Have you ever received an email that was in all lowercase letters? Or an email that was in all caps? How about an email that contained no punctuation? In this age of ever changing technology, we are able to send and receive emails all day and night. We must make sure that we are responding using basic email etiquette. This means that we must make sure that our emails are always professional and courteous. Regardless of whether we send the email as we sit at our desk or if we are at home sitting on the couch, we must make sure that it’s professional.

Here are a few simple items to remember as we send emails:

• Never use all caps
• Use proper punctuation
• Don’t use run on sentences
• Never use all lowercase letters
• Don’t over abbreviate
• Read the email before hitting send

If we follow this simple reminder it may save us from embarrassment later on down the line. Remember emails are something that can always be referenced to at a later date. You want to always make sure that your employer or potential employer views your communication style as positive, grammatically and factually correct.

 TJ Williams

So you provide support to five different senior leaders within your organization. Each senior leader has various processes that must be followed. They also require various documents that need various signatures from department heads. An individual must be organized to keep up with the demand.

Here are some recommendations that should assist you in keeping both you and management organized.

Designate a file drawer for each Leader- if space is a problem, divide the number of Leaders and assign them a specific location. Be sure to label the space in the cabinets so that anyone filling in for you can easily access necessary information.

Color code folders- Use specific colors for Contracts, Finance, Payroll, HR etc. Try using the same color system for each Leader. Clearly label the folders with the Leaders name at the end of the label. This way if you have to pull all folders at once, you will know which folder belongs to which manager.

Calendars are a very important part of organization. Most companies use Outlook for their email and calendar’s in this day and age. Using an electronic calendar enables you to make changes and disperse all information to all involved parties immediately.  Always check the manager’s calendar prior to scheduling an appointment.  At the beginning of the day, take a few minutes to print out the manager’s calendar and review it with that individual. I would also recommend that at the end of the day you review the followings days’ calendar.

As you adopt these practices, you can always tweak anything that is not working for you or the manager.  Organization is a continuing evolving process. It’s ok to try new things but what’s most important is to find a system that works for you.

TJ

It’s now 2013, a new year has begun. With that come new goals and objectives. As you begin to create your goals and objectives, make a small feasible list. Divide them into short term and long term categories. You also want to establish both professional and personal goals. Think about items that are meaningful but easily attainable for your short term list.

Some suggestions may include the following:

• Furthering education via continuing education programs or earning a certification
• Joining a civic/volunteer organization
• Learning a new language
• Designating & blocking specific time for yourself
• Prioritize, prioritize, prioritize

Determine how you will accomplish these goals. What will it take for you to be successful? How will you measure success? Once you have determined these factors. Evaluate your progress on a quarterly basis. Does something need to be tweaked? Will you be able to accomplish this task by the deadline? If not, adjust the completion date. It’s ok to change the date. After all, these are your goals- prioritize & re-define them. Understand that the items on your list may shift or be eliminated in portion or completely. It’s ok to have an item carry over from a previous quarter/year.

The goal is to have a more productive and successful year than the previous. Getting organized is a step in the right direction.