Ian's Messy Desk

DECEMBER 2, 2021

The post 8 Tips for Keeping it Simple at Christmas appeared first on Ian's Messy Desk. Every year, Friends got a lot of mileage out of holiday angst in their Thanksgiving episodes. There’s an expectation that major holidays are a time to celebrate with family and friends. And that’s not a bad thing. However, bringing together … Continue reading → You just finished reading 8 Tips for Keeping it Simple at Christmas !

Holidays 47

Holidays 47

Ian's Messy Desk

OCTOBER 21, 2021

The post How to Organize Your Day appeared first on Ian's Messy Desk. Do you ever rush out of the house in the morning, five minutes late, only to realize you left something important behind? Do you find yourself scrambling to complete an endless list of tasks at work before leaving the office … Continue reading → You just finished reading How to Organize Your Day !

216

216

Ian's Messy Desk

MAY 24, 2021

The post How to write an elevator speech appeared first on Ian's Messy Desk. Our public relations director came by my office recently with a prospective volunteer board member. As part of the introduction, the director asked me to outline my role, in 30 seconds or less. Well… I hemmed, hawed, and took about … Continue reading → You just finished reading How to write an elevator speech !

114

114

Ian's Messy Desk

MAY 24, 2021

The post 7 deadly sins of speakers and presenters appeared first on Ian's Messy Desk. It takes a lot of preparation to craft the kind of speech or presentation that is going to grab your listener’s attention. Once the speech is crafted, you need to spend a lot of time practicing, so as to make … Continue reading → You just finished reading 7 deadly sins of speakers and presenters !

197

197

Ian's Messy Desk

APRIL 9, 2021

The post How to Manage Your Time with a Journal appeared first on Ian's Messy Desk. Keeping a time management diary can be a valuable tool to help you to see where the bulk of your time is being spent. Continue reading → You just finished reading How to Manage Your Time with a Journal ! Consider leaving a comment! Recommended: Evernote Essentials.

Management 114

Management 114

Ian's Messy Desk

APRIL 5, 2021

The post 3 tips to help support your small business’ road to recovery appeared first on Ian's Messy Desk. (NC) As the COVID-19 vaccine begins to reach Canadian communities, many small business owners are viewing 2021 as the year to shift from crisis response to rebuilding and recovery. “While the pandemic continues to pose uncertainties, it’s important that business … Continue reading → You just finished reading 3 tips to help support your small business’ road to recovery !

2021 136

2021 Management 136

Ian's Messy Desk

APRIL 3, 2021

The post Exercises to Improve Your Voice appeared first on Ian's Messy Desk. There are a number of factors that effect the way your voice sounds: Physical – the size and shape of your mouth, nasal passages, vocal chords, etc. Health – your general well-being and the tone of your muscles. Temperament and … Continue reading → You just finished reading Exercises to Improve Your Voice !

Health 131

Health 131

Ian's Messy Desk

SEPTEMBER 28, 2020

The post Solving Workplace Problems – The Slacker appeared first on Ian's Messy Desk. Scott Adams has given us the classic workplace slacker in Wally. Wally not only excels at dodging work, he flaunts it. Of course, we laugh at Wally’s “skill-set” because we all know and have worked with a slacker. There are two types of slackers in most organisations, those who are in over their heads when […].

Skills 223

Skills 223

Ian's Messy Desk

JUNE 1, 2020

The post How to Build Effective Working Relationships appeared first on Ian's Messy Desk. I came across these notes I had taken at some time. I’m not sure if they come from a book I was reading or a presentation I was attending. Leaders achieve results through the work of others. Interpersonal skills are crucial to the leader’s ability to persuade and motivate both internal and external stakeholders.

International 163

International Skills 163

Ian's Messy Desk

MAY 25, 2020

The post How to Empower Your Employees appeared first on Ian's Messy Desk. Empowerment as a term is widely used and often misinterpreted; as a genuine action, it is difficult to put into practice. Empowerment is really about offering and receiving commitment so it is important to recognize that there are two kinds of commitment: external and internal.

International 182

International 182

Ian's Messy Desk

MAY 14, 2020

The post How to Prepare the Room for Your Speech or Presentation appeared first on Ian's Messy Desk. Think about the time invested in preparing a great speech: research, organization, practice, preparing a slide presentation, etc. Now, imagine neglecting the last preparation step by not allowing time to prepare the facility when you’ll give your speech.

131

131

Ian's Messy Desk

MAY 1, 2020

The post 8 Characteristics of a Good Team Leader appeared first on Ian's Messy Desk. Effective teamwork is a critical aspect in all types of organizations. Team members should be completely comfortable working with each other in order to give the best to whatever they do. Generally, we would see a team to be comprised of team members and a team leader.

131

131

Ian's Messy Desk

APRIL 13, 2020

The post How to Be a Leader appeared first on Ian's Messy Desk. Do you get frustrated by things that don’t seem to happen the way they’re supposed to? People are milling about, but nothing gets accomplished. In the hustle, do you feel that your goals remain just that – goals? Maybe its time for you to stand up and do something about it. Most people are content […].

Goals 149

Goals UPS 149

Ian's Messy Desk

MARCH 30, 2020

The post Improve Hiring Success with Behavioural Interview Questions appeared first on Ian's Messy Desk. Behavioural-descriptive interviewing is an approach that looks at past behaviour as a predictor of future performance. The goal of the interview process is to predict future job performance based on a candidates responses from previous specific behaviours, which illustrate desired competencies through careful probing.

Interviewing 149

Interviewing Goals 149

Ian's Messy Desk

MARCH 23, 2020

The post 7 Free or Almost Free Things to Do as a Family appeared first on Ian's Messy Desk. Today’s post is perhaps a sidebar to leadership development. However, work-life balance is a key factor in being able to give strong leadership to others. Right now, we are finding our way difficult circumstances as we work to contain the virus outbreak.

Learning 147

Learning 147

Ian's Messy Desk

MARCH 9, 2020

The post Put Things in Their Place to Get Organized appeared first on Ian's Messy Desk. One of the oldest organizing adages is often attributed to Ben Franklin, “A place for everything and everything in its place.” Whether Ben was the first to say it is debatable, the truth of the saying is not. The single-most important step you can take when organizing is ensuring you have a place to put […].

147

147

Ian's Messy Desk

MARCH 2, 2020

The post 7 Steps Towards a More Satisfying Life appeared first on Ian's Messy Desk. Psychologist Sonja Lyubomirsky, of the University of California, has conducted considerable research in the area of personal satisfaction. The following seven points summarize her findings. There’s a lot of common sense wrapped up in these steps. Unfortunately, our calendars and to-do lists often get in the way of common sense.

Calendars 147

Calendars UPS 147

Ian's Messy Desk

JANUARY 27, 2020

The post 5 Tips for Efficient PowerPoint Presentations appeared first on Ian's Messy Desk. Creating a PowerPoint presentation requires skill, knowledge and creativity. Here are five tips to help you create an engaging and fun PowerPoint presentation. Share a story. All PowerPoint presentations should tell a narrative which includes a beginning, middle and end part.

PowerPoint 149

PowerPoint Skills 149

Ian's Messy Desk

JANUARY 20, 2020

The post Places You can Promote Yourself with Public Speaking appeared first on Ian's Messy Desk. So, you’ve decided to start giving speeches to promote your product or yourself. You know your subject and you have material ready. Where can you go to speak? Guess what? There are loads of places looking for someone to speak. The weekly e-mail newsletter from my professional association periodically carries the tagline, “We’re looking for […].

Promotion 131

Promotion 131

Ian's Messy Desk

JANUARY 9, 2020

The post Shape Thinking with Experiences that Make You Proud appeared first on Ian's Messy Desk. Do our thoughts shape our lives? Albert Einstein believed so. He said, “The world we have created is a product of our thinking; it cannot be changed without changing our thinking.” James Lane Allen, author of the book “As a Man Thinketh” states, “You are today where your thoughts have brought you; you will be […].

131

131

Ian's Messy Desk

JANUARY 1, 2020

The post 7 Things Great Leaders Do appeared first on Ian's Messy Desk. Once in a while you meet a someone who stands out as a leader. They are more than just charismatic or likeable. You can quickly tell, they think and act and lead differently than most people. However, people don’t become outstanding leaders overnight. Truly outstanding leaders are made.

Training 136

Training Learning 136

Ian's Messy Desk

DECEMBER 12, 2019

The post How to Make Your Public Speaking More Effective appeared first on Ian's Messy Desk. From the Office of Educational Development at UC Berkeley: Analyze Your Audience Remember that the members of the audience are beneficiaries of your communication. Don’t make assumptions about your audience. Figure out the basics. Who are these people? demographics (age, ethnicity, gender mix, etc.). predispositions (hopes, fears, positives/negatives, level of interest). knowledge of/experience with

133

133

Ian's Messy Desk

DECEMBER 5, 2019

The post 7 Keys to a Successful Life appeared first on Ian's Messy Desk. A successful life doesn’t happen by accident. A successful life is the result of deliberate focus of your time, energy and thoughts towards what you want to accomplish. Rather than accepting what comes along as unavoidable use these seven keys to create a successful life today.

133

133

Ian's Messy Desk

NOVEMBER 6, 2019

The post 8 Common Time Wasters appeared first on Ian's Messy Desk. Over the years, I’ve posted some thoughts on behaviours and practices that can get in the way of our productivity. To help bring some of these forwarded, this post will link to past articles, as well as adding some new material on common time-wasters. I’ve broken these time-wasters into two groups.

International 114

International 114

Ian's Messy Desk

NOVEMBER 6, 2019

The post 7 Tips to Help Overcome Procrastination appeared first on Ian's Messy Desk. I was planning to write this post last week, but I put it off. Okay, now that the obligatory bad joke is out of the way, we can look at another internal time waster, procrastination. We all put things off. We hope to avoid tasks that are boring, difficult, unpleasant, etc.

International 121

International 121

Ian's Messy Desk

SEPTEMBER 23, 2019

The post Free Google Tools for Your Non-Profit appeared first on Ian's Messy Desk. Did you know that Google offers a suite of tools to qualified non-profits? These are premium, licensed Google products , but at no cost. These products can help your organization reach new donors and volunteers, work more efficiently, and tell your non-profit’s story.

Google 114

Google Management 114

Ian's Messy Desk

SEPTEMBER 12, 2019

The post 7 Ways to Get More Done appeared first on Ian's Messy Desk. Work with a clean desk – A study on productivity found that, “The average desk worker has 36 hours worth of work on their desk and wastes up to 3 hours a week just ‘looking’ for STUFF!” Clean your desk to work more effectively. Keep a time log – It is a good idea to analyze your use … Continue reading 7 Ways to Get More Done → You just finished reading 7 Ways to Get More Done !

UPS 117

UPS 117

Ian's Messy Desk

AUGUST 8, 2019

The post 4 Tips to Trap Your Inner Pack Rat appeared first on Ian's Messy Desk. A while ago, I got a new desk for my office. I figured that making room for new furniture was a good opportunity, to not only clean out my desk, but to go through everything in my office. It seems I am more of a pack rat than I realized. I found documents going back 8+ … Continue reading 4 Tips to Trap Your Inner Pack Rat → You just finished reading 4 Tips to Trap Your Inner Pack Rat !

117

117

Ian's Messy Desk

AUGUST 5, 2019

The post A simple template for a farewell speech appeared first on Ian's Messy Desk. A number of co-workers in our office are transferring to new opportunities in new regions. We had a luncheon today to say goodbye and make some presentations. I was asked to say goodbye to one of the employees who was leaving. Combining the fear of public speaking with the emotions of saying goodbye, can create … Continue reading A simple template for a farewell speech → You just finished readin

131

131

Ian's Messy Desk

JULY 29, 2019

The post 10 Tips for Effective Presentation Visuals appeared first on Ian's Messy Desk. When considering what type of visual representation to use for your data or ideas, there are some rules of thumb to consider: 1. Use visuals sparingly. One of the biggest problems in presentations is the overuse of visuals. A useful rule of thumb is one visual for every two minutes of presentation time. 2.

123

123

Ian's Messy Desk

JUNE 28, 2019

The post 7 Energy-Saving Ideas for Summer appeared first on Ian's Messy Desk. Non-profit organizations face the same challenges and costs, when it comes to operating their facilities. Rent, taxes, insurance, utilities are all part of the cost of doing business. Some of these costs are out of the control of the organization. For example, taxes are set by the municipality, and not many of them have exemptions … Continue reading 7 Energy-Saving Ideas for Summer → You just finished

Management 116

Management 116

Ian's Messy Desk

JUNE 11, 2019

The post The A-B-C’s of Personal Knowledge Management appeared first on Ian's Messy Desk. The key question in filing or storing material is not, “Where do I put it?” but rather, “Where do I find it?” You can have the most sophisticated storage systems available, but if you don’t know where to find what’s inside, you’re no better off than having stacks of stuff all over the place.

Management 116

Management Filing 116

Ian's Messy Desk

JUNE 5, 2019

The post A Guide to Public Speaking appeared first on Ian's Messy Desk. Delivering an effective presentation is difficult. With the Internet, listeners have access to more information that ever before and have higher expectations for content from speakers today. In addition, because most people are saturated with entertainment, audiences want a presentation that is entertaining.

152

152

Ian's Messy Desk

MAY 28, 2019

The post Orwell on Writing: 6 Questions and 6 Rules appeared first on Ian's Messy Desk. As a writer, I can be pretty sloppy or lazy, at times. However, I do look for ways to learn how to improve the quality of my writing. George Orwell had 6 questions and 6 rules he applied to ensure what he had to say was clear to the reader. 6 Questions A scrupulous writer, … Continue reading Orwell on Writing: 6 Questions and 6 Rules → You just finished reading Orwell on Writing: 6 Questions

Learning 136

Learning 136

Ian's Messy Desk

MAY 2, 2019

The post How to get the most from your journaling habit appeared first on Ian's Messy Desk. I didn’t start keeping a journal until I was in my thirties. I’d grown up thinking only girls wrote in diaries. However, once I overcame that misconception and got started, I quickly discovered the benefit and pleasure that came from keeping a journal.

UPS 102

UPS 102

Ian's Messy Desk

MAY 1, 2019

The post Quotes and Questions – Ignorance appeared first on Ian's Messy Desk. Two quotes: “Being ignorant is not so much a shame, as being unwilling to learn.” —Benjamin Franklin “The recipe for perpetual ignorance is: Be satisfied with your opinions and content with your knowledge.” —Elbert Hubbard Two questions: Are you hanging on to opinions and ideas that you haven’t tested and proved?

Learning 116

Learning 116

Ian's Messy Desk

APRIL 29, 2019

The post Oprah’s three questions for running effective meetings appeared first on Ian's Messy Desk. Meetings, meetings, meetings! Can’t live with them, can’t live without them. It’s estimated that on any given day in the USA, there are 11,000,000 formal meetings held. That works out to well over 200 million meetings per month.

116

116