Documentation plays an important part in Information Technology. Work instructions, help desk scripts, knowledge bases, and vendor instructions are only a few examples. The key to writing good technical documentation is in the format of the document. No matter how good the information is, if it is not well formatted it can be difficult to use. Documentation should be easy to read, easy for the … [Read more...]
The Office Politics of Email
Email has become the de facto standard for business communications. It is on our desktop, our laptop and our phone. For this reason email has become the new form of “on the record” types of communications within organizations, thus like everything else subject to politics. Office politics within an organization seems to be an unavoidable part of the job. Many have an agenda, turf to protect or … [Read more...]
13 of the Worst Email Mistakes Made at Work
Doing research for another post I ran across a survey where people were asked if they had ever sent out an email message to the wrong person or copied someone by mistake. Not surprisingly seventy-eight percent of the respondents answered yes they had. I am sure we all have sent out emails by mistake. I have used the recall button more than once, but usually because I forgot to include an … [Read more...]
Management Tools – Time and Problem Management Simplified
If you are an active manager, always on the go or away from your desk I have an invaluable tool to help you with time and problem management. A pen and a pocket list. It is a very simplified “Getting Things Done” system, and very useful for active managers. The concept is simple. Take a standard sheet of paper, fold it once and then again into a nice neat square. You will end up with four easy … [Read more...]
Top Ten Personal Productivity and GTD Web Sites
Time is something we can never get enough of. Knowing how to make the best use of your time will allow you to become more productive and leave more time to enjoy the things you would rather be doing. Personal productivity, life hacks and “Getting Things Done” are all terms used to describe methods of becoming more productive at work, at home and in your personal life. Following on my concept … [Read more...]
Place Your Outlook Calendar on Your Desktop
Outlook on the Desktop is a neat little utility that embeds a fully functional transparent Outlook calendar on your desktop. You can easily view your appointments on your desktop and since it is a functional Outlook calendar, you can interact with it. You can also have multiple Microsoft Outlook panes pinned to your desktop such as Contacts, Inbox, Notes and Tasks. Features Places fully … [Read more...]
2009 Super Bowl Commercials
Tonight is the night. The 2009 Super Bowl will be played and millions of people will watch it to see the commercials, well and the game too. I ran across what claim to be some commercials that will be running tonight and will put up some of the better ones. Some you could say apply to IT, but hey it is the Super Bowl so I can go outside the niche just a little. Also included are a few IT … [Read more...]
An Inside Look Video of David Allen Getting Things Done
David Allen the author of Getting Things Done has a new video on YouTube. The video gives you a look around his office, his desk and his filing system. While he is unpacking from a road trip he shows us his primary capture tools and speaks a little about clearing out his inbox. He shows us his read and review files, his organization files folders, current projects folders, and his system … [Read more...]