On speaking well
Giving a presentation? Speak in your natural tone. Optimism should flow from your authentic personality. If you adopt an artificially perky tone, listeners may find it grating.
Get twice as much done in half the time
You want to make every hour count, so you plan your day in 15-minute chunks and prioritize your tasks. That’s smart time management, but it doesn’t guarantee you’ll work productively. You’ll operate most efficiently if you banish aimless anxieties and the urge to procrastinate. Here’s a road map to boost your productivity:
Pinpoint deadlines
When someone tells you, “I need this right away,” ask what he means, including day and time, advises Amy Garrett, a workshop leader for National Seminars Group. “You could be putting yourself under unnecessary stress.
Is certification worth pursuing?
Administrative pros looking for a way to stretch their skills often turn toward certification. But do the Certified Professional Secretary (CPS) and Certified Administrative Professional (CAP) ratings help you advance your career? Or command a higher salary? Are they worth the work and cost?
Stand up to problems
You can make difficult decisions up to 20% faster when standing instead of sitting, says recent research. One possible explanation: The increased heart rate stimulates the brain to work faster.
Our HR colleague is a gossip
Question: “I sit near a human resources employee who talks very loudly on the phone. She gossips about confidential personnel matters, such as the amount of someone’s bonus check or which employees are being pursued by collection agencies. Everyone in the group can hear her, even if we try not to listen. We are all afraid to go to her boss, because they are good friends. What can we do?” —Concerned
Make worry WORK
“I’m worried the team won’t like my suggestions.” “I’m worried I didn’t give my boss enough time between flights.” “I’m worried they’ll eliminate my position.” Everybody worries sometimes, but too much worrying becomes a mental bad habit that costs time, money and personal sanity. What to do instead? Make worry WORK for you.
How to take smart meeting notes
Some of the most successful businesspeople, such as Bill Gates, are known for taking detailed, effective meeting notes. Gina Trapani, a technology writer and software developer, recently shared three different note-taking systems in Fast Company:
Track call-backs
When you leave a message, jot the name and purpose of your call on a list beside your phone. Later, when you receive that mystery greeting, “Hi, this is Joan,” you won’t have to wonder who Joan is and why she’s calling.
6 words tell the tale
Ernest Hemingway once bragged that he could write a compelling story in only six words. It would have a beginning, a middle and an ending. And it would sing. His friends scoffed. They each bet $10 he couldn’t do it. Here’s what Hemingway wrote: