In class we discussed some presentation skills that are useful to us. Some incorrect presentation skills are reading off cards; poorly constructed slides and having no eye contact with audiences. Some other examples I would think of are wasting time, boring your audience, insulting your audience, using slides that are boring, irrelevant, or confusing, confusing your audience, lacking passion and so forth. While we are presenting we should keep an eye contact with the audience and move around the stage, speak slowly and precisely, be visual, test your presentation on other people beforehand, engage the audience and so forth. Ways to improve your presentation skills are structuring your presentation, practising but not memorizing and also rehearsing. Effective presentation skills are important. They are important to individual success, business success, stress reduction, time management, leadership and public image and opinion. Every leader needs to have the ability to stand up and deliver a clear and inspiring message. Business leaders are often expected to present their message with confidence and clarity to investors, partners, clients, staff and sometimes the public. Better presentations don’t guarantee you success but they give you a better fighting chance of success.

This blog is originally from Jerica Lee and here are my comments on this issue.

Job satisfaction is an individual’s general attitude towards his or her job. People who have high level of job satisfaction hold positive attitudes toward the job and vice versa. I think among the major job-satisfaction factors, enjoying the work is almost the one which is most strongly linked to high levels of general job satisfaction.  Jobs that provide training, variety, independence, and control satisfy most employees. The correlation between job satisfaction and job performance is moderately strong. If you do a good job, you intrinsically feel good about it. In addition, your higher productivity should increase your recognition; increase your pay level, and your likelihood of promotion. Cumulatively, these rewards, in turn increase your level of satisfaction with the job.

Strength:
-The business is ranked first in the Fortune Magazine’s 2008 list of most admired food service companies.
-They are a global company operating more than approximately 23,500 restaurants in 109 countries.
-They have an efficient, assembly line style of food preparation.

Weakness:
-High employee turnover in their restaurants leads to more money being spent on training

Opportunities:
-In today’s health conscious societies the introduction of a healthy hamburger is a great opportunity
-Provide optional allergen free food items, such as gluten free and peanut free.

Threats:
-Major competitors, like Burger King, Starbucks, Taco Bell, Wendy’s, KFC and any mid-range sit-down restaurants.

McDonald’s Corporation is the world’s largest chain of hamburger fast food restaurant. McDonald’s are extremely famous all over the world as my SWOT analysis reflects the strength that they are operating more than 23,500 restaurants in 109 countries. It has little weaknesses and threats as compare to opportunities and strengths. Even though their products: hamburgers, fries, nuggets, cokes and so forth, have a relatively high level of fat and calories, they’re now trying to promote a healthier line such as salad.

The company I have chosen is Apple.  Apple Inc. is an American multinational corporation that designs and markets consumer electronics, computer software, and personal computers.The company’s best known hardware products include the Macintosh line of computers, the iPod, the iPhone and the iPad.  Apple is a very successful business as we all witness the popularity of iPhone 4 or 4S and iPad as well as Macbook. There is more demand than supply for iPhone 4S as many customers must reserve them before purchasing instead of simply walk in and buy them. Apple has new products, new production methods, new markets and new forms of organization.   Regarding innovation, Steve Jobs has done a great job there.

This blog is originally from Oscar Lai and here are my comments on this issue.

The Obama administration is now introducing a “Pre-check” program that will filter people according to their potential threat to aviation. This system assures the safety and security of the USA however somehow violated the privacy of those passengers. There might be some passengers who are not feeling comfortable with sharing personal information with the airport but they don’t have a chance to reject this since this is the rule and policy. I understand the purposes behind all these actions, however, I disagree with them.  The USA could have used other methods in order to protect their country instead of taking all these actions since somehow it is not so respectful.