Out of Class - Hip Pocket Speech - The VivaScope 3000

For my out of class speech I decided to give a technological informative speech to my staff at work.  I chose this venue because the technology I wanted to speak about would be useful to both specialties in the clinic I manage, dermatology and plastic surgery.  My staff is made up of women ages 25 to 58 with a wide range of medical experience and responsibilities in the clinic.  We had front desk personnel, medical assistants, and OR techs.  The technology I chose to inform them about is called VivaScope 3000.  I started out by explaining that it is a new class of imaging technology that enables physicians to review tissue in real time on a cellular level.  The images look much like an ultrasound and the hand held devise can be moved over the lesion or rash in order to view all the cells involved.  The images can be captured and stored so they can be reviewed at a later day and analyzed for changes over time.  I explained that the hand-held microscope, allows the physician to image hard to access areas of the skin such as around the nose, scalp, eyes, and behind the ears.  Lips and gums, hair follicles and pores can also be imaged.  I had slides in my presentation of the devise and the types of lesions it is beneficial in imaging and actual picture of the lesions.  The slides showed pictures of hard to reach areas being targeted by the VivaScope 3000.  I talked about the specs of the compact, portable devise and the capabilities it has as to skin depth and image resolution.  The doctors for both specialties see a great deal of suspicious lesions in clinic and this devise would be helpful in diagnosing lesions without biopsies.  The devise would also be helpful when lesions are excised because the entire lesion and depth could be seen before the first cut is ever made.

I handed out a survey before the presentation which they filled out and returned to me afterwards.  I asked them to score me on the following things; how clearly I spoke, the rate of speech, the presentation being clear and informative, did I explain the new technology in a clear and understandable manner, did I make eye contact with the audience, and was the presentation helpful.  I received good scores on all the above, but could have improved the clarity of the information.(There was a lot of technical information that was confusing.)  I think next time, I would use less technical terms to explain the devise so all can understand.  The best thing that came out of this presentation was a great discussion afterward among the staff.  We discussed how this devise could be used in clinic and what benefits we could see as the possible outcome.  We also discussed other technology on the market and compared the devises to each other.  It was a great discussion and not something we would usually talk about as a staff.  I think it got them thinking about what is out there as far as new medical technology.

Marwell & Schmitt's Influence Tactics - Punishment - Bill Gates; The Next Outbreak? We're Not Ready

I like to hear the opinions of men like Bill Gates because I feel like they have a global view of what is going on in our world much more than I do.  I don't travel the world or have relationships with the movers and shakers of the world.  My influence is limited to a very local, personal level.  Yet, what happens on a global scale could impact us all.

Bill Gates' talk on the possibilities of the next outbreak is a good example of Marwell & Schmitt's Influence Tactic of punishment.  You get the feel for where this talk is going through the title and you understand that there will be punishment and fear woven through his speech.

Mr. Gates begins with a story from the past of the fear of a nuclear attack and the measures put into place to deter such an attack.  He believes that the next event that will kill millions of people won't be a nuclear weapon but a micro-organism for which we have built no defense system.  We are not ready for the next epidemic.  He then goes on to tell of other epidemics and the loss of human life attached to each.  He talks about the measure that could have been in place to help with such an event, measures that are still not being implemented.  He calls this a global failure.

Mr. Gates alludes to the hollywood version of an epidemic where handsome scientist move in and save the day and he warns that that would not be the case in real life.  He warns that the failure to prepare could allow the next epidemic to be dramatically worse that the recent Ebola outbreak.  He mentions bio-terrorism as a means to spread a virus as well as the mobile nature of society today. He shows a model of how the Spanish Flu spread worldwide killing over 33 million people in less than one year back in 1918.  This gives proof and credibility to his current epidemic fears.

Mr. Gates next talks about all the tools we currently have to build a defense system against the next outbreak.  He appeals to our sense of being overwhelmed by the enormity of this defense system by making it sound like it is something we have the tools for and can do right now.  He compares preparing for an epidemic like we prepare for war.  Mr. Gates believes the cost for developing this defense system could be very small compared to the potential harm such an epidemic would cause. He warns that time is not on our side so we need to get going.

Mr. Gates believes that if we start now we can be ready for the next epidemic.  The punishments for not being prepared for the next epidemic will be a catastrophic loss of life, trillions of dollars lost to the global economy, and millions more in debt.  He uses easy to understand statistics which appeal to his audience on a cognitive level.  His use of a personal story from his childhood helps with the affective consequence and puts his audience in touch with what he is saying on a affective level.

Mr. Gates uses process premises skillfully as he appeals to our need to feel safe and to feel a sense of power.  The main emotion he uses is fear, fear to motivate us to avoid the eventual and absolute consequences.  He is skillful in his use of attitudes as he describes the attitudes of the past generations and the need to shift our attitudes to the current threats of the world.  He employes cognitive dissonance as he talks about the economic loss and the uncertainty of predictions of future events. At the same time, he gives his audience the sense that we can do this, we can avoid this future disaster and develop a defense plan that will ensure our security and reward us with victory over this invisible threat.

Reich's Cultural Parable of The Mob at the Gates

President Ronald Reagan gave an inspiring speech at a Veteran's Day celebration that fits perfectly into Reich's Cultural Parable of The Mob at the Gates.  He speaks of how uniquely blessed we are because for so many years we, Americans, "have achieved so much and prospered as no other people on Earth" because we "unleashed the energy of the individual genius of man to a greater extent than has ever been done before" and we assure the "freedom and dignity of the individual" more here than in any other place on Earth.  Sounds like a beacon of light to the world and an island of freedom, the hope of the world.

President Reagan talks about the price of peace and the heroes that lay among the simple white markers on the sloping hills of Arlington National Cemetery and the places around the world where their lives ended defending the freedom and peace of this nation.  He speaks of a young soldier in World War I who felt an enormous responsibility to do whatever he could to ensure that America won that war and thus held back the forces of darkness that sought to overwhelm and destroy us.  He goes on to talk about our most powerful weapon, the will and moral courage of our men and women. He says it is a weapon we, as American's, possess and our advisories don't have.

President Reagan warns our enemies that we will not surrender or give up our freedom, which gives you a sense that we are vulnerable to attack from outside dark forces.  The speech gives you a sense of pride, but at the same time, a sense that the rest of the world is trying to bring America down and take away everything we hold dear.  You get the sense that, although we are exceptional and can ultimately win, we will always have to defend our freedom and peace.

Process Premises
The speech from President Reagan has many process premises starting with ego-gratification as a mighty American nation and a sense of power and roots.  He helps us feel safe and secure as part of this group and gives us a sense of belonging, esteem and safety.  He gives you a sense of pride in what has been accomplished and in the individuals who have helped us reach those heights of achievement.  I think there is a little fear mixed in for those who would take our freedoms away and also some anger at the price paid for our national peace.  I found his speech very inspiring and very typical of that generation of America.  My parents are from the same generation as President Reagan and they had the same tone when talking about America.