Upcoming Presentations

I am sitting in the Charlotte airport waiting for my flight to New Orleans. I’m headed to the Crescent City to present at a conference for minority government employees. I’ve presented for the last 2 years and enjoy the invitation to come back. This is a great group of people and eager to get as much as possible that will help them be better public servants.

I am slated to deliver 2 workshops this year. In that past I focused on career advancement but this year I am presenting something closer to my dissertation. The first is a workshop on generations in the workplace. I know this seems overdone. I’ve sat through enough cursory sessions on this topic to know better than present the basics. Instead, I am introducing the generations and using the audience to build the workshop. Collaborative? You bet! In this workshop we will discuss the events that each generation has witnessed, the impact of those events and try to put some history on the issue. From this point I am going to have the workshop break into groups and list out the characteristics they feel are appropriate for the different generations. Finally, we will work together to discover ways to get the 4 workplace generations to work together. Most of the workshops on this issue are mundane and focus on the seek to understand; then be understood Coveyism so common in this type of workshop. What I want to do is create advocates in the workplace who have some knowledge and the ideas to implement needed changes.

My second workshop in on blogs and podcasting. Similar to the workshop I did for Toastmasters some time ago. It focuses on defining the two communications technologies, explains the basics for getting started, and provides some guidance on being successful. I am adding to my Toastmasters 2.0 workshop but I’ve not rehearsed it enough to know if it fits well. I will know more tomorrow after some practice.

Side note: Traveling for work is not a complete luxury. While I am being paid to be traveling and presenting, being away from my wife and daughter isn’t a great feeling. Sometimes people glamorize work travel. It is hardly sightseeing.

Second site note: US Airways is now charging for drinks; $2.00 and you get the can. I understand the airline isn’t creative enough to find alternatives to making profits. If you are going to charge for something you should have the change without making people feel guilty about using one of the ubiquitous $20 distributing ATMs. Carry change and let’s all suffer through the unpleasantness of the uncreative big business.

Image source: rosefirerising

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