What's next?

This Monday I will be viewing the Stress Awareness Presentations (group or individual task) and will provide you with feedback in the form of an observation checklist.  This will assess the following:

• the content
• the structure and tone
• communication skills
• presentation design

A quick reminder - this is being prepared for training for the call centre staff and doesn't have to cover theory or legislation.  You should include a range of causes, symptoms and methods of preventing or dealing with stress.  I'd expect you to mention the importance of work-life balance. There is no specific time requirement, but don't go on too long :)

The tone should be informal and you should encourage your audience to participate. Don't forget to introduce yourself and your team and describe what the training is about.  Think about the language you are going to use - avoid slang please!  Your body language and eye contact is important too - it will help engage your audience.  Please, PLEASE! don't read from your slides - turning away from your audience is very rude and you risk becoming inaudible.  You may prepare some notes for the slides you are going to talk to.  Also, you shouldn't try to put all the information you are communicating on a slide, it will become too 'busy' - keep to key points and then expand orally. You can produce handouts if you feel that will be helpful, perhaps to provide further detailed advice or links to web-sites that will help.

As to design, the maxim is KISS (keep it short and simple) - so some use of animations is good, too much and it distracts from your talk.  Graphics must be relevant to the topic.  If you use slide transitions, make them all the same throughout.

A couple of groups have let me know they are working together but I want to hear back from all of you!