Category: 1-Minute Strategy

One type of employee who definitely does not inspire confidence is the rusher—someone who physically moves much faster as he tackles a task or tears down the hallway at a sprint because he feels rushed. This type of frenetic movement doesn’t save any significant time, but it does broadcast to everyone that you’re not in […]

By casually mentioning a downside or two of your ideas when you discuss them, you gain credibility as an objective, fair-minded person who thinks everything through. You also get ahead of the arguments that you may encounter, leaving opponents with less firepower to their objections.

One good way to really wake up your reader, no matter how dry the topic of your document, is to very occasionally drop a paragraph consisting of a single sentence between two larger bodies of text. It can provide a dramatic jolt and create a quick, laser-like focus on the topic of that sentence.

Sending an electronic thank-you note is never quite as classy as a paper note or card, but there’s one way to make your gratitude stand out: Create a memorable subject line that’ll pop up impressively in their inbox. Instead of just “Thank you for your gift” or “We appreciate you going the extra mile,” which […]

Let’s face it: It’s not enough to just turn your cellphone off and try to ignore it. As long as it’s within arm’s reach, you know you’re going to check it too often at work. To solve this, create an intentionally inconvenient “holding pen” for it, a place in your cubicle that’s not at all […]

Most people are so busy just making a living that their company’s place in the public eye isn’t very important to them. But once in a while, it’s good to take a few minutes to Google the company you work for. Read up on what others have to say about it and who is noticing […]

So life is getting a little stale and you’re looking for inspiration. When you don’t feel like dragging yourself to meetups or spending money on travel, try this: Go to a bookstore and walk not to the shelves, but to the magazine section. Get an eyeful of the dozens of niche publications created for unusual […]

While it’s great to do some serious dusting once in a while, there’s one area of your office that probably needs a cleaning more than any other: your computer network. It doesn’t take long for it to become a cluttered maze of superfluous and forgotten folders, subfolders and useless files. Set aside a day for […]

If you don’t know too many people at work but would like to, here’s a way to make them come to you: Festoon your desk and cubicle walls with evidence of your hobbies and personal interests. The more specific your displays, the more likely someone will stop by in passing to chat you up about […]

If you have a tendency to push things off until the last minute, don’t be too hard on yourself. Setting a laser-like focus on a particular task when a deadline is far away is a skill many of us just don’t have, and waiting till crunch time is a natural way to be pushed into […]