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It speaks!
The "Communication Risks" talk for the ACS went down well, although with a smallish audience of 20-30 and only two blokes. Everyone misses our regular venue and easy parking in West Perth. Many thanks to ![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
rabbit1080 for coming along for (im)moral support. I'm sorry, but I just can't swear effectively in cold blood. Ah well, I gave it a try.
I found it surprisingly easy to say quite firmly before, during and after the presentation that "I'm sorry but I have to sit down now," although I did get trapped on my feet for longer than expected when trying to make an escape at the end of the night. Without going into details I think I also managed to convey to some solicitous long-term colleagues that I wasn't going to "get better" (hopefully without implying that I was on death's door), so perhaps they could stop asking me how I was. It's nice that they care and all, but it does get a bit uncomfortable admitting to unwellness every couple of months for years on end.
People said nice things and there were several "That's so true!" type responses and lots of nodding so I felt nicely validated by the whole thing. I got enough laughs to relax me without feeling pressured to be funny all the time, and I even managed to provide some food for thought here and there. Sure it was a bit rough around the edges and I had to read from the page more often than I'd like, but I think I managed to work that in to the material. Not much in the way of questions, but a few comments along the way to let me know they were all awake.
Perhaps I shouldn't have insisted quite so firmly that audience members were encouraged to share short, funny, relevant anecdotes at any time.
I had quite a fun conversation with a lecturer from Murdoch who shares my interest in expertise and recognised my name and work from the Requirements Engineering seminar I missed out on doing last year. As a lecturer she didn't mind listening to my usual digs that "experts make the worst teachers". No-one's ever contradicted me on that particular point so I'm pretty confident with that.
Despite my protests I did find myself in conversation about females in IT. It's kind of depressing to hear that young women are still feeling inferior amongst their male colleagues (despite consistently performing better), and that there's still a tendency to feel they have to become One of The Boys. I'm experiencing vague urges to be encouraging to Young Persons.
Someone asked for my card and said she'd like me to do some work for them. Which was nice*. A lot of jobs are awarded on less information about candidates than she'd been able to glean from that appearance alone (although I'd seen her "around" before). I don't actually have a card, and because I was a fill-in for the speaker I don't think my usual contact info went out ahead of time. I remember apologising that I didn't have any spare capacity (no, not "even" part time), and in fact have a waiting list, and totally failing to exchange contact information with her.
*headdesk*
I *really* suck at this networking bizzo, but perhaps it works for me because I'm not trying? Hopefully I made up for it today by asking the organisers to distribute my contact information to all attendees, and there's a pretty good chance I'll see that person next week if I make it to the Branch meeting. And googling me works pretty effectively, so I know I can be found. Sure I don't need/can't accommodate any more clients for the foreseeable future, but it would be sensible to keep track of my fan club ;-)
In the end I felt one of the fold without losing my special snowflake individualty. All is well. My balls and claws are all still intact.
Wow, so tired now. Time to stop writing before I pass out.
(*) There was another offer/request for a small business review job that I was much sadder to turn down, but I just can't.
rabbit1080 for coming along for (im)moral support. I'm sorry, but I just can't swear effectively in cold blood. Ah well, I gave it a try.I found it surprisingly easy to say quite firmly before, during and after the presentation that "I'm sorry but I have to sit down now," although I did get trapped on my feet for longer than expected when trying to make an escape at the end of the night. Without going into details I think I also managed to convey to some solicitous long-term colleagues that I wasn't going to "get better" (hopefully without implying that I was on death's door), so perhaps they could stop asking me how I was. It's nice that they care and all, but it does get a bit uncomfortable admitting to unwellness every couple of months for years on end.
People said nice things and there were several "That's so true!" type responses and lots of nodding so I felt nicely validated by the whole thing. I got enough laughs to relax me without feeling pressured to be funny all the time, and I even managed to provide some food for thought here and there. Sure it was a bit rough around the edges and I had to read from the page more often than I'd like, but I think I managed to work that in to the material. Not much in the way of questions, but a few comments along the way to let me know they were all awake.
Perhaps I shouldn't have insisted quite so firmly that audience members were encouraged to share short, funny, relevant anecdotes at any time.
I had quite a fun conversation with a lecturer from Murdoch who shares my interest in expertise and recognised my name and work from the Requirements Engineering seminar I missed out on doing last year. As a lecturer she didn't mind listening to my usual digs that "experts make the worst teachers". No-one's ever contradicted me on that particular point so I'm pretty confident with that.
Despite my protests I did find myself in conversation about females in IT. It's kind of depressing to hear that young women are still feeling inferior amongst their male colleagues (despite consistently performing better), and that there's still a tendency to feel they have to become One of The Boys. I'm experiencing vague urges to be encouraging to Young Persons.
Someone asked for my card and said she'd like me to do some work for them. Which was nice*. A lot of jobs are awarded on less information about candidates than she'd been able to glean from that appearance alone (although I'd seen her "around" before). I don't actually have a card, and because I was a fill-in for the speaker I don't think my usual contact info went out ahead of time. I remember apologising that I didn't have any spare capacity (no, not "even" part time), and in fact have a waiting list, and totally failing to exchange contact information with her.
*headdesk*
I *really* suck at this networking bizzo, but perhaps it works for me because I'm not trying? Hopefully I made up for it today by asking the organisers to distribute my contact information to all attendees, and there's a pretty good chance I'll see that person next week if I make it to the Branch meeting. And googling me works pretty effectively, so I know I can be found. Sure I don't need/can't accommodate any more clients for the foreseeable future, but it would be sensible to keep track of my fan club ;-)
In the end I felt one of the fold without losing my special snowflake individualty. All is well. My balls and claws are all still intact.
Wow, so tired now. Time to stop writing before I pass out.
(*) There was another offer/request for a small business review job that I was much sadder to turn down, but I just can't.