What does your boss really want? Simple answers. Get in the habit of boiling down information for your boss by beginning with the phrase, “Here’s what’s important …” or “The bottom line is …” The boss will appreciate a simple answer.
Cluster items on your to-do list by time of day. Identify those you want to finish before 10 a.m., between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m., and after 2 p.m. These minigoals will help you prioritize your workload and complete key jobs within certain time frames.
Question: “After my boss’s wife lost her job, he asked her to do the bookkeeping for our business. We have five employees, and this woman is not nice to any of them. However, she seems particularly focused on undermining me. She goes through every scrap of paper that I touch, trying to find mistakes. She writes me nasty notes and gives her husband inaccurate information about my work…Our boss has always been a really nice guy, but he’s starting to sound just like his wife. The office atmosphere has become very unpleasant, so I’m looking for another job, but finding one may take awhile. How should I handle this?” —Had Enough
More important than getting everything done is getting the right things done. How do you figure out which priorities are most worthy of attention? A structured to-do list is the solution offered by Peter Bregman, Harvard Business Review blogger and author of 18 Minutes: Find Your Focus, Master Distraction and Get The Right Things Done.
If you’re tempted to use humor in your next presentation, make sure it helps illustrate a problem or encourages the audience to embrace your position. If you’re just telling a joke to get a laugh, skip it.
Problem: An administrative assistant works for several Johnny-come-lately bosses who think nothing of showing up late for meetings. What can she do to thwart the rude habit? Some of our readers had solutions:
Take the sting out of negative feedback by speaking diplomatically. Instead of saying, “You’re wrong,” say, “Let’s make sure we’re on the right track.” You’ll avoid triggering defensiveness.
If you’re not a professional writer, you know the unexpected joy over writing the perfect paragraph or sentence that absolutely, elegantly and beautifully states your intention. Months later, you’re looking for that document so you can use it again to no avail. It’s gone! And your golden moment of genius, with it. With Quick Parts […]
When I ask the question, “Do you validate?” I’m not referring to my garage parking stub, but rather do you take the time to make others feel worthy? Do you validate co-workers’, colleagues’ and clients’ feelings regularly? Learn how to validate others to truly create a positive connection in the workplace—and you’ll walk away feeling validated, too.
Last week, a reader sent out a plea for help on where to get self-training on conversion and editing software programs. Forum readers were generous with their advice. Patty suggests purchasing the DVD from a recent Business Management Daily Adobe Acrobat webinar. “I purchased the ‘Tips and Techniques’ CD for a low cost and found some great tips on how to use the software. You will have to dig a little, do some searching, perhaps spend a little money, but you will find help.” For the ScanSoft suite, Forum reader Kim recommends googling “Easy Guide to ScanSoft” to find several helpful links. Patty adds, “Part of an admin’s job is to keep up-to-date on software applications and their uses … Happy learning!” Editor’s Note: Thank you, Patty, for the testimonial. Readers can view a free 2-minute clip from the on demand video, here.