Category: 1-Minute Strategy

Double-check email messages where the stakes are high by taking this extra proofreading step: Print it out. It’s often easier to spy misspellings or other embarrassing errors when text is in print.

When attending a seminar or training class, always sit up front. The closer you sit to the speaker, the more involved you’ll feel, the easier you’ll find it to pay attention, and the more you’ll be inclined to ask a question if something occurs to you. Sitting in the back row makes it too easy […]

Bart Turczynski at Zety brings us a guide to writing a résumé for administrative assistants, with several examples, templates and a builder. Check it out here.

Whenever you are about to find fault with someone, ask yourself the following question: What fault of mine most nearly resembles the one I am about to criticize? – Marcus Aurelius

Stressed out on the job? Try listening to “Weightless,” ambient music by Marconi Union that was found to induce a 65% reduction in anxiety and a 35% reduction in usual psychological resting rates, so says the research group Mindlab International. The researchers said the piece produced a greater state of relaxation than any other music […]

Certain behaviors invite a permanent stigma—for example, once you accidentally eat someone else’s lunch, they’ll never truly forget it. The same goes for assuming a closed simply door means “Come on in, it was just getting a little too breezy in here!” and opening it just because you feel that what you need can’t wait. […]

When a friend loses his or her job, your first instinct will likely be to jump in with employment recommendations and other advice on what to do next. Keep in mind, though, that immediately after a layoff, someone is likely to feel like everybody has suddenly become their mom and dad, chiding them to do […]

Eliminate communication patterns that broadcast weakness, and you’ll be on your way to becoming a force in the office. Example: If you need something, tell, don’t ask. The more deferential you are, the more you’ll be treated as someone who’s weak. Say, “I need the budget figues by 2 p.m.,” not “Could you send the […]

A decision journal is a great way to figure out what works and what doesn’t. When faced with an important choice, write down what you decide, why you made that choice, what you expect to happen and how you feel about the possible out­­comes, says author Michael Mau­­bous­­sin. Doing so will help you understand your […]

A new study by researchers at the University of Minnesota found that experiment participants in both tidy rooms and messy ones contributed the same number of ideas for new uses for pingpong balls, but the ideas from people in the messy rooms were rated as more interesting and creative when evaluated by impartial judges. “Disorderly […]