Category: 1-Minute Strategy

When attending a large group meeting, don’t sit with people from your department or office. If familiar faces surround you, you’re less likely to reach out and make new connections.

If you keep saying, “It’s nothing” when your boss or someone else thanks you for a great job, he or she will start to believe you. Try, “I’m thrilled that I could help.”

Use Hallmark admin Kay Enlow’s method: She e-mails higher-ups after their presentations to thank them and ask related questions. Result: She knows the business better, and even the CEO knows her.

If seated, stand to shake hands. Hold the person’s hand for about two seconds, or long enough to notice the color of his eyes, where you should be looking anyway.

Draw out the other person by asking his opinion on the latest blockbuster movie, best-selling book or vacation destination. Avoid politics.

When you enter a staff meeting, take your seat without fanfare. Searching through your notebook, slapping files on the table or rearranging your hair can undermine your professionalism. You radiate more power through less movement.

When you fail, determine whether the poor result came from something you control (like lack of hard work) or something you don’t control (like insufficient time or budget). That will tell you how to improve next time, or whether to stop blaming yourself.

Don’t overlook obvious places to display officewide info: The copier, fax machine and near the breakroom coffeepot are great places for posting information.

Skip the pleasantries. Saying something like, “I hope you’re having a good day” clutters your message and wastes the recipient’s time. Focus on the facts you must convey, such as your name and phone number.

Resist the urge to send out an incendiary e-mail by imagining it on the front page of your company’s newsletter. Ask yourself: “Would I be embarrassed?”