Presentation Series: Top 10 Preparation Tips

Top 10 Preparation Tips

By: Garr Reynolds

1. Start with the end in mind

Before you even open up PowerPoint, sit down and really think about the day of your presentation. What is the real purpose of your talk? Why is it that you were asked to speak? What does the audience expect? In your opinion, what are the most important parts of your topic for the audience to take away from your, say, 50-minute presentation? Remember, even if you've been asked to share information, rarely is the mere transfer of information a satisfactory objective from the point of view of the audience. After all, the audience could always just read your book (or article, handout, etc.) if information transfer were the only purpose of the meeting, seminar, or formal presentation.

2. Know your audience as well as possible

Before you begin to formulate the content of your presentation, you need to ask yourself many basic questions with an eye to becoming the best possible presenter for that particular audience. At the very least, you need to answer the basic "W questions."

Who is the audience? What are their backgrounds? How much background information about your topic can you assume they bring to the presentation?
What is the purpose of the event? Is it to inspire? Are they looking for concrete practical information? Do they want more concepts and theory rather than advice?
Why were you asked to speak? What are their expectations of you?
Where is it? Find out everything you can about the location and logistics of the venue.
When is it? Do you have enough time to prepare? What time of the day? If there are other presenters, what is the order (always volunteer to go first or last, by the way)? What day of the week? All of this matters.

3. Content, content, content


No matter how great your delivery, or how professional and beautiful your
supporting visuals, if your presentation is not based on solid content, you cannot succeed. Don't get me wrong; I am not saying that great content alone will carry the day. It almost never does. Great content is a necessary condition, but not a sufficient one. But your presentation preparation starts with solid content (appropriate for your audience) which you then build into a winning story that you'll use to connect with your audience.

A word of caution: Though I am emphasizing how important content is, I also am begging you to spare your audience a "data dump." A data dump — all too common unfortunately — is when a presenter crams too much information into the talk without making the effort to make the information or data applicable to the members of the audience. A data dump also occurs when data and information do not seem to build on the information that came earlier in the presentation. Sometimes it almost seems that the presenter is either showing off, or more likely, is simply afraid that if he does not tell the "whole story" by giving reams of data, the audience will not understand his message.

Do not fall into the trap of thinking that in order for your audience to understand anything, you must tell them everything. This brings us to the idea of simplicity.

4. Keep it simple

Simple does not mean stupid. Frankly, thinking that the notion of simplifying is stupid is just plain, well, and “stupid." Simple can be hard for the presenter, but it will be appreciated by the audience. Simplicity takes more forethought and planning on your part because you have to think very hard about what to include and what can be left out. What is the essence of your message? This is the ultimate question you need to ask yourself during the preparation of your presentation. Here's a simple exercise:

EXERCISE:

If your audience could remember only three things about your presentation, what would you want it to be?

(1)__________

(2)__________

(3)__________

5. Outlining your content

I suggest you start your planning in "analog mode." That is, rather than diving right into PowerPoint (or Keynote), the best presenters often scratch out their ideas and objectives with a pen and paper. Personally, I use a large whiteboard in my office to sketch out my ideas (when I was at Apple, I had one entire wall turned into a whiteboard!). The whiteboard works for me as I feel uninhibited and freer to be creative. I can also step back (literally) from what I have sketched out and imagine how it might flow logically when PowerPoint is added later. Also, as I write down key points and assemble an outline and structure, I can draw quick ideas for visuals such as charts or photos that will later appear in the PowerPoint. Though you may be using digital technology when you deliver your presentation, the act of speaking and connecting to an audience — to persuade, sell, or inform — is very much analog.

Cliff Atkinson in his 2005 book, "Beyond Bullet Points," smartly states that starting to create your presentation in PowerPoint before you have your key points and logical flow first worked out (on paper or a white board in my case) is like a movie director hiring actors and starting to film before there is a script in hand.

More on "planning analog"

I usually use a legal pad and pen (or a whiteboard if there is enough space) to create a rough kind of storyboard. I find the analog approach stimulates my creativity a bit more as I said. No software to get in my way and I can easily see how the flow will go. I draw sample images that I can use to support a particular point, say, a pie chart here, a photo there, perhaps a line graph in this section and so on. You may be thinking that this is a waste of time: why not just go into PowerPoint and create your images there so you do not have to do it twice? Well, the fact is, if I tried to create a storyboard in PowerPoint, it would actually take longer as I would constantly have to go from normal view to slide sorter view to see the "whole picture." The analog approach (paper or whiteboard) to sketch out my ideas and create a rough storyboard really helps solidify and simplify my message in my own head. I then have a far easier time laying out those ideas in PowerPoint. I usually do not even have to look at the whiteboard or legal pad when I am in PowerPoint, because the analog process alone gave a clear visual image of how I want the content to flow. I glance at my notes to remind me of what visuals I thought of using at certain points and then go to iStockphoto.com or to my own extensive library of high-quality stock images to find the perfect image.

6. Have a sound, clear structure

Take a page out the McKinsey presentation handbook: presentation structure is paramount. Without it, your wonderful style, delivery and great supporting visuals will fall flat. If you took the time in the first step to outline your ideas and set them up in a logical fashion, then your thinking should be very clear. You can visualize the logic of your content and the flow of the presentation. If your ideas are not clear first, it will be impossible to design the proper structure later when you create visuals and/or supporting documents. Your audience needs to see where you are going. And it is not enough to simply have an "agenda" or "road map" slide in the beginning that illustrates the organization of your talk. If you do not actually have a solid road of logic and structure, then an outline slide will be of no use. In fact, the audience may become even more irritated since you made the promise of organization in the beginning, but then failed to deliver the promise with a presentation, which is muddled and lacks focus.

7. Dakara nani? (so what?)

In Japanese I often say to myself, "dakara nani?" or "sore de...?" which translate roughly as "so what?!" or "your point being...?" I say this often while I am preparing my material. When building the content of your presentation, always put yourself in the shoes of the audience and ask "so what?" Really ask yourself the tough questions throughout the planning process. For example, is your point relevant? It may be cool, but is it important or help your story in a very important way...or is it fluff? Surely you have been in an audience and wondered how what the presenter was talking about was relevant or supported his point. "So what?" you probably said to yourself. "So what?" — always be asking yourself this very important, simple question. If you can't really answer that question, then cut that bit of content out of your talk.

8. Can you pass the "elevator test"?

Check the clarity of your message with the elevator test. This exercise forces you to "sell" your message in 30-45 seconds. Imagine this is the situation: You have been scheduled to pitch a new idea to the head of product marketing at your company, one of the leading technology manufactures in the world. Both schedules and budgets are tight; this is an extremely important opportunity for you if you are to succeed at getting the OK from the executive team. When you arrive at the Admin desk outside the vice-president's office, suddenly she comes out with her coat and briefcase in hand and barks, "...sorry, something's come up, give me your pitch as we go down to the lobby..." Imagine such a scenario. Could you sell your idea in the elevator ride and a walk to the parking lot? Sure, the scenario is unlikely, but possible. What is very possible, however, is for you to be asked without notice to shorten your talk down, from, say, 20 minutes, to 10 minutes (or from a scheduled one hour to 30 minutes), could you do it? True, you may never have to, but practicing what you might do in such a case forces you to get your message down and make your overall content tighter and clearer.

Author, Ron Hoff ("I Can See You Naked") reminds us that your presentation should be able to pass the David Belasco test while you're in the planning stages. David Belasco was a producer who insisted that the core idea for every successful play he produced could be written as a simple sentence on the back of a business card. Try it. Can you crystallize the essence of your presentation content and write it on the back of a business card? If the task is impossible for you, then you may want to think again and get your message down pat in your mind. This too is certainly something you do before you ever begin to open up PowerPoint (Keynote).

9. The art of story telling

Good presentations include stories. The best presenters illustrate their points with the use of stories, most often personal ones. The easiest way to explain complicated ideas is through examples or by sharing a story that underscores the point. Stories are easy to remember for your audience. If you want your audience to remember your content, then find a way to make it relevant and memorable to them. You should try to come up with good, short, interesting stories or examples to support your major points.

In addition, it is useful to think of your entire 30 minute presentation as an opportunity to "tell a story." Good stories have interesting, clear beginnings, provocative, engaging content in the middle, and a clear, logical conclusion. I have seen pretty good (though not great) presentations that had very average delivery and average graphics, but were relatively effective because the speaker told relevant stories in a clear, concise manner to support his points. Rambling streams of consciousness will not get it done; audiences need to hear (and see) your points illustrated.

10. Confidence — How to get it

The more you are on top of your material the less nervous you will be. If you have taken the time to build the logical flow of your presentation, designed supporting materials that are professional and appropriate, there is much less to be nervous about. And, if you have then actually rehearsed with an actual computer and projector (assuming you are using slideware) several times, your nervousness will all but melt away. We fear what we do not know. If we know our material well and have rehearsed the flow, know what slide is next in the deck, and have anticipated questions, then we have eliminated much (but not all) of the unknown. When you remove the unknown and reduce anxiety and nervousness, then confidence is something that will naturally take the place of your anxiety.

Don’t Cut Short Training Even in Difficult Times

Even during tough economic times it’s important to invest in staff training and development. Employees are typically the greatest asset a company has and play a critical role in helping it achieve its business goals. By conducting strategic training and development, organizations can ensure that employees have the knowledge and skills they need to keep up with emerging technologies as well as the growing demands of the business and marketplace.

Following are strategies for getting the most out of your training programs:

• Make sure you are ready. Is your organization ready to commit the time and resources needed to a training program? Do you have the support of top management? The most successful programs have the top-down support of the CEO and are part of the company’s learning culture.

• Determine your goals. Where is your organization heading? What type of competencies — skills, knowledge, and behaviors — do you need to get you there? Determine your short-term and long-term business goals and make sure your training and development plans are in alignment with them.

• Assess your current talent. Which competencies do you already have in place and which ones do you need to develop? Determine which competencies are feasible to develop in existing staff and which ones you will need to acquire through new hires. Assess key performers and high potential employees who can be groomed for leadership and higher level positions.

• Consider the different types of training and development your organization needs. Are there specific skills that can be taught in a classroom setting, such as training in the latest technologies? At the same time, consider the broader competencies that you need to develop organization-wide to bring about cultural change — such as collaboration, conflict resolution and problem solving. Additionally, focus on developing the next generation of leaders and their ability to motivate staff and manage teams. Employees hired for their technical skills require a different level of competencies when they become managers. These critical leadership qualities are harder to teach, yet often sorely needed for superstars who are accustomed to working on their own. To be most effective, leadership development needs to be conducted on an ongoing basis, involving regular, honest feedback from a coach or trainer.

• Use a variety of training methods. Based on the specific training and development goals, you can use mentoring, one-on-one coaching, and group learning environments. To keep employees engaged and reach them through the various ways they learn, use a variety of teaching methods, such as exercises, case studies, role playing and presentations.

• Build in ongoing feedback and rewards. Build in ongoing assessment and reward for training and development into employee evaluations. Work with employees to establish individual learning goals based on company needs, employee interests and talents, and job requirements. Try to engage employees in taking an active role in how they will achieve their training and development goals. Remember to recognize and reward employees for their achievements in training and development.

Training should be aligned with corporate goals and strategy and work in concert with other strategic human resources activities, such as recruitment, compensation, recognition and rewards, performance and retention programs. While it may be hard to imagine now, market conditions will change and opportunities will open up. Will your organization be ready to take advantage of them? By creating a learning culture that values and invests in training, you’ll develop employees who are well equipped to sustain your business and help it grow throughout economic ups and downs. That is an invaluable competitive advantage.

Nancy R. Mobley is president and CEO of Insight Performance Inc., a strategic human resources consulting firm in Dedham. She can be reached at webmaster@insightperformance.com or at 781-326-8201.

Training in Difficult Times

During difficult times, most organizations reduce the amount of training offered to employees. LMA believes that this is the time to provide strategic training for your employees. They are your “greatest asset” and you will achieve a return on your investment when the economy turns around. Organizations should consider investing in employees so they can deal with future demands of growth. Strategic thinking organizations take tough economic times to build upon employees strengths and address any development needs identified.

To have effective training during difficult times you may want to consider the following:

Assess Your Talent: Every organization should evaluate their employees and determine what skills are needed for the future. Organizations might consider evaluating employees who are going to make good leaders for their organizations and then give them the appropriate training. This will help prepare them for future leadership positions.

Leadership Support: Make sure that your leadership (top to bottom) is committed to the leadership training. Effective training can only occur when everyone in the organization is committed to training.

Establish Objectives for Your Training: Each organization should develop its strategic plan and then determine what skills and behaviors are essential for success in the short and long term. Once you have defined these objectives it will help determine what skills and behaviors are needed to succeed. You have designed your training efforts.

Provide Effective Training: An organization should consider all types of training. Each organization may want to consider onsite training; web based training or individual coaching. In dealing with change, you should focus on working together, conflict resolution and problem solving. Any training program should be consistent, on a regular schedule and involve the training participant and supervisor who will reinforce the training.

All training efforts should relate to your vision, mission and goals. As you look at the economic downturn you may be only thinking about survival, but LMA Consulting Group believes you should prepare your employees for future growth and development.

In a recent survey, employees ranked “learning new skills” as one of the most important factors that would keep them with an organization. Consider an ongoing training effort that will enhance your competitiveness and your employees' to respond to customers needs.

by David Wauls, Senior Consultant

LMA CONSULTING GROUPA division of LMA Systems Group Inc.

©2009 LMA Systems Group Inc.

Rightsizing and Outsourcing

Rightsizing: A necessity to survive

In announcing its fourth-quarter and fiscal-year earnings in November, Energizer Holdings noted costs it incurred to "rightsize" manufacturing and sales operations. That same month, Wabash National Corp. announced the sale of subsidiary Transcraft Corp.'s Illinois production facility and the consolidation of operations into another plant. "These types of decisions are always difficult to make, especially when it affects associates, but due to the current economic climate we are faced with the need to further rightsize our operating footprint and reduce our cost structure," stated Transcraft general manager Terry Campbell at the time of the announcement And earlier in the same year, Dow Chemical chairman and CEO Andrew N. Liveris said of the company, "Consistent with Dow's practice of active portfolio management, we continue to take quick and aggressive action to rightsize our manufacturing footprint, particularly in our basics portfolio."

Rightsize. It is a term and a decision that wormed its way into many a manufacturer's strategy in 2009 as the economy dived precipitously in the past year and then stayed down. By Merriam-Webster's definition, it means to reduce to an optimal size, which is the primary meaning business has attached to the word recently. Rightsizing also can suggest growing a business, either to correct a previous downsizing effort or to accommodate growing business.

Indicators that it is time to ask whether you need to rightsize your business may or may not be subtle. Increasing costs as a percentage of revenue and a high fixed-cost structure that places a manufacturer at a disadvantage during slow demand are two indicators that it may be time to rightsize by downsizing, says James Robbins, a senior executive at consulting firm Accenture, overseeing its North American automotive and industrial engineering practices. So too are the results of competitive benchmarking if they show a high cost structure relative to industry peers.

Take a look at machine utilization and capacity utilization, suggests Mark Gottfredson, a senior partner with Bain & Co. "If it's not where you need it to be, you need to make adjustments," he says.

If the adjustments include a decision to downsize the business, Accenture's Robbins suggests the following moves as a possible start:

Initiate an approach, grounded in data and analytical evidence, to look critically at all areas of operational expenses, and target and prioritize areas for cost reduction.

Establish a short-, medium- and long-term plan for realizing immediate savings, while setting up sustainable structures to position the organization for longer-term success.

On the other hand, rightsizing may be about growth, if not immediately then as the economy recovers. Bain's Gottfredson, who is co-author of "The Breakthrough Imperative," describes rightsizing as simply building to the right scale and volume.

Gottfredson readily admits that his bias is toward producing at a capacity that is just slightly below demand, pointing to Nintendo's Wii as a good example of a product that has successfully produced at that rate. "Not a lot [below demand], though, or customers could take business away from you."

Companies operating at that level "tend to run a little hot, tend to be profitable and tend to reinvest" in future innovations, he notes. Of course, such a strategy would seem to present a challenge were demand to grow more than expected. Does one simply build a new factory? Gottfredson's thinking suggests that may be an extreme initial reaction. The Bain senior partner said he believes many companies are conservative when it comes to capacity planning -- that it's likely they can produce at a higher capacity than they plan for. "It's amazing what you can do to expand the capacity of the plant" with some creativity, innovation and task teams on the floor removing bottlenecks, Gottfredson says.

A hot topic for the Bain consultant lately has been discussions about the complexity of product lines. High complexity tends to translate to lower utilization of assets. "If you are able to reduce complexity, you may be able to free up capacity without capital expenditures at all," he says.

Ultimately, companies are taking a close look at their business model to make sure it is right for the environment, adds Tim Hanley, vice chairman, U.S. process and industrial products sector leader for Deloitte & Touche. That means looking both within the organization and outside the organization along the supply chain.

Still, rightsizing the business is a constant challenge. "We live in a dynamic market. It's likely to be a fleeting second that you are right," Gottfredson says.

By Jill Jusko Dec. 16, 2009

http://www.industryweek.com/articles/rightsizing_your_business_20602.aspx?Page=1?ShowAll=1

What is Outsourcing?

Outsourcing refers to a company that contracts with another company to provide services that might otherwise be performed by in-house employees. Many large companies now outsource jobs such as call center services, e-mail services, and payroll. These jobs are handled by separate companies that specialize in each service, and are often located overseas.

There are many reasons that companies outsource various jobs, but the most prominent advantage seems to be the fact that it often saves money. Many of the companies that provide outsourcing services are able to do the work for considerably less money, as they don't have to provide benefits to their workers and have fewer overhead expenses to worry about.

Outsourcing also allows companies to focus on other business issues while having the details taken care of by outside experts. This means that a large amount of resources and attention, which might fall on the shoulders of management professionals, can be used for more important, broader issues within the company. The specialized company that handles the outsourced work is often streamlined, and often has world-class capabilities and access to new technology that a company couldn't afford to buy on their own. Plus, if a company is looking to expand, outsourcing is a cost-effective way to start building foundations in other countries.

There are some disadvantages to outsourcing as well. One of these is that outsourcing often eliminates direct communication between a company and its clients. This prevents a company from building solid relationships with their customers, and often leads to dissatisfaction on one or both sides. There is also the danger of not being able to control some aspects of the company, as outsourcing may lead to delayed communications and project implementation. Any sensitive information is more vulnerable, and a company may become very dependent upon its outsource providers, which could lead to problems should the outsource provider back out on their contract suddenly.

While outsourcing may prove highly beneficial for many companies, it also has many drawbacks. It is important that each individual company accurately assess their needs to determine if outsourcing is a viable option.

Written by T ThompsonLast Modified: 18 May 2010

http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-outsourcing.htm

10 Benefits of Yoga

Over the last three to four decades a great deal of research has been done by the medical community and they now, more and more, recognize the health benefits of Yoga. Below, I will highlight the top 10 health benefits that Yoga bestows and I hope it will inspire all of you to take up this wonderful practice is some capacity and reap the rich rewards as well.

The health benefits have been divided into 3 categories. The Physical Health Benefits of Yoga, Emotional Health Benefits of Yoga and the Mental Health Benefits of Yoga. A short explanation is given along with each benefit to help you understand better the mechanisms that Yoga employs to bestow it.

Yoga is currently taking its final exam. Even though this science dates back many thousands of years, it has only recently come to the West. This is where Yoga is being empirically tested. The Western mind demands results and evidence, if none are produced, the system does not survive. This is a valuable approach and Yoga is currently being put though the rigors of this process. So far Yoga is passing with flying colors. Don’t get me wrong, its not that the East did not expect that, its just that this approach filters out the fraudulent and frivolous methodologies, which might otherwise survive simply because of superstition and fear, and the East is just as happy that this is being done as the West. This scrutinizing process results in separating the stones from the diamonds and the diamond that is Yoga is starting to shine though bright and clear.

Physical Health Benefits of Yoga:

1. Energy: Yoga exercises, breath control training (pranayama) and use of yoga body locks (bandhas) all work to activate and balance your energy pathways, giving you the vitality and power you need to maximize your potential.

2. Strength: By strength here we don’t just mean physical muscular strength, although that will benefit greatly as well due to the steady holding of yoga poses and the exercises that yoga incorporates, but also the strength of your internal physiological systems. Strength of your immune system, nervous system, digestive system, respiratory system, circulatory system, reproductive system, etc.

3. Healing: The power of Yoga to heal ailments and cure diseases is becoming more and more an integral part of mainstream medical practice and treatment methods. This ability of Yoga to heal also promotes longevity.

4. Flexibility: Yoga postures (asanas) are perhaps the best type of exercises you can do to improve flexibility. Flexibility is essential for avoiding injuries as well as for the health of the joints, tendons and muscles.

Emotional Health Benefits of Yoga:

5. Peace: Yoga meditations and practice methodology promotes a greater awareness and appreciation of the present moment, which calms the mind and allows the peace deep within to surface.

6. Joy: With the maturing of a Yoga practice, the beauty and depth of life become more apparent and the spontaneous joy of existence emerges.

7. Compassion: Yoga values and philosophy, along with the practice of yoga meditations, dissolves one’s ego-centric reality, thus developing other mindedness, thoughtfulness, generosity and compassion.

Mental Health Benefits of Yoga:

8. Brain Development: Yoga breathing exercises and yoga meditations develop parts of the brain that are normally dormant. Once these parts are activated the power of intuition, as well as other latent powers are unleashed. In addition as the brain develops so does your intelligence and clarity of thoughts.

9. Concentration: The requirement of many Yoga meditations to keep the mind focused on a single object or mantra (sound vibrations), helps to dramatically increase your power of concentration and focused attention.

10. Awareness: Yoga can simply be called the Science of Awareness. This is its primary purpose. To refine and increase awareness so that you can penetrate the veil of the ordinary dualistic mind and encounter your Divine Nature within.

Posted in Yoga, Personal Development, Health and Wellbeing by Anmol Mehta

http://www.anmolmehta.com/blog/2007/05/06/top-10-health-benefits-of-yoga/

Hello PAL Trainers!

We hold yoga sessions in PAL Learning Center every Saturdays. If you are interested to join, kindly e-mail Al_Licarte@pal.com.ph to check for the schedule and availability of classes. We want you to join us in rejuvenating our mind, body, and soul. You may also bring a friend or two along. The more the merrier. See you there!

Office Chair Exercises

Yes, there is such a thing as exercise for the office! With office chair exercise you can stretch out and boost your energy, without losing productive work time.

The primary reasons office workers begin to lose mobility and experience back and shoulder pain, sore hips and stiff necks, are:

1. poor sitting posture
2. improper typing ergonomics and desk ergonomics
3. lack of intermittent exercise

This shouldn't be the case. Sitting posture is easy to correct, and even though you are probably busy there are many quick, easy exercises that can be done within seconds.

In addition to the exercises listed below you may want to add yoga or Pilates stretches, or a self neck massage. And, if you sit most of the day, improve the blood flow to your hip joints with hip exercises that can be done right at your desk. Or...

Have you heard about laughter therapy? Believe it or not, laughter is also is considered a form of exercise and can be a great way to relieve office stress.

This blog is written by a patient NOT a practitioner. Exercises and techniques discussed here were provided to me - for my specific needs. To avoid risk of serious injury they should not be used by others without being discussed with a qualified health care provider.

Wrists

1.Extend your arm in front of you placing your palms up.

2.With your other hand, grab your fingers.

3.Gently stretch your hand down, bending your wrist backwards. Feel the stretch in your forearm?

4.Repeat with the other arm.

Wrists and Forearms

1.Press hands together in front of chest. Keep elbows bent and parallel to the floor.

2.Gently bend wrists to the right and left.

3.Repeat several times.

Back

1.Sit straight in your chair and place your right arm behind your right hip.

2.Twist to the right and hold for a few seconds.

3.Switch to your left arm on your left hip and repeat.

Calves

1.While sitting, lift up your legs onto the balls of your feet and then release.

2.Continue until your legs and calves are tired.

3.Repeat every 10-15 minutes for an hour.

Leg

1.Holding abdominal muscles in, extend leg until it is level with hip.

2.Hold for a few seconds and then repeat with other leg.

Hips

1.While seated, lift one leg off the floor a few inches with knee bent.

2.Hold for a few seconds and then repeat with the other leg.

Arms, Shoulders, Back

This is my absolute favorite office chair exercise and stress relief activity. One that you can only appreciate after trying.

1.Find a small hand size ball, or even improvise with a rolled up piece of paper.

2.Throw it up in the air and try catching it.

It's amazing how well your arms, shoulders and back muscles loosen up after doing this only a few times. The missed catch is the best, because it stretches your whole back when you bend to pick it up!

Office chair exercises are often the quickest way to get instant relief for muscles that inevitably tighten up after sitting for long periods of time.

http://www.back-exercise-and-pain-relief.com/office-chair-exercise.html

Do's and Don'ts in Training

They say that we are only as good as our last performance. So from time to time, it is very important to remind ourselves of what makes a training program effective.

DO

1. Study your group. All clients complete a client information questionnaire before they enroll in our programs. If you see a new person in your group, ask them if they have any concerns, injuries or medical issues of which you should be aware. Ask them if they mind if you review their client information questionnaire so you can better know their history and goals. They'll appreciate that you care and will be more likely to want to return to your programs because you know who they are and what they want.

2. Be prepared and organized. You cannot "wing" a group training session. Managing a number of people with various goals, fitness levels and needs requires that you have spent some time thinking through the logistics of the entire session from start to finish. Use a lesson plan to help design your programs.

3. Prepare before your session and be early. Be there five to 10 minutes before the start of the session to organize equipment and circuits. Prepare technically by having a goal, purpose, format and educational topics, and having your equipment ready, your music cued and having backup music on hand. Clients like to know you are organized. Prepare your attitude to make sure the next hour is the best part of your clients' day and remembering that they are there for you. Be hospitable by being accessible five minutes before your session and standing at the reception/class entrance to welcome clients. It also means interacting with participants by asking a question, stating a fact or giving an opinion, such as "Jane, this is your fourth time here this week. Congratulations! You've been so consistent lately." Ask yourself who is arriving, whether you know everyone by name and whether you need to introduce yourself to someone new. Determine whether anyone has physical problems requiring modification and whether everyone is wearing the proper clothing and footwear.

4. Introduce yourself and quickly explain the workout focus and format.

5. When using circuits, teach them in a timely fashion. When it is time to teach the group the next exercises in the upcoming circuit, do it quickly and concisely so people aren't waiting around watching for too long. Demonstrate each of the exercises and point out two to three key technique points.

6. Distribute your time equally among all participants. Learn how to politely explain to a client demanding too much of your time that you must help the others. Physically make eye contact and spot each person in your program at least once per session.

7. When using circuits, facilitate and manage the session effectively. The biggest obstacle for a trainer who is only well versed in one-on-one training is how to practically manage sessions with a number of clients. It takes a skilled trainer to ensure that a group training session is not chaotic. Always know what each client is doing at all times. Always know what's going to happen next and what equipment you'll need.

8. Be able to improvise and adjust exercises. You may have designed an exercise within a circuit that is not appropriate for one member of your group. Be ready to think quickly and improvise, so you can make minor adjustments and modifications to any exercise.

9. Give permission. Be sure that your clients know that they can modify an exercise if they do not feel comfortable with it. Instruct them to immediately alert you to any concerns they may have with a particular exercise so you can make an adjustment.

10. Work your clients hard. Clients like to know that you can push them a little harder than they can do on their own. This adds value to your sessions.

11. Use various personal training tools. To make a group training session look different from a group exercise class, use tools that a client couldn't have access to on their own. This will add value to the sessions and will ensure clients continue training for the long-term.

12. Mix it up. If you don't mix it up, clients will get bored quickly and believe that you have nothing new to teach them, which can cause them to discontinue training. However, if you mix up the workouts and introduce them to new exercises, sequences and equipment, they will see the value in continuing. Keep them excited and help them avoid plateaus.

13. Educate. Every week, come prepared with your teaching focus for that session. For example, one week you may teach the group the importance of water, and the following week, you may teach them the concept of momentary muscle fatigue. Regularly refer to the teaching focus during the session so that by the end of the hour, your clients have a strong grasp about the relevance of the topic. Regularly bring client handouts to your sessions.

14. Make clients accountable. All of our group training clients meet with a trainer initially to establish a schedule. They are then scheduled into our group training appointment calendar so we know when they are supposed to be there. If a client does not show up for a scheduled session, call them immediately. Without judging, help your clients commit to their goals. If a client repeatedly misses a session, ask about reassessing their schedule.

15. Start and finish on time. Clients really like to know that sessions will start and finish as scheduled. Watch the clock and stay on schedule.

16. Give homework. Give each client something to practice or think about before the next session. Remind everyone what his or her accountability commitment is for the week.

17. Foster the development of friendships. Introduce all participants to each other. Remind them that they are in this together. Get them to high-five each other or pull them in for a group cheer at the end of a workout.

18. Foster self-esteem. Regularly point out an individual's improvement to the entire group. Ensure that your feedback is quantitative and specific. This will help to develop your clients' confidence and self-esteem.

19. Be committed. The first group training session may not be as smooth as you'd like, but you'll get better with practice. Keeping your clients laughing and working hard will go a long way towards keeping them as ongoing clients.

DON'T

The don'ts are the opposite of the do's. It's that simple.

iPad for Trainers?

The Apple iPad is a handheld touchscreen computer device, about the size of a book. The iPad is being marketed as the best way to view email, photos, video and books.

So is it for you? That's the question that everybody has in mind. For trainers, below are some features that provides advantages to our line of work.

1. The Apple iPad is definitely an e-Book Reader killer

Most e-Book readers with black-and-white screens out in the market today run for $350 - $400 brand new and reading e-Books is the only thing you can do with them.

Apple iPad, which costs only $499, will let you read e-Books, surf the web, play videos, share photos and play games & apps on its 9" LED backlit multi-touch brilliantly-colored capacitive touchscreen display.

2. The 'Bigger iPod Touch = iPad' comparison is NOT fair

"Why buy an iPad when its just a bigger version of the iPod Touch?" is akin to saying, "Don't buy a laptop because it's just a bigger version of a netbook."

The iPad has a more powerful processor than the iPod Touch, has bigger screen and has a better on-screen keyboard. Simply put, the iPad is better than iPod Touch in all relevant areas.

3. iPad is an Instant-On Device

The iPad turns on instantly -- Perfect for when you just want to surf the net, watch videos or read emails and don't need a heavy computer OS running in the background.

4. iPad is Perfect for Presentations

iPad runs iWork, which lets you create your presentation in Keynote(Apple's version of Powperpoint) and use tools to create dazzling effects to put in the slideshow. Sure, other Apple products run iWork but iPad's large multi-touch screen perfectly complements the program. Connect the iPad to a projector via optional dongles and use your fingers to manipulate the screen -- I'm sure your audience will be pleased.

5. iPad, like other Apple products, will inspire you to be a better person

According to a BrandJunkie survey conducted by BrandChannel in 2008, Apple is the most inspiring brand in the world.

Quoting BrandChannel:

It is no secret that different people are inspired by different things; yet, for most, being inspired means—more or less—the same thing: becoming motivated to be a better person, whether that be on a personal, professional, or spiritual level.

Among all brands included in the survey, Apple landed on the top spot as Most Inspiring -- followed by Nike, Coca-Cola, Google and Starbucks, respectively. Here's what some of the respondents had to say about the Apple brand:

It's one of the few brands that are managed so well—its approach to design, its ease of use, its selective communications strategy and innovation—that every touch point and product accurately represents what it should represent. It creates desire and mystery.

It has created a revolution within the market and has become more of an addiction for many consumers. They deliver great quality to the consumer and are constantly creating innovative products.

6. We don't even need a survey for this: Carrying an Apple iPad will make you look cool.

Let's face it. Whether other companies accept it or not, Apple is probably the coolest gadget brand in the world today. You own a Mac, you're cool. You own an Apple tablet - the company's newest landmark product - you're wayyy cool.

If you had $499 to spend on a gadget (which is not enough anyway to buy a really powerful computer), why not spend it on something that's useful enough and will, as bonus, make you look cooler?

7. It's $499!

Sure, there are other tablet options by other companies - some even running a full computer OS - but can those tablets match Apple iPad's price point? It's just $499 ! That's as cheap as some less interesting netbooks out in the market today.

iPad is actually one of the very few Apple products that has a surprisingly cheap pricetag considering what it can deliver.

8. The Apple iPad, like other Apple products that preceded it, is expected to be Useful, Easy-to-Use and Enjoyable.

According to a report publised by Forrester Research in April 2009, Apple enjoys a decisive lead in the firm's Customer Experience Index (or CxPi). With 4,600 respondents, Forrester noted that Apple products lead in terms of usefulness, usability, and enjoyability of those experiences among all electronics companies included in the study.

http://www.techpinas.com/2010/01/apple-ipad-8-reasons-why-you-should-buy.html