Admin Brooke Wiseman knew that administrative professionals in her company weren’t being used in the most productive ways. For example, some shared the same title but had wide variations in duties. Her goal was to bring more value to the company by turbocharging the partnerships between executives and their assistants. Here’s how she did it.
Odds are your desk is a hub of organization. If that’s the case, you’re in the ideal position to create more value for your company by coaching others on ROO, or Return on Organization. Your task: Identify a few valuable tips, then share your expertise with others by offering a Lunch ‘n’ Learn on the topic, writing an article in the company newsletter or posting tips through e-mail.
What makes the Internet useful is also what makes it so undeniably distracting: There’s no end to what you can find online. Luckily, a few browser add-ons that work with Firefox can help make web surfers more productive (all available at addons.mozilla.org).
A common story in the current economic environment is this: One day, you notice signs that your company might be in trouble. Soon after, the company begins layoffs. Rather than wait for the ax to fall, prepare yourself at the first signs of trouble.
Cut back on workday spending … Keep your mind primed for work by clearing away the cobwebs … Know the right way to vent to relieve stress … Think “ABB” or “always be briefing” … Uncover wasteful spending with creative thinking.
Thomas Edison not only invented the light bulb, he filed for more than 1,000 patents and essentially invented the concept of R&D, or the system of looking at problems and solving them creatively. The guy knew how to innovate. What can we learn from one of America’s greatest problem solvers?
Does your company have a mentoring program? About 70% of Fortune 500 companies do. Even if you don’t have a formal way to seek out a mentor, consider doing the legwork to find one on your own.
It won’t surprise you that most companies plan to spend less on training this year. Rather than lament the fact that there’s less money in the budget for traditional training, consider this: Less-formal training might be more effective than formal training, and it still allows you to develop your career.
That’s the advice Marilyn Carlson Nelson received from her dad when she was 13 years old. Today Nelson, owner of the $40 billion Carlson Cos., is one of the world’s most successful entrepreneurs and philanthropists.
If filing your taxes this spring made you realize that you need a better way to keep track of all your receipts, turn to one of these nifty services for cataloging, organizing and accessing receipts.