The Snail Darter and the Dam

    Last Friday I had the chance to attend a lecture put on by the Odum School of Ecology. The lecture was given by Dr. Zygmunt Plater from Boston College Law School. His lecture was all about a case he lost about thirty years ago and all the things he should have done differently to have won the case. He began the lecture by reading quotations critiquing him and his team of law students. They were all extremists that critiqued him, so they were funny. He was extremely conversational-- he talked directly to the audience several times which made him appear very comfortable and confident. His entire presentation proceeded as a story. The powerpoint itself was almost entirely images and maps, but all of the chosen visuals and maps were extremely relevant and only helped his presentation. His posture was also very casual and he used hand gestures appropriately. There were a few things that could have gone better. He admitted to making the presentation on the plane to Atlanta the morning before which seemed pretty unprofessional. He was also a little jumpy with switching between subjects. He sometimes didn't even finish sentences before jumping off on the next subject, which made him seem a bit unorganized. The most important thing I learned from him was actually one of the last things he said. It was his call to action and it was as follows, "Learn to play the game." By that he meant, something like, "learn to effectively manipulate the law in your favor," but it is applicable in most job markets and in public speaking. Watch others and learn to do as they do. The aspect of his presentation that I would like to apply to my own public speaking is his use of almost only visuals and relying more on what I say. He also made his own visuals, which I thought was awesome. Overall, it ended up being informative, interesting, and surprisingly, not a waste of a Friday afternoon!