Turn creativity into productivity
In the downturn, productivity is everything. Any time spent in the conference room should be efficient and results-oriented. Here are some creative tactics business owners are using—and that you can copy:
Category: Meetings
1-Minute Strategies: April ’10
Hold more-focused meetings… Keep emoticons out of business communication … Find salary information for administrative positions in your area … Save money on printing … Avoid this grammar trap … Receive the credit you deserve …
Run your next meeting like Google
As an admin, you may be tasked with helping to set agendas, scheduling and taking minutes. But how much power do you have to keep meetings productive? Plenty. Look for clues in the way meetings work at Google. You may find that not all of these tips are replicable at your office, but it’s a place to start.
How internationally savvy are you?
Quiz yourself to see how much you know about international business etiquette:
Internal moves: Not as easy as they look
Lee’s immediate supervisor left the organization, so now she reports to a higher-level director. In their meetings, the director seems distracted and bored, even though Lee takes extra time to prepare. “My preparation is usually met with a very brief response or a push off to another manager,” she says. “What can I do to make our meetings more engaging?”
1-Minute Strategies: Jan. ’10
Hold a shorter, more effective meeting by remembering the three purposes for having a meeting in the first place: to inform, to gather input or to ask for approval … Read faster using this technique developed by reading expert J. Michael Bennett: rhythmic perusal … Try this remedy for a foul-mouthed boss …
1-Minute Strategies: Dec. ’09
Skip straight to someone’s voice mail by using Slydial, a service that lets you leave a message for someone you know you can’t reach in person … Take your job search to Twitter. Some companies are using Twitter to fill positions that tend to attract tons of applicants on job boards, such as administrative roles, one HR vice president tells The Wall Street Journal … Put a meandering meeting back on track by addressing those who veer off-topic.
Streamline your admin meetings
“My senior admin recently asked us what we should discuss during our monthly admin meetings,” a reader wrote. With time at a premium, this is a good point, as there’s an ever-increasing need for groups to get more real work done during regular meetings. Suggestions for making your next admin meeting more productive:
Executive meeting etiquette: 7 tips to help you shine
Have an important meeting coming up? Need some etiquette and protocol tips to help you shine? It really is all about how you present yourself. Self-promotion is key in moving up the business ladder, and manners never go out of style.
4 steps to better note-taking
Good note taking is essential, whether in a meeting, a training session or a seminar. The mental concentration will keep you focused, and the very act of writing will help you remember what the group decides. Here’s how to do it better: