In case you did not read part 1, I am writing a 4-part series around the topics of managing your day and time. I promise to keep these short and to the point. [Read more…]
Tips To Keep Your Millennial Employees Committed and Engaged
It’s important that companies take into account workforce demographics, so they can effectively manage and utilize their talents for future growth. By 2020, 46 percent of your employees will be millennials. This new generation of workers are similar to older generations, as they desire adequate compensation, growth opportunities, and challenging work.
However, there are other factors that Millennials take into consideration when committing to a new job, including:
- Wanting to make a difference in the community
- Attaining a proper work-life balance
- Ensuring team building opportunities
- Having a creative work environment
The Power of One
Welcome to May! Such a lovely time of year. I hope everyone has recuperated from an exciting Administrative Professionals Week. We did a lot of celebrating at Office Dynamics. On Wednesday, April 26 I hosted a Facebook Live where I spoke about what I love about the administrative profession and gave tips on how to shine in the profession. In case you missed it, you can access it here.
Well, last week was very exciting for me because once again, I witnessed The Power of One. For more than 2 decades I have been talking to assistants about The Power of One. The concept is that it only takes 1 person to create change or 1 person to create something awesome. I use a visual of candles on a table. I light the first candle. This represents 1 person who has an idea. They take action on their idea and talk to another assistant or someone else in the company. Then another candle is lit representing the spark created from the first person. Then those 2 people go out and talk to others and light the fire in them about their idea. And then those 4 or 6 people go out and light a spark in others and before you know it . . . BAM! Something wonderful occurs that can change the life of many. [Read more…]
How to Reignite Your Enthusiasm for Work
At some point, in any professional’s career, there comes a time when enthusiasm wanes. It’s natural, after all. Even as an assistant, a role where “no two days are exactly alike,” the day-to-day operations can eventually become monotonous.
When you feel a lack of enthusiasm for the work you do, it can really take a toll on your quality of life. You feel more tired and discontent. Ultimately, it can also impact your quality of work. When you’re not energized by what you’re doing, you tend to cut corners and settle for “good enough.”
So, what’s an assistant to do when he or she feels that lack of enthusiasm? How do you get back on track? Here are some simple, but effective, recommendations.
Tackle Stretch Projects
Nothing is more exciting than a project that challenges your capabilities. These kinds of projects give you goals that are outside the normal, everyday realm. They’re risky, no doubt. But hey, risk is exciting! It gets the blood moving. It forces you to think differently and deeper. It pushes you to see things from new perspectives.
Volunteer to do something you’ve never done before. Suggest an innovative solution to a problem that’s been plaguing your team for ages. Offer to own that project that no one else wants to do.
You are capable of much more than you (or your manager!) probably even realize. The feeling of growing is, in and of itself, a great energizer. Plus, as you tackle these challenging items, you’ll enhance your reputation and contribute more meaningful in your role. It’s a win-win.
Shake Up Your Routine
Routines are useful because they make us more productive. However, it’s easy to shift into autopilot when you’re doing the same things, in the same way, every day. Sometimes a minor shake up can help you re-engage. Even something simple, like taking a different route to work in the morning or climbing the stairs instead of using the elevator, can help you feel more awake and alert.
When I’m feeling a lack of enthusiasm personally, I rearrange my to-do list. I move the tasks I enjoy most to the end of the day, that way I can look forward to them. I’m able to power through the more unpleasant work with the knowledge that my afternoon will be filled with more enjoyable items. Or, I save the best stuff for Fridays. These are simple tricks that I find helpful when I’m struggling.
Optimize Your Environment
This is another strategy that I rely on personally. The physical environment can have a dramatic impact on your mental perspective. When I need a good hefty dose of renewed energy, I reorganize and redecorate my workspace. It never fails to lift spirits. I can find new ways to enhance the functionality of even a tiny space, and when all is said and done, I can enjoy a fresh new perspective.
Try this and see how it feels: Remove all the clutter from your space and re-evaluate why it’s there. Exchange your personal pieces of flare for more recent photos or important mementos. Switch up the location of your computer, your phone, and your work-in-progress files. Empty your drawers and find new places for your stockpiles.
In my experience, a few minor adjustments can have a powerfully positive effect.
Reconnect with Your Value
Finally, one of the best things you can do to reignite your enthusiasm is to remember why your work really matters. Consider the impact you have on your executive and the organization as a whole. Imagine what things would be like if you weren’t there. Remember the overall goals and mission of the organization.
You are an essential part of something that is very important to many, many people.
Remember that work is not the same as play. It’s okay if you aren’t filled with an overwhelming sense of excitement each and every day. Save that for your trip to Disneyland. However, it is absolutely possible to find something at work, each and every day, that brings you a sense of joy, enthusiasm or fulfillment. It takes effort, but it’s worth it.
Chrissy Scivicque is a career coach and corporate trainer who believes that work can be a nourishing, enriching part of the life experience. Her website, EatYourCareer.com, is devoted to that mission. You’re invited to join the FREE Eat Your Career Resource Library where you’ll gain immediate access to dozens of tools to advance your professional skills and achieve career fulfillment.
Chrissy also has an amazing book called The Proactive Professional and some incredible ebooks and guides.
This blog is part of our 2017 Blog-A-Thon. Please leave a comment or share the blog for your chance to win one of our amazing giveaways! The more blogs you comment on and share, the more chances you have to win. If you’d like to learn more about our Blog-A-Thon you can do so here. Hint: Subscribe to our blog in the upper right-hand corner so you never miss a blog.
10 Apps for Administrative Productivity and Organization
This is the second article in a two-part series on productivity apps for admins by Julie Perrine. You can read part 1 here.
As an administrative professional, you need to be productive and organized wherever you go. But hauling around your work laptop 24/7 isn’t exactly practical. The solution? Smartphone apps! Here are my 10 app category favorites.
- Travel Planning Apps: Whether you’re the one traveling, or simply attempting to get your executive from point A to point B, travel planning apps can be a life saver. Tripit, my personal favorite, creates a mobile itinerary available at the tap of your screen. Just forward your confirmation emails to the app (hotel, rental car, airline tickets, etc.), and Tripit will organize them all in one place including directions between locations. I also recommend SeatGuru, GateGuru, and the apps for a hotel, airline, and ground transportation companies you use the most.
- To-Do List Apps: Long on to-dos and short on time? Enter your habits, tasks, and hobbies into a to-do list app such as SuperNote, Wunderlist or Timeful. Timeful will suggest the optimal time to complete them. This smart app even “learns” your schedule and adapts to your busy and available times.
- Project Management Apps: Teamwork is, by far, my favorite project management app. It’s what I use to keep my own team on track. You can update statuses, track time and tasks, and get real-time updates on all your projects. Others you may want to research include Trello, Asana, and Basecamp.
- Virtual Meeting Apps: For far-flung teams or admins supporting on-the-go executives, online meeting apps help keep everyone on the same page. My team uses GoToMeeting, Skype, and Facetime to meet “face-to-face” using technology. Chat by phone or video conferencing, record meetings, and share screens to keep each other up to date, even if you’re continents apart!
- Cloud-Based File Storage: Tired of attaching documents to emails and relying on track changes to keep up with multiple people editing the same files? Need to access your work from any device, anywhere? Dropbox, Box, or OneDrive may be the solution. Update, backup, and share files with your executive and team – no flash drives needed!
- Note Taking Apps: A robust note-taking solution, such as Evernote or OneNote, makes it easy to organize, capture, and share everything from that awesome picture you took of the sunrise to your administrative procedures binder. Work from anywhere on any device and capture everything in one handy digital notebook!
- Currency Converter Apps: Quick, what’s the current exchange rate for the yen? I don’t know, either – but Convert Pad does. It quickly converts any currency, but it goes a step above and beyond by converting measurements, too – inches to centimeters, kilometers to miles, etc. There are a lot of free currency converter apps available, so search for the one that is simplest to use for your specific needs.
- Time Zone Converter Apps: Time zones can be tricky, especially if you or your executive is working virtually from another state or country. I use the Time Zone Converter by TimeAndDate. Another cool one is World Time Buddy. It not only lets you check the time in any part of the world, it also shows you color-coded business hours in your specified time zone, making it easier to schedule meeting times.
- Business Card Scanning Apps: Anyone who’s ever attended a conference or networking event knows just how quickly all those business cards stack up. WorldCard Mobile scans those cards, adds the info as a new contact or updates an existing one. It even allows you to connect to the person straight from their business card!
- iBooks, Kindle, or Other eReader Apps: Want to catch up on the latest industry trends on your lunch break or finally finish that novel on a long flight? Don’t lug your entire library with you. An eReader makes your bookshelf portable and saves space in your briefcase or carry-on bag.
The days of being tied to a desk or a computer are long gone. With these apps, productivity and organization are literally at your fingertips. Take a few minutes to explore the app store for solutions you need, and turn your smartphone into a productivity powerhouse!
What are your favorite productivity and organization apps? Share your favorites in the comments below.
About Julie Perrine
Julie Perrine is an administrative expert, author, and all around procedures pro. She is the founder and CEO of All Things Admin, a company dedicated to developing innovative products, training, and resources for administrative professionals worldwide. Julie’s upbeat, step-by-step approach to handling the opportunities and challenges facing administrative professionals provides proactive strategies for developing a plan, creating forward motion, and achieving great results.
She is the author of two books: The Innovative Admin: Unleash the Power of Innovation In Your Administrative Career and The Organized Admin: Leverage Your Unique Organizing Style to Create Systems, Reduce Overwhelm, and Increase Productivity.
Julie will be one of the featured speakers at the 2017 Conference for Administrative Excellence in Las Vegas this October. She will be presenting a general session on What To Do When There’s Too Much To Do: The Productive Admin’s Guide to Managing Time.
Connect with All Things Admin on LinkedIn and on Facebook. Follow Julie on Twitter.
This blog is part of our 2017 Blog-A-Thon. Please leave a comment or share the blog for your chance to win one of our amazing giveaways! The more blogs you comment on and share, the more chances you have to win. If you’d like to learn more about our Blog-A-Thon you can do so here. Hint: Subscribe to our blog in the upper right-hand corner so you never miss a blog.
Teamwork Strategies for Administrative and Executive Assistants
There is no great month than April to talk about the power assistants create when they work together. In April, we honor administrative around the world for one full week. What does that tell you about the importance of the role?
For more than two decades I have been teaching assistants about the benefits of working together. While I often hear about the challenges and issues assistants have with their peers, assistants can find strength in community and unity. [Read more…]
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