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Year: 2010

9 tips for an emergency energy boost

“When your energy level is low, everything feels like a chore,” says Gretchen Rubin, author of The Happiness Project, “even things that would ordinarily make you happy.” Exercise and a good night’s sleep can boost energy, of course. But what if you need more energy right now? Try one of these strategies:

Outlook help: How do I make important messages stand out?

Question:  “My boss gets at least 25 calls a day. He does not want the phone messages written down on paper; he wants them e-mailed to him.  However, he gets hundreds of e-mails a day, and he complains that his phone messages get lost in the shuffle. How can I resolve this and make it simple for him and me?” — Laura Sanford

Baby boomer vs. Gen Y: Can you adapt to a younger workplace?

Question: “I’m an older student, in an internship. I’m seeking advice on how to deal with immaturity in my fellow interns (they are in their 20s, I’m in my 50s).  I didn’t realize they were ganging up on me until I was recently informed by another intern.  Also, they brown-nose the supervisor, while I’m more independent.  So, as I’m beginning to express anger at the interns’ treatment of me, I’m looking like the difficult one.  Even if I believe there’s some ageism involved, it won’t make me popular with management to state this. How do I handle the situation? Can you recommend any books on baby boomer/Gen Y interaction?” — Anonymous

Boss forbids all nonwork-related talk

Question: “The vice president of our department recently sent an email forbidding all conversation that is not directly related to work. If she finds someone in another person’s office, she says "What’s going on here? I hope you’re talking about work!"  No other group has a rule like this. This woman has a longstanding reputation for being unreasonable. No one likes her except the CEO, but his opinion counts for a lot. We’ve thought about talking to the human resources manager. Is that a good idea?” — Afraid to Speak

Formatting a business letter: Where should RE go?

Question: “I see so many letters today with the RE line directly below the inside address. I learned that anything below the inside address should pertain to the address. I also learned that anything pertaining to the body of the letter should be placed in the RE line, and it should be directly below the salutation. Have the rules changed?  Does the RE line now go under the inside address and above the salutation?” — Betty Dotseth

Help! My boss plays solitaire while I pound out the work!

Question: “My boss is somewhat disorganized, so I track requests sent to him and then meet with him every few days to make sure he hasn’t let anything fall through the cracks. This takes a considerable amount of my time. I have become very disheartened the past few weeks because every time I go into his office he is playing solitaire! The company measures our success by department responsiveness. How should I approach him about how this affects our accomplishments? This reflects poorly on both of us.” — Anonymous

Keeping your job after a buyout

Question:  “I am the public relations director for a group of radio stations. Out of the clear blue, we were bought by a wealthy television entrepreneur who has no experience in radio. I immediately e-mailed him a brief overview of my background, to which he replied in a positive and professional way.  However, I’m concerned about my future. Can you offer any suggestions for enhancing my visibility and promoting my importance with the new owner?” — Newly Acquired

HR Record Retention Guidelines

A records retention schedule ensures that an organization keeps the records it needs for operational, legal, fiscal or historical reasons, and then destroys them when they’re no longer useful. You may base your records retention schedule on your own experience and research of legal mandates or on what other companies are doing. Whatever your method, […]

Biggest change in marketing: web site hubs

According to the latest MarketingSherpa B2B Marketing Benchmark Survey, the web site no longer is just a spoke in the marketing mix wheel. Instead, it has become “the hub of marketing strategy … the primary point of contact with prospects and customers.”

Business letter writing: Is “Dear” passé?

Question: “Recently, my boss was signing paper letters and asked if it is still proper to write “Dear” in the salutation instead of just the person’s name. And for closing is “Sincerely” and “Very Truly Yours” passé or is “Regards” OK to use? Are handwritten or typed letters more formal than correspondence sent via e-mail?” — Naomi