Category: 1-Minute Strategy

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.

Consider targeting your pitch to the person’s sensory preferences. With a visual person, help him or her picture how your idea will look. With an auditory person, pitch your idea in person rather than in writing.

Stocking your office with a few gift certificates to local restaurants and other businesses makes it easy for your boss to say “Thank you” or “Good job” to team members

Over the past few decades, we’ve become accustomed to pumping our own gas, dispensing our own soft drinks and bagging our own groceries. So, it’s not a stretch to ask customers and clients to serve themselves a bit. Example: Patients waiting for someone to process their payments can address postcards to themselves that will remind […]

Maintain a relaxed smile, whether you’re angry, glad, sad or scared. You don’t need to let everyone know how you feel. Hold your emotion cards close to the vest, says D.A. Benton, one of America’s top executive coaches.