5 replies to this topic

[magic612]

I'm not talking about extreme behavior (a drunken presenter or someone who berates attendees), and I am not not referring to average yet very competently conducted outreach. Obviously not everyone is going to be a superstar presenter. Plenty of people still appreciate good outreach, even if portions of it have areas that could use improvement.

But I've seen what I think runs the gamut, from truly excellent inspiring outreach events down to what I call "bad" where the presenter not only doesn't engage the audience in the slightest, but talks over their heads, states inaccurate information as fact and clearly is not inspiring attendees since the same faces never return for subsequent sessions.

What is the best way to deal with this (if there is one)? Although it may not be turning people off to astronomy, it clearly isn't inspiring them to take part again at this venue. Should I do / say something? Or be patient and wait for an appropriate opportunity to present itself? I know what the answer probably is, I guess I'm asking either for validation, or some possible alternatives (if they exist!).

[frolinmod]

You already know the answer. Common sense "how to make friends and influence people" type stuff goes here. You keep your mouth firmly shut until such time as you can speak with the presenter without an audience present. Be positive and helpful, not patronizing. Stop immediately if your observations and "advice" are not clearly welcomed. Etc.

Mind you, most outreach doesn't involve presentations of any sort.

[midnite4blues]

You could try to solicit feedback from members of the audience, in writing if possible. If you can get some people to give you feedback that corresponds with your own feelings, it will make your case stronger. Then when you bring it up with the presenter, it doesn't look like its just you trying to force your opinions on the matter. Of course it would be best to give both positive and negative feedback whenever possible.

[tedbnh]

Presumably the presenter is associated with a club of some sort? Our club is just beginning to ask for feedback about each of our presenters (we have about a half dozen who can and will do these talks.) Hopefully the club organizer is also interested in making their talks of the highest quality, and would therefore be interested in your comments and could then pass them along to the presenter along with those from the audience or the organization which requested the talk.

[uniondrone]

Common sense "how to make friends and influence people" type stuff goes here.

There is a lot of truth to this. The key is to engage people interests. You have to be able to put yourself in their shoes. Speak to their level and directly to their interests. Listen to what they have to say. The more the outreach is like a dialog and the less it is like a monolog, the better off you are.

I do a lot of "sidewalk" observing that turns into unplanned outreach to interested passersby. I have found that being a good listener is as important as being a good talker.

[ebusinesstutor]

Get involved with the organizing of these events and then you can have a positive influence.

It is easy to criticize, but most clubs are doing the best they can and new dynamic volunteers with good ideas can have a huge impact.