grlsgotalot2lrn 0 #1 April 5, 2006 I've done it - I've chosen the topic for my business communication class required persuasive speech - "Skydiving is an excellent choice for teambuilding in the business enviroment". The topic has to be related to business somehow, and this is what I came up with. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites Ron 7 #2 April 5, 2006 Put a movie INTO your power point. If you need help with that, PM me."No free man shall ever be debarred the use of arms." -- Thomas Jefferson, Thomas Jefferson Papers, 334 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites Dolph 0 #3 April 5, 2006 Excellent idea. One thing you may or may not want to address: The team building bit would be limited (for student skydivers at least) to sharing an extraordinary experience - but one that is an individual achievement, rather than the result of the effort of the group as a whole. Student skydivers are taken through the course together but the actual jumping - and this is stressed enormously where I'm from - is an individual thing. The responsibility lies with the individual and the individual him- or herself face all the consequences of following the decision. It's not until later in the skydiving career that real team accomplishments are added to the mix. The sharing of such an experience will bring people closer - if it is enough compared to other team building activities where the result is dependent on cooperation under (often) physical hardships - well, another matter :). Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites mattjw916 2 #4 April 5, 2006 Should've chose wind tunnel instead of skydiving... it's easier to do as a group activity and is more inclusive of people that are reluctant to jump out of planes as recreation. NSCR-2376, SCR-15080 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites altichick 0 #5 April 5, 2006 I remember hearing about a team building course that was based around following the instructions to pack a parachute... followed by a jump (I'm sure the parachutes were repacked overnight - not sure if the teams were told that or not though) Don't sweat the petty things... and don't pet the sweaty things! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites tombuch 0 #6 April 5, 2006 QuoteExcellent idea. One thing you may or may not want to address: The team building bit would be limited (for student skydivers at least) to sharing an extraordinary experience - but one that is an individual achievement, rather than the result of the effort of the group as a whole. Student skydivers are taken through the course together but the actual jumping - and this is stressed enormously where I'm from - is an individual thing. The responsibility lies with the individual and the individual him- or herself face all the consequences of following the decision. I often think of the tandem experience as trust building. That is, the student must learn to trust the instructor. On a solo jump, the student must learn to trust himself. So, skydiving can be understood as a team building event that begins by trusting somebody else, and then progressing to the point where the jumper trusts others for information and training, but puts it all into practice with full responsibility for the outcome.Tom Buchanan Instructor Emeritus Comm Pilot MSEL,G Author: JUMP! Skydiving Made Fun and Easy Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites damion75 0 #7 April 5, 2006 QuoteThe team building bit would be limited (for student skydivers at least) to sharing an extraordinary experience - but one that is an individual achievement, rather than the result of the effort of the group as a whole. I'm not sure I agree - I think that going through experiences like this ARE team building in the corporate sense - which I do not think is the same thing as building a sports team (of whatever kind) especially if you are working with a group who are a team already (corporate I guess in this case). I (used to!) participate / instruct in a variety of activities from mountaineering to sailing, many of which are also about individual accomplishment in adverse circumstances. In most of these situations, a completely diverse group comes together to support each other emotionally as much as anything else, and the achievement of the individual becomes the achievement of the team, even though they have done little or nothing to really make that achievement happen. You must have seen SL students on the ground waiting to jump watching someone from their training syndicate land and getting really pleased for them? That suggests some mentality of group ownership of individual success has taken place, which I would call team building. I hope that rambling nonsense made sense! By the way, Hi Dolph! Hope all is well over there and maybe see you at Empuria next Xmas!! *************** Not one shred of evidence supports the theory that life is serious - look at the platypus. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites BIGUN 1,053 #8 April 5, 2006 Please, oh please, oh please - heed my words, child. Do not use a .ppt presentation. As a former professor of communications; it got to the point where I promised one full letter grade drop for anyone who crossed the door with a .ppt presentation. First, you get tired of seeing the same venue, then you grow very wary of those who can't keep pace with their own presentation. There are those who puke every word into the .ppt and think, "Ta Da; I have communicated!!" And, my favorite. the stumble bum who can't hook it up to an InFocus and it takes 18 students to assist (cause now we have a challenge of who's the MOST technical in the class) You have 3 seconds to capture their attention, mesmerize them, astound them and be passionate in your convictions to be persuasive. How do you get that in a .ppt? Here is the key to a persuasive speech: It's just like sex. IF you can make the guys' peckers hard and the womens' pussies wet at the same time; you've got 'em. Yes, I said that in class - but, it was much cleaner. Feel free to PM to bounce ideas.Nobody has time to listen; because they're desperately chasing the need of being heard. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites porterhouse 0 #9 April 5, 2006 I am a business professional and an avid skydiver, and I think your idea is excellent. I would definately suggest the use of an awesome video, right off the bat, to ensure thier attention is locked. There are plenty of videos out there that will leave a non-jumper mesmerized with thier jaws on the ground. Good luck!! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites riggerrob 558 #10 April 5, 2006 We have done several "team building" sessions with business groups. The most memorable was a group of senior executives from Continental Airlines. About a dozen of them were in Vancouver for a series of meetings and team building" exercises. Only the senior-most man knew what was planned for that morning. AFTER they arrived at Pitt Meadows, he explained to them the goals of that morning's exercise: tandem jumps. Yada! Yada! Yada! We flew a total of four loads with our shiny Beech 18. I did tow jumps with their team leader. Even the guy in a wheelchair did a tandem jump. Our senior videographer sent them home with a professionally edited pep video, Continental Airlines logo and all .... Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites tbrown 26 #11 April 5, 2006 I think at the very least some video of stuff like Airspeed or the 400 Way are inspirational. However I do NOT like coercive "team building" projects, whether it's forcing people into Transcendental Meditation or (God forbid) jumping out of an airplane. Skydiving is dangerous, or so they tell me in these Forums. At the very least, it's a highly personal decision. What kind of joy are you supposed to get from a tandem jump if you're only doing it so you won't miss a promotion or get fired ? It's too horrible to contemplate, let alone the liability issues (you can bet a waiver wouldn't be worth the paper it was printed on). Your humble servant.....Professor Gravity ! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites tombuch 0 #12 April 5, 2006 QuoteHowever I do NOT like coercive "team building" projects, whether it's forcing people into Transcendental Meditation or (God forbid) jumping out of an airplane. Skydiving is dangerous, or so they tell me in these Forums. At the very least, it's a highly personal decision. What kind of joy are you supposed to get from a tandem jump if you're only doing it so you won't miss a promotion or get fired ? It's too horrible to contemplate, let alone the liability issues (you can bet a waiver wouldn't be worth the paper it was printed on). I think the initial post was about giving a lecture about skydiving as a team building event, rather than actually doing it. However, your point is a very good one, so I'll turn off topic a bit and discuss the risks of coercive jumps. A long while ago a college in upstate New York (I think it was Ithaca College) was offering physical education credit for completing a static line course and jump at Central Square, north of Syracuse. It was a cool program, but with a huge drawback. Every spring we would get a few loads of college students who needed a phys-ed credit to graduate, or they needed just one credit to graduate, and at that point in the semester the only way to get credit was to jump out of an airplane. Talk about foolish pressure! I made an agreement with all of my students that they had to complete the ground school and go up in the airplane, but if they didn't want to jump that was fine, I'd still sign the certificate so they would get credit. I had two take me up on the offer. They made it clear right up front that they had no desire to jump, so I put them in the back of the Cessna and all was well. Forcing anybody to jump, or adding unusual pressure such as a business team building program is a bad idea. If anything, a good business program should delve into risk management, and a risk/benefit analysis of the skydive. For some people the benefit will be worth the risk, for others it won't be. A good program will support whatever the individual decisions are, and look at how the decision was made. Heck, every business needs a mix of safe and stable managers, and risk takers. The process of defining a balance point is true for most business decisions, so there is a good way to relate the team building/decision making of a skydive to the goals of the company, and the value of the contributions of both types of managers. .Tom Buchanan Instructor Emeritus Comm Pilot MSEL,G Author: JUMP! Skydiving Made Fun and Easy Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites Zipp0 1 #13 April 5, 2006 Hire a DEMO jumper to land outside the classroom window. -------------------------- Chuck Norris doesn't do push-ups, he pushes the Earth down. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites Ron 7 #14 April 5, 2006 QuoteDo not use a .ppt presentation. As a former professor of communications; it got to the point where I promised one full letter grade drop for anyone who crossed the door with a .ppt presentation OVER USE is really bad. My biggest gripe is people who read off the damn slides It can be a very good tool. It makes a bad presentation onto itself and that is the problem. PPT is easy to use, and some people think all they need is a PPT presentation and nothing else. I think it can be very useful if used correctly. QuoteFirst, you get tired of seeing the same venue, then you grow very wary of those who can't keep pace with their own presentation You got tired of it, but thats because you saw them over and over and over, and that would get old. They work pretty well in a limited business situation. QuoteAnd, my favorite. the stumble bum who can't hook it up to an InFocus Those folks broke a major rule of ANY presentation....Practice with the equipment. I would bring a PPT starting with an opening slide with name...ect. The next slide would be a movie clip of a skydive. Something with an artsy side to it....Maybe skysurf since it had the most popularity. Maybe a slide about gear...Just a few bullet points, not a copy of Pointers. I would blackout the PPT and SHOW a rig to the class and and talk about it. The next slide would be about the team building benefits of making a first jump. The last slide would wrap it all up, and then turn off the PPT and ask, "I know you all have questions, so I handle as many as I can in the time allowed." Five total slides: 1. Introduction 2. Move (attention getter) 3. Gear (w/ physical prop) 4. Meat (reason for the whole presentation) 5. Conculsion. People who type a presentation and copy/paste it into a PPT have no clue about presentations. But you bring up a great point...The number one thing in ANY presentation is to play to the audience....In this case if the Professor hates PPT, I would not use it. In that case I would have pre-made flip charts with the same info, and a VCR set to play the clip."No free man shall ever be debarred the use of arms." -- Thomas Jefferson, Thomas Jefferson Papers, 334 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites grlsgotalot2lrn 0 #15 April 5, 2006 QuoteHire a DEMO jumper to land outside the classroom window Now, that would be an interesting intro or conclusion! I've already realized there will certainly be resistance to even the idea of skydiving as teambuilding, but luckily we are not graded on if we actually persuade anyone, just graded on the speech/presentation itself. And I plan on incorporating into my presentation options(ballonning, photographing event, ride/no jump,etc) for those reluctant to participate in skydiving as teambuilding. I would never want, and hope no business leader would want, anyone to feel coerced into something as dangerous as skydiving. But there is something to be said on both the individual and corporate business level for risk/reward evaluation and individual/group empowerment. I do think a video clip incorporated into powerpoint could work. Bigun - don't worry I won't fumble with the infocus projector, and I'll do my best to get 'em excited, but I am just supposed to wear business attire . Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites BIGUN 1,053 #16 April 5, 2006 LOTS of good advice on here from everyone. The video montage of skydiving beauty is excellent. Please let us know how it went? Really, I hope you do well... It's the most important speech you can learn to give for your entire career, no matter what chosen vocation. GO GET 'EM.Nobody has time to listen; because they're desperately chasing the need of being heard. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites Richards 0 #17 April 5, 2006 QuoteQuoteI've done it - I've chosen the topic for my business communication class required persuasive speech - "Skydiving is an excellent choice for teambuilding in the business enviroment". The topic has to be related to business somehow, and this is what I came up with. One minor drawback. This presumes that everyone in your office team will be willing to take up skydiving. Most want to do baseball (or paintball for the more adventurous), and will look at you like you have a cock growing out of your forehead when you ask them to jump out of a plane. Even if you do get initial agreement, many will have sudden "conflicting arrangenments" when the big day approaches. I have had numerous freinds (and groups of freinds) tell me that they were interested and would do it "someday" and someday never came. Many just said no fucking way. Richards My biggest handicap is that sometimes the hole in the front of my head operates a tad bit faster than the grey matter contained within. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites Ron 7 #18 April 5, 2006 QuoteOne minor drawback. This presumes that everyone in your office team will be willing to take up skydiving. I *think* she does not actually have to do the event. Just present an idea to a class. She is getting graded on the planning and the presentation. No one (I don't think) will ahve to really jump. If what I am thinking is true skydiving is great. It's original and will be remembered. However in the real world you would be 100% correct. It would be a badish idea to try and get most folks to jump as a team building event. Liek you said, Paintball is about as much "adventure" as most could stand."No free man shall ever be debarred the use of arms." -- Thomas Jefferson, Thomas Jefferson Papers, 334 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites BIGUN 1,053 #19 April 6, 2006 QuoteYou got tired of it, but thats because you saw them over and over and over, and that would get old. They work pretty well in a limited business situation. I got tired of them in the business environment first. Every meeting, EVERYONE giving a powerpoint. Some folks took more time working the presentation intead of giving it. PPT is a crutch in a persuasive speech. Informational Presentation - yes, I get it. Persuasion... uh uh.Nobody has time to listen; because they're desperately chasing the need of being heard. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites ntrprnr 0 #20 April 6, 2006 PM me - I took 100 CEO's skydiving during the summer of 2000 as a PR stunt - It was my first ever tandem - Everyone had a blast, we made all the business magazines, and from a team-building perspective, it was truly spectacular. The irony is, now that I'm a skydiver, I can see that the articles written were 100% completely factually inaccurate - but still fun as hell to do. Here's the Business Week article on it. Happy to share more info with you to help out. Cheers, -Peter_______________ "Why'd you track away at 7,000 feet?" "Even in freefall, I have commitment issues." Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites ntrprnr 0 #21 April 6, 2006 Oh yeah - one more thing - for the love of God - DON'T USE A POWERPOINT._______________ "Why'd you track away at 7,000 feet?" "Even in freefall, I have commitment issues." Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites grlsgotalot2lrn 0 #22 April 6, 2006 Great article - loved the comparisons! We are required to use at least one visual aid, any suggestions since ppt is not getting the votes. This is a very short presentation - 5 minutes, so it needs to be quick and effective. Also, what were the innaccuracies you encountered? I'm not going to try and persuade the class that it is safe(as it is not), just try and persuade them it is effective as teambuilding. Again thanks for article, and hope all your risktaking is rewarding! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites Ron 7 #23 April 6, 2006 QuoteWe are required to use at least one visual aid, any suggestions since ppt is not getting the votes. A rig A flip chart A video Either will work. A good place to get a video is whatever leader your DZ uses for the Tandem/AFF tapes. I know the Skydive City one is really good."No free man shall ever be debarred the use of arms." -- Thomas Jefferson, Thomas Jefferson Papers, 334 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites Ron 7 #24 April 6, 2006 QuoteI got tired of them in the business environment first. Every meeting, EVERYONE giving a powerpoint. Some folks took more time working the presentation intead of giving it. Well that would get old. I understand. Like I said they can be over done and over used. I think they can be a good tool as long as they are not the only tool you have. QuotePPT is a crutch in a persuasive speech. Informational Presentation - yes, I get it. Persuasion... uh uh Why? I don't see a big difference. As long as you are using the PPT for only the informational part. I normally don't use PPT when I teach since it can be a pain and I don't really need it. Really, just trying to improve my presentations so let me know."No free man shall ever be debarred the use of arms." -- Thomas Jefferson, Thomas Jefferson Papers, 334 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites BIGUN 1,053 #25 April 6, 2006 QuoteI normally don't use PPT when I teach since it can be a pain and I don't really need it. Exactly. You're confident and well-mastered in the subject enough to not have to rely on a crutch. I've seen you be persuasive on here. Even though its through another form of medium., it's you talking directly with us; not attaching a .ppt with bullets. I'm a big fan of Dr. Ernest Bormann http://www.vayne.com/bormann.us In 1992, I wrote a dissenting paper on Leadership Theories and was invited to defend it at the University of Oklahoma Comunications Conference. Dr. Bormann was my source for a lot of the paper. He helped me personally over the phone with some points I was trying to get across. Now, talk about persuasion. Going up to defend a paper before a board of PhD's who've been studying persuasion all their lives; stand before the panel with nothing but words and persuade them that [their] studies on leadership theory were wrong. Four hours of debate. YeeHAW! We got us a rodeo!Nobody has time to listen; because they're desperately chasing the need of being heard. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites Prev 1 2 Next Page 1 of 2 Join the conversation You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account. Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible. Reply to this topic... × Pasted as rich text. Paste as plain text instead Only 75 emoji are allowed. × Your link has been automatically embedded. Display as a link instead × Your previous content has been restored. Clear editor × You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL. 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Ron 7 #2 April 5, 2006 Put a movie INTO your power point. If you need help with that, PM me."No free man shall ever be debarred the use of arms." -- Thomas Jefferson, Thomas Jefferson Papers, 334 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Dolph 0 #3 April 5, 2006 Excellent idea. One thing you may or may not want to address: The team building bit would be limited (for student skydivers at least) to sharing an extraordinary experience - but one that is an individual achievement, rather than the result of the effort of the group as a whole. Student skydivers are taken through the course together but the actual jumping - and this is stressed enormously where I'm from - is an individual thing. The responsibility lies with the individual and the individual him- or herself face all the consequences of following the decision. It's not until later in the skydiving career that real team accomplishments are added to the mix. The sharing of such an experience will bring people closer - if it is enough compared to other team building activities where the result is dependent on cooperation under (often) physical hardships - well, another matter :). Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
mattjw916 2 #4 April 5, 2006 Should've chose wind tunnel instead of skydiving... it's easier to do as a group activity and is more inclusive of people that are reluctant to jump out of planes as recreation. NSCR-2376, SCR-15080 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
altichick 0 #5 April 5, 2006 I remember hearing about a team building course that was based around following the instructions to pack a parachute... followed by a jump (I'm sure the parachutes were repacked overnight - not sure if the teams were told that or not though) Don't sweat the petty things... and don't pet the sweaty things! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
tombuch 0 #6 April 5, 2006 QuoteExcellent idea. One thing you may or may not want to address: The team building bit would be limited (for student skydivers at least) to sharing an extraordinary experience - but one that is an individual achievement, rather than the result of the effort of the group as a whole. Student skydivers are taken through the course together but the actual jumping - and this is stressed enormously where I'm from - is an individual thing. The responsibility lies with the individual and the individual him- or herself face all the consequences of following the decision. I often think of the tandem experience as trust building. That is, the student must learn to trust the instructor. On a solo jump, the student must learn to trust himself. So, skydiving can be understood as a team building event that begins by trusting somebody else, and then progressing to the point where the jumper trusts others for information and training, but puts it all into practice with full responsibility for the outcome.Tom Buchanan Instructor Emeritus Comm Pilot MSEL,G Author: JUMP! Skydiving Made Fun and Easy Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
damion75 0 #7 April 5, 2006 QuoteThe team building bit would be limited (for student skydivers at least) to sharing an extraordinary experience - but one that is an individual achievement, rather than the result of the effort of the group as a whole. I'm not sure I agree - I think that going through experiences like this ARE team building in the corporate sense - which I do not think is the same thing as building a sports team (of whatever kind) especially if you are working with a group who are a team already (corporate I guess in this case). I (used to!) participate / instruct in a variety of activities from mountaineering to sailing, many of which are also about individual accomplishment in adverse circumstances. In most of these situations, a completely diverse group comes together to support each other emotionally as much as anything else, and the achievement of the individual becomes the achievement of the team, even though they have done little or nothing to really make that achievement happen. You must have seen SL students on the ground waiting to jump watching someone from their training syndicate land and getting really pleased for them? That suggests some mentality of group ownership of individual success has taken place, which I would call team building. I hope that rambling nonsense made sense! By the way, Hi Dolph! Hope all is well over there and maybe see you at Empuria next Xmas!! *************** Not one shred of evidence supports the theory that life is serious - look at the platypus. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
BIGUN 1,053 #8 April 5, 2006 Please, oh please, oh please - heed my words, child. Do not use a .ppt presentation. As a former professor of communications; it got to the point where I promised one full letter grade drop for anyone who crossed the door with a .ppt presentation. First, you get tired of seeing the same venue, then you grow very wary of those who can't keep pace with their own presentation. There are those who puke every word into the .ppt and think, "Ta Da; I have communicated!!" And, my favorite. the stumble bum who can't hook it up to an InFocus and it takes 18 students to assist (cause now we have a challenge of who's the MOST technical in the class) You have 3 seconds to capture their attention, mesmerize them, astound them and be passionate in your convictions to be persuasive. How do you get that in a .ppt? Here is the key to a persuasive speech: It's just like sex. IF you can make the guys' peckers hard and the womens' pussies wet at the same time; you've got 'em. Yes, I said that in class - but, it was much cleaner. Feel free to PM to bounce ideas.Nobody has time to listen; because they're desperately chasing the need of being heard. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
porterhouse 0 #9 April 5, 2006 I am a business professional and an avid skydiver, and I think your idea is excellent. I would definately suggest the use of an awesome video, right off the bat, to ensure thier attention is locked. There are plenty of videos out there that will leave a non-jumper mesmerized with thier jaws on the ground. Good luck!! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
riggerrob 558 #10 April 5, 2006 We have done several "team building" sessions with business groups. The most memorable was a group of senior executives from Continental Airlines. About a dozen of them were in Vancouver for a series of meetings and team building" exercises. Only the senior-most man knew what was planned for that morning. AFTER they arrived at Pitt Meadows, he explained to them the goals of that morning's exercise: tandem jumps. Yada! Yada! Yada! We flew a total of four loads with our shiny Beech 18. I did tow jumps with their team leader. Even the guy in a wheelchair did a tandem jump. Our senior videographer sent them home with a professionally edited pep video, Continental Airlines logo and all .... Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
tbrown 26 #11 April 5, 2006 I think at the very least some video of stuff like Airspeed or the 400 Way are inspirational. However I do NOT like coercive "team building" projects, whether it's forcing people into Transcendental Meditation or (God forbid) jumping out of an airplane. Skydiving is dangerous, or so they tell me in these Forums. At the very least, it's a highly personal decision. What kind of joy are you supposed to get from a tandem jump if you're only doing it so you won't miss a promotion or get fired ? It's too horrible to contemplate, let alone the liability issues (you can bet a waiver wouldn't be worth the paper it was printed on). Your humble servant.....Professor Gravity ! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
tombuch 0 #12 April 5, 2006 QuoteHowever I do NOT like coercive "team building" projects, whether it's forcing people into Transcendental Meditation or (God forbid) jumping out of an airplane. Skydiving is dangerous, or so they tell me in these Forums. At the very least, it's a highly personal decision. What kind of joy are you supposed to get from a tandem jump if you're only doing it so you won't miss a promotion or get fired ? It's too horrible to contemplate, let alone the liability issues (you can bet a waiver wouldn't be worth the paper it was printed on). I think the initial post was about giving a lecture about skydiving as a team building event, rather than actually doing it. However, your point is a very good one, so I'll turn off topic a bit and discuss the risks of coercive jumps. A long while ago a college in upstate New York (I think it was Ithaca College) was offering physical education credit for completing a static line course and jump at Central Square, north of Syracuse. It was a cool program, but with a huge drawback. Every spring we would get a few loads of college students who needed a phys-ed credit to graduate, or they needed just one credit to graduate, and at that point in the semester the only way to get credit was to jump out of an airplane. Talk about foolish pressure! I made an agreement with all of my students that they had to complete the ground school and go up in the airplane, but if they didn't want to jump that was fine, I'd still sign the certificate so they would get credit. I had two take me up on the offer. They made it clear right up front that they had no desire to jump, so I put them in the back of the Cessna and all was well. Forcing anybody to jump, or adding unusual pressure such as a business team building program is a bad idea. If anything, a good business program should delve into risk management, and a risk/benefit analysis of the skydive. For some people the benefit will be worth the risk, for others it won't be. A good program will support whatever the individual decisions are, and look at how the decision was made. Heck, every business needs a mix of safe and stable managers, and risk takers. The process of defining a balance point is true for most business decisions, so there is a good way to relate the team building/decision making of a skydive to the goals of the company, and the value of the contributions of both types of managers. .Tom Buchanan Instructor Emeritus Comm Pilot MSEL,G Author: JUMP! Skydiving Made Fun and Easy Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Zipp0 1 #13 April 5, 2006 Hire a DEMO jumper to land outside the classroom window. -------------------------- Chuck Norris doesn't do push-ups, he pushes the Earth down. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Ron 7 #14 April 5, 2006 QuoteDo not use a .ppt presentation. As a former professor of communications; it got to the point where I promised one full letter grade drop for anyone who crossed the door with a .ppt presentation OVER USE is really bad. My biggest gripe is people who read off the damn slides It can be a very good tool. It makes a bad presentation onto itself and that is the problem. PPT is easy to use, and some people think all they need is a PPT presentation and nothing else. I think it can be very useful if used correctly. QuoteFirst, you get tired of seeing the same venue, then you grow very wary of those who can't keep pace with their own presentation You got tired of it, but thats because you saw them over and over and over, and that would get old. They work pretty well in a limited business situation. QuoteAnd, my favorite. the stumble bum who can't hook it up to an InFocus Those folks broke a major rule of ANY presentation....Practice with the equipment. I would bring a PPT starting with an opening slide with name...ect. The next slide would be a movie clip of a skydive. Something with an artsy side to it....Maybe skysurf since it had the most popularity. Maybe a slide about gear...Just a few bullet points, not a copy of Pointers. I would blackout the PPT and SHOW a rig to the class and and talk about it. The next slide would be about the team building benefits of making a first jump. The last slide would wrap it all up, and then turn off the PPT and ask, "I know you all have questions, so I handle as many as I can in the time allowed." Five total slides: 1. Introduction 2. Move (attention getter) 3. Gear (w/ physical prop) 4. Meat (reason for the whole presentation) 5. Conculsion. People who type a presentation and copy/paste it into a PPT have no clue about presentations. But you bring up a great point...The number one thing in ANY presentation is to play to the audience....In this case if the Professor hates PPT, I would not use it. In that case I would have pre-made flip charts with the same info, and a VCR set to play the clip."No free man shall ever be debarred the use of arms." -- Thomas Jefferson, Thomas Jefferson Papers, 334 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
grlsgotalot2lrn 0 #15 April 5, 2006 QuoteHire a DEMO jumper to land outside the classroom window Now, that would be an interesting intro or conclusion! I've already realized there will certainly be resistance to even the idea of skydiving as teambuilding, but luckily we are not graded on if we actually persuade anyone, just graded on the speech/presentation itself. And I plan on incorporating into my presentation options(ballonning, photographing event, ride/no jump,etc) for those reluctant to participate in skydiving as teambuilding. I would never want, and hope no business leader would want, anyone to feel coerced into something as dangerous as skydiving. But there is something to be said on both the individual and corporate business level for risk/reward evaluation and individual/group empowerment. I do think a video clip incorporated into powerpoint could work. Bigun - don't worry I won't fumble with the infocus projector, and I'll do my best to get 'em excited, but I am just supposed to wear business attire . Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
BIGUN 1,053 #16 April 5, 2006 LOTS of good advice on here from everyone. The video montage of skydiving beauty is excellent. Please let us know how it went? Really, I hope you do well... It's the most important speech you can learn to give for your entire career, no matter what chosen vocation. GO GET 'EM.Nobody has time to listen; because they're desperately chasing the need of being heard. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Richards 0 #17 April 5, 2006 QuoteQuoteI've done it - I've chosen the topic for my business communication class required persuasive speech - "Skydiving is an excellent choice for teambuilding in the business enviroment". The topic has to be related to business somehow, and this is what I came up with. One minor drawback. This presumes that everyone in your office team will be willing to take up skydiving. Most want to do baseball (or paintball for the more adventurous), and will look at you like you have a cock growing out of your forehead when you ask them to jump out of a plane. Even if you do get initial agreement, many will have sudden "conflicting arrangenments" when the big day approaches. I have had numerous freinds (and groups of freinds) tell me that they were interested and would do it "someday" and someday never came. Many just said no fucking way. Richards My biggest handicap is that sometimes the hole in the front of my head operates a tad bit faster than the grey matter contained within. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Ron 7 #18 April 5, 2006 QuoteOne minor drawback. This presumes that everyone in your office team will be willing to take up skydiving. I *think* she does not actually have to do the event. Just present an idea to a class. She is getting graded on the planning and the presentation. No one (I don't think) will ahve to really jump. If what I am thinking is true skydiving is great. It's original and will be remembered. However in the real world you would be 100% correct. It would be a badish idea to try and get most folks to jump as a team building event. Liek you said, Paintball is about as much "adventure" as most could stand."No free man shall ever be debarred the use of arms." -- Thomas Jefferson, Thomas Jefferson Papers, 334 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
BIGUN 1,053 #19 April 6, 2006 QuoteYou got tired of it, but thats because you saw them over and over and over, and that would get old. They work pretty well in a limited business situation. I got tired of them in the business environment first. Every meeting, EVERYONE giving a powerpoint. Some folks took more time working the presentation intead of giving it. PPT is a crutch in a persuasive speech. Informational Presentation - yes, I get it. Persuasion... uh uh.Nobody has time to listen; because they're desperately chasing the need of being heard. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ntrprnr 0 #20 April 6, 2006 PM me - I took 100 CEO's skydiving during the summer of 2000 as a PR stunt - It was my first ever tandem - Everyone had a blast, we made all the business magazines, and from a team-building perspective, it was truly spectacular. The irony is, now that I'm a skydiver, I can see that the articles written were 100% completely factually inaccurate - but still fun as hell to do. Here's the Business Week article on it. Happy to share more info with you to help out. Cheers, -Peter_______________ "Why'd you track away at 7,000 feet?" "Even in freefall, I have commitment issues." Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ntrprnr 0 #21 April 6, 2006 Oh yeah - one more thing - for the love of God - DON'T USE A POWERPOINT._______________ "Why'd you track away at 7,000 feet?" "Even in freefall, I have commitment issues." Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
grlsgotalot2lrn 0 #22 April 6, 2006 Great article - loved the comparisons! We are required to use at least one visual aid, any suggestions since ppt is not getting the votes. This is a very short presentation - 5 minutes, so it needs to be quick and effective. Also, what were the innaccuracies you encountered? I'm not going to try and persuade the class that it is safe(as it is not), just try and persuade them it is effective as teambuilding. Again thanks for article, and hope all your risktaking is rewarding! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites Ron 7 #23 April 6, 2006 QuoteWe are required to use at least one visual aid, any suggestions since ppt is not getting the votes. A rig A flip chart A video Either will work. A good place to get a video is whatever leader your DZ uses for the Tandem/AFF tapes. I know the Skydive City one is really good."No free man shall ever be debarred the use of arms." -- Thomas Jefferson, Thomas Jefferson Papers, 334 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites Ron 7 #24 April 6, 2006 QuoteI got tired of them in the business environment first. Every meeting, EVERYONE giving a powerpoint. Some folks took more time working the presentation intead of giving it. Well that would get old. I understand. Like I said they can be over done and over used. I think they can be a good tool as long as they are not the only tool you have. QuotePPT is a crutch in a persuasive speech. Informational Presentation - yes, I get it. Persuasion... uh uh Why? I don't see a big difference. As long as you are using the PPT for only the informational part. I normally don't use PPT when I teach since it can be a pain and I don't really need it. Really, just trying to improve my presentations so let me know."No free man shall ever be debarred the use of arms." -- Thomas Jefferson, Thomas Jefferson Papers, 334 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites BIGUN 1,053 #25 April 6, 2006 QuoteI normally don't use PPT when I teach since it can be a pain and I don't really need it. Exactly. You're confident and well-mastered in the subject enough to not have to rely on a crutch. I've seen you be persuasive on here. Even though its through another form of medium., it's you talking directly with us; not attaching a .ppt with bullets. I'm a big fan of Dr. Ernest Bormann http://www.vayne.com/bormann.us In 1992, I wrote a dissenting paper on Leadership Theories and was invited to defend it at the University of Oklahoma Comunications Conference. Dr. Bormann was my source for a lot of the paper. He helped me personally over the phone with some points I was trying to get across. Now, talk about persuasion. Going up to defend a paper before a board of PhD's who've been studying persuasion all their lives; stand before the panel with nothing but words and persuade them that [their] studies on leadership theory were wrong. Four hours of debate. YeeHAW! We got us a rodeo!Nobody has time to listen; because they're desperately chasing the need of being heard. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites Prev 1 2 Next Page 1 of 2 Join the conversation You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account. Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible. Reply to this topic... × Pasted as rich text. Paste as plain text instead Only 75 emoji are allowed. × Your link has been automatically embedded. Display as a link instead × Your previous content has been restored. Clear editor × You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL. Insert image from URL × Desktop Tablet Phone Submit Reply 0
Ron 7 #23 April 6, 2006 QuoteWe are required to use at least one visual aid, any suggestions since ppt is not getting the votes. A rig A flip chart A video Either will work. A good place to get a video is whatever leader your DZ uses for the Tandem/AFF tapes. I know the Skydive City one is really good."No free man shall ever be debarred the use of arms." -- Thomas Jefferson, Thomas Jefferson Papers, 334 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Ron 7 #24 April 6, 2006 QuoteI got tired of them in the business environment first. Every meeting, EVERYONE giving a powerpoint. Some folks took more time working the presentation intead of giving it. Well that would get old. I understand. Like I said they can be over done and over used. I think they can be a good tool as long as they are not the only tool you have. QuotePPT is a crutch in a persuasive speech. Informational Presentation - yes, I get it. Persuasion... uh uh Why? I don't see a big difference. As long as you are using the PPT for only the informational part. I normally don't use PPT when I teach since it can be a pain and I don't really need it. Really, just trying to improve my presentations so let me know."No free man shall ever be debarred the use of arms." -- Thomas Jefferson, Thomas Jefferson Papers, 334 Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
BIGUN 1,053 #25 April 6, 2006 QuoteI normally don't use PPT when I teach since it can be a pain and I don't really need it. Exactly. You're confident and well-mastered in the subject enough to not have to rely on a crutch. I've seen you be persuasive on here. Even though its through another form of medium., it's you talking directly with us; not attaching a .ppt with bullets. I'm a big fan of Dr. Ernest Bormann http://www.vayne.com/bormann.us In 1992, I wrote a dissenting paper on Leadership Theories and was invited to defend it at the University of Oklahoma Comunications Conference. Dr. Bormann was my source for a lot of the paper. He helped me personally over the phone with some points I was trying to get across. Now, talk about persuasion. Going up to defend a paper before a board of PhD's who've been studying persuasion all their lives; stand before the panel with nothing but words and persuade them that [their] studies on leadership theory were wrong. Four hours of debate. YeeHAW! We got us a rodeo!Nobody has time to listen; because they're desperately chasing the need of being heard. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
