The power of specifics
Concrete examples bring abstract writing to life. Not only will examples help readers more easily imagine what you’re talking about, they’ll add pop to your prose.
Year: 2012
The power a little bean packs
When asked which office amenity you can’t live without, the answers overwhelmingly suggested that those who try to cut the office coffee allowance are guaranteed to get scalded. “Face it, we all need perking up at some point,” wrote D.R., while Laura’s comment that coffee “makes our cubicle cave livable” seems to be a universally […]
Organizing a virtual meeting for execs
Nowadays, executives more often are meeting virtually, through instant messaging, video chat and other tools. Here’s how to organize a virtual meeting, and prepare participants to get the most out of the session.
Outlook 2010 Quick Steps
Microsoft hit it out of the park with Quick Steps in Outlook 2010. On the Home tab, in the Quick Steps group, you’ll find several out-of-the-box Quick Steps.
Raise policies cause staff revolt
Question: For the past two years, our CEO flatly stated that no one in the organization would receive a pay increase due to the economic situation in our business. Although we were disappointed, we appreciated the fact that everyone was being treated equally. Recently, however, the head of my division announced that all of our managers are being made vice-presidents. Their jobs will remain exactly the same, but the title change qualifies them for a pay increase.
This is clearly a ploy to get around the companywide salary freeze. All of the employees were stunned by this announcement. Not only have we been denied raises, but our workload has also increased due to unfilled vacancies. Management is constantly telling us to “do more with less.” Although we are thankful that we still have jobs, we can’t help feeling disgruntled and mistreated. I have toyed with the idea of sending the CEO a letter telling him about this deception. What do you think? Irate Employee
Lazy, hazy days of summer
What’s your favorite summer perk? In an Adecco survey, U.S. workers ranked summer flextime as their most wished-for summer perk.
9 ways to reward team members
In Adrian Gostick and Chester Elton’s book The Orange Revolution, they offer low-cost ideas for sparking or rewarding employee engagement:
ADA alert: Define essential job functions before anyone requests reasonable accommodations
Unless you’re willing to risk losing an ADA reasonable accommodations lawsuit, don’t wait to define the essential functions of your employees’ jobs.
Tips to relieve computer eye strain
Blurry vision and dry eyes are rampant, now that roughly one-third of those over age 18 spend at least five hours a day on a computer, tablet or smartphone. Tips for easing eye strain:
Reap more ideas from brain-storming sessions
Reap more ideas from brain-storming sessions by introducing a few of your own ideas and inviting participants to pick them apart. By inviting criticism, you’ll show that it’s nothing to fear.