Category: 1-Minute Strategy
If you’re always punishing yourself for saying “yes” too often, look at the situations where it happens. Meetings and phone calls are more likely to cause you to commit to something—you naturally lose some control of the conversation and are forced to think on your feet, causing hasty answers. Email, on the other hand, gives […]
Discover your true passion by creating a three-column list, says career counselor Karen James Chopra. In the first column, write down every job you’ve ever had (including that lifeguard gig you had one summer). In the second, list what you liked. In the third, what you disliked. “I promise you,” she says, “themes emerge.”
Few things cause people more angst than the nuts and bolts of a conference call. “Do we dial 9 first?” “Where’s the mute button?” “Wait … should we have pressed #? Is that why we can’t hear?” Help out by providing terse, clear and permanent instructions beside each common phone in the office.
Is there an admin colleague you feel has really come through for everyone during the current crisis? Check out the “Handling Crisis Brilliantly” award to get them the recognition they deserve.
Keep these tips in mind: 1. Close down any unnecessary tabs and programs to avoid interruptions or dropoffs. 2. Those blinds behind you? They’re likely causing pixelization or visual distortion. 3. Always have yourself muted when you’re not speaking. 4. If you have no camera feed while most others are visible on the screen, it […]
Got gaps or glitches in your work history? Just place those events in the proper context. If you’ve bounced from job to job, present yourself as having a wide range of experience—and thus you now have insight into exactly what you want. Fill in gaps, meanwhile, by letting employers know exactly what you were doing […]
Looking to chill out whenever and however you can? Try switching for a while from the radio to audiobooks or podcasts. When we turn on morning deejays or even just listen to tunes interspersed by commercials, we’re constantly reminded that we’re living in real time, bombarded by the present. Pre-recorded voices that speak without interruption […]
Ever retrieve a voice mail and the caller rattled off their call-back number so fast you had to replay it … three times? When leaving your phone number on a voice mail, ensure the recipient has an easy time with it. Use your index finger to “write it out” as you’re reciting it. This slower […]
Former admin pro Gina Estrada offers this tip: “Work like you own the company. I found that most administrative procedures were put in place from someone who has never been in that position … ask yourself, if I owned the company, how would I accomplish XYZ?” The best book she ever read as an admin? […]
Avoid getting ensnared in a conversation that’s going on too long by stating your key point, then angling your body toward the door for the duration. Visually demonstrating you intend to soon be on your way tells people you’re busy and will get them to focus and edit themselves.