As in every aspect of life, relationships are two-way. Both parties have a responsibility and work to do to make it work. In the admin/boss working relationship however you do have an edge since it is you who schedules your executive’s calendar. Schedule yourself in for one-on-one meetings with your boss on a regular basis. Each situation will be different, but either short daily meetings or longer meetings once a week will work.
Make your meetings count and come prepared with relevant questions you need answers to or with information your boss needs to know. Also use it as a time to get to know them a little bit better. It makes for a better working relationship when you have respect for each other and respect comes from knowing the other person and appreciating who they are as a person as well as for their position.
Give your boss a reason to have confidence in you. Write down any direction or information they give you when you are meeting with them and follow up on items they have requested previously. Let them know you are going to follow through and get the needed information to get the job done. Once they have that confidence you are off to a great start.
My boss knows that I will act on his requests and my goal will be that nothing is going to get missed. Of course we are human so mistakes will be made, but even in that we can own up to our mistakes and learn from them and move on. You will get a lot of respect from your boss when you do that. I used to joke with my former boss that when he did something good, it was a team effort, and I always referred to those times as we did this or that, but when he did something wrong it was his alone. Of course when you work with someone you take the good and the bad because you are a partnership.
Showing posts with label administrative professional. Show all posts
Showing posts with label administrative professional. Show all posts
15 April 2012
29 January 2012
Ctrl keys are a real timesaver
Someone at work was trying to paste something by right clicking and using the paste option. There were three options to choose from with a symbol for a paint brush, an arrow and the letter 'A'. She tried one and it wasn't the paste she wanted so she said in frustration, "I never know which one to choose." Each of the paste options do have a purpose, but for what we were trying to do I told her to just press Ctrl v and that would do it. I have been using Ctrl keys for years and they are so simple and easy to use.
For those not familiar with the Ctrl key, it is located in the lower left-hand corner of the keyboard. To use it you need to press the Ctrl key and while holding it down press the letter for whatever you wish to do. For example, these are very user friendly because the letter relates to what you want to do:
Ctrl s for Save
Ctrl p for Print
Ctrl f for Find
Ctrl c for Copy
Ctrl i for Italicize
Ctrl b for Bold
Ctrl u for Underline
Ctrl a to highlight all of the document
For the others that are not so intuitive, as you use them they become familiar such as Ctrl v for paste and Ctrl x for cut.
Ctrl Shift End will highlight to the end of the document and Ctrl Shift Home will highlight to the beginning of the document. Shift End will highlight from where you have your cursor to the end of the sentence and Shift Home will highlight to the beginning of the sentence.
If you highlight a word or title and press Shift F3 you can toggle between upper case, lower case and initial caps by continuing to hold down Shift and press F3.
If you want to change the spacing for a para or the whole document, highlight what you want (or press Ctrl a to highlight the whole document) and press Ctrl 1 for single space, Ctrl 2 for double space and Ctrl 5 for space and a half.
When you get to the end of a sentence and two words are breaking that you would prefer stay together such as Mrs. Smith. Instead of putting a space after Mrs., press Ctrl Shift Space and you will keep Mrs. Smith together on the same line.
Ctrl End will bring you to the bottom of the document and Ctrl Home will bring you to the top.
There are many, many more, but these are the ones I use the most and are very user friendly and timesavers. Take the time to get used to them and I guarantee you will not look back.
For those not familiar with the Ctrl key, it is located in the lower left-hand corner of the keyboard. To use it you need to press the Ctrl key and while holding it down press the letter for whatever you wish to do. For example, these are very user friendly because the letter relates to what you want to do:
Ctrl s for Save
Ctrl p for Print
Ctrl f for Find
Ctrl c for Copy
Ctrl i for Italicize
Ctrl b for Bold
Ctrl u for Underline
Ctrl a to highlight all of the document
For the others that are not so intuitive, as you use them they become familiar such as Ctrl v for paste and Ctrl x for cut.
Ctrl Shift End will highlight to the end of the document and Ctrl Shift Home will highlight to the beginning of the document. Shift End will highlight from where you have your cursor to the end of the sentence and Shift Home will highlight to the beginning of the sentence.
If you highlight a word or title and press Shift F3 you can toggle between upper case, lower case and initial caps by continuing to hold down Shift and press F3.
If you want to change the spacing for a para or the whole document, highlight what you want (or press Ctrl a to highlight the whole document) and press Ctrl 1 for single space, Ctrl 2 for double space and Ctrl 5 for space and a half.
When you get to the end of a sentence and two words are breaking that you would prefer stay together such as Mrs. Smith. Instead of putting a space after Mrs., press Ctrl Shift Space and you will keep Mrs. Smith together on the same line.
Ctrl End will bring you to the bottom of the document and Ctrl Home will bring you to the top.
There are many, many more, but these are the ones I use the most and are very user friendly and timesavers. Take the time to get used to them and I guarantee you will not look back.
30 December 2011
Some bosses just don't know how to work with an admin
Have you ever worked for someone and they under-utilized you or just didn't seem to know how to work with an assistant? I once worked for a young boss and you could tell he wasn't quite sure what he could give me or what I was capable of doing. I had enough experience that I just started doing some of the things and when he saw I was ready, willing and able to do it, he gladly passed it on to me. For other things I spoke to him about it and asked if it was something I could do. He was very appreciative of the effort.
Another young woman I worked for seemed to be intimidated by me at first because I was the age of her mother, but over time we started to have a great working relationship. I would often tell her to quit apologizing every time she gave me work to do as she was my boss and I was there to assist her.
IAAP has an article on their website about how to work more effectively with an administrative assistant that I suggest would be a good start for a conversation with your boss.
Another young woman I worked for seemed to be intimidated by me at first because I was the age of her mother, but over time we started to have a great working relationship. I would often tell her to quit apologizing every time she gave me work to do as she was my boss and I was there to assist her.
IAAP has an article on their website about how to work more effectively with an administrative assistant that I suggest would be a good start for a conversation with your boss.
10 December 2011
The water cooler is leaking...
Office talk, or water cooler conversations, can be just that: what did you do on the weekend, what activities are your children participating in, what great new restaurant have you tried, etc. etc., but what about when the conversation turns to gossip? Gossip can be vicious and in some cases even lead to disciplinary action or getting fired if you are the one doing it. Depending on the severity of it, it can be seen as a form of workplace bullying and harassment and is a very serious matter. To be the victim of gossip can affect how your co-workers interact with you and if you know the gossip is going on about you, it can affect how you interact with others. It is embarrassing, humiliating and just darn wrong!
Have you ever been the brunt of office gossip? Have you ever participated in it?
The problem with gossip from the perspective of the person who is being talked about is you probably have a good sense that it is going on, but you don't know the specifics so you react and try to counter what you think people are saying. Because you don't have all the details, your reactions might further fuel the gossip and on and on it goes. For instance, if I think that someone is bad mouthing me, I know they are only telling one side of the story so I might want to give my side of the story and in essence have now continued the gossip. It has the effect of each party trying to win the other person over to their side.
I have had personal experience where I have been the brunt of the gossip. It is hurtful because you don't have a chance to defend yourself and what the person says is left to stand as is and only has their spin on it. Unless the people who hear the gossip take the time to get to know you and find out for themselves what you are like, their thoughts about you will be tarnished by what they have heard.
I find that most times it is a lack of communication on every side. The person gossiping should really be speaking to the person they are targetting and work out any issues directly with them. The person being gossiped about has a harder time because they don't really know what is being said and/or who is saying it, but they usually have a good idea. I recommend to that person to be better than the gossip and don't perpetuate it.
What if it is affecting your job and your supervisor is reacting to the gossip and their perception about your performance is suffering because of it?
Supervisors have a greater responsibility and should not participate in gossip at any level. They should speak to their employees if they have issues and work it out with them. If someone gossips to them, they should challenge the person to do something about the issue they are complaining about and offer to facilitate between the parties if that would be helpful. Nine times out of ten the gossiper will not want that because they are only... well...gossiping. By challenging them you let them know you will not be part of the gossip. If the gossip is more than just gossip and there is some truth behind it, then by challenging them you may get to the bottom of it and find there is something that needs to be addressed and then you can be seen to be part of the solution. It is always better if people talk things out and work together. The longer the gossip is left to go unchallenged the worse the situation will be for everyone and the harder to get down to the truth.
We spend so much time at work that it is worth the effort to cultivate our work relationships in a positive way. There is no room at the office for negative talk about anyone. If there is a performance issue with someone, then that needs to be addressed with the person and not with others.
How gossip is handled in your office starts and can end with you. What are you going to do the next time someone comes to you with some juicy bit of information about someone? I know I am going to try harder to be professional about it, even if and when I feel I am the victim. My reaction will usually clear up any doubts about me as a person and employee.
Have you ever been the brunt of office gossip? Have you ever participated in it?
The problem with gossip from the perspective of the person who is being talked about is you probably have a good sense that it is going on, but you don't know the specifics so you react and try to counter what you think people are saying. Because you don't have all the details, your reactions might further fuel the gossip and on and on it goes. For instance, if I think that someone is bad mouthing me, I know they are only telling one side of the story so I might want to give my side of the story and in essence have now continued the gossip. It has the effect of each party trying to win the other person over to their side.
I have had personal experience where I have been the brunt of the gossip. It is hurtful because you don't have a chance to defend yourself and what the person says is left to stand as is and only has their spin on it. Unless the people who hear the gossip take the time to get to know you and find out for themselves what you are like, their thoughts about you will be tarnished by what they have heard.
I find that most times it is a lack of communication on every side. The person gossiping should really be speaking to the person they are targetting and work out any issues directly with them. The person being gossiped about has a harder time because they don't really know what is being said and/or who is saying it, but they usually have a good idea. I recommend to that person to be better than the gossip and don't perpetuate it.
What if it is affecting your job and your supervisor is reacting to the gossip and their perception about your performance is suffering because of it?
Supervisors have a greater responsibility and should not participate in gossip at any level. They should speak to their employees if they have issues and work it out with them. If someone gossips to them, they should challenge the person to do something about the issue they are complaining about and offer to facilitate between the parties if that would be helpful. Nine times out of ten the gossiper will not want that because they are only... well...gossiping. By challenging them you let them know you will not be part of the gossip. If the gossip is more than just gossip and there is some truth behind it, then by challenging them you may get to the bottom of it and find there is something that needs to be addressed and then you can be seen to be part of the solution. It is always better if people talk things out and work together. The longer the gossip is left to go unchallenged the worse the situation will be for everyone and the harder to get down to the truth.
We spend so much time at work that it is worth the effort to cultivate our work relationships in a positive way. There is no room at the office for negative talk about anyone. If there is a performance issue with someone, then that needs to be addressed with the person and not with others.
How gossip is handled in your office starts and can end with you. What are you going to do the next time someone comes to you with some juicy bit of information about someone? I know I am going to try harder to be professional about it, even if and when I feel I am the victim. My reaction will usually clear up any doubts about me as a person and employee.
12 November 2011
What to expect when you start a new job
Reading, Reading and more Reading
Expect to do a lot of reading the first week you are on the job. You will be given information about the organization, what benefits they have and forms that you need to fill out. Read and learn as much as possible. This may require you to do the reading on your own time or during break or your lunch hour.
Meeting new people
You will also be introduced to a lot of new people and told what they do. You will most likely be given the staff phone list and an organization chart. If not, ask for it. You should keep these readily available to remind yourself who does what as you will need to refer to that often.
New hire information
When you first start a job, you will be given lots of information that you need to know about your new job. You should have a time of training with someone who can give you an overview of what you need to do and be available for any questions. Depending on the responsibilities required there may be an overlap with the person who was previously in the job. This is nice, but not always practical as they most likely gave their two weeks' notice ending on the Friday and you start on the Monday. If you do have the opportunity to meet with the person already in the job, take advantage of it and make sure you take notes and ask as many questions as you can. Sometimes the person is still in the organization and has just moved on to another position. Keep in mind this person will need to get up to speed on their own responsibilities, but should also be available to give you some guidance. Again, take notes and make the best use of the time you have with them.
Job Manual
When I start a new job I always start a job manual and write down as I go along what my new responsibilities are and any pertinent information I need. You want to avoid asking the same questions over and over. Best to write the answers down for future reference.
If you take a job and they already have a job manual for the position that is a bonus. This manual should be read cover to cover and marked up with any questions you have. Consider this your job bible.
Questions
I always appreciate questions from new hires as it gives me a good idea of their understanding of what they need to do and where they might need more direction. I like to see them writing things down and when a similar situation comes up they look to their notes for the answers. The goal is to get as self sufficient as soon as possible because this is now your job, but it is always expected there will be questions. If you don't have a copy of the job description, ask for it and go through it with any questions you might have about the position.
I also recommend that some questions should not be asked of your boss, but perhaps another admin assistant would be a better person to ask. You don't want to give your boss the impression you don't know what you are doing. There is a certain expectation that if you take an admin job you have the basics such as typing, meeting organization and a knowledge about certain software programs.
Probation
The probation period is a good time for both parties to get to know each other, to learn about the job responsibilities and to determine if they are a good fit for the organization. Sometimes this is a stressful period for a new employee as they want to do well, but keep in mind the employer is expecting a time of learning so use this time to learn as much as you can about the job. You should be prepared to work extra hard to get up to speed in the first month.
I always recommend to people who take temporary assignments to consider themselves on probation as well as you never know if it might turn into a full-time job.
Prepare for it
When I first started my new job I didn't have a lot of the background I knew I was going to need, but I felt I was up for the challenge. I had two weeks to get myself as much up to speed as possible before starting the job. I took a course I knew I would need and met with a few of my friends who had experience in some areas I felt I was lacking. When I started my first day on the job I was as much prepared as I could be before actually arriving at the office. There was going to be a lot of new things that I would need to learn, but at least I had done my homework.
Expect to do a lot of reading the first week you are on the job. You will be given information about the organization, what benefits they have and forms that you need to fill out. Read and learn as much as possible. This may require you to do the reading on your own time or during break or your lunch hour.
Meeting new people
You will also be introduced to a lot of new people and told what they do. You will most likely be given the staff phone list and an organization chart. If not, ask for it. You should keep these readily available to remind yourself who does what as you will need to refer to that often.
New hire information
When you first start a job, you will be given lots of information that you need to know about your new job. You should have a time of training with someone who can give you an overview of what you need to do and be available for any questions. Depending on the responsibilities required there may be an overlap with the person who was previously in the job. This is nice, but not always practical as they most likely gave their two weeks' notice ending on the Friday and you start on the Monday. If you do have the opportunity to meet with the person already in the job, take advantage of it and make sure you take notes and ask as many questions as you can. Sometimes the person is still in the organization and has just moved on to another position. Keep in mind this person will need to get up to speed on their own responsibilities, but should also be available to give you some guidance. Again, take notes and make the best use of the time you have with them.
Job Manual
When I start a new job I always start a job manual and write down as I go along what my new responsibilities are and any pertinent information I need. You want to avoid asking the same questions over and over. Best to write the answers down for future reference.
If you take a job and they already have a job manual for the position that is a bonus. This manual should be read cover to cover and marked up with any questions you have. Consider this your job bible.
Questions
I always appreciate questions from new hires as it gives me a good idea of their understanding of what they need to do and where they might need more direction. I like to see them writing things down and when a similar situation comes up they look to their notes for the answers. The goal is to get as self sufficient as soon as possible because this is now your job, but it is always expected there will be questions. If you don't have a copy of the job description, ask for it and go through it with any questions you might have about the position.
I also recommend that some questions should not be asked of your boss, but perhaps another admin assistant would be a better person to ask. You don't want to give your boss the impression you don't know what you are doing. There is a certain expectation that if you take an admin job you have the basics such as typing, meeting organization and a knowledge about certain software programs.
Probation
The probation period is a good time for both parties to get to know each other, to learn about the job responsibilities and to determine if they are a good fit for the organization. Sometimes this is a stressful period for a new employee as they want to do well, but keep in mind the employer is expecting a time of learning so use this time to learn as much as you can about the job. You should be prepared to work extra hard to get up to speed in the first month.
I always recommend to people who take temporary assignments to consider themselves on probation as well as you never know if it might turn into a full-time job.
Prepare for it
When I first started my new job I didn't have a lot of the background I knew I was going to need, but I felt I was up for the challenge. I had two weeks to get myself as much up to speed as possible before starting the job. I took a course I knew I would need and met with a few of my friends who had experience in some areas I felt I was lacking. When I started my first day on the job I was as much prepared as I could be before actually arriving at the office. There was going to be a lot of new things that I would need to learn, but at least I had done my homework.
15 October 2011
Surviving busyness...
I have been super busy at work. On top of managing the work lives of two very busy executives, I've also been planning a large dinner, board meeting and another event along with my other regular jobs. Here is how I've been surviving:
Keep Organized
If it wasn't for the fact that I am organized, I don't know what I would have done. At least I have my systems and know where everything is and that is half the battle. You need to be able to grab what you need quickly. You wouldn't believe how much time is wasted just looking for things.
Ask for help
Thankfully we have a great admin team who are always willing to help out in a crunch and I have been taking advantage of that. There is always a small job here or there that if given away will relieve your workload and will definitely relieve your mind. You know how it is when you know you have to do something, but just don't have the time to do it -- it weighs on your mind. So for that reason alone it is worth giving those little jobs away, just to get them off your plate. Return the favour though, a good team helps each other out.
Forget about being a perfectionist!
Definitely do a good job, don't skimp on proofreading and double checking, but determine what is a need to have and what is a nice to have. If you are a perfectionist, your not so perfect is probably well above standard.
Keep your sense of humour in tact
Nothing relieves stress better than a good laugh and having a sense of humour - even when you are crazy busy. My boss is very funny and keeps me laughing most of the time.
Take time off
I am looking forward to a week off at the end of the month with my daughter and small grandsons. Just the thought of some light at the end of the tunnel is a good motivator. Everyone needs to make the time to go away and rejuvenate and take care of ourselves. The work will always be there when we get back. Make sure you pass along anything that needs to be handled in your absence, put your out-of-office assistant on, change your voicemail message and go and enjoy life. It's necessary!
I feel better already.
Keep Organized
If it wasn't for the fact that I am organized, I don't know what I would have done. At least I have my systems and know where everything is and that is half the battle. You need to be able to grab what you need quickly. You wouldn't believe how much time is wasted just looking for things.
Ask for help
Thankfully we have a great admin team who are always willing to help out in a crunch and I have been taking advantage of that. There is always a small job here or there that if given away will relieve your workload and will definitely relieve your mind. You know how it is when you know you have to do something, but just don't have the time to do it -- it weighs on your mind. So for that reason alone it is worth giving those little jobs away, just to get them off your plate. Return the favour though, a good team helps each other out.
Forget about being a perfectionist!
Definitely do a good job, don't skimp on proofreading and double checking, but determine what is a need to have and what is a nice to have. If you are a perfectionist, your not so perfect is probably well above standard.
Keep your sense of humour in tact
Nothing relieves stress better than a good laugh and having a sense of humour - even when you are crazy busy. My boss is very funny and keeps me laughing most of the time.
Take time off
I am looking forward to a week off at the end of the month with my daughter and small grandsons. Just the thought of some light at the end of the tunnel is a good motivator. Everyone needs to make the time to go away and rejuvenate and take care of ourselves. The work will always be there when we get back. Make sure you pass along anything that needs to be handled in your absence, put your out-of-office assistant on, change your voicemail message and go and enjoy life. It's necessary!
I feel better already.
9 October 2011
How to handle mistakes?
I'm not even going to ask if you have ever made a mistake, because I already know the answer. Everyone makes mistakes, but how you handle it makes all the difference.
Acknowledge it
Whether it is a big mistake or a small one, you probably should admit it to your boss. I say "probably" because sometimes, depending on the mistake, you can "fix" it and nobody really needs to know about it and it wouldn't be good to tell your boss about every little thing you did wrong. For instance if you are organizing a meeting and send the meeting request to the wrong person, you can easily fix it by apologizing to whoever you invited by mistake, cancel that invitation and then invite the correct person. Other times you really do need to tell your boss because it might have repercussions and it is best to admit it up front. You can determine whether you need to tell your boss or not, but you absolutely should admit it to yourself.
Learn from it
Once you have admitted the error you need to learn from it and do whatever you can not to do it again. I think sending emails to the wrong person is an easy mistake to make because it is so easy and quick to press Send, but not so easy to take it back (and the Recall function really does not work on emails to external people and is only hit and miss on internal emails). Depending on how often you make the mistake and how serious the consequences could be, will determine what kind of measures you need to take.
One way you can avoid sending an email to the wrong person is to turn off the automatic email memory function, then you will have to enter each person's email address each time and that will make it more difficult to make that mistake. You can also ask a colleague for suggestions on how they avoid particular errors, for instance removing the word "pubic" from your dictionary will ensure if you type it instead of "public", SpellCheck will pick it up.
Apologize
An apology will usually solve the problem as most people understand that mistakes are made and recognize that an apology takes a lot of courage and professionalism and they usually respect that, but if you are an HR assistant and sent the job offer to the wrong candidate, then more damage control will need to be taken, your boss will need to be told and the consequences could be more serious.
Recently I sent about 80 invitations to a dinner by email and then had to send 25 more to another group of people requesting a meeting. After putting the message for the invite in 80 times, by the time I got to the next set of emails, well, I put the same message in the email regarding the dinner so it did not match the letter I attached. My damage control was to re-send the message with REVISED in the subject line and then follow up by calling the 25 offices and speaking to the EA to explain the situation. It was easily rectified as they all had access to their bosses email acount and they all most definitely understood. You can be sure if they make a similar mistake and call me, I will do the same for them and have in the past. In this case, after I had done my damage control I mentioned my error to my boss, but along with the remedy so he saw that I recognized what I had done and took the appropriate action to fix it.
I remember once an assistant from a law firm sent a fax to my boss by mistake and it had the legal advice they were giving their client, which my boss wasn't supposed to see, so she immediately called and asked me to trash it and that she would send the correct fax. I waited to get the correct fax and when I saw it was a simple error of putting the wrong fax number in, I had no problem ripping up the other fax she had sent. Many times I dealt with this same person and we were always helpful to each other and she would bend over backwards if my boss needed to meet with hers to accommodate the request. How we handled it turned it into a positive working relationship.
Move on
If you have handled it to the best of your ability, righted the wrong and told the people you needed to tell, then you need to move on. I have seen people who kept kicking themselves over a mistake, but failed to learn from it and all that did was affect their self esteem and confidence in doing the job. If you dwell on every mistake too much, keep telling your boss how dumb you were for doing it (and therefore reminding them about the mistake), that will not help the situation and will likely make your boss have less confidence that you won't make the mistake again. I believe if we tell ourselves something for too long, we inevitably start to believe it about ourselves. The quicker we deal with it and move on, the better for everyone.
Acknowledge it
Whether it is a big mistake or a small one, you probably should admit it to your boss. I say "probably" because sometimes, depending on the mistake, you can "fix" it and nobody really needs to know about it and it wouldn't be good to tell your boss about every little thing you did wrong. For instance if you are organizing a meeting and send the meeting request to the wrong person, you can easily fix it by apologizing to whoever you invited by mistake, cancel that invitation and then invite the correct person. Other times you really do need to tell your boss because it might have repercussions and it is best to admit it up front. You can determine whether you need to tell your boss or not, but you absolutely should admit it to yourself.
Learn from it
Once you have admitted the error you need to learn from it and do whatever you can not to do it again. I think sending emails to the wrong person is an easy mistake to make because it is so easy and quick to press Send, but not so easy to take it back (and the Recall function really does not work on emails to external people and is only hit and miss on internal emails). Depending on how often you make the mistake and how serious the consequences could be, will determine what kind of measures you need to take.
One way you can avoid sending an email to the wrong person is to turn off the automatic email memory function, then you will have to enter each person's email address each time and that will make it more difficult to make that mistake. You can also ask a colleague for suggestions on how they avoid particular errors, for instance removing the word "pubic" from your dictionary will ensure if you type it instead of "public", SpellCheck will pick it up.
Apologize
An apology will usually solve the problem as most people understand that mistakes are made and recognize that an apology takes a lot of courage and professionalism and they usually respect that, but if you are an HR assistant and sent the job offer to the wrong candidate, then more damage control will need to be taken, your boss will need to be told and the consequences could be more serious.
Recently I sent about 80 invitations to a dinner by email and then had to send 25 more to another group of people requesting a meeting. After putting the message for the invite in 80 times, by the time I got to the next set of emails, well, I put the same message in the email regarding the dinner so it did not match the letter I attached. My damage control was to re-send the message with REVISED in the subject line and then follow up by calling the 25 offices and speaking to the EA to explain the situation. It was easily rectified as they all had access to their bosses email acount and they all most definitely understood. You can be sure if they make a similar mistake and call me, I will do the same for them and have in the past. In this case, after I had done my damage control I mentioned my error to my boss, but along with the remedy so he saw that I recognized what I had done and took the appropriate action to fix it.
I remember once an assistant from a law firm sent a fax to my boss by mistake and it had the legal advice they were giving their client, which my boss wasn't supposed to see, so she immediately called and asked me to trash it and that she would send the correct fax. I waited to get the correct fax and when I saw it was a simple error of putting the wrong fax number in, I had no problem ripping up the other fax she had sent. Many times I dealt with this same person and we were always helpful to each other and she would bend over backwards if my boss needed to meet with hers to accommodate the request. How we handled it turned it into a positive working relationship.
Move on
If you have handled it to the best of your ability, righted the wrong and told the people you needed to tell, then you need to move on. I have seen people who kept kicking themselves over a mistake, but failed to learn from it and all that did was affect their self esteem and confidence in doing the job. If you dwell on every mistake too much, keep telling your boss how dumb you were for doing it (and therefore reminding them about the mistake), that will not help the situation and will likely make your boss have less confidence that you won't make the mistake again. I believe if we tell ourselves something for too long, we inevitably start to believe it about ourselves. The quicker we deal with it and move on, the better for everyone.
16 July 2011
Silence is golden
Hi everyone,
I have been offline for a bit and wanted to touch base so you know I haven't left the planet :) I am planning on adopting a teenager and am going through the stages for that. As you can imagine, it is not without its hiccups, but hopefully I will be welcoming someone into my home by early August. As a mother to a 31-year old daughter, and having gone through the teen years with her, I know there will be bumps along the way, but I am looking forward to the challenge. Teenagers are probably the last age group people look to adopt, but everyone needs a forever family and I wanted to provide some stability to a young lady before she goes out into the world. As a single mom I thought that was something I could handle.
Have a great summer everyone and I will keep you posted on the final outcome of this adventure and how it is all working out in the office with finding a replacement for me while I go on adoption leave and training my new assistant when she arrives in September. The fun just never stops...
Patricia
I have been offline for a bit and wanted to touch base so you know I haven't left the planet :) I am planning on adopting a teenager and am going through the stages for that. As you can imagine, it is not without its hiccups, but hopefully I will be welcoming someone into my home by early August. As a mother to a 31-year old daughter, and having gone through the teen years with her, I know there will be bumps along the way, but I am looking forward to the challenge. Teenagers are probably the last age group people look to adopt, but everyone needs a forever family and I wanted to provide some stability to a young lady before she goes out into the world. As a single mom I thought that was something I could handle.
Have a great summer everyone and I will keep you posted on the final outcome of this adventure and how it is all working out in the office with finding a replacement for me while I go on adoption leave and training my new assistant when she arrives in September. The fun just never stops...
Patricia
17 April 2011
8 Ways Cell Phones Can Harm Your Health
Here is a link to an article that you might be interested in regarding the use of cell phones as it relates to your health. Since we all use this technology I thought it would be a timely reminder that moderation is probably the best rule of thumb:
http://radiologytechnicianschools.net/8-ways-cell-phones-can-harm-your-health/
http://radiologytechnicianschools.net/8-ways-cell-phones-can-harm-your-health/
2 April 2011
Reply to Comment
Someone by the name of Cass posted a comment to my last post (please read it for context) and I thought I would reply as a new post so everyone would have the benefit of joining the dialogue as I think it is a common problem among assistants. The more organized you are, the less work it seems to others so the less recognition you get. Or sometimes assumptions are made that all the group helped, when it really was only one or two. Anyway, here is what my practice used to be at my previous job where I organized a lot of events. It was a large law firm and had a lot of Departments that I realize most organizations would not have, but I think you will get what I am saying.
One of the first things I did when I had a date for an upcoming event was notify those who would be affected: The Mailroom Staff (to give them a heads up that there would be printing and binding required and extra supplies would need to be ordered such as name tags, binders, paper, etc.), the Finance Department (to give them the codes to charge things to and dates I would need cheques), the Marketing Department (so they could start designing the invitations and preparing for the RSVPs), the IT Department (so they would be on call when I needed them when something just wasn't working right) and my neighbouring co-workers so they would know what was on my plate and could help as needed. I found that letting them know ahead of time really helped as I went through the stages of organizing so they were aware of it from the beginning and last-minute requests could be anticipated.
Since I was the lead for the event, immediately after it was over I would send a thank-you email to everyone who had helped and would cc my boss, the HR Director and the bosses of the people who helped. This usually sparked a few emails back and forth congratulating each other on a job well done and left a great team feeling among the group. You can be sure the next time an event was organized everyone would be more likely to be back on board again to help where needed.
I find if we leave the thank yous to our bosses, they don't always know what and who were involved to get the job done. They just know it got done and everything worked out. Sometimes we need to take the initiative ourselves and then we can be sure the right people are recognized and nobody is missed.
I personally prefer my boss not do the congratulations because he undoubtedly will do just as Cass mentioned in her post, forget some people and thank others who had nothing to do with it, but if the boss is going to do it (and there is something to be said when the head of an organization recognizes the efforts of a particular group), make sure they get input from you so all the appropriate people are thanked.
If anyone has any other suggestions or ways they have handled this common problem, I'd love to hear your comments and I think the Admin community would benefit from hearing your experiences and ideas and just to know they are not the only ones this happens to.
One of the first things I did when I had a date for an upcoming event was notify those who would be affected: The Mailroom Staff (to give them a heads up that there would be printing and binding required and extra supplies would need to be ordered such as name tags, binders, paper, etc.), the Finance Department (to give them the codes to charge things to and dates I would need cheques), the Marketing Department (so they could start designing the invitations and preparing for the RSVPs), the IT Department (so they would be on call when I needed them when something just wasn't working right) and my neighbouring co-workers so they would know what was on my plate and could help as needed. I found that letting them know ahead of time really helped as I went through the stages of organizing so they were aware of it from the beginning and last-minute requests could be anticipated.
Since I was the lead for the event, immediately after it was over I would send a thank-you email to everyone who had helped and would cc my boss, the HR Director and the bosses of the people who helped. This usually sparked a few emails back and forth congratulating each other on a job well done and left a great team feeling among the group. You can be sure the next time an event was organized everyone would be more likely to be back on board again to help where needed.
I find if we leave the thank yous to our bosses, they don't always know what and who were involved to get the job done. They just know it got done and everything worked out. Sometimes we need to take the initiative ourselves and then we can be sure the right people are recognized and nobody is missed.
I personally prefer my boss not do the congratulations because he undoubtedly will do just as Cass mentioned in her post, forget some people and thank others who had nothing to do with it, but if the boss is going to do it (and there is something to be said when the head of an organization recognizes the efforts of a particular group), make sure they get input from you so all the appropriate people are thanked.
If anyone has any other suggestions or ways they have handled this common problem, I'd love to hear your comments and I think the Admin community would benefit from hearing your experiences and ideas and just to know they are not the only ones this happens to.
22 January 2011
Can you ever ask too many questions?
My current boss gave me some good advice when I first started working for him and it has served me well. He suggested that when I set up a meeting or organize travel for him I should ask myself, if I was the one going to the meeting, or on a business trip, what would I need in order to be prepared? So I do and when he has a meeting I make sure he has the agenda and any back-up materials, the location and directions if needed, the name and title of the person he is meeting, especially if he doesn't know them well, and the purpose of the meeting. Most of this information you can get in your initial phone call or email correspondence with the other party when you are organizing it. If they are not sure then they can ask their boss so both of them will be prepared to meet each other. If my boss is travelling abroad I check to see if a visa is required and make a note to remind him to bring his passport with him. I also register him with the Canadian Embassy in the country he is travelling. If they travel a lot you never know when they will be in a country that it will important for the embassy to know where they are to bring them home safely. If you look in the side bar of the blog under Travel, you will see links for useful sites to do this and get other information.
Another executive mentioned that when she is giving a presentation, she appreciates that her assistant ask herself what would she need if she was giving the presentation. Does she need time to prepare the presentation ahead of time? If so, do you have a reminder set and blocked off time for her to do so? Does the presentation have to be put on a memory stick? Do you need to organize for a laptop, projector and screen or will there be one available when she gets there? Do you need to make copies of the presentation for the participants? What time will she be presenting and when would they like her to arrive. Most places like them to be there at least 30 minutes before they present, so make sure to block that time off in the calendar as well as travel time to get there and back. Who will the audience consist of? And of course what is the location and the directions to get there? There is more to it than just putting the date in the calendar.
If something raises a question with you then make sure you get the answer. If you have set up a meeting and wonder how your boss will get there, then that is a good question to bring up with them. Are they driving or will they need a reservation for a flight or train? Will they need a hotel room? It will not only show them that you are thinking ahead, but that you have their best interests in mind. If the meeting is around lunch time and you wonder if something should be ordered in or will they take the client out for lunch and you need to make a reservation then those are good questions to ask.
Often I have looked in my boss's Sent messages and notice he has emailed someone that he would be happy to speak at their conference, but when I look in his calendar I see he is scheduled to present at another conference in a different city on the same date. This is a good thing to bring up with him or her. They will certainly thank you and it will show you are looking after them. You might also have to follow up to make sure they have emailed the other party to advise them they are no longer available.
It is always good to think ahead for your boss. You have control of their schedules and are in the best position to make these observations and bring it to their attention.
If something prompts a question - ask! If you read an email or something in their calendar doesn't seem clear - ask! If you are wondering if they might need something for the meeting - ask!
You can never ask too many questions, but having a good strategy on when to ask is good. Scheduling yourself in for weekly meetings works well. When you have a question, ask yourself if you need to ask it right now or if it can wait for your weekly meeting. When you meet with them you will have their undivided attention and can take advantage of this time and ask all the questions you need to in order to organize their travel or prepare for a meeting or whatever it is you are doing for them. Another thing you can do is try to answer your own question before bringing it to your boss. Sometimes the answer is at your fingertips and a Google search will do it. Or a colleague will have the answer, and is who your boss would have asked anyway, so you just have saved him the trouble and did it for him.
Questions, questions, questions! Whether you are asking them of yourself, your colleagues or your boss, if you don't know how to do something, it is always good to ask.
Another executive mentioned that when she is giving a presentation, she appreciates that her assistant ask herself what would she need if she was giving the presentation. Does she need time to prepare the presentation ahead of time? If so, do you have a reminder set and blocked off time for her to do so? Does the presentation have to be put on a memory stick? Do you need to organize for a laptop, projector and screen or will there be one available when she gets there? Do you need to make copies of the presentation for the participants? What time will she be presenting and when would they like her to arrive. Most places like them to be there at least 30 minutes before they present, so make sure to block that time off in the calendar as well as travel time to get there and back. Who will the audience consist of? And of course what is the location and the directions to get there? There is more to it than just putting the date in the calendar.
If something raises a question with you then make sure you get the answer. If you have set up a meeting and wonder how your boss will get there, then that is a good question to bring up with them. Are they driving or will they need a reservation for a flight or train? Will they need a hotel room? It will not only show them that you are thinking ahead, but that you have their best interests in mind. If the meeting is around lunch time and you wonder if something should be ordered in or will they take the client out for lunch and you need to make a reservation then those are good questions to ask.
Often I have looked in my boss's Sent messages and notice he has emailed someone that he would be happy to speak at their conference, but when I look in his calendar I see he is scheduled to present at another conference in a different city on the same date. This is a good thing to bring up with him or her. They will certainly thank you and it will show you are looking after them. You might also have to follow up to make sure they have emailed the other party to advise them they are no longer available.
It is always good to think ahead for your boss. You have control of their schedules and are in the best position to make these observations and bring it to their attention.
If something prompts a question - ask! If you read an email or something in their calendar doesn't seem clear - ask! If you are wondering if they might need something for the meeting - ask!
You can never ask too many questions, but having a good strategy on when to ask is good. Scheduling yourself in for weekly meetings works well. When you have a question, ask yourself if you need to ask it right now or if it can wait for your weekly meeting. When you meet with them you will have their undivided attention and can take advantage of this time and ask all the questions you need to in order to organize their travel or prepare for a meeting or whatever it is you are doing for them. Another thing you can do is try to answer your own question before bringing it to your boss. Sometimes the answer is at your fingertips and a Google search will do it. Or a colleague will have the answer, and is who your boss would have asked anyway, so you just have saved him the trouble and did it for him.
Questions, questions, questions! Whether you are asking them of yourself, your colleagues or your boss, if you don't know how to do something, it is always good to ask.
4 January 2011
Taking Effective Meeting Minutes Webinar
Hi Everyone,
Once again I will be presenting on Taking Effective Meeting Minutes. The webinar is scheduled for January 25, 2011 at 1 p.m. ET. It is an informative session that will bring you from the pre-meeting checklist to taking the minutes, with ideas for formatting and suggested wording.
Please click on the link for more information or to register: http://www.businessmanagementdaily.com/glp/35355/index.html?campaigncode=286EPR
I look forward to meeting you live on the webinar.
Patricia
P.S. Here is a previous article I wrote on minute taking that will give you a flavour of some of the things the webinar will include: Minute Taking Made Easy
Once again I will be presenting on Taking Effective Meeting Minutes. The webinar is scheduled for January 25, 2011 at 1 p.m. ET. It is an informative session that will bring you from the pre-meeting checklist to taking the minutes, with ideas for formatting and suggested wording.
Please click on the link for more information or to register: http://www.businessmanagementdaily.com/glp/35355/index.html?campaigncode=286EPR
I look forward to meeting you live on the webinar.
Patricia
P.S. Here is a previous article I wrote on minute taking that will give you a flavour of some of the things the webinar will include: Minute Taking Made Easy
1 January 2011
Looking Forward in 2011
Happy New Year everyone!
The new year is a good time to bring up the Look-Forward Agenda. One of the challenges the recording secretary will have is to make sure they don't miss items that need to be dealt with at each meeting. The Look-Forward Agenda is very helpful for this. It is basically a list of items that are regularly dealt with throughout the year and provides a timetable of when these items need to be added to the agenda. For example, our senior leadership team review financial statements each month at the first meeting after the 10th business day, and each year they need to set the annual budget in February to bring to our Board of Directors. As well as business items, I put things such as the All-Staff Appreciation Breakfast and the Christmas Party. These items are put on the agenda to make the decision on what date we will have it and who will arrange it. Small items, but still things we need to remember to look at. Depending on what level of meeting you attend will depend on what needs to be on the Look-Forward Agenda.
The example below is for items for a Board of Directors' meeting, but you can customize it to your particular needs and the level of meeting you are responsible for. We operate on a fiscal year so I put my timetable by quarter (Q1, Q2, Q3, Q4), but you can also set it by month if you use the calendar year:
Item Timetable
Financial Matters
• Approve quarterly financial statements
• Approve year-end audited financial statements
• Approve banking and signing resolutions (as required)
Appointment of Directors and Officers
• Appoint members to Board of Directors
• Appoint Chair of the Board
• Appoint Committee Members
• Appoint officers of the company (as required)
General
• Receive and review Chair's Report
• Receive and review CEO's Report
• Review reports on corporate performance measurements
• Review and approve amendments to by-laws or letters patent (as required)
• Approve corporate policies, code of business conduct, etc. (as required)
• Receive report of Corporate Secretary on disclosure by officers and Directors of conflicts of interest
• Meet in camera with and without the CEO at each Board of Directors meeting
• Approve appointment of auditors and their fees
• Receive and approve reports of Chairs of Committees
• Participation in Chair and CEO Review Process (as required)
Each time you set the draft agenda you should review the Look-Forward Agenda before bringing it to the Chair. It is a useful tool and the Chair and your team will be very appreciative that you have captured these items and have taken the guess work out of what needs to be on the agenda.
The new year is a good time to bring up the Look-Forward Agenda. One of the challenges the recording secretary will have is to make sure they don't miss items that need to be dealt with at each meeting. The Look-Forward Agenda is very helpful for this. It is basically a list of items that are regularly dealt with throughout the year and provides a timetable of when these items need to be added to the agenda. For example, our senior leadership team review financial statements each month at the first meeting after the 10th business day, and each year they need to set the annual budget in February to bring to our Board of Directors. As well as business items, I put things such as the All-Staff Appreciation Breakfast and the Christmas Party. These items are put on the agenda to make the decision on what date we will have it and who will arrange it. Small items, but still things we need to remember to look at. Depending on what level of meeting you attend will depend on what needs to be on the Look-Forward Agenda.
The example below is for items for a Board of Directors' meeting, but you can customize it to your particular needs and the level of meeting you are responsible for. We operate on a fiscal year so I put my timetable by quarter (Q1, Q2, Q3, Q4), but you can also set it by month if you use the calendar year:
Item Timetable
Financial Matters
• Approve quarterly financial statements
• Approve year-end audited financial statements
• Approve banking and signing resolutions (as required)
Appointment of Directors and Officers
• Appoint members to Board of Directors
• Appoint Chair of the Board
• Appoint Committee Members
• Appoint officers of the company (as required)
General
• Receive and review Chair's Report
• Receive and review CEO's Report
• Review reports on corporate performance measurements
• Review and approve amendments to by-laws or letters patent (as required)
• Approve corporate policies, code of business conduct, etc. (as required)
• Receive report of Corporate Secretary on disclosure by officers and Directors of conflicts of interest
• Meet in camera with and without the CEO at each Board of Directors meeting
• Approve appointment of auditors and their fees
• Receive and approve reports of Chairs of Committees
• Participation in Chair and CEO Review Process (as required)
Each time you set the draft agenda you should review the Look-Forward Agenda before bringing it to the Chair. It is a useful tool and the Chair and your team will be very appreciative that you have captured these items and have taken the guess work out of what needs to be on the agenda.
16 October 2010
Is Proofreading a Lost Art?
People don't seem to be as concerned with proofreading as we used to be. I think with texting it has brought a low expectation for accuracy as lots of mistakes are made in emails and texts and are accepted overall.
When I was in school the teachers drilled proofing skills into us as they taught us the goal was to create the best product we could and proofing was part of the process to do that.
Does it matter?
I think businesses are very aware of their corporate image and messy reporting reflects badly on the company so an employee who doesn't take the time may be noticed in a negative way.
If an admin assistant is preparing a document for their boss, they should ensure it is as complete and accurate as possible before even passing it by their desk. Some things we won't know, but what we do know we should ensure is correct.
Some tips for proofreading that I find work best are:
1. Spell check - This is the easiest part of proofing a document. As you are going through the Spell check pay attention to the suggestions and either Add to Dictionary, if it is an odd name or word that is coming up as a spelling error, press Change if it is an error, or Ignore or Ignore all if it is something you want the speller to skip over.
2. Eyeball the document - This is very important and will help you identify errors that Spell check wouldn't pick up just by doing a quick review of it. For instance if you are adding names and addresses and notice the name is spelled one way and the name in the email address is spelled another, it will be a flag for you that you have to go back and verify the information because something is wrong. When you read the document you will also get the sense of the sentence so will know if there is an extra 'the' or 'a' that shouldn't be there.
3. Final check the document - If you have an opportunity to check your work with someone else, that is ideal. You may not have that resource however, but if you do take advantage of it. When checking lists I like to use tick marks. If I am reviewing the list with someone I then cross the tick mark through once verified to show it is doubly checked. If I am manually reviewing a document, I underline or cross out the change and then put an X in the right margin so I can see where my change is. If you use track changes in an electronic document, this does the same thing, although at times I find small errors are not identified as clearly as I would like and can be missed.
Proofing also helps you to know your document. Going over it a few times makes you very familiar with the content. I find this especially helpful with minutes. I not only proof, but I really get to know the content so if I am asked at a meeting something about an action, I know exactly where to look or may have the answer from memory, rather than looking at them with a blank stare or fumble to find my place. I find the same with lists, by reviewing the list I will know just about everyone that is on that list so can easily answer any questions about it.
I think the goal should really be the same as my teachers taught me -- to have the most professional and accurate looking document that we can. After the document is proofed, then we can bring it to our boss. They may make more changes, but at least you know you have done everything you can to make it as accurate as possible. This will also give your boss confidence when you bring a clean document to them that they can depend on you to do the best job possible.
Proofing is as important now as it has ever been. Take the time to do it as it will not only reflect well on you, but on our profession as well.
When I was in school the teachers drilled proofing skills into us as they taught us the goal was to create the best product we could and proofing was part of the process to do that.
Does it matter?
I think businesses are very aware of their corporate image and messy reporting reflects badly on the company so an employee who doesn't take the time may be noticed in a negative way.
If an admin assistant is preparing a document for their boss, they should ensure it is as complete and accurate as possible before even passing it by their desk. Some things we won't know, but what we do know we should ensure is correct.
Some tips for proofreading that I find work best are:
1. Spell check - This is the easiest part of proofing a document. As you are going through the Spell check pay attention to the suggestions and either Add to Dictionary, if it is an odd name or word that is coming up as a spelling error, press Change if it is an error, or Ignore or Ignore all if it is something you want the speller to skip over.
2. Eyeball the document - This is very important and will help you identify errors that Spell check wouldn't pick up just by doing a quick review of it. For instance if you are adding names and addresses and notice the name is spelled one way and the name in the email address is spelled another, it will be a flag for you that you have to go back and verify the information because something is wrong. When you read the document you will also get the sense of the sentence so will know if there is an extra 'the' or 'a' that shouldn't be there.
3. Final check the document - If you have an opportunity to check your work with someone else, that is ideal. You may not have that resource however, but if you do take advantage of it. When checking lists I like to use tick marks. If I am reviewing the list with someone I then cross the tick mark through once verified to show it is doubly checked. If I am manually reviewing a document, I underline or cross out the change and then put an X in the right margin so I can see where my change is. If you use track changes in an electronic document, this does the same thing, although at times I find small errors are not identified as clearly as I would like and can be missed.
Proofing also helps you to know your document. Going over it a few times makes you very familiar with the content. I find this especially helpful with minutes. I not only proof, but I really get to know the content so if I am asked at a meeting something about an action, I know exactly where to look or may have the answer from memory, rather than looking at them with a blank stare or fumble to find my place. I find the same with lists, by reviewing the list I will know just about everyone that is on that list so can easily answer any questions about it.
I think the goal should really be the same as my teachers taught me -- to have the most professional and accurate looking document that we can. After the document is proofed, then we can bring it to our boss. They may make more changes, but at least you know you have done everything you can to make it as accurate as possible. This will also give your boss confidence when you bring a clean document to them that they can depend on you to do the best job possible.
Proofing is as important now as it has ever been. Take the time to do it as it will not only reflect well on you, but on our profession as well.
2 October 2010
Calendar Clarity
Sometimes I find meeting requests are not as clear as they could be. I like to see at a glance who will be at the meeting, what the purpose is and where the meeting will be held without having to open it. For instance:
Subject: Patricia, Adele and Rita meeting to discuss Christmas Party
Location: Large Boardroom, 5th Floor
If it is a lunch meeting I enter the restaurant name, street address and whether a reservation was made.
Subject: Linda lunch meeting with Bob
Location: Red Lobster, 99 Bank Street RESERVATION IN NAME OF LINDA
When it is a regular meeting or large gathering, it will make more sense to put in the name of the meeting such as Health & Safety Committee rather than listing all the names of the attendees.
You can add the agenda to the meeting request by attaching it. To add an attachment, click on the Insert tab and choose Attach File or Attach Item. When you send it to the attendees they will have all the information they need for the meeting.
My current boss travels a lot so I put his travel schedule in the calendar as well. I categorize it in a different colour so it stands out from the rest of his meetings. For example if he is travelling to Vienna I will start a meeting request for each part of the journey and categorize it as Red.
Ottawa to Toronto OPEN FOR FLIGHT DETAILS
In the meeting request, I choose the time the flight departs and the time it lands and cut and paste the referred to portion of the electronic ticket into the body of the calendar appointment. For example:
AC Flt. 211 Oct. 12, 2010 Depart Ottawa at 11 a.m., arrive Toronto at 11:45 a.m.
Seat 2C, aisle
For the next part of the trip I do the same thing and cut and paste that part of the itinerary into the body of the calendar appointment. If he is staying overnight, on the last leg of the trip I enter the name and address of the hotel he is staying at and the confirmation number.
Toronto to Vienna OPEN FOR FLIGHT AND HOTEL DETAILS
AC Flt. 1234 Oct. 24, 2010 Depart Toronto at 6 p.m., arrive Vienna Oct. 25 at 11 a.m.
Seat 2A, Window
Hotel Name, 112 Any Street, Vienna, Austria - Confirmation #12345
You can put a lot of things in a meeting request. You can drag and drop an email, add a contact card, include links to company websites, add directions, include a photo and brief bio of the person your boss will be meeting (which is useful if they have never met), you can attach documents they need for the meeting or you can draft a quick agenda to remind your boss what they wanted to talk to the person about. Again, if there is anything in the body of the meeting request, always put OPEN FOR DETAILS or he or she will never know there is anything there for them to see.
I find the all-day meeting requests a little bit useless for meetings. Undoubtedly if the meeting is put as an all-day meeting and someone is looking in your calendar to see if you are busy, they will probably not notice the all-day meeting that is at the top of the calendar. If a meeting is from 9 to 5 for instance, I block that whole time in their calendar. Then it is obvious they are out for the day. If you have a meeting that is recurring for two or three days and you want to show they are gone the whole day, you can still use the recurring option. To do this, block your time, then choose Recurrence and under Recurrence Pattern, choose Daily, click on Every 1 day and then choose the end date. It will now block the calendar from 9 to 5 (or whatever time you chose) for the 3 days.
I like to use the all-day meeting option for reminders and I categorize them in different colours so they stand out. For instance I will put a reminder to call a client and put the name and phone number in the Subject line. The only problem with using the all-day meeting option for reminders is that now if someone looks at the scheduling option in Outlook, it will seem as if the calendar is busy. I don't find many people use that option so it is not an issue, but if your office does, you will need to find some other way to remind your boss such as using Tasks.
I also like to turn on the stat holiday alerts in Outlook so you will see all the stat holidays in a calendar year. To add holidays, go under Tools, Options, choose Calendar Options and in the middle you will see Add Holidays. Choose the country you want and click OK. Stat holidays will now be added as all-day items.
Subject: Patricia, Adele and Rita meeting to discuss Christmas Party
Location: Large Boardroom, 5th Floor
If it is a lunch meeting I enter the restaurant name, street address and whether a reservation was made.
Subject: Linda lunch meeting with Bob
Location: Red Lobster, 99 Bank Street RESERVATION IN NAME OF LINDA
When it is a regular meeting or large gathering, it will make more sense to put in the name of the meeting such as Health & Safety Committee rather than listing all the names of the attendees.
You can add the agenda to the meeting request by attaching it. To add an attachment, click on the Insert tab and choose Attach File or Attach Item. When you send it to the attendees they will have all the information they need for the meeting.
My current boss travels a lot so I put his travel schedule in the calendar as well. I categorize it in a different colour so it stands out from the rest of his meetings. For example if he is travelling to Vienna I will start a meeting request for each part of the journey and categorize it as Red.
Ottawa to Toronto OPEN FOR FLIGHT DETAILS
AC Flt. 211 Oct. 12, 2010 Depart Ottawa at 11 a.m., arrive Toronto at 11:45 a.m.
Seat 2C, aisle
For the next part of the trip I do the same thing and cut and paste that part of the itinerary into the body of the calendar appointment. If he is staying overnight, on the last leg of the trip I enter the name and address of the hotel he is staying at and the confirmation number.
Toronto to Vienna OPEN FOR FLIGHT AND HOTEL DETAILS
AC Flt. 1234 Oct. 24, 2010 Depart Toronto at 6 p.m., arrive Vienna Oct. 25 at 11 a.m.
Seat 2A, Window
Hotel Name, 112 Any Street, Vienna, Austria - Confirmation #12345
You can put a lot of things in a meeting request. You can drag and drop an email, add a contact card, include links to company websites, add directions, include a photo and brief bio of the person your boss will be meeting (which is useful if they have never met), you can attach documents they need for the meeting or you can draft a quick agenda to remind your boss what they wanted to talk to the person about. Again, if there is anything in the body of the meeting request, always put OPEN FOR DETAILS or he or she will never know there is anything there for them to see.
I find the all-day meeting requests a little bit useless for meetings. Undoubtedly if the meeting is put as an all-day meeting and someone is looking in your calendar to see if you are busy, they will probably not notice the all-day meeting that is at the top of the calendar. If a meeting is from 9 to 5 for instance, I block that whole time in their calendar. Then it is obvious they are out for the day. If you have a meeting that is recurring for two or three days and you want to show they are gone the whole day, you can still use the recurring option. To do this, block your time, then choose Recurrence and under Recurrence Pattern, choose Daily, click on Every 1 day and then choose the end date. It will now block the calendar from 9 to 5 (or whatever time you chose) for the 3 days.
I like to use the all-day meeting option for reminders and I categorize them in different colours so they stand out. For instance I will put a reminder to call a client and put the name and phone number in the Subject line. The only problem with using the all-day meeting option for reminders is that now if someone looks at the scheduling option in Outlook, it will seem as if the calendar is busy. I don't find many people use that option so it is not an issue, but if your office does, you will need to find some other way to remind your boss such as using Tasks.
I also like to turn on the stat holiday alerts in Outlook so you will see all the stat holidays in a calendar year. To add holidays, go under Tools, Options, choose Calendar Options and in the middle you will see Add Holidays. Choose the country you want and click OK. Stat holidays will now be added as all-day items.
10 August 2010
Let your fingers do the walking: Quick keyboard shortcut keys
I am on vacation and on my home computer I do not have a mouse so rely on keyboard shortcut keys, which reminded me again how helpful they are and how they are a big timesaver rather than reaching for the mouse all the time. Better for you ergonomically as well.
I must admit that it helps that I learnt to use a computer on the old DOS system and shortcut keys were the only option, but even those who normally use a mouse can transition over quite easily. Once you see the benefits and get into the habit, I am sure you will not look back.
Most of them are fairly easy to remember because the letter relates to what you want the program to do. For instance pressing the Ctrl key plus the s saves your work. I have gotten in the habit of doing this frequently during the day and hardly even think about it until the system shuts down for some reason and then I breathe a sigh of relief when I open the document (by pressing Ctrl + o by the way) and find that I have not lost any of my work. Here are some more that are really easy to remember:
Ctrl + b - Turns on bold
Ctrl + i - Turns on italics
Ctrl + f - Opens the Find dialogue box
Ctrl + g - Opens the Go-to dialogue box, type the page number, press Enter and you will go directly to it
Ctrl + u - Turns on the underline feature
Are you starting to see how easy it is? Here are some more:
Ctrl + p - Opens the Print dialogue box
Ctrl + n - Opens a new blank page
Ctrl + F4 - Closes a document
Alt + F4 - Closes the program
Windows Key + L - A quick way to lock your computer
Ctrl + c - To copy text
Ctrl + x - To cut text
Ctrl + v - To paste text
Ctrl + Shift + < - Decrease the font size (My old math teacher told us a way to remember this is the < symbol looks like an L - as in 'Less than')
Ctrl + Shift + > - Increase the font size
If you hover over the options in the tool bar, if it has a shortcut key you will see it, so experiment and see if some of them appeal to you and will be easy for you to remember.
If you have multiple programs open you can press Alt + tab and you can either arrow over to where you want to go or just keep pressing Alt + tab until you get to where you want to be.
Ctrl + Home moves the cursor to the beginning of the open file or document and Ctrl + End moves the cursor to the end of the open file or document, but if you are in the middle of a document and want to select everything from there down, press Ctrl + Shift + End or if you want to select everything from there up, press Ctrl + Shift + Home. Ctrl + a - Selects the whole document.
You can change the spacing by selecting the paragraph or page and press Ctrl + 1 for single space, Ctrl + 2 for double space and Ctrl + 5 for space and a half.
To change the case, select the text and press Shift + F3. Keep pressing it and it will toggle through upper, lower or initial caps.
To select text, press Shift and the arrow key left, right or up or down depending on how much text you want to select.
Ctrl + Z - Undoes the last thing you did
Ctrl + Y - Undoes the last undo (or redoes)
Windows key + m - Minimizes everything and brings you to the desktop (Windows key + d does the same thing)
Windows key + Shift + m - Brings everything back up (If you used the Windows key + d to minimize, press it again and it brings everything back up)
Type the ones you think you will use on a piece of paper and have it available so you can refer to it until you get used to it. They say when you do something for 30 days it becomes a habit, so try some of these and make it a new habit that will save you a lot of time. Of course these are only a portion of the shortcut keys that are out there, but unless they are easy you won't remember them.
These work in Word, PowerPoint, and (Excel and Outlook with some exceptions). I even used them when I posted this blog so most of them are pretty universal in many programs.
I must admit that it helps that I learnt to use a computer on the old DOS system and shortcut keys were the only option, but even those who normally use a mouse can transition over quite easily. Once you see the benefits and get into the habit, I am sure you will not look back.
Most of them are fairly easy to remember because the letter relates to what you want the program to do. For instance pressing the Ctrl key plus the s saves your work. I have gotten in the habit of doing this frequently during the day and hardly even think about it until the system shuts down for some reason and then I breathe a sigh of relief when I open the document (by pressing Ctrl + o by the way) and find that I have not lost any of my work. Here are some more that are really easy to remember:
Ctrl + b - Turns on bold
Ctrl + i - Turns on italics
Ctrl + f - Opens the Find dialogue box
Ctrl + g - Opens the Go-to dialogue box, type the page number, press Enter and you will go directly to it
Ctrl + u - Turns on the underline feature
Are you starting to see how easy it is? Here are some more:
Ctrl + p - Opens the Print dialogue box
Ctrl + n - Opens a new blank page
Ctrl + F4 - Closes a document
Alt + F4 - Closes the program
Windows Key + L - A quick way to lock your computer
Ctrl + c - To copy text
Ctrl + x - To cut text
Ctrl + v - To paste text
Ctrl + Shift + < - Decrease the font size (My old math teacher told us a way to remember this is the < symbol looks like an L - as in 'Less than')
Ctrl + Shift + > - Increase the font size
If you hover over the options in the tool bar, if it has a shortcut key you will see it, so experiment and see if some of them appeal to you and will be easy for you to remember.
If you have multiple programs open you can press Alt + tab and you can either arrow over to where you want to go or just keep pressing Alt + tab until you get to where you want to be.
Ctrl + Home moves the cursor to the beginning of the open file or document and Ctrl + End moves the cursor to the end of the open file or document, but if you are in the middle of a document and want to select everything from there down, press Ctrl + Shift + End or if you want to select everything from there up, press Ctrl + Shift + Home. Ctrl + a - Selects the whole document.
You can change the spacing by selecting the paragraph or page and press Ctrl + 1 for single space, Ctrl + 2 for double space and Ctrl + 5 for space and a half.
To change the case, select the text and press Shift + F3. Keep pressing it and it will toggle through upper, lower or initial caps.
To select text, press Shift and the arrow key left, right or up or down depending on how much text you want to select.
Ctrl + Z - Undoes the last thing you did
Ctrl + Y - Undoes the last undo (or redoes)
Windows key + m - Minimizes everything and brings you to the desktop (Windows key + d does the same thing)
Windows key + Shift + m - Brings everything back up (If you used the Windows key + d to minimize, press it again and it brings everything back up)
Type the ones you think you will use on a piece of paper and have it available so you can refer to it until you get used to it. They say when you do something for 30 days it becomes a habit, so try some of these and make it a new habit that will save you a lot of time. Of course these are only a portion of the shortcut keys that are out there, but unless they are easy you won't remember them.
These work in Word, PowerPoint, and (Excel and Outlook with some exceptions). I even used them when I posted this blog so most of them are pretty universal in many programs.
1 August 2010
Oh where or where is my password?
I logged onto my computer last week and put in my network password, then to open my Outlook account I had to put another password in for that. I had to open a different software program and needed yet another password for that. I then went to check my voicemail and had to enter a password there too. There are just too many passwords to remember, and that doesn't include my boss's passwords that I also need to know because I have to check his emails as well as my own.
Along with our multiple work passwords, we have a password for our home computer, and if we sign up for Facebook, Twitter or any other website, we have another password to remember. We have a password for the automated bank machine and if you bank online you have another one for that. Even if you phone the bank they need your secret passcode or they won't speak to you about your account. Sometimes I say to them, "Just give me a hint, how many digits are there in the password, then I will know which one I used?" But they refuse to help me out. I mean if it was really me I should know what my password is, but wait a minute, I am me and I still don't know.
Of course the simple solution would be to have the same password for every aspect of your life, but nope that doesn’t work. One program requires a mix of alpha and numeric and only six digits, while another one requires upper and lower case, but only uses four digits. And then there are the sites that assign you a password that I would never remember in a million years, but thankfully they normally give you a chance to change it once your email address has been verified. And do we really have to change our work passwords every 60 days, and why can’t I use the same password I used a year ago? I kinda liked that one, but nope I can’t reuse the old password.
I realize the change in passwords is for security reasons, but I find it is just too hard to remember all of them so most of us just keep adding a number to our existing password, or like some people I know they put their password on a yellow sticky and stick it on their computer, which defeats the whole purpose of the secure password. Thank goodness I get three tries to pick the right one before the system locks me out. The first time it doesn't work, I assume I entered it wrong so try again. When that doesn't work I remember, oh yeah I changed my password yesterday, but what did I change it to? I usually get it right on the third try, but I have been locked out on a few occasions.
On some sites there is an option to "Remember my password," which is helpful until your system crashes and you lose everything and then how are you ever going to remember what the password was in the first place since you haven't had to enter it in a year? I thought I was being smart and saved all my passwords in a sub-folder in Outlook, but alas that too was gone in the crash. Of course even if the system hadn't crashed, I would have needed to know my server and Outlook password so I could get into my sub-folder with all my passwords?
And let's not stop with passwords, what about log-in names? Some sites use your email address as the log in, while others require you to create your own. I can never remember if I used my email address, my first and last name or was assigned a log-in name.
I know we are probably stuck with the current system of trying to remember log-in names and passwords, but thankfully at work if you do forget your password the administrator can re-set it, and then you have the option of changing it again. Although the new password can't be anything you have used in the last six months. Ugh! Back to the drawing board.
Along with our multiple work passwords, we have a password for our home computer, and if we sign up for Facebook, Twitter or any other website, we have another password to remember. We have a password for the automated bank machine and if you bank online you have another one for that. Even if you phone the bank they need your secret passcode or they won't speak to you about your account. Sometimes I say to them, "Just give me a hint, how many digits are there in the password, then I will know which one I used?" But they refuse to help me out. I mean if it was really me I should know what my password is, but wait a minute, I am me and I still don't know.
Of course the simple solution would be to have the same password for every aspect of your life, but nope that doesn’t work. One program requires a mix of alpha and numeric and only six digits, while another one requires upper and lower case, but only uses four digits. And then there are the sites that assign you a password that I would never remember in a million years, but thankfully they normally give you a chance to change it once your email address has been verified. And do we really have to change our work passwords every 60 days, and why can’t I use the same password I used a year ago? I kinda liked that one, but nope I can’t reuse the old password.
I realize the change in passwords is for security reasons, but I find it is just too hard to remember all of them so most of us just keep adding a number to our existing password, or like some people I know they put their password on a yellow sticky and stick it on their computer, which defeats the whole purpose of the secure password. Thank goodness I get three tries to pick the right one before the system locks me out. The first time it doesn't work, I assume I entered it wrong so try again. When that doesn't work I remember, oh yeah I changed my password yesterday, but what did I change it to? I usually get it right on the third try, but I have been locked out on a few occasions.
On some sites there is an option to "Remember my password," which is helpful until your system crashes and you lose everything and then how are you ever going to remember what the password was in the first place since you haven't had to enter it in a year? I thought I was being smart and saved all my passwords in a sub-folder in Outlook, but alas that too was gone in the crash. Of course even if the system hadn't crashed, I would have needed to know my server and Outlook password so I could get into my sub-folder with all my passwords?
And let's not stop with passwords, what about log-in names? Some sites use your email address as the log in, while others require you to create your own. I can never remember if I used my email address, my first and last name or was assigned a log-in name.
I know we are probably stuck with the current system of trying to remember log-in names and passwords, but thankfully at work if you do forget your password the administrator can re-set it, and then you have the option of changing it again. Although the new password can't be anything you have used in the last six months. Ugh! Back to the drawing board.
16 May 2010
Whose meeting is it anyway?
Do you ever get a meeting request and an agenda has not been provided, or if it is a teleconference the call-in details have not been given or the boardroom hasn't been booked for an internal meeting? Whose responsibility is it anyway?
When booking meetings ownership of the meeting has to be established. The person sending out the request for the meeting and asking for dates would be considered the meeting organizer. They are responsible for canvassing the participants for dates and determining the date everyone is available and communicating that information to the participants by sending out a meeting request to everyone or emailing the date (depending on how you or your organization prefers to send notices of meetings). This person is also responsible for making sure the agenda is sent out on time and will need to set a reminder to the meeting Chair to make sure that is done. They should also provide call-in numbers for a teleconference and ensure someone is the moderator for the call and that the appropriate information is sent to that person (this would be the Chair or the person who called the meeting). They would also need to book a boardroom and make other arrangements as necessary.
If you are not the organizer, you still have a responsibility to provide available dates in a timely manner, set a reminder to make sure there is an agenda and if there isn't, email to ask for one. You also need to make sure your boss is aware of the call-in numbers and if they are the moderator that number is made available to them.
I love having a checklist so suggest for each meeting you start a checklist to make sure you cover all the bases. This checklist should have the following information:
When booking meetings ownership of the meeting has to be established. The person sending out the request for the meeting and asking for dates would be considered the meeting organizer. They are responsible for canvassing the participants for dates and determining the date everyone is available and communicating that information to the participants by sending out a meeting request to everyone or emailing the date (depending on how you or your organization prefers to send notices of meetings). This person is also responsible for making sure the agenda is sent out on time and will need to set a reminder to the meeting Chair to make sure that is done. They should also provide call-in numbers for a teleconference and ensure someone is the moderator for the call and that the appropriate information is sent to that person (this would be the Chair or the person who called the meeting). They would also need to book a boardroom and make other arrangements as necessary.
If you are not the organizer, you still have a responsibility to provide available dates in a timely manner, set a reminder to make sure there is an agenda and if there isn't, email to ask for one. You also need to make sure your boss is aware of the call-in numbers and if they are the moderator that number is made available to them.
I love having a checklist so suggest for each meeting you start a checklist to make sure you cover all the bases. This checklist should have the following information:
- Meeting name, date and name of person you are arranging the meeting for (if you work for more than one person)
- Names of people that are required at the meeting
- Purpose of the meeting
- Time required for the meeting and location
- Canvass for available dates (I usually don't give more than 3 or 4 dates)
- Has an agenda been provided?
- Is the boardroom booked?
- If it is a teleconference have the call-in numbers been provided and moderator code provided to the appropriate person?
13 March 2010
Are you prepared?
I take the bus to work and I often see people getting on a busy bus and then going through their backpack or purse looking for their bus tickets and holding up the line. I always shake my head when I see that because I think they should have had that ready before they boarded. They had enough time as they saw the bus approaching, they know they will need it, but time and time again, they are searching for it.
I like to be prepared and I find life just works better for me at home, work and even on the bus, when I am organized and ready for whatever is coming up. We really are creatures of habit and I find if I just keep doing it the same way each time, it becomes easier to be prepared. For instance, I always keep my bus tickets in the front section of my purse so when I am boarding the bus I just reach in and take one out. I don't have to think about where they are because they are always in the same place. I find the same thing at work. I organize my desk so everything is within easy reach and makes sense to the way I like to work. Even when I change jobs, the first thing I do is organize my desk so at least that is familiar.
I just recently organized a Board meeting and it was nice to have everything where I needed it when I was in the meeting. I didn't have to look far for it so that makes me more relaxed and able to do what I am there to do -- take the minutes.
I also like to know my stuff and not have any surprises. Every time I use a bus ticket, I keep a mental inventory so I know when I need to buy some more and don't show up at the bus stop one morning and Oops! no tickets. The night before I go to a Board meeting, I review all my templates, agendas, binder, attendance sheets and everything I am going to need or might need. Do I have everything? This is where a checklist really comes in handy. Each meeting has some differences, but usually the basics are the same so your checklist can be pre-populated with those things so you can re-use it for each meeting. I find the best time to think about what I need is when I have a nice quiet time to do that. Of course that usually doesn't happen at work so I take about an hour of my home time, but it is well worth it the next day.
Being prepared doesn't have to be hectic, but can just be a good habit you get into. Now, I don't even think about it, I just know what is in my folder because I organize it the same way each time. Yep, makes my life much easier.
I like to be prepared and I find life just works better for me at home, work and even on the bus, when I am organized and ready for whatever is coming up. We really are creatures of habit and I find if I just keep doing it the same way each time, it becomes easier to be prepared. For instance, I always keep my bus tickets in the front section of my purse so when I am boarding the bus I just reach in and take one out. I don't have to think about where they are because they are always in the same place. I find the same thing at work. I organize my desk so everything is within easy reach and makes sense to the way I like to work. Even when I change jobs, the first thing I do is organize my desk so at least that is familiar.
I just recently organized a Board meeting and it was nice to have everything where I needed it when I was in the meeting. I didn't have to look far for it so that makes me more relaxed and able to do what I am there to do -- take the minutes.
I also like to know my stuff and not have any surprises. Every time I use a bus ticket, I keep a mental inventory so I know when I need to buy some more and don't show up at the bus stop one morning and Oops! no tickets. The night before I go to a Board meeting, I review all my templates, agendas, binder, attendance sheets and everything I am going to need or might need. Do I have everything? This is where a checklist really comes in handy. Each meeting has some differences, but usually the basics are the same so your checklist can be pre-populated with those things so you can re-use it for each meeting. I find the best time to think about what I need is when I have a nice quiet time to do that. Of course that usually doesn't happen at work so I take about an hour of my home time, but it is well worth it the next day.
Being prepared doesn't have to be hectic, but can just be a good habit you get into. Now, I don't even think about it, I just know what is in my folder because I organize it the same way each time. Yep, makes my life much easier.
13 February 2010
Dealing in real time...
I like to work with fixed dates. If I know something is due on February 23rd, then I can work towards the date and prioritize all my work accordingly. The way I like to do that is by creating a timeline to-do list of everything I need to do to get everything done by the required date. If it is a big project I use a calendar and write down all my required to-dos on the dates I need to get them done to make my deadline. I’m a visual person so it really helps me to plan my way to my goal. There are different styles of to-do lists and you can use the one that suits your work style and the type of project you are doing, but the main thing is to have one.
By the same token, I appreciate it when someone lets me know by when they will have something for me and if they can’t have it done by that date, then I like it when they get back to me to say when I can expect it. That way I can do a proper tracking as I have a date to work with.
So that is what I like, but it isn’t always what I get. If I am told that I should have it in the next few weeks, or can expect to receive it in a couple of months, that doesn’t really help me with my follow up as it is not a definite date. I can only guess when I might get it. I would prefer they say you will have it by March 4th. That I can track.
Dates are important. Once I have a date I can put it in my Tasks and run with it. I use my Tasks extensively and when I receive an e-mail telling me they will have something to me or if I make a request of someone, I drag the e-mail in my Tasks and set a reminder when I need to follow up.
Think about it the next time you give someone a timeline. Are you vague or exact? It will be appeciated if you are firm and take responsibility for your timelines.
By the same token, I appreciate it when someone lets me know by when they will have something for me and if they can’t have it done by that date, then I like it when they get back to me to say when I can expect it. That way I can do a proper tracking as I have a date to work with.
So that is what I like, but it isn’t always what I get. If I am told that I should have it in the next few weeks, or can expect to receive it in a couple of months, that doesn’t really help me with my follow up as it is not a definite date. I can only guess when I might get it. I would prefer they say you will have it by March 4th. That I can track.
Dates are important. Once I have a date I can put it in my Tasks and run with it. I use my Tasks extensively and when I receive an e-mail telling me they will have something to me or if I make a request of someone, I drag the e-mail in my Tasks and set a reminder when I need to follow up.
Think about it the next time you give someone a timeline. Are you vague or exact? It will be appeciated if you are firm and take responsibility for your timelines.
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