Giving a presentation can hold challenges for anyone, whether it's the nerves that get to you first, a less than interested audience, or the uncertainty of how to present yourself.  In an August 2009 WTS seminar, key speaker Gary Plagg presented an overview of the tips and tools needed for effective presentations. The three key elements discussed were presentation style, qualities needed, and knowing your audience.

Having your own presentation style is an important element when giving presentations.  The best way to find your own style is to first take a test drive. Find opportunities to practice presenting. Many organizations are always looking for guest speakers. Video recording yourself is a great way to analyze your presentation performance and identify your own growth areas. Being prepared and rehearsing provides you with more confidence to effectively deliver a presentation.

There are many qualities required to be an effective presenter. Remember YOU are the presentation. A power point is simply a tool. Your performance is what people remember. Therefore, a good stage presence is essential. One must have a professional demeanor and maintain energy. You must present in an educational, not lecture focused manner. The audience needs to be able to understand you; therefore, clear diction and pronunciation are imperative. Having a sense of humor, recovery plan, and being flexible are critical in the event that things go wrong.

Performance anxiety is something you can take control of. It is a learned behavior that only grows if you let it. Many people have a fear of being evaluated. It is important to understand that without feedback you cannot improve.

To know your audience can make or break a presentation. Think about the demographics of your audience. The gender, age, and background of a person can highly affect the way one understands your presentation. Think about the situation you will be presenting in. How large or small the audience is, the time of day and location can all make a difference in how your presentation is viewed.  

Mr. Plagg provided great tips on how to effectively present presentations; however, it may be worthwhile to apply these tips into our everyday life. Whether or not you realize it, you present yourself to people every day. You may not be presenting a new business proposal or the most recent survey polls, but you are presenting yourself to those around you. Whether it be your boss, friends, or new acquaintances, remember to always present yourself as you.
 
Gary Plagg is the lead coach at Couragio Consulting and specializes in providing presentation and networking skills and training to professionals. For individual coaching sessions or customized group training seminars please contact Gary Plagg at (703) 670-7299 or consulting@couragio.com

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On July 21, 2009 the WTS-DC chapter joined the WTS chapters from Baltimore and Central Virginia (Richmond) to tour the McConnell Public Safety and Transportation Operation Center (MPSTOC).  This facility opened on October 10, 2008 when more than 300 spectators attended the ribbon-cutting ceremony.   The MPSTOC is located near the intersection of  West Ox Road and the Fairfax County parkway in Fairfax, Va. Although, completed one month early and under budget, the design and efficiency of space is what leaves any visitor speechless. This new building was designed to house more than five different agencies for Fairfax County and the Commonwealth of Virginia. The mission of this partnership is to increase the effectiveness of public safety response, improve traffic congestion management and better manage the response to and recovery from major emergencies.
 
The Fairfax County agencies located at MPSTOC include:
 
The Commonwealth agencies located at MPSTOC include:
 
With these agencies all located in the same building, and four in the same room, the preparation time to address a crisis is greatly reduced.  
 
The WTS chapters were able to tour this new building and learn about the technology supporting the agencies' work. The first of the rooms visited was the ELC floor, which serves as the command center and incident management during emergency situation in the county.  Representatives of local and state agencies are brought together in this room , which contains approximately 94 stations for use by the various agencies. Each station had its own computer, phone line, and work area. In the past Emergency Support Functions was the governing system for this room. Now the department is shifting to Incident Command System ICS. This change will allow for better flow of information to support the staff in the field and in the office.
 
Right next door is the Watch Center. This center is where the chemical status of water ways is determined, the dam water levels are recorded, and aided dispatchers of police cars are sent out. Another room next to the ELC floor is the Joint Operation Center, JOC. This room is fully equipped for the assistance of other jurisdictions, such as Arlington, in case of an emergency.
 
On the tour WTS was able to also see the main control room where 911, VDOT, fire dispatchers, and police dispatchers were all located. This room was located at the center of the building and was the main attraction of the tour. The room itself was designed with efficiency in mind. As can be expected, with so many people located in the same room there is a large amount of sound. To help drown out the chatter, acoustical panels were installed along the top of the walls, glass muffles were installed in front of each station, and the ceiling was designed with a steep slope. To keep the user comfortable there were heaters installed under the table for each station.
 
The building itself was designed with progressive collapse design. The beams visible at the entrance are not only for decoration but also to mimic the collapse design of the building. In the event of a power outage, there are three methods of attaining energy. The first is the two large generators, then one back-up generator and lastly a street power generator. The data and phone lines use sonnet ring programming, otherwise known as "self-healing rings". This ensures that if there is a break somewhere in one line, the others are not affected.
 
With this new building housing multiple agencies and all necessary equipment, the Northern Virginia community should feel more at ease.  In case of an emergency, the MPSTOC is ready.