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...]
Television needs a time management lesson
People always tell me how lucky I am to have the opportunity to be on television. "Wow, it must be nice to be such a celebrity!" they say. Right. So I'm supposed to appear on the CBS Early Show on June 26, live, to be interviewed about my newest book, Find More Time. I give up a weekend day with my family and make the long trek from Denver to NYC on Sunday. I arrive, fight NYC traffic for 90 minutes, check into my hotel, get something to eat alone (by the way, Sarabeth's Kitchen www.sarabeth.com has the best tomato soup I've ever had; their preserves are fabulous too), and sit down to think about the interview. Phone rings. It's the PR rep for my publisher. "Your segment's been bumped," she says. "Huh?" I … [Read more...]
Laura Stack to be interviewed on CBS Early Show!
Friends, please tune to the CBS Early Show on Monday, June 26, where I'm to be interviewed LIVE about my new book "Find More Time"! It will help me be less nervous in front of 3.2 million people knowing you are all rooting for me. … [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...]
Don’t forget to buy FIND MORE TIME on June 13!
Last reminder! On Tuesday, June 13 ONLY, if you purchase my new book Find More Time ONLY at http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0767922026/qid=1141425861/sr=2-1/ref=pd_bbs_b_2_1/102-0341048-7344903?s=books&v=glance&n=283155, you will receive: *A 10-day eCourse on how to leave the office earlier * A poster on How to be P.R.O.D.U.C.T.I.V.E. * A self-study audio seminar and workbook on being more productive at work * A subscription to my monthly ezine "The Productivity Pro" * An eBook on Organizing Your Office and Your Life The bonus goodies offer does not apply to books purchased on any other day at any other bookstore. Best, Laura … [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...]
