Personal Presentation

This past week in MCOM, we each had to give a five-minute presentation using a flip chart. It would be an understatement to say this was a nerve-wracking experience! I had always been able to lean on my team for support when giving presentations in this class, but this time I was all on my own. In the end, it turned out to be a good experience and I learned a lot. Here are a few tips that I learned from giving my presentation.

1. One needs to talk LOUD when giving a presentation, especially when there are other things going on in the room at the same time.
2. Try not to completely turn your back to your audience, even when writing on a flip chart. 
3. When writing on a flip chart, do not keep talking while you are writing. It makes it hard for the audience to hear, and it makes it hard for you to focus on your writing.
4. Do not go too fast. Give time for your message to sink in.
5. Be confident and look like you are enjoying giving your presentation.

Hopefully others felt my presentation went well. I certainly learned a lot from this experience and now feel more confident in giving presentations. 

Image Credit: www.overloadstories.com

Group Online Meeting

As part of our consulting assignment, our group was required to do an online meeting. Our group chose to do ours over Google Hangouts. It took us a few minutes for everyone to get in on the call, and we had a few audio issues, but overall it worked out well.

Meeting over the internet is quite different then meeting in person. It was difficult to make sure that you did not talk over someone else. It was also hard to read other group member's reactions because you could not see all of their faces at once. That being said, out meeting still was successful. We shared documents and talked about details of our project. I am glad that we had the opportunity to do an online meeting because I am sure I will be involved in online meetings during my career in business.

There is No I in Team

This upcoming Tuesday, my group for MCOM has a huge project due. This project includes a full business report, a handout, and a 15 minute presentation. Because this project is so large, our group has found that there is no way to get the project completed without relying on each other. Sometimes working in a team can be a frusterating experience. And sometimes people would prefer to work alone. However, sometimes we have no choice in the matter. Sometimes we are required to work in a team. Working well in a team is a skill that every single individual should try to develop. This skill is one that comes in handy in all aspects of life.

The image below provides a great explanation of the different aspects of teamwork. If one applies these aspects, they will become a more effective and productive group member.

Photo Credit: www.kent.ac.uk 

Take A Survey

I have recently been learning about business reports and business problems. When a company identifies a problem, they must go through several steps to come up with a viable solution. One of these steps includes gathering data. There are several ways one can gather data. One can use telephone surveys, online surveys, questionnaires, or personal interviews.

I decided that it might be fun to have you guys take a survey that I made. Sorry, but you can only take this survey if you are currently a BYU student. Just copy and paste the link below, and you should be on your way. This survey is short, you should be able to take it in about 2-5 minutes. You will be asked a few simple questions about your experience here at BYU. Enjoy!

https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/8M6PSSV

 

Image Credit: blog.lib.umn.edu 

Team Presentation

During class this past week, my team had to give a presentation. Overall I thought the presentation went well, but there our things that our team can improve on and things that I can improve on individually.

I felt that I knew my material well. I was clear and concise and I did not ramble on for too long. That being said, I felt that I could have been more animated in my presentation. I could have used more hand gestures and facial expressions. I need to keep my audience more engaged.

Our team did well together. We had a good hook to our presentation that drew the audience in. We also practiced a few times beforehand to make sure the presentation was running smoothly. I thought we transitioned well between each individual. As a team I think we could work on paying better attention when each person presents. We must be careful not to glare at the person speaking, but we also must be careful not to let our eyes wander around the room.

CLOUD Nine

One of the most useful things I have learned in my MCOM class is the concept of writing a CLOUD paragraph. If one applies this concept, their paragraphs will be more clear, compelling, and successful.

Coherence:   Make sure that each paragraph flows in logical order. It should tie in to any paragraphs before it, and each sentence in the paragraph should flow in a logical order. Try using transition  words between paragraphs and sentences to help coherence.                      
Length: Do not make a paragraph to long. It will look hard to the reader and will be difficult to read. Try not to have paragraphs that are longer than six to seven lines.
Organization: Write paragraphs in a top-down order. This means that a writer introduces their topic in the  beginning of the paragraph, and then the rest of the sentences support the topic that was introduced in the first.                  
Unity: Make sure that all sentences in each paragraph pertain to the topic. Do not start discussing topics that were not covered in the introduction sentence.
Development: A paragraph's main point must contain proper development and support. Include statistics,  examples, stories, and explanations.

Using CLOUD paragraphs can greatly improve your writing. Hopefully the reader will be on CLOUD nine after reading your work.

Image Credit: blogs.vmware.com

Is Letter Writing a Lost Art?

We live in an age full of technology. Much of the communication we do is either online, or on a cellular device. Some people think that writing letters is a lost art, but it is actually still often used in the business world. There are three main ways to format business letters. One can use the full-block format, the modified-block format, or the simplified format. It is important to be able to recognize when each of these formats should be used.

The full-block format is probably the most well-known and classic format. In this format you use one-inch margins and have single space text. You leave multiple spaces between paragraphs and letter parts. The letter should be centered vertically on the page and the name, date, and pages number should be included on each page.


Image Credit: www.austinschools.org

The modified-block format is similar to the full-block format. Differences include moving the date, complimentary close, and sender's name close to the center of the pages. One may also indent the body paragraphs.


Image Credit: www.isenberg.umass.edu

The simplified format is another variation of the full-block. One may want to use this format when writing to a group or committee, or when you are unsure of a recipients gender. In this format one omits the salutation and instead adds a subject line. Instead of including a complimentary close, simply capitalize your name and title.


Image Credit: www.docstoc.com