- 2012 The Organized Executive's Special Issue
Ahead of change or behind the times?
Be a chief change agent
Chief executive officers are the starters of change—and the stoppers of change. Nothing significant in their organizations happens that they don’t allow, including atrophy. Failure with change is easy. Leading change is hard. Leading change that works is harder still. Smart CEOs, as “Chief Change Agents,” stay ahead of change to set the path that achieves the intended results ...
- Set Clear Expectations
Even if you’ve hired exceptional employees, they still can fail to deliver exceptional results. That’s why you must set clear expectations. For employees to be successful, they must understand what you want from them. Use this checklist as you make assignments, to put your staff on the right track.
- Agenda Form
- Outlook 2010 Tip Sheet
This is the second in a series of free special reports from The Organized Executive to show you how to work more efficiently in the latest Microsoft Office programs. Download the Office 2007 and 2010 tip sheet to discover shortcuts for all Office applications.
- Goal-Setting Worksheet
Map out your plan for success by downloading the Goal-Setting Worksheet adapted from The Complete Performance Review Toolkit.
- 10 Tasks to Start Delegating Today
Looking for a tough new weapon to wield against your growing list of "to dos" and "must dos"? A busy leader's best tactic: Delegate more. Here are some tasks you should turn over to your teammates, starting today!
- Office 2007 and 2010 Tip Sheet
Use this tip sheet to learn how to work more efficiently in the latest Microsoft Office programs.
- Vacation Planning Worksheet
Using this form will ensure that all your bases are covered when an employee goes on vacation.
- How to Say 'No'
If you said "Yes" to every person who seeks you out during a typical workday, you would never have the time or engery to complete your own top-priority tasks. That is why learning to say "No" and make it stick is such an important time-management skill.
- Stop the Meeting Madness: Make the Most of Your Time Together
Love 'em or hate 'em, you can't avoid meetings altogether. And even the most meeting-phobic among us would have to admit that meetings are an entirely necessary evil. So the trick is not to avoid sitting down at that conference table. The trick is to make the most of every minute you are there.
- 25 Tips for Using Email More Efficiently
Barely more than a decade ago-way back in the last century-e-mail was something that few people used regularly. Today, most likely you would describe e-mail as both an indispensable tool and a headache. Even though you rely on e-mail to communicate, the number of messages you send and receive each day can drain hours of productivity. If you don't take control, that little ping alerting you to an incoming e-mail message will lure you away from what you should be doing.
- Take a Positive Approach to Employee Complaints
Keep your team members working strong together Dealing with employee complaints is a common-albeit frustrating-part of any manager's job. Mastering that responsibility will enhance your performance and allow you to improve your work group's efficiency and effectiveness.
Efficient Communication
Can you pass the clarity test?
Because communication skills are so vital to workplace success, you should focus on improving clarity whenever you speak and write. Follow these tips:
- Start by organizing your thoughts. Before you open your mouth or write the first word, you should have a pretty good idea what you want to communicate. That does not mean you will always have all the answers; a clear question is an excellent communication tool. If you need time to formulate your thoughts, admit it to yourself or your listeners. Pausing momentarily to let your ideas coalesce is far better than making a thoughtless statement that muddies the waters.
- Determine your objectives. Define your communication goal in your own mind; then you can clearly convey it to others. Ask yourself “What do I want others to think, say, understand or do after we finish speaking or they finish reading what I wrote?” Summarize your communication objective in as few words as possible—fewer than 10 is ideal.
- Eliminate ambiguity and assumptions. Vague phrases like “as soon as possible” or “the best way” create confusion. Clear it up by using specific language instead: “by noon Tuesday” or “without spending more than $100.” Don’t assume that others will understand your meaning, either. You may think “Everyone knows …,” but until you use specific language and verify understanding, you cannot be sure that the message others received is the one you meant to deliver.
— From the editors.