Build a better staff directory
Help staff members bond by including photos and short biographies, including hobbies and other personal information, in a team book.
Year: 2011
Learn to say, ‘Here’s what’s important’
What does your boss really want? Simple answers. Get in the habit of boiling down information for your boss by beginning with the phrase, “Here’s what’s important …” or “The bottom line is …” The boss will appreciate a simple answer.
Tighten your to-do list
Cluster items on your to-do list by time of day. Identify those you want to finish before 10 a.m., between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m., and after 2 p.m. These minigoals will help you prioritize your workload and complete key jobs within certain time frames.
What to do when boss’s wife wears the bossy pants
Question: “After my boss’s wife lost her job, he asked her to do the bookkeeping for our business. We have five employees, and this woman is not nice to any of them. However, she seems particularly focused on undermining me. She goes through every scrap of paper that I touch, trying to find mistakes. She writes me nasty notes and gives her husband inaccurate information about my work…Our boss has always been a really nice guy, but he’s starting to sound just like his wife. The office atmosphere has become very unpleasant, so I’m looking for another job, but finding one may take awhile. How should I handle this?” —Had Enough
Time management done right
More important than getting everything done is getting the right things done. How do you figure out which priorities are most worthy of attention? A structured to-do list is the solution offered by Peter Bregman, Harvard Business Review blogger and author of 18 Minutes: Find Your Focus, Master Distraction and Get The Right Things Done.
When funny isn’t so funny
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 just telling a joke to get a laugh, skip it.
6 solutions for a chronically late boss
Problem: An administrative assistant works for several Johnny-come-lately bosses who think nothing of showing up late for meetings. What can she do to thwart the rude habit? Some of our readers had solutions:
Defang your criticism
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.
Recycle your brilliance with Quick Parts!
If you’re not a professional writer, you know the unexpected joy over writing the perfect paragraph or sentence that absolutely, elegantly and beautifully states your intention. Months later, you’re looking for that document so you can use it again to no avail. It’s gone! And your golden moment of genius, with it. With Quick Parts […]
Do you validate?
When I ask the question, “Do you validate?” I’m not referring to my garage parking stub, but rather do you take the time to make others feel worthy? Do you validate co-workers’, colleagues’ and clients’ feelings regularly? Learn how to validate others to truly create a positive connection in the workplace—and you’ll walk away feeling validated, too.