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.
Ever sought help in Microsoft Office—only to feel like you needed more help? Melissa P. Esquibel, a Microsoft Certified Trainer who writes
“The Office Tech Pro” blog, offers these tips for getting the right help fast, so you can get back to your task:
You’re leaving for vacation, so you dutifully set up the classic “Out of the office, will reply to your message when I get back” e-mail auto-responder. But the auto-reply message doesn’t get rid of the nagging feeling that you’re missing something. Before you go on vacation, set up a custom auto-reply system that will make it easier for you to relax.
Not everyone in the workplace needs to be on Twitter—indeed, some workplaces have deemed the social-media tool verboten. But the free messaging tool, used strategically, can be helpful for keeping tabs on your industry.
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.
May 24, 2010
Categorized in: Excel
“Excel error messages aren’t always terribly clear to us,” says Melissa Esquibel, a Microsoft Certified Trainer who writes
“The Office Tech Pro” blog. “We know we have a problem, but we don’t know where to go to start fixing it!” For example, she says, here’s how to decipher three of the most common messages:
Every night, when CEO Danny Meyer goes home, he reads a daily memo that his executive assistant e-mails him. “I don’t know how we managed without them,” says the leader of Union Square Hospitality Group. Consider using a productivity booster like an e-mailed daily memo to keep communication strong between you and your boss.
Elevate the clarity of your writing by using the inverted pyramid style that journalists use … Go ahead, give someone a high five or a supportive pat on the back … Send large files fast by using a free service such as YouSendIt Lite … Gain credibility by stripping “marketese” from your writing geared toward customers … Double-check e-mail messages where the stakes are high.
It pays to build a positive online “brand.” Example: 77% of recruiters are using Google to pre-screen job candidates, says a 2006 ExecuNet survey. So resist the temptation to post negative comments on blogs.
Laura answers at least 25 calls a day on behalf of her boss. He has asked her to e-mail the messages to him, rather than write them on paper. “But he gets hundreds of e-mails a day, and he complains that his phone messages get lost in the shuffle,” she says. “How can I resolve this and make it simple for him and me?”
Page 38 of 55«1…3637383940…55»