Good News Pilipinas

I just read the morning paper–Philippine Daily Inquirer–and got what I expected: bad news. But I don’t have to read them. Have seen all these bad news on TV last night. Bad news really sells.

And so is good news. I felt that Filipinos are hungry for good news. As long as that good news does not come from the government, or from Raul Gonzales. For some years now, I’ve realized that good news for politicians like him does not necessarily spell g-o-o-d for Filipinos. I think it is a force of habit that news centre of TV stations look for massacre, rape, anomalous government contacts, and stupid movie stars for “exclusive news” which are shown on every station anyway.

Then there is Good News Pilipinas which highlights the good news about the Philippines. I felt that those who are looking for less stressful life, inspiration, and a balance sense of what is really happening in the country must visit the site.

I will still read Conrado De Quiros. And will look for good news in Good News Pilipinas and other blogs by Filipinos.

There is beauty in the mere act of searching for beauty. You become positive about what you hear and see. And You become more grateful of what you have, no matter how small,no matter how trivial for others.

Reading Good News Pilipinas this morning, I thought they still more writers who have the commitment, dedication, and passion to show the world not only the beauty of the Philippines and being Filipinos, but most importantly, the beauty of life.

Ways to shine a light on your team

Early this morning, I got some calls from people requesting for Teambuilding seminars. Considering what I have just learned from them, I looked for materials which fit their needs. Fortunately, I found a lot of materials that I only need to choose the best ones that will satisfy my client’s need.

Anyway, I read one material written by Jeff Palfini. I thought that though I won’t be using his ideas for my next workshops, I should be sharing his ideas with you for they are practical, easy to do, and motivational. I will leave his introduction and go directly to his tips.

Lessons from the Ivory Tower

Managers can get more out of their team by giving individual members the chance to be in the limelight, even if only for a brief moment. Here are a few basic ways to shine a light on the brain power of your team members:

# Training Seminars – Ask team members who are experts in certain areas to share their knowledge with the group in a training environment, almost like teaching a short college class. Not only will it breed respect among the members of the team, it will help skills and expertise spread through the group.

# Research Papers – A less unnerving and less confrontational way for team members to share knowledge and show the rest of the group that they work hard and keep up with the industry goings-on. This is also a great and pressure-free way to bone up on some of the intricacies of your trade.

# A Team Blog – Somewhere that team members can contribute their thoughts and ideas in a conversational setting. It allows for people to span task boundaries, offering what they know about areas that might not sit within their job description.

# Presentations – Choosing people to share their relevant expertise with employees outside your group will not only showcase your talent for hiring bright people for your team, it will also help people understand just what it is your team does for the company. Also, it gives the presenters a chance to stand out on a bigger stage.

One more tip: The more reticent and perhaps less experienced members of the team may be hesitant to put themselves on the line, so it’s good to allow for supporting roles as well, so they can become more comfortable in the spotlight. While academic journals recognize the primary author or authors of a study, they also cite secondary authors, allowing the researchers who do much of the grunt work and contribute ideas and opinions to the paper to get credit as well.

13 Practical Powerpoint Tips

I don’t normally use Powerpoint presentations. I rather have the participants apply at once what they ought to learn than listen to me discuss the principles while they watch the illustrations on Powerpoint. I know, almost all of the “high caliber trainers” we have here in the Philippines like to wow their audience with their flash powered, mtv inspired Powerpoints. Their visuals are too good, you can afford not to listen to the speakers anymore. Their Powerpoint just says it all.

When I was still connected with one computer university as elearning instructor, I realized that most Powerpoint presentation designs were not meant to aid the presentor. They were created either to substitute pages of reading materials, or to be watched like TV. In the absence of some professors, I was compelled to teach business economics, ethics, literature without the benefit of studying the lessons. All the school has to do is to give to me the prepared Powerpoint presentations, or for us to get downloadable copies in the internet. They are so detailed all I need is to read the text, explain the pictures, and yes, within an hour the 48 slides saved the day for all of us.

And here is the more important lesson: the students did not have to listen and watch us. All they need was to review the Powerpoint slides before the exam. And yes, upon realizing that, I changed the way I designed my Powerpoint presentations.

Are you going to use Powerpoint in your next presentation? You can be clear and effective. I suggest you try the following tips.

Present Clear Information

1. Use your slides to visually punctuate your message. Your slides should help your audience focus on the main points. Make sure each word and image helps convey your message in the strongest possible way.

2. Limit how much information you provide on each slide.
Use the slides for emphasis, but don’t try to include all of the instruction on your slides.
• Include only one main idea per slide.
• Use key words to help the audience focus on your message.
• Use active, visual language.
• Cut unnecessary words: Take a look at a written copy of your presentation. Cut paragraphs down to sentences, sentences into phrases, and phrases into key words.

3. Give each slide a title. Titles will help the audience quickly understand the main themes of your talk.

4.Organize your presentation into a logical sequence. Make sure that your presentation is easy for the audience to follow by checking the sequence of your slides. The main point of each of the slides should flow logically from one to another.

Present Clear Visuals

5. Make your text large. Small text is hard for audience members to read.
• Use at least 36 point font size for titles.
• Use at least 24 point font size for body text.

6. Keep the text slides brief. Too much information can overwhelm your audience.
• Choose brief, simple statements instead of full sentences.
• Try to use no more than five words per line of text.
• Try to use no more than five lines of text on each slide.

7. Use an easy to read, color format.
• Pick a color combination that offers a strong contrast between the background and the text. Dark backgrounds with light colored text or light backgrounds with dark colored text work best. If you know you will be presenting in a poorly-lit room, use a light background. Conversely, if you know you will be presenting in a well-lit room, use a dark background.
• Limit the number of colors you use to no more than three. Color can help add interest and can be used to emphasize key points. However, too much color can be distracting.
• Text drop shadows should be black or a darker shade of the background color.

8. Keep images simple. Images (such as graphs, tables, and pictures) can help strengthen your presentation by conveying your message in an interesting and often easy-to-understand format. Before using art, ask yourself whether the art enhances or clarifies your message.

• Unnecessary art and animation can create visual clutter and distract from your message.
• Some art, especially photos and other high-resolution images, can also greatly increase the amount of memory needed to run the slide show.
• Sometimes scanned images and photos are too large for a film recorder to handle easily, leading to delays in the slide presentation.

Deliver Successful Presentation

9. Check your equipment in advance. Before your presentation, check the following:
• Make sure cables and cords are connected properly and all the equipment is operating.
• If you are using someone else’s computer, make sure it has adequate disk space, adequate memory, and the appropriate versions of the software you need (including PowerPoint).

10. Check your computer settings in advance. It helps to check the following, especially if you are using someone else’s computer:
• Make sure the “system standby” function on the computer is turned off. If this function is turned on, your computer might temporarily turn off if you don’t use it for a designated time period. On a PC, you can check this by going to the Control Panel and look at the Power Options.
• Turn off the screen saver, since a screen saver can slow down your presentation. On a PC, turn this off by going to the Control Panel and then to Display. Click on the Screen Saver tab to turn the screen saver off.

11. Interact with your audience. Don’t read off the screen. Remember, Powerpoint is for your audience
• Use slides as outlines or conversation points, not as a script.
• Move around the room and make eye contact with as many people as possible.

12. Use your finger as a pointer, rather than the mouse. Although you can use the mouse to create a pointer on the slide, using your finger to point is generally more accurate and less distracting to the audience. When you move the mouse to point, it is often difficult to control the little pointer and it can be difficult to see.

13. Turn off your Powerpoint when you are not using it.

Take time…

Take time to think –  thoughts are the source of power.

Take time to play –  play is the secret of perpetual youth.

Take time to read –  reading is the fountain of wisdom.

Take time to pray –  prayer can be a rock of strength in time of need.

Take time to love – loving is what makes living worthwhile.

Take time to be friendly – friendships give life a delicious flavor.

Take time to laugh – laughter is the music of the soul.

Take time to give – sharing brings joy to your heart.

Take time to work – work is the price of success.

Take time to dream – dreams show you what is possible.

Take time to do your work well – pride in your work nourishes the mind and the spirit.

Take time to show appreciation – it’s the frosting on the cake of life.

Why go for company-wide time management training

There is a lot of wasted time throughout a person’s day. A lot of wasted life too.

With a time managing training course, you won’t have to deal with the stress of every day deadlines. You will have everything under control – from personal to professional life. A training program (or workshop) can assist you become more proactive and less reactive. It will also help you get the maximum out of your daily routine.

Are you a company manager? Time management is one tool to success. When your employees manage their time wisely and efficiently you will see increases both in production and profits.

Wasting time lowers productivity, decreases profits, and fails a business. Have your people trained in time management because most people don’t know how to properly manage their time. Give your employees the tools they need to find success for themselves and for your business.

Let me suggest three ways to make your time management training successful.

1. Try to involve everyone. No one likes to be singled out.Even if there are only a few people wasting time, make time management training mandatory for all employees. Understand that time management in the workplace is everyone’s concern. Do you have 2000 employees? That must be a great problem. but the greater problem is to have at least half of them wasting an hour everyday simply because they lack the know-how of time management.

2. Invest a day in time management training. Unfortunately, very few wage earners would want to work overtime for a time management workshop. True, we can argue that attending one is for their benefit. However, most time wasters don’t understand this. Some managers don’t want to sacrifice productivity for a one-day training. Let’s use a little of common sense here. A time-waster who waste an hour everyday is wasting 20 hours in a month (given five-day work) and 140 hours in a year. That must be more than 17 days of wasted productivity. If you are a time manager, you know that most time-wasters work only for 3 out of 8 hours work. Go figure the numbers!

3, Make time management training creative, interesting, and easy to understand.

There are a lot of training materials that are published for businesses that are just simply boring. They are dull and uninteresting and are completely incapable of keeping the attention of people.

The same is true with some facilitators. There are those whose only hammer is all day lecture as if knowing time management will make the participants effective time managers. Lecture cannot nail it. Skills are best learned by doing.

If you are to handle the training yourself, personalize your material. Sell the benefits to them by using concrete examples. Get to the point. Your participants must appreciate how your company is investing for their personal and professional growth. Use a little of your own creativity to make the lessons fun and more interesting. The training may revolutionize your business, but it is useless if no one pays attention. Putting some creative effort into the material will also let your employees know that you are serious about time management training, and it will make them want to take it seriously as well.

Now, if you think that hiring a facilitator is your next best option, get somebody who is willing to customize the training based on your company’s need, and one who will conduct the training based on three P’s.

What are the 3 P’s?

When giving your employees time management training, always remember the three P’s; pertinent, practical, and polished.

The information must be pertinent to what is going on in your workplace. Consulting books is okay, but don’t depend on any. The solution to the problem in the workplace is always in the workplace. Believe me, workshop participants (well, most of them) know the importance of time management and must have read many articles on the subject. Often times, they know how to solve the problem. Encourage them to tell you how. I always do in my workshops. And always participants are surprised of how much they know.

Present practical ways for people to practice time management. I am a believer of active learning. Participants learn better if you will provide practice during the training, clarify issues, and affirm the correct practices they already do.

Make your presentation polished and professional. A polished presentation will keep your employees excited about the training, make them more apt to implement positive changes, and will boost the productivity of your business. I say, make all of your presentations polished ones. Doing so will make your employees see that you are truly serious about your time management training.

Again, simply knowing the benefits of time management training will not bring you anything. Only action will make your goals come true.

Give your employees the benefit to handle their lives better. Yes, time management is the same with life management. Those who cannot manage their time are also poor managers of their lives. Your people is your best asset. Empower, encourage,enroll every employee to enjoy the time of his life.

Functions of Vision

Last Friday, we talked about the characteristics of a living vision. We hold that for a vision to get your people into action, your vision must be
Clear
Involving
Measurable
Aligned with company values
Linked to customers’ needs, and
Seen as a stretch—it is difficult but achievable.

It is true that some companies don’t have a vision statement, like Johnson and Johnson. Its Credo, however, summarizes the very characteristics of a good vision. What is important is that the vision, written or not, must be clear every employee. Everyone is a customer service personnel.

Now, let us talk about the two functions of a vision.

Your vision should be a source of inspiration. People today seek relevance, involvement, and empowerment. Yes, some say that most people are indifferent. That, however, is simply our opinion of others. Ask yourself. Are you indifferent? You may say, that yes, sometimes you are. Do you seek both significance and success? I think you will see Yes! And the rest of my readers, I believe have the some answer. It is not difficult to lead your people in your desire to develop a customer-centered company.
A truly integrated and permeating vision energizes people and can even resurrect (Yes, something like, “Lazarus, come out from your grave!) disgruntled, routinized, burn-out employees. It provides true challenges and purpose. It makes a person feel she can make a difference in the world.

I remember that four months ago, I had a business meeting with an Italian. He put on hold my workshop with the company as he wanted to clarify with me first some issues with regard to the training program I designed for their company after my talk with the company owners and conduct initial training with their managers. He did not like my title: Building a Customer-Driven Company: A Whole-System Approach to Greatness. He felt that the system is okay and there was nothing to change. I told him that as a trainor, I don’t come to cure the sick but to help the good companies like theirs become great. I told him that I felt that since they are coming up with Vision, Mission, and Values statements, it is best if we can involve the other stakeholders, rally them to a common vision using appreciative inquiry approach or other approach that also involve the employees, and if possible, even the customers. I thought he disagreed with me. Before our meeting, I learned that he had already crafted the Mission and Vision of the company. I requested for a copy, but he did not give me one.

The company flourished without the written mission and vision. However, it was clear to many of their employees that the business is there to make people happy, be a peace with himself, and whole. However, not everyone understands that, especially those who simply go to work for their eight-hour job. The training could be an opportunity to craft a mission-vision that will really inspire everyone in the company. Yes, they can make mission-vision statements that will be the basis of everyday life in the company. I wonder if they have also learned this principle in MBA School.

Your Vision is your guide for decision making. Yes, the company’s guide for decision-making. It must be the basis of your company policy and manuals. The problem with many company leaders is that they do not know their own mission and vision. Some even believe that simply because their policy worked in their former companies, the same could be done to their new company. Every company is unique. The company must be driven by its mission-vision, not by its policy.

Your customer-centered vision will help your employees cut through technical issues and do only the things that truly add value for the customer. It instructs employees to stay on the course during routine decision-making.

It means that your customers come first. Yes, even if the policy is silent about it. Customer driven companies don’t have employees who quack quack in front of customers simply because they are afraid to decide. Or have no power to decide.

One time when I was in conducting a workshop in a five star resort outside of Manila, I overheard a customer complained about something at the front desk. The front desk officer explained extensively to the customers that the fault was not with them but with their Sales Office (The Sales Office was in Manila). The front desk officer said that she would consult her manager. She went to the office of her manager. After some 10 minutes, she went back and told them that only the General Manager could decide over their complaint. Of course the customers were furious. They had traveled six hours from Manila only to find out that they wouldn’t get the service they were expecting. They demanded for the General Manager. The front desk officer answered, “The GM is now on vacation.” Not funny, really, but true.

Policies are created to serve the customers, not the customers to serve the policies. Your employees must be empowered to serve your customers. They must be guided by the customer-focused vision of the organization.

Great visions state the corporate goal simply and their sponsors communicate their importance by repeating them frequently and applying them to every business situation. A vision comes to life as it cascades down to the organization.

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Share your thoughts. I look forward to hear from you.