Category: 1-Minute Strategy

When someone hands you a file and begins telling you what he or she wants, maintain eye contact with the person rather than staring at the file. You’ll forge a connection, pick up cues that might not appear on paper (such as urgency) and encourage the person to explain the assignment more thoroughly.

Follow the 20/20/20 rule when working at a computer: Every 20 minutes take a 20-second break to look 20 feet away. Blink to keep your eyes moist. Gently cupping your palms over your closed eyes also can reduce eyestrain.

If you’re tempted to use humor in your next presentation, make sure it helps illustrate a problem or encourages the audience to embrace your position. If you’re telling a joke just to get a laugh, skip it.

Instead of saying “I hope this is a good day,” start by asking, “How can I make this a good day?” At the end of the day, don’t think, “How did my day go?” Instead ask, “What was good about today? What did I learn? How can I make tomorrow better?”

Always state your position in positive terms. Say, “I’ll have it to you by 8 a.m. tomorrow,” instead of “I can’t get to that until late today.” Or say, “I will complete it in two hours,” not “I’ll get to that ASAP.”

Develop a system so your boss sees every urgent item before he departs each day: Place a “high priority” label on a red folder or a special in-box on his desk.

“It don’t matter.”  Should be “It doesn’t matter.”“That’s a whole nother issue.” Should be “That’s a whole other issue.”“Where you at?” Should be “Where are you?”Also, use “said” instead of “like” and “go.”

Don’t use phrases that call your integrity into question. Example: “To be perfectly honest …” That implies you haven’t been honest until now.

Go through your workspace and toss out papers, supplies and any unnecessary items you’ve kept for “someday” use but haven’t used in the past year. Eliminating unused clutter allows you to find important items faster.

Take the sting out of negative feedback by speaking diplomatically. Instead of saying, “You’re wrong,” say, “Let’s make sure we’re on the right track.” You’ll avoid triggering defensiveness.