Ian's Messy Desk

FEBRUARY 6, 2012

Whether it’s time to get away from the office on vacation or business takes us on the road, the influx of email or phones messages rarely stops. A little bit of preparation before you leave will ensure less to worry about on return. A good out-of-office message is a must. A well-prepared message can go a long way to decrease the backlog of messages waiting for you when you get back to work.

International 153

International Phones Email UPS 153

Ian's Messy Desk

FEBRUARY 4, 2012

You would think in this day and age of Garr Reynold and Presentation Zen , Seth Godin and Really Bad PowerPoint or Cliff Atkinson and Beyond Bullet Points , there would be no excuse for poor quality PowerPoint presentations. Unfortunately, people continue to churn out ineffective presentations. Here are some links and resources for improving presentations: Joseph Sommerville provides a list of common presentation sins.

PowerPoint 136

PowerPoint 136

Ian's Messy Desk

FEBRUARY 10, 2012

One approach to ensure effective decision making in small, informal meetings is to develop motions and decisions through consensus. Consensus occurs when there is general agreement by the group on the decision being made. Well managed meetings allow all participants to be part of the decision making process. Here are some techniques a chairperson can use to encourage and support group participation and discussion: The chair solicits views.

Negotiating 133

Negotiating Management Collaborate UPS 133

Ian's Messy Desk

FEBRUARY 8, 2012

Take this Work/Life Balance quiz from the Canadian Mental Health Association. It will open in a new window. Once you have your results, come back here for some tips to help you manage the balance between work and life. In Life. Decide what is important. If you do not have a clear sense of your personal values, goals and priorities, you will not be able to determine which activities are important to furthering your life plan.

Management 132

Management Budget Health Goals 132

Ian's Messy Desk

FEBRUARY 8, 2012

Communication (Photo credit: P Shanks). Communication between people is a process in which everyone receives, sends, interprets, and infers all at the same time; there is no beginning or end. Taking into account your own internal states, how can you ensure effective communication of your ideas and feeling? Use “I” statements. Using personal pronouns when speaking creates influential statements.

Confidence 116

Confidence International Skills 116

Ian's Messy Desk

FEBRUARY 5, 2012

With all the preparing and qualifying leading up to London summer Olympics , you hear a lot about the goals athletes are expecting to meet during the games. They know the only way they are going to reach the medal podium is by having goals to work towards. Do you know anyone who is successful? Have you spent time talking with them about their success?

Goals 116

Goals UPS Management 116

Ian's Messy Desk

FEBRUARY 5, 2012

When it comes to undertaking projects I’m a great starter, but have problems with the follow-through or completion. I want things to be perfect first time around and hate going back: editing, improving, learning, etc. This article reminds us that accomplishing success—in any field or endeavour—requires work. by Della Menechella. As a speaker and trainer, people often approach me after one of my programs to tell me how excited they are about the strategies they have learned and how they plan to

Stress 109

Stress Learning Goals Skills 109