======= Date Modified 02 34 2010 14:34:10 =======
Just a quick RANT: I just gave a really important presentation to my fellow PhDs, members of staff, supervisors etc. I thought it was going quite well and my supervisor was kind of smiling at me so I took this to mean everything was fine. I had a few questions at the end which I answered quite confidently. THEN my secondary supervisor decides to swoop in and trample all over it. He pointed out inconsistencies and mistakes. He also challenged me (quite aggressively) about a point I made. I don't know why but maybe since he is an authority on my topic, I couldn't really defend my work and I was left feeling completely humiliated. F*ck him. Isn't he supposed to help and encourage me rather than point out the inadequacies in my work and make me look like a tosser in front of the whole department? Couldn't he have just kept quiet and spoken to me about it later? I know it was pretty bad because my face was burning hot and my friend immediately said 'let's have a glass of wine'.

Hey Maria. Well firstly, congrats on having got your presentation done, and by the sounds of it you would have been quite happy with it had this guy not pounced on you and torn it to pieces, so try to hang on to that. I agree, it would have been far more appropriate for him to have spoken to you about it at the end rather than be so nasty and so public about it. Who knows what was going on his head- maybe he thinks it is okay to be so aggressive, maybe he enjoys 'challenging' people and asserting his authority, or maybe he's just an a**hole and is having a bad day. Either way, his behaviour was inappropriate and unfair given the circumstances. Unfortunately, some people seem to enjoy this sort of thing- I have seen it happen (in my own department and at conferences) where the presenter is practically bullied into silence at the end by a high-up prof with no social awareness at all. Of course it is important to be able to defend your work but there is way to ask questions that is not so intimidating and unpleasant. I think the important thing to remember is that it went WELL- it was only this idiot that has pissed you off, and everybody else would have seen him for the nasty piece of work that he clearly is too. He'll have done himself no favours. I suggest you go enjoy your glass (or bottle!) of wine and try to focus on the positives! Best, KB

Well done on your presentation! I have the same sort of presentation to give next Wednesday. What happened was horrible and mean but as KB said it does often happen at conferences and even at vivas on extreme occasion. Take pride and courage from the fact that you coped. You'll deal with it even better if something like that ever happens again. I overheard a conversation of professors once where they were complaining about departments that are too nice to their students at things like this, that it gives them no preparation for being 'eaten' by some ignorant prof later at events. They were saying how they hated ripping into students but felt it was their duty. How bizarre and twisted, but true. Worth bearing in mind.

Enjoy your relaxing and well done again!
as someone said to me: phd is about survival, nothing else.

======= Date Modified 02 Feb 2010 15:36:01 =======
Thank you Mathkitty and KeenBean. These kind of responses are EXACTLY why I am never off this forum. xx

Hi Maria,

sorry to read about what happened at the end of your presentation.

I often go to workshops regarding education, and frequently you are asked about your best and worst learning experience, best and worst teacher etc. Most participants describe the worst teachers as the ones who publicly try to humiliate you. I think this would fit very well with the behaviour your supervisor showed during your presentation. Good teachers are the ones that listen, are enthusiastic, stimulating and they try and encourage the student to learn. As supervisors are also educators it may comfort you to know that he just seems incompetent and that you from now on will always remember him as the worst teacher you have ever come across. It may be worth providing this type of feedback (perhaps anonymously) to him or to his supervisor / professor? Can you put in a complaint related to his behaviour?

the most important thing is not how he thinks of you. how the whole audience think of you is more important.

Audience will know that it is him who is not appropriate. you are not the one has problem.

By the way, try to think of something funny to say. humour is often is best weapon against humiliation. you may practice this humour weapon before hand.

I think it was really mean of him - and it would have been much more appropriate to take you aside afterwards to discuss.
Is it because the point he was agressive about was something that was in opposition to his work? I have inadvertently challenged the head of my department - through not being familiar with their published research... She certainly got pretty finicky about it too.

there is someone in my department who I think would take the same line on my research, if he had the chance, which he hasn't at the moment. These people may score points off you, but probably lose more in the eyes of the rest of the audience, and are just plian rude. If you have to deal with this person again, perhaps you need to get a phrase stashed away for such comments. I always like the one that goes ' that is an interesting point/comment/idea which I have not/will/ consider/take on board/look up now that you have raised it, perhaps we could discuss it later when there is more time'. serving the dual purpose of shutting them up- and showing that you can treat everyone with respect even when they are trying to score points off you. you get the brownie points, they get nothing :-)

Sorry to hear of you bad experience - a similar thing happened to me when I first started lecturing - I was "asked" to give a research seminar on the subject of my MSc dissertation (for which I got a distinction) - no one in the department gave me any advice, I had never been to a research seminar before and I was totally ripped to pieces.  I subsequently found out that this was not totally unusual and that members of the department used these opportunities to score points, settle scores or engage in arguments over quantitative vs qualitative approaches, hard science versus social science etc.

As a result I refused to do another one for over 3 years (even though I was presenting research at international conferences).  I eventually had to do one but I refused to take questions until the end (so I wasn't constantly saying I 'm covering that later), wore my best (pre-academia) power suit and heels and hit back the criticisms with a smile and a "thank you for that contribution; it's an idea I haven't thought of but will look into" etc (mainly with no intention of so doing!). It kinda disturbs people if you do that.

I don't think making a complaint is the answer as you have to continue to work with him but next time you have to do one why not seek his advice beforehand then there's no way he can criticise you.