Working with a chronic complaining boss
Chronic complainers can kill morale, hurt productivity and drive you nuts. Author Linda Swindling identifies five types of complaining bosses and explains how to handle them.
Are you happier than your boss?
A recent Staples survey revealed the majority of administrative professionals (61% vs. 18%) say they are happier than their bosses. What else did the survey say?
A strong hand slap for a nosy co-worker
Q: “I work with a woman who is extremely nosy. ‘Shelly’ has read my email messages and looked at my cellphone to see who I am calling and texting. She has also tried to find out about medications that I am taking. Yesterday, I received roses at the office for my birthday, and Shelly actually opened the card to see who they were from. I want to do something about this invasion of privacy, but I don’t want to sound childish. What do you suggest?” Violated
Leading a team when you’re not the boss
Being part of a team of equals doesn’t mean individual members lack accountability to each other, VerticalResponse CEO Janine Popick writes. Popick offers these tips to help you get results from co-workers when you’re responsible for a shared outcome.
Looking for a document shredding firm?
Whether you have pallets of sensitive documents or just a few boxes you need destroyed, you may be considering using the services of a professional document shredding company. But do you know what to look for to get the best deal? Here are 10 pointers to guide you in the right direction.
You can handle an office bully
A bullying situation can quickly escalate and become intolerable. Before that happens, keep these “anti-bullying” tips in mind.
Sign a birthday card like you mean it
Living the office life means you’re going to sign a lot of special occasion cards for fellow employees. You don’t have to be a standup comic or drive-by philosopher when the card is passed your way, but be aware that only signing “Best wishes” again and again does make it seem like you care not […]
Keep presentations to just 9 minutes
Research shows workers waste an average of more than 2½ hours a week in unnecessary meetings. The reason is Parkinson’s Law: the amount of time given for a task is the amount of time it will take. If given 30 minutes to give a presentation, it will take 30 minutes.
8 steps to learning a new skill
“In a fast-moving, competitive world, learning new skills is one of the keys to success. It’s not enough to be smart; you need to always be getting smarter,” says motivational psychologist Heidi Grant Halvorson. She and Joseph Weintraub, a professor of management and organizational behavior at Babson College, suggest a process to help make learning new things as easy as possible.
How much is too much to ask of admin?
Are there some workplace tasks that need to be done but are just too much to ask of an admin? That’s what one reader asked recently on the Admin Pro Forum.