Management Blog

How to voice perfect presentations

The phenomenon of cloud computing is accommodating a range of new voice-based presentation tools for professionals, a recent BusinessWeek article claims.

One of these tools, SlideRocket, is said to make it seriously easy to record your voice directly to slides and then share these presentations with colleagues or clients.

It's claimed marketing types have understood the power of voiced presentations for years and that professionals from other industries are now catching on.

Ultimately the trick to getting it right is less about the software, than it is about the quality of your voice itself. To help you improve your delivery, the article offers a number of tips. These include:

• Smile – it may feel strange smiling to yourself when recording but it's a trick employed by many successful voiceover artists
• Punctuate – pick out key words and emphasise these to keep the attention of your listeners
• Moderation – as you listen to back to your voice evaluate your performance to ensure you're not reading too fast or too slow
• Dry-run – avoid coffee and sugary drinks before recording; they can dry up your mouth and compromise the quality of your voice
• Practice – make sure you read the script several times before you record to ensure the script flows and that you're comfortable

Fancy a few new brain cells? Run for it

A Cambridge University study has found that jogging isn't just good for your health, it can also have a positive impact on mental ability, The Age's Executive Style reports.

Researchers say the act of running can lead to the growth of thousands of new brain cells and, as a result, boost a person's ability to recall memories.

The study also suggests that running helps to reduce stress because the brain is unable to produce new brain cells when a person is under mental pressure.

So if you've ever considered introducing a jogging group to your workplace or thought about investing in a treadmill it appears the proof you need to act has arrived.

Facebook etiquette for work

Is it okay to reject a coworker who has asked to be your Facebook friend? Is it a mistake to post photos or video on social networking sites? Should you avoid writing status updates?

In this short video Yahoo! Weblife editor Heather Cabot has all the answers to ensure you’re up-to-date with the ins and outs of workplace social networking etiquette.

A lament for the poor old RSVP

Do we live in a manner-challenged age when RSVPs for events and meetings have become optional? 

A recent story in The Australian looked into the matter and found it's become increasingly common for people simply not to RSVP if they can't attend an event.

Some communications professionals interviewed suggest the practice of ignoring RSVPs is a recent trend, with younger guests being less likely to respond, or RSVP and then not show up.

According to the article the worst crime of all is failing to RSVP and then attending anyway; the second worst faux pas is a no-show at a seated dinner, a decision that can force a host to hit the panic button.

What do you think – is it now acceptable to treat an RSVP as optional?

Calls to introduce anonymous CVs

The British civil service is being encouraged to recruit via anonymous resumes to curb discrimination against job candidates with Asian or African names, The Guardian reports.

The call follows a recent UK study that found applicants with 'white looking' names had to send nine applications before receiving an interview while people with 'foreign' names had to send 16 applications before being invited to meet a hiring manager.

In response to this either conscious or subconscious prejudice many claim taking race specific information out of resumes has the potential to make the selection processes fairer.

The French Government has emerged as a trailblazer in this area. It recently embarked on a recruitment programme involving CVs without names, age, sex, birth date, nationality and martial status.

A number of corporates are also said to be following the trend. In the UK, BP has been removing personal information from applications for its graduate programs for the last two years.

Words to avoid in 2010

Lake Superior State University has developed a list of 2009's most misused, overused and useless words - an ideal complement to our recent post on business jargon to avoid.

According to Time, the list is dominated by technology-related words including 'Tweet', 'friending', 'unfriending' and 'App' (the shortened form of software application).

As a result of the global economic crisis many finance related words made the list, including 'toxic assets', 'bailout' and 'too big to fail'.

Here are the first 15 words from the university's verbosely titled "List of Words Banished from the Queen's English for Mis-use, Over-use and General Uselessness":

1. Shovel-ready
2. Transparent/Transparency
3. Czar
4. Tweet
5. App
6. Sexting
7. Friend as a verb
8. Teachable Moment
9. In These Economic Times...
10. Stimulus
11. Toxic Assets
12. Too Big to Fail
13. Bromance
14. Chillaxin'
15. Obama as a prefix

Employers urged to monitor employee health

Is it appropriate for organisations to monitor the health of their employees?

Electronics manufacturer Philips believes so. The company has recently launched its high tech DirectLife personal fitness gadget to encourage workers to maintain active lifestyles.

According to Springwise, DirectLife monitors personal fitness via an accelerometer, a small wearable device that tracks an individual's every move.

All data collected by DirectLife can be uploaded to a webpage where real world personal health advisors suggest ways the user can meet their fitness goals.

Philips claims the US$99 device has the potential to reduce absenteeism and health costs as well as boost worker morale.

Best smart phone apps for business owners

If you're looking to buy yourself a Christmas present with the potential to bolster productivity inc.com suggests you consider a cutting-edge smart phone app.

The magazine's list of apps for business owners covers iPhone, Blackberry and Android smart phone platforms. Here's a selection of top apps:

• TomTom (iPhone) - a turn-by-turn navigation and business search tool that syncs with your contacts list to provide directions
• Timewerks (iPhone) - contains a built-in stopwatch that allows you to track the amount of time your spend on a job
• Jott (iPhone) - allows you to turn recorded voice messages into text messages
• SugarSync (BlackBerry) - enables you to access, edit and save files on a remote computer    via your phone
• EasyTranslator (Android) - converts words and phrases from English into 26 languages

More cool business apps can be found here. What's yours?

2009's most annoying business expressions

This year has seen its fair share of annoying catch phrases enter the corridors and emails of the business world, according to Forbes.

Here's a selection of some of the jargon terms that went from zero to hero (ha!) over the last year:

• 'Learning' (used as a noun) - it's claimed terms like 'key learning' and 'team learnings' aren't just annoying they're also grammatically incorrect
• 'Take it to the next level' - said to be a term that means absolutely nothing by suggesting a goal that's devoid of quantification
• 'Manage expectations' - really just a euphemism for underperforming
• 'Low hanging fruit' - a colourful but potentially aggravating term that means 'doing the easy things first'
• 'Break down silos' - a term used to describe the need for more effective communication that only works if people know what a silo is

More annoying (but fun to read about) business expressions are available here.

Lowering the cost of business travel

Following a few simple rules can help SME owners shave thousands of dollars from travel expenses according to a recent Daily Telegraph story.

After speaking to travel management experts on smart ways for SMEs to traverse the nation and the globe, the following tips were identified:

• Plan ahead - it's suggested SMEs develop a cost savings plan that looks at how travel can be managed strategically
• Early bird - book flights well in advance to avoid price hikes
• Focus on flexibility - if there's the possibility that your travel arrangements may change consider a flexible fare
• Look for corporate discounts - if booking a hire care enquire about offers that may include free days
• Loyalty matters - investigate airline lounge membership discounts or loyalty schemes

More insider tips and tricks can be found here.