Pair yourself with a rookie
Listen to novices, as their fresh eyes can provide insights that you are unable to see. Young staffers or those who have recently joined your business may see things that are odd, wrong or could be done differently.
Category: Communication
Declutter and simplify your writing
If there’s one technique that can instantly improve your business writing, it’s this: Trim and simplify. When writing in a hurry, it’s easy to include unnecessary words or cram too much into a single sentence. Result: Business writing easily becomes cluttered or “grandiose” sounding. Trimming can eliminate redundancies, while simplifying can make sentences easier to understand.
Rethink your e-mail addiction
E-mail, that revolutionary productivity tool, has a dark side. It can create divisions between co-workers, hurt productivity and destroy focus, say critics. Some even draw a comparison between e-mail and gambling. To counterbalance the negatives, companies have been imposing “no e-mail Fridays” or “no e-mail weekends.” Anyone can take measures to keep e-mail addiction from getting out of hand, though.
‘That’ or ‘Which’? Rules to decide
Restrictive vs. nonrestrictive clauses, and more.
Can you name your office ‘fruitcake’?
You’ve been talking about an idea for a new office procedure or policy, but no one seems to be listening. Maybe they don’t like the idea. Or maybe the idea isn’t catching on because you haven’t been using the right words for it. Semantics do matter.
Help create a more transparent workplace
When times get tough, tough organizations get transparent. The more connected employees are with the financial big picture, the better they can generate revenue-boosting ideas. Is your C-suite boss seeking new ways to engage front-line employees by keeping them informed? Here’s how you can support his efforts.
Assertive gatekeeping
Supervisors depend on you to protect their busy schedules, leaving you to deal with calls from sales representatives. You tell the reps you’ll pass the information to your supervisor, and someone will follow up should there be an interest. However, your words fall on deaf ears, and they continue to follow up. Some even stretch the truth in hopes of making a sale. So what do you do?
The trouble with a ‘Sunshine Fund’
Fran’s work group plans to start a “Sunshine Fund” to buy gifts for special occasions, such as birthdays, weddings and baby showers. Her co-worker, Dan, wants to post a list showing the dollar amount contributed by each employee, but Fran thinks that’s a horrible idea. How can the team structure the fund so that people who can’t afford to contribute won’t feel obligated or embarrassed?
What are your job accomplishments?
Someday, hopefully not too terribly soon, you’ll be looking for another job. And when that happens, you’ll need to sharpen your résumé so that it captures the attention of hiring managers. The main focus on your résumé should be itemizing victories, so that your future boss can imagine you doing the same things for him.
1-Minute Strategies: June ’10
Save up to $250 by shipping your luggage via a carrier rather than checking it at the airport … Focus on the most important 10% of words you speak or write, to make them more memorable … Track your company’s competition with WatchThatPage.com, a free tool that monitors specific web pages.