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Archive for the ‘productivity’ Category
Wednesday, August 25th, 2010
As the lazy, hazy days of summer begin drawing to a close, I find myself wishing I could slow things down. The summer is always a time that allows me to catch my breath, take time to think and generally take things at a more reasonable pace. Once I get back into the school year, it doesn’t take long for things to speed up and demand more effort to keep all my tasks and projects on track while maintaining an effective life balance. I’m always on the lookout for concepts or tools that help me maintain this balance.
So it caught my attention recently when I got a copy of an article “The Necessity of Downtime for Leaders at all Levels” by Susanne Biro, leadership coach at Bluepoint Leadership Development. Biro talks in the article about the notion of creating “white space” in our lives–a period of time when we step away from our work and give our minds a chance to rest and recharge. This allows us to replenish our creative juices and regain a perspective we might have lost in the day-to-day hustle and bustle of our work.
When I read about this notion of white space, being a writer and editor, I thought of the value of white space on a page in a book. If you picked up a book you were thinking of reading and saw that the words inside flowed to the very edges of the pages, with no white space or margins at all, you would probably not want to read that book. Having white space on a page makes it easier to focus and read the print.
Similarly, creating white space in our lives renews our sense of focus and perspective. Biro points out that anything that leaves us feeling energized and gets us away from our day-to-day work and worries helps to create white space. She emphasizes how critical it is to build white space into our lives and to protect it.
What creates white space in your life? We each have our own unique preferences about what we enjoy. Biro finds cleaning her house to be energizing and one way to create white space in her life. House cleaning doesn’t really float my boat. But I do enjoy volunteering time each weekend to help at a stable which runs horseback riding lessons for children with disabilities. I bring the horses in, groom them, saddle them up, clean up their “business,” and so forth. This may sound like hard work to you but for me, that’s white space. I come home dirty from head to toe, but feeling quite re-energized.
If you’re about to return to a busier fall schedule or haven’t really had time during the summer to relax and enjoy it, I encourage you to look at your schedule and see where you can build in more white space on a regular basis. No one else will do it for you. Your ability to create breathing room in your life will allow you to be more productive and effective in the long run.
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Tags: life balance, productivity, relaxation, stress management
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Thursday, August 5th, 2010
When was the last time you attended a workshop or conference off-site? Chances are good that you had to work like crazy to clear your desk so you could get away, then had to hustle to do catch-up when you got back to the office. It was likely the same scenario at home as you probably had to ensure all of your personal responsibilities were covered as well. If it’s been so long you can’t remember the last time you attended any training, you’re long overdue for updating and polishing your skills. But making the time is easier said than done.
What if you could get the training you need, anytime you want, without leaving your desk? That’s one of the benefits of on-demand training, now available through The Office Professional website (theofficeprofessional.com). A big advantage of the Internet and our computerized world is that it makes it much easier to get the training we need without having to travel, incur expenses and figure out how to clear our schedules. Here are just a few benefits of our on-demand training:
—Topics are customized specifically to the needs of administrative professionals. Have you ever signed up for a seminar or workshop, only to find that it does not really meet or understand the needs of office workers? Every topic in our on-demand audio and video training library is tailor-made for the training needs of administrative professionals like yourself. Each training session is delivered by an expert and is jam-packed with relevant ideas and tips you can begin to apply right away.
—The training is available when you need it. Once you decide you want or need new ideas on a specific topic, it’s only a click away. No more searching for workshops in your community or online Webinars and waiting for the date to arrive. You get the knowledge and information you need, when you need it.
—The pricing structure can’t be beat. How much did you pay for your last audio conference or Webinar? $99? $199? $269? That’s what most providers charge these days. But training dollars for administrative professionals are in short supply, so you have to be very choosy about which sessions are critical to your development needs. Several pricing options are available on a monthly and yearly basis, with more than 100 titles available at a cost less than most Webinars, audio conferences and workshops. (Discounts are available for current subscribers of The Office Professional!)
—On-demand training makes the best use of your time. No need to clear your desk, make travel plans and take time away from your busy life. Most sessions last between 45 and 60 minutes, and come with follow-along supplements that help guide you through the session. If you want a short, 2 to 5 minute how-to on a topic you need help with right now, a wide selection of fast-paced podcasts are available in the “Quick Takes” category.
Despite your busy work and personal life, making time to strengthen and polish your skills is essential to keep your career moving forward. On-demand training makes it possible for you to develop your skills on a regular basis, without making a dent in your productivity. Visit theofficeprofessional.com/OnDemandTrainingList.php now to subscribe!
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Tags: on-demand training, productivity
Posted in Podcasts, Professional Success, career management, productivity | No Comments »
Friday, July 30th, 2010
How much e-mail do you currently have sitting in your inbox waiting to be read? I admit I sometimes get very behind on non-essential e-mail. It’s not unusual for me to have two hundred or more e-mails sitting in my inbox waiting to be read.
Being an editor, I probably get more than the average number of e-mails since my name is on many media distribution lists. While I do scan e-mail headlines for material that might be appropriate for notes or articles in The Office Professional, the vast majority that I get are of no interest to me or my readers. In an effort to try and cut down on the number of irrelevant e-mails I get, I decided recently to start unsubscribing from senders who consistently do not provide me with anything useful.
I’m not the suspicious type who sees conspiracies around every corner, but I can’t help wondering if this “unsubscribe” option is just a big scam. For one thing, many of the companies that I’ve sent “unsubscribe” messages to don’t seem to ever actually process my requests. Many of the same organizations have continued to send me e-mail despite the fact that
I submitted my unsubscribe requests weeks ago. I can’t help wondering if their unsubscribe options are just there as some kind of decoy to trick us into thinking we actually have a choice about receiving e-mail from them.
Since beginning my unsubscribing campaign, I’ve also noticed a dramatic increase in the amount of unsolicited e-mail I’m receiving, most of it even less relevant or firmly in the “junk e-mail” category. I can’t help wondering if some senders translate the unsubscribe request as meaning “feel free now to sell my e-mail address to anyone you want.” It seems that as fast as I unsubscribe from one list, my name mysteriously gets added to several others.
I’m feeling a bit like David versus Goliath, but am determined to persist in my private little war against unwanted e-mail. I may lose the battle on occasion, but am hoping in the end I’ll win the war. Now where’s my slingshot?
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Tags: e-mail, junk e-mail, spam, unsubscribing
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Thursday, July 15th, 2010
Paper or electronic? This is a question time management experts have debated since the first electronic planners came on the scene years ago. I suppose there are many more important issues to be concerned about in today’s world. But being forced to use a scheduling and time management system that doesn’t really fit with our lifestyle can cause frustration and, in the end, diminish our productivity. Whether you use a paper or an electronic system, you probably view your planner as an essential way to keep your life on track.
I’ve always preferred using a paper planner in a binder with rings, but can’t really explain my reasons for doing so. I think it has something to do with being able to flip easily between weeks and months, and having little pockets here and there to tuck all sorts of useful things. Plus I just like the way it feels in my hands and I can easily write notes in my large handwriting on various pages.
A few months ago my job responsibilities changed and I was forced to begin using a networked electronic planner so that others could see when I was available for meetings. While I dutifully went along with using the electronic planner at the office, I also continued to use my paper planner and somehow found a way to make it work with both.
Recently I met with two colleagues who began to discuss and show off the new electronic planners they had received as gifts. It was like “Show and Tell” for grown-ups. They were quite enthusiastic about the virtues of electronic planners and then asked me what I use. When I said I used a paper planner, I took some good-natured ribbing about needing to move into the 21st century. I issued an equally friendly challenge, gave them both a date several months away and suggested we see who could find out the fastest what they were doing on that date.
I was able to look in my book and tell them what I was doing on that date before they could even get their little styluses poised to touch their tiny little screens. It was hard not to gloat. So based on that little test of productivity, I won’t be giving up my paper planner anytime soon. In fact, if someone wants to take it away from me, I think they will probably have to pry it from my cold, dead hands.
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Tags: electronic planners, paper planner, schedulings
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Tuesday, June 8th, 2010
I consider myself a pretty organized person both at work and at home. I might even be considered a semi-expert since I’ve read just about every popular book, written articles and done presentations on the subject of being organized in the workplace.
Why is it, then, that I’m experiencing an increasing level of frustration at my seeming inability to stay on top of my paper and work-related materials lately at work and at home? More and more often I find myself searching through piles to find things, misplacing documents and equipment like my stapler, and generally feeling that my paper, files and belongings are in disarray.
I keep sorting and filing paper as well as purging and recycling but never seem to get it all sorted out. I sit down at home to do some work only to realize I’ve left something critical I need at the office, or vice versa. I find my stapler only to be unable to locate it the next day. In general, lately I just feel disorganized.
I suppose the reasons that this has happened aren’t all that important. But at work I know the biggest problem has been working from two different locations for the past year. At home the problem started when I dismantled my home office to temporarily house an ill family member. Somehow all the king’s horses and all the king’s men never got around to putting my office back together again.
Add to that mix one of the busiest work years I’ve ever had, and it’s created “perfect storm” conditions in my life for being seriously disorganized. If this has ever happened in your own life, you know that sometimes all you can do is hold on so you don’t get swept overboard.
It’s probably not as bad as I think it is. I have pretty high standards about keeping things organized and having everything in its place. But now that the dust is settling and my work schedule and life have returned to some semblance of normality, I’m looking forward to tackling the clutter at work and at home with a vengeance.
With a recycling bin and shredder by my side, I’ll be waging my own little war on every loose piece of paper and pile of clutter I can get my hands on. Somewhere in there, I may just find my stapler.
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Tags: clutter, disorganization
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Sunday, June 6th, 2010
If you’ve been a subscriber to The Office Professional for any length of time, you have probably noticed that we regularly feature articles on how to save time and get things done as quickly and efficiently as possible. In fact, I kind of see it as my mission to bring you the best in time-saving tips, books and software.
An added benefit of my work with TOP is that I can apply many of these same strategies to my own life. I admit that I take great pride in being able to complete a number of tasks on my “to-do” list at warp speed at work and at home. However, I’ve noticed that it’s tempting to get stuck in that “hurry-up” mode, particularly since it’s so easy today to stay plugged into work through e-mail and voice mail.
After talking with other people, I know I’m not the only one who finds it hard to “gear down” at the end of the work day or the start of a vacation. As someone who finds it difficult to slow down, it really captured my attention when I came across a book titled In Praise of Slow by Canadian journalist Carl Honoré. His basic premise is that our society has developed an unhealthy obsession with doing everything faster, driven mainly by technology that has created a 24/7 world.
Honoré, who admits he is himself a workaholic who likes to do things fast, is promoting a “slow movement” in response to our speed-addicted society. He’s not suggesting that we abolish technology or reduce our pace to a crawl at all times, but rather that we become more intentional in choosing the appropriate speed for what we are doing and, in particular, stop going so fast when we don’t really need to.
After reading his book and visiting his web site I realize that I could slow down and unplug more often than I do. When I attend tai chi class, that’s about the only time during the week that I hear someone say, “Slowly, move more slowly.” (Well, there was that one time I also heard it from a police officer on the highway, but let’s not go there.)
After reading and re-reading some of Honoré’s ideas, I’ve realized it’s important go slow when there’s really no need to go fast. Now if I could just figure out the quickest, most efficient way to do that.
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Tags: efficiency, speed
Posted in productivity, stress management | 2 Comments »
Saturday, May 1st, 2010
What’s the worst mistake you’ve ever made on the job? It’s likely that the mere act of recalling it brings back the feelings of embarrassment you experienced when others found out. Logically we know that mistakes are inevitable. After all, we’re only human. Why is it then that so many people (including yours truly) tend to beat themselves up so brutally when they make any mistake, large or small?
I started thinking about this recently when I came across a co-worker at the photocopier who was muttering to herself and clearly agitated. When I asked what was wrong, she explained that she had messed up a printing job and was now having to re-do it. After describing exactly what she had done wrong, she whacked herself on the forehead three times while repeating, “Stupid! Stupid! Stupid!” (I’m sure this was her version of Homer Simpson’s “D’oh!”)
Afterwards I thought that she was being much harder on herself than her boss would have been, and much less forgiving than she would have been toward her co-workers if they had made a similar mistake. Yet later in the day, I found myself doing the same thing my co-worker had done. I misplaced a document and caught myself muttering “Idiot!” as I searched for it. I probably wouldn’t have even noticed that I was berating myself if I hadn’t still been thinking about my co-worker’s reaction to her mistake.
I’m not quite sure where this tendency to be so hard on ourselves comes from, but does it really serve any useful purpose? I’ve always thought this quote from Thomas Edison reflected my own philosophy toward mistakes: “I have not failed. I’ve just found 10,000 ways that won’t work.” My approach when analyzing my own mistakes has been to use them as a learning opportunity.
But I’ve come to realize that, at least initially, I give my “Inner Homer” a free hand to beat up on me when I make a mistake. I’ve resolved to start treating myself with the same forgiveness I extend to others. I’ve calculated that if I make one mistake every work day, it would take me thirty-eight years to catch up with Edison’s 10,000 “failures.” It’s so comforting to know that I’m right on schedule.
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Tags: do-overs, forgiveness, mistakes
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Friday, April 23rd, 2010
You’ve probably heard the notion that there are different kinds of intelligence. Many researchers and authors have noted that we all possess a range of abilities or “intelligences” that can’t be measured by traditional I.Q. tests. In fact, I.Q. is not a reliable predictor of success in work or life in general.
Many other types of intelligence play an important role in helping us to succeed and achieve the goals that are important to us in our work and personal lives. For example, the ability to establish and maintain positive relationships, one aspect of emotional intelligence, is essential if we are to be successful in the workplace. Lacking this ability can severely hamper an individual’s effectiveness and ability to succeed in the workplace.
One type of intelligence I have never heard anyone discuss as part of these theories is the notion of “administrative intelligence.” At a committee meeting I attended last year, the person who was the new chairman commented before we began that he was “hopelessly disorganized.” He asked if we could assist him with the transition of his new role by reminding him of details that he needed to keep track of such as important dates and paperwork he was responsible for.
He said he was lacking in “administrative intelligence” and acknowledged that this was a major weakness that had plagued him for most of his life. Lest you are wondering how he ended up in a chairman’s role, he has a wonderful body of knowledge related to the committee, including an extensive network, and he has exceptionally strong skills in developing relationships and negotiating with others.
His comment led to a discussion of how important administrative intelligence is and how much difficulty it can cause if we don’t have it. People lacking in administrative intelligence may find themselves missing important deadlines, losing critical paperwork and missing out on good opportunities. As my colleagues and I had this discussion, I found myself wishing that everyone who reads The Office Professional were there to listen in as we extolled the virtues of administrative intelligence.
I hope that your company has taken steps to recognize your work and your contributions during this Administrative Professionals Week. Your skills are essential in helping your company to run effectively and your manager to function efficiently. I’m sure you benefit from your administrative intelligence in your personal life too.
I think my administrative intelligence is pretty good and don’t know how I could function without being organized and on top of things. I often appear to lack kinesthetic intelligence (translation: I’m a klutz), but then, nobody’s perfect. It’s inconvenient to lack kinesthetic intelligence, especially when I knock over my mug of tea and spill it all over my work. But at least those soggy papers are in nice neat piles.
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Tags: Administrative intelligence, Administrative Professionals Week
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Saturday, March 20th, 2010
My name is Diane and I’m a bookaholic. I know that in civilized circles I would be called a bibliophile, which is a word that describes someone who loves and collects books. But I think my behavior in relation to books could safely be called an addiction.
My lifelong love affair with books began at a very early age when some family members gave me a hardcover book as a gift. I can still remember opening it and appreciating the feel of the pristine pages as I turned them and noticed that “new book smell” that only hard-core book addicts would detect. After that, I was hooked and I would eagerly read anything I could get my hands on. I hid a flashlight in my room so I could read the latest adventures of Nancy Drew under the covers at night after everyone else was asleep. It’s no wonder I needed glasses by the time I was 8 years old.
I suppose this all sounds innocent enough, but last year I decided to hold a garage sale. In deciding what to sell, I realized I had at least 25 boxes of books stored in my basement. This is in addition to the extensive collection of books I have stored in nearly every room of my house. I realized that probably a lot of the books I had stored in boxes were ones that I would never look at again. So I rolled up my sleeves and set to work, intending to cull the few special books I wanted to keep and set the others aside in a box for my garage sale.
What happened next is a blur in my mind. My son came down to the basement a few hours later and found me sitting on the floor with stacks of books around me. I remember that I started perusing through some old books to decide which ones to sell, but my reading addiction must have taken over. Needless to say, the “sell” box was still empty.
I managed to finally put a few books in the “sell” box, but every time I went down to the basement I found myself looking at them with regret and longing. Would they go to a good home? What if I needed them again some day? I put them out on garage sale day with mixed feelings, but remained committed to purging those unwanted books. While a few of them sold, a lot remained behind. It took all of my willpower to not put them back in the basement and take them to a charity store where I could donate them to a better cause.
In the intervening year, somehow my collection of books has grown once again. I swear they mate and reproduce when I’m not looking. It may be time for another garage sale, but this time I’m ready to bite the bullet, or maybe some chocolate, to ease the pain of getting rid of my books. My name is Diane and I’m a chocoholic.
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Tags: books, collections, purging
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Saturday, March 20th, 2010
The spring is sprung. The grass is riz. I wonder where my sponge mop is. I don’t know what it is about spring, but at this time of year I am usually overcome by a desire to clean, reorganize and generally spruce up every area of my life. Once I start taking a look around, I am often surprised and embarrassed by the messes I find, and am never quite sure how they developed in the first place. If you ask anyone who knows me well to describe me, the word “organized” will always appear on the list. I take pride in keeping a pristine desk (most of the time) and maintaining a filing system that would be the envy of any professional organizer.
If this is the case, what messes could I possibly find? At the office, my desk may look clean and tidy. But the truth is I have a couple of secret drawers that, if you opened them up, you would think the Tasmanian Devil had been turned loose in them. At home, it’s not just a couple of drawers but my entire basement. On occasion, I have wondered if I am possessed by a Dr. Jekyll/Ms. Hyde syndrome. The tidy, organized Dr. Jekyll puts things away where they belong, purges files joyfully and can find things at a moment’s notice. The slovenly Ms. Hyde drops things wherever it’s convenient, saves absolutely everything and roots endlessly through drawers and boxes muttering, “I know it’s here somewhere.”
Like the literary Dr. Jekyll, I seem to have a complete memory block about my Hyde-like behavior. I open one of those desk drawers at the office or look around my basement and wonder, “Who made this mess?” It makes me wonder whether, behind my organized and disciplined exterior, there’s an inner sloth screaming to get out.
Fortunately, my Dr. Jekyll persona has no hesitation in rolling up her sleeves and tidying up the mess that the reprehensible Ms. Hyde has created. Once everything is back in place, I usually make my inner Ms. Hyde promise not to let things get that disorganized again. But somehow she sneaks back into those desk drawers or into my basement when I’m not looking.
I’m not sure how to exorcise Ms. Hyde from my personality entirely. In the meantime, I guess I’ll just have to keep a watchful eye on her and try to stop her before she gets started. Uh-oh. Here she comes now. Can you lend me a sponge mop?
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Tags: office organization
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