When someone hands you a file and begins telling you what he or she wants, maintain eye contact with the person rather than staring at the file. You’ll forge a connection, pick up cues that might not appear on paper (such as urgency) and encourage the person to explain the assignment more thoroughly.
Not surprisingly, 85% of executives are dissatisfied with the efficiency and effectiveness of their companies’ meetings, reports Harvard Business Review. Here are two ways to help drive better decision-making during a meeting—and boost your boss’s efficiency:
Follow the 20/20/20 rule when working at a computer: Every 20 minutes take a 20-second break to look 20 feet away. Blink to keep your eyes moist. Gently cupping your palms over your closed eyes also can reduce eyestrain.
Linda recently wrote on our Admin Pro Forum, “I recently took a job where I supervise three administrative assistants. I work directly on a daily basis with one admin … but I don’t have daily contact with the other two admins, because they are in different parts of the building. How do I supervise the other two and complete their performance evaluations?”
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 telling a joke just to get a laugh, skip it.
Store scattered pieces of information in one place with these online tools: 1. Strategically store web content with Springpad. 2. Organize a batch of business cards. ScanBizCards, WorldCard Mobile or CamCard keep business cards from disappearing in a messy drawer.
Instead of saying “I hope this is a good day,” start by asking, “How can I make this a good day?” At the end of the day, don’t think, “How did my day go?” Instead ask, “What was good about today? What did I learn? How can I make tomorrow better?”
When resolving to reach a goal, it might help to commit to a hard deadline, and then tell colleagues, friends or a spouse about it. A public commitment might strengthen your resolve.
Always state your position in positive terms. Say, “I’ll have it to you by 8 a.m. tomorrow,” instead of “I can’t get to that until late today.” Or say, “I will complete it in two hours,” not “I’ll get to that ASAP.”
Steer clear of “oversharing” when it comes to out-of-office messages sent to the rest of the office. For example: “I’ll be leaving the office at 4 p.m. today. I’m taking my daughter to the dentist. Please send any urgent requests to Pam.” Does the message really need to explain where the sender is going?