5 Paths to Sanity

I recently read an article in Fortune Magazine (March 20, 2006 edition) that had 5 simple rules to keeping your sanity at work. I thought I'd share:

1. Keep your meetings rare
2. Show your technology who's boss
3. Give yourself a time-out
4. Say no
5. Delete

My favorite is giving yourself a time-out. It suggests first thing in the morning with no phone calls, email or chitchat - just a time to quietly think strategically about your business. As a business owner with my office in the home - I have to get up pretty early to enjoy any quiet in my home and so I've taken off to the library for my quiet. Especially now that they have a coffee bar!

There is a lot of merit to having "me" time. Time to read the business journals that you keep meaning to get to, time to list out the goals you have for your business, for yourself, for your family.

As a writer, I also use that time to be creative. I write thoughts, dreams, fiction or my blog.

It's a new month - time for new initiatives - consider giving yourself an hour a day - just for you. You'll find it makes you more productive, more creative, and more tolerant. All good things!

photo courtesy of powerbooktrance

Vocabulary-Schmabulary

I'm taking a book discussion class in which the teacher (via a video training session) uses a vocabulary that turns off the listeners. In his bio, he says that "when he is not teaching hermenetics or researching some minute exegetical point..."

Admit it - did you have to look up those words in the dictionary? I did.

If you are trying to impress people with your $100 words, you may be surprised to find that your efforts are back-firing. People don't want to be made to feel stupid or wanting when communicating with a "big vocabulary" person. They'll focus on the words they aren't familiar with and totally miss you point!

Choose your words carefully - use simple, easy to understand words and phrases if you want people to pay attention. Use the big words to impress your folks - after all, they probably paid for some or all of your education!

"It is inevitable that we dispense with the bureaucratic details and consider only the practical aspects of the situation."

In other words: CUT THE CR-P AND GET TO THE POINT!

photo courtesy of srozekrans' photostream

Some Places Should be Off Limits to Advertising

In a recent Times Magazine, there was a small blurb that caught my eye. A new and unique place available to secure for your company branding - your product and service message.

THE PUBLIC TOILET

I'm sorry, but isn't there any place where we can go for a little privacy without being bombarded with advertising messages? People can reach us on our pagers and cell phones, snail mail, home phones and faxes, computer email and instant messages - and now the loo? Remember those old commercials for the bath bubble product Calgon and the woman would pull on her hair and whine, "Calgon, take me away?" Well, evidently the bathroom is no longer a place we can escape.

According to the Times blurb entitled, "Caught with Your Pants Down" by Nadia Mustafa, Lifetime Television has a 20-second plug for the reality show Cheerleader Nation airing in stalls in 15 cities.

As you are putting your marketing plan together for the 2nd quarter of 2006? You might consider this new avenue of advertising. However, consider also consumer Leia Jervert who heard the Cheerleader Nation advertisement four times while visiting a NY pub facility and was quoted as saying, "I would prefer not to have my business solicited when I am doing my business."

'nough said.

Photo courtesy of Tracy Hunter

More Email tips

I just got back from a week in Arizona - marvelous! So I decided to try the email tips I discussed in my last post and realized that I have a couple more tips that I use when I have a large number of email to review:

1. Sort by name - it makes it easier to delete those unwanted emails or those that quickly accumulate - like those I received from Joann Fabrics or other businesses.
   
2. Sort again - this time by subject matter. Now look for long strings of conversation. You may have been copied on a series of emails on one topic. Select the most recent and see if the string is in tact - in other words, that all of the other email with that subject title are included as part of a long string of messages on the most recent missive. If so - delete all the others - and now you have one email that has the whole conversation included.
   
3. Do the four tips listed on my previous post.
   

There you have it - a quick way to review large numbers of email messages.

Speed Emailing

How many emails do you get in a day, a week, a month. What happens when you go on vacation and don't take your computer. Do the emails number in the hundreds?

Amy Schulman, partner at DLA Piper Rudnick, Gray, Cary has this advice for quickly devoring your emails:

Divide them into four categories:

1. emails you can send to someone else
2. emails that contain information someone is waiting for to move forward on a project
3. emails you can read later
4. emails you need to respond to immediately.

When you group your emails into categories like those Amy suggests, you'll be able to focus on those that require your immediate attention.

Remember - if you touch it - do something with it (pitch, file, delegate or respond) so you don't have to deal with it later.

Listen - The Key To Being a Good Boss

I am way behind in my reading and so today decided to read a few articles I'd set aside that had previously caught my eye. In the BusinessMonday section of the Plain Dealer on Monday February 20, there was a front page article entitled, "ABCs of Taking Charge" written by Janet H. Cho. In the article it listed the Dos and Don'ts of a good manager.

One of the Dos that caught my eye was "Listen to employees and learn from them."

The article goes on to say that being humble is a good thing. Especially in the beginning when you are learning the lay of the job, the department and the people in it. However, I would add that established managers need to take note of this tip as well.

Too often, we become engrained in the role we play at work (this actually goes for our home life as well) and we forget to ask for advice, opinions or suggestions.

The articles reminded readers about the Major of New York City, Ed Koch, and his "How'm I doin'?" question that he asked residents.

Do we know how our employees, vendors and customers think we are doing? Have we asked them lately?

The Benefits of a Comedy Show

On Saturday evening I took my son to see Brad Sherwood and Colin Mochrie of the television show “Whose Line Is It Anyway”. They are award winning improv actors and put on an extremely entertaining show.

There were three things I noticed during the two+ hour show:

1. They are quick witted and topical. Their comments were quick, funny, and included a wide variety of references from politics to Hollywood to literature.
   
2. They kept the language clean. With the exception of an occasional reference to a donkey-like animal that begins with an “a”, they were funny without resorting to inappropriate language.
   
3. They were master listeners. One of the skits involved Brad leaving the auditorium so Colin and the audience could develop a wild and wacky crime that Brad was to have committed. Ours involved Brad wearing a chastity belt, a lace monocle and dead fingers. His crime was stealing a possum van while drinking whiskey from an enema. The crime was committed in Wapakoneta in Al’s Nose Hair Supply and Ump a Loma Factory with a canoe.
   
   It was through a series of clues, references and comments that Brad was to glean this improbable crime. He not only listened with his ears but he listened and observed the body language of Colin and those in the audience that he could see.
   
   So I ask myself – what can I take away and use in my everyday life from this evening of fun and frivolity?
   
   

• Read – the more I know the more likely I’ll be able to provide some interesting fact or opinion
  
• Use vocabulary other than the famous “Seven Words You Can’t Say On Television” that George Carlin coined more than 30 years ago. You'll appear smarter and gain the respect of those you communicate with.
  
• Listen - it's amazing what you'll learn.
  
  If you haven’t seen “Whose Line”, is it on ABC Family – usually at 10pm EST. Check it out – it’s very funny.

Are Thank You notes a lost art?

In our family, everytime we are given a present, before you can truly enjoy it, you must take a few minutes and write a little note of thanks to the person who gave you the present. That's something my Mom taught me and something I make my kids do as well.

Both kids gripe about the practice, but take the time to write a lovely note. Although I may not hear the words, when it comes to writing them, that's when I see just how much the gifts are appreciated.

I love my in-laws, but the practice of writing thank-you notes wasn't a tradition in their family. It's not like I give expecting anything in return, but sometimes the only way you know the package arrived is if you receive a thank-you note in return.

It seems that we've become a generation of verbal or email thank yous. The art of selecting a note card and taking a few minutes to compose your thoughts on paper has been lost. People don't know what to say, particularly if they received a gift they already have or don't care to have.

I remember when I wrote the thank-you notes for our wedding gifts I had received a thing from one of the managers who worked for me. I say a "thing" because there were no words to describe what it was. As I recall it was a miniature golden bird cage with a stuffed and feathered bird perched on a little stand. It was too big for a Christmas ornament, too small to be a real bird cage, and too ugly to ever put on a display.

I struggled for days over what to say. "Thank-you for the thing" just didn't seem right. I finally settled on "thank you for your generosity" because that was honest and kept me from having to write "doo-dad" or "nick-nack" in a thank-you card.

Isn't that what it really comes down to: Generosity? No matter how much money is spent or how beautiful or useful the gift, someone took the time to think of us, to go to a store (or visit their 'regifting closet') to select something just for us.

Isn't that worth a few minutes of our time and words, a notecard and $.39 stamp?

DCB

Photo courtesy of Michgm

Have you ever yelled without uttering a sound?

I dropped my son off at the high school a few minutes ago and he got out and slammed the door without so much as a backward glance. No words did he speak, but the message held thousands.

Did you watch the ice dancing during the Olympics? The Italian couple spoke volumes without words after their short program. They were performing in front of their home country. What a thrill that must have been. Imagine how many home town friends and family were in the stands rooting them on.

The announcers were explaining that the woman really was the better skater in this particular couple with the man simply a strong force to hold her up while she performed all her beautiful moves. And just then....he dropped her.

She jumped up and finished the program like a pro, but when the music stopped she skated right in front of him and held his gaze. The camera moved from her face to his, from hers to his. The time ticked. Was the audience applauding? Who knows, you couldn't hear anything over the deafening silence that was her screams.

Time passed and still they starred. His eyes pleading, hers accusing. The time continued to the point of embarrassment, you wanted to look away. Surely this can't be happening and yet the stares continued.

Finally she took his hand, they faced the millions watching and took their bow.

Talk about powerful communication.

Our bodies are constantly communicating for us: our eyes, our posture, our facial expression.

What is your body saying?

Photo courtesy of Broken Chopstick