What’s a ‘tickler’ file?
What exactly is a tickler file, and what’s the best way to use one? We liked the answer one administrative assistant, Bonnie, gave on our online forum, Admin Pro Forum.
Category: Organizing
Whittle down scheduling time
Two online tools to help you manage schedules when everyone isn’t on the same calendar system: Meeting Agent and Shiftboard.
File organizing: Plow through the paper backlog
Chip away at a paper pile by first flipping the stack upside down, so the oldest material is on top. It’s easier to toss out old things. Break down a large pile into one-inch piles. Attack the first one-inch pile by reviewing each piece and asking these four questions:
‘Rearrange’ co-workers’ bad habits
You’ve tried sending out memos, putting up posters and issuing gentle reminders, but nothing keeps employees from leaving their extra papers behind at the copier. You feel like a den mother, constantly cleaning up after everyone. What’s the best way to get people to change their habits? Change their environment.
Summer get-togethers for every budget
While you may not have been partying much at the office lately, some employers see summer as an ideal time for an all-staff get-together. Instead of spending a lot on flowers and glassware rentals, though, they’re getting creative with summertime themes. Here are ideas that assistants posted on the Admin Pro Forum.
1-Minute Strategies: May ’09
Boost productivity by “plotting” the items on your to-do list … Organize a boss’s overflowing e-mail box by setting up inbox folders … Manage team conflict with this tactic … Take a breather every hour, for peak productivity …
Stop interruptions: 4 gatekeeper moves
More than half of senior executives say they’re interrupted about once every 30 minutes, according to a Center for Creative Leadership survey. Here’s where assistants can play a vital role. Stave off interruptions by partnering with your boss, using these tactics.
Increased workload? Stay organized
Layoffs, shortened workweeks, stressed-out workplaces … it all can lead to another byproduct of the recession: increasing workloads and work slippage. How are administrative professionals ensuring that, with stakes soaring higher than ever, no work falls through the cracks?
Is your boss a cliffhanger?
The cliffhanger boss likes to wait until the last possible moment to deliver a finished project. He thrives under deadline pressure and will create that pressure if it isn’t there already. How can you work around that?
A better solution than the shoebox
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.