Home Archives for Danny
July 6, 2008 Leave a Comment

Introducing My PowerPoints Blog!

As I continue to develop content for The Company Rocks I am creating specialized blogs to meet your specialized needs.

Introducing the new PowerPoints blog – http://www.thecompanyrocks.com/powerpoints

The focus for this blog is to offer tips that help you to improve your communications skills.

Yes, I will share tips and techniques to help you get the most our of MS PowerPoint. But, this is not a blog that is limited to MS PowerPoint.

MS PowerPoint is just one tool that you may use to help you craft and deliver a powerful message.

Remember these PowerPoints:

Your MS PowerPoint slides are not your message

MS PowerPoint does not deliver your message. You do!

Therefore, the tips and techniques that I share with you to get the most out of MS PowerPoint have a unified message:

“How will this tip help me to make a Powerful Point?”

Click here to visit the PowerPoints blog.

I have posted my first video lesson on the blog. Check back frequently for new articles and video demonstrations.

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Filed Under: Business Communications, Communications, MS PowerPoint, Presentations, Public Speaking, Speeches, Training Tagged: ,
July 6, 2008 Leave a Comment

Welcome to the PowerPoints Blog!

The purpose of this blog is to provide tips and insights to help you create a strong message and to present your points with power. Sometimes you will use MS PowerPoint as one tool to help you with your presentation. But not always.

I will post many articles to help you get the the most out of PowerPoint. And I will upload numerous video lessons demonstrating PowerPoint techniques. However, the content of this blog will not be limited to discussing PowerPoint.

My focus is on helping you to communicate effectively.

Never confuse PowerPoint slides with your message!

As someone once asked, “Did Abraham Lincoln need PowerPoint to deliver the Gettysburg Address?” It is a silly question, of course. But it makes a powerful point:

PowerPoint, alone, can not craft a powerful and persuasive presentation.

PowerPoint does not deliver your message. You do!

I invite you to return to this site on a regular basis. If you find the content useful, please book mark it or subscribe to my RSS feed. And tell your friends and colleagues about this site.

I also invite you to add your comments, questions or suggestions. You can do so on this site. Or you can email me directly – danny@thecompanyrocks.com

Thank you for visiting!

News! My new DVD, “The 50 Best Tips for PowerPoint 2007” is available for purchase. Visit my online store for details.

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Filed Under: PowerPoint, Powerpoint Techniques Tagged: ,
July 5, 2008 1 Comment

More to Auto Sum than meets the eye

Here are the tips covered in this video lesson:

  1. Take advantage of the Auto Sum drop down menus selections
  2. Group worksheets to speed up data calculations
  3. Learn to use Quick Sum to to see function results on your status bar

Find the video lesson that you want – Index to all Excel Topics

New! My DVD, “The 50 Best Tips for Excel 2007,” is now available for purchase. I invite you to visit my online bookstore for more information.

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Filed Under: Excel Training, Tips and Time Savers Tagged: , , ,
July 5, 2008 Leave a Comment

How a coach can smooth out the learning curve

“The best teacher is the one who suggests rather than dogmatizes, and inspires his listener with the wish to teach himself.”

– Edward Bulwer-Lytton

I’ve been exposed to some great teachers during my lifetime. They have, indeed, inspired me to teach myself; to continue to learn and grow.

But there are times when I need to have a good coach by my side to help smooth out the learning curve.

Case in point: I am learning to use a new software program. This program enables me to record training videos which I then upload to my website. Sounds pretty straight forward. Except it isn’t – for me at least!

I spent the better part of yesterday, searching through on-line help websites; reading the users manual for the program; trying one option after another to get the files uploaded properly. It took me hours and hours of trial and error before I succeeded.

OK, so now I know how to perform this task – I’m over the learning curve for this part of the program.

But… did the learning curve have to be so steep?

No… I needed a coach to help me achieve what I wanted to achieve. Quickly, professionally, and interactively. I was more than willing to pay for the coach’s services. There was just one problem…

The “live” coaches for this program took the day off. They were relaxing with friends and family over the 4th of July weekend.

I was not relaxing. I was climbing a steep learning curve.

A good coach – at the right time – would have made the learning curve much smoother. I learned another lesson while trying to learn this software program.

 

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Filed Under: Business Communications, Training Tagged: , ,
July 4, 2008 Leave a Comment

Rename and group worksheets in Excel 2003

Here are the “tips and time-savers” in today’s lesson:

  1. Rename your worksheets – give them a more descriptive name
  2. Insert a new worksheet in your workbook
  3. Use “Tab Color” to better organize your worksheets
  4. Group your worksheets to improve efficiency & accuracy of data entry & formatting
  5. Use “AutoFill” to speed up data entry

Find the video lesson that you want – Index to all Excel Topics

New! My DVD, “The 50 Best Tips for Excel 2007,” is now available for purchase. I invite you to visit my online bookstore for more information.

Click here to see a listing of “The 50 Best Tips for Excel 2007.”

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Filed Under: Excel Training, Tips and Time Savers Tagged: , , , ,
July 2, 2008 Leave a Comment

Welcome to my MS Excel Blog!

Welcome! This is my new blog  “The Company Rocks Excels” – devoted exclusively to sharing “tips & time-savers” when you use Microsoft Excel.

I train individuals and groups to get the most out of MS Excel for Windows. My clients range from students to Fortune 500 executives. I have trained clients in a variety of industries; in the United States, Canada and Australia.

Most of my clients realize that they use only a fraction of Excel’s powerful features. And… they want to learn how to tap into Excel’s power in order to:

  • Save time
  • Be more productive
  • Gather and analyze data from remote sources
  • Link data sources to produce consolidated reports
  • Analyze data to spot trends and opportunities
  • Present data in a clearly understood, professional manner

On this blog, I share my best tips with you. Each lesson is brief (between 3 and 8 minutes) and  to the point (1 concept per video).

Many of these tips will show you how to transition from your familiar work in MS Excel 2003 to the dramatically different Excel 2007 interface.

The current version, 2007, is quite different – to say the least! Many clients are initially intimidated by the radically different interface. I will help you to transition to the new version – when you are ready.

So, check in often to see the latest tips that I add to the blog. And… please feel free to share your own “tips and time-savers” with our readers.

Ask questions. I will answer them individually as quickly as I can.

Sincerely,

Danny Rocks

Learn how to “Master Excel in Minutes – Not Months!”

Find the video lesson that you want – Index to all Excel Tips

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Filed Under: Excel Training Tagged: , ,
July 2, 2008 2 Comments

A "Reversible Raincoat" – What a great term!

“Ask not what your country can do for you. Ask, what you can do for your counrty.”

– John F. Kennedy

By now, you must realize that I love to collect quotations. I use them often in my writing and public speaking. I like the “rhythm” of certain quotes.  Expescially those that juxtapose a key word. For example, the quote from President Kennedy’s Inaugural address that open up this posting.

Here is another example from President Kennedy:

“Let us never negotiate out of fear but let us never fear to negotiate.” – John F. Kennedy

Now, I find out that speechwriters have coined a term to describe this type of literary device. They call it the “reversible raincoat.” I love it! It is so descriptive.

And when it is used judiciously, this device vividly describes a concept. For example:

  • “People never care how much you know until they know how much you care.” – John C. Maxwell
  • “An optimist sees an opportunity in every calamity; a pessimist sees a calamity in every opportunity.” – Winston Churchill

So how did I discover this rich term – the “reversible raincoat?” In the current issue of Business Week magazine, columnist Carmine Gallo uses some exceprts from Theodore Sorenson’s new book, Counselor as the basis for his article. Sorenson was President Kennedy speechwriter. Read Carmine’s article it is a good one!

I admit to reading a few excerpts from this book but had never discovered the “reversible raincoat” terminology. Now I must buy the book! I need to know more about this term and I want to gather some more “insider” information.

In doing some research on the Internet I came across this article. The formal term to describe this literary device is “Chiasmus.” Yes, that is a descriptive term. But it paints a different picture in my mind. One involving a visit to my physician.

I prefer the “reversible raincoat.”

And now I have another story to share with my audience. Thank you Messers. Sorensen and Gallo!

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Filed Under: Business Communications, Communications, Public Speaking, Quotations Tagged: , ,
July 1, 2008 Leave a Comment

Which is more valuable – and why?

Let me ask you a question. As an employer or manager, which of these two options do you think your staff would value more:

  1. An “expected” $1,000.00 bonus at the end of the year
  2. An “unexpected” bonus of $100.00 along with a handwritten note of thanks

Certainly, option #1 has a greater monetary value. But option # 2 is likely to be remembered – and valued – more. Simply because it was unexpected and it was personalized.

Seth Godin has a wonderful posting on his blog today – “When you least expect it” – that illustrates this point. He shares a very useful formula with us:

“Formula: The value of a perk is inversely related to the expectation of that perk.”

 

Quite often, when we receive the expected service or perk we are disappointed. We expected it. But we were hoping for a little more. Sonething extra. Something different.

What remains in our subconscious is “disappointment.”

When we receive something “unexpected” it is special. It is memorable. The memory stays with us – for a long time. We value the moment. We value the unexpected gesture.

The right words – of thanks, of appreciation, of recognition – at the right time, are valued greatly.

It is not what they cost. It is the sentiment that they convey.

“Formula: The value of a perk is inversely related to the expectation of that perk.”

Try it. At home or at work. It is a winning formula.

 

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Filed Under: Business Communications, Business Practices, Customer Service Tagged: ,
June 30, 2008 Leave a Comment

How to get better results – encourage them!

“People have a way of becoming what you encourage them to be – not what you nag them to be.”

– S.N. Parker

Do you manage people who are unmotivated?

When I ask this question during a training session, most managers raise their hands to signal “Yes.”

Unfortunately, there is no such person. Every person is motivated – by something. The problem (as most managers see it) is that other people may not be motivated by the same thing that motivates you.

“Motivation is a fire from within. If someone else tries to light that fire under you, chances are it will burn very briefly.” – Stephen R. Covey

We only have the power to motivate one person – ourselves.

But we can can create a motivating environment – that is, we can build a nice big fire on a cold night – that encourages people to want to produce better result. Or to move closer to the fire so that they can stay warm!

“We must motivate ourselves to do our very best, and by our example lead others to do their best as well.” – Truett Cathy, founder of Chick-fil-A

We can encourage other to produce better results by:

  • Modeling the behavior that we want to see – setting an example for our staff to see.
  • Encouraging the behavior that we want to see more of – recognizing and appreciating our staff when we observe them performing their job the way that we expect them to.

It’s that simple. It works. Try it and see for yourself.

But remember – it starts with you. Motivate yourself to do your very best. Don’t be surprised when people wnat to be around you – and to join you by doing the very best that they can.

 

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Filed Under: Business Communications, Managing, Training Tagged: , , ,
June 26, 2008 Leave a Comment

Words of recognition pay big dividends

“Good words are worth much, and cost little.” – George Herbert

Recognize the behavior that you want to see more of – and you will get it! Behavior reinforced is behavior repeated!

Sounds reasonable, doesn’t it? It also seems like it should be easy to implement.

It is.

But most of us don’t do it – enough.

Why not? 

Words come easy. Effective use of our words requires thought and effort. And… a plan.

Words of recognition, appreciation and encouragement pay big dividends. People want to do their best work. However, many managers don’t help their team members to do the best that they are capable of delivering.

It is easy to criticize. It takes time, effort and a plan to offer effective, constructive feedback. Here are the three key elements of that plan:

  1. To be effective, recognition must be timely. Offer your words of encouragement and appreciation as soon as your witness the action  or become aware of it.
  2. To be effective, praise must be specific. Saying, “Good job, Joe!” is not enough. Those are empty words. What job did Joe do? What, specifically, made it a good job? What specific level of “good” did Joe deliver? Try this: “Joe, thank you for delivering your monthly report ahead of schedule. I appreciate the effort that you put into clarifying your department’s action plan for the month.” It took more thought to say it this way. It required you to put more effort into it. But… I guarantee you that “Joe” will put even more effort into his work. He will appreciate your effort to recognize his efforts!
  3. It must be tied into your organization’s overal goals and objectives. Tell “Joe” why his good work matters. Connect the dots for “Joe” and the rest of your team.

Remember these words:

“Everyone wants to be appreciated.So if you appreciate someone, don’t keep it a secret.” – Mary Kay Ash

I, too, like to receive feedback on the articles that I post. Please take a few minutes to give me feedback. Tell me what you like – and why. What you don’t like – and why not? And help me to produce more of what you want to read about.

Follow the simple plan that I outlined here. It works! I guarantee it.

 

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Filed Under: Business Communications, Communications, Managing Tagged: , ,
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