August, 2008

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To do or not to-do? Managing with the to-do list

Laughing all the Way to Work

My sister told me she once worked with a manager whose first question when meeting with her staff was, "What does everyone have on their plate?" Everyone looked at each other and mumbled something or other, but nobody was really prepared for the question. The manager then told each member of the team to go back to their desks and type up a to-do list of everything they were doing and the status of each item.

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To-Do or Not To-Do? Taking Your To-Do List to the Next Level!

Professional Assistant Blog

Home About Me Advertise To-Do or Not To-Do? Taking Your To-Do List to the Next Level! By The Professional Assistant on Friday, August 29, 2008 Filed Under: MS-Outlook , Organize , Prioritize , Productivity D o you have a to-do list, either on a piece of paper, on Microsoft Outlook or in a planner? Do you want to take it to the next level? Having a to-do list can be very helpful in accomplishing your tasks, but also setting goals.

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A Salute to the Worker Bees

On The Job

While most people see the Labor Day holiday as a chance to cut out of work early today and head for one last weekend at the beach or perhaps a barbecue in the backyard with friends, I see it as the one time of year I need to stop and salute all of you. As a workplace columnist for nearly 17 years, I've interviewed hundreds of workers and hundreds of bosses.

Holidays 100
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Wired Magazine features Bioteams

BioTeams

Are you smarter than a goose? Sure you are — one on one. But when it comes to working efficiently, you and your colleagues can’t touch the gaggle. According to author Ken Thompson, geese and other animals that naturally form groups have a lot to teach us about business. In a theory he calls organizational biomimetics, Thompson lays out the principles underlying nature’s management strategies.

Forms 52
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SME Relationships: Proven Solutions for Seamless Collaboration and Success

Speaker: Tim Buteyn, President of ThinkingKap Learning Solutions

💢 Do you find yourself stuck in never-ending review cycles? Are you wondering if your Subject Matter Expert actually got that last review request? Are you having trouble trying to decipher impractical or conflicting feedback? 💢 If any of these scenarios sounds familiar, you may benefit from a crash course on managing SME relationships!

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Keeping it Real in Social Media Marketing

Denise Aday

Here are some gems from Farida Rafique’s Make A Splash blog yesterday that made me say “yeah, exactly!” Let’s face it, even the most well-adjusted human beings amongst us are not happy-go-lucky 24/7/365. Difficult stuff happens and we have to deal with it. Or we just have bad days that make us want to hide or run away or lash out. We’re emotionally complex creatures for goodness sake.

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What the Brady Bunch Can Teach You About Finding the Right Job

On The Job

Like most people, I was broke when I got out of college. Flat broke. That meant than instead of getting a cool apartment to go along with my first job, I had to take what I could afford: A place that looked like the Brady Bunch had exploded all over it. Crushed orange velvet sofa. Orange, yellow and green wallpaper with flowers bigger than my head. Olive green appliances.

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Would You Rather Have Your Pinky Toe Cut Off?

On The Job

We had just spent several sweaty hours at a professional baseball game, and my youngest son was balking at getting in the car for the two-hour drive home. Having gotten a bit carsick on the way to the game, he was negotiating getting a hotel room and staying the night. All I could think of was a cool shower and the comfort of my own bed, so I stood tough in the face of some serious whining.

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Working 9 to 5: What a Way to Make a Living!

Laughing all the Way to Work

I’m sure you all remember the Dolly Parton song Working 9 to 5. I think it was our anthem for a time because we could all relate, especially if you were in the role of office worker. I bet I've even got you humming it right now. I thought the words described our working day to a tee. Here are a few song titles and lyrics that connect to those who have to get up and go to work each day.

Temping 100
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What To Do When the Gossip is About.You

On The Job

Go ahead and fess up. I know you look at those gossip rags near the checkout supermarket lines. I know that you know that Brad and Angelina had twins. I also know that you are aware John Edwards cheated on his wife, Elizabeth. If you don’t know these things, then you’re not human and obviously live under a rock. As much as all of us proclaim we don’t listen, see, spread, smell or otherwise consume gossip, we really do.

Gossip 100
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Elevating the Virtual Interviewing Experience

Sharing your authentic self in a virtual interview can be an unwanted challenge. How do you break through the digital barrier when conducting a virtual interview and share your exceptional self? Think in unconventional ways to elevate the virtual interviewing experience.

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Administrative Jobs Decreasing?

Professional Assistant Blog

Home About Me Advertise Administrative Jobs Decreasing? By The Professional Assistant on Thursday, August 21, 2008 Filed Under: Job Seeking , Networking H ave you noticed that Administrative jobs have been more and more difficult to find? Have you been laid off in the last few years? The bad news: Administrative jobs have been decreasing over the past two years.

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Learning To Love a Job You Hate

On The Job

For whatever reason – it has great health benefits, you like the location and there’s a really cute programmer who works on the fourth floor – you have made the decision that you’re staying with a job you hate. It wasn’t an easy decision. People job hop these days faster than Matthew McConaughey can rip off his shirt. But even though you have to drag yourself into work every day, you’re not going to quit.

Learning 100
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Men Wearing Shorts At The Office?

Professional Assistant Blog

Home About Me Advertise Men Wearing Shorts At The Office? By The Professional Assistant on Monday, August 18, 2008 Filed Under: Meetings , Productivity O k, I am sure that the title of this post drew you in. I couldn’t believe it either. Apparently, this seems to be this summer’s latest fashion trend. I personally couldn’t do this, but it’s quite interesting that people would actually think of this.

2008 100
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Happy Blog Birthday and more.

Laughing all the Way to Work

It is hard to believe that it was only last year that I started my blog, but it was August 2007 when the idea first came to me to write a blog for administrative assistants. It has been a very interesting year. I have learned so much and have enjoyed the writing and the interaction with other bloggers and my readers. The last few months I have been busy compiling my articles into a book that will be published by Inkwater Press and should be available by mid- to late September, 2008.

2008 100
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Mandatory COVID Vaccination Policy Template

New vaccine mandates and testing policies will affect employers with more than 100 workers. Get Paycor’s free, customizable vaccination policy template to communicate critical details and new requirements to your employees. Get Paycor’s Template today!

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Why Accepting an Apology is Harder Than It Looks

On The Job

When you make a mistake at work, do you apologize? Many of you will say “yes”. It’s easier, after all, to move on if you admit that you messed up and simply say, “I’m sorry” to whoever your actions may have impacted. Now here’s a possibly tougher question: Do you always accept an apology? Well, of course, you may say. That’s what happens when someone apologizes.

UPS 100
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Forgot Your Password? Again?

Professional Assistant Blog

Home About Me Advertise Forgot Your Password? Again? By The Professional Assistant on Thursday, August 14, 2008 Filed Under: Productivity , System Security F orgetting your Windows password happens to everyone from time to time. Yes, even I forget it at times. People are always bombarded with computers asking them to change their passwords every so often.

2008 100
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A Great Outlook: Adding Holidays to Microsoft Outlook

Professional Assistant Blog

Home About Me Advertise A Great Outlook: Adding Holidays to Microsoft Outlook By The Professional Assistant on Wednesday, August 13, 2008 Filed Under: MS-Outlook , Organize D o you often wonder how you can add your countrys holidays into your calendar in Microsoft Outlook ? Do you follow particular religious holidays, but arent showing up in your calendar?

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Is Your Manager Setting You Up to Fail?

On The Job

Recently I ran into a friend of mine who told me he's quitting his job and going back to school to become a registered nurse. I was a bit surprised: Quit a job in this economy? Take on more student loan debt? When I asked him why he was leaving a job that he seemed to love the last time I spoke to him about a year ago, he told me that he was simply exhausted, both emotionally and mentally.

UPS 147
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Is Training the Right Solution?

Speaker: Tim Buteyn

Let's set the scene: you’ve identified a critical performance gap in your organization and need to close that gap. A colleague suggests training, but you suspect there’s something going on that training can’t address. How can you determine if training is the right solution before you commit your budget and resources to a new training program? In this webinar, you will learn how to determine if training is the right solution using the Behavior Engineering Model.

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Got Grit?

On The Job

You can be the sharpest knife in the drawer, the most well-educated person in your workplace, ambitious, quick-witted and charming -- and a failure. While many would consider those attributes a recipe for success, the truth is that those who seem to climb the top of the ladder have something that others may lack: Grit. "Most of the important things in the world have been accomplished by people who have kept on trying when there seemed to be no hope at all," said Dale Carnegie, the original self-

Goals 100
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What is D A T?

Laughing all the Way to Work

Maybe this only happens in my little world, but I have noticed when myself or my co-workers print a page with a Watermark on it, for instance DRAFT, it looks fine on the screen, but when printed it looks like D A T. Every second letter is missing. If you have experienced the same thing, here is what I discovered will fix that. To create a Watermark in Word 2007: On the Toolbar (or Ribbon) go to the Page Layout Tab – click the arrow down beside Watermark and choose Custom Watermark.

2007 100
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10 People Who Make a Lot of Sense

On The Job

I spend a lot of time on this blog giving you advice that I hope will help you in your career. But sometimes, you just have to step aside and let other people do your talking for you. I think these are some pretty smart folks, so lend an ear: "An overburdened, stretched executive is the best executive, because he or she doesn't have time to meddle , to deal in trivia, to bother people." -- Jack Welch "It is amazing what you can accomplish if you do not care who gets the credit." -- Harry S.

UPS 100
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Five Ways to Battle the Little Green Monster

On The Job

What kind of car do you drive? What does your lawn look like? How much did that suit cost you? If you're a typical American, at least one of these things brings out your competitive side. Go on, admit it. Your car was chosen because it was something you could show off to your friends. Your lawn could qualify for the PGA, and any weed that dares show up is considered an enemy of the state.

Monster 100
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Revitalizing Dry Content: A Lesson in Engagement

Speaker: Tim Buteyn, President of ThinkingKap Learning Solutions

We’ve all been there. You’ve been given a pile of dry content and asked to create a compelling eLearning course. You’re determined to create something more engaging than the same old course that learners quickly click through, but how do you take this “boring” content and create something relevant and engaging? Many instructional designers will say, “Boring in means boring out.

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Four Reasons why Outlook should be called -- Lookout!!

Laughing all the Way to Work

Someone I know said they thought Outlook should be called Lookout because of the speed in which you could mess up. Here are some reasons why I agree: It is easy to send mail to the wrong recipient. The e-mail memory feature can be helpful when you don't want to look up someone's e-mail address, but if you aren't paying attention you may pick Susan in Accounting and you meant to send it to Susan in HR and you were forwarding your performance appraisal.

UPS 100
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Are You -- Or Someone You Know -- a "Perfect" Pain?

On The Job

I've interviewed enough experts over the years to know what a can of worms you open anytime you mention perfectionism. And perfectionism in the workplace? You're talking a whole caseload of worms. Doesn't it seem kind of strange that we would complain about someone who wants things to be perfect at work? After all, we strive to do a great job in order to get raises and promotions and more stock options.

Stress 130
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Don't press Send and Regret it

Laughing all the Way to Work

I'm sure we've all done it at one time -- pressed Send on an e-mail and put the wrong recipient in the To box. No matter how diligent you are, sometimes these mistakes happen. Thankfully, there is an option to Recall the message. In Outlook 2007 this feature works much better than the 2003 version. In 2003, the recipient still gets the e-mail and has to agree to let you recall the message.

2003 100
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Locker Room Etiquette and more.

Laughing all the Way to Work

Is there an etiquette for the locker room? If not, I think there should be. I think camera cell phones should be banned from locker rooms. It is an invasion of our privacy. I have often gone to the gym and while changing notice someone on a cell phone and it makes me feel uncomfortable. How do I know they are not videotaping us in the changeroom in our state of undress?

Etiquette 100
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Brain Fog HQ: Memory Enhancement Techniques for Professional Development

Speaker: Chester Santos – Author, International Keynote Speaker, Executive Coach, Corporate Trainer, Memory Expert, U.S. Memory Champion

In October, scientists discovered that 75% of patients who experienced brain fog had a lower quality of life at work than those who did not. At best, brain fog makes you slower and less efficient. At worst, your performance and cognitive functions are impaired, resulting in memory, management, and task completion problems. In this entertaining and interactive presentation, Chester Santos, "The International Man of Memory," will assist you in developing life-changing skills that will greatly enha