I have to give a presentation on something to do with office and I'm stuck. Others have done dress for success

Question

I am thinking of office ethics, but have nothing to go on. I don't want to do dress for success, being the only thing that I am confident on doing, but I am totally at a loss of what to do. Does anyone have any suggestions on a presentation I could give on office work? I don't even know how to go about giving a presentation on business ethics using PowerPoint.Any good topics out there?

Answer 1

dilbert comic strips lol.

sorry--no ideas here--never worked in an office.

Answer 2

depends on how much time you have to research and put your presentation together, but an interesting topic is a discussion of different "personality types" and how people with these personality types interact in the office.

After 20 some years of working in offices, one thing I've noticed is that very few people actually realize that not everyone sees the world the same way they do and that not everyone is motivated by the same things.

Start by doing an internet search on Myers-Briggs personality tests and find a few free online tests and do them and see which of the 16 categories you fall into (the categories are based on Carl Jung's theories of personality types).  Next, read up on your personality type a bit, and then read summaries of the other personality types.  Finally, find a book or some websites that discuss these various personality types in relation to work environments.

It's a fairly big topic to research, and I'm not sure if it lends itself to a brief presentation, but God knows most people could stand to get outside themselves enough to try to understand other people's strengths, weaknesses and viewpoints in the office.

Answer 3

How about phone etiquette?  I think every employee can use some reminders on that topic now and then!  A phone call is often a customer's first experience with a business, and they will form an opinion of that company based on how they're treated on the phone.  So phone etiquette is very important!  

If you decide to go with this topic, you should ask your boss if there are any specific procedures he wants to be followed.  But here are some things that most people find very irritating:

1) Getting a recording or voicemail.  We're all busy these days, and when we make a phone call, we want to get the answers we need right away.  If a customer calls and is prompted to leave a message, they may not have the time or desire to wait for their message to be returned. They'll simply call another company that can help them right now; and that's lost business.  Every effort should be made to have a human being answer the phone, every time it rings.

2)  Being left on hold.  Nobody likes waiting on hold, especially if they're forced to listed to corny music or irritating company hype.  Of course, sometimes it's unavoidable.  But the caller should always be asked first, "Do you mind holding a moment?"  And if it's going to be over a minute, they should be told: "It may be a few minutes; do you mind holding, or would you like to leave a message?"

3)  Being transferred without notice:  How many times has this happened to you?  You call and start explaining your problem or question, and suddenly - "click" - you're being transferred.  When someone else answers, you're not sure who you're talking to, or whether they've been told why you're calling.  Do you need to repeat yourself or not?   That's really irritating!  If a customer needs to be transferred, they should be told: "Let me transfer you to John Smith in accounting; he'll be able to help you."

4)  Being asked "Who is this?" or "Who's calling?" when you ask for someone.  Customers find that degrading, because it sounds like you're screening calls... like the person they're calling for will only be available if the caller is "important" enough.  Of course, every customer is important!  When a caller asks to speak with someone who's actually there, the answer should always be: "Yes, one moment please while I transfer you." or "Yes, let me check if she's available."  It's not necessary to ask who it is, unless you've been directed to find out.  In that case, you can say, "Yes, can I tell her who's calling?"  But don't say, "May I ask who's calling?" - that just sounds nosey.

You can probably search the web and find a lot more on this topic of phone etiquette, but I hope this gives you some ideas to start with.  Good luck!

Answer 4

I think Office ethics is a great topic. A fun way to put a twist on it would be to watch a few seasons of The Office and compare and contrast. Another good topic would be on the effects of putting people into cubicles (Make a joke about Milton from Office Space). Also, sexual harassment in the office place, abuse of power in management positions, or why people go postal... there's some good ones!