Category: 1-Minute Strategy

Create a cheat sheet for emergencies and leave it on your desk. That way, when your personal life calls (sick children, aging parents, etc.) neither you nor your boss will feel as stressed out. And if your manager needs to, say, book a meeting room as you’re flying out the door, she’ll know how to […]

When you return from a conference or training, prepare a brief report for your manager on what you learned and how you will use it. Plan a training session for others who can benefit from it.

If you don’t know where you’re going, you’ll never get there. Set short- and long-term goals.

When sharing your insights with a bigwig, be bold and brief. Rather than oversell your point or babble out of nervousness, test the listener’s reaction with questions such as, “Would you like an example?”

When the boss asks you how your weekend was, don’t just say, “fine” and move on. Instead, tell how you benefited from an experience on the job or had a work-related brainstorm.

Just because you have high expectations, don’t take great work for granted. Taking a moment to say “great job” can make someone’s day.

Check whether someone unfamiliar with your company’s voice mail system can navigate it easily. Always give callers the option to talk with someone, so they aren’t stuck in voice mail hell.

Before they arrive to work for the first time, email new employees helpful information such as where to park, what the organization’s dress code is and where to go when they arrive at the building.

Clear the air with a grumpy colleague by bringing the topic out in the open. Example: “You look unhappy. What can we do about it?”

Prevent a disaster by proofreading every digit in every phone number carefully. One wrong digit in a phone number in a press release had recipients dialing a phone sex line instead of the intended company. If you’re unfamiliar with a number, dial it yourself to check.