Virtual Work - where work meets home...

Being productive at home may be a challenge for some due to living with others, or as the temptations to do other activities or procrastinate arise. Below are two methods that can assist with increasing productivity. 1. The Pomodoro Technique This requires setting a timer for 25 minutes to work on a specific task, then taking a 5 minute break when the timer rings. This indicates the end of a Pomodoro. This process is then repeated, with a longer break (such as 15 minutes) at the end of four Pomodoros. Pomodoros can be continued until the task is accomplished. 2. The Ivy Lee method This requires making a prioritized list of the 6 most important tasks you'd like to accomplish the next day. The list is usually created the previous night so the tasks can be started right away the next day. The order of importance outlined indicates the order in which tasks should be focused on until accomplished. At the end of the work day, you can check off the completed tasks, and roll-over the incom...

Training seminars don't have to be boring. As workplaces are now required to host training seminars virtually, it can be quite challenging for the presenters to keep the audience's attention. The key to this is to keep the presentation interactive. I recently attended a training which was able to attract the audience's attention even though our cameras were turned off. The presenters made the session engaging as their cameras were turned on and through the use of a visual presentation, with animation and succinct text which allowed us to easily follow. The session was also made interactive through activities and the audience's ability to ask questions, as well as unmute our mics and make use of the chat window to comment on the presenter's material.  Another incentive used to keep the audience attentive was the offer of prizes to 1st - 3rd place rankings for a quiz held at the end of the seminar, based on the content presented. I placed 2nd 🥈 Have you attended virt...