A Great Day's Work

Time Management

The To-Do List: Use What Works Best for You

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6305150_sToday’s administrative professional has a variety of choices available when it comes to tracking To-Do’s. Businesses are making a fortune printing calendars and planners, creating apps, improving and designing software, and inventing gadgets to help us as administrative professionals be successful in meeting the demands of each work day.  In addition to these systems, we can also elect to use electronic reminders, maintain a running To-Do List, use sticky notes, and send text messages or emails that can be sent to ourselves to help us fulfill our commitments.

[Read more…] about The To-Do List: Use What Works Best for You

Juggling: The Art of Supporting Multiple Managers

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If you are an assistant who works with multiple managers or executives, you know the work can be overwhelming at times. For nearly a decade, I primarily supported one person—the CEO. However, after a recent turn of events such as staffing vacancies and promotions, I have found myself providing administrative support to several other key managers while we recruit for vacant positions.

Let’s face it—the work of an administrative professional is never ending. When you support multiple managers, the work multiplies! [Read more…] about Juggling: The Art of Supporting Multiple Managers

Five Practices To Reduce Stress and Optimize Your Time

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KimberlyMeet Kimberly Wiefling, Global Business Leadership Consultant, Internationally Published Author, Transformational Facilitator and Coach, and Force of Nature . . . the GOOD kind!  Kimberly helps organizations achieve what SEEMS impossible, but is merely difficult. How? By turning managers into leaders and groups of people into real teams.

Several months ago, I had the opportunity to connect with Kimberly during a one day educational program hosted by Admin to Admin. I recently reached out to Kimberly and asked if she would share some of her insights with you.  She agreed.  Here are five practices to help you reduce stress and optimize how you use your time.

PROBLEM: I have twice as much work as I have hours in the day. No matter how hard I work I’m always behind. Help!

RESPONSE: I know how you feel! There will always be more work than time, so being “behind” is kind of normal. These five practices will help you reduce your stress and optimize how you use your time. [Read more…] about Five Practices To Reduce Stress and Optimize Your Time

What Is Your 2014 Recap?

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20736020_sWith a new year on the horizon, what can we learn from 2014?  Such milestones as a calendar year coming to a close provide the perfect opportunity to reflect on and evaluate the past 12 months.

John Dewey said, “We don’t learn from experience.  We learn from reflecting on experience.”  Take a moment to reflect on your experiences, decisions, successes, and failures in 2014.  What did you learn?  Did you make the “best” use of your time?

Reflection is time consuming and has an important role in our personal and professional growth.  Take the time to think through this past year with purpose.  Be critical but don’t be too hard on yourself.  Analyze, question, and draw upon your conclusions as you assess how your year went.  Use this reflective process as a starting point to help you plan ahead for 2015. [Read more…] about What Is Your 2014 Recap?

Do You Create A Daily Plan?

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6305681_xlIn today’s competitive workplace employees are being asked to produce more in less time.  Many employees are also finding themselves working longer days and even bringing work home with them.  With hectic days in the office and personal commitments outside of the office, some employees find it challenging to find the time to create a daily plan.

For years consultants have encouraged employees to take the last 10-20 minutes of their day to get organized, clean off their desks, and to plan for the next day ahead.

At the end of each day do you dash out of the office or do you review the work that should be completed the next day?  Do you realistically estimate the time it will take to complete each task and prioritize the tasks by listing the most time sensitive or urgent task first.  Here’s a few tips that you can use for daily planning: [Read more…] about Do You Create A Daily Plan?

Spending vs. Investing Your Time?

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16165587_sTime is our most precious resource. We each receive the same supply of this resource each day—24 hours or 1,440 minutes.  Do you view time as a resource that is spent or as a resource that is invested?

For more than a decade, I have chosen to work dual careers as an executive assistant and a college educator. It’s no exaggeration that my free time is limited and even more so with launching two businesses in 2014, accepting leadership positions in associations, and volunteering weekly in a local non-profit organization.  When my head hits the pillow each night, there is no doubt my days are fulfilling, purposeful, and great fun!

Years ago one of my college professors provided the class with an assignment to track how we spent each ½ hour segment of the day for seven days. The assignment looked relatively close to what you see below starting at 5 a.m. and ending at midnight each day: [Read more…] about Spending vs. Investing Your Time?

Money: What Men and Women Need To Know

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14877304_sLet’s talk about money. Chances are if you don’t have a good understanding of money:  how to manage it, how to save it, and how to grow it, you will take those same money management skills and behaviors with you into the workplace.  Would you run a business the same way you run your personal finances?  Many of you might say “yes,” and others may say “no.”

I’m a firm believer that knowledge is power. As an administrative professional supporting executives and managers, it’s essential that we understand money so we can better partner with our bosses in the workplace.  They often times have budgets to oversee, revenue goals to meet, and expenses to monitor. [Read more…] about Money: What Men and Women Need To Know

Admins: Ask for Resources

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OverworkedAs an administrative professional, do you ever feel overwhelmed? Do you feel you are being pulled in multiple directions possibly even supporting more than one person? Ever feel like people don’t have a clue as to the demands being placed upon you at work?

Today’s 21st century administrative professionals are being asked to do more than ever before. Administrative professionals are being tasked with duties that cross over into roles such as: manager, human resources, travel agent, mail clerk, receptionist, accountant, technology guru, catering coordinator, note taker, customer service, and so many more. [Read more…] about Admins: Ask for Resources

Gatekeeper Strategies to Save Your Boss Time

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7520435_sYour boss’s time is valuable and should not be wasted. Business and sales professionals, coworkers, and community members are becoming increasingly clever as they attempt to learn ways around the administrative professional so they can connect directly with the decision maker. Over the years, I have learned, tried, and perfected many strategies that administrative professionals can use in their role as “gatekeeper.” The “gatekeeper” is the person who has the responsibility and full authority to oversee access to the decision maker. Here are a few strategies I have used while serving in my role as “gatekeeper” to the CEO: [Read more…] about Gatekeeper Strategies to Save Your Boss Time

Think Like A Boss When Scheduling Meetings

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8149460_sExecutives/Managers can have many demands placed upon them each day.  These demands can range anywhere from in-person meetings, national/international travel, social business gatherings, deal negotiations, phone calls/emails, and many more.  An executive/manager’s time needs to be respected and not undervalued. When scheduling meetings for your boss, think like a boss.  [Read more…] about Think Like A Boss When Scheduling Meetings