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Year: 2011

Standing up to the bully boss

After 20 years of being a secretary, writes one administrative professional, she knows how to do the necessary work. That hasn’t kept her current supervisor or her supervisor’s boss—both women—from berating and intimidating her. The admin asks, “How can I learn to stand up for myself in a professional manner?”

Be a better writer

Keep your writing style clear and simple by pretending to write to a single person. Warren Buffett, whom a national writing commission recently lauded for his ability to clearly explain complex ideas, says that he imagines he’s writing to his sister when drafting his company’s annual report.

What’s the problem when boss asks for ‘help’ with personal tasks?

Bosses don’t like it when employees’ personal issues interfere with their work, yet some bosses bring in their own personal tasks for assistants to do … creating a problematic double standard. Executive Assistants are not also Personal Assistants, unless those responsibilities are spelled out in advance of hiring and are a part of their performance reviews. Still, lines can blur, especially if the boss is the owner and needs help with personal business in order to attend to company business. So how does one maintain a team-player attitude and avoid the role of “work spouse”? Many suggest handling repeated requests by suggesting the boss hire a good personal assistant. To avoid resentment, it’s best if personal business is kept out of the office.

A yawner of a study

A recent survey reveals unsurprising news: U.S. workers still aren’t getting a good night’s rest. But it’s not just how much sleep you get that matters. It’s the way you sleep.

Don’t neglect top talent

Devote at least half your attention to your star team members, challenging them to exceed goals, gain new skills and take prudent risks. Hotshots deserve at least as much attention as poor performers.

Add color to your Outlook

What happened to colors in Outlook 2007 and Outlook 2010? If you’re confused about color, you’re not alone. If you went from 2003 to 2007 and 2010, you know they seem to keep moving the simple tools you used to use to color code emails and other Outlook items. Colors are a great tool to […]