Draw attention to priority items
Develop a system so your boss sees every urgent item before he departs each day: Place a “high priority” label on a red folder or a special in-box on his desk.
When the office slacker is the owner’s daughter
Qustion: “My boss hired her daughter, “Tammy”, to work part-time in the business. Before that, I was her only employee. Tammy is arrogant, foul-mouthed and a know-it-all. She spends most of the day surfing the Internet and texting her friends. Although she is supposed to help with office work, Tammy won’t even answer the phone. She does exactly what the boss tells her to do and nothing more. I recently discovered that she is being paid almost as much as I am, which is extremely insulting. My boss had told me she was making much less. I doubt that any criticism of the daughter would be well-received, so I don’t know how to address this issue without creating hard feelings. Until this happened, I really loved my job. What should I do?” — Resentful
Step-by-step guide for a healthier you
Americans take fewer steps than our cohorts in Australia, Japan and Switzerland, according to a new study. Those extra steps have everything to do with the extra weight we’re carrying. Test your physical activity by getting a pedometer. Keep track for two or three days, then use these “steps per day” numbers to figure out whether you’re active or simply busy:
Speech faults to avoid
“It don’t matter.” Should be “It doesn’t matter.”“That’s a whole nother issue.” Should be “That’s a whole other issue.”“Where you at?” Should be “Where are you?”Also, use “said” instead of “like” and “go.”
Organizing a $408,000,000,000 CEO
Imagine the task of helping the CEO of a $408 billion business stay organized. Walmart CEO Mike Duke relies on his assistant, Paula, to help him track a business that spans 8,500-plus stores and employs 2.1 million people. What organizing principles keep the office humming?
Sound more credible
Don’t use phrases that call your integrity into question. Example: “To be perfectly honest …” That implies you haven’t been honest until now.
Bringing a co-worker down a peg
Question: “Our group has one person, ‘Cindy,’ who is called the team lead. This is not a supervisory position. Although she is just supposed to assist our supervisor and fill in when he’s away, Cindy constantly tells me what to do. Because our open-door policy says we can go straight to the vice president, I plan to discuss the situation with her. What do you think?” — Not a Pushover
‘Someday’ never comes
Go through your workspace and toss out papers, supplies and any unnecessary items you’ve kept for “someday” use but haven’t used in the past year. Eliminating unused clutter allows you to find important items faster.
The do’s and don’ts of virtual meetings
Virtual meetings, whether by phone or video, have become a business staple. But virtual meetings present special challenges. How to stay professional during a virtual meeting:
Defang your criticism
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.