Death by PowerPoint

A helpful tool when used properly, Micrcosoft PowerPoint has been abused so much that the mere mention of the program causes eyes to roll. Who hasn't sat through countless presentations in which the speaker relied on PowerPoint to prompt every word? It can make your eyes glaze over just thinking about how utterly boring that is!

On the contrary, an especially effective presentation is one that engages all three learning styles: auditory, visual, and kinesthetic. That's what stories do--and that's one of the key reaosns they're powerful. Stories also help the speaker get away from a nervous dependence notes. Once a person begins telling a familiar story, he/she begins talking in a natural manner--and that facilitates personal connections with individuals in the audience.

If you're among those who dread slide presentations, or if you simply want to have a good laugh, take a look at comedian Don McMillan's entertaining parody of the most common abuses of PowerPoint, "Life After Death by PowerPoint". Go to http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HLpjrHzgSRM

Tips on Assessing Corporate Culture

UK-based Melcrum Communications regularly produces reports that help organizations power up their communications, and a recent publication should be especially useful for those who are unsure about the most effective ways to power up performance. Entitled "Driving a High-Performance Corporate Culture", the report features case studies from companies such as IBM, Dell, Ford Motor Credit Company, Gap and Pitney Bowes.

The full report is currently being offered at a reduced rate of $660 (normally a report like this would be $775). An Executive Summary can be downloaded free at http://www.melcrum.com/offer/culture/07d/