Q: This first step is very important, because a coin with a low silver percentage mixed with other metals will make for a discolored ring. American quarters made before 1964 are 90% silver, while quarters dated 1965 and later are mixed with copper and nickel. Because of their silver percentage, pre-1965 quarters make excellent rings.  Feel free to use other coins, just make sure to Google them beforehand and find out what percentage of silver they are. There are lots of coins to choose from on sites like eBay. The larger the coin, the thicker the ring. A quarter is a great size, but half dollars may actually work better for someone with larger fingers, or someone desiring a thicker band.  It is perfectly legal to make rings out of U.S. coins, despite what many people think. It’s important that the surface is smooth and sturdy, so the coin does not become warped. Don't worry if you don't have an anvil, because any hard metal surface will do just fine. The surface should be somewhere comfortable because you will be working on it for a good while. It is important to tap and not pound on the coin, or your ring will become distorted. Roll the coin on the hard surface as you tap along the edge.  The ring will slowly start to get smooth and will begin “mushrooming” out. In other words, the perimeter of the ring will start to widen as you tap, and a lip will form along the sides of the coin. This step of the process will take you the longest. You should notice the lip forming after about fifteen minutes of tapping, and it can take up to an hour for the ring to be as wide as you'd like.  Continue tapping along the side until the width of the lip is the desired width of the ring. This will take a long time, so turn on the television or some music and make yourself comfortable. A good measure of your progress is to watch the writing along the perimeter of the ring. Slowly but surely, that writing should move to the inside of the lip.
A: Find a coin that’s at least 80% silver. Place your coin on a solid pounding surface, such as an anvil. Begin tapping gently along the perimeter of the coin with a hammer.

Q: Typically, the employee's manager should be the one to provide feedback. If you manage people, it is your job to give them timely, clear feedback. In some cases, it might be more appropriate for someone from Human Resources to address the issue. For example, if it is a sensitive issue regarding health, an HR professional might be better equipped to handle the issue.  If you are a small business owner, you might want to be in charge of providing feedback to all of your employees. Alternatively, you can delegate it to an employee that you trust. All employees should receive feedback, whether they are part-time or full-time. At the very least, set up a quarterly meeting to check-in. But also give feedback anytime you see an issue with performance. It's important to track overall performance so that you can objectively evaluate how the employee is doing. That means that you need to document it whenever an issue occurs. For example, if you are a small business owner, you might have a problem with employees showing up on time. Each time someone is late, make a note in their file. You should also mention it to them in person.  Also make a point to document it when someone does something well. For example, if your employee made it a point to spend a lot of time helping a customer, make a note in their file that they went above and beyond. Also, tell them in person that you appreciate their efforts. You can also send feedback in an email to have further documentation. Providing feedback quickly allows you to correct any issues that have arisen and it also ensures that the performance issue is fresh in the employee’s mind. If you need to give someone feedback, try to do so as soon as possible. This might mean at the end of the day, or even at the moment. If it’s a more complicated issue, take a few days to make your plan.  If an employee is arguing with a co-worker or client, it’s okay to draw them aside to address the situation immediately. You can always follow up later with written feedback. Make sure to give positive feedback, too. You might say to an employee, “I noticed you’ve been taking on a lot more responsibility lately. Let’s meet next week to talk about leadership opportunities that are available.” Follow up with an email to remind them of what you spoke about. Avoid using generalities. You don’t want any ambiguity in your feedback. Use precise language to clearly state the issue and how it needs to be handled.  Don’t say, “You’re not doing a good job.” Instead, be specific and say, “This job requires you to hold staff meetings once a week. The past 2 weeks, you have failed to set a meeting time or circulate an agenda. This leads to a breakdown in communication and your team members are lacking direction.” Avoid contradicting previous feedback. For example, maybe you own a small boutique. If you asked an employee to make a display of fall boots, don't later say that they should have highlighted sweaters instead. Objective words rely on facts, whereas subjective terms can often involve feeling and emotions. Make sure to be objective when you give feedback so that you can use documentation and facts to support your points.  Instead of saying, “The employee has a bad attitude,” say, “The employee refuses to attend required team-building exercises and often ignores co-workers when they try to speak to them.” Try saying, “The employee doesn’t look good,” say, “The employee regularly comes to work in jeans, when company policy requires business professional attire.” Absolutes are rarely true, so it’s best not to use them. Try not to say things like, “The employee is never on time,” or “The employee is always argumentative.” You likely won’t be able to prove these statements if the employee questions the feedback.
A: Provide feedback to all employees you supervise directly. Document both problems and positive outcomes. Give feedback in a timely manner. Use specific language to make your points clear. Choose objective terms to describe performance. Avoid using absolutes.

Q: Look for mistakes and do touch-ups. Best of all, read it through as if you were giving the presentation and see how it all pulls together.
A:
Look over the presentation at least five times.