To insert a SmartArt figure into your PowerPoint (or Word and Excel), select the Insert tab and click the SmartArt command button on the ribbon.  A dialog box will open, allowing you to select the category of SmartArt on the left side.  The Office 2010 version added a new category called “Office.com”.  The items available in this category can be added to over time by Microsoft on their website.  So, you never know when you will find something new under this category.

If you choose the “List” category, you can select from one of 40 diagrams that allow you to include elements like text and pictures.  For our example, choose the “Vertical Box List”. This one is good to use when you have would like a bulleted list.  It can be used to show multiple groups of information including main headings and subheadings.

You will see the SmartArt figure appear encased in a frame with a bulleted list pane next to it.  You can type into the text boxes themselves or in the bulleted list.  In this variation on the list diagram, you can type in the main heading in the colored box.  You can add more text (as a lower level bullet) in the white area below the colored box.

To add tabs to the Ribbon, click File and choose Options. Then click Customize Ribbon on the left side.  You will probably want to set the Choose commands drop-down list on the top left to All Commands to show all the available commands. You will use the buttons just below the Customize the Ribbon box on the right to add and rename tabs and groups.

When you click New Tab (bottom right on the window), you will see a new tab with a new group appear.  Use the Rename command to change the names for the tab and the group.  You are then ready to select the commands on the right that you wish to add to the new ribbon tab group on the left.  You may also add additional groups to the Ribbon tab.  Be certain to click OK at the bottom of the dialog box to complete the tab and group additions.

If you are considering using the Reset button, you will have two choices:  To Reset only selected Ribbon tab or To reset all customizations.  If you choose to Reset all Customizations, any buttons you have added to your Quick Access Toolbar will be removed along with any Ribbon tabs.

Take advantage of this new Office 2010 feature to customize your Ribbon by adding a Tab with all of the buttons you use on a daily basis.  It is easy to do and will assist you in getting your work done quickly and effortlessly!

To add a video from a file on your computer:

+ Open PowerPoint and Click the Insert tab

+ On the very right choose Video and then select Video from File

+ Navigate to where your file is stored and select your video

+ After the video is on your slide, you will have two Video Tools tabs at the top called “Format” and “Playback”

+ On the Video Tools Format tab, you can adjust the brightness or color saturation

+ You can also add a Poster Frame, which is an image for the cover of the video that shows up before the video runs. When you click on Poster frame, you can navigate to and choose an image from your files.

+ Additionally on the Video Tools Format tab, you can change the video style so that it might look framed in black or like a beveled rectangle, for example.

+ On the Video Tools Playback tab, you have some basic video editing tools available. You can trim the video from the front or the back end.

+ You can also add a fade in and fade out option on the Video Tools Playback tab

To add a Video from YouTube (so that it runs within PowerPoint):

+ Open a web browser and navigate to the YouTube video you would like to use

+ Switch to PowerPoint and click the Insert tab

+ On the very right choose Video and then select Video from Web Site

+ You will leave the dialog box that opened because you will be coming back to paste the embed code

+ Switch back to your web browser and click the Share button under the video window

+ Click the Embed button and make sure that “Use old embed code” checkbox is selected

+ Copy embed code and go back to PowerPoint

+ Paste embed code into dialog box

+ NOTE: You will need an Internet connect on the computer where you do the presentation since you are linking to the YouTube video page.

Voila!  You now have video in PowerPoint!

The author, Dave Johnson, shared 10 rules in his CBS MoneyWatch article that would help a presentation look its best.  His focus was on consistency throughout the presentation and readability on each slide.  I thought I would pass along these rules to help you spruce up your presentations, too!

    * Use thicker lines for visibility

    * Use the same line width everywhere in your presentation or it looks like a ransom note

    * Use shapes instead of lines for readability and visual interest

    * Line everything up on a grid

    * Use size to convey importance; don’t vary box sizes just to accommodate larger text labels

    * Don’t spam the slide with lots of different graphic styles

    * Don’t use more than three unique colors

    * Use primary colors

    * Use bright backgrounds — don’t put text or graphics against grey or black

    * Don’t use very similar colors — they all look the same on a projector

I think I have broken a few of these rules in previous presentations.  I will definitely remember to check for these items when I am creating my next presentation! On the article’s page, you can also view a Slideshare presentation highlighting some of the do’s and don’t’s of presentations. Here is the link to his article: http://ow.ly/8Nbwp .  Enjoy!

I was so excited to get rid of my other program and have everything I needed contained in PowerPoint, Word, and Excel.  If you have not used this feature, you need to try it out.  It can be so valuable when creating documents and presentations.  Here are some step-by-step instructions on how to use this new feature.  I have the instructions based on PowerPoint, but the instructions work for Word and Excel, too.

To take the screenshot:

• Bring up/maximize the window/program that you would like to capture
• Switch to PowerPoint
• Click the Insert tab
• Click the the Screenshot button
• Select Screen Clipping
• The previous window (that you had on your screen right before switching over to PowerPoint) will pop up. The window will look a little fuzzy and the mouse pointer will look like a plus sign.
• Click and drag in a square to select the area you would like to capture
• The screen capture will then appear as an image on your PowerPoint slide

To format your screenshot:

• Click the Picture Tools tab (only appears when the screenshot image is selected)
• Choose one of the Picture Styles from the gallery or pick a picture border, effect, or layout using the buttons to the right of the Picture Styles gallery
• In the Adjust group of buttons on the left you can change the brightness, color saturation, or even add some artistic effects.
• On the right side of the Picture toolbar, you can crop the screenshot or change the size (sizing handles on the image allow you to do this, too)

Have fun trying out your new Office 2010 tool! You will be amazed at all times it will come in handy!

I think one of the biggest areas where we are at risk is within our social media accounts.  If someone gets illegal access to your Facebook, Twitter, or other account, they can use your friends’ information to send phishing or other types of attacks.  One of my husband’s friends showed me the application on his phone that would allow him to compromise someone’s account if they were using an unsecured wireless network and a social media site. 

We could see the people that were logged on to the unsecured wireless Internet at the restaurant where were had met. We were even able to click into one person’s Facebook account and make a post as if we were that person.  Apparently, the person who was logged in to Facebook had not changed their account settings to only browse secure pages.  My husband’s friend even went so far as to go over and show the person how to change his Facebook account settings.

If this does not concern or scare you, it should.  We cannot depend on others to keep our digital data private.  We must be proactive and take responsibility for it ourselves. If you use a smartphone or tablet, you could also be at higher risk. Scammers are looking every day for loop holes or ways to exploit the apps that are downloaded onto our mobile devices.  Just because someone puts a great app out there to be downloaded does not mean that he or she has made a way to secure it properly.  Especially be cautious of places that seem “safe”, like your Twitter feeds, LinkedIn updates, and YouTube comments and forums.

You also need to be on guard against the “fake” anti-virus tools.  For example, you see a message window pop up telling you that you have infected files and that your anti-virus has expired.  It is best to open your anti-virus and run a scan immediately.  Do not click on the message window that had popped up.  Only renew/update your anti-virus by opening your program and launching it yourself. Or, go to your anti-virus company’s website and purchase the upgrade/update there.

My first response was to ask him a few questions.  We ended up taking the discussion to lunch and talked for about 45 minutes.  I asked him specifically if they were thinking about online learning purely because they believed it could be cost-cutting or best for the budget.  If it were only being pursued because of that one aspect, then I said that they should stick with their regular classroom approach. 

If they were pursuing online learning because of feedback from employees, then that would be different.  When organization’s try something without researching to see what the true needs are, then the initiative often does not succeed.  If potential training participants are asking for the online learning as an option or alternative to in-person classes, then there is a better chance that they will actually use the online training modules.

I also asked him if the skills being taught and the type of training would be conducive to teaching online without a face-to-face classroom instructor.  If the concepts/topics/skills being taught could be simulated, taught, and practiced in an online learning environment, then I would definitely consider using it.  If not, then people would not use the tools that had been developed.  Also, if participants traveled for their job and were not available for face-to-face classes, then that would be another consideration.

Our discussion passed by so quickly during lunch for me.  I loved being able to watch the wheels turn in the executive’s brain.  He had done his homework and had surveyed potential training participants and had talked to many of them personally.  I was really impressed with how thoughtful he was of the wanting to do the right thing and not just throw another item out there that everyone was forced to use but did not want to use.

If you are in the same boat as this executive, give me a call.  We can help you figure out if you would be better to do face-to-face classes, online learning classes, or a hybrid of both.  I would love to hear from you!

Versitas announced today that it has completed training for the Carnegie Foundation at their offices in Stanford, CA. The Foundation brings scholars, practitioners, innovators, designers and developers together to solve the practical problems of schooling.

Founded by Andrew Carnegie in 1905 and chartered in 1906 by an act of Congress, the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching is an independent policy and research center with headquarters in Stanford, CA.

To learn more about the organization, visit them at www.carnegiefoundation.org

About Versitas

Versitas ( www.versitas.com ) is a leading nationwide software training company delivering onsite and web based training to leading companies in major US markets and around the world. For additional information, contact debbie.petersen@versitas.com .

Sorry, I digress.  My whole point in that was to mention that I read a survey that a friend of mine handed me a few weeks ago.  The survey was given to key executives and was conducted by The Center for Creative Leadership. They asked, “What factor separates people who are on the fast track from those who get left behind?”  I was completely intrigued by the question alone since I think I have a phobia about being left behind with some technological advance.  Working in the technology field tends to instill that fear!

The findings of the survey were just as intriguing to me.  The survey identified three main reasons why someone talented might fail to succeed:

+  They don’t adapt during transitions.   When someone decides not to change or will not alter their behavior, they may not progress, become stagnant in some area, and end up failing.  I have seen this happen when someone tries to enforce an outdated management style.

+  They are difficult to work with. I have heard people described as only following the “my way or the highway” philosophy.  They do not show any caring or sensitivity to others, even if they truly have those feelings.  They are very negative about others who do not do it the way they think it should be done.

+ They fail to lead in a team-centered way.   Being able to work on a team or lead a team is one indicator of someone who will not be able to succeed in the long run in most fields.  So many businesses and organizations are team-based or department-based.  If someone is overly aggressive or takes credit for everyone else’s work, then the team is not going to succeed in the long-run.  Being able to form and lead a cohesive team means that everyone must cooperate and work together.

After reading about the survey, I went online to look up the rest of the information about the survey.  I found that it was initially published in 1996.  I was surprised because the findings seemed just as relevant for today as they did 16 years ago.  From a training/technology perspective, I realized how clear that made it that these principles of success and failure were very important since they have stood the test of time.  In technology fields, you must adapt and grow or else you are out the door just like the old versions of software.  You have to use your knowledge of software to help your team, to support your team, and to lead your team. 

So, my questions to you are: Are you getting the training on software and soft skills to stay current and to adapt and succeed in today’s market? Are your skills at a level where you can help, support, and lead your team to success?

Recent Places

I use several of the same documents, spreadsheets and presentations in the course of a month.  I usually try to keep them all organized but it never hurts to have another tool to find a recently used file.  Sometimes I open files from websites, which can be more difficult to remember locations. The Recent Places feature in Word, Excel, and PowerPoint is just what I have wanted!  When you click on the File tab and choose Recent, you will see a list of places and files.  You can right-click any of these and “pin” them.  That way, they will stay put in the list and not get moved out as most recent items show up. I love not have to browse to find my frequently used files every time!

Word Line Spacing

I am one of the folks who does not like the change in line spacing to 1.5 for Word 2007 and 2010.  I understand that they changed it to make it more readable, but it just does not work when I am designing a training handout or manual.  If you prefer the spacing from Word 2003, you can change it simply and quickly.  Just look for the “Change Styles” button the Home tab. (It is over to the right.)  From the menu that appears after clicking that button, choose Style Set and select Word 2003. It changes the line spacing 1.0 and the “spacing after” amount to 0 point.  Yay!  Problem solved!

SmartArt

When I am creating a manual or report, I turn into this ultra word-efficient, table/diagram crazy person.  I love trying to minimize all of the text because most people will not read it anyway.  So, I LOVE the new diagrams available in Office 2010 for SmartArt.  If you have not used these, you need to!  In Word, Excel or PowerPoint 2010, just click on the Insert tab and choose SmartArt. There are so many designs to choose from.  I’m sure you will find one that you like or that you can start with and then customize.  One you have picked your diagram, you can type in text in the text pane or in many of the shapes themselves.  There are two contextual tabs that will appear at the top of your screen that contain all the SmartArt tools you will need. 

Hope you will find these tips useful!  Enjoy!