I used to think it didn't matter if we went to the office party and rarely would go. I'm single and I don't like going to parties alone, especially the office party? At our local IAAP chapter dinner we heard a speaker from an etiquette protocol company Savoir-Faire and she suggested that it was very important to go to the office party because it was more about protocol and networking and how you are viewed as a team player than socializing. And by golly, I think she is right!
Going to the office party is a good way to connect with your boss and other work colleagues and because your boss has to go (it's their party after all), they do notice who is not there. She also suggested being prepared when you go to the party. Have an agenda of things you would like to speak about and people you want to talk to. And by all means try to make a good impression. It is not the time to over indulge in alcohol and dance on the table.
Another misconception I think is about bringing your spouse or partner to the office party. My idea was always how boring it would be for a spouse to go to a party where they don't know anyone, but if they go with networking on their mind then it becomes a whole different scenario. If your spouse is unemployed it becomes even more important for them to go and bring business cards. I wouldn't suggest being aggressive about it, but since it is a work party, inevitably talk about work will come up. You might be embarassed because you know someone will ask your spouse where they work, but even this can be used as an opportunity and they could say something like, "I have just finished an assignment and am looking for another opportunity." They can then give a mini resume and be sure to pass along a personal business card. Now all of a sudden the office party has become a little bit more interesting.
This year again my first instinct was to say no I am not going, but I think I will change my mind on that and go. How about you?
For more food for thought, read this article on why etiquette is important.
5 December 2010
6 November 2010
Acting the part...
We can't know everything, but our boss's certainly don't need to know that. It's a bit of an act isn't it? Inside you may not have a clue what the answer is, but usually there is someone who does so I always base my answer on that. I act calm when presented with the problem and ask my boss to leave it with me to come back with a solution and give a short timeframe that I will get back to him. It calms him down that someone is looking into it and gives me time to go searching for the answer. There are so many places to look and people to ask. This is where a large network of assistants is helpful, and then of course there is Google.
When I started my new job, I had never taken minutes before so I did my homework, talked to my friend who was an expert minute taker, took a course, read everything I could get my hands on and when the big day came to take minutes at a Board of Directors meeting, I acted as if I knew what I was doing and played the part of being the most confident professional person at the table. Inside I didn’t have a clue, but they didn’t know that. After all what was I going to do other than go forward and do the job at hand? I didn't have much choice except to sink or swim and I dog paddled with all my might and stayed afloat and got better at it and recently was able to give a webinar on Taking Effective Meeting Minutes.
I had made up my mind that I wanted to try professional speaking, but had never tried it before. Shortly after I made that decision, I was asked to speak to an admin group of about 50 people. When I arrived I acted as if I had been a professional speaker for years. It was my first time, but they didn’t know that.
If my boss has some important person waiting to speak to him. Someone from the media or a high-ranking official. I act as if I am very comfortable in their presence and welcome them to our office and act very professionally. Inside I think, Didn’t I just see this person on TV? But they don’t know my thoughts.
When you go on an interview that is a great time to act the part. You should be well prepared before you go into the interview and then you can concentrate on answering the questions, asking your own questions and wowing them with your professionalism.
Acting is not the only secret, we also need to dress the part. If you want to be treated as a professional, act and dress like one. I guess Shakespeare was right when he said the whole world is a stage. I will bring it down just a few levels and say the office is also a stage. How are your acting skills?
Break a leg...
When I started my new job, I had never taken minutes before so I did my homework, talked to my friend who was an expert minute taker, took a course, read everything I could get my hands on and when the big day came to take minutes at a Board of Directors meeting, I acted as if I knew what I was doing and played the part of being the most confident professional person at the table. Inside I didn’t have a clue, but they didn’t know that. After all what was I going to do other than go forward and do the job at hand? I didn't have much choice except to sink or swim and I dog paddled with all my might and stayed afloat and got better at it and recently was able to give a webinar on Taking Effective Meeting Minutes.
I had made up my mind that I wanted to try professional speaking, but had never tried it before. Shortly after I made that decision, I was asked to speak to an admin group of about 50 people. When I arrived I acted as if I had been a professional speaker for years. It was my first time, but they didn’t know that.
If my boss has some important person waiting to speak to him. Someone from the media or a high-ranking official. I act as if I am very comfortable in their presence and welcome them to our office and act very professionally. Inside I think, Didn’t I just see this person on TV? But they don’t know my thoughts.
When you go on an interview that is a great time to act the part. You should be well prepared before you go into the interview and then you can concentrate on answering the questions, asking your own questions and wowing them with your professionalism.
Acting is not the only secret, we also need to dress the part. If you want to be treated as a professional, act and dress like one. I guess Shakespeare was right when he said the whole world is a stage. I will bring it down just a few levels and say the office is also a stage. How are your acting skills?
Break a leg...
29 October 2010
Envelope please...
One of my assistant's responsibilities is logging correspondence, preparing address labels for envelopes and completing the mail out. The one complaint she has is that since she doesn't have a printer at her desk, if she only has a few labels to print (not enough for a full page of labels), then she has to get up and go to the photocopier to print each envelope. It is inconvenient to say the least. You can imagine how happy she was when I received the DYMO Label Writer 450 Twin Turbo label maker and brought it to her desk and said she could have it, but the one string attached was that she had to do a product review so I could share it with my readers on my blog (that was the requirement I had in order to keep it at no charge). She eagerly took it and here is what she had to say about it:
*******
What she thinks:
The DYMO Label Writer 450 Twin Turbo is user friendly, very easy to use, straightforward and there is no assembly required. The program installation took only five minutes. Since this label maker actually hooks up to the computer, once installed I recommend placing the program on your desktop for easy access.
When you open the program, the “Home Screen" comes up and you have three tabs to choose from
Bottom line:
I highly recommend the LabelWriter because it is easy to use, small enough to be placed on your desk, doesn't take much room and saves me the extra steps of walking to the printer.
*******
So now my assistant has a very nice label maker conveniently located at her desk, it's hooked up to her computer so she can just cut and paste the addresses or take them right out of contacts and I don't have to feel guilty when I send those emails that say "Envelope please..." because now I know she is not having to get up and go to the printer each time. I would say that is a win-win for both of us.
Patricia
*******
What she thinks:
The DYMO Label Writer 450 Twin Turbo is user friendly, very easy to use, straightforward and there is no assembly required. The program installation took only five minutes. Since this label maker actually hooks up to the computer, once installed I recommend placing the program on your desktop for easy access.
When you open the program, the “Home Screen" comes up and you have three tabs to choose from
- Labels - this is where you choose your label type
- Label Design - you have options on how you want your label to look
- Address - this gives you the capability to store your contacts
Bottom line:
I highly recommend the LabelWriter because it is easy to use, small enough to be placed on your desk, doesn't take much room and saves me the extra steps of walking to the printer.
*******
So now my assistant has a very nice label maker conveniently located at her desk, it's hooked up to her computer so she can just cut and paste the addresses or take them right out of contacts and I don't have to feel guilty when I send those emails that say "Envelope please..." because now I know she is not having to get up and go to the printer each time. I would say that is a win-win for both of us.
Patricia
27 October 2010
Turning Soft Skills Into Tangible and Recognizable Skills That You Can and Should Bring to the Office
Recently I was at a professional dinner and mentioned I had spoken about soft skills on a webinar I participated in. I was met with blank stares. I said, "You don't know what I'm talking about do you?" They were relieved I had asked, because they had never heard of soft skills and up until a year ago, neither had I. We don't know about them, so we don't realize how valuable and important they are to our employer. The secret is awareness. I am pleased that the organizers have made the audio of the webinar available and I wanted to share it with you.
Click webinar and press Playback to start.
There are some other speakers as well presenting on our overall business persona, including tips from a fashion consultant on the importance of what we wear to the office and getting the most for your dollar when you go shopping. The webinar is offered free as it is a promotion piece they did before the main conference, which is in beautiful Australia in December that I unfortunately will not be attending.
Click webinar and press Playback to start.
There are some other speakers as well presenting on our overall business persona, including tips from a fashion consultant on the importance of what we wear to the office and getting the most for your dollar when you go shopping. The webinar is offered free as it is a promotion piece they did before the main conference, which is in beautiful Australia in December that I unfortunately will not be attending.
Enjoy!
24 October 2010
Full moon rising...
Sometimes I go to the office and it seems like everyone is cranky and I wish I had just stayed home that day? Has that ever happened to you? I am not sure what it is, but it just feels like everything is off and if something is going to happen, it will certainly happen that day. Do you ever wonder why? Well, here is one theory. The full moon...
Full Moon – October 23
Full Moon – November 21
Full Moon – December 21
But just a minute, the only full moon that recently occurred was yesterday and that was a Saturday and I had a wonderful day with my grandson. I note that November's full moon is on a Sunday. It seems the only full moon that will fall on a work day is Tuesday, December 21 and by that time I will have forgotten all about the moon phases. So much for that theory because I've certainly had a few cranky days recently that I would have loved to blame on the moon. I mean it can't be me can it?
Even though it might be nice to be able to blame it on something other than ourselves, it is more likely a miscommunication, someone may be stressed and is having a hard day or they didn't sleep well. I heard something interesting the other day that made sense and explains some of the dynamics that can happen when different personality types work together. Is your personality a type A, B or C? I found it interesting reading about the different personalities because knowing how a person thinks or views things can help you understand their reactions. Sometimes I find a situation easy to handle, but someone else might find it stressful or emotional. It doesn't mean I am right and they are wrong, but understanding each other certainly will help us in our working relationships.
The different generations also come into play in an office and it is good to know how the younger (or older) generation views things so we can better understand the way our co-workers think or why they make the decisions they do.
Of course there are other things that also come into play such as sex, ethnic background, religion, how we were raised, our current mental state and many other things. Our co-workers are usually not out to get us or make our day miserable, although it may seem so at times.
Understanding each other is key to good working relationships. Work retreats can be a great way to learn about each other. It may seem awkward at first, but if you have the right facilitator it can be a wonderful tool for managers and staff.
Yep, I think it is about time for a good staff retreat...
Full Moon – October 23
Full Moon – November 21
Full Moon – December 21
But just a minute, the only full moon that recently occurred was yesterday and that was a Saturday and I had a wonderful day with my grandson. I note that November's full moon is on a Sunday. It seems the only full moon that will fall on a work day is Tuesday, December 21 and by that time I will have forgotten all about the moon phases. So much for that theory because I've certainly had a few cranky days recently that I would have loved to blame on the moon. I mean it can't be me can it?
Even though it might be nice to be able to blame it on something other than ourselves, it is more likely a miscommunication, someone may be stressed and is having a hard day or they didn't sleep well. I heard something interesting the other day that made sense and explains some of the dynamics that can happen when different personality types work together. Is your personality a type A, B or C? I found it interesting reading about the different personalities because knowing how a person thinks or views things can help you understand their reactions. Sometimes I find a situation easy to handle, but someone else might find it stressful or emotional. It doesn't mean I am right and they are wrong, but understanding each other certainly will help us in our working relationships.
The different generations also come into play in an office and it is good to know how the younger (or older) generation views things so we can better understand the way our co-workers think or why they make the decisions they do.
Of course there are other things that also come into play such as sex, ethnic background, religion, how we were raised, our current mental state and many other things. Our co-workers are usually not out to get us or make our day miserable, although it may seem so at times.
Understanding each other is key to good working relationships. Work retreats can be a great way to learn about each other. It may seem awkward at first, but if you have the right facilitator it can be a wonderful tool for managers and staff.
Yep, I think it is about time for a good staff retreat...
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.
9 October 2010
Everyday Office Heroes Contest
Hi everyone,
Contests are always fun and this one sounds like it could be interesting. I'm sure we all have some office stories to tell and if you can win some money too, well that makes it even more interesting. So put your thinking caps on and check it out at this website: http://www.accoheroes.com/
If you are like me, you need to read some of the other stories just to get your creative juices flowing and there are some posted on the site just for that purpose.
Patricia
Contests are always fun and this one sounds like it could be interesting. I'm sure we all have some office stories to tell and if you can win some money too, well that makes it even more interesting. So put your thinking caps on and check it out at this website: http://www.accoheroes.com/
If you are like me, you need to read some of the other stories just to get your creative juices flowing and there are some posted on the site just for that purpose.
Patricia
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