Enjoying Your Work Tips

Finding Your Passion

In the words of philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche, "Is not life a hundred times too short for us to bore ourselves?"
Many of us find ourselves laboring away at barely tolerable or marginally acceptable jobs.
If passion for your work is something that's missing in your life and you want to make a change, read Richard Bolles' classic book for those in transition, "What Color is Your Parachute?:
A Practical Guide for Job-Hunters and Career-Changers." Bolles offers all sorts of exercises to help you define values and priorities.

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Appointment Etiquette

Our work lives are engulfed in a series of meetings and
appointments, some necessary and some not. Appointments can
be overused and thus result in a waste of everyone's time.
Here's some appointment etiquette that should help you more
productively use your -- and others' -- time. Make an
appointment only when it's crucial that you speak with
someone. Next determine if the communication has to be
face-to-face or if it can be done using some other medium,
like the phone, email, or a form of electronic instant
messaging. If you must physically meet with someone, avoid
playing phone tag by setting the time for the appointment
via voice mail or email if necessary. In your message,
specify the reason the meeting is important, leave at least
two or three options for the appointment date and time, and
request prompt verification.

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Scissors Add Sizzle To Their Style

In today's global world of school supplies, scissors have taken on a life of their own.
They're not just scissors anymore -- they've become squeezers, scissmanders, barracutters and scissigators.
They don't necessarily travel down a straight path any longer either -- they can create waves, ripples, jigsaw patterns and scalloped lines, as well as the occasional saw-toothed edge.

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Thirteen Timely Tips for More Effective Personal Time Management

1. SPEND TIME PLANNING AND ORGANIZING.
2. SET GOALS
3. PRIORITIZE
4. USE A TO DO LIST
5. BE FLEXIBLE.
6. CONSIDER YOUR BIOLOGICAL PRIME TIME.
7. DO THE RIGHT THING RIGHT.
8. ELIMINATE THE URGENT.
9. PRACTICE THE ART OF INTELLIGENT NEGLECT.
10. AVOID BEING A PERFECTIONIST.
11. CONQUER PROCRASTINATION
12. LEARN TO SAY "NO"
13. REWARD YOURSELF.

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Know Yourself!

Would you rather spend hours on the Internet, or hours on the phone with a friend? At a party, will you jump on the dance floor or sit back and watch the action? Your personality is already pretty much formed. However, now until the age of 25 your personality will be influenced more and more by your friends and the school or work you choose. Get advice about your career choice from someone you respect. You don't want to take a job that will make you cynical 2-3 years from now.

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Choosing The Best Company For You #2

Job seekers are often offered positions at more than one company.
Deciding which company to work for can be difficult.
Whether traditional or high tech, here are some ideas on how best to narrow your options:

--Find a company that invests in its people.
Ask what a company does in the way of training, mentoring, and leadership development.

--Look for a company that believes in promoting from within. Ask if the company encourages movement within the company--literally (to learn more skills) and upwardly.
Find out the typical career path of someone in the position for which you are interviewing.

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Haunting of the Counteroffer

Q: What is the current feeling about counteroffers? I've heard that 90% of counteroffers accepted usually come back to haunt you at your next review. Do employers feel employees violate loyalty, or do they become suspicious as to why the employee was looking in the first place?
Do employees have a stigma attached as they had to be "bought" to make them stay?

A: Ordinarily when someone is convinced to stay by a counteroffer, there is always a concern that the employee will leave when the next offer comes his or her way or that the individual will again try to use it as leverage to get a raise. There is a stigma attached to accepting a counteroffer and almost invariably the employee's loyalty remains under suspicion for the rest of their time with the company.
Often employers begin to start looking for a possible replacement immediately after they make the counteroffer. That does not mean one should never accept a counteroffer, particularly if the individual likes the company and the company feels the same way.

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Keep A Scrapbook To Remember Career Highlights

Did you ever keep a scrapbook when you were a child?
Chances are you have it still and enjoy the memories it
evokes. Adults can also find much joy in keeping a
scrapbook. One good idea for a scrapbook is to record your career highlights.

If you decide to keep a career scrapbook, make sure that you have fun with the project. Be creative. Collect anything that helps you remember accomplishments and rewarding times. Keep an ongoing journal within your scrapbook to help establish a timeline. The scrapbook can be helpful in refreshing your resume or just to provide hours of nostalgic musing!

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Work from Home

Q: At what point in the interview/negotiation process should I ask the employer if they would consider allowing me to work from home given that the work is conducive to that environment?

A: After they have offered you the job. Once an employer falls in love with a candidate, (and that is your goal during the interview process), they are more than likely to be flexible in terms of what they are willing to do in order to get you to accept the job.

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Practice Your Smiles

Sounds corny I know, but unless you are a naturally bubbly
person, you need work. Even if you do most of your work on
the phone, you can hear the difference in your voice when
you smile. Go ahead and try it -- you will notice your
voice is lighter. By smiling, you set the tone of a
conversation. If you have to fake it, that shows also -- so
work on enjoying what you do.

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Being Fired for Your Honesty.

Being fired from an executive level position for criticizing a boss's managerial style is something hard to accept and get over.
In most cases, this will cause a very negative effect on employees. For companies that purportedly pride themselves on open and honest communication, this strikes me as malicious, not to mention unwarranted.
Is this a common event in corporate America, or, in anyone's experience, more of an aberration?

When you're asked to be open and honest, you have to make a judgement call in terms of how much you trust your management. A lot of people say they want the truth, but more often than not they really don't want it.

Also, a lot depends on how you are honest. There's a tactful way, and a hurtful way. It's really hard to say if you went over the edge in any critique. A company that prides itself on open communication does not give you the right to pass criticisms on to other people without first talking it over with the person you are raking over the coals.

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Are You Overattached To Your Job?

How can you tell if you've slipped from hard work to obsession about your job?
If you answer "yes" to any of the following questions, it may be time to rearrange the priorities in your life:

--When your boss fails to recognize your work on a project, do you feel abandoned and betrayed?

--Have you lost friends or weakened family relationships because the time and energy you spend at work leaves little of either for home?

--Are you happy only when you are at work?

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Mark your Calendars: It's time to get organized

The warehouse, mailroom and "backroom" of industrial businesses are the true hubs of activity in any day-to-day operations.
That's why it is so important to organize, prioritize and coordinate their activities.
Getting organized and staying organized can make a big difference to efficiency, morale and customer service. And one place to get started is with a good calendar or daily planner.
Research shows that seven out of ten businesspeople refer to a printed calendar five or more times a day.
Organizing those incoming orders, outgoing shipments, safety inspections, production meetings, etc., is the backbone of your operations. Each day's activities need to be mapped out in a logical manner. Calendars can be a vital tool, offering an inexpensive way to become more proficient and more productive.

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Thoughtful Ergonomic Furniture

Give thought to ergonomic furniture, as you should be as comfortable as possible while at work. Lighting is another factor to consider when you put together your new office look. The work area should have strong lighting, either fluorescent, halogen, or track lights.

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Show you Care

Differences in body measurements, vision requirements, hand preferences, computer set-ups, type of work being performed,and the length of the work shift are all factors to think about when considering the comfort of an employee.
A chair with an adjustable back support, height controls, and seat padding with resiliency to reduce contact stress on hips and thighs, is always a smart choice for a comfortable, ergonomically correct workstation.

Glare screens, foot rests and adjustable seating supports are also appropriate ergonomic accessories that will add to the comfort and well-being of an employee's work day.

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Slow Down To Work At Top Speed

Yes, you read correctly. In this frenzied world of work,
one of the most important and most frequently ignored
axioms is that to work at top speed and maximum efficiency,
you need to slow down.

Work can overwhelm our lives. Laptops enable us to bring
our entire office home every evening and also to take it
along on vacations. As the pace of work accelerates, so
does the cognitive dissonance associated with coping in our
personal lives where we face messages like "eat slowly,"
"make time for the kids," and "stop and smell the roses."
Maybe I'm wrong, but I sense a suggestion of a movement
building that challenges this lifestyle we're being called
to lead. What can you do if you feel life is pulling you
apart? Here are some suggestions:

--honestly examine your life - what would a stress-free
life be like?
--clarify your values - what's really most important to
you?
--set parameters and be willing to suffer the consequences
(and enjoy the rewards).

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Choosing the Right Copier Paper

Choosing the right copier paper is an important element of successful office management. Using the right paper ensures accuracy, reliability, and permanence, as well as a high-quality presentation.
The right choice of paper is also cost-effective. Loading inexpensive, low-quality "budget" paper into a copier can be a false savings. While the initial cost may seem lower, the ultimate expense - after tossing out crumpled misfed sheets and poorly-produced or illegible documents, as well as downtime - will be greater.
Look for the following when choosing a copier paper:
Weight - affects paper's durability and its ability to move through a copier.
Smoothness - of the finish and a level surface are required for the paper to accept imaging, especially halftones, with some degree of fine screen quality.
Opacity - is determined by the thickness of the paper and affects the document's readability.
Brightness - makes the copy or graphics pop out against the background.
Archival-quality - paper is copier paper that is acid-free and has an extended paper life of more than 200 years.
Watermark - paper demonstrates a higher quality, premium copier paper.
Recycled - papers are available with low and high percentages of recycled fiber content.

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Resizing Text

If text is too big to fit inside an object, you can either resize the object and/or wrap text inside the object.

1. Click on the object with text to select it.
2. Click on the Format, AutoShape Menus.
3. Click on the Text Box.
4. Click on Resize AutoShape to Fit Text. And/Or Click on Word Wrap Text In Autoshape.

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Slides

If you have multiple objects on a slide, press the [TAB] key to select one object at a time.

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Negotiating your Benefits

Q: Is it possible to negotiate a higher salary by disclosing to the new employer that you do not need benefits? I am covered by my husband's health plan, and am interested in trying to obtain a higher salary with no benefits.

A: It is possible to do that at a small company or working as an independent contractor. For most large companies it wouldn't matter, as the costs of a single person's benefits is insignificant in terms of their overall benefit costs.

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Choosing The Best Company For You #1

Choose the best company for YOU.
If philanthropy is important to you, then look for a company that's committed, in words and deeds, to the same things you are.
Also consider:

--When talking with current employees, do you get the feeling they are working for a cause, not just a company?

--Is the company committed to its employees' families and its community?
How does the company demonstrate it sincerity?

--Does the company encourage its workers to take leadership roles in their communities?
Does the company encourage employees to volunteer, or perhaps even allow workers to take time off work to participate in local service organizations?

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Be Flexible

Your company may have to change the way it does business
several times over the course of your employment with them.
Don't take it personally. Many industries have had to
reinvent themselves to stay competitive. Going with the
flow of what the company is doing will help you stay as a
good employee.

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How to Make Professional-Looking Transparencies

It's so easy to make professional-looking overhead transparencies using your printer or copier, and the price per transparency makes it relatively inexpensive!
-Create on your computer.
-...Print with your printer. To print out a single sheet, place one sheet of film in the manual feed tray of your laser printer. If the film has a paper backing, place it paper side down.
-...Or with your copier. Place your original on the glass, then place film in paper feeder slot. If the film has a paper backing or sensing stripe, place the stripe or backing stripe face down.

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Be Pollution Free

Your employees have a right to breathe pollutant-free air.
Restricting smoking may be a first step, but adding plants to your office environment will ensure that they are not subjected to more prevalent toxins.
Plants also have an aesthetic quality that adds to the comfort of people in a space by bringing the peacefulness of nature indoors. Impove the morale of your workers by providing a relaxed work environment.

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Repeating Titles

If your spreadsheet contains multiple pages, you may want a title to print on the top of each page, or in the first column of each page.

1. Position the worksheet so that the rows or columns that contain the title are displayed.
2. Click on the File Menu.
3. Click on Page Setup.
4. Click on the Sheet Tab.
5. In the Print Titles box, type the rows or columns that you want printed as titles (i.e., A:C or 1:8). Or, use the mouse to select the row or column headings on the worksheet.
6. Click ok.

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7 Secrets to Success

1. USE THE INTERNET
The web is an invaluable research tool, especially for job seekers and entrepreneurs. Visit monster.com, where more than 50,000 available jobs are listed and you can elicit career advice from experts. You can also job hunt at MSN's Careers and get tips about resume writing, interviewing and asking for a raise.

2. ASSESS YOUR ATTRIBUTES
Make a list of your strengths and weaknesses. Then ask people who know you well - and who will be honest - to modify it. Finally, think about how you can use each attribute for your benefit. For example, if you are always restless, consider finding a job that includes travel.

3. OVERCOME YOUR FEARS
To reach your potential, it's critical that you conquer any fears you might have. Start by forcing yourself to tackle something unrelated to work, something that you've never dared to do. For example, I used to fear going to the movies by myself, but one day I just did it. After accomplishing this challenge, your old phobia will seem silly, like mine did, and you'll have more self-confidence. Use this to face your fears at the office, such as public speaking, one by one.

4. DECLUTTER YOUR LIFE
Getting organized will let you free up your mind and gain clarity. In addition to clearing out your desk and files, clean your computer desktop by trashing old e-mails and documents. To eliminate paper pileup, use an electric organizer. Also organize personal things, like your wallet, makeup bag and clothing closet.

5. PROTECT YOUR SANITY
Being stress-free is key for warding off burnout. Try doing at least one physical activity a day. Also, create a quiet space in your home where you can relax; go there for at least five minutes each day.

6. DON'T TRUST BLINDLY
Not everyone you work with is necessarily on your side. Be careful whom you rely upon and whom you confide in.

7. BE TRUE TO YOUR VALUES
Ask yourself: How do I want to live my life? Then think about whether your company allows you to do this. If it doesn't, consider a job change.

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Business Cards 101

Sure, it's a lot smaller, but a business
card can provide billboard-size benefits
for you—if it's well-designed and properly
used. Here are some tips for getting
billboard-size results when you hand out
your business card:

1. Make it easy for people to reach you: [Image][Image][Image] [Image]
It's great that there are 47 ways to
contact you. But if you put too many
numbers on your business card, people
won't know which one to try. Keep it
simple by including one phone number and
one fax number. If you're unavailable when
people phone, offer other ways you can be
reached—a pager number, a cell phone
number, or an e-mail address—on your voice
mail message.

2. Tell people where they can find you:
Even in this increasingly wired society,
you still need to include a street address
on your business card. Notice I said
"street" address. If you work out of your
home, you may be using a post office box.
Although more people are doing this in
today's entrepreneurial world, post office
boxes still don't have the credibility of
a street address. If you don't want to
identify your home, make a relatively
small investment and rent an address from
a commercial postal center.

3. Use a picture: Put your picture on
your business card. New contacts are much
more likely to remember your face than
your name. Jog their memory with your
smiling face—in color if your budget
allows.

4. Tell people what you can do for them:
Use the back of your card for relevant
information about you, your products, or
services. Don't waste precious space on
your card with your mission statement. You
can tell people all about that when you
meet in person or speak to their group.

5. Speak the language of business: If you
do business in a non-English speaking
country, especially in Asia, a bilingual
business card is a must. Have your card
printed in English on one side and the
native language on the other. The same
logo and colors should be used on both
sides. Making this effort will show
overseas prospects that you are ready and
willing to do what it takes to get down to
business.

6. Keep your cards in great shape: Keep
your cards in a cardholder. Cards that are
thrown into jacket pockets or at the
bottom of briefcases will just get dirty
and dog-eared. Is that the kind of
impression you want to make? Your crisp,
clean card will reflect a positive image.

7. Help others help you: Be generous with
your cards. When you hand them to people,
give them two and say, "One is for you and
the other is for the first person you meet
who needs a great _____________ (fill in
the blank with your job title)." Also,
don't be afraid to put your cards on
bulletin boards and in collection jars
(facing out) at local businesses. The more
often people see them, the better.

Of course, keep your cards handy at all
times. Never leave home or the office
without them. The next hand that holds
your card can hold the key to a new
relationship.

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Bedazzle your Boss

1. Pipe up first (or last) at a powwow. People tend to remember the opening and concluding comments at a meeting. So this is prime time to throw in your two cents.

2. Get in sync with her schedule. If the big cheese arrives to work at the crack of dawn, stays late, or goes to the company gym at 5:00 p.m., adopt a similar daily agenda to cross paths with her more often.

3. Finagle some face time. Your superior is swamped with office E-mails and memos. So skip the paperwork and each week give her a two-minute in-person bulletin on one pet project.

4. Praise your peers. Since tooting your own horn is too obvious, talk up a colleague to your boss. She'll come to trust your opinion the next time she wants to take a pulse-check on her staff.

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Security, Ecology: Shredders Help Both

Determining the type and size of unit to buy is best arrived at by knowing the volume of shredding done.
The typical office is still awash with paper, and wading out of this stormy sea will always present a number of problems.

Security, of course, is a particularly tricky one; sensitive documents can't be left lying around, inviting the wrong eyes to gaze upon them. And simply "trashing" paper, while probably the least expensive disposal policy, is an unacceptable -- and in some locations an illegal -- alternative.
Solutions? One is the use of a much-maligned but extremely worthwhile piece of office hardware -- the shredding machine. Too often the butt of jokes involving scandals and political hanky-panky, the shredder is actually a useful component of an organization's security apparatus. It simply makes sense to shred documents that could conceivabley cause problems or embarrassment for the parties involved.

The machine has become a standard office fixture available in many sizes, capacities and prices, and for a variety of applications. In fact, shredders range from "personal" paper-only models, which fit onto any wastebaset, to industrial-strength behemoths driven by 100-HP motors able to gobble up computer software, video cassettes, plastic beverage containers and even steel articles, grinding them into confetti.

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Mind Your Own Business Papers

What does your choice in paper say about your company?
According to Didi Yunginger, marketing director at Backpacker magazine in Emmaus, Pa., businesses need to keep in mind that visual elements communicate just as much as words do.
After all, letters that are printed on 20-pound copier paper are instantly recognizable as being printed on plain copier paper. This type of paper doesn't offer much insight as to the personality of a particular company. But a letter that's printed on paper that's brighter and heavier than the average copier paper tells you something about the sender. The type of paper a business uses is a form of communication in itself. It also helps ensure that your marketing materials receive the attention you desire for your products and services.
Paper can be used to convey more than just a serious businesslike attitude and the idea that you have a quality product or service. It doesn't matter whether a company's particular message is down-to-earth, high-tech, contemporary, conservative or creative. A business can use paper to project any image it chooses, just as Backpacker uses recycled paper in earthy tones in its media kit to project an image of being environmentally conscious and dedicated to the outdoors.
When choosing paper to project a particular image, it's important to first zero in on exactly what image you want to portray. It's also important to define the market your're trying to reach.
In addition to image and consistency, it's also important to keep in mind certain technical details when choosing business paper. Generally, paper varies on several points - weight(paper that weighs more than 20 pounds is considered heavy), brightness (the percentage of light the paper reflects, the higher the percentage, the brighter the paper); opacity (the amount to show-through when copying or printing an image on both sides of the paper) and texture (the feel of the paper's surface)

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Getting Comfortable

What can you do to make yourself and your co-workers "comfortable" with you?
Working for a company where the majority of people are not of the same ethnic background and are much younger than you as well may make you feel awkward.
You might feel uncomfortable working with these people because they have/share very little in common with you, yet you need them to advance in your career.

There is no magic bullet that can solve your problem overnight. First, you need to study up on the culture your peers are from. You need to go to lunch with them, socialize.
Don't focus so much on the cultural differences, but instead concentrate on the things that you have in common at work. Prove yourself in the office and the cultural barriers will diminish over time.

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Everybody Needs A Gameplan

Having a bad day on the job? Don't react impulsively. The worst thing to
do would be to quit your job without having any prospects for a new one.
Changing jobs can be stressful, so carefully evaluate your future career
objectives. You can do this by spending the appropriate amount of time
developing your job-hunting strategy. Create a new resume and network with
close friends and business acquaintances to discover your best career path.
Be selective. Don't jump at an opportunity until you know it is the right
one for you or you may end up in a similar situation.

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Inexperienced Negotiator

Q: I recently graduated from college. Before my graduation, I received a job offer from a reputable company, and because of my inexperience I happily accepted their offer without any negotiation.
Now I have come to realize that people with the same position as I have are getting paid more. Although I'm doing great at my job and I am enjoying the work, my low salary is really bothering me.
Should I apply for jobs in other companies or should I talk to my manager?

A: Employees who don't negotiate when they are taking a new job are often taken advantage of.
I would probably recommend doing both, depending on how long you have been there and what kind of work you do.
If you have been there less than a year, I would go to your manager but not test the waters in the job market. If you've been there longer you should see what your value is in the market and what other opportunities there are out there.
There is a lot more to consider than just money. Training and the opportunity for career growth are critical to your long term success. Before you go to your manager, be sure you have a good feel for what you could command in the market; perhaps even wait until you have another offer. It will help your confidence and enable you to negotiate a better deal.

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Highlighting Saves You Time

Highlight summary information as you read. This saves time later and keeps you focused on the matter at hand.
Just use these 4 time-saving ideas and you'll be hours ahead.
-Tag, flag, tab, color-code or mark as many documents, folders and publications as you possibly can. You'll be surprised how much time you save when everything in your office has bright, attractive, easy-to-read labels.
-Stamp or write a "Terminate Date" on items you know you won't use a week, a month , or a year later. You'll never again waste time trying to decide "should I keep this?"
-Spending 15 minutes to write a meeting agenda can save an hour of wasted meeting time - and that hour is multiplied by every person in the meeting!
-Before making a call or writing a letter or memo, take a few seconds to jot down the points you wish to cover. You may find some items can be combined. Or you may discover a crucial item that must be dealt with before making the call or starting your writing. Either way, you'll ultimately save time.

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Develop Your Own Lifeline

Develop Your Own Lifeline

No, not the kind you find on a TV game show. Today we're
exploring lifelines in a work setting.

When you begin a new job, one of the first steps toward
success is finding a confidant to help you through your job
development. This person should serve as a sounding board
to help you keep your focus and perspective. Usually, these
people will have significant experience in the company.

As you become the experienced one, look for opportunities
to develop someone else. You have a debt you should
willingly repay!

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Set A Learning Goal

Dot.coms and other high tech companies have become today's "hot" places to work.
Employees are leaving traditional companies in droves to join the radical ranks.
Prepare yourself - unless you're an engineer or programmer, the switch to a dot.com may require a backward step in responsibility or pay as you transition your career.
Setting a learning goal can help you justify the move and gauge your progress.
A learning goal will also help you defend the logic of this move to future employers.
As in any career transition, time spent on the job is more about learning than about the job title.
Set clear and measurable goals, and constantly monitor your progress.

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Throwing a Casino Party!

Casino parties are a popular and successful way for companies or groups to entertain their guests.
It's all in fun, with no gambling involved. Your guests wager with scrip or "funny money", and have a chance to win prizes based on their winnings.

So, how do you go about putting on a memorable casino party?

1. Don't overthink it. You've invited people to gather, mingle and enjoy. They've come to have a good time, and their interaction at the gaming tables will provide fun.
2. Don't work too hard. Don't be so exhausted before your guests arrive that you can't enjoy your own party.
3. How about a theme? It doesn't have to be fancy or elaborate. What time of year is it? Is there anything significant that happens around then?

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To select an entire column in a table

1. Point the mouse pointer anywhere inside the column to select. Hold down the [Alt] key and click the Left Mouse Button. Hold down the mouse button and drag to select multiple columns.

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Preventing from printing two or three lines on a separate page.

1. Click on the Print Preview icon on the Standard Toolbar.
2. Click on the Shrink to Fit Icon.
3. Click on the Print icon.

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Keep Learning New Things

If you're doing one kind of job and the opportunity arises to learn another, take it. You never know when that knowledge will come back to help you in your career. That type of experience may make the difference in a future job interview.

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Desktop Publishing Tips

-Magnify the impact of your brochure. Choose a format that conforms with your letterhead and business card. Left justified column formats in brochures make reading easier. Text columns that are fully justified result in spaces between words.
-Coordinating designs of social and business stationery sets will pull your company's image together.
-Make your documents look more professional by following these simple rules:
-Don't overcrowd your pages. Give text and graphics a priority. High priority items, like headlines and main graphics, should have more space. Low-priority items should have less space or be eliminated.
-Make sure your lines are evenly spaced and lines in your paragraphs have equal leading (the space between the lines)
-Avoid widows and orphans (wide spaces between words or letters). Slightly change the margin width or letter spacing. You can also add or delete a few words.

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Instant Insert

Insert new cells and paste data in a single step. When copying and moving cells, select the range of cells you want to move, point with your mouse to the border of the selection, and hold down the Ctrl key as you drag the range to the location. When you release the mouse button, Excel copies the cells to the destination. To insert data at the destination, press and hold the Shift and Ctrl keys as you drag your selection; existing cells are shifted down or right.

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Workload, Overload

About 20 years ago, electronic development gurus told us
all that our lives would soon become simpler and demands on
our time would significantly decrease because of new
technology advances. As you are no doubt painfully aware,
this scenario didn't occur. In fact, we're all busier than
ever.

The previous paragraph is old news. Everyone has discussed
the topic endlessly until no one cares to hear any more.
But there is other old news, too. Generally, everyone is
busy and feeling stressed by their particular time demands.

Are you one of the many who insist on telling the world how
overwhelmed you are? If so, you probably also mention that
you are working very hard and are extremely efficient - you
simply have too much work to do. What you may not realize
is that you're not impressing anyone with that announcement
- virtually everyone believes she's just as busy as you
are, if not busier. Your explanation is perceived as
boring, irrelevant, or whiny - none of which are among the
messages you want to communicate.

A better approach is to take steps to end the busyness. Cut
back on the work you do by softening your task list. You
don't work in a vacuum, and there are probably others who
can take on some of your tasks. Another useful approach is
to work even harder and catch up! Then you can impress your
friends by telling them how you used to be busy until you
overcame the problem. That is a conversation they will find
neither boring nor irrelevant.

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I'm throwing a barbecue. Whom from the office should I invite?

Nothing is more awkward than facing a workmate after they've found out they were passed over for your party list. Asking three or four of your closest office chums is acceptable and won't ruffle anyone's feathers. But if you want to expand your guest list, play it safe and ask everyone from a specific group- whether that's the seven people on your team or the six coworkers who are at your same level. That way, it's logical to everyone why you cut the list off where you did and the uninvited won't feel slighted.

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Changing the Way People Work

With stress reducing designs for today's computer workplace, Metamorphosis offers products which support your elbows and maximize your productivity. While you work at a computer you need to be able to relax back in your chair and support your arms with the keyboard just below the monitor.
Meta products provide a tilted work surface with a "UserPocket" cutout that lets you pull up into the work area.
This allows you to recline in your chair and stretch out your legs, fully relaxed and supported.
With flat surfaces provided at the periphery of the tilted work surface, there is plenty of space for coffee cups and desk accessories. This approach significantly reduces muscular stress and strain.

Benefits include:
better Concentration,
reduced stress and injuries,
reduced down time,
better performance,
lower health care costs,
increased job satisfaction,
leading to increased productivity.

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Indent

To Indent the left margin of bullets and/or numbers:
1. Select the bulleted or numbered paragraph(s).
2. Click on the Increase Indent icon on the Formatting Toolbar.

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Organizing your Boss

Do you have a boss who is unable to remember anything? He forgets who is working on what project; he asks for reports that he already has on his desk; he makes promises that are impossible to fulfill given conditions he himself instituted. How do you bring this up to his attention without provoking defensiveness?

First off, knock off the labeling, conspiring, and gossiping behind his back. He's not making your workplace unpleasant nearly as much as you folks are whining about him.

As how to deal with him - like a child. If he's not organized, you need to be. Document things and keep them handy. Stop focusing on the fact he isn't reading them. When he asks, stick them in his face. Put up some dry-erase wall charts with project status. Write his promises down; e-mail him; remind him.
Bottom line here- you are not going to change his personality, so don't try. Work around the perceived flaws or move on.

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Be Inventive

If there is a company suggestion box or you have an
opportunity to share your thoughts, do it! Put your ideas
in writing so you can show that you are serious about them.
But don't get offended if the company doesn't take off and
run with it. You don't know if they have tried it before or
may not be able to do it right now.

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Doing an office makeover!

Maybe your're tired of your office not being as efficient as you'd like it to be? Or, maybe it doesn't have the look and feel you'd like it to have. If either of these is the case, it is time for reorganization of the furniture and equipment and possibly even a touch of cosmetics.

To arrange your office better, you might start out by drawing a layout of it for your space-planning endeavor. Cut furniture pieces out and move them around on your layout sheet to help give various perspectives and workable approaches to your office design.

A well designed office will work efficiently and effectively with proper placement of its furniture and equipment. Files, trade material, and equipment used most frequently should be within arm's reach of the desk area you work at. If you have to get up and walk across the room to access your most frequently used files, for instance, chances are you won't bother. Therefore, it is best to keep your action and most active files close by.

Creating a new office design should give you a lift in productivity and, of course, a foundation for efficiency.

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Selecting Cells

To select adjacent cells using the keyboard:

1. Click in the first cell to select.
2. Scroll to the last cell to select using the Horizontal and/or Vertical Scroll Bars.
3. Hold down the [Shift] key and click the Left Mouse Button on the last cell to select. (This Shortcut works in any Windows program to select adjacent text, etc.)

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