Tip #277: 5 Tips For Better Public Speaking And Presentation Skills

Since technology has taken over our business and personal lives, effective public speaking and communication skills have been on the decline. Sadly, growing up in this digital age has made younger workers poor public speakers and communicators. We are even seeing veterans of the workforce letting their public speaking skills get rusty. What many forget, or never learned, is that there is more to public speaking than simply getting up in front of a crowd and talking. It is both a science and an art. And like any learned skill, there are some basics to be aware of.

The Four Basic Components To Public Speaking:

1. The Preparation
2. The Purpose or Objective
3. The Message Used
4. The Delivery

The Five "W's" And The One "H" To Public Speaking.

When preparing to speak publicly, address each of the four basic components of public speaking by asking the five W's and the one H: Who, what, where, when, why and how. Exploring these six questions will help you sculpt your speech or presentation into cohesion and guarantee that your audience follows every word and does not miss a beat.

• Who? Who are you speaking or presenting to?

• What? What do you wish to communicate?

• Where? Where will you be speaking?

• When? As far as timing and delivery goes, how should you frame your speech or presentation?

• Why? Why should the audience be listening to you?

• How? How can you best convey your message?

5 Tips For Better Public Speaking And Presentation Skills.

1. Never Forget What Your Body Language is Saying - Your goal is to capture your audience's attention, so standing motionless in one place is not a good idea. Be natural, move around, use hand gestures and be expressive, even if you are behind a podium.

2. Speak With Conviction - If you want your audience to believe what you are saying, then you had better believe it yourself. Do not approach and deliver a presentation as if it is a high school project. Put some "oomph" into your delivery. Be articulate, and never apologize if you stumble over any words.

3. Incorporate Stories From The Audience - The best way to keep an audience's attention is to engage them, and the best way to engage them is to include them. The most successful speakers are the ones who seamlessly integrate a story from an audience member into their presentation. To do this, get to know your audience ahead of time. Talk with them about the subject you are speaking about.

4. NEVER Read Your Notes Or The Slides Verbatim - Unless you are a famous essayist performing a public reading, you should never read from your notes verbatim. Keep your notes concise - bulleted reminders about what you wish to touch upon. Everything else should be committed to memory. Otherwise, your delivery will sound bereft of any sincerity.

5. Make Eye Contact With The People In The Room - There are no tricks to avoid making eye contact. If you want your speech to land like a boxer's blow, then you need to look your audience in the eye. Then you need to hold that eye contact for at least 2-4 seconds. Make sweeping glances across the audience, but also lock eyes with individual audience members.

Summary: As with most things in life, effective public speaking hinges on the amount of preparation you put in prior to delivering your speech or presentation. Rehearsing might feel strange, but it is invaluable. When the time for you to speak publicly does come, remember to use body language, talk slowly and articulately (including pauses) and use a variety of tones. Do not hesitate to study your favorite public speaker and observe the range of tactics they employ to make their delivery stand out.

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E-Tip #276 - 8 Effective Employee Training Tips

In an ideal world, every employee you hire would arrive with all the skills and knowledge necessary to be the ideal employee you want. But this is the real world, and in the real world, your employees need to be trained on an ongoing basis.

The Value Of Well-Trained Employees Is Immeasurable.

The great thing about training is the message it sends to an employee. It shows that you are interested in them as a vital aspect of your success and that they will play a part in the company's future. Very few motivators are as positive as sending someone to training. To kick-start an effective employee training program, follow these 8 tips:

8 Employee Training Tips To Strengthen Your Team & Your Company's Morale.

1. Look At Training As An Investment, Not An Expense - True, good training will cost you some money, but you cannot put a price on the long-term investment in the growth and development of your workforce.

2. Focus On Your ROI - We all know that training is invaluable; however, you need to determine who would benefit the most from it.

3. Promote An Environment Of Continuous Learning - Business is faster-paced than ever before with people doing more work with fewer resources. And the way to leverage a person in today's challenging workforce is through continuous learning. That said, look for ways to improve your staff through the necessary training resources.

4. Test Run A Particular Training Program - Before rolling out a customized training program at your business, try it out on a small group, gather feedback and then retool the appropriate areas so that it meets the needs of your organization.

5. Focus On Quality Instructors And Material - Like a parent who wants the best education for their child, you should want the optimum education for your employees.
   And one of the best ways to get the most out of the training program is to ensure that the instructors have the right personality for your employees and the supporting documentation is not only easy to follow, but does not overwhelm your staff.

6. Where Will Training Be Conducted - Choosing an environment that is conducive to learning is identical to buying real estate: Location, location, location. Preferably, you want it to be free of distractions, noise, and interruptions.

7. Know Your Objective BEFORE The Training Starts - Another step in getting the most out of your training program is making sure they understand its objective and come to training with the right mindset.

8. Even Your Most Seasoned Employees Need Training -Training is not just for new employees; research has proven that everyone can benefit from further training - no matter how seasoned of an employee. As any best in class company knows, training programs are the catalyst for keeping employees engaged. And companies with engaged employees outperform their competition as much as 202% according to a study by Towers Perrin.

Summary: No matter who you are, where you come from and what you do, there is always room for improvement. In fact, training your staff will have a direct and positive impact that will increase one's job satisfaction, morale and motivation. You can also see efficiencies in processes, the ability to adopt new technologies and methods as well as innovation in strategies and product design.

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Tip #275: 5 Helpful Hints For After You Get That New Job

2009 was a rough year for a lot of people; many jobs were lost, and as a result, people looked to 2010 as a year of rebirth. Fortunately, for many of these people, 2010 has already been a better a year. We have heard quite a few success stories about new job opportunities - and it is only February.
We Are Dedicating This Week's Tip To Brand New Employees.

Like any new venture, being hired is both exciting and difficult. With this in mind, we prepared the following five tips for any new employee:

5 Helpful Hints For Any New Employee.

1. Make Sure You Remember Names - One of the best ways to make a great impression during your first week is to commit as many names to memory as you can. This is something salespeople have right. Part of getting up to speed your first week is synchronizing with the team you will be working with, and there is no better way to do this than by learning their names.
2. Do Not Be Overly Aggressive - While showing initiative can be a great way to be noticed, for many new employees it is better to spend more time listening than giving advice, especially during staff meetings. If asked for your opinion, do not hesitate to give it. Like anything new, it is better to lay low and soak up as much information as you can before being too vocal.
3. Learn The Landscape Of How Business Is Done - One of the fastest ways to get off on the wrong foot is to step on any toes your first week. If you can, get a copy of the company's organizational chart and commit it to memory. This will help you learn where and who to report to for your various needs. The faster you integrate yourself into a company the sooner you secure your new employment.
4. Strive To Be Likable - This sounds easy - and for some it is - but for others, striking the right balance between being likable and coming off as too aggressive can be difficult. Do shoot a friendly hello to everyone you pass by. Do not engage in conversation as though you have known the other employees your entire life. Exercise some reservation. People need time to get to know you, to build a rapport, before diving into deeper discussion.
5. Offer To Help Out Where You Can - Offering help is a great way to follow through on several of the tips above at once. If your particular skills can be leveraged to aid a coworker, go for it. This is the perfect opportunity to meet someone and learn their name, reveal yourself as likable and learn about your workplace's landscape.
   

One Last Thing....
I can tell you from personal experience how hard it is to get into rhythm at a new work place. On the one hand, there is the desire for many to excel at their performance. But if you want to get into rhythm, you need to learn the rhythm. And that requires listening and being observant when you are just starting off.

Summary: While most of this advice is common sense, new employees all too often disregard these guidelines and get carried away trying to impress or dazzle their coworkers and new employers. Approach new employment with that classic writer's warning, "show, don't tell." In other words, let your actions as an employee speak for themselves. If you act like a great employee, you will be acknowledged and treated as one.

For more information please visit our website!

E-Tip 275- 5 Helpful Hints For After You Get That New Job

We Are Dedicating This Week's Tip To Brand New Employees.

Like any new venture, being hired is both exciting and difficult. With this in mind, we prepared the following five tips for any new employee:

5 Helpful Hints For Any New Employee.

1. Make Sure You Remember Names - One of the best ways to make a great impression during your first week is to commit as many names to memory as you can. This is something salespeople have right. Part of getting up to speed your first week is synchronizing with the team you will be working with, and there is no better way to do this than by learning their names.
2. Do Not Be Overly Aggressive - While showing initiative can be a great way to be noticed, for many new employees it is better to spend more time listening than giving advice, especially during staff meetings. If asked for your opinion, do not hesitate to give it. Like anything new, it is better to lay low and soak up as much information as you can before being too vocal.
3. Learn The Landscape Of How Business Is Done - One of the fastest ways to get off on the wrong foot is to step on any toes your first week. If you can, get a copy of the company's organizational chart and commit it to memory. This will help you learn where and who to report to for your various needs. The faster you integrate yourself into a company the sooner you secure your new employment.
4. Strive To Be Likable - This sounds easy - and for some it is - but for others, striking the right balance between being likable and coming off as too aggressive can be difficult. Do shoot a friendly hello to everyone you pass by. Do not engage in conversation as though you have known the other employees your entire life. Exercise some reservation. People need time to get to know you, to build a rapport, before diving into deeper discussion.
5. Offer To Help Out Where You Can - Offering help is a great way to follow through on several of the tips above at once. If your particular skills can be leveraged to aid a coworker, go for it. This is the perfect opportunity to meet someone and learn their name, reveal yourself as likable and learn about your workplace's landscape.

One Last Thing...

I can tell you from personal experience how hard it is to get into rhythm at a new work place. On the one hand, there is the desire for many to excel at their performance. But if you want to get into rhythm, you need to learn the rhythm. And that requires listening and being observant when you are just starting off.

Summary: While most of this advice is common sense, new employees all too often disregard these guidelines and get carried away trying to impress or dazzle their coworkers and new employers. Approach new employment with that classic writer's warning, "show, don't tell." In other words, let your actions as an employee speak for themselves. If you act like a great employee, you will be acknowledged and treated as one.

for more information, visit our website!

E-Tip 274 - How to Hire the Right Employee (Part 2 of 2)

Last week, we walked you through five steps for preparing to hire the right employee. We discussed the importance of research when it comes to a potential candidate - of acquiring as much relevant information as you can in order to draw a more complete, three-dimensional picture of your candidate. Once that is done, all that is left is the interview, itself.

As we stated last week, the interviewing process should involve more than just sitting across a table and asking the candidate a battery of questions. The process should be an ebb and flow of shared information, not a one-sided conversation. In order to achieve a natural flow during the interview, we have listed below a number of tips and suggestions.

For The Actual Interview.

For employers who are looking to hire, it is easy to fall into a rhythm of asking questions. Nevertheless, if you really want to get to know the candidate, you need the interview to be a mutually comfortable conversation. Here are a few ways to shape an interview into a conversation:

• Provide the candidates with opportunities to ask their own questions, without prompting them.
• Ask open-ended questions that force the candidate to open up, instead of delivering pre-prepared responses.
• Ask hypothetical situation questions for the candidate to respond to.

While keeping a candidate on their toes by throwing a few curveballs is always smart, you do not want to overpopulate the interview with these types of questions. There is still room for the standard line of questioning, such as:

• Tell me about yourself and the things you enjoy.
• What are your greatest strengths?
• Are there areas in which you feel you need more experience or training?
• What do you consider your greatest achievement to date?
• Tell me about a project or a sale you feel you could have handled better; what did you learn from it?
• Where do you see yourself in five years?
• What are your salary expectations?

Other tactics to utilize during the interviewing process include changing up interviewers, changing up interview locations, and changing up interview styles - one-on-one interviews, group interviews, etc.

After The Interview Is Over.

Just because the interview is over does not mean your work is done. We highly suggest checking references as well as conducting background checks and drug tests. As we all know, the person who is giving the reference is going to be positive. During that conversation, keep an ear-out for what a reference does not say or chooses to avoid answering.

Summary:Do not dominate the interview; engage your potential employee in a push-pull conversation. Remember, you are looking to add a new player to your team. Your new hire will need to play well with others, and complement your operation in their own unique way. Look beyond who a person is on paper and see who they might be in your employ. And remember, 35% - 50% of the résumés you receive will contain discrepancies about work experience or education history, so take advantage of references.

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E-Tip 273 - How to Hire the Right Employee (Part 1 of 2)

One of the biggest challenges businesses today face is recruiting top talent. Sure, finding someone who is interested in working for you may be easy, but finding the right employee for your company is easier said than done. To help facilitate the hiring process, many companies employ a number of tactics such as personality tests, competence tests and a variety of interviewing techniques. We would like to share some of these tactics with you.

Look At The Interview Process From Different Angles.

Approaching an interview from several different angles is the key to finding your ideal candidate - a step often overlooked by the busy employer. Interviewing is a two-way street. Just as you are exploring how well a potential candidate will fit into your company, they are exploring whether they wish to be working for you. If you are looking to bring your A-game to the interview process, then prepare by following the five steps below:

5 Steps For Preparing To Hire The Right Employee.

1. Organize Yourself - You expect your candidates to prepare extensively for their interviews, right? So why shouldn't you? If you truly want the best candidate to work for you, you need to put aside time to create a checklist of the qualities and skills you hope to find in such an employee.

2. Speak With The Recruiting Firm - If you are using a recruiting firm to find someone, you need to ask the recruiter why they are recommending a particular candidate. Presumably, the recruiter has interviewed the candidate themselves, so interview the interviewer. Ask the recruiter about the candidate's strengths and weaknesses. If your recruiter is unable to provide satisfactory answers, you may want to reconsider using them in the hiring process.

3. Use Multiple People To Interview The Candidate - Interviewers bring with them unique perspectives shaped by personal experiences; and this is why we recommended the use of different people (who would be affected by this person's hiring) to interview the candidates. Plus, having someone else interview this person will give you several different perspectives, which are invaluable in the hiring process.

4. Do Not Give Your Answer Away To The Interviewee - One of the most common mistakes made by interviewers is giving away too much information about what they want and need in a person. Typically, many employers start an interview with a brief overview of their company, its history, their operation, what the job opening entails and what they are looking for in an employee. Unfortunately, this provides the interviewee with clues as to how they should tailor their responses. Focus on learning all that you can in the first half of the interview and then answer his or her questions in the latter part of the interview.

5. Read The Candidate's Résumé In Detail - Prior to the interview, you need to read and reread a potential candidate's résumé and cover letter. Both can speak volumes of a person's skill sets and how well they communicate.

Summary: When looking to hire the right employee, first be sure you know exactly what skills and qualities the ideal candidate should have. Second, explore the final round of candidates from every angle available. Doing so will produce a more accurate portrait of who they are, not only as a worker but also as a person. Next week, we will discuss the interview, itself, in depth.

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E-Tip 272 - 7 Steps to Do BEFORE an Employee Leaves

Whether an employee leaves your company amicably on their own terms or after being fired, there are a number of steps a business should take to ensure their security and, in the end, their prosperity. The departure of an employee is far more critical a moment than when they first join your team as new employees know nothing about your operation. Conversely, departing employees have cultivated and retained a great deal of knowledge about your business, your competitors, your financials and, most importantly, your client list.

Even If It Is An Amicable Separation, You Need To Read This . . .

Even if the departing employee has performed admirably and has shown no signs of hostility during their employment, there is no way of knowing for sure how they will react when it comes time to part ways. To help keep your company safe, we have consolidated seven key steps to take when an employee departs. Try not to look at these steps as measures to take for problematic employees, but rather a standard set of rules to follow regardless of who the employee is and what kind of employment record they had with your business.

The 7 Steps To Take BEFORE Any Employee Leaves Your Business:

1. Issue A Final Paycheck - Every departing employee must be issued a final paycheck, but when they must receive it depends on your state's laws. In some states, an employee's final paycheck must be issued on their last day of work. In other states, their paycheck may still follow the usual payroll cycle. There is also the matter of accrued unused vacation time that may need to be included in the final paycheck. After payroll has cut the employee's final paycheck, have the accounting clerk remove their name from payroll.

2. Collect Company Property - Do not let departing employees walk out the door for the last time while still in possession of a company car, keys, security cards, company credit cards, computers, cell phones, company manuals or any confidential material. While this may seem obvious, it is very easy to forget these items when you have trusting feelings toward certain employees.

3. Cancel Credit And Phone Cards - In addition to collecting company credit cards and phone cards, as mentioned above, you should also cancel them. An employee could have easily copied down the card's information for personal use. And since there is no way of knowing whether they did, the best course of action is to cancel those cards.

4. Deactivate Personal Passwords - The departing of an employee is always a matter of security, and one of the chief security concerns is access -- access to the building, access to your network, etc. Be sure to disable any personal passwords or entry codes to the building, especially if you use a biometric system. Remove any lingering profiles they may have on the network, and institute a company-wide password change to anything with a generic login.

5. Address Confidentiality Policies - This coincides with the collection of company property. Since you cannot collect something intangible like knowledge, it is pertinent that you debrief departing employees. Review any non-disclosure agreements and/or non-compete clauses you may have arranged with the employee. It is crucial that you make clear their obligations to adhere to those arrangements. We also suggest that you give them a copy of the agreement for future reference.

6. Decide Who Will Handle Projects - To make certain your employee's departure does not impact the company's day-to-day productivity, create a plan that distributes their responsibilities among other employees. Also, have the departing employee personally brief these employees, but be cautious about this; it can sometimes be caustic if the person is not leaving on good terms. Make sure you start this process early to give everyone involved enough time to get coordinated on picking up the extra work.

7. Assign A Point Of Contact - Even though an employee is leaving, they may still need to communicate with your company for several weeks, especially regarding references. Give them a point of contact within the company they can solicit needed information.

Executive Summary: Whether an employee departure is on their own terms or against their will, you need to remind yourself that this is strictly business; therefore, try to keep your emotions in check even though a good friend may be leaving the company. As a reminder, collect the company's property, deactivate all passwords, and debrief the departing employee. These steps will ensure that your business goes through a seamless transition when an employee leaves without any serious hiccups, significant loss or damage incurred.

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E-Tip 271 - 8 Teambuilding Ideas for You

As 2010 gets underway, a number of executives throughout the region are focusing on their team building skills. This is because they understand that their company's success is dependent on their employees working as a team -- regardless of the company's size or what product/service it offers. They also understand the fundamental principles of team building.

Basic Corporate Team Building Skills Are Driven By Unity.

Every business has a variety of different teams, teams like management, operations, sales, production, warehousing, etc. But no matter what any one team is responsible for, all teams contribute to a single goal: The success of the company.

Corporate Team Building Skills Enable Companies To Grow.

There are a number of core components for developing your team building skills, like:

· Communication

· Concentration

· Fast decision making skills

· Effective decision making skills

· Self-confidence

· Respect for others and oneself

In order to help you strengthen team unity at your business, we have developed 8 team building ideas, techniques and tips you should employ when managing your teams from hereon out.

1. Make sure that the team goals are completely clear, completely understood and accepted by each team member.

2. Make sure everyone on the team understands who is responsible for what in order to avoid overlapping authority. For example, if the risk of two team members competing for control in certain area exists, try to divide that area into two distinct parts and give each team member more control in one part or the other. Base your decision according to the individual's strengths and personal inclinations.

3. Build trust with your team members by spending one-on-one time in an atmosphere of honesty and openness. Be loyal to your employees if you expect them to be loyal to you.

4. Allow your office team members to build trust and openness between each other in team building activities and events. Provide them with opportunities to socialize with one another in an atmosphere that encourages open communication. For example, have a group lunch on Fridays, occasionally. Just be sure your corporate team building activities do not compete with your employees' family time.

5. For issues that rely heavily on team consensus and commitment, try to involve the whole team in the decision making process. What you want to achieve by doing this is for each team member to feel a personal investment in the final decision, solution or idea. And the more he or she feels this way, the more likely they are to agree with and commit to that decision when it is executed, and in the process deepen team commitment to progress.

6. When managing teams, make sure the lines of communication are not blocked so that you and your people remain fully informed. Even if your team is spread across different locations, you can still maintain effective team communication.

7. Do not miss opportunities to empower your employees. Say thank you or show your appreciation for a team player's work.

8. Do not limit yourself to negative feedback. Be fair. Whenever there is an opportunity, give positive feedback as well.

Summary: Team building is developing relationships, whether they are with a casual acquaintance, a friend, a colleague from work, or your significant other. The stronger the relationship between people, the more dynamically they perform. This is true of team building. But team building does not happen overnight. Like any relationship, it requires push and pull, give and take and time to be nurtured. While this may seem like a lot of work, and a bit of an inconvenience, the value that healthy, dynamic team structures can have for your business are immeasurable and essential to the success of your company.

For more information, visit our website!

E-Tip 270 - 9 Tips on Leading a Virtual Team

Over the years, we have worked with many global companies. And when a business is global, it often times requires managing people virtually, which creates a completely new set of issues for team leaders to overcome. To help with these challenges, we have listed a number of tips below should you find yourself leading a team with members who do not share a common location.

The 9 Tips On Managing A Virtual Team Are:

Tip #1. Have A Live Meeting To Jump-Start The Project - When working on a long-term project or with a newly created team, we suggest having a live meeting first, so that everyone can meet face-to-face. Doing so will help develop a well-built foundation the group can leverage over time. Although it may appear to be a huge expense, experts feel that this investment will have a high return in the end.

Tip #2. Take Advantage Of Today's Technology - There are so many ways to communicate these days, from gotomeeting.com to web conferencing. Although they can be useful, we suggest that you do not get too caught up in going 100% virtual. While some of your employees will agree that it works and use it readily, others will be slow to adopt the technology. Remember this: The best piece of equipment in today's business world is still the telephone.

Tip #3. Know The Time Zones Everyone Is In - One problem many people have when working with a virtual team is knowing the time zone changes for the entire team. Whether it is calls to the east coast, west coast or even calls to Europe or Asia, you need to respect the time zones everyone works in. And if you are global, you need to understand that not everyone is going to have a convenient call-in time.

Tip #4. Keep Your Calls To 45 - 60 Minutes - Whenever you are on a national or global team call, there will be some people driving the call while others sit back and listen. To keep everyone mentally tuned in, try to keep calls to a maximum of 45 - 60 minutes. At the end of the call, have someone summarize the call before you close using defined action items, and then send out an e-mail in outline form for easy follow-up.

Tip #5. Keep Everyone Actively Involved With The Conference Calls - One of the best ways to keep a conference call working is for everyone to call in on separate lines. Doing so will keep people focused on what the topic is and allow them to run any applications via their own computer. If not, you run the risk of people not talking loud enough if they are in a conference room or not seeing the details during the presentation.

Tip #6. Focus On Your Meeting And Project Management Skills - As the team or project manager, you need to keep your meeting and project management skills sharp. The importance of having an agenda, role definitions, action items and documentation amplify when there is a virtual team formed for a project.

Tip #7. Schedule One-on-One Calls With Your Team - We often suggest scheduling one-on-one calls with your team members, as this provides an opportunity to build rapport with them. Schedule these one-on-one calls every 4 - 6 weeks in order to maintain that rapport.

Tip #8. Develop Team Building Skills - Work on team building projects that can help build trust and cooperation among your staff. We suggest going to Google and running a search on "low-cost team building exercises."

Tip #9. Give People Time To Review Related Content - No matter what time zone your team members live in or language they speak, we recommend giving everyone 36 hours to review your documentation. We also recommend sending an agenda a full 24 hours before a conference call so that participants can print the agenda and read it that day or the following morning over a cup of coffee.

Executive Summary: A virtual group's dynamic is always changing based on personalities, skill sets and project scope. Additionally, you need to be consciously aware of your team building, project management skills and one-on-one team building skills. Once you have mastered these three things, you will find life as a virtual team member will be a lot easier for everyone (including you).

For more information, please visit our website!

E-Tip 269 - The Cost of "Cyber-Slacking"

These days, it is all too common to stroll by an employee's desk and catch them browsing the Internet -- usually, notably, for personal use rather than business-related research. In fact, the American Management Association (AMA) discovered that 68% of businesses lose money and time on employees who are "cyber-slacking."

Cyber-slacking is the use of work internet access for personal enjoyment while maintaining the appearance of being productive. The trouble with cyber-slacking, unfortunately, is that it comes in a variety of different shapes and sizes. Worse yet, it is typically carried out on software that businesses rely on, such as e-mail clients and web browsers.

The Five Most Common Forms Of Cyber-Slacking Are:

1. E-mail correspondence to personal contacts
2. Web browsing, primarily to news and sports websites
3. Online stock trading
4. Online gambling
5. Chat rooms/instant messengers

How Much Is Cyber-Slacking Costing Your Business?

Of course, not all cyber-slacking starts intentionally. Often enough, employees log online to look up something business-related, but through a series of "wiki moments" find themselves viewing websites that stopped being relevant to work several clicks ago. However, the bottom line is that cyber-slacking is nothing but costly. In a study conducted by surfControl, a web-filtering software maker, it was revealed that if 1,000 employees engage in personal web surfing for only one hour a day it would cost that organization up to $35-million a year.

Combat Cyber-Slacking Effectively.

The most obvious way to combat cyber-slacking is to monitor Internet usage, but this can be tricky. This is why we suggest including Internet usage policies in your employee handbook. These policies should define what sorts of websites are considered inappropriate as well as address excessive Internet usage. Furthermore, the consequences for violating these policies should be outlined clearly. These can range from docked pay to having computer privileges restricted.

If you do choose to monitor employee computer usage, be sure to consult with an attorney in order to avoid any legal risks relating to rights to privacy.

Executive Summary: As powerful a tool as the Internet is, especially for businesses, it is also a vehicle for distraction and procrastination. Everyday software such as e-mail clients and web browsers provide a temptation for employees to catch up on news or read about their favorite sports heroes. In order to effectively combat cyber-slacking, employers should take preventative measures by writing Internet usage policies into their employee handbooks. And instead of monitoring the sites employees visit, employers should evaluate how much time employees spend online to better address concerns about productivity.

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