by Lisa Wedmann | Jul 17, 2013 | Business Success, Communications, Creative, Design, Latest, Miriamisms
More Killer Tips on PowerPoint Templates and Backgrounds
This is the second time you are making a presentation to the same group. The guy yawning in the back of the room has perked up. The woman gazing at her nails looks up once or twice. At least this is an improvement. Last time she only looked at you in the beginning, after three minutes she was back to her nails.
But you notice another person that keeps looking at your slides. He looks at the slides, then he looks at his notes, then he looks at the slides again. You’re not sure what he’s doing but there is one thing you’re sure, he’s not listening to you.
What gives? You did what was important. You designed your PowerPoint presentation and you followed the formula correctly. (A recent blog I wrote Two Killer Tips for PowerPoint Presentations outlines this recommended formula.)
Is there anything else you can do to make your PowerPoint presentation more effective? Is there a way to design your PowerPoint slides to create greater interest in your presentation? Is there a way to make them look more professional? Absolutely. In addition to your personal presentation style there are many visual factors that contribute to the effectiveness of your PowerPoint presentation.
Keep Them Listening to You
No matter how animated you are and how much you engage your audience at some point during your presentation they will look at your slides. And when they look at your slides you need to make them as clear as possible so they can look quickly and get back to listening to you. How do you make your slides clear and quickly comprehensible.
Don’t let PowerPoint Templates Drive Your Content
Many businesses have a corporate PowerPoint template which you must use. In this case you don’t have any choice
But if you have flexibility to choose your own design, you may feel you should use PowerPoint templates to look professional. You are not the only who feels this way. Many people scan through the designs in PowerPoint templates to find the one they like best or if they want to be different they search on the web for that perfect PowerPoint design.
The danger with PowerPoint templates is the template starts to drive the content. It may be the size of the font, it may be the colours, it may be the format on the page. You may not be able to include charts the way you would like, insert a table or even add photos.
As you start working through the template you find you have to modify your content to fit the template. It doesn’t make sense to sacrifice the content of your presentation to fit the format of the design template.
You can change the format of the template to fit your requirements. But when you make changes to the template format the template loses its integrity since it is a departure from its design. Once the template loses integrity it degrades each time you deviate from its boundaries. Every time it is degraded you lose the cohesiveness of your presentation and the clarity of your slide.
Don’t get me wrong, I’m not saying you should never use PowerPoint templates.
When used properly, PowerPoint templates make it easy to format your material. They are consiste nt in look and feeland provide a theme to your presentation.
Three Words on PowerPoint Backgrounds
Here’s my thought on backgrounds. Don’t use them.
You might be surprised that I am taking such a hard line stance. The truth is you look like an amateur when your PowerPoint background colour is dark and your text is a colour. It is difficult to read yellow on a black background, yellow on a blue background or even worse red on a black background and your presentation is a toner hog to print.
When you think of your PowerPoint background colour think of Google or any of the search engines. The majority of the text is black on a white background. That’s what people see every day. Any other colour is a departure from the norm.
And in this case you want to be the norm. Don’t fight it. Keep your text black on a white background. Use colour sparingly.
Use PowerPoint Templates and Backgrounds with Care
PowerPoint templates and backgrounds can work for you but choose carefully. Don’t let them drive the content of your presentation. Form follows function (Louis Sullivan) function doesn’t follow form.
Remember you want that guy who keeps glancing up and down at your slides to absorb the material quickly so he can get back to focus on you.
by Lisa Wedmann | Jul 16, 2013 | Advertising, Business Success, Latest, Management, Uncategorized
He was a big man and he smoked a big cigar. He was standing beside his desk, with his back to me, smoking a cigar and looking out the window at the city skyline. His presence dominated the room.
That’s how I first saw him. That’s how I remember him. Big and in control.
It was my first day on the job and I was being given the typical meet and greet walk. He was on the third floor, the executive level. I knew it was the executive floor since there was a big sign that said “EXECUTIVE LEVEL”.
In the office marked Vice-President, I was introduced to this giant of a man. As we left and walked down the stairs, my guide turned to me and whispered, “he’s a decision maker”.
That took me by surprise. I wasn’t sure what it meant, or why it was important to me so I nodded wisely.
I soon learned how important it was to be a decision maker when I was assigned to work in his department.
He terrified me. He barked orders. I followed them.
I asked questions. He gave answers.
HE MADE IMPORTANT DECISIONS QUICKLY
As I navigated through the politics of that first job, it wasn’t long before I came to understand how lucky I was to have a boss who was a decision maker, someone who was not afraid to answer questions and make important decisions.
But once I left that first job, I also learned how rare it is to find someone who can make important decisions quickly.
This man was not afraid to make important decisions and he wasn’t afraid to make them fast. Fearless and fast, traits valued in business since he soon left his job as Vice-President to become King of the Universe.
DID HE HAVE A SECRET WEAPON FOR DECISION MAKING?
Fortune favours the brave, at least that’s the way I saw it. He was one of those brave people who don’t hesitate. It didn’t matter if the question was related to ordering lunch or business strategies. He didn’t skip a beat. He simply opened his mouth and out jumped the answer.
I often wondered how he made his decision making choices. Did he have a plan for decision making in business or was it simply intuitive?
Just recently, I met one of my co-workers from that time and as typical when old friends meet; we began to reminisce and recall our days working together. We had both worked for Mr. Big Cigar. I reflected that after years of working for and with people who were reluctant to make important decisions it was a pleasure to have worked with someone who had no fear.
IF ANYONE KNEW SHE WOULD
I asked if she had any idea how he was able to make so many good important decisions. She was his right hand and if anyone knew she would.
She laughed.
Mr. B made a lot of decisions, she told me. What many didn’t realize is that they weren’t all the best decisions. They were close to the best but they weren’t always the best. They were aligned with the goals and objectives of the business, but you couldn’t comment that each one deserved that number one recognition.
The secret she confided was that he made decisions. And because he made decisions he became the decision maker. Some were good. Some were bad. But none were in limbo.
Bad decisions will rise to the top and become visible. Good decisions will float. But no decision will sink you…. fast.
THE SECRET OF MAKING IMPORTANT BUSINESS DECISIONS
What Mr. B. understood is that any decision is better than no decision. And that’s the secret.
“In any moment of decision, the best thing you can do is the right thing, the next best thing is the wrong thing, and the worst thing you can do is nothing.” Theodore Roosevelt
by Lisa Wedmann | Jul 12, 2013 | Administration, Business Success, Latest, Uncategorized
A few years back I took a course on strategic planning for small business. When the floor opened for questions many revolved around building teams. What kind of skills should you look for when building a team, is experience more important than education, are soft skills more important than hard skills, at what point of the project should you bring on a new team member … that type of question.
But the topic I found the most interesting was around how to build a good team. The discussion spiraled on subjects we had previously discussed. Finally in exasperation, one attendee said, “Yes, I understand all that, but how do you build a good team?”
The lecturer paused, looked straight at him and answered, “Build a good team”.
It seemed a simplistic joke but as he went on to explain, it had a great deal of merit. It means that in order to have a successful team you must build a good team.
Still too simplistic? Below is the discussion that followed on how to build a good team.
Wicked Way #1: Know your goals and your objectives
Number one, number one, number one. Always know your goals and objectives. Keep these clear in your mind. Write them on a piece of paper and stick them to your wall in a prominent place. If it’s a project deadline, if it’s gross sales, if it’s a percentage of growth, write it down. Paper remembers, people forget.
Wicked Way #2: Define roles and set expectations
Define the roles that you need in order to meet your goals and objectives. Fill these roles with people who can meet them. When you are interviewing to fill the roles, make it clear what your goals and objectives are and set expectations.
The person you interview may have the best qualifications and a great attitude but if they don’t know what you want and they don’t know whether they can do what you want, you are relying on a wish and a promise, neither one is a position for success.
Wicked Way #3: Provide feedback
Once you have a team, continue to set expectations. Provide feedback. Let the person know what they are doing right and what they are doing wrong. Always ask yourself and the team, will this activity help move us towards our goals and objectives? If it doesn’t, stop immediately.
Find out what will work. Then move on. And when the work your team member is helping to meet your goals and objectives, acknowledge and reward.
THAT’S IT
There you have it. Simple. Easy peasy.
How to build a good team… build a good team.
by Lisa Wedmann | Jul 10, 2013 | Administration, Business Success, Latest, Management
Before we start let me be clear on the definition of a leader.
Well then again ….. maybe I can’t be clear.
I can’t be clear because leadership is an art not a science.
It’s not easy to pin down leadership characteristics. Regrettably, there is no magic formula you can follow to turn yourself into the beloved leader who knows how to push all the right buttons.
And to make matters complicated, in today’s matrix environments it isn’t always easy to tell who the leaders are and who are the followers.
Gone are the days when a Supervisor sat in his office and overlooked the floor of busy workers who followed set rules and obeyed orders. That old distinction between a leader and a follower no longer exists.
DISTINCTION BETWEEN A LEADER AND A FOLLOWER
Without those clean marks of distinction it can be rough to distinguish where your responsibilities start and where another’s stop. And when leadership responsibilities are not clear, you may wonder is it your job to lead or does the responsibility belong to someone else?
Sometimes there is no straight-forward answer.
It could be the person leading a team or running a corporation. It could be a Project Manager or Head of a Department. In these situations, it’s easy to tell who is the leader. The title defines the status. But more often than not these people will jump in to assist in some way or another or they bring in others to help with big decisions or challenges.
Then what about when those who are leading a specific part of a project? Sometimes identifying a leader is easy. They lead, direct and interact with others and rely on them to help get the job done.
Who’s the leader now? Is it the Manager driving the project, the Project Manager who is leading the team or the specialist running her end of the show?
Consciously or unconsciously different people are in charge at different times and places. For one reason or another they have the responsibility to lead.
SUPERMAN OF LEADERSHIP DOES NOT EXIST
Today’s’ world is dynamic where challenges are too complex for just one person to handle. The Superman of leadership does not exist. Instead we are faced with the dichotomy of Superman and Clark Kent. On one hand we are saving the world and on the other we are heads down in our work.
In reality, we are both leaders and followers.
WE ALL ANSWER TO SOMEONE
This flexible definition of leadership that changes from one minute to the next may not be crystal clear.
But one thing is clear when we are looking for the definition of a leader and that is we all have a boss.
Whether it is a supervisor, a manager, or a customer. Whether it is shareholders, a Board of Directors or the person who signs your timesheet, we all answer to someone.
And at one time or another we have all been the leader where we lead and direct the outcome of our tasks.
Leadership qualities are fluid. One minute you’re the driver, the next minute you are the passenger.
It’s complex.
Or as Mongomery Burns says when he tries to scoop homer’s brain to turn him into a robot, Dammit Smithers, this is brain surgery, not rocket science.
What qualities do you wish to see in a leader? What don’t you like?
by Lisa Wedmann | Jul 8, 2013 | Administration, Advertising, Branding, Business Success, Latest, Management
Today I am sitting at my desk staring at my inbox full of emails. There are 30 emails waiting for me to open. I know each one of them is important and each one requires an answer. I have a meeting in 15 minutes. I don’t want to be late but there may be something urgent in one of those emails.
How do I know which emails to read?
Typically I scan the emails to look for subject lines of projects I know are urgent. This usually works. I find what I need immediately and the rest can wait until after my meeting.
But I pity my poor boss who mentioned in the meeting she has over 250 emails sitting in her inbox.
My first thought, did she read my emails from yesterday?
Then, that made me think.
Does she know which ones are urgent?
There must be others who are faced with this type of situation. I began to question myself, how can I get more attention for my emails at work? Is it because there simply isn’t enough time? Is there a way that time management at work will help?
Maybe, but there are other ways.
Time management is important but it is more a symptom and doesn’t get to the root cause. If your email is not working to get the attention you need here are a few suggestions.
My best tips on HOW TO WRITE EMAILS AT WORK
Choose your emails carefully
It’s mostly common sense but common sense seems to fly into cyberspace where email at work is concerned. And that is to choose your emails carefully. It stands to reason if you are known as that person who emails about everything, if you become the boy who cries wolf, your email will go to the bottom of the list.
If anything is the kiss of death in the email war, then this is it.
If you haven’t thought about it before now, your personal competence is being judged every time you write an email. If your email is convoluted then people will think you are convoluted. Either consciously or subconsciously they will label you as an unclear thinker. Not the type of person they want on their team.
Before you send an email consider its value and whether it will help to advance your cause if it doesn’t then don’t send it.
Prepare your subject line carefully
Be clear in what you want in the subject line and provide a deadline if possible.
For example, “Approval to proceed required by Thursday 2 pm” or “Feedback request by noon today”.
You can even use the subject line for a question. “Can we meet at 3 today?” “Our meeting today is changed to Friday”. Or what about a response to a question? “Yes I will be on Flight 429 leaving at 4.30.”
Aim for quick answers
I’m sure you do it yourself. You look for the easy emails and you answer them first. We tend to answer emails first that require a quick response or a quick answer.
Is there any way you can accomplish what you need by breaking it down to a very simple question?
If it is not a question and requires more detail, consider putting a 2 or 3 line summary at the top of the email and the balance of your content following. Often the extra information you provide is either background to the summary or to support your due diligence. If the reader is familiar with the subject they may not need this extra information or will skim it quickly after they read the summary. Either way, they have spent less time on the email and there’s a good chance you will get a faster response.
Pretend you are on your phone
You know you should keep it simple. You may try hard to keep it simple but it isn’t always easy particularly for those emails at work that are … well, more complicated. A simple trick is to pretend you are texting on your phone. What would your email look like then?
Limit yourself to one subject per email
When there is more than one subject per email it is difficult to respond to all the different subjects. Some may not have an answer, some need an urgent response and some are on hold. Then, when you receive the response to a multi-subject email you need to track which subjects had answers and which did not. It can become complex and almost overwhelming when there are too many subjects in one email. When we limit ourselves to one subject per email we make it easy for others to answer.
Turnaround is fair play
If you expect others to respond to your emails quickly then you must do the same in turn. Don’t be the bottleneck who holds up the email at work.
Writing the best emails
In the beginning you may feel that writing the best emails take more time since you will need to compose your thoughts, you will need to take those extra few minutes and think, really think before you hit the send button.
