Want to keep a meeting brief? Don’t sit down to talk if you can complete the discussion in the time it would take to ride an elevator to the top of an office building. Standing for a “huddle” with colleagues helps keep the session brief.
Large or small, projects need to be managed. Or, quickly, we will find them managing us. Many of us can’t afford or choose not to use robust project management software. Can Microsoft Outlook 2007 be an alternative? You bet! Using Outlook tasks and a view called Timeline can give us the kind of look into our current projects once thought to be available only in expensive project management systems.
You’re leaving for vacation, so you dutifully set up the classic “Out of the office, will reply to your message when I get back” e-mail auto-responder. But the auto-reply message doesn’t get rid of the nagging feeling that you’re missing something. Before you go on vacation, set up a custom auto-reply system that will make it easier for you to relax.
Don’t be surprised if callers are too stunned or confused to respond when you spurt out your standard greeting when answering the phone. (“ThankyouforcallingXYZCompany.ThisisKathy.HowcanIhelpyou?”) Pause, take a breath and speak slowly so the caller can understand you.
Not everyone in the workplace needs to be on Twitter—indeed, some workplaces have deemed the social-media tool verboten. But the free messaging tool, used strategically, can be helpful for keeping tabs on your industry.
When you complete a conversation, mention the other person’s name, which creates a bond and cements the name to memory. “I’ll reserve that conference room for your meeting right now, Tom.”
I feel passionate about how much time we waste comparing ourselves to others. We make assumptions about their lives, rather than recognize that they, too, struggle with their own limiting beliefs, challenges and self-doubts. If we compare ourselves only to the superachievers, we’re always going to walk away thinking we’re not good enough. We need to acknowledge that we are doing our best daily and give ourselves credit for all our efforts.
Consider two administrative assistants within the same company: Tara forges relationships across departmental lines while Max is mainly interested in meeting his team’s needs. When it’s time for company leadership to tap employees to work on a new, interdepartmental project, whom do you think they’ll pick?
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 today.” Or say, “I will complete it in two hours,” not “I’ll get to that ASAP.”
Question: “I can’t seem to find the happy medium between too much work and not enough. Although I’ve been doing training for 20 years, I still spend a million hours on my lesson plans and class materials. My experience should enable me to work much more quickly, but if I don’t spend all my spare time prepping for class, I feel like a slacker. I’d like to nurture my creative side by trying out some new hobbies and activities. How can I stop devoting so much time to my work?” — Too Dedicated
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