10 steps to better minute-taking
Taking minutes wasn’t getting any easier for Terri Michaels, even after years of practice. Finally, she enrolled in a workshop, and things changed. Now she uses these 10 best practices.
Category: Communication
Office grapevine riper than ever?
You may have noticed more people than usual lurking outside your executive’s door. That’s because economic fears are prompting more employees to eavesdrop and gossip about what might happen next at their workplaces. The solution? The times call for stepped-up communication, says Steve Williams, director of research for SHRM.
3 cardinal rules of business writing
Light a fire under your readers and spur them to action by using these three cardinal business-writing rules:
3 little words can spell success
Enhance people’s positive impressions of you by changing three little words, suggests Joan Burge, administrative trainer and founder and CEO, Office Dynamics.
Ever think about being an ‘intrapreneur’?
You’ve been hearing a lot about creating value at work, especially lately, right? Being an intrapreneur is one way to do it. Intrapreneurs create a new process, product or service where they currently work. It’s like being an entrepreneur, but without venturing off to start your own business. It’s what Google famously allowed its employees time to do.
Tell a tale to sell your ideas
As many companies cut back on expenses and, in some instances, cut staff, how do you maintain your edge and ask for what your department needs without immediately seeing your request denied? Tell a tale, become a storyteller and see your words make an impact.
Noteworthy office etiquette: Say more than thanks
If your boss is typical, he’s looking for ways to tell the team “thanks.” Appreciation is one of the few, affordable ways to retain and motivate. Help him put sentiments down on paper with these tips:
Summer get-togethers for every budget
While you may not have been partying much at the office lately, some employers see summer as an ideal time for an all-staff get-together. Instead of spending a lot on flowers and glassware rentals, though, they’re getting creative with summertime themes. Here are ideas that assistants posted on the Admin Pro Forum.
‘Power tools’ for your next meeting
At Progress Energy’s quarterly “compliments and concerns” meeting, senior administrative assistant Amy Finelli uses a template for minute taking. As a result, she can quickly send out notes after the meeting “because I don’t have to figure out how to organize the topics,” she says. Here are a few more of Finelli’s power tools for meetings:
Job etiquette: When a co-worker gets the pink slip
Your co-worker gets handed a pink slip, and now you feel awkward. So awkward, in fact, that you’re tempted to do nothing. But that’s the last thing you should do. Here’s how to deal with the situation: