Category: 1-Minute Strategy

When we see the letters Re: in front of a subject line, our first instinct is often to think that someone is replying to our message, and so we’re liable to take a quick look. Marketers will often insert those letters to increase their email open rates, so you might want to consider this sly […]

That’s an easy one: None of it. The list of reasons that people—even good people—subconsciously distort the truth for their own ends is a long one, and the only policy you should have toward gossip is one of complete and immediate dismissal. If it can’t be proven, always assume the story didn’t really happen the […]

You know that feeling you get when you show up for work in a new outfit? After your next setback at the office, one that really makes you brood, think about heading right down to the mall and picking out something nice, then walking in the next day wearing it. It will make your rebound […]

If anyone you know gets finicky about adding those extra four digits to a zip code, you can safely tell them to chill out.

To give yourself a lifetime of occasional moments that give you a literary air while both impressing people and moving them, find a very short poem you admire and commit it to memory—or even just four or five lines that capture a great poem’s essence. Poems can send powerful messages, and few who hear your […]

Yeah, they’re all adults in your workplace, but there’s still a little kid in everyone. Go to this fun resource and choose a free adult coloring page to print out and distribute to each of your contestants. Give them a deadline of a few days to week to work their artistic magic. Then hold an […]

Hand out a floor map of your workplace to new employees to help them navigate and get acquainted with the lay of the land. Show them who sits where, the location of equipment, files, restrooms, key offices such as HR, etc. It doesn’t have to be fancy, but it should be drawn to scale on […]

One of the things every co-worker has a right to expect of us is that we’ll read and react to all our emails from them. When we claim we didn’t see one, or forgot about it, it’s reasonable for them to question our work methods. After all, those messages just hang out in our inbox, […]

One of an admin team’s main responsibilities should be to act cooperatively as a welcoming committee for all new employees who join it. Assign everyone a small task for that purpose—one person is in charge of assembling a welcome folder, one person prepares their desk, one takes them to lunch or gives an unofficial tour, […]

There are a lot of decent laminators on the market for under $50 that will add a layer of protection and a touch of class to your bulletin board memos … employee achievement certificates … proposals to your boss …. business cards … all the important pieces for a new-employee welcome package … interoffice restaurant […]