Tag Archive for: Business

Smart Ways to Cut Back on Decision Making

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businessI’m sure most of you have your go-to outfits for when you have an important presentation to give or a special dinner to attend.  But what about some other go-to must haves that will make your life easier and more efficient?

Go-to Meeting Spots

I was reading an article in Fast Company magazine where they had a productivity tip from Christina Wallace, the founding director of the American Museum of Natural History’s Bridge Up: STEM Initiative. She encourage readers to have a go-to list of meeting spots in the neighborhoods they frequent most. Read more

Meetings Don’t Have to Be An Eye Roll

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doOne of my least favorite things is going to meetings.  Sometimes you have a good meeting and you’ll walk away with a much better understanding of the task at hand. However, I find that the majority of these structured get togethers are painfully unfocused and disorganized, especially if they’re on the phone. Even when there is a clear plan of action for a meeting, people will often go off on tangents discussing their vacation plans or the weather. I get it, it’s just human nature but it’s still not productive! Read more

Buzzwords Your Boss Hates

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Words Your Boss HatesIf you work in a office your probably familiar with cringe-worthy business buzzwords like ‘deep dive’ and ‘crunch time.’ When you spend all day in a business environment it’s normal for these words to slip into our vocabulary, but it could be harming you more than you think.

New research from the staffing service firm Accountemps reveals all the common phrases your boss is sick of hearing:

  • “Out of pocket”
  • “Deep dive”
  • “Forward-thinking”
  • “Dynamic”
  • “Let me get back to you.”
  • “Pick your brain”
  • “Employee engagement”
  • “I am overwhelmed.”
  • “Crunch time”
  • “Think outside the box.”

For the rest of the phrases – click here.

So next time your planning on suggesting your colleagues ‘think outside the box’ maybe try it yourself first!

What office buzzwords do you hate?

Go on a ‘Fake-ation’ and Get More Done

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vacationThe week before you go on vacation is filled with excitement, tension and anxiety as you rush to get all your work done before you go. For some, that last-minute panic is the only thing that can inspire them to get completely caught up on your work. So why not use the “vacation feeling” to get more done? If you want to catch up on your back log at work just act like you’re going on vacation so you can stay laser focused.

Here are some ideas to get you going:

Clean up & Close up – Make a list of everything you need to get done. Think about all the odd jobs you haven’t gotten around to finishing. If you know there’s something you’ve been putting it off, best to get it over and done with and then you really can relax over the weekend. Read more

How To Be A Team Player

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Business Meeting

Business Meeting (Photo credit: thetaxhaven)

Working on projects with co-workers isn’t always a walk in the park. There’s always the slacker, or the Negative Nancy, or maybe you just can’t seem to find your place within the group.

1. Break the Ice: Working with new people for the first time can be a little awkward. Whether it’s your first day at a new job, or you’ve never worked with certain employees before, it’s always good to get to know one another. Before you dive into work, grab coffee or dinner with your team. This will reduce tensions, and reduce the small talk when it really is time to get down to business. Here’s a list to get the conversation flowing

2. Remember Your Strengths: Everyone within the group should bring something to the table. Just because you may not be the most outspoken doesn’t mean you don’t belong. Don’t forget why it is that you are a part of the team, and let your personal strengths shine through.

3. Be Reliable: Don’t make promises that you can’t keep! This will make others loose faith in your abilities and your ideas won’t carry as much merit. Also make sure you are always on time – time management is key.

4. Schedule Group Meetings: Things go so much smoother if meetings are planned out. Make a checklist of key points to hit, what everyone should accomplish, and what the next goal for the group is. Meetings can easily fall short if they aren’t organized. The same goes for conference calls – here’s how to make them more productive!

5. Confront The Slacker: The best way to deal with a difficult person in the group is to confront the issue head on. Be honest about the problem, but don’t be insulting or negative. That will just cause tension and awkwardness. Most of the time the person doesn’t even realize they are creating a problem in the first place and are happy to readjust the situation.

6. Stay Positive: No matter the situation is it always essential to keep your head up and stay positive! One bad day at work doesn’t mean that the project is turning into a disaster. Things happen, good and bad, and the group just needs to stay on the same page through it all.

How do you play nice on a team at work?