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I NTERNATIONAL A SSOCIATION

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A Newsletter for Office Professionals N ANAIMO C HAPTER

F EBRUARY 2013

P RESIDENT ’ S M ESSAGE Greetings everyone! We had a very successful monthly meeting in January with thirtysix people in attendance. This is the most people we’ve had in the four years that I have been a member, and the feedback from our guests was very positive. It was exciting and encouraging to see so many new faces, and to hear about their studies and their careers. The guest speaker for February’s meeting is the Executive Director of Vancouver Island Counselling, Bruce Youngren. Bruce will be presenting “Balancing Our Lives in Tipsy Times.” As always, this promises to be a very valuable and pertinent topic for anyone who is juggling career and family, and I encourage you to take a look at our monthly meeting flyer for more information. February’s meeting will also include the induction ceremony of new member Katharine Lamoureux. Katharine has attended a few meetings as a guest and we are so pleased to welcome her as a member to our chapter! Linda Brandmeier, Chapter President

12 M OST P RODUCTIVE T HINGS TO S AY AT W ORK I NSTEAD OF “N O ” By Becky Gaylord We’ve all been there: tired and stressed, with a desk full of work and a calendar jammed with more to come. But, when a colleague asks for help — even if the first instinct is to say “no” — that might not be the best answer. You might need reciprocity later. The team might really need to make this client happy. Your boss might notice your extra effort. I’m not suggesting you always say “yes” at work. However, there are some productive responses besides a knee-jerk “no.” And some have benefits that will flow back to you like a lazy river full of karma. Next time, try one of these instead of “no…” 1. “Let’s see what it entails” This is not only a reasonable response, but it’s also an effective one. It helps focus the discussion on the outcome desired and some of the resources required to make that happen. 2. “Is it a priority?” This ramps up the scrutiny of the question in #1. But, again, it’s reasonable and not negative,

N ANAIMO C HAPTER E XECUTIVE 2012 / 2013  President: Linda Brandmeier  Vice President: Michelle Connolly  Treasurer: Lorraine Markin  Recording and Correspondence Secretary: Kristin Houvenaeghel COMMITTEE CHAIRS  Flyers / Newsletter / Education / Meeting Coordinator: Kristin Houvenaeghel  Historian: Lorraine Markin  Membership: Michelle Connolly  Ways & Means: TBD NEXT MEETING:  February 13, 2013 Balancing Our Lives in Tipsy Times Presenter: Bruce Youngren Location: ABC Restaurant in the Days Inn CHECK OUT OUR WEBSITE:

www.iaap-nanaimo.org

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like “no” is. 3. “…and why is it a priority?” Now, this query gets at the heart of things. It helps focus the analysis on whether the task or project really is crucial. Certainly, it might be. But, then again, it might not. Probe the “why.” 4. “How does this fit with our other projects?” A more nuanced way to assess the importance of the task at hand, asking this helps uncover how the work fits into the bigger picture. And it never hurts to take a step back and check on that. 5. “Can it be broken into smaller pieces and given to a team?” With this approach, you show you want to help brainstorm a solution. You’re not offering your own effort, yet, but you are showing an empathetic tone and giving helpful input. 6. “Can it be done on a different schedule?” This approach is similar to #5, but the question is different. 7. “What do we need to accomplish the task?” With this response, you are almost suggesting that you will help. But you are trying first to nail down precisely what’s needed to get the job done. 8. “I can help (say when)” Here, you are offering qualified support. State clearly when you can help to avoid confusion. 9. “I can give you (describe it) kind of support” This response is a different version of #8. It’s helpful. But it’s also not unqualified, unlimited help. Be specific with the skills you are willing to lend. 10. “Let me think about how I can help” While some might think of this as a stalling tactic, getting a chance to contemplate the challenge and what you can offer might spark some great ideas. Take a moment to reflect and get back to your colleague (unless you’re being asked to help co -workers escape from a burning building!). 11. “Yes, but…” With this response, you’re clearly giving help, but you’re still making clear how you’re framing the assistance. Maybe it’s something like this: “I can help but I need to be done by 5:00.” Or, “I can make those calls for you, but I can’t do the research, as well.” 12. “Yes!” This one is pretty straightforward. The situation, the client or other circumstances might prompt you to, simply, say: “Yes!” Bosses and co-workers (and often clients) notice those who say yes. So, fear not that your effort will be invisible. The yes-sayers are also the folks who get the most willing partners on the projects they seek a helping hand on, as well. Doubt me? Say “yes,” and you’ll see! The point is, when you’re asked to help at work, there are at least a dozen things to say besides, simply, “no.” I’ve found that saying yes at work to projects or helping colleagues or pitching in at a deadline usually pays dividends at some point.

27 T RICKS TO G ET T HINGS D ONE F ASTER , B ETTER AND M ORE E ASILY By Dustin Wax 1. Most Important Tasks (MITs): At the start of each day (or the night before) highlight the three or four most important things you have to do in the coming day. Do them first. If you get nothing else accomplished aside from your MITs, you’ve still had a pretty productive day. 2. Inbox Zero: Decide what to do with every email you get, the moment you read it. If there’s something you need to do, either do it or add it to your to do list and delete or file the email. If it’s something you need for reference, file it. Empty your email inbox every day. 3. Wake up earlier: Add a productive hour to your day by getting up an hour earlier — before everyone else starts imposing on your time.

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4. One In, One Out: Avoid clutter by adopting a replacement-only standard. Every time you but something new, you throw out or donate something old. For example, you buy a new shirt, you get rid of an old one. (Variation: One in, Two Out — useful when you begin to feel overwhelmed by your possessions.) 5. Get more sleep: Sleep is essential to health, learning, and awareness. Research shows the body goes through a complete sleep cycle in about 90 minutes, so napping for less than that doesn’t have the same effect that real sleep does (although it does make you feel better). Get 8 hours a night, at least. Learn to see sleep as a pleasure, not a necessary evil or a luxury. 6. Eat the Frog: Do your most unpleasant task first. Based on the saying that if the first thing you do in the morning is eat a frog, the day can only get better from then on. 7. Slow Down: Make time for yourself. Eat slowly. Enjoy a lazy weekend day. Take the time to do things right, and keep a balance between the rush-rush world of work and the rest of your life. 8. Time Boxing: Assign a set amount of time per day to work on a task or project. Focus entirely on that one thing during that time. Don’t worry about finishing it, just worry about giving that amount of undivided attention to the project. (Variation: fixed goals. For example, you don’t get up until you’ve written 1,000 words, or processed 10 orders, or whatever.) 9. Handle Everything Once: Don’t set things aside hoping you’ll have time to deal with them later. Ask yourself “What do I need to do with this” every time you pick up something from your email list, and either do it, schedule it for later, defer it to someone else, or file it. 10. Review: Schedule a time with yourself every week to look over what you’ve done that week and what you want to do the next week. Ask yourself if there are any new projects you should be starting, and if what you’re working on is moving you closer to your goals for your life. 11. Flow: The flow state happens when you’re so absorbed in whatever you’re doing that you have no awareness of the passing of time and the work just happens automatically. It’s hard to trigger consciously, but you can create the conditions for it by allowing yourself a block of uninterrupted time, minimizing distractions, and calming yourself. 12. Do It Now: Fight procrastination by adopting “do it now!” as your mantra. Limit yourself to 60 seconds when making a decision, decide what you’re going to do with every input in your life as soon as you encounter it, learn to make bold decisions even when you’re not really sure. Keep moving forward. 13. Structured Procrastination: A strategy of recognizing and using one’s procrastinating tendencies to get stuff done. Items at the top of top of the list are avoided by doing seemingly less difficult and less important tasks further down the list — making the procrastinator highly productive. The trick is to make sure the items at the top are apparently urgent — with pressing deadlines and apparently large consequences. But, of course, they aren’t really all that urgent. Structured procrastination requires a masterful skill at self-deception, which fortunately bigtime procrastinators excel at. 14. Gap Time: The little blocks of time we have during the day while waiting for the bus, standing in line, waiting for a meeting to start, etc. Have a list of small, 5-minute tasks that you can do in these moments, or carry something to read or work on to make the most of these spare minutes. 15. Habits: Habits are as much about the way we see and respond to the world as about the actions we routinely take. Examine your own habits and ask what they say about your relation to the world — and what would have to change to create a worldview in which your goals were attainable. 16. Triggers: Place meaningful reminders around you to help you remember, as well as to help create better habits. For example, put the books you need to take back to the library in front of the door, so you can’t leave the house without seeing them and remembering they need to go back. 17. Unclutter: Clutter is anything that’s out of place and in the way. IT’s not necessarily neatness — someone can have a rigorously neat workspace and not be able to get anything done. It’s being able to access what you need, when you need

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it, without breaking the flow of your work to find it. Figure out what is “clutter” in your working and living spaces, and fix that. 18. Visualize: Imagine yourself having accomplished your goals. What is your life like? Are you who you want to be? If not, rethink your goals. If so, then visualize yourself taking the steps you need to take to get there. You’ve got yourself a plan; write it down and do it. 19. Tickler File: A set of 43 folders, labeled 1 – 31 and January – December, used to remind us of tasks we need to do on a specific day. For instance, if you have a trip on March 23rd, you’d put your itinerary, tickets, and other material in the “March” folder. At the start of each month, you move the previous month’s folder to the back. On March 1st, you’d transfer your travel information into the “23″ folder. Each day, you move the previous day’s folder to the back. On the 23rd, the “23″ folder will be at the front, and everything you need that day will be there for you. 20. Templates: Create templates for repetitive tasks, like letters, customer reply emails, blog posts, etc. 21. Checklists: When planning any big task, make a checklist so you don’t forget the steps while in the busy middle part of doing it. Keep your checklists so you can use them next time you have to do the same task. 22. No: Learning to say “no” — to new commitments, to interruptions, to anything — is one of the most valuable skills you can develop to keep you focused on your own commitments and give you time to work on them. 23. Purge: Regularly go through your existing commitments and get rid of anything that is either not helping you advance your own goals or is a regular “sink” of time or energy. 24. 50-30-20: Spend 50% of your working day on tasks that advance your long-term, life goals, spend 30% on tasks that advance your middle-term (2-years or so) goals, and the remaining 20% on things that affect only the next 90 days or so. 25. Timer: Tell yourself you will work on a project or task, and only that project or task, for a set amount of time. Set a timer (use a kitchen timer, or use a countdown timer on your computer), and plug away at your work. When the timer goes off, you’re done — move on to the next project or task. 26. Do Your Worst: Give yourself permission to suck. Relieve the pressure of needing to achieve perfection in every task on the first run. Promise yourself you’ll go back and fix any problems later, but for now, just run wild. 27. Make an Appointment with Yourself: Schedule time every week or so just for you. Consider the state of your life: what’s working? What isn’t working? what mistakes are you making? what could you change? Give yourself a chance to get to know you. Exhibiter List: Arbonne; Mitchell Pros-

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