Thursday, January 24. 2008
Point your fingers away from PowerPoint
I believe I work in a team full of creative people and I know this because I have personally seen them work. But the point is that creativity has different meanings for different people and what I think is a great way of presenting might be completely different for someone else.
So in a way, a tool like Powerpoint becomes a middle path of sorts. Almost everyone knows how to use Powerpoint and knows that making a visual presentation by using that application will also be understood by their audience. So I can understand the tendency for many of us to turn to Powerpoint and use it in what might be seen as a “typical” way.
So, what I am trying to say is: yes, Powerpoint might be ‘overused’ for presentations but one reason for that is also because it is something that most audiences can identify with and can grasp easily.
Sunday, January 20. 2008
What's wrong with PowerPoint?
For me, the fascination with PowerPoint began with the very first day I used a computer. And I would go even so far as to say that PowerPoint was one of the reasons why I got glued to computers, and later enrolled myself into the world of internet marketing.
During one of our team meetings last month the topic of using (or not using) PowerPoint so much during a presentation came up. Personally speaking, I think PowerPoint really adds colour and life to a presentation. I personally find that PowerPoint is an effective tool regardless of the subject matter. And is that not very important? In fact some of the best presentations that I have seen used PowerPoint and I brought that up during our team meeting.
So my question now is: Is the problem really with PowerPoint or the way it is used? I would say it is obviously because of the way it is used and if that is the case, then is it not unfair to tag PowerPoint as the culprit? The fact is that it is those who use the application in a dry and boring way who are to “blame” for PowerPoint getting a bad name. I do believe that a PowerPoint presentation can really be a great visual aid to a talk.
In fact, my purpose with posting this blog now is to invite a few comments from the other side of the story. I would love to hear from those who hold that PowerPoint really takes away from a presentation rather than add to it. So let’s begin that conversation, now!
Wednesday, January 9. 2008
What more is there to Avatars?
It goes without saying that visuals almost always enhance a piece of written content. Especially when you are talking about writing on the Internet, graphics can add a lot more color and life to your posts. Anonymity works both as a pro and a con on the Internet and an avatar is a perfect way of having a unique presence online without uploading your actual picture online. Many content writers use avatars with the intension of giving themselves a more real and human feel on the Internet.
The “human” factor of adding an avatar to your blogs shouldn’t be entirely brushed aside. It gives an interesting image of the person whose work you are reading. And even if it probably is not an actual picture of who they are, it definitely adds to their identity. The other interesting point about avatars is that the blogger can decide exactly how they want to appear on the Internet so the image that you see of the blogger is actually the image of themselves that they choose to show to their readers. Let’s not forget that even if a photograph is used there are enough photo enhancement tools that are available these days.
Many bloggers enjoy having nicknames for themselves and avatars are mostly an extension of that identity that one tries to build online. An avatar means that whatever you do put up as a representation of yourself contributes to how people react to you and your content online.
Friday, December 28. 2007
Motivating yourself and those around you
Motivation is a key ingredient in success but those who really understand success also recognize that it is not just about motivating yourself but also about motivating those around you.
Think of your workplace and gauge if it is a place where you feel motivated not only to complete the task at hand, but to also do what you are doing in the best way that you can. A lot of how well one performs has to do with the kind of place they are working at and the kind of people they are working for. If you are working in a place that applauds a job well done and gives constructive criticism you will feel like a valued employee and feel motivated to perform better.
But motivating works both ways. Looking towards the individuals and the environment around you to motivate you to do better is only half the story, because you have to do the same back for them. You have to keep in mind that those around you are affected by you just as much as you are affected by them. Most of us are quick to point out how others come in the way of our best performance but it is just as important for us to look at ourselves and see if we are contributing to or taking away from the positive environment at our workplace.
Also keep in mind that motivating does not have to be a top-down phenomenon. That is to say that you do not always have to look towards your superiors and managers to motivate you. Your colleagues can motivate you also and vice versa. At the same time, good performance and positive attitudes from team members could very well go a long way in motivating your managers to perform even better.
Friday, December 21. 2007
Cubicle controversies
There are innumerable blogs online that about how to blog. I was just reading through one such blog and amidst all familiar information I came across this interesting little bullet point.
According to the blogger, instigating some sort of controversies on your blog page improves readership. Does it really?
Although the blogger was talking in a very general sense, I think this advice is more suitable for personal blogs than corporate blogs. On corporate blog sites you can’t in any way afford to offend the reader. If you go through corporate blog sites, you find that disagreements are rare. Or more appropriately, as often happens on our site, disagreements are understated. And actually, they are not even very serious disagreements.
A corporate blog site has a purpose that goes beyond the written word. And as much it may work, such a tactic could just as well backfire. You may end up losing readership, because often readers get put off by such things. So is it worth the risk?
I would say one has to be really discerning when deciding to employ such a tactic, and do not use it just for the sake of it. If you have a point that may incite emotions and reactions, go ahead and make it in a way that makes people think.
But when I first read that bit about generating controversies, I imagined a corporate blog site that indulged in talking about all the office politics. Wouldn’t that be some fun?
Monday, December 10. 2007
Emails can be good
If you saw us in office, you would know that Ajay and I disagree more than agree. And it’s definitely something that we both enjoy doing – disagreeing with each other.
My first reaction to his previous blog email was that his title sounded too definitive. Are emails really all good? I immediately started writing some of the disadvantages of emails.
The topmost negative on my list was the fact that emails, many a times, can convey the wrong message. Sometimes it becomes difficult to assess the tone of the sender based on an email. A boss finding a subordinate being rude or a subordinate thinking that a boss is being curt – extremely common. And this holds true for both professional and personal emails.
I think with emails, and this is something Ajay missed out on, certain etiquettes have to be followed. This may not apply to the case of informal emails, but official emails must always follow a certain uniform style.
Having said all that, as I looked at my list of negatives, I realized most of what I was saying was just arguing for the sake of it. And really, apart from this one thing, emails do make things extremely easy. So then I agree with Ajay?
Well, as soon as I am done uploading this blog, I will send out a one-line email asking Ajay to read this space! A one-line email is bound to make him apprehensive, and then he would definitely agree with that negative I pointed out!
The things one has to do, just to prove a point! Happy emailing, people!
Wednesday, November 28. 2007
Email is good
To many of us, it seems like Email has been around since ever and I am definitely one of those who cannot really remember how things worked before Email happened to us. But apparently that is not the way everyone works. In fact there are many who think that Email is just an extra bit of technology that can be done away with if needed. I tend to disagree on that front, though.
The problem comes in because of the perception that some people have that Email is an informal method of communication. That is not entirely true because how you use the form of communication has a lot to do with how the message is perceived by the recipient.
Especially when it comes to business communication I hold that Email is definitely one of the best tools we have. A client recently asked “why Email?” and I immediately responded saying that there isn’t just one or two reasons why Email is such a blessing.
Apart from the obvious cost factors, Email does have power over building awareness and maintaining long term relationships with your clients. In fact, email can be used to convert prospective clients into buyers and later emails can be used to ensure that the buyer has a good post purchase experience.
The point is that Email doesn’t just play one role and that is the best thing about it. Email can adapt to the situation and be used according to the kind of communication that is required at that point in time.
Tuesday, November 20. 2007
Lights, Camera, Action; Of a different kind!
Happy Diwali!
And as is our tradition here in our office, we were all set to have a Diwali bash this year too. And as usual we were looking for something different to do as our Diwai highlight. So suggestions were collected and what the majority voted for was a delightful idea about a photo exhibition that shows our city in all its glory during Diwali.
Of course, most of us, bar a couple, do not know head and tail about photography but what we were looking for really was not technique. We all know how beautifully the places around us are lit up during Diwali and capturing these images on camera and displaying them seemed an excellent idea.
And as expected we got some spectacular pictures of our city. In fact a few even made a party out of this and spent a Saturday night out in the city taking pictures. There were suggestions that we should make it a competition but it was finally decided that we didn’t want to do something of that sort this year. Just the exhibition was beautiful and brought together some brilliant images from all across our city right here to our office.
Saturday, November 10. 2007
Wedding bells chime for our company sweethearts
Those who have been around here for sometime have known about our interdepartmental love story. On November 1st Ravi and Manisha had there wedding here in Delhi in great style. And as weddings go, this one was done in a grand way too but that of course was not enough for us. To celebrate the wedding of our favorite couple we decided to throw them a surprise party.
Most of us from the content and graphics team got together at the Parikrama Revolving restaurant last Saturday night for a fantastic dinner. With the early winters setting in our city and the after-glow of Diwali lights still glittering, there was no better place to be than high on that rooftop restaurant.
Needless to say, the bash was a lot of fun and the newly weds had a few words to share with all of us present. It was really a fun night and I managed to get a few great pictures which I am more than happy to pass on to anyone who wants to take a look.
I’d definitely like to add, two thumbs up for this dear couple.
Monday, October 29. 2007
Speak up and write down
Hello, again. If you logged on to the blog page just now, saw my post and thought, “oh it’s him again” I won’t really blame you. I do realize that there are a few of us who blog a lot and others not as much. And I’d like to know why that is happening. As Internet marketing professionals I think this is perhaps the best way that we can communicate in an informal way.
During lunch when I brought up the same topic someone told me that there’s not always something to write about. Of course, that is true. But I guess that is because those of us who do blog as much as we do realize that it is just about passing around information and there’s nothing official about it. You definitely do not have to be content writers to write down what you want to in a blog. And what is more, we would love to hear what you have to say.
If I remember right, we started the team meetings and the town hall meetings for this very reason. We have a lot of us who always have something to talk about and others who don’t speak up as much. Actually when I first started, I didn’t have much to write about myself but I found that once I got used to sharing information on the blog, I started really liking it. Now every time something comes up, I immediately want to share it with you guys on this blog.
So those of you who have not tried it out yet should give it a shot because I am sure you will find that it is quite a fun thing to do. So let’s make this a formal invitation from someone who blogs a Lot to those who don’t appear here as much.
Saturday, October 20. 2007
Feeling at Home
Hi all, my name is Anjana Sachdev and I am the new face you have been seeing around here. I thought it’s about time I added my own bit to the blog posts on our website. I have been enjoying reading the previous posts in the month that I have been here and think it’s a great way to keep all of us connected.
A month! It’s been a month since I joined and days have really been flying by. First of all, I want to thank all of you, and especially my team members, for making me feel so welcome here. When I was leaving my previous work place, a web design company at Bombay, I had plenty of apprehensions about coming to a new place. After joining here, I have really enjoyed myself and have met a few really wonderful people.
The web developers’ team has been great so far though the kind of work I have been doing is really different from what I was doing at my old workplace. Being here has already challenged me a lot and I am enjoying every bit of this.
As I said before, I am really enjoying the blogs that get posted here and I also hope I will be able to contribute to these posts as much as possible.
Cheers!
Saturday, October 6. 2007
Another successful bay decoration day
Last week’s Bay Decoration Day was, indeed, a success. Every time we come up with such an activity I’ve seen that we really have a blast. Plus, I think the theme that we had this time added a lot more to the excitement. We didn’t do anything as such to celebrate Independence Day this year so choosing “60 Years of Independence” as a theme for the Bay Decoration Day was a great idea.
As usual, we had some very interesting and creative decoration ideas. It was especially great because the whole office was bursting with colors as soon as people started decorating their bays. I am also impressed by how you are all taking this activity in the right spirit. There is the right amount of suspense and secrecy to keep the excitement up. I remember last week I asked someone what their team’s ideas for the decorations were and I was refused an answer. And that was good because if word had spread about what everyone was doing then I think that would have cut down on the fun.
This time around it was the print design experts’ turn to win the contest. I don’t think it came as a surprise to anyone because their bay was decorated quite creatively and colorfully. I should also mention that the web developers also did a great job and we had a tough time choosing between the two teams.
Anyway, once again I would like to congratulate everyone for their input and creativity. Great job, guys and keep it up!
Saturday, September 29. 2007
Sometimes I get bored when surfing
No, of course I don’t mean surfing at the ocean, I don’t think that can ever bore me. As content writers go (or most internet marketing professionals actually), when we talk about surfing it Always has to do with the Internet. So what I am finding these days as I surf the net is that so many times I just get so bored of the things I am reading online. It is not so much what I am reading but how it is being presented.
One thing that I noticed is that many websites choose to use the same kinds of wording to convey their messages. You can look at that as a good thing or a bad one. Those who think it is a good thing are those who think that following a standard adds to user-friendliness and makes the whole thing easier for their website visitors. But I am of the opinion that following standards does not mean that you have to use the same phrases. I think that is when the dryness kicks in and you wish what you were reading was slightly more interesting.
I do think that the content on the Net is becoming quite dry and content creation is perhaps not given the same attention that it once was. I don’t think anyone has changed their mind about the importance of good content but then why does this keep happening then? A large part of it is due to the pace that things on the Internet work at. Many websites have to update their content very often and because of time crunch, they put together what they can as soon as possible and upload that content.
But, perhaps, these are just worries that content writers have and other Net surfers are probably completely oblivious to this. What do you think?
Wednesday, September 19. 2007
Get those creative juices flowing again
Of course, there is always a lot of creative action going on around here but I decided to title my blog thus because creativity is something that we hope to see a lot more of during our “Bay Decoration Day”. After considering the suggestions and seeing the general interest around having a “Bay Decoration Day” again, we decided that we really should put this fun idea into action.
So as you all know we had this week to come up with themes for the day and I thank all of you who gave in some rather innovative ideas. And I am also really happy to point out that we do get very encouraging responses when activities are being planned out, so keep up the great job! We got great entries from across the company be it the content creation team, web designers or web developers.
Anyway, after some thinking and choosing we decided on the theme for the day. But before that I would like to mention some of the top choices of themes and we had a hard time settling on one. One that I thought was quite interesting was “East Meets West” and I think we can save this topic for the next time we do something like this again. Thanks to Archana Kohi for that one. Another one that was quite interesting was “States of India” which was submitted by Akash Deshpande.
But the theme that we have decided on for the day is “60 Years of Indian Independence”. The reason for this is that the Activities Committee felt that this one encompasses the qualities of the other themes quite well and what better way than this to celebrate our nation’s great achievements and progress.
We have decided that the “Bay Decoration Day” will be held on the last Friday of the month and since your teams will be made according to your bays, you would already know whom you would be working with.
So put those heads together for some fresh ideas and get ready for some exciting competition!
Friday, September 7. 2007
This time I am not here for a ‘usual’ blog but for another purpose. I am sure many of you must have noticed a new face around the office and I would like to take this time to introduce you all to a new member of our team of web developers. Anjana Sachdev joined here on Monday and has recently moved from Bombay where she used to work a web design company. I will leave the rest of the details for her to fill in.
I feel that having a new member join our team is a big thing. It is exciting because having been here for as long as I have, I know how closely we have to work with our team members and having someone new to work with is both a challenge and a pleasure.
This is Anjana’s first week with us and I hope we will all make her feel at home and welcome her as part of our team. I have been raving to her these past couple of days about how strong our team is and also about how good we are at winning those fun activities!
So let’s take this chance to welcome the newest member of our team! And let's all encourage her to join our own in-house blog brigade!
Quicksearch
Links
Recent Entries
What's wrong with PowerPoint?
What more is there to Avatars?
Motivating yourself and those around you
Cubicle controversies
Emails can be good
Email is good
