Me, you, us, them, confirmation bias, first impressions, and subtext. When delivering a speech, making a presentation, attending an interview, appearing in front of judges, discussing new ideas with a colleague, or going to a meeting under unfamiliar or perhaps extra-professional circumstances, apprehension is normal. Along with the “impressions” you make, you are rightly concerned about being prepared, appearing professional, and about effectively harnessing your knowledge. There’s more. Once into any communication/persuasion event, subtext—an underlying and often distinct theme—and confirmation bias—the imperative to confirm rather than disconfirm a prior belief—come into play. Mastering first impressions and subtext and conquering confirmation bias may be keys to landing a job, getting promoted, being inducted into a prestigious society, making an effective presentation, having your work recognized by your peers, and more.

Should you persist with your pioneering instinct even in the face of ridicule and rejection, or should you take the well-trodden path and be instantly understood and accepted. Can you face your detractors as well as your champions? What promotes your creativity, your innovation, your entrepreneurship? Can you afford to let yourself fail? What signals failure? During this talk I draw on successes and failures from both my technical and non-technical domains, and comment on some monumental individual, corporate and government lapses.

I originally gave this talk in 2014, in Newport Beach, CA, and in Tampa, FL, at the invitation of the IEEE MTT-S Women in Microwaves. Lively discussions followed, expanding upon the topics raised, comparing and contrasting viewpoints from a male/female perspective, academic/industry perspective and/or any other viewpoint the attendees wanted to share.

Speaker(s): John W. Bandler,

Location:
Room: 112
Bldg: Rutherford Physics Building, McGill University
3600 University Street
Montreal, Quebec
H3A 2T8