On The Job

JUNE 27, 2008

We've heard the warnings time and again: What you write in an e-mail is subject to your employer not only reviewing it -- but firing you if it is believed you violated company policy. But let's get real: While at work, many of us still send our friends e-mails about where to meet for dinner, we still send that dirty joke to our significant other and we still e-mail our children to tell them that their grades are slipping and they better get on the ball.

Legal 100

Legal Policies Filing 100

Laughing all the Way to Work

JUNE 26, 2008

Do people pay attention to our table etiquette when we are entertaining a client, having a lunch interview or when we are at a work function? I think they do and having good form can be a help to your career. I once went to lunch with a co-worker who kept talking while he was eating and the food was literally falling out of his mouth. It was embarassing for me, but he didn't seem to notice.

Etiquette 100

Etiquette Restaurants Interviewing Forms 100

Denise Aday

JUNE 30, 2008

photo by Neurofibromatosis – Reggie Bibbs “Setting a goal is not the main thing. It is deciding how you will go about achieving it and staying with that plan.” Tom Landry (1924-2000, American football player and beloved coach of the Dallas Cowboys). Tags: achievement goals planning success.

Goals 40

Goals 40

On The Job

JUNE 26, 2008

There are always some sure-fire ways that you can tell your company is in trouble. The floors haven't been vaccumed in recent memory because the cleaning crew is now one 80-year-old woman who comes in every other month to dust. You are asked to re-use ovenight envelopes -- and not because the boss cares about the company's carbon footprint. Unknown people are seen going into top brass offices and holding closed-door meetings for hours.

Carbon Footprint 100

Carbon Footprint Resume Skills Learning 100

Speaker: Joe Sharpe and James Carlson

Payroll optimization can be one of the most time-consuming and complex factors of small business management. Yet, organizations that crack the code on streamlining employee compensation often discover innovative avenues for growth. With the right strategies in place, outsourcing and streamlining payroll processes can result in substantial time and resource savings.

Payroll

Laughing all the Way to Work

JUNE 25, 2008

Do you accept authority at work or do you balk when someone tries to tell you what to do? Does it depend on who is asking or the way that you are asked? We all have to accept some kind of authority at work – how are you handling it? Because I told you so We didn’t like it as children when our parents told us to do something and the only explanation was “because I told you so”.

Mentoring 100

Mentoring Stress UPS 100

Laughing all the Way to Work

JUNE 24, 2008

Sometimes you think you are having a bad day and then something happens that makes you see it could always be worse. An assistant sent me and other recipients an e-mail proposing a date for a meeting. The first e-mail she sent she put the wrong year. In the next e-mail she sent, she again sent it to all the recipients and corrected the year, but forgot the attachment she said was in the e-mail.

Etiquette 100

Etiquette UPS 100

Laughing all the Way to Work

JUNE 21, 2008

What you say about yourself can give other people an impression that you might not intend. What you mean as a joke, may be taken seriously. I made the mistake of telling someone I had a bad memory. I find now when I forget something or have a momentary lapse it is almost like I get a nodding and a knowing look like, "Hmmm.we know she has a bad memory so therefore.".

Stress 100

Stress Promotion 100

On The Job

JUNE 20, 2008

If you were offered a job you really wanted, would you be willing to accept less money than what you expected? That's the question many people are facing these days, even in those positions that were in such high demand they were supposedly bulletproof. According to a JobFox survey, some median annual salary ranges dropped $10,000, compared to a month ago.

Salary 100

Salary Negotiating Resume Finance 100

Laughing all the Way to Work

JUNE 19, 2008

Read , read, read! There is so much available out there. I have found that I have gained so much knowledge from reading about work. I read professional magazines, books about topics that I want to be educated on, website articles related to my career and the list can go on. Educating yourself doesn't have to cost big bucks or take time away from your family to attend courses.

Administrative Professionals 100

Administrative Professionals IAAP International Learning 100

On The Job

JUNE 19, 2008

Here's the biggest news flash of the day: The world did not fall apart while I was on vacation. The birds are still singing in the trees, the Earth is still rotating and the weeds in my garden have continued to thrive. I received nearly 200 e-mails in my absence, and dozens of phone messages. None of them were critical. Well, at least to me. (Macy's really, really wants me to shop their online sale, and someone felt it was imperative that I was aware some woman is suing Victoria's Secret because

Phones 100

Phones Calendars Stress Interviewing 100

Speaker: Tim Buteyn, President of ThinkingKap Learning Solutions

Join this brand new webinar with Tim Buteyn to learn how you can master the art of remote onboarding! By the end of this session, you'll understand how to: Craft a Tailored Onboarding Checklist 📝 Develop a comprehensive, customized checklist that ensures every new hire has a smooth transition into your company, no matter where they are in the world.

Equipment

Laughing all the Way to Work

JUNE 17, 2008

I have often joked with my co-workers that this world would be an easier place to live in if it weren’t for the people. People can be difficult at times. I can be difficult at times. I heard a speaker say that the way you handle conflict depends on your experiences and I believe that is true. Managing conflict with limited knowledge and skill in that area will most likely not result in success.

Negotiating 100

Negotiating Equipment Skills Collaborate 100

Laughing all the Way to Work

JUNE 16, 2008

It is always good to try and keep one step ahead of your boss. Here are some ways I have found to do that: Read the mail Read all correspondence and look for action items and due dates and diarize them or bring them to your boss’s attention. If you have access to your boss’s Inbox you should be checking e-mails as well. Check their calendar Familiarize yourself with what your boss has scheduled for the week and beyond.

Calendars 100

Calendars Restaurants Equipment Travel 100

Laughing all the Way to Work

JUNE 15, 2008

There is a lot to remember when welcoming new employees. You want to make sure they get a tour of the office and proper introductions are made. You want to show them where the kitchen is and where the washroom is located ( restroom to my American friends). If you are lucky, your new employer will have a time of orientation and training before you actually go to your assigned desk.

Keyboards 100

Keyboards Environment Phones Training 100

Laughing all the Way to Work

JUNE 12, 2008

We all have to make personal calls at work at times, but don’t be surprised if your co-worker knows your plans for the weekend or which of your children might be in trouble. You can’t help but overhear conversations in a cube. Ways to keep it confidential: Send an e-mail instead of using the phone Go outside on your break and use your cell phone Meet someone for lunch to talk My co-worker speaks French when she doesn't want me to understand Try not to be offended if someone happens to hear you.

Phones 100

Phones 100

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Management

Laughing all the Way to Work

JUNE 11, 2008

It's been awhile since I posted any new tips and I wanted to remedy that: To change font size using Ctrl keys To decrease font size: Highlight the word or section you want to change and press CTRL + SHIFT and use the "less than" key To increase font size: Highlight the word or section you want to change and press CTRL + SHIFT and use the "greater than" key > A quick way to make words and numbers superscript and subscript Superscript: Highlight the word or number and press CTRL and the plus sign

100

100

Laughing all the Way to Work

JUNE 10, 2008

I stepped on a woman's toes this morning on the bus. It was her own fault. I was on the inside seat, closest to the window, and instead of getting up to let me by, she just moved over a bit. The bus jerked and stomp, I stepped on her toes. Did she give me a look! Of course I said I was sorry, but she really should have gotten up to let me out. We can step on people's toes at work too.

Cubicle 100

Cubicle Stress Phones Environment 100

Laughing all the Way to Work

JUNE 9, 2008

I heard some shocking news that someone I previously worked with was fired, and for a good reason. This person made a very bad judgment call and got caught. Is there hope after being fired for cause? I am so thankful for second chances. I suppose if I was perfect and never made a mistake I could be more judgmental and unforgiving, but because I do make mistakes I want to be forgiving of others.

Interviewing 100

Interviewing Learning UPS 100

On The Job

JUNE 8, 2008

I got sort of depressed the other day when I tried to remember the last time my husband or I did not put in some work time while on vacation, including our second honeymoon a couple of years ago. It used to be that when you went on vacation, you maybe -- maybe -- called in from the road to make sure the office hadn't burned to the ground while you were gone.

Phones 100

Phones Stress Health Skills 100

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Interviewing

Laughing all the Way to Work

JUNE 7, 2008

When I started looking for a job after taking time off to raise my daughter, I had certain criteria in what I was looking for: · I did not want to work downtown; · I did not want to live downtown; and · I certainly did not want to work for a lawyer. I was a country girl and loved living in the wide open spaces. I wanted to find a job in the suburbs so I didn’t have to drive all the way into town and I was hoping to still live in my small home town.

Retirement 100

Retirement Temping Legal Interviewing 100

Laughing all the Way to Work

JUNE 7, 2008

Here’s a retirement notice for a long-time administrative assistant, Judy Leonard, retiring after 30 years in the same job. Tags: retirement 30 years of service professional assistant long-time service Administrative Assistant.

Retirement 100

Retirement 100

Laughing all the Way to Work

JUNE 5, 2008

Our local paper posted this fictional story about Miranda the assistant. Sit back, enjoy the flowers and have a read. Photo by Krysta. Tags: Thank goodness it's Friday professional assistant the weekend Administrative Assistant.

100

100

On The Job

JUNE 5, 2008

If you feel like you're going to scream the next time someone interrupts you at work, pay attention. The problem may not be them -- but you. That's right. You're the cause of your own distractions. You may be responsible for driving yourself crazy. Let's be real. That candy dish on your desk? A "hello, stop and chat" magnet if ever there was one. Looking up whenever someone walks by (smile optional)-- a sure sign you're willing to shoot the breeze.

Cubicle 100

Cubicle Phones UPS 100

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Policies

Laughing all the Way to Work

JUNE 4, 2008

It seems that documents without spelling errors are becoming a thing of the past. I remember when my daughter was in school she brought home an essay with lots of spelling mistakes and being the perfectionist I am, I had to comment on it. She told me that in her school if you wrote an essay in science then you were only marked on the science content, not the spelling.

Keyboards 100

Keyboards Forms UPS 100

Laughing all the Way to Work

JUNE 3, 2008

Did you know there is something called " Boss Appreciation Day "? I have never heard of it, but apparently it's on October 16th. My sister told me about it and it got me thinking about some qualities that I have appreciated in some of the bosses I have worked for and some other qualities I have wished for. Here are some that I came up with: A boss who is understanding of all we do in a day and appreciates our hard work and let's us know by taking the time to say thank you.

Calendars 100

Calendars UPS 100

On The Job

JUNE 3, 2008

Let me just say up front that I am an Aquarian. For some people, this may mean a great deal. For others, it may mean as much to them as also pointing out that I am brunette or that I have blue eyes. Interesting, but hardly meaningful. Unless, of course, you are someone who finds astrology useful in your life. Like Nancy Reagan or the late Princess Diana or businessman J.P.

Interviewing 100

Interviewing UPS 100

On The Job

JUNE 2, 2008

I started thinking a lot about arrogance this weekend when I attended my oldest son's high school graduation. I mean, let's be honest here: Who is more arrogant than a freshly-minted, 18-year-old kid with a diploma in hand? And, that's how it should be. Everyone should have a period in their lives when they believe the world is their oyster. They should enjoy those moments when they just know they're the smartest, coolest thing on the planet and the rest of us are utter fools.

Promotion 100

Promotion UPS 100

Speaker: Tim Buteyn, President of ThinkingKap Learning Solutions

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Collaborate

Laughing all the Way to Work

JUNE 1, 2008

Employee Assistance Programs are a benefit offered by many employers to give employees and their family members easy access to professional counselling services. The primary purpose of the Employee Assistance Program (EAP) is to help employees solve problems that might be interfering with their work and personal lives. EAPs have received the thumbs up by unions, management and business owners who recognize that helping employees at work and at home is of mutual benefit to their organizations.

Stress 100

Stress Phones Health Confidence 100

On The Job

JUNE 29, 2008

Generation Y (sometimes called the Millenial Generation) is often touted as being technologically savvy, great at coming up with new ways to work and influencing the workplace as never before. They’re also said to be a bit whiny and have a sense of entitlement. Well, it also seems they can’t keep a secret. Now, before everyone starts hitting the “comment” button to send me nasty messages, I just want to outline a conversation I had with Marian Salzman, who is touted as being one of the world’s l

Facebook 109

Facebook Learning UPS 109

Laughing all the Way to Work

JUNE 28, 2008

I am on vacation this coming week. Why does it always feel like I couldn't work another day when I know my vacation days are just around the corner. I plan to go boating and will stay at my daughter's for a few days. Happy Canada Day to my fellow Canadians and Happy Fourth of July to my American friends! I will be back on the blog on July 7th. Tags: vacation time off professional assistant out of blog assistant holidays Administrative Assistant.

Holidays 100

Holidays 100

On The Job

JUNE 4, 2008

In the coming days and weeks, Bill Clinton's impact on Hillary Clinton's campaign is going to be discussed ad nauseam (get your barf bags ready). But here's the question on my mind: Can a family member's behavior really adversely affect your career? We've all been at the company holiday party where Tom's wife had a few too many glasses of wine and began leading the conga line a little too early in the evening.

Gossip 100

Gossip Holidays 100

Speaker: Tim Buteyn

Let's set the scene: you’ve identified a critical performance gap in your organization and need to close that gap. A colleague suggests training, but you suspect there’s something going on that training can’t address. How can you determine if training is the right solution before you commit your budget and resources to a new training program? In this webinar, you will learn how to determine if training is the right solution using the Behavior Engineering Model.

Training