5 ways to keep track of business cards
“My boss is inundated with business cards,” writes an admin reader. “Some are in Rolodexes, others are loose. But he doesn’t want to weed through and toss old ones. Any ideas on how to organize them?”
Category: Productivity
8 steps to a more productive meeting
Between vague agendas and never-ending PowerPoints, meetings have become a waste of time for many. Here’s how some “experts” structure their huddles to make them productive and run smoothly:
1-Minute Strategies: Jan. ’11
Pay attention to first impressions—the ones you’re making on others … Steel your resolve by clenching a muscle … Increase productivity by keeping one to-do list … Optimists find jobs more easily than their peers and are more likely to be promoted …
Admins’ secrets for tracking assignments
A reader writes: “We have tasks assigned to us via e-mail, the phone, in-person, in passing, etc. I carry my notebook and keep it on my desk to jot down assignments and then transfer some tasks to Outlook, but I’m wondering if there is a better, more efficient way to keep track of everything. What are your secrets to staying organized and on top of all your assignments?”
3 steps to smooth conflicts with co-workers
If an underlying tension exists between you and a co-worker, now’s the time to address it. While it may be easier to ignore it, such tensions can mushroom. Use these techniques to reverse the momentum of mounting conflict:
Paralyzed by too much to do?
Next time you feel overwhelmed and frozen, tighten your focus on a few, easy things. Knock out easy tasks for 15 minutes. Then turn your attention to one of the hardest tasks on your plate, and work uninterrupted on that task for 35 minutes. Take a 10-minute break, then start the cycle again.
Putting web pieces together
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.
Do you procrastinate? Outsmart the habit
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.
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?
Who has those private offices?
Just 32% of employees have private offices, down from 36% in 1997, according to the 2010 survey of 414 office-space managers by the International Facility Management Association.