works if officers are nearby)Allowed 2 (4?) per year

after the TM? (depends on how late) electronically? (Works but requires iteration and attention to emails)consider joint chapter meetings as wellWhere are the Technical Meetings?local restaurants, corporate locales, colleges, public libraries

commuting and traffic are significant issues now – now seeing declining participation in one group and this is the issueconsistency helps both in planning and executioneveryone loves an on-site tour (time of day issue) When are the Technical Meetings?6 or 7pm (“right after work”; good for dinner meetings but traffic issues…)Noon works if there’s enough attendees nearby, lunch is a perkFood at the Technical MeetingsNothing? Not really recommendedSnacks, lunch / dinner? (more planning and venue limitations)

2020 SFBAC Officer Training Workshop (Kane)

2020 SFBAC Officer Training Workshop (Kane)

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The key to a successful chapter are its meetings! Technical Meeting BasicsPick a speaker (and a Plan B or 2)Excom

planning taskInvite a speaker/set a date Good people skills, persuasiveKnowledgeable Find a location (consistency helps)Publicize – vTools, eGrid and direct emailingMeet, learn and enjoyComplete vTools post-meeting report

details to follow…

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Choosing a speaker is the main purpose

of Excom chapter planning meetings! Try to keep the rhythm, get members to expect them

Keep and maintain a past & future speaker listGood for a website section and may help another chapterUse speaker announcements from other chapters or related technical groups like MeetupExcom meetings can also count for chapter activity – remember to document it in

vTools!Excom meetings are also useful for redistributing tasks if an officer has scheduling issues from other directions2020 SFBAC Officer Training Workshop (Kane)

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Choosing a speaker: Use tried-and-true speakers

Who is recommended within your society? IEEE Distinguished lecturers are good and with minimal costWho is recommended by neighboring chapters? Check the websites of other chapters with technical overlap

Scope out other local meetings!Members are likely part of other chapters as wellMeetup has Tech groups as well and might be a leadWho is recommended by work colleagues? Ask your members (remember nmembers >> nofficers), those who are supportive may enjoy being an officerAttend conferences in the field Poster vs. oral speakers

Ask previous speakers (a form of complement!)

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The Speaker Coordinator invites the Speaker Typically the Vice-Chair’s job Use the telephoneEmail is too impersonal Be sensitive to non-verbal cues

There will be negotiation of date, timeIntroduce yourself by your IEEE title (YOU are impressive!) You are not selling or petitioning anything, you are offering an opportunity You are doing this person a favor, at the least giving him bragging rights Get to the point (“We’d like you to present your ABC conference paper to our local chapter in March…”)

Be able to give the “elevator pitch” for IEEE, your society, your chapterBe sensitive (psychologically) to his first response Inadequacy: emphasize we want a basic review-level talk Offer to control degree of audience questioning This is “like a conference” “This is an informal setting” Importance: massage ego; emphasize value to him; drop names

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Inviting the Speaker: the easier parts Negotiate a date your coordinator should be given some “latitude” to do thisExplain the ground rules: no advertising, be professional same as an IEEE conference (people WILL take “notes”) but no copyright forms

Get an abstract & bio for publicity If resume is weak or non-existent, ask some basic questionsHow is he bringing his talk (VGA projector, Mac, slides, vu-graphs…) Are there any special requirements? (Physical limitations, diet, etc.) I don’t recommend asking for his slides at this point Is this a tour? A site visit? Any registration requirements?

Citizenship? Advanced notice? Follow-up to meet eGrid deadlinesgo ensure all systems “go” the week before meeting 2020 SFBAC Officer Training Workshop (Kane)

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“Best Practices” Agenda at a Chapter Meeting

Who What How longExcom

Eats (coffee, snacks, dinner) 10-45 mins Chair Host recognition & logistics 2 minutesSection rep. IEEE pitch & Excom recognition 3 minutes Chair Basic biz (news, networking*, election, etc) 5 minutes

VC Speaker intro. 3 minutes Guest Technical presentation 45 minutesVC Leads applause, fields questions ~10 minutesVC Presents Thank-you Gift 2 minutesChair Adjourns meeting 1 minuteAll Informal networking 10 minutes *

Gotta

’ job/

Wanna

’ job (might need kick-starting by someone from the

Consultants Network)

Watch the clock!

2020 SFBAC Officer Training Workshop (Kane)

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Introducing the speaker

Informally introduce him/her to the other officers The formal intro is by the Speaker CoordinatorPractice pronouncing his name well in advance Make his introduction “flow” don’t read the abstract—

study it beforehand except to impress your audience with something esoteric It’s nice to bring up something personal or shared—but no roasting Be Warm! Make him feel good about being here. He’s nervous too—more than you! cover his credentials quickly cover his present work deliberately—newbies

will appreciate thisBe sensitive to discomfort during the talkUnwanted interruptions Thirst? 2020 SFBAC Officer Training Workshop (Kane)

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Fielding questions Handle questions like a conference session chair:Determine if questions during the talk are okayAs soon as he’s done, STAND UP and say, “Let’s thank our speaker”Applaud !“I believe we have time for some questions if our speaker is willing”

don’t ever let someone harangue your guest: “Let’s move on to another question”come to your guest’s rescue: “Let’s take this offline in the interests of time” Be fair in fielding questions but watch the clock—“one last question” YOU are chairing the session! Sit in a commanding position! If requesting an e-copy, do it afterwards, ask about posting it if your website does this

2020 SFBAC Officer Training Workshop (Kane)

Thanking the speaker…

Make sure his meal is free!

Depending on the eventPlaques—provide time for engraving Simple certificates are also nice…particularly if framedIEEE giveaway goodies OEB LIFE gives coffee mugs…

Your Thank-You Here

Custom engraved pens—a SF section idea

2020 SFBAC Officer Training Workshop (Kane)

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Summary!

Start with an Excom planning meeting

Choose the speaker (with some backups) Invite the speaker (convincingly) Follow-up with the speaker (abstract & bio, reminder)Promote the speaker Properly introduce the speaker“Chair” the talk like a conferenceThank the speaker verbally with a letter, plaque, simple gift

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2020 SFBAC Officer Training Workshop (Kane)

15 Personal Observations - Consider what I’ve learned

Newer and Younger Officers – enthusiastic, motivated, maybe not as many commitments

Older officers – not as enthusiastic, maybe burned out, need a break, stuck in their approach, you can hold a position for too long…Rotate officers, always try to have new ones entering. Recycling the prior officers will work against you over the long run – this is experience…Let the organization evolve, your ideas may be great but let others learn and experiment too, mentor but don’t dictate

Do things that keep it an enjoyment rather than a burden and help your fellows, don’t resist their efforts

IEEE at LLNL – lunchtime meetings open to others, includes Togo’s lunch generally…

When doing fewer tech meetings in a Chapter then we arrange a lunch or dinner meeting with modest fee from attendee

LLNL-organized CASIS Workshop where IEEE buys the food, open to others, includes a day of technical presentations, 1-2 keynotes, poster session and has had a Chapter presentation afterwards with an included dinner at small cost.

2020 SFBAC Officer Training Workshop (Kane)

16 This is an opportunity to share your best practices, what do you do that we can benefit from?

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Who makes a good speaker?

A colleague or manager of an Excom member A competitor of an Excom member

An Excom member (best to keep this ace up your sleeve) A previous speaker (but at least 3-year spacing) A local “applications engineer” (use with caution) Trade lists with another chapter; hold a joint meeting

Everyone loves a tour! Pick the organization; find a speaker therein!Yes, avoid dry speakers or those with annoying characteristics But knowledge trumps entertainmentKnowledgeable speakers don’t all have PhD pedigrees

2020 SFBAC Officer Training Workshop (Kane)

What are your priorities?

Who or what is a “draw”? Who is different?

Maintain a variety of disciplinesMaintain a variety of styles What feedback are you getting?From regular attendeesFrom membersFrom other officersWhat do you want to learn?What would you like to see? Do all officers agree? Have a Plan BHave a Plan C

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The Thanks shouldn’t end with the meeting…a follow-up letter is classy.

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How I suggest dividing meeting-relevant tasks between Secretary & Vice Chair (61-day cycle; 4-meeting/year plan)

2020 SFBAC Officer Training Workshop (Kane)