Give back after the bash
Transform your next big event into an opportunity to give back to people in need. Here’s how to touch the lives of others after the party’s over:
Category: Productivity
Small companies: the new big
Why is “small” big? Small companies can better win the trust and confidence of recession-weary customers. No matter what the size of your company, here’s how you can imitate what small companies do well:
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:
1-Minute Strategies: July ’09
Give those URLs a trim … Show your e-mail skills by avoiding supersize attachments … Use the subject line to identify different categories of e-mail … Feel more rejuvenated after a summer vacation by coming home on a Saturday …
‘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.
More employees working from home
More Americans are working from home, even if they aren’t doing it very often, according to a recent survey by WorldatWork. The proliferation of high-speed connectivity and hand-held devices—as well as gas prices—is fueling the trend.
1-Minute Strategies: June ’09
Catch a second wind by tackling a task on your “Mind Like Mush” list … Is your boss an ‘allergic-to-details’ type? Keep project files handy that contain details he or she is likely to need … Find travel deals by booking later … Spruce up your administrative “portfolio” by adding a dash of visual material.
When co-workers drop the ball
At some point in their careers, most people end up in the position of being left to do the work after flaky colleagues drop the ball. Anita Bruzzese (www.45things.com), who writes about workplace issues, offers these four tips for handling co-workers who drop the ball, and how to get them to pull their weight:
Whittle down errors with a checklist
Since employees began using checklists in Michigan hospitals, the infection rate has gone down by two-thirds. Could a checklist help you reduce errors or streamline a recurring task?