Archive for the ‘Management’ Category
Wednesday, December 16th, 2009
 Holiday shopping is calling, your dry cleaning is waiting and you are ready for VACATION! But wait, before leaving for the holidays, roll up your selves, dedicate some time and clean your desk to start the New Year off organized and ready to be productive.
• As simple as it sounds: file your papers! While most of your documents may be digital, those papers stacking up on your desk are there for a reason (and if they are not, recycle them and get rid of them). Categorize those that do serve a purpose; put them in folders and make them accessible.
• Do a quick inventory of what you are missing and what you may need for the New Year. Staples, tape, screen cleanser, you name it, make a list and inform the appropriate people in charge of supplies.
• Get rid of clutter. If the business cards you obtained from all your networking meetings are scattered, its time to enter the data into your contact management system and store the cards in a particular place. If they are transferred digitally, you may even be able to toss the card to eliminate even more clutter.
• Look at your computer desktop. Is it overflowing with documents that can be placed elsewhere in more specific files? You be the judge, but having a clean computer desktop makes finding folders easier, not to mention it is aesthetically pleasing.
• Make a quick reminder list of meetings, phone calls or any other follow-ups that you have to do after the holidays.
• Last but not least, wipe-down your workspace: desk, computer screen, keyboard, chair, and anything else you want squeaky clean.
Now go enjoy your holidays!!
Tags: holidays, Management, New Year, organization, small business
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Monday, December 14th, 2009
During the rush of the holiday season, in the midst of shopping trips, holiday parties, clearing off your desk and ramping up for the New Year, don’t forget to find special ways to thank those who have been by your side all year long: your team. This is the perfect time of year to show your team you care and there are a variety of ways to show appreciation for those who help you all year round.
Can’t afford to give your team a traditional Holiday Bonus? Times are tough. But, there are other ways to reward your staff that are cost-effective.
Team Gifts
Buy a nice gift for members of your staff. Gifts are often cheaper when bought in bulk, so you can afford to splurge on a few cases of wine or a large order of fruit baskets. Get creative and make your own gift baskets or packages. Really tight on cash? Reward your staff with company coupon books redeemable for extra personal days or half days. (Just make sure everyone is clear on the parameters for redeeming them!)
Internal Greetings
Send out a mass email of holiday e-cards (or mail handwritten cards) to members of your staff the day before people start leaving for the holidays. Check out Hallmark or 123 Greetings for cost-effective e-cards.
Create a Holiday Atmosphere
 A few weeks prior to the holidays, stay late one night and decorate the office with non-denominational holiday decorations. Your team will arrive the next day and be surprised by how beautiful the office look. This will create a wonderful mood around the office. Play holiday music during the day for an extra touch and keep a stash of fresh-baked cookies and hot beverages in the break room.
Throw a Party!
Your holiday soiree doesn’t have to be fancy and expensive to be fun. In fact, your team may appreciate a more laid-back holiday celebration in lieu of having to buy a new outfit and get all dressed up. Throw the bash in your company conference room or at a nearby bar. If the party is after-hours, let your team bring guests. Host a Holiday Happy Hour at your favorite local watering hole. As long as you provide plenty of snacks and drinks, your party is sure to be a hit. (Check out our blog on hosting the perfect holiday party!)
Bring your Team Together
 The holidays are all about bonding and togetherness with those you care about throughout the year. Plan fun activities outside the office to make memories for your team. Try bringing your team holiday caroling or ice-skating on a Saturday afternoon. Team up for a good cause by volunteering at a local soup kitchen or having an office-wide holiday toy drive. (Offer prizes to bring a friendly competitive spirit.) Start a Secret Santa tradition and bring the holiday spirit to life in your office.
Regardless of how you spread holiday cheer throughout the work place, don’t forget to find small ways to thank your team for their year of service and to get your whole office excited for what 2010 will bring.
Tags: holiday atmosphere, holiday party, holidays, office, office holiday
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Wednesday, December 9th, 2009
 Office holiday parties are an excellent way to boost employee morale and head into the New Year revived and passionate about your company goals. To be the hostess (or host!) of the mostest, follow these simple tips and get your party on:
• The first thing you must determine as host is your budget. After analyzing your budget and working out what you can afford, determine whether this is a formal or casual party. From there you can ascertain where to host it, what to serve and begin sending out invites to your guests informing them on the shindig’s vibe.
• If you are planning on serving alcohol, it is vital that you provide transportation for guests to get home safely. Whether you create a designating driving system or offering pre-paid cabs, you don’t want to worry about how your fellow employees are going to get home.
• When considering decorations, be conscious of your employees’ beliefs and keep the holiday theme neutral.
• Music should not be too loud. After all, you want your guests to be able to interact without shouting.
• Make sure to take photos at your party and post them on your company website.
• It’s your party, enjoy yourself, engage, mingle with your guests and have fun!
Tags: holiday party, host, Management, office holiday party, office party, small business
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Monday, December 7th, 2009
 Cheer, merriment and good spirit are circulating the chilly air and the company holiday party is right around the corner. This is a perfect opportunity to socialize with your co-workers, make great impressions on your superiors and get to know the people you work with outside of business small talk. You get that invitation, first things first: RSVP and utilize these tips to be a great gracious guest.
• It’s a holiday party, dress festively. That does not mean sporting a Santa suite, but a classy, generally semi-formal, company appropriate outfit should be your go-to.
• These are social events, so by all means socialize, laugh, sing a holiday tune if the opportunity presents itself, but keep in mind that you are at a company function and the decisions you make should be responsible and respectable.
• With that in mind, no one likes a stiff at a party, so enjoy yourself. Don’t structure all talk about work, deadlines and bosses, but rather, use this as a way find other common interests with your fellow employees. How are your kids? Did you see that game? We go skiing in Vail every year, how about you?
• Bringing a tasteful gift is a nice gesture to show your appreciation for the party and for being a part of the company.
• Showing a genuine interest in co-workers and involving everyone in conversation will keep the party going. No one likes to feel like the odd ball out, save that for Jr. High dances.
• Use the holiday party as a venue to speak with those who you don’t usually interact with. Schmooze with the President or other departments, look at this as an opportunity to network within your company. Making a connection on a personal level, in some cases, can give you an advantage.
• Don’t go overboard with the free drinks and food. Especially if you are going to use this as a networking forum, moderation is something to tactfully employ.
• Most of all, have fun! Take advantage of this treat and be thankful for it!
Tags: business networking, holiday season, networking, office Christmas party, office holiday party, small business
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Thursday, December 3rd, 2009
It’s the most wonderful time of the year! Don’t let the daunting task of making out holiday cards for clients, colleagues and contacts dampen your holiday spirit! There are many ways that you can spread holiday cheer through e-blasts, online and handwritten cards without breaking the holiday office mood (or the bank!)
Holiday E-Blast
A holiday e-blast is a great way to wish all of your contacts well for the holidays. Remember when Mom used to write that holiday newsletter to family and friends you may have lost touch with throughout the year? Send out a cheerful holiday newsletter to all of those in your “company family” with an update on the success of your company for the past year and maybe a sneak peek for the New Year. Encourage contacts to write back and share their triumphs and setbacks from the past year. As the end of the year draws closer, reflecting on the good and bad of 2009 can bring you together and renew the sense of hope for 2010.
Online Cards
Another fun (and cheap!) way to keep in touch over the holiday season is to send online greeting cards to your contact book. These can be personalized and sent individually or more generic and sent to a large number of contacts to save time. Make sure that you pick an greeting card template that is in line with your brand identity and is warm, but professional. (Leave all cartoons and humorous cards at the door, or for contacts with which you have a more established rapport.) Free and inexpensive e-cards can be found at the Hallmark website or at 123 Greetings.
 Handwritten Cards
Unless you want a writer’s cramp, save personalized, handwritten cards for those very special clients with whom you have a longstanding relationship. Go to your local card shop or check out Cards Direct.com and pick up a box of inexpensive greeting cards (again professional and consistent with your brand) and spend a slow Friday afternoon with some holiday music writing greeting cards. If you have a lot of cards to write, enlist a few of your team members with more free time to give you a hand or lick a few stamps. Feeling ambitious? Take a team photo and send out photo greeting ca rds to clients who know your team well.
Client Gifts
If budget allows, send top-tier clients a small holiday gift. Make a list of all new and current clients with whom you’ve kept a relationship throughout the past year, include key players in the company, as well as any management representatives with which your company has closely worked. Your gifts don’t have to be extravagant, but make sure they are from the heart. Here are a few inexpensive, but tasteful, client holiday gift ideas. To save a few bucks, get some of the craftier members of your team together after work one evening for some hot cocoa and gift-making time. This will create a team bond and give each member the feeling that they are contributing to the holiday celebrations. For crafty gift ideas check out the DIY (Do-It-Yourself) Network–and don’t forget good food is always a big hit!
Whether you send your client a free online card to purchase a gift, make sure that you take a moment this holiday season to give back to your clients.
Tags: 123 Greetings, client gifts, client holiday gift, CRM, e-marketing, eMarketing, greeting cards, holiday cards, holiday gift basket, holiday gifts, online greeting cards
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Tuesday, December 1st, 2009
 As a manager, it’s your job to spread holiday cheer around the office and to your clients. Keep the spirit merry by being culturally sensitive to the beliefs of your clients and colleagues. Make sure that your holiday festivities include everyone in the office. Remember, there are other holidays in December besides Christmas. Here are a few quick tips to keeping the holiday spirit alive and well in your office, without crossing any boundaries.
1. Christmas, Channukkah, Kwanzaa, oh my! With so many wonderful holiday traditions in December, it can be hard to keep them all straight. But, it’s important to do your homework and read up on December holidays your employees may celebrate. For example, did you know that December l3th is Saint Lucia day, a national holiday celebrated in Sweeden? Brush up on your cultural awareness to make the holiday season merry for everyone in the office.
2. Have international employees or interns? Here’s your quick guide to how holidays (Christmas, in particular) are celebrated around the world. Make co-workers from around the world feel right at home by integrating traditions from different countries into your holiday festivities.
3. Decorate the office using non-denominational decorations. Snowflakes and snowmen are great examples of universal decorations that keep the office festive, but are not tied to one specific holiday. Avoid putting a Christmas tree or holiday-specific decoration in a central location.
4. Have a pre-holiday meeting with your staff. Make sure that you communicate openly with your employees about what is and is not appropriate during the holiday season. You don’t want co-works unintentionally offending each other at the happiest time of year.
5. Don’t be afraid to celebrate! Once the terms are set and everyone is on-board with creating a culturally-sensitive holiday environment, feel free to let loose! Host a holiday party, plan intra-office get-togethers outside the office or even set an extra cheerful tone around the office as the holidays approach. As they say, “‘Tis the season to be jolly!”
Tags: Chanukkah, Christmas, CRM, cultural sensitivity, December, Hanukkah, Happy Holidays, holidays, Kwanzaa
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Monday, November 30th, 2009
 The holiday season is here! Whether your mind is wandering to your Thanksgiving food coma or your trip to the mall to do some holiday shopping, it can be hard not to get distracted at work. Whether your office is quiet or crazy, ’tis the season to be productive! Here are a few quick tips to keep your hands busy, your mind focused and the days flying by during this festive season.
If your office is quiet: Think out with the old and in with the new!
- Play catch-up
- Clear your desk/inbox
- Clean your desk
- Lend a hand with your colleague’s projects
- Set goals and mentally prepare yourself for Q1
If your office is crazy: Think time and space management!
- Organize your space
- Organize your time
- Make To-Do lists
- Take mini-breaks
- Stay cheerful (It is the holiday season after all!)
Sure, the holiday season at the office can be overwhelming (or underwhelming). But, stay focused and productive and before you know it, it will be time to celebrate!
Tags: holiday season, holidays, New Year, organize, productive, Productivity, Q1
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Thursday, October 1st, 2009
When considering what networking events to attend it is important to be strategic in order to garner the results you seek. First of all, you must identify what kind of people you are hoping to connect with. What are your goals? What do you want to get out of the event? What people are you trying to target? By having a specific set of criteria, you can narrow down what networking events will be the most useful to attend.
 By varying up your networking routine, for instance, attending a BNI breakfast meeting or an after work happy hour, you can expand your reach and come in contact with a variety of different prospects.
Networking events are successful when you target those businesses or individuals who are need the services you provide. With research, you can discover events with like-minded or industry specific companies that appeal to your business. Whether you are looking to break into a new field, expand already established brands, or get referrals or new clients, networking events are crucial for business growth and it is a venue that must be utilized.
Tags: BNI, happy hour, networking events, online networking, pricing strategy, small business, social networking
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Tuesday, September 8th, 2009
 Today, productivity and multitasking on the run is essential for busy professionals. When it comes to optimizing time and resources while traveling what you do and with what tools is the key to maximizing every opportunity. Keep busy on the road by packing all of your essentials and bringing extra material, just in case. For me, I have a rolling Tumi laptop bag with two extra pendaflex compartments. This turns into my traveling desk when on the road. Choose a versatile traveling case and prepare yourself for whatever may come.
Packing
Tip #1: Have reading materials on hand. I print out several items that need to be reviewed as well as have a couple of my favorite business pubs in my outside Tumi traveling office pocket so I can catch up on reading while waiting in line or re-charging my phone, laptop or whatever other devices that may have died on a long flight.
Tip #2. Have chargers easily accessible. You never know when your phone or laptop is going to die and being able to squeeze in a few minutes of charge when you spot an outlet can be the key to getting you back online or saving what you had in progress. I always store this in an outer compartment for easy access.
Tip #3. Pack like a mom. Ever see those moms who travel and seem to have every possible emergency item in their bag of tricks? Well, moms are the master planners because they too never know what they may need or when. Pac k an emergency toiletry kit with Advil or Excedrin gel tabs (the most absorption), stain removers, toothbrush, toothpaste, face wash and anything else you may need. I also always pack an emergency Clif bar and package of almonds for a filling snack.
Know your Mode of Transportation
On the subway - This is an ideal time to catch up with emails. What’s more, plan in advance: email yourself documents to review and provide feedback in between subway stops.
On the road - Your hands may be tied, but there are plenty of things to do if you’re driving. This is a great time for conference calls, catching up with audio books or even enjoy some relaxing radio and brainstorm time. I always have my iPhone handy to take voice notes for recording ideas that spring up.
On the plane - A great time to tackle bigger projects on your laptop: writing, reviewing, etc. But don’t rely solely on your computer. I’ve gotten stuck on too many flights where the cabin pressure would not allow my Mac to boot up. (I now always get onto the plane with my computer in sleep mode.) Just in case, have reading on hand. Whether its industry pubs and books, or print outs of items that are lengthier, you’ll be happy you came prepared.
Tags: business travel, iPhone, laptop, productive, small business, time management, transportation, travel, Tumi
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Holiday shopping is calling, your dry cleaning is waiting and you are ready for VACATION! But wait, before leaving for the holidays, roll up your selves, dedicate some time and clean your desk to start the New Year off organized and ready to be productive.
