I just got fed up. My Treo 600 wasn't connecting to my email server unless it had a really full battery charge. Which wasn't a problem IF I remembered to plug it in every night. Until a few days ago, when I forgot, and I was out and about on appointments and couldn't get my messages. I'd been putting up with this for several weeks, because the battery is internal and can't easily be replaced. So I just bought the new Treo 700p and am so jazzed! I can watch tv, view Web sites easily, use my new bluetooth ear piece, and take really great pictures and videos. Why didn't I do this sooner? Then I started looking around and wondering what else I've been tolerating that's irritating or otherwise slowing me down. My printer! Ugh! … [Read more...]
Creating a productive environment
What do you surround yourself with to make you feel productive? I have an "I love me" wall with degrees, certificates, awards, etc., to remind myself that I am living up to a lot of expectations. I keep a wall calendar to remind me that my job is to keep it full with speaking engagements. I have photos of my family, husband, and children, to remind me that a lot of people are depending upon me. I keep my dog and cat running around in my office to remind me to play. And my newest environmental addition...two Siamese fighting fish (a.k.a. betta fish)...no fancy filtration systems needed. Just watching them swim around on my desk relaxes me and knowing I get to feed them gives me another good reason to look forward to coming to work. The glass … [Read more...]
How to be productive on the 3rd of July
I was reading about a survey by Challenger, Gray & Christmas Inc. of 100 human resource executives, which found 56 percent said they would have normal office hours on Monday, citing the global nature of their businesses. Many people took the day off, turning it into a 4-day weekend. Those that are left in the office wish they weren't. So how to you get some last-minute pre-holiday productivity? Roll in giant recycling and trash bins and stage a paper-tossing contest between departments. Have employees clean out their filing cabinets, and whoever gets rid of the most paper in weight (adjusted to % based on the # of people in the department) gets a pizza party at lunch and leaves early. Of course, buy everyone pizza and let everyone go early, but you'll at … [Read more...]
Is Socializing a Waste of Time?
I read with a mixture of interest and amusement an article referencing a study done by OfficeTeam/ Robert Half International about whether socializing at work around the water cooler is a waste of time. http://www.centralvalleybusinesstimes.com/stories/001/?ID=2278 Predictably, workers said no. Predictably, managers said yes. The answer, of course, is YES...and NO. This is a silly study. As with any study, it's easy to skew the numbers. The answers vary, depending upon the context in which it's discussed and your point of reference. Certainly, socializing can be a waste of time. Thirty minutes spent chatting about your aunt Sally's surgery could qualify as a non-value producing activity. However, not all socializing is a waste of … [Read more...]
A First Look at the 2007 Microsoft Office System
I recently participated in the “Microsoft Office System Webcast: A First Look at the 2007 Microsoft Office System” that previewed some of the new features of Microsoft Office 2007. I’m excited about the changes I saw. While the move from Office 2000 to Office 2003 brought us mostly cosmetic changes, there is a lot of new, improved functionality in Office 2007. Here are some of my favorites: · The menu system is replaced by a “ribbon,” which is essentially a customized tool bar with buttons for each command. · The ribbon opens a series of “command tabs” that are contextual, meaning they only appear when you need them. So you don’t always have your menu bar cluttered up by a bunch of icons that are meaningless at the time. Each application has its own set of command … [Read more...]
Today’s software and mobile devices enable new breed of ‘Road Warriors’
Work Essentials: Today’s software and mobile devices enable new breed of ‘Road Warriors’ By Nina Bondarook Gini Courter only worked out of her company’s office in Grand Traverse County, Michigan twice during the first half of the year. The balance of her time was spent traveling to provide software training and business solutions to clients of Triad Consulting, the firm she co-founded there 10 years ago. “I spend 99.9 percent of my work time at client sites, in hotels or at remote locations,” says Courter, Triad’s managing partner. “I’m still adapting. Every time I see a laptop case with a couple of new features, I start to drool.” She’s among a growing breed of Road Warriors who use today’s technologies to work from ‘any location at any time.’ In fact, Massachusetts-based IDC, a … [Read more...]
Get out of town and take a vacation
Have you taken your allotted vacation time this year? If not, check out http://search.csmonitor.com/2006/0612/p13s02-wmgn.htm. I'm quoted on my advice for a 10-day vacation, but it's easy to miss within the article. I've always thought one week was too short for a vacation, but two weeks seemed a bit too long, especially if I don't have my children with me. So I've come to enjoy a compromise at 10 days. It's long enough where I can relax and forget what day it is but short enough where I don't come back to an overwhelming workload. If you take these 10 days tagged on to Memorial Day weekend, July 4 weekend, or Labor Day weekend, you end up with 2 full weeks and three weekends, which gives you time at the end of your vacation to get organized and back … [Read more...]
Wi-fi on airplanes: a much-needed productivity boost!
http://www.usatoday.com/tech/wireless/2006-06-05-inflight-broadband_x.htm Following a winning $31.3 million-dollar bid, AirCell, a Colorado-based company that provides wireless services for corporate jets, is now poised to provide wireless service on public airliners as early as 2007. This would be absolutely amazing for personal productivity, allowing you to do the same work you do in the office, on your Blackberry, in the hotel, at Starbucks and in the airport lounge. Bravo! Many people complain about travel, citing a huge productivity drain. Now they won't have anything to blame, and the excuse will vanish. The real reason for not getting work done will emerge: a good book, a stiff drink, the prospect of a nap. NOW we'll see where the rubber hits the … [Read more...]
Don’t Be Left Behind: the Right Computer Skills Can Make All the Difference
Don’t Be Left Behind: the Right Computer Skills Can Make All the Difference Kelly Dodson knows firsthand why companies value the ability to use computers and software. An administrative assistant in Kansas, Dodson used to keep her CEO’s calendar by hand until one day an important meeting slipped through the cracks. That painful experience compelled her to seek training in the effective use of the company’s scheduling software. And today, she feels she couldn’t do her job as well without it. As early as 1999, the Progressive Policy Institute estimated that 75 percent of employees use computers in their work, and that figure continues to increase as computers make their way into more and more aspects of individuals’ lives. Since just about every job today is connected to … [Read more...]
National Leave the Office Earlier Day
Today is National Leave the Office Earlier Day! To get you out on time today, some last-minute reminders: 1. When you leave tonight, make sure you've identified the top 2-3 things you absolutely must accomplish before you leave the office Friday. Do those first! 2. Turn off your email alerts and only handle email 2-3 times tomorrow. Go to Tools, Options, Preferences tab, Email options, advanced email options, and uncheck the four boxes under when new items arrive in my in-box. 3. Be disciplined about the length of your socializing. Tell your colleagues about the day and that you are committed to only working 8 hours today instead of your usual 9-12. 4. Stay off non-work related Internet sites, just for the day. You can do it! The average worker spends 3.6 hours a week … [Read more...]
