How Do We Assess the Advantage of Outsourcing Our HR, as Well as Any Drawbacks?

How Do We Assess the Advantage of Outsourcing Our HR, as Well as Any Drawbacks?

 

Q: We are considering outsourcing our entire staffing process to an outside vendor. How do we assess the advantages and disadvantages of this?

 

A: Your question is a very strategic one that warrants careful consideration. There are no standard advantages or disadvantages for recruitment process outsourcing, or RPO. This is because most companies' situations and needs are somewhat unique. However, below are three considerations that should be taken into account to help determine whether RPO is right for your organization:

 

1. Clearly Understand the Business Case/How You will Measure RPO Effectiveness

This sounds obvious, but there are important nuances here that need to be considered. Many companies view RPO as a means to simply cut costs and lower their cost per hire. The cost-per-hire metric most commonly cited by vendors needs to be carefully examined to ensure you are comparing apples to apples when deciding which vendor to use. With respect to assessing a vendor's cost-per-hire performance, make sure you consider the following:

 

a) Which components of the recruitment process will the vendor manage versus the internal HR team? If you outsource the entire process this metric becomes easier to compare and manage.

 

b) Even a fully outsourced staffing process needs to be managed well internally, so don't assume all internal costs will be eliminated. 

 

Just as you don't drive your car only by looking at its speedometer, neither should you make vendor selections based solely on the cost-per-hire metric. Metrics such as new-hire quality, retention and time to fill positions also are important to consider. Also, vendors typically have different technologies and tools to automate and track the operational and financial impact of the process and relationship.

 

Make sure to carefully vet each provider's capabilities in this area and whether their technologies integrate seamlessly with tools you use. If your organization is advanced at measuring recruitment effectiveness, then you will be well-positioned to compare your process with that of vendors. If measurement is somewhat haphazard in your organization, select a vendor that is strong in this area and can add value by shoring up your metrics.

 

2. Select a Real Partner

An effective relationship should start at the contracting phase. Quality vendors will partner with you to define success measures jointly and will demonstrate flexibility to meet your needs. Clearly define roles, accountabilities, expectations, and the governance process for managing the relationship. Avoid RPO vendors that are not willing to partner with you, seem inflexible or are a poor cultural match with your corporate values.

 

3. Avoid Autopilot

Like any relationship, ongoing assessment, adjustment and recalibration are critical to longevity and success. Don't expect perfection out of the starting blocks, but plan and schedule reviews and performance discussions with the vendor. Remember, outsourcing recruitment doesn't mean you are outsourcing HR's responsibility for ensuring recruitment effectiveness.

 

In summary, get clear about the business case and how you will measure the impact, select the right partner, and manage the relationship proactively to maximize the advantages and avoid the common pitfalls of RPO.

 

 

[Source: Garrett J. Sheridan, partner, Axiom Consulting Partners, Chicago, December 20, 2006.]

 

The X Factor of Leadership

The X Factor of Leadership 
by Dr. Rick Johnson 

There is no such thing as a Born Leader. When people talk about born leaders, what they are really referencing is the X factor of leadership. What is the X factor? Simply stated the X factor is the willingness, the desire and the willpower to become an effective leader. 

Effective leaders go through a never ending development process that includes education, self study, training, experience and coaching and mentoring from one or several individuals that have a very positive influence on their personal development. Leadership is the ability to influence, inspire and motivate others to accomplish specific objectives. It includes creating a culture that helps direct the organization in such a way that it makes it cohesive and coherent keeping short term tactical goals and objectives in alignment with long term strategic initiatives. The success of leadership in this process is directly influenced by the individual leaders' beliefs, values, ethics, character, knowledge and skills. 

Position and title may give you power but power in itself does not make you an effective leader. To become an effective leader there are specific skill sets that you must understand and master. This does not come naturally. It takes dedication, passion and commitment to the process. That commitment, dedication and passion includes a tireless effort to improve on specific skills and the development of a personal leadership methodology. This is often referred to as your personal leadership model. 

If someone were to ask your subordinates to evaluate your leadership abilities, their response to this question would likely not be related to your character, integrity and values. Of course these are important to your success as a leader but people evaluate your leadership skills based on what you do to figure out who you really are. They are looking for that 'X' factor. The 'X' factor is what really determine if you are honest, ethical, fair, trust worthy and not self serving. If the 'X' factor does not exist, employees are likely to obey rather than follow and only do exactly what they are told to do and nothing more. If the 'X' factor does not exist, your success in developing the skills necessary to become an effective leader is likely to be minimal. 

The 'X' factor shapes what and who you are as a leader. It involves everything you do and it affects the well being of the organization. Employees want to follow a leader they respect, one that gives them a clear sense of direction and a strong vision of the future. 

Ask yourself these questions to determine if you or other managers in your organization have the 'X' factor. 

1. How well do you know yourself with regard to self improvement and development? 

2. Do you understand, admit and work on personal weaknesses? 

3. Do you seek responsibility and take responsibility for your actions striving to reach new heights. 

4. When things go wrong do you take the blame instead of looking for others to blame. 

5. Does problem solving, decision making and planning come natural to you? 

6. Are you a good role model and do you seek out employees with high potential to coach and mentor? 

7. Do you truly believe in the value of your employees sincerely caring about their well being without being so compassionate that it clouds your judgment on competence? 

So you believe you and your executive team all have the 'X' factor. As effective leaders you must be able to interact with employees, peers, seniors and many other individuals both inside and outside the organization. You must gain the support of many people if you are going to meet or exceed established objectives. This means that you must develop or possess a unique understanding of people. The 'X' factor is the driving force that will help you develop these skills. Human nature is the common qualities of all human beings. People behave according to certain principles of human nature. Understand these principles that govern our behavior and success is imminent. Start with the basics by revisiting your college study of Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs. 

Armed with a refresher of this basic knowledge of human behavior you can now begin to reshape your personal leadership model. This is your manner and approach to providing direction, implementing plans and motivating people. If you have that 'X' factor you can become a very effective leader. But remember, there is no such thing as a 'Born Leader'. Effective leaders go through a never ending development process. We never stop learning and we never stop growing. Keep working on your leadership model and share your knowledge and success with other potential future stars that have the 'X' factor. 

some lateral thinking Q & A

1. There is one word in the English language that is always pronounced incorrectly. What is it?

2. A man gave one son 10 cents and another son was given 15 cents. What time is it?

3. A boat has a ladder that has six rungs; each rung is one foot apart. The bottom rung is one foot from the water. The tide rises at 12 inches every 15 minutes. High tide peaks in one hour. When the tide is at it's highest, how many rungs are under water?

4. There is a house with four walls. Each wall faces south. There is a window in each wall. A bear walks by one of the windows. What color is the bear?

5. Is half of two plus two equal to two or three?

6. There is a room. The shutters are blowing in. There is broken glass on the floor. There is water on the floor. You find Sloppy dead on the floor. Who is Sloppy? How did Sloppy die?

7. How much dirt would be in a hole 6 feet deep and 6 feet wide that has been dug with a square edged shovel?
8. If I were in Hawaii and dropped a bowling ball in a bucket of water which is 45 degrees F, and dropped another ball of the same weight, mass, and size in a bucket at 30 degrees F, both of them at the same time, which ball would hit the bottom of the bucket first? Same question, but the location is in Canada?

9. What is the significance of the following? … The year is 1978, thirty-four minutes past noon on May 6^th.

10. If a farmer has 5 haystacks in one field and 4 haystacks in the other field, how many haystacks would he have if he combined them all in the center field?

11. What is it that goes up and goes down but does not move?

Scroll down for answers...........

1. The word "incorrectly. "

2. 1:45. The man gave away a total of 25 cents. He divided it between two people. Therefore, he gave a quarter to two.

3. None, the boat rises with the tide. Googly ;-)

4. White. If all the walls face south, the house is at the North pole, and the bear, therefore, is a polar bear.

5. Three. Well, it seems that it could almost be either, but if you follow the mathematical orders of operation, division is performed before addition. So... half of two is one. Then add two, and the answer is three.
6. Sloppy is a (gold) fish. The wind blew the shutters in, which knocked his goldfish-bowl off the table, and it broke, killing him.

7. None. No matter how big a hole is, it's still a hole: the absence of dirt.

8. Both questions, same answer: the ball in the bucket of 45 degree F water hits the bottom of the bucket last. Did you think that the water in the 30-degree F bucket is frozen? Think again. The question said nothing about that bucket having anything in it. Therefore, there is no water (or ice) to slow the ball down...

9. The time and month/date/year American style calendar are 12:34, 5/6/78.

10. One. If he combines all of his haystacks, they all become one big stack.

11. The temperature.

Story telling - TIPS & Exercises

The quickest practical advice I can give is to recognise three different 'modes' of telling - action (plot), description (outer), and emotion (inner). Your lady is probably getting stuck on the action, and trying to work out the logical direction to make her point. Tell her that if this happens she should immediately switch to one of the other modes but not to stop speaking. This is like stopping in the middle of a journey to take a look around at the environment (description) or contemplate one's feelings (emotion). Either of these modes can lead to potentially endless material to say, without needing to progress the plot.

This does two things: firstly it buys you time while not making you stop speaking; secondly it switches you away from logical or intellectual thinking and into an image-rich mode that will stimulate your creativity and allow inspiration to pop up. It will also help to round out the story, if it has been lacking in such description.

There is a simple exercise to try this out: one person tells a story - known or improvised. Someone else at random moments calls out either 'action', 'description', or 'emotion', and the teller immediately has to change to that mode. It's important for this game not to allow a mixture, so e.g. while describing emotions, there is no action in the story; while things are happening, there is no description. This helps one to identify in one's mind the differences between the three.

In a workshop this can be demonstrated with a volunteer and the teacher shouting the cues, and then everyone can try it in pairs. Each mode, needless to say, has a very different feel, and produces different kinds of imagination.

So when one is getting stuck in solo storytelling, having experienced this game, one can silently tell oneself one of these cue words and know that the change will bring a fresh influx of material that will probably help to break out of any stuckness.

Another vital skill in improvising stories is to trust in yourself and the story despite not knowing what your mouth is going to say next. If you are good at forward thinking, even while telling the story, then you may only occasionally not know what you are saying. Few people relish this lack of control, but once embraced with commitment to keep going, it's amazing what pops up - often the best bits in fact. This kind of openness, relinquishing of apparent control, and trust, is something that takes a while, and lots of positive reinforcement, to develop, so I'm not sure that I can give any quick fix.

One game that helps a lot is the One Word Story. If played enough, holding to the rules, the trust comes.

Participants sometimes get frustrated at first, because they want to guide the story in the way that they are imagining, only to have the very next person completely change the meaning or direction, but when they let go of wanting to control, they realise the story can be delightful anyway. Others want to always say interesting or clever words when it is their turn, resenting having to fill in with a necessary 'the' or 'and', but again they may come to see that even these words can be invested with emotion or mood, and that the story is a truly communal creation, not a competition between individuals for starring roles.

Here are the rules - I've taken these from two occasions I've posted them before, so you get both in the hope that each has something the other doesn't:

One Word Story. Rules are: each person round a circle contributes just one word in turn to the story.

• Say the FIRST word you think of - it doesn't have to be the best, and it doesn't matter if it's rude.
• Do it as fast and smooth-flowingly as possible.
• NO hesitating, no asking for repetition of unheard words (just imagine what the word might have been and carry on),
• NO stopping to apologize if you accidentally say two words.
• Speak loudly, so the laughter doesn't drown you out.

This game produces bizarre crazy stories - very funny. Sometimes the sentences degenerate into gibberish or lists - either wait for them to get sorted out again, or interrupt and remind people that we want sentences of a story. The leader will have to interrupt to end the story, or it will never end. There may be a natural place to end, but the leader will have to grab it quickly.

One Word Story is an improvisation game. Each person in turn, in the circle, says one word. The flow of words should make up sentences, and a story. The main rule is that there must be NO pause before you say your word. If there is, you are thinking, and that's forbidden. Instead, say the first word that pops into your head - if people freeze, someone should shout out 'First word!' to remind them. Grunts or noises are perfectly acceptable substitutes for a word, as long as they are said without pause. If someone freezes totally there's no failure, just pass the turn to the next person. This game depends on speed and smoothness, so the leader should ensure the pace keeps up. The pressure of time is what overcomes people's inhibitions and critical faculties. It's also important to make it clear that people aren't responsible for their utterances - anything is allowed, including obscenities, if it is said without thinking. If people aren't told this, they are almost incapable of relinquishing control (don't worry, obscenities don't emerge unless a group has established a really good trust and intimacy, and even then they are a brief phase that passes, like flushing out dirt from a clogged channel). The outcome is a hilarious rambling story of almost utter nonsense, sometimes degenerating, sometimes brilliantly inventive. With practice, the stories become a great deal better, and quite satisfying, but even if they are rambling, the game is still wonderful. It does take a leader to interrupt at an appropriate point, otherwise the game will never end - although experienced players will collaborate to find an end.

A final couple of safeguards: speak loudly and clearly - there are often people laughing, so words get lost easily, which breaks the flow. If there is confusion - a lost word, an ungrammatical sentence, or someone breaking the rules by saying two words - the essential thing is to carry on without breaking the flow. Asking for a word to be repeated is forbidden, just treat it like Chinese Whispers and imagine what might have been said.

There are lots of variations on One Word Story. You can do it to a beat, using softly clicking or tapping fingers, and insisting that if you miss the beat you miss your go. You can do it with every word having some emotional expression in the delivery, contributing to a whole mood, and to lots more imagination and images than otherwise - this is probably the best variation, and can be combined with any other. You can write a letter rather than tell a story - don't forget the address, the signoff and the P.S. - this variant guarantees an ending, and can be very satisfying, and often even funnier than others. You can also do Two (or Three) Word Story, One Sentence Story etc., but these allow each person more control and so are not so useful at breaking down the need to be spontaneous. With only one word there's no way you can plan at all, with one sentence you can plan moderately.

Finally, as I hinted before, if you get stuck make sure you keep telling.

Stay engaged with the eyes of your audience, stay expressing yourself.

You can do this even when silent - it comes across as a dramatic pause.

But if you retreat inside to think, even if you are looking at people, your eyes will glaze, people will immediately notice you've disappeared, and the energy and involvement will plunge. Find your inspiration in the eyes, the minds, of those that you look at, rather than the floor or ceiling where most of us try and find it (for some odd reason!) You can always come up with something to say - you just have to be willing to have it surprise you, to discover what it is at the same time as your audience and risk that it will be okay, rather than insist on vetting or planning it. We are so wedded to planning, censoring, vetting, controlling, determining that the meaning and the effect will be good, clever, sensible etc, that it takes both trust and pressure to keep going when we get stuck. One can't guarantee that the results will be as sensible or logical, but if one has a playful attitude, willing to treat the story as a bit of an adventure, then room is made for inspiration and excitement, and the audience will have fun along with you.

The part of the equation I haven't even touched on is how to guide the story in the right kind of direction, assuming one has some purpose in mind, but that requires a fairly ingrained sense of the dynamics of stories and plot, as well as an ability to split one's attention simultaneously between telling and sensing the direction of all the plot strands. That's not easy! This faculty is one that I do teach, but it requires experiencing free play with various fundamentals before bringing them together in a rather mind-boggling way. But if one is used to telling stories, especially improvising them, one would already have some grasp of narrative structure and devices.

The Top Ten Laws of Parenting

The Top Ten Laws of Parenting

How to keep kids on track, out of trouble, and under control.

By Ruth Peters, Ph.D.

Introduction

Raising kids is challenging, and there's no shortage of advice on how to do it. No wonder many moms and dads are confused! But effective parenting is really pretty simple: You need to provide for your children, of course, but you also need to guide and protect them--at times even from their own poor judgment and lack of common sense. If you can do that, you'll turn your kids' behavior into what you've always hoped it would be and turn yourself into the kind of parent your kids deserve. You can start by following these laws of parenting that I've developed in my 25-year career as a family counselor.

 

1. The Law of Communication:

shut up and listen Here's how to set the stage for good communication, even if your kids seem to prefer grunting to conversation: Be an effective listener. This will help them open up and help you avoid lecturing, one of the most common mistakes of parent-child communication.

2. The Law of Involvement:

become a hands-on parent Wouldn't it be great if you could vaccinate your children against peer pressure, poor academic performance, negative behaviors like drug or alcohol abuse? You can. I've found that your best shot is to be involved with your kids--at home, in the neighborhood, and at school.

Laying down the law: Know who your kids hang out with and where they go. Stay in touch with their friends' parents. Have meals as a family, and encourage your kids to talk about what's going on in their lives. You don't need to be overly intrusive; your child needs freedom and opportunities to explore on his own when he's old enough to do so. But if you set reasonable guidelines for him from the start, you can trust him to do this wisely.

3. The Law of the Land:

establish a code of values If you believe that your kids will just naturally develop into good citizens or caring people, think again. Don't depend upon their peers, their schools, or the media to teach them how to behave. It's up to you to set the standards and to make clear what behaviors and character traits you think are important.

Laying down the law: You and your spouse should make a list of values, qualities, and behaviors that you want your children to have, such as honesty, politeness, kindness, and so on. Make another list of values you definitely don't want them to have. Discuss your ideas, and arrive at one list of positive values that you and your spouse agree on. As soon as your kids are old enough to understand, explain these values to them. Again. And again. In fact, it's a good idea to hold regular family meetings to review them.

4. The Law of Politeness:

insist on manners Does it really matter if your kids talk back, get a little snippy with you, or behave in an obnoxious way around adults? You bet it does. A child who never learns how to be polite will become a teenager who has trouble making friends and an adult who makes a poor impression. This advice might seem outdated, but there's no better way to help children make friends and influence people than to teach them good manners from the time they are young.

Laying down the law: Your children will need consistent reminders from you until magic words like "please," "thank you," and "excuse me" become second nature. It's important for you to use these respectful words and phrases regularly when talking with your kids.

5. The Law of Setting Limits:

embrace discipline--and use it! If the word discipline scares you, then you don't really understand what it's all about. Discipline is not abuse; it may not even involve punishment. And you'd better catch on quickly, since children who are raised without it are doomed to suffer lifelong consequences. Done well, discipline will help your child grow into a self-confident, successful adult. Done poorly, or not at all . . . well, I don't even want to go there!

Laying down the law: Make sure that your children are raised in a household where clear limits are set and consequences are consistent and fair. Talk to your children frequently about how you expect them to behave. Then hold them to the standards you set. Not only will your life be more organized and fulfilled, but your children will appreciate your efforts in the long run.

6. The Law of Trusting Your Instincts:

don't cave in to other families' rules Sure, you wouldn't jump off a bridge just because your neighbor did, but would you live by someone else's rules just because your kids want you to or because you're too embarrassed to disagree? That's what you may be doing if you're caving in to other families' rules and standards. Learn how to take the rap gracefully for being a bit overprotective. Remember, the old adage is still true: Better safe than sorry.

Laying down the law: Make sure your child understands the rules of your family and knows she is expected to follow them--or to call you if she's in a situation where she can't. Also, try to get to know your child's friends and their parents so you can learn if they share your values.

7. The Law of the Praise Junkie:

make praise appropriate, not addictive Praise is like frosting on a cake: A little makes it taste better, and too much will ruin everything. Kids need your encouragement, and they love it when you recognize their accomplishments. Just don't ruin their trust by leading them to believe that every little thing they do is worthy of complete and total adoration. When they find out otherwise, they'll be crushed and will probably blame you for making them so needy of approval.

Laying down the law: Praise often, but don't overdo it. Too much tends to water down the effectiveness and purpose of complimenting. If you want your kids to trust and believe in you, you have to be believable.

8. The Law of Bickering:

squelch sibling squabbles Yes, it's normal for brothers and sisters to tease, spar, and taunt each other. But that doesn't mean they have to do so at your expense. Put a stop to this nonsense immediately by reminding your children that such behavior is unacceptable. Teach your kids how to communicate with one another using civil words, rather than fists, taunts, or verbal attacks.

Laying down the law: Try to catch yourself asking, "Who started it?" It really doesn't matter, and kids will probably blame each other anyway. If you stay out of the way, many children will resolve the problem, ignore it, or go to their room for some quiet time. Work on helping your kids develop skills that will help them get along with each other and with others. Teach them to listen and not be defensive, as well as how to agree to disagree.

9. The Law of Authority:

appoint yourself benevolent dictator Families are not democracies. Children's judgment can be immature, unreasonable, and self-serving. If you're not making the decisions or are letting the kids bulldoze you into doing things their way against your better judgment, then you are depriving your kids of leadership. It's time for a new form of governance, one that couldn't be simpler: You have the final vote. Period.

Laying down the law: You can be compassionate but still be in charge. Give all family members a vote--but not necessarily an equal one. (Be sure to listen to your child's point of view to show that you respect his opinion.) If a compromise can't be reached, Mom and Dad get to make the final decision. If the kids understand this from the start, they'll accept and respect this process.

10. The Law of Winning the War:

pick your battles wisely Do you feel like you're always engaged in a struggle with your children? You may be trying to win every battle instead of picking the really crucial ones. Learn to choose what's important and when you can let go. Trust your instincts--and your kids.

Laying down the law: Take a good look at your children, and decide when you can rely on their judgment. On issues where you have doubts, stay involved and continue to call the shots. But if you can trust kids to make reasonably sound decisions on their own, back off. If you choose your battles carefully, your kids will listen better when you lay down the law on the big stuff. If you're always on their case, your children will resent you--and tune out.

Stand Out In The Crowd! How To Write A Cover Letter That Makes Employers Take Notice

Stand Out In The Crowd! How To Write A Cover Letter That Makes Employers Take Notice
by Hcareers

Meet the perfect interview door-opener. It's a brief document to entice the reader to turn to your resume and then call you for an interview for the hospitality job of your dreams.

It's the cover letter, a sometimes misunderstood document that can mean the difference between meeting the garbage can and meeting your next employer.

Why Misunderstood?

As its best, says recruiter Peter Shrive, a partner with Cambridge Management Planners, the cover letter features one or two interesting sentences to persuade the employer to read your resume. The resume is to get you the interview, and the interview is to get you the job. It's a three-step process where the first step can be the most important.

Far too often, say prospective employers in the hospitality industry, candidates do all the wrong things in their cover letters.

"Put yourself in the position of the person reading this," says chef consultant Gary Miller, who has combed through hundreds of cover letters and resumes, especially hiring for positions for the rapidly expanding Firkin chain of pubs and family-style restaurants. "If you don't grab them right off the bat, people won't read on. You must catch their attention right from the beginning."

One cover letter he received began right at the top with a big mistake: the applicant had crossed out his telephone and cell numbers and manually written in new numbers. His application was immediately filed under G.

"Make it short and sweet," he advises. "Tell me how you heard about me, tell me what job you're applying for. I've had people send me really long cover letters with every award and certificate they've ever earned. Keep it short and sweet and to the point."

Beyond The Basics

Once you've covered the basics, now it's time to add some finesse. Grabbing the reader from the beginning is a certain way to snare an interview for a hospitality job.

"Right up front, you need a key selling point, an absolute attention-grabber that's clever enough to get the employer to read on and that sets you apart from the crowd," Shrive advises. It's this phrase or sentence that will make the reader inquisitive enough to turn to your resume.

He offers these examples:

1. I doubled the size of my last employer over the last two and half years.
2. Sales of wine increased 20% when I became the sommelier at my last restaurant.
3. I won the Top Chef Award two years in a row.
4. I was voted best server in my city five times.
5. I've trained 59 desk clerks and been head-hunted by 11 hotel chains.

Shrive also recommends the use of wit to open the door. "For instance, find the word 'server' in your dictionary. Spell it out phonetically and dictionary-style. Type out the definition. Right below it, type out your name, using the same phonetics and definition again. Don't be afraid to use a clever gimmick to get in there. In the mass of humanity of an overburdened hiring officer, something like this will get that person's attention."

The Dos and Don'ts of A Stand-Out Cover Letter

1. Do give the basics: what job you're applying for, the name of the establishment, and so on. Someone might have told you to send the letter to a particular person, so mention your referee by name.

2. Address the cover letter as specifically as possible. Determine who the hiring officer is before replying and applying. Take the time researching on the internet or reading appropriate business periodicals to get the name and title of the hiring official. This will help you get a foot in the door. And NEVER open your letter with Dear Sir or Madam or To Whom It May Concern. At the same time, do use Mr. or Ms. This formality shows respect.

3. If you're replying to an ad mentioning a code or job number, refer to this in your cover letter.

4. Do include something you're not going to include in your resume.

5. Check, check and check again to ensure your letter is typo-free. Ask a friend to be another set of eyes.

6. If you're emailing your letter, make sure your document will open properly as an attachment and that your computer system is virus-free.

7. Always follow up. Give a specific date and time on your cover letter that you'll call the hiring official.

8. Don't be afraid to use a clever gimmick to catch the recruiter's eye.

9. Don't be longwinded. A few succinct sentences will suffice.

10. Don't reiterate your whole resume in a cover letter. An employer will read your resume anyway, if he or she likes your letter, so stick to the high points.

11. Don't over-promise in your cover letter and under-deliver in your resume.

12. Leave the funny fonts and coloured paper at home. Your cover letter should be easy to read.

13. Never use a one-size-fits-all cover letter. Customized approaches always win the interview.

With a little flair and a lot of commonsense, you can ensure you not only get a foot in the door, but an offer on the table for the hospitality job you desire.

Getting Your Presentation Together & Taking It On The Road

Getting Your Presentation Together & Taking It On The Road

by Jim James, Manager Training Technology, Red Lobster

 

 

When you make presentations to any group, you probably ask yourself: To whom am I presenting? Who is my audience? What is my objective? What do I want the outcome to be? What am I selling? What do I want my audience to go home knowing?

 

We can all agree that these are important questions but what can you do to enhance your message? A lot of it is in the way you deliver it. Have you experienced presentations that were late in starting, rushed, ended late, or were less than professional? Were you distracted by the unprofessionalism and did you learn all you could have?

 

Let's discuss delivery. Delivery is how you make a professional statement when you stand up in front of a group. The content needs to be the star of the show, not you.

 

I'm going to assume that you, as trainers, have done your homework and know your material. We'll look at 16 topics that will help you get ready to make a professional presentation.

 

1. I'm a Traveling Man

If you've every experienced that nail-biting experience of thinking (or knowing) that an essential part of your presentation may be on its way to baggage claim in Des Moines when you're in Phoenix, you know it's important to carry what you really need.

 

Be sure to carry with you the basics that will allow you to recreate your presentation should it get lost in your checked baggage. That includes:

 

a) Your Laptop

b) Flash Drive(s) with your presentation, your script, your handout documents, travel info, address of the closest Kinko's etc. Did you know that an iPod with space on it (20 gig or higher) makes a great flash drive?

c) Hand-out master (even if you have it on your flash drive)

 

2. Are We There Yet?

Timing is everything. People hate it when you're not ready, you start and finish late and then you hand them a questionnaire and ask what they thought of your presentation.

 

Setting up is the key. Get there early, and that doesn't mean 30 minutes before you are scheduled to start.

 

a) Check everything twice

b) Run through your presentation

c) Leave everything ready to go

d) Check the room layout and call the banquet captain if it's not right

 

When it's time to present:

 

a) Get there well ahead of time (30 minutes) and turn everything on and recheck

b) Welcome everyone (you shouldn't be still setting up)

c) Have your first slide up and running with music playing if available

d) Start on time - don't wait for latecomers, they know when the presentation starts

e) Plan to finish early. If you plan your session to be 10-15 minutes shorter than your allocated time, you'll actually finish on time.

 

3. Lights! Camera! Action!

You should have a good idea of what you are going to say and the order in which you are going to say it. It only makes sense to run through your presentation at least once before standing up in front of an audience. PowerPoint has a nice rehearsal feature to check your timing (Slide Show > Rehearse Timing). Trim your script and/or presentation if necessary.

 

In an ideal world, practice in front of people who have at least a passing knowledge of what you're talking about. Presenting to yourself in the mirror doesn't count.

 

a) Know what you are going to say. Have key phrases that sum up key points written into your script. Don't rely on your steel trap memory and a one-page outline.

b) Anticipate questions. Allow time for questions. Plan answers to questions you might get but aren't included in your presentation.

c) Do your research. You should know more than you're presenting.

d) Know your audience. Have a good idea of the type of people that will be in your audience and adapt your presentation style accordingly.

 

4. Can you hear me now?

Using audio in your presentation is OK, but limit it to sound effects, necessary music or voice clips. Never hand over your presentation to a disembodied narrator on your laptop.

 

If you use audio, make sure you have good speakers. Small computer speakers will not fill a room. A good friend recommended the Altec-Lansing Portable USB-Powered Audio System- XT1 - good quality, very portable.

 

When your audience arrives, music is always welcoming. A separate music system is preferable. An iPod is perfect. When you're ready to start, fade the music out before you stop it. Make sure you have a quick way to restart it when you break. Choose your music wisely-bright but not heavy.

 

Needless to say, your cell phone should be turned off or silenced and you should encourage your audience to do the same.

 

5. 'I'm sorry but it's not my computer.'

Using someone else's laptop can be a good thing, or a very bad thing. Get to know the unfamiliar laptop ahead of time. Does the other computer have the same version of software? Does it have all the cables you need? Will you be comfortable using it? Is the battery charged? Is it a Mac?

 

Nobody like lame excuses. Using your own laptop is always preferable but if you have to use someone else's:

 

a) Have everything you need on a CD or flash drive or both.

b) If it's a PowerPoint presentation, save it properly and make sure you embed fonts to avoid that funky font look. (Save as > Tools > Save Options > Embed True Type Font - 'Embed characters in use' is OK)

 

6. Working the room

If you're not familiar with it, it's always a good idea to get a floor plan of the room or to at least talk to someone who has seen it.

 

Find out:

 

a) What does your room look like? (shape, size, seating capacity)

b) Where exactly is it? (Is it close to where audience will be before presentation?)

c) What is the room set-up? (classroom style, round tables, theatre style?)

d) Where does the equipment and screen go? (locate power supply and find out if you can run your audio through the sound system)

e) Is there enough light? (locate light switches, optimize lighting for needs)

f) Where will you stand? (make sure you can be seen by everyone)

 

If you're in a hotel, know how to reach the banquet captain and maintenance and always know where the closest bathroom is!

 

7. You deserve a break today

Plan your breaks and know when you are going to give them. If your audience is drifting off or drifting out, you're overdue for a break.

 

Break at natural breaks in your subject matter. Don't just suddenly stop and take a break.

 

Five minutes every hour is about normal. Ten minutes every 2 hours is good for longer sessions.

 

The hardest thing about breaks is getting people back on time. Having an on-screen timer helps as long as you start when the break is over. Google Break Timers for some timers you can download and use in your presentation or build your own using PowerPoint's slide timing feature. 

 

8. PPS

What is PPS?

PPS is the file extension for a PowerPoint show.

PPT, on the other hand, is the file extension for a PowerPoint presentation.

 

What you want to be using is a PPS, not a PPT.

 

When you open a presentation, you open the file in PowerPoint with all the menus and are ready to edit.

 

When you open a show, the slide show starts. No one wants to see you open the file and then start the show. Look professional. Create a link on your desktop that goes straight to your Powerpoint Show file.

 

Creating PowerPoint presentations is a whole other subject but here are a few pointers:

 

a) Follow Rodney Morris' 6 x 6 rule-no more than 6 lines of 6 words per line on a slide

b) If you want to show your audience the complete sales figures for a last year, use a handout not a PowerPoint slide

c) People will be more impressed with your PowerPoint skills if they don't notice them.

 

9. Batteries not included

Unless you plan to do your presentation using finger shadow puppets, always carry power with you. Always use your laptop's power cord and always bring it with you (power cables are not one size fits all).

 

If you are using peripherals such a remote mouse, an iPod or a laser pointer, always carry spare batteries. If the presentation is really important and you don't want to risk messing up, put a fresh battery in each essential peripheral.

 

Don't forget other power cords for LCD projectors, sound systems, etc.

 

Always do a double check of any equipment you're carrying with you. Set it up and make sure it all works before you leave. Don't forget those other cables for audio and video connections.

 

10. EEK! A Mouse!

Your audience wants to hear what you have to say. They get distracted every time you have to dart over to your laptop to press a key to advance a file. If you're standing behind a podium, this is OK but the mouse can give you freedom to walk around.

 

Mice:

 

a) The remote mouse - gives you freedom, but always test it

b) The air-mouse - allows you to point and click on the screen, but requires practice

c) The portable mouse - a small optical mouse attached to your laptop, beats using a touch pad mouse when you're in a hurry to fix something

d) The touch pad and laptop mouse - OK to use in a pinch

 

Pointers:

 

a) Laser pointers are great if you really need them. Remote mice with built-in laser pointers are even better.

b) Never go up to a screen and point with your finger.

 

11. EEK! A Cat!

Your computer is a reflection of you. You set it up to bring comfort and ease of use. It reflects your personality. It can also be embarrassing in presentation if you have a picture of your cat as your wallpaper. Before you take your laptop out in public, make sure it's presentable:

 

a) Clean up your desktop - put your shortcut icons in a folder - better yet, plan your presentation so you never have to show your desktop and link to program and presentation through PowerPoint (Slide Show > Action Buttons)

b) Use a non-themed wallpaper

c) Turn off those sound effects

 

While I'm talking about your laptop, don't forget to turn off those timers that blank your screen out if you're on battery power for more than 5 minutes. And don't forget to turn off screen savers.

 

12. Screen of Death

The screen of death is that friendly (and oh so helpful message) that says 'Page cannot be displayed.' If you have your presention on your website or FTP site and plan to link to it in your presentation, you are in danger of getting this screen.

 

The internet is a wonderful thing, but to reduce your personal stress and avoid going out to the internet, put your presentation on a laptop file or at least have a back-up.

 

Also, check and call your connections ahead of time. Give your presentation a test drive to make sure you can access the internet.

 

13. Did you hear the one about...?

There's no doubt that a little humor can add that extra zip to your presentation but it should be carefully planned.

 

It's all about comfort levels - your comfort and your audience's. If you're not comfortable being humorous, don't try. If your audience is not expecting you to be funny, don't try.

 

That said, humor nearly always has a place.

 

Using it in your presentation:

a) Planned humor - appropriate jokes or bon mots placed at appropriate moments in your outline are OK. Ideally, they should relate to your subject or to your audience. Don't make fun of your audience.

b) Surprises - the slide they weren't expecting is always a treat. Photos that humorously illustrate your point work well. Humorous phrases worked in among the serious ones work well. One of my favorites is having a slide that's upside down (followed, of course, with one that's right side-up).

 

Remember! If you use humor, always run it by a few disinterested co-workers before you embed it in your presentation. It might not be funny.

 

14. Plan B (or C)

Identify the key elements of your presentation:

 

a) Presentation

b) Handouts

c) Equipment

d) Room

e) Date/Time

 

Now ask yourself the relevant questions:

 

a) What if things don't work?

b) What if the power goes out?

c) What if you lose something?

d) Is there a way/place to source a replacement locally? (and do they deliver)

 

At the very least, find out if there's equipment you can borrow or rent and where you can get handouts printed (and delivered if possible).

 

15. Lovely Parting Gifts

You've made a stunning presentation. Your audience is clamoring for your autograph and wants to know if they can have this information to take home and share with their fellow workers. So, what do you give them?

 

a) Printed copy of your slides - if you choose this option, give it to them before you start so they can take notes.

b) PowerPoint handouts - if you do this, don't give them the one slide per page, full-color edition. One can't take notes on that. Three slides to a page is best.

c) Color is nice - but not necessary. If you are printing in black-and-white, make sure all graphics and script are legible.

d) Handouts - a custom handout that's a bit more than slides often makes a better take-away than sheets of paper stapled together at the top. At least, staple at the side to make it look like a book.

e) Gifts - everyone loves a freebie. If you have any corporate/promo items, use them.

f) CDs - if you're willing to share, let your audience know you can send them your presentation. Since we are prone to last minute changes, sending the presentation on CD ensure that it looks the same as the one you presented.

g) Business cards - always give out your business cards.

 

16. Questions, Questions??

The main reason you run out of time is questions. We love questions. The trick is to plan for them and control them.

 

To control questions, use simple techniques to stall:

 

a) If you plan to cover the answer to a question, just say 'I'm going to get to that.' Answering a question out of sequence is confusing for you and your audience. Avoid detours!

b) Use a flip chart as a parking lot to write down questions for the end. Better still; appoint an audience member as your parking lot scribe.

c) Allocate time for questions. You know you'll get them to allow time.

d) If you're running out of time, tell your audience that you really want to cover all the planned content and if there isn't enough time at the end for all their questions, they can email it to you.