Clock In The Right Time Zone: Booking Meetings in Microsoft Outlook

Do you need to book meetings for your manager(s), but most meetings are all over the country or even internationally? Do you have trouble trying to figure out the time zone for each meeting in Microsoft Outlook?

I am currently in the process of doing this for one of my managers. I need to book meetings for him to travel to firms all over Canada. Since Outlook only allows for one time zone to be added to the person's calendar, this makes it a little difficult.

The best way I could find accomplishing this task is by having to change the time zone information each time I need to add a new meeting. I also have a time zone map open in an internet browser, so I can make sure that I am choosing the correct one.

To add or change a time zone in Outlook, follow these simple steps:

1. Right click on the area marked in the picture below, then click Change Time Zone.
   
   
   
   


2. Click on the check box for Show an additional time zone, then use the drop down arrow to select the particular time zone you wish to use. At this point, you can flip to your internet browser to see which time zone is the correct one.
   
   
   
   

Now you can see by the picture below that the new time zone has been added. You can now add in the meeting details for this time zone.

Note: Make sure to add the time in the meeting schedule (for example: Meeting with client, 1:00 pm Calgary time), so the manager knows that this is the correct time to meet with this client. There have been instances where people would get confused as to whether the meeting was booked on the manager's time zone or the client's time zone.

Subscribe to The Professional Assistant feeds or get posts e-mailed directly to you today.

Until next time,

Take care - of your clutter!


Post from: Administrative Assistant

Continue reading...

Mind Mapping and Productivity

I am sure that you are scratching your head right now as you read the title of this post. I personally thought that it was some sort of new scientific experiment that people came up with. Don't worry, it's nothing of the sort.

Basically, mind mapping is a more productive way of brainstorming. Think of it as a large flow chart, but with ideas as opposed to hierarchy or the flow of information.

Here's what you do:

1. Write down a particular task, thought, product or whatever you are trying to brainstorm more ideas from in the middle of a page. Circle the item.
   


2. Once you brainstorm of other ideas, write them near the edge of the page and put a rectangle around them. Each new thought has to have its own rectangle.
   


3. If you can, connect any of the new ideas to each other and see what else you can come up with.

Now take a look at your page and see what ideas you came up with. At this point, you can start to create greater details and go further in-depth with each new idea.

Having all of this written down makes it easier to see and comprehend. Even if you forget an idea or two after you've written it down, it doesn't matter.

You can also share these ideas with other team members and compare. You can even ask other team members do create their own mind maps and combine everyone's into one large page.

How's that for productivity?

Subscribe to The Professional Assistant feeds or get posts e-mailed directly to you today.

Until next time,

Take care - of your clutter!


Post from: Administrative Assistant Tips

Continue reading...

Racing to Productivity

This is the second year that we had a “Fun Day” at our workplace. We did the same thing as last year, which was our version of The Amazing Race.

In a nut shell, our entire department of about 30 gets divided up into equal groups. Each group must then pick a team leader.

We then meet at a specified location in the morning and each group’s team leader has to pick up an envelope with their first clue. Each team leader receives their envelopes and opens them at the exact same time, just to keep things fair.

We are advised that there are 5 clues; each one leads to the next. We have to figure out the riddle and follow the instructions to get to the next clue. There is, however, one obstacle that we face. When we come to a particular location, we are advised that we have a choice of yielding the next team behind us to take a 10 minute penalty or we can carry this forward to another location, so we have to choose wisely.

The first team to get to the last clue wins. The prizes were small, but very thoughtful. We also were treated to lunch, which was a great gesture, especially for running all around the city for about 1 ½ hours.

The point of this story is that you can work hard at work, but you need to have some time off to enjoy yourself and get to know the people you work with. Productivity can be increased quite a bit, as you “vacation” from work for one day out of each work year.

And yes, even the managers and one of the Vice Presidents showed up and were part of the rat race!

Subscribe to The Professional Assistant feeds or get posts e-mailed directly to you today.

Until next time,

Take care - of your clutter!


Post from: Administrative Assistant Tips

Continue reading...

Men Wearing Shorts At The Office?

Ok, I am sure that the title of this post drew you in. I couldn’t believe it either. Apparently, this seems to be this summer’s latest fashion trend. I personally couldn’t do this, but it’s quite interesting that people would actually think of this.

I understand that our society evolves over time, but the acceptance of this might be forthcoming. It would be interesting to see how many companies would allow for this type of dress code, since quite a lot of places have client visits on a regular basis.

I work in a back office environment, where 99% of our client interaction is via the phone, e-mail or outside of the office, so I can wear jeans and a t-shirt. It does help to wear something more comfortable, since you do feel that you can be more productive each and every day.

Without further a due, here is The New York Times featured article entitled, “Shorts Crack The Code”.

Please let me know your thoughts on this interesting subject, as I would like to get a non-scientific sense of what all of you feel on this noteworthy topic.

Subscribe to The Professional Assistant feeds or get posts e-mailed directly to you today.

Until next time,

Take care - of your clutter!


Post from: Administrative Assistant Tips

Continue reading...

Liven Up Your PowerPoint Presentations With Narration

Your manager asks you to create a Microsoft PowerPoint presentation for a large list of clients, but also asks you for help on how he/she can add commentary to it. This will make things much livelier, since viewing presentations can be somewhat of a bore at times.

You want to keep your readers captivated, so this definitely help them retain as much information as possible from every slide.

 

Here are the 6 steps to adding narration to your presentations:

 

1. Make sure you have a microphone to use. 

2. Open your PowerPoint presentation and then click "Slide Show", then "Record Narration".

3. Now you need to adjust the volume level of the microphone. Click "Set Microphone Level" and speak into the microphone. PowerPoint will adjust the level for you.

 

4. Click "OK" on the Record Narration menu and start recording your commentary. Press ENTER to advance to the next slide. Keep recording your commentary until the last slide. 

5. At the end, if you want PowerPoint to save the slide advancement pace automatically, click "Save". If you want to do it manually, click "Don't Save".

 

6. Check to see if your commentary was recorded properly for each slide. If you need to re-record, click on the particular slide and then click "Slide Show", then "Record Narration". Make sure to press Escape, so it stops the slideshow, otherwise it will clear the narration of the next slide. 

Now you can e-mail your clients the presentation with commentary.

Subscribe to The Professional Assistant feeds or get posts e-mailed directly to you today.

Until next time,

Take care - of your clutter!

Post from: Assistant Tips

Continue reading...

Why People Gossip At The Office

Do you gossip at the office? Do you get sucked into the gossip of others? I'm sure that this has happened to all of us at one point or another.

 

Gossip has never been a positive matter. It always leads to negative productivity and sometimes people even get involved on a personal level.

 

People generally gossip at work due to boredom, insecurity, wanting to belong. To combat these problems, here are some tips you can follow:

 

• Boredom: Ask your manager or fellow colleagues to see if they need help with anything. 

• Insecurity: Try to only get into small talk with others, but once you hear gossip or get involved on a personal level, tell them that you have to get back to work. 

• Wanting to belong: Keep in mind that you were hired by your firm to do a job. It's your responsibility to get things done. If others want to waste their time, so be it. You're there to get paid and get that promotion or raise, so make yourself and your manager proud. 

Can you think of other reasons why people gossip? Send me your comments!

Subscribe to The Professional Assistant feeds or get posts e-mailed directly to you today.

Until next time,

Take care - of your clutter!
 

Post from: Assistant Tips

Continue reading...

Are You an Office Shrink?

Do you find yourself being bombarded with questions? Do people come to you for all sorts of answers, whether it is work related or otherwise?

 

In the beginning of my career at my current job as an Administrative Assistant, I was the outsider, the newbie if you will. I had to shut my mouth and open my ears to learn how things work in this company. Over time, I gained the trust and respect of my fellow colleagues. Now I consider myself the "Office Shrink".

 

The reason behind this is that everyone comes to me for answers. I either know it or I don't. If I don't, it's my responsibility to play detective and snoop around for it. This usually is work related. I do distance myself if people ask me for advice on matters of a personal nature. I politely ask them to speak to a friend, family member, their HR representative or their manager (whomever they feel comfortable confiding in).

 

Going back to "shutting my mouth and opening my ears", there are times when people need me to just listen to them. If they need to vent or complain about something, whether it is a professional or personal matter, I will listen. If it's a professional matter, I will provide them with the best advice I can think of.

 

I don’t believe that this is in my job description, but I try to go above and beyond the call of duty. Besides, this allows people to trust me and confide in me more, which creates better relationships and a working atmosphere.

 

So next time you are asked to help someone out, go ahead and lend your ear to them. It will do great wonders for both of you.

Subscribe to The Professional Assistant feeds or get posts e-mailed directly to you today.

Until next time,

Take care - of your clutter!
 

Post from: Administrative Assistant

Continue reading...

Fight or Flight? Dealing with a Difficult Colleague!

Have you had or are in a situation where your colleague is making your life miserable? I have been in these types of jobs a few times in the past and let me tell you, it’s no laughing matter.

 

A reader recently asked me this question:

 

Saw your web page and felt that I want your take on my situation.

First of all I've worked for an organization as an admin asst for years and during this time I have seen many co-workers leave and have had to put up with a lot.  Currently there is a clerical staff person, sitting in a cubicle right across from me who has made my daily work experience miserable.  She has been here a little over 1 1/2 years and has recently been promoted to an Administrative Assistant.

 

This is a typical work day for her:

• She comes in late EVERYDAY (not just a few minutes, but 15-25 minutes with an excuse for WHY she's late - traffic - and she lives 10 minutes away).
• Then she spends at least the first hour discussing what she did the day before at home; cooking, cleaning, shopping, gossiping, what ever she did after she left work.
• Next she starts complaining about people around her, her friends, her spouse’s friends, kids, etc.
• Now it's time to begin the process of gossiping about co-workers, belittling co-workers, making snide comments about other staff.
• Then it's time to leave for lunch - a one hour lunch usually turns in to an hour and 15-20 minute lunch (usually with another person).
• Now that she's back from lunch then it's time to complain about the co-worker she had lunch with that day.
• As the clock ticks away, getting closer to quitting time, she decides to get busy and then claims overtime (when she mostly stands around and gossip after quitting time).

She is also the type of person who is "over friendly" face to face, but does not hesitate to tear that person apart once they have left the area.

 

I had voiced my concerns and complaints about her to HR, my supervisor, etc, and was told that there is nothing they can do about her. So I've had to bite my tongue, try to "tune" her out and do my job.

 

Really she makes my work day miserable and yet is rewarded for her bad behaviour, chronic tardiness and gossiping.  It amazes me why some people get away with this behaviour and others are penalized for it.

 

My response to this was:

 

Wow!  This really sounds like the type of colleague you don't want to have.  Well, here's my take on it:

1. Have you tried to talk to her directly about what has been going on?  This sometimes helps the situation, since they might not be aware of it (believe it or not).
2. You mentioned that you've spoken to your supervisor, HR, etc.  Did you take it up each level all the way to the top?
3. If all else fails, you might want to start considering what type of work environment you are in.  If the management at your organization doesn't care about what's going on, is this really a place that you want to be at? 

You can also check out an article I wrote on "4 Ways to Cope with Difficult Colleagues"

 

I hope that I've at least shed some light on your situation and hope that things can get resolved one way or another.  Don't drive yourself nuts about these things.  Life's too short to stress out!

 

If you have any other suggestions, please feel free to comment!

If you like this post, please subscribe to my feeds or get posts e-mailed directly to you.

Until next time,

Take care - of your clutter!


Post from: Administrative Assistant

Continue reading...

Looking for a Job? Network with Personal Business Cards!

Are you in the process of finding a job? Do you want to expand your own small business or even a blog?

 

Networking has been one of the greatest tools for these types of opportunities. You meet someone in an elevator, start chatting for a bit and realize that they work for a large company and have hiring authority there. You can now pass on your personalized business card so they can contact you for an interview. What luck!

 

It's actually quite simple to create a personalized business card for networking purposes. Just drop by your local print shop or even a Staples/Business Depot and they can print some up for you for a small fee. But remember, this small fee will get you the job that you have been searching for.  Think of it as a resume that you can stuff in your pocket without getting it crumpled.

 

Just remember to include the following information on it:
 

• Full Name 

• Address 

• Phone/Fax/Cell Numbers 

• E-mail Address 

Also, make sure to follow up on any people that you meet with. This will definitely show them that you are serious about getting the job they are offering.

If you like this post, please subscribe to my feeds or get posts e-mailed directly to you.

Until next time,

Take care - of your clutter!


Post from: Administrative Assistant

Continue reading...

Do You Have a Pen?

You’re walking around the office and someone comes up to you, asking for a pen. You search your pockets and realize that you don’t have one.

 

Has this ever happened to you? This has happened to me quite a few times in the past. It’s so important to carry a pen with you at all times, since you never know when you are going to need to use it.

 

Most of the time, I do carry a pen with me, even if I leave my desk only for a few minutes. It’s the times that I forget (which are rare) that I need a pen.

 

If you end up going to a meeting that was scheduled, you just found out about it a few minutes ago and you are away from your desk, then this makes it the perfect situation for you to be prepared.

If you like this post, please subscribe to my feeds or get posts e-mailed directly to you.

Until next time,

Take care - of your clutter!


Post from: Administrative Assistant

 

Continue reading...

Adhering to the "Open Door" Policy

In my last job, I had my own office. I worked as an Investment Advisor’s Assistant, completed my CSC (Canadian Securities Course), but soon after, I realized that this wasn’t really for me.

 

It was great having my own office. I would be able to do work without too many interruptions, have quiet time, since the walls and the closed door (at times) would stop the noise from reaching in.

 

I work in a large firm now where it’s mainly an open concept area, with only the managers having their own offices. We strive for an “open door” policy, but of course, there are times when the managers hold meetings or make phone calls and have their door closed.

 

One thing that always bothered me in my last job was when I had my door closed, people would still knock and ask me questions that weren’t urgent. If it was my boss that showed up, well, that’s a different story.

 

Just remember, if your company has an “open door” policy, please adhere to it. It really does disturb the person that sits in that office when you need to bother them for something that can wait until later. If it’s an urgent matter, then make sure to knock lightly and politely advise them of the issue.

If you like this post, please subscribe to my feeds or get posts e-mailed directly to you.

Until next time,

Take care - of your clutter!


Post from: Administrative Assistant

 

Continue reading...

Got A Large Print Job From Your Boss? Not Sure What To Do?

Your boss comes to your cubicle and asks you to make 10 copies of 5 different sets of publications. She also mentions that she needs it completed urgently, since she had to schedule a meeting with some clients right away. What do you do next?

I've been in these types of situations quite often, but have learned over time that many photocopiers these days have functions so advanced that it can clean your floors, do your dishes and tuck your kids in at night. Ok, maybe not these functions, but it does have the ability to do a "Build Job" function.

In a nutshell, you press a few buttons, feed in the different sections of the publications into the photocopier and it makes 10 perfect copies, with all publications in order within each copy. This can save you tremendous amounts of time, since you don't want to stand there for hours photocopying each publication 10 times.

Unfortunately, each copier's method is different, but there are some basic rules to follow:

1. Press the buttons you need to get to the "Build Job" function.

2. Follow the instructions at this point to start the job.

3. Photocopy all publications one after another, whether it be via the document feeder, the glass pane or both.

4. The copier will then scan in all of the information in the order that you want it in.

5. Once you've scanned everything in, press the buttons on your copier to end the job.

6. The copier will now spit out all of the documents, in the order that you asked it to do it in, 10 copies for each bundle.

Now you can make your boss love you even more, since you were able to get the task completed in record time!

If you like this post, please subscribe to my feeds or get posts e-mailed directly to you.

Until next time,

Take care - of your clutter!


Post from: Administrative Assistant

Continue reading...

Falling Behind on Your Workload?

Are you falling behind on your work? Do you feel that too many people are coming to you and overloading your workload?

 

This happens to me from time to time. Since I am an administrative assistant for 30 staff, which includes 6 managers, it can get a little hectic at times.

 

Imagine at times that you are bored out of your mind, going around to other staff members asking for work. Then there are times when everyone is coming to you for something all at the same time. This is how it usually goes in any office.

 

But there is a light at the end of the tunnel. One of the best ways to combat this is to schedule a meeting with your boss to discuss how this can be tackled in a productive way.

 

Here are some to-do tips before you head into the meeting:

 

• Create a list of all of the main tasks that you are doing. Don't write each task out, but summarize them into main groups. 

• Think of ways you can help manage the workload. This might be getting someone else to do some of the work for a short period of time or asking people to e-mail you urgent requests using the High Importance icon in Microsoft Outlook. 

Mention to your boss that you are actively trying to keep up with the workload, but are worried that higher priority tasks might fall behind and would like their opinion on how to prioritize them. This will show that you are being proactive.

 

Make sure to have a follow-up meeting with your boss every so often until your workload goes back to normal, just to keep them in the loop of how things are going.

 

You'd be surprised of how well your boss will take it!

If you like this post, please subscribe to my feeds or get posts e-mailed directly to you.

Until next time,

Take care - of your clutter!

 

Continue reading...

Having Trouble Booking Meetings for Many People?

Are you trying to book a meeting with lots of people? Are you having trouble trying to get everyone's schedule in order, to have this meeting?

 

Just recently, I was stuck with this dilemma as well. I started thinking, what would be the best way to be able to get everyone on the same page?

 

Sending a meeting request to everyone usually is the best option, but at times, it isn't. Let me explain. The problem is that if the people that need to be in the meeting are from outside of your office, it wouldn't be a good idea to keep sending meeting updates over and over again. If they are in your office, it's easier to see what everyone's schedule is like on Microsoft Outlook.

 

The simplest way to do this is to either send everyone an e-mail asking them what dates/times they are available. Another suggestion for this method would be to provide some dates/times that you think would work for everyone. This way, they would try to alter their schedule to these dates/times.

 

Another method would be to send an e-mail to everyone's assistants (if they have them) and schedule a conference call. Now you can hammer out a date/time with everyone.

 

And lastly, don't forget to send the meeting request to everyone involved!

If you like this post, please subscribe to my feeds or get posts e-mailed directly to you.

Until next time,

Take care - of your clutter!

 

Continue reading...

Using Microsoft Outlook Calendar Properly

Are you trying to book a meeting with someone or a group of people? Do you find that you book a meeting date/time, but one or more people from the group let you know that they can’t make it during that date/time?

This happens to me quite frequently. People are using their Microsoft Outlook calendars incorrectly. They either block off time that they shouldn’t have or they block it off so that it either shows that they’re busy, but really out of the office or vice versa. Then you end up going back and forth to try to figure out what works for everyone. Imagine if you had a large number of people doing this. How many times would you have to contact each person to find out what works for everyone?

Make sure to block off your calendar, whether it be tentatively busy, busy or out of the office. I can’t comment on the colours at this point, since each person can customize their calendar the way that works best for them. The default colours would be:

• Tentative: Blue with white diagonal stripes through it

• Busy: Blue

• Out of Office: Purple

Keeping these tips in mind will create a more productive environment for you and your staff members.

If you like this post, please subscribe to my feeds or get posts e-mailed directly to you.

Until next time,

Take care - of your clutter!

Continue reading...

How to Cope With Co-Workers Arguing

You’re on the phone with a client and an argument breaks out between two of your colleagues. You try to plug your other ear to drown out the noise. The noise keeps getting louder and louder. What do you do?

Has this ever happened to you? Do you feel helpless when a heated argument breaks out between co-workers and you’re not sure of how to stop it?

There are some simple things you can do to bring the office back to a reasonable state of noise:

• Ask the people involved in the heated argument to lower their voice, but remember to do it in a calm way, otherwise you will be a part of the battle.

• Ask them to go into a meeting room to discuss the issue at hand or even to go outside.

• Ask them to take a breather from one another to cool off. This will help each person think rationally, since when you are upset, you think with your emotions and might say something you regret.

• If all else fails, get a supervisor or manager involved.

If you like this post, please subscribe to my feeds or get posts e-mailed directly to you.

Until next time,

Take care - of your clutter!

Continue reading...

Do Not Disturb - Training In Progress

Do you get staff members coming to you for all sorts of questions? Are you the main contact in your department? When you're on a phone call, do people hover over you?

 

You usually are the main source of contact for any and all questions in your department, including clients asking questions. It's inevitable, but it's part of your job description.

 

If you are on a training course via your computer (WebEx) and listening in to the presenter, you want your full attention on the seminar or workshop that you are attending at your cubicle. You don't want people coming up to you, hovering and waiting for you to put down the phone for a few seconds to let them know that you are in a training session.

 

The easiest way to avoid this is to create a "Do Not Disturb" sign and place it somewhere on your cubicle that can be seen clearly. Many of my colleagues have used this method and I have never seen anyone complain, from either side.

 

Here's a link to download a copy of the sign, if you're interested. Just right-click on the picture once you see it and click "Save Picture As…".  If you prefer to create your own, just use Microsoft Word.  Just remember to change the Page Setup and Align the page as "Vertical".

If you like this post, please subscribe to my feeds or get posts e-mailed directly to you.

Until next time,

Take care - of your clutter!

 

Continue reading...

Co-Workers Annoying You?

Are your co-workers annoying you at work by talking to loudly? Do you wish you could take a fog horn and toot it around, just so that they would quiet down?

I also work in an environment where it gets a little too loud at times. It's an open-concept office and at times, I would like my colleagues to simmer down a bit.

Here are some tips on getting your team members to lower their voices:

1. Ask the group of people to quiet down, move their conversation to a meeting room or even take the conversation outside. It's nice to socialize at times, but we are here to work. Taking a break is good for your health, but it's not a bar or a club.

2. You can take your work with you (if you have a laptop) to a coffee shop or another tranquil place, such as a park.

3. If all else fails, wear ear plugs. You'd be amazed of how well they work.

If you like this post, please subscribe to my feeds or get posts e-mailed directly to you.

Until next time,

Take care - of your clutter!

Continue reading...