Expert insights. Personalized for you.
I have been fortunate to gain a three-dimensional view of communication between executives and assistants: I was an assistant for 20 years thus understanding what I needed from my executive so I could be effective. I worked with a variety of managers and executives, each with different personalities and communication styles. Since 1990, I have been the CEO of my own company and have worked with several of my own assistants. MORE
The JP Morgan Chase Institute recently released a new study, Bridging the Gap: How Families Use the Online Platform Economy to Manage their Cash Flow. The key finding of the study is "participation in the Online Platform Economy functions as a cash-flow management tool for many families." " In particular, JP Morgan found many use online platform work to supplement their income when they lost a job. MORE
Business owners are always looking for new ways to go green and reduce their carbon footprint. Adding solar panels to your facility — provided you work in an area that gets plenty of usable sunlight — can help to offset energy costs and reduce CO2 emissions. MORE
Successful businesses around the world spend enormous amounts of time and money developing a brand that sets them apart and tells their story. Their marketing departments consider every little detail, from logos to font style, from signature colors to tone of communication. MORE
Throwing an epic party doesn’t have to mean emptying your bank account. After all, it should be about creating lasting memories and not the amount of money you and your partner spend. To plan the most awesome engagement party on a budget, here are some tricks you might want to try. Use Candles. MORE
It is really easy to get bogged down in the minutiae. We can start thinking of all the steps that need to be done to get a specific result, and lose sight of the end game: the result itself. I find that instead of writing down the next actions, it is better to write down what I am trying to accomplish. The post Don’t List Next Actions appeared first on Laura Earnest. Getting Things Done Productivity MORE
Business Insider's California is attempting a massive labor experiment that could grow into a disaster for millions of workers outlines some of the many problems with California's new AB5 worker classification law. It's written by a self-employed multimedia journalist based in Los Angeles. He describes a key issue as: "I have an independent business, I don't get paid vacations, and I have to cover my own health insurance. I've made these trade-offs for career flexibility. MORE
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. MORE
There’s nothing worse than biting into a stale carrot. You know what I mean, I’m sure you’ve grabbed a carrot stick off from a vegetable platter expecting that crisp snap as you bit into it but instead got a rubbery, orange something. Now the carrot doesn’t necessarily taste bad, but just the consistency is enough to turn you off from the veggie platter altogether, isn’t it? Even covering it up with ranch dip can’t disguise that almost spongy consistency. MORE
Many years ago I saw the effect of simplifying spaces in my home. By taking away the immediate choices my daughter had for activities, she was able to settle quicker and play longer. MORE
Join us for this month’s free webinar on the topic of “Powerful Prioritization Principles.”. Date: Wednesday, November 20. Time: 11:00 AM Pacific | 12:00 PM Mountain | 1:00 PM Central | 2:00 PM Eastern. Duration: 1 hour. Description: In today’s busy workplace, there’s always too much to do and not enough time. Deciding what must be done first (and what can strategically be delayed) is a difficult, often complex problem that each individual must solve. MORE
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. MORE
As much as we love to believe we’re the most advanced culture to have ever walked the Earth, the truth of the matter is that we have everything about as fouled up and backwards as a drunken dyslexic trying to figure out pants and shoes. MORE
Enjoy today’s Day in the life: Anna Dukes, Executive Assistant to the Chief Executive at ITN, which is full of Executive Assistant Tips and Tricks. What are the main aspects of your role? MORE
My 30 day challenge of exercising every day is over. See what I learned! The post 30 Day Challenge Wrap Up: Exercise Every Day appeared first on Laura Earnest. 30 Day Challenge MORE
by Listen or subscribe here: iTunes ? Stitcher ?. Soundcloud ? YouTube ? Google Play ? iHeartRadio You can leave a review here! This is podcast 132 and it’s about decision controls. This episode is sponsored by Clean Email, the answer to email inbox overload. I’ve written about ways to clear out that clutter, but you can save time by using the Clean Email app. MORE
As we head into the dreary winter months, I am reminded of the seasonality of business. In most organizations, there is a natural ebb and flow that occurs. Things get predictably busy at certain times of the year, just as things get predictably slow at other times. For my business, the month of December is always blessedly slow—and I like to take advantage. In fact, I have a whole list of projects I’ve been saving up all year! I can’t wait to dive into it. MORE
A meeting planner by MY definition is the go-to person within an organization – be it corporate, association or otherwise – charged with the responsibility of planning and executing a meeting or special event. Not all people who plan meetings are “meeting planners,” nor do all meeting planners start out their careers as meeting planners. MORE
Top-notch telephone screening and etiquette skills are paramount regardless of industry, company size, or geographic location. Their importance hasn’t diminished in our modern world of text messages, e-mails, and online chats. What exactly am I talking about? MORE
Scientific American's describes their Top 10 Emerging Technologies Of 2019 as "World-changing technologies that are poised to rattle the status quo." MORE
Regardless of the industry, networking is a must. There are so many career growth benefits to making connections with other people. But when taking care of business in your industry means constantly putting in an effort to stay on top of the competition, things can be a little trickier. MORE
How do you feel when someone gives you feedback at work? Are you open to feedback, or do you feel defensive? What happens when you have challenges at work? Do you face them head-on, or do you avoid the situation? As Assistants, we often come up against misconceptions about the role. MORE
It’s time for another coffee break. Here’s your wordsearch for November. Please upgrade your browser to improve your experience. Select Level: {{ currentLevel.width }}x{{ currentLevel.height }} {{ level.width }}x{{ level.height }} {{cell.letter}} {{word}} × Congratulations! You solved the November Wordsearch. Coffee Break wordsearch MORE
After a long day at your desk job and packing in a good workout, falling into bed in a toasty room sounds pretty appealing. But have you considered the health benefits of sleeping in a cold room? MORE
According to the Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis (IEEFA) , renewable energy sources will pass coal in terms of U.S. electricity generation in 2021. As their chart below shows, each of the sources will produce around 800 billion kilowatts of electricity in 2021. MORE
If the task of completing a research paper in time seems too daunting to you or you just can’t get that A grade for your thesis, this article will be of help to you. Below are 5 great academic writing tips to help you get that top score in class. Understand the deliverables. MORE
Research shows that attractive people get paid more and are considered for more jobs, which I'm sure most of us consider unfair and discriminatory. Now there is new research from Rice University and the University of Houston that suggests if someone has a birthmark, mole or scar or some other "facial imperfection," then it's likely that will affect how that person is evaluated during a Skype interview. MORE
Maybe you work one-on-one with the head honcho every day or perhaps you only get a face-to-face on very rare occasions. Whenever you get the chance to sit down and have a meeting with the big guns, it’s best to make it as productive as possible. MORE
Brookings' Meet the Low Wage Workforce reports that 53 million Americans, or about 44% of all workers aged 18-64, have low-wage jobs. According to Brookings, the national average for a low-wage job is one that pays $16.03 per hour or less. The low-wage level is adjusted using city-level cost of living data. For example, a job paying $20.02 in high-cost San Jose, California is considered low wage while one paying $13 in low-cost areas of the country isn't. MORE
It’s the last month of the year, and I was at a loss to choose a single habit. Many of the habits I have tried through my 30 day challenges over the past year needs some reinforcement, so I thought it would be good to spend a month making those habits stronger. MORE
Assistants have buckets full of empathy; you wouldn’t be in the job if you didn’t. What I find is that empathy can often be taken advantage of by people who don’t respect what we do – be it, that colleague who wants your time or that Executive who doesn’t understand your role. Empathy can quickly […]. Core Competencies Dealing with coworkers Featured admin administrators assistants Competencies EA Executive Assistant Office manager PA Personal Assistant Virtual Assistant MORE
The post Learn to Say “No” appeared first on Ian's Messy Desk. There was a time when I would say yes to everything. Not because I thought I had the ability to do it all, but because I felt I looked lazy if I wasn’t doing something all the time. I had to learn to say no. There was also an issue of how to handle things … Continue reading Learn to Say “No” → You just finished reading Learn to Say "No" ! Consider leaving a comment! MORE
How often do you organise a video conference for your Executive or team on Skype? If you are using Microsoft Office, it is probably quite often. Well, today, I thought I would share with you the top five alternative video conferencing platforms that are available online. If you don’t have internal video conferencing software or […]. MORE
You know what to do in theory, don’t you? Avoid processed foods and trans fats. Include more lean protein and load up on the fresh fruits and veggies. Looks easy, right? MORE
Business today is image driven. Photos are key in social media posts, blog posts and for product sales. Smart phones have made taking these needed photos easy, however often the size of these photos is well beyond what is needed. Using images with a large file size can slow down your website dramatically. Sites like Etsy for selling product often have size limits. That means what used to be the domain of a graphic designer needs to be part of a home business owner’s arsenal now. MORE
“If you do not understand the benefits of difference, you will always align yourself to your similarities, and in doing so, you will miss out on the beauty that variety brings to the table.” This is a quote I came up with while deepening my knowledge in this interesting subject of diversity and inclusion. This […]. Career Development Featured Office Culture admin administrators assistants Career Diversity EA Executive Assistant Office manager PA Personal Assistant Virtual Assistant MORE
We all know how hard it is keeping on top of the never-ending to-do list every Assistant and their Executive seem to have. The work can be relentless but don’t fear; there are lots of fantastic apps available that can help you manage your to-do list. Tracking your tasks doesn’t need to be a complicated […]. MORE
When polishing your sentences, pay attention to the nuances of word order. To my eye (and ear), placing “short” before “long” works best. This applies to both sentences and lists. Here’s a simple example: “He was well respected and loved in the academic community.” I changed it to: “He was loved and well respected in the academic community.”. Because “loved” is 5 letters and “well respected” is 13, it makes for a smoother read if the longer phrase follows the shorter word. See if you agree. MORE
Dumb Little Man
NOVEMBER 28, 2019
Maybe you work one-on-one with the head honcho every day or perhaps you only get a face-to-face on very rare occasions. Whenever you get the chance to sit down and have a meeting with the big guns, it’s best to make it as productive as possible.
Practically Perfect PA
NOVEMBER 28, 2019
How do you feel when someone gives you feedback at work? Are you open to feedback, or do you feel defensive? What happens when you have challenges at work? Do you face them head-on, or do you avoid the situation? As Assistants, we often come up against misconceptions about the role.
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Small Business Labs
NOVEMBER 18, 2019
Brookings' Meet the Low Wage Workforce reports that 53 million Americans, or about 44% of all workers aged 18-64, have low-wage jobs. According to Brookings, the national average for a low-wage job is one that pays $16.03 per hour or less. The low-wage level is adjusted using city-level cost of living data. For example, a job paying $20.02 in high-cost San Jose, California is considered low wage while one paying $13 in low-cost areas of the country isn't.
Eat Your Career
NOVEMBER 12, 2019
As we head into the dreary winter months, I am reminded of the seasonality of business. In most organizations, there is a natural ebb and flow that occurs. Things get predictably busy at certain times of the year, just as things get predictably slow at other times. For my business, the month of December is always blessedly slow—and I like to take advantage. In fact, I have a whole list of projects I’ve been saving up all year! I can’t wait to dive into it.
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.
Eco-Office Gals
NOVEMBER 22, 2019
Business owners are always looking for new ways to go green and reduce their carbon footprint. Adding solar panels to your facility — provided you work in an area that gets plenty of usable sunlight — can help to offset energy costs and reduce CO2 emissions.
Dumb Little Man
NOVEMBER 26, 2019
After a long day at your desk job and packing in a good workout, falling into bed in a toasty room sounds pretty appealing. But have you considered the health benefits of sleeping in a cold room?
Administrative Professionals Pulse brings together the best content for administrative professionals from the widest variety of industry thought leaders.
Small Business Labs
NOVEMBER 19, 2019
Business Insider's California is attempting a massive labor experiment that could grow into a disaster for millions of workers outlines some of the many problems with California's new AB5 worker classification law. It's written by a self-employed multimedia journalist based in Los Angeles. He describes a key issue as: "I have an independent business, I don't get paid vacations, and I have to cover my own health insurance. I've made these trade-offs for career flexibility.
Tips From T. Marie
NOVEMBER 20, 2019
Business today is image driven. Photos are key in social media posts, blog posts and for product sales. Smart phones have made taking these needed photos easy, however often the size of these photos is well beyond what is needed. Using images with a large file size can slow down your website dramatically. Sites like Etsy for selling product often have size limits. That means what used to be the domain of a graphic designer needs to be part of a home business owner’s arsenal now.
Office Dynamics
NOVEMBER 12, 2019
Top-notch telephone screening and etiquette skills are paramount regardless of industry, company size, or geographic location. Their importance hasn’t diminished in our modern world of text messages, e-mails, and online chats. What exactly am I talking about?
Simple Productivity Blog
NOVEMBER 30, 2019
It’s the last month of the year, and I was at a loss to choose a single habit. Many of the habits I have tried through my 30 day challenges over the past year needs some reinforcement, so I thought it would be good to spend a month making those habits stronger.
Dumb Little Man
NOVEMBER 27, 2019
You know what to do in theory, don’t you? Avoid processed foods and trans fats. Include more lean protein and load up on the fresh fruits and veggies. Looks easy, right?
Practically Perfect PA
NOVEMBER 7, 2019
Assistants have buckets full of empathy; you wouldn’t be in the job if you didn’t. What I find is that empathy can often be taken advantage of by people who don’t respect what we do – be it, that colleague who wants your time or that Executive who doesn’t understand your role. Empathy can quickly […]. Core Competencies Dealing with coworkers Featured admin administrators assistants Competencies EA Executive Assistant Office manager PA Personal Assistant Virtual Assistant
Small Business Labs
NOVEMBER 26, 2019
According to the Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis (IEEFA) , renewable energy sources will pass coal in terms of U.S. electricity generation in 2021. As their chart below shows, each of the sources will produce around 800 billion kilowatts of electricity in 2021.
Tips From T. Marie
NOVEMBER 5, 2019
There’s nothing worse than biting into a stale carrot. You know what I mean, I’m sure you’ve grabbed a carrot stick off from a vegetable platter expecting that crisp snap as you bit into it but instead got a rubbery, orange something. Now the carrot doesn’t necessarily taste bad, but just the consistency is enough to turn you off from the veggie platter altogether, isn’t it? Even covering it up with ranch dip can’t disguise that almost spongy consistency.
Office Dynamics
NOVEMBER 25, 2019
Successful businesses around the world spend enormous amounts of time and money developing a brand that sets them apart and tells their story. Their marketing departments consider every little detail, from logos to font style, from signature colors to tone of communication.
Simple Productivity Blog
NOVEMBER 29, 2019
My 30 day challenge of exercising every day is over. See what I learned! The post 30 Day Challenge Wrap Up: Exercise Every Day appeared first on Laura Earnest. 30 Day Challenge
Dumb Little Man
NOVEMBER 25, 2019
As much as we love to believe we’re the most advanced culture to have ever walked the Earth, the truth of the matter is that we have everything about as fouled up and backwards as a drunken dyslexic trying to figure out pants and shoes.
Practically Perfect PA
NOVEMBER 8, 2019
How often do you organise a video conference for your Executive or team on Skype? If you are using Microsoft Office, it is probably quite often. Well, today, I thought I would share with you the top five alternative video conferencing platforms that are available online. If you don’t have internal video conferencing software or […].
Small Business Labs
NOVEMBER 25, 2019
Scientific American's describes their Top 10 Emerging Technologies Of 2019 as "World-changing technologies that are poised to rattle the status quo."
Ian's Messy Desk
NOVEMBER 27, 2019
The post Learn to Say “No” appeared first on Ian's Messy Desk. There was a time when I would say yes to everything. Not because I thought I had the ability to do it all, but because I felt I looked lazy if I wasn’t doing something all the time. I had to learn to say no. There was also an issue of how to handle things … Continue reading Learn to Say “No” → You just finished reading Learn to Say "No" ! Consider leaving a comment!
Office Dynamics
NOVEMBER 15, 2019
I have been fortunate to gain a three-dimensional view of communication between executives and assistants: I was an assistant for 20 years thus understanding what I needed from my executive so I could be effective. I worked with a variety of managers and executives, each with different personalities and communication styles. Since 1990, I have been the CEO of my own company and have worked with several of my own assistants.
Simple Productivity Blog
NOVEMBER 24, 2019
Many years ago I saw the effect of simplifying spaces in my home. By taking away the immediate choices my daughter had for activities, she was able to settle quicker and play longer.
Dumb Little Man
NOVEMBER 22, 2019
Throwing an epic party doesn’t have to mean emptying your bank account. After all, it should be about creating lasting memories and not the amount of money you and your partner spend. To plan the most awesome engagement party on a budget, here are some tricks you might want to try. Use Candles.
Practically Perfect PA
NOVEMBER 11, 2019
“If you do not understand the benefits of difference, you will always align yourself to your similarities, and in doing so, you will miss out on the beauty that variety brings to the table.” This is a quote I came up with while deepening my knowledge in this interesting subject of diversity and inclusion. This […]. Career Development Featured Office Culture admin administrators assistants Career Diversity EA Executive Assistant Office manager PA Personal Assistant Virtual Assistant
Tips From T. Marie
NOVEMBER 14, 2019
It’s time for another coffee break. Here’s your wordsearch for November. Please upgrade your browser to improve your experience. Select Level: {{ currentLevel.width }}x{{ currentLevel.height }} {{ level.width }}x{{ level.height }} {{cell.letter}} {{word}} × Congratulations! You solved the November Wordsearch. Coffee Break wordsearch
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.
Office Dynamics
NOVEMBER 19, 2019
A meeting planner by MY definition is the go-to person within an organization – be it corporate, association or otherwise – charged with the responsibility of planning and executing a meeting or special event. Not all people who plan meetings are “meeting planners,” nor do all meeting planners start out their careers as meeting planners.
Small Business Labs
NOVEMBER 21, 2019
The JP Morgan Chase Institute recently released a new study, Bridging the Gap: How Families Use the Online Platform Economy to Manage their Cash Flow. The key finding of the study is "participation in the Online Platform Economy functions as a cash-flow management tool for many families." " In particular, JP Morgan found many use online platform work to supplement their income when they lost a job.
Dumb Little Man
NOVEMBER 28, 2019
If the task of completing a research paper in time seems too daunting to you or you just can’t get that A grade for your thesis, this article will be of help to you. Below are 5 great academic writing tips to help you get that top score in class. Understand the deliverables.
Practically Perfect PA
NOVEMBER 25, 2019
Enjoy today’s Day in the life: Anna Dukes, Executive Assistant to the Chief Executive at ITN, which is full of Executive Assistant Tips and Tricks. What are the main aspects of your role?
On The Job
NOVEMBER 18, 2019
Research shows that attractive people get paid more and are considered for more jobs, which I'm sure most of us consider unfair and discriminatory. Now there is new research from Rice University and the University of Houston that suggests if someone has a birthmark, mole or scar or some other "facial imperfection," then it's likely that will affect how that person is evaluated during a Skype interview.
Clutter Coach
NOVEMBER 27, 2019
by Listen or subscribe here: iTunes ? Stitcher ?. Soundcloud ? YouTube ? Google Play ? iHeartRadio You can leave a review here! This is podcast 132 and it’s about decision controls. This episode is sponsored by Clean Email, the answer to email inbox overload. I’ve written about ways to clear out that clutter, but you can save time by using the Clean Email app.
Office Dynamics
NOVEMBER 7, 2019
When polishing your sentences, pay attention to the nuances of word order. To my eye (and ear), placing “short” before “long” works best. This applies to both sentences and lists. Here’s a simple example: “He was well respected and loved in the academic community.” I changed it to: “He was loved and well respected in the academic community.”. Because “loved” is 5 letters and “well respected” is 13, it makes for a smoother read if the longer phrase follows the shorter word. See if you agree.
Simple Productivity Blog
NOVEMBER 17, 2019
It is really easy to get bogged down in the minutiae. We can start thinking of all the steps that need to be done to get a specific result, and lose sight of the end game: the result itself. I find that instead of writing down the next actions, it is better to write down what I am trying to accomplish. The post Don’t List Next Actions appeared first on Laura Earnest. Getting Things Done Productivity
Dumb Little Man
NOVEMBER 25, 2019
Regardless of the industry, networking is a must. There are so many career growth benefits to making connections with other people. But when taking care of business in your industry means constantly putting in an effort to stay on top of the competition, things can be a little trickier.
Eat Your Career
NOVEMBER 4, 2019
Join us for this month’s free webinar on the topic of “Powerful Prioritization Principles.”. Date: Wednesday, November 20. Time: 11:00 AM Pacific | 12:00 PM Mountain | 1:00 PM Central | 2:00 PM Eastern. Duration: 1 hour. Description: In today’s busy workplace, there’s always too much to do and not enough time. Deciding what must be done first (and what can strategically be delayed) is a difficult, often complex problem that each individual must solve.
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