Time - Over, Under or Just Right?

Rambling.

Speaking too fast.

Letting the audience keep you off topic.

Are you tired of delivering presentations that never make it within the time alloted? Here are some things to think about the next time you get ready to deliver a powerful punch.

1. Plan For The Time Allocated
As you map out your speaking points, do you note how many minutes you want to spend on each topic? You should have this outlined before you start your presentation so you can note where you want to be about every 10-15 minutes in the conversation so you can check to see if you need to speed up, slow down or cut out a topic to ensure you get to end on a high note.

Also, as you pull together your content, make sure the content you have will allow you to stay on track of the time outline you mapped out.

2. Getting Thrown Off the Presentation Path
How are you going to handle questions during the presentation? You should figure out in advance if you are going to entertain questions during the presentation or at the end. What if you get a question during the presentation that could take you completely off topic - entertain it or ask for the person to come up to you after the presentation? Think about how you want to handle this before begining your delivery. Also try to second guess the questions that may come up so you can have answers prepared.

3. Not Enough "Meat" To Fill The Time?
You don't want to get stuck in a presentation situation where you don't have enough content to have people leaving your session asking themselves "where was the beef?". If you find you are short on content find a few ways to add in interactive components such as a hands on activity, open question for debate, or survey for the audience to go through with you to take up some time.

It's critical to stay on time, on topic and with enough content to keep an audience wanting to come back to you for more.

Becoming An Expert In the Web 2.0 World

Now that most of us obtain our information via the Internet, credible or not, versus printed magazines and newspapers, it's key that if you are going to position yourself as an expert in your field that you know how to leverage the Web to your advantage.

1. Blog, Digg, Repeat
It's critical you have your own blog now adays, and not thru your employer. Many people often have multiple blogs focused on different niches (for example, I maintain a second blog - http://www.serviceorientedinstitution.com/ - to focus on facilitating change in education by applying technology) Blog often, but only when you have something to say - don't force it out of you. Once you complete your blog post, digg it to obtain further exposure. Then repeat for your next great idea or piece of advise.

2. Consistent Professional Profile on Public Social Networking Sites
With so many "networks" to join today, I now only have 2 I maintain regularly - LinkedIn for business and Facebook for personal. Because I want to have some fun with the internet, yet don't want employers to see, I ensure my LinkedIn page is my professional, public facing presence, and my Facebook one private, only allowing friends in to view.

3. Find Networks to Give Advice Thru
There's more than just blog tools where you can create your own blog now. Our traditional printed publishers typically have an online presence today. Other networks and creative forums for providing information and advice now exist (such as http://www.ideablob.com/). Google for either your favorite publications or topics and see if the editors of those forums will let you post as a writer, blogger or forum contributor. Many will want your time for free, but will provide you access to their readership, which could be a few hundred thousand or more.

Remember, this is just like building a network - you build it when you don't need it, so when you really do need it it is there and ready for harvesting.

You will never know when someone sees your virtual posts and wants you for their next great project.

Virtual Communication Ettiquette

1. Email is still a business document. Make sure it is grammatically correct, spelling error free.

2. Be brief and to the point in email.

3. Call the person or hold a meeting when you can't get something resolved after 1 email exchange.

4. If holding a conference call acknowledge who joins, even if the beep comes in after the call started - you never know if a competitor or someone you are talking about accidentally dials in.

5. Build a rapour with someone (face to face, over many phone calls or conversations) before hitting them up with an informal communication.

Do You Ever Reach the Light?

I can't believe it's almost 2 months since my last post!

Between higher education system go live season (must have new portals and technology ready for the kiddos to register for classes on day one, ya know), and enjoying the HOT summer with many excursions to get out of the heat, it's time to get back to making time for blogging.

And that's it.

We will never reach the end of the tunnel.

There is always more to do, more to accomplish.

How fast do you want to go and what will you make time for?

That's up to you - you drive your journey (or as my colleague Michelle Johnston says, you Architect Your Work)

Don't let it architect you.