April 2009 - Posts

Admin's Assistant
Wednesday, April 01, 2009 12:14 AM

 

Productivity tips: How to file

Is lack of organization high on your list of things you wish you could improve about your workspace? Becoming organized can be a real chore, but once a solid filing system is in place, the benefits are endless. Setting up a filing system may sound difficult but it can be a relatively easy task that can be made easier by following a few filing suggestions.

 

Take a few minutes and figure out where you naturally look for things
Sit down at your primary workspace and reach for equipment, supplies and files—this will help you establish the ideal spot for filing items.

 

Determine whether an alphabetical, numerical or subject filing system will work best for you

Do you search for things by name or by reference number? This is an important step because it will determine how you will lay out your system. Do this before you purchase anything for your filing system.

 

Determine your storage needs

Do you have a large number of files that you access on a daily, weekly or monthly basis? This will determine if you need a desktop file holder, a file cabinet nearby or a file cabinet across the room—many options exist, so choose wisely, and be sure to allow for expansion.

 

Invest in a good labeling system that offers simplicity and easy access

Choose file labels for clarity. It will save time in the long run. Most label companies include templates that can be used with popular software.

 

Purchase file folders

Select colored hanging file folders. Using colored hanging folders is great for two reasons: availability and ease of recognition. They’re offered in letter and legal sizes just about everywhere supplies are sold, and color-coding lets you roughly see where to start searching for a particular file.

Keep it simple when creating your filing system so it’s easy to use and easy to expand, and it will eliminate the need to upgrade or reorganize on a regular basis.

Information from about.com and essortment.com

Do you have any filing tips to share? Let us know and we’ll share them with all the Pen Pal readers!

by tinadh | with no comments

Filed under: Admin’s Assistant

News You Can Use
Wednesday, April 01, 2009 12:12 AM

 

10 ways you can help save the planet 

This is not a drill – it's really happening. We're going green, and there's no turning back. So what realistic, everyday things – way more easy than installing solar panels on your roof and buying a hybrid car – can you do to lighten your carbon footprint? Glamour magazine's article "57 Little Ways to Save the Planet" lays it all out. Here are 10 things you can start doing right now.

1. Ride your bike or walk.
   I envy those who live close enough to bike to work. If that's not your bag, try biking or walking to the store, especially if you only need a few things. Get a basket for your bike or a pushcart for walking. Don't worry about how you look – it’s for the environment.  
    
2. Get electronic bank statements and bills.
   Not only would this save trees and wood (2.3 million tons every year, according to the article), it would also prevent the release of 3.9 billion pounds of harmful greenhouse gases created  during production of the paper.
    
3. Carry a reusable water bottle.
   Reusing these bottles instead of buying a case of water every week keeps plastic out of landfills, and it's safer than refilling a regular plastic water bottle (they get germy after a while). Fill your reusable bottle with tap water – filtered, if your city's water is questionable.
    
4. Wash your clothes in cold water.
   Unless your clothes are super dirty, cold water should be sufficient – and it will hold the colors longer. Energy used to heat the water emits tons of carbons into the atmosphere, contributing to the greenhouse gases that cause global warming.
    
5. Bag your groceries in a reusable tote.
   Plastic bags clog landfills (not to mention they look sad tangled in trees) and paper bags take more energy to make. Tote bags are simple space and energy savers, and a lot of grocery stores now sell their own.
    
6. Use a power strip for electronics and appliances.
   Even though your electronics are turned off, as long as they're plugged in they're still using power. Cut the wasteful energy by plugging everything into one power strip that can be turned off.
    
7. Buy local.
   Getting your produce from local farmers or other goods from local crafters not only supports the little guys and your community, it also cuts down on transportation pollution and pollution from mass production.
    
8. Don't drive like a maniac.
   Keep a steady speed-limit pace and you can improve your fuel efficiency by 30%, according to Glamour's report. This means don't lay on the gas, don't brake every two seconds, and don't cut in and out of traffic like you're in a Formula One race.
    
9. Turn down your heat and air conditioning.
   To reduce the amount of carbon dioxide released by households every year, experts recommend setting your thermostat to 68°F in the winter and 76°F in the summer. If you find these temperatures uncomfortable, you can easily adjust by putting on a sweater or wearing fewer clothes.
    
10. Use the whole sheet of paper.
    Think of how much paper we'd save if just students alone used single spacing and printed on both sides. If everyone did this, according to the article, we'd use 75% less paper than we do now. Decrease the margin size! Go crazy!

 

In what ways are you saving the planet?

by tinadh | with no comments

Filed under: News You Can Use

Climbing the Ladder
Wednesday, April 01, 2009 12:12 AM

How to get over procrastination on the job 

With spring in the air, it’s easy to get distracted at work. Just glancing out the window could send your mind daydreaming about warm spring days and enjoyable outdoor activities. This distraction can make procrastination a real problem for many of us while at work. Putting off one project here and another report there can really add up! Below are some causes of procrastination and how to get over it.

1. It has to be perfect!
   One of the most common reasons people procrastinate is because they worry that it will fall short of their own high standards. Expecting perfection is a setup for failure because – with very few exceptions – everything can always be improved in some way or another. Remind yourself that it’s OK to be human, and doing the best you can is good enough. 
    
2. Too much dreaming!
   Some of us can come up with a great idea but then find it difficult to create a clear plan of action. Bosses are often pleased with these grand ideas at first, but are later frustrated with the lack of results. Create a step-by-step plan for bringing your ideas to life before presenting them to anyone. 
    
3. It’s too much work!
   When you consider all the myriad details of completing a large project, it can be overwhelming – and de-motivating. Instead, concentrate on just one small step at a time, and avoid thinking about the long road ahead. When you finish each step, enjoy it for what it is – a real accomplishment! After enough of these little accomplishments, your large project will complete itself.
    
4. They’re making me do it!
   If you feel like you’re being forced do something against your will, sometimes the natural response is to rebel by putting it off. Remember that you don't ever have to do anything you don’t want to do. Yes, there will be consequences if you don’t do it, but that applies to every choice you make in life. Forget about the consequences and instead freely choose to do it because you want to see it done!

What things cause you to procrastinate on the job?

by tinadh | with no comments

Filed under: Climbing the Ladder

Renew You!
Wednesday, April 01, 2009 12:10 AM

 

Ways to combat stress

 

These days it seems like everyone has something to be stressed about: money, the economy, job security, our families, our health and safety. Stress comes to us in two different forms: good and bad. Good stress keeps us focused and alert. It's what allows people to think clearly in dangerous or difficult situations. This type of stress is eliminated when the situation is over. Bad stress causes poor judgment and can lead to exhaustion and injury. Unfortunately, bad stress takes longer to relieve and most often requires direct attention.

 

Physical and emotional signs of stress are fairly easy to detect. A few signs of stress include: headache, clenched jaw, upset stomach, chest pains, mood swings, inability to concentrate and depression, as well as changes in your behavior, such as over or under eating, decreased productivity and angry outbursts.

 

Multi-tasking is a way of life for most of us. While it can help you get a number of things done at once, thereby freeing up some of your time, multi-tasking can also work against you. Doing too much at once can cause more stress on you. If you're noticing signs of stress, you should scale back on some of your tasks and focus only on the one that's causing you the most stress. If necessary, take a moment to step away from everything and let your head clear.

 

The phrase "stop and smell the roses" isn't just a cliché; it’s also a great way to combat stress. If you notice that your body is tensing up, your heart is pounding and your mind is racing, take a moment to enjoy the little things in life. You should also focus on breathing calmly and concentrate on relaxing any part of your body that is feeling tension.

 

Stress has a tendency to build up and get worse the longer you ignore it. Find a good time and place to vent frustrations and express what's making you feel stressed. Talking to a friend or family member or exercising is a great way to relieve stress!

 

What in your life causes you stress? How do you relieve it?

by tinadh | with no comments

Filed under: Renew You!

The Giving Tree
Wednesday, April 01, 2009 12:08 AM

 

Kids Who Care Foundation 

When children are sick in the hospital, who would know better what they’re going through than another child who’s been there?  In March of 2004, a girl named Risha was just 7 years old when she underwent an auto islet cell transplant for chronic pancreatitis.  She spent a very long time in the hospital staring at the blank, white walls and she realized other kids were probably facing the same problem.

 

Risha decided to create the Kids Who Care Foundation. The goals of this non-profit organization are to bring joy and cheer to kids undergoing major surgeries and who have chronic diseases like pancreatitis, to enable parents to share their child’s progress with family and friends online for free, and to provide education and support groups for children and their families. All of the programs offered by the foundation are free, and they are open to all children and their families no matter their medical condition.

 

With the help of friends, neighbors and her sister, Risha makes “quilt cards” for other sick children to help brighten their hospital room walls. The volunteers who help Risha make the cards are part of the Kids Who Care Club. The club’s Web site, http://www.kidswhocareclub.org/, is an interactive site for children and parents. Some special features of the Web site include a “My Journal” program: parents can keep a journal, upload pictures, and send messages online for free. Information about pancreatitis, and a support network for families dealing with this disease, can also be found on the Web site.

 

To learn how to make a quilt card, to request a quilt card to be sent to a child, or to learn how you can volunteer to help the Kids Who Care Foundation, visit http://www.kidswhocareclub.org/.

by tinadh | with no comments

Filed under: The Giving Tree

Ask the Expert
Wednesday, April 01, 2009 12:04 AM

 

Company Recycling  

By Dan Lemke, Quill Facilities Manager

 

In honor of Earth Day on April 22, the Pen Pal asked Quill’s Facilities Manager, Dan Lemke, to share some details on how Quill does their part to save the planet by recycling.

• Realize that it costs money to throw things away. We can reduce those costs by reducing our garbage through recycling. At Quill, we look at everything that goes into the garbage. For example, 25 years ago, Quill did not have a recycling program. Our warehouse compactor was picked up every other day (about 13 times per month). At $400 a pull, today it would be costing us $5,200 per month! Through recycling we have reduced that to two pulls per month, costing us only $800. 
  
  
• We get paid about $5,000 per month for our recyclables. We have bins for aluminum cans, plastic bottles, ink cartridges and cell phones and encourage everyone to recycle these items. The top money makers are cardboard and paper.
  
  
• We work with several recycling companies and use the one that will give us the best price on a certain item.
  
  
• We have some recyclables for which we don’t get paid. One example is plastic bottles. We continue to recycle these to help the environment and reduce our garbage costs. 
  
  
• We try to use products made from recycled materials whenever possible. For example, all of the paper products in our restrooms are made from recycled materials. By using products like these, we increase the demand for recycled goods.

Tell us about steps your company takes to recycle!

by tinadh | with no comments

Filed under: Ask the Expert

Editor's Note
Wednesday, April 01, 2009 12:02 AM

 

So many of our Pen Pal readers are administrative professionals, it’s only fitting that I dedicate this month’s Editor’s Note to you! While April may bring showers and May flowers, it also ushers in a day to honor you and all your hard work—Administrative Professionals Day on April 22!

 

The economy might be in a tailspin, but the role of the administrative professional seems to be on solid ground. According to U.S. Department of Labor statistics, today there are more than 4.1 million admins working in the United States and by 2016, 362,000 administrative positions are expected to be added. Hooray!

 

Along with the increase in numbers, your role has also changed considerably over the years, which has just added to your value. You’re often called on to write and distribute information, organize meetings, participate in group projects, order office equipment, train new employees and utilize all the latest tech gadgets to keep your company on top of its game. You’ve essentially become the communication hub of your organization. That’s worth a round of applause! 

 

So the entire staff here at the Pen Pal would like to thank you for all you do to keep our businesses running smoothly. You’re an essential part of every company. Happy Administrative Professionals Day!

 

Does your employer recognize Administrative Professionals Day? How will you be thanked this year?

by tinadh | with no comments

Filed under: Editor's Note