Why aim high?
Aiming high and going after a big goal, like the ant who aimed to move a rubber tree plant (in the pop song “High Hopes”), actually makes you happier, new research shows.
Year: 2011
Improve meeting promptness
Entice people to arrive on time for meetings by putting the important items first on the agenda.
Find your focus in the era of distraction
It’s not merely information overload that’s overwhelming administrative professionals. The data fog is thickening at a time when many companies are asking people to do more. Try these tips for weeding out unnecessary information:
Take a ‘personal errand day’
For personal errands you can’t schedule on Saturday or Sunday, periodically take a day to take care of them all. That’s less disruptive than rushing from the office and back several times.
Tell, don’t ask
If you need something, tell, don’t ask. Say, “I need the budget figures by 2 p.m.,” not “Could you have the budget figures by 2 p.m.?”
Ex-employees never warned they wanted to leave
Question: “In the department I manage, we have recently experienced a sudden increase in turnover. What concerns me is that none of the supervisors knew that their employees were planning to leave. I encourage supervisors to have monthly one-on-one meetings with employees, but this apparently isn’t working the way it should. What can we do to make people open up to management?” —Frustrated Manager
When the boss steals your idea
Is it a problem when your boss takes credit for your ideas? Peter Handal, CEO of Dale Carnegie Training, says “no.” Making your boss look smart to higher-ups, says Handal, and having your boss depend on you for good suggestions—“is certainly not going to do you any harm.”
Eliminate weak communication
Avoid apologizing unnecessarily. Don’t say “sorry” when you ask that someone do his or her job. If you have a reason to apologize (you misplaced the file and need another copy), do it once and move on.
Ditch PowerPoint for … flip charts?
Switzerland’s Anti-PowerPoint Party is seeking support for a national referendum to ban the use of PowerPoint. Author Matthias Poehm believes PowerPoint is the wrong tool for making an effective presentation. His advice? Go back to using a flip chart.
Mini-kitchen option
Add convenience–and increase productivity–for people who work far from the kitchen by tucking an extra coffee station and small fridge near them. (Example: in the photocopier room)