Free PowerPoint-Tastic Templates – #004: Advantages vs. Disadvantages

Each week, the Fast Track Tools training company and the Cubicle Ninjas design firm work together to publish a template that makes it easier for you to communicate your ideas. This week, we developed a simple layout to compare the advantages and disadvantages of any topic. Read more

Reward employees often

Unemployment may be at 9.6%, but it’s rare to find any employee in America who says there is 9.6% less work to do. In fact, it is just the opposite. Employees are working harder. How do we reward this hard work? The trend in 2010 was to unfreeze pay and reinstate 401k programs. Without spending millions, leaders can go a step further. Read more

How to organize ideas for a presentation – the envelope method

You have one hour to present, but 67 key items that support your topic. How do you decide which one will make the cut? Now, complicate things even more. The 67 facts, stories and supporting evidence have been provided by five colleagues who are helping you prepare for the presentation. Read more

Free PowerPoint-Tastic Templates – #003: Three Lanes

Each week, the Fast Track Tools training company and the Cubicle Ninjas design firm work together to publish a template that makes it easier for you to communicate your ideas. This week we bring you a unique way to present an idea or strategy with three distinct action oriented elements. Read more

How to prepare to answer all interview questions with 5 responses

Having conducted thousands of interviews in my career, I find candidates are either under- or over-prepared for the interview. While I prefer someone who is well prepared, the under-prepared candidate still does better than the one with scripted and canned responses. Read more

Free PowerPoint-Tastic Templates – #002: Harvey Balls

Each week, the Fast Track Tools training company and the Cubicle Ninjas design firm work together to publish a template that makes it easier for you to communicate your ideas. This week we bring you a library of “Harvey Balls,” better known as the little circles from Consumer Reports. Read more

Persuasion takes time and repetition

Minds can change after hearing a single presentation, but more often, it takes significant pre-work and follow-up to convince your listeners to take action. You may have a great story or metaphor that makes your idea “sticky,” but to really change behavior, you may have to think about extending the metaphor. Read more

Can leadership be taught?

Many had gone before me, but I was a skeptic. I remember asking my boss what I could learn from climbing up a 40-foot tall post, balancing on a small platform and then jumping off? It didn’t seem relevant at the time. In the deep woods of Arkansas, I was proven wrong. Read more

Free PowerPoint-Tastic Templates – #001: Flexibility

Each week, the Fast Track Tools training company and the Cubicle Ninjas design firm work together to publish a template that makes it easier for you to communicate your ideas. This week, we take on “flexibility” – an often overused term in business. This free template will help you stand out from the crowd when you incorporate flexibility as a concept in a presentation. Read more