BEMIDJI, Minn. — Kerry Ross, industrial training coordinator at the Bemidji State University Center for Research and Innovation, will describe what makes presentations effective or ineffective during a noon Brown Bag Lunch program Wednesday, Nov. 5, at the CRI, an off-campus facility located at 3801 Bemidji Avenue North.

Attendees are encouraged to bring a bag lunch for the one-hour session, which is open free to the public.

“The work environment has changed since I was a human resource manager and the focus was on hiring people who had specific skills to do the job,” said Ross. “Now organizations will teach the right person through on-the-job training. They want people with softer skills, such as the ability to interact with others. Presentations are an important piece of that.”

During the program, she will cover the basics of PowerPoint software and share hints on using visuals in a non-distracting manner. Ross will also identify the top 10 presentation pitfalls and suggest ways to avoid those problems.

“One pitfall is forgetting about the audience,” Ross explained. “You need to understand what is in it for them and why they are attending. If you know they have been mandated to attend the talk, you need to acknowledge and prepare for it. As long as a person stays focused on the audience in preparation and delivery, it will go fine.

“This program will help those who build a presentation for an intended result on the audience,” said Ross. “The keys to effective presentations remain the same, regardless of its purpose or audience, and the ideas discussed during this session are applicable to all situations.”

At the CRI, Ross is responsible for the design, development and implementation of all non-credit instruction and corporate contracts. Her experience includes 10 years in human resource management. A professional corporate trainer for the past five years, she focuses on such human resource areas as leadership, supervision, conflict management, team building, time management, effective customer service, and managing change.

The session is part of free training and informational presentations offered by the CRI each month. A full schedule can be found at http://www.cri-bsu.org/BrownbagSeries.html.

For more information, contact the Bemidji State University Center for Research and Innovation at (218) 755-4900; toll free, (888) 738-3224; email, cri@bemidjistate.edu; or at http://www.cri-bsu.org.

FOR YOUR CALENDAR
Oct. 8 – noon – 1 p.m. – Bemidji State University Center for Research and Innovation Brown Bag Lunch training session on presentation pitfalls and successes. Presenter: Kerry Ross, industrial training coordinator, CRI. Location: CRI; 3801 Bemidji Ave. N.; Bemidji, Minn. Cost: free; participants encouraged to bring a lunch. For information: (218) 755-4900; (888) 738-3224; http://www.cri-bsu.org.