Archive for the ‘Time Management’ Category

Chrome Extensions to Help You Focus

Friday, November 9th, 2012

We understand: You sit in front of your computer all day every day, typing reports, answering email messages, and creating presentations. It’s difficult to stand up to the temptation to run over to TMZ.com to catch up on the most recent celebrity news. But all those side trips to the Internet’s guilty pleasures can add up to a lot of lost time during the day. They can cut into your productivity, something your boss won’t enjoy. Fortunately, if you use the Chrome web browser, you can add several extensions intended to keep the Internet’s distractions from cutting into your workday. The Huffington Post recently took a look at the best distraction-blasting Chrome extensions. We concentrate on 4 below. Use these and you just might be surprised at how productive you can be.

Stay Focused

This neat add-on sets a timer for specific sites. As you go to the sites throughout the day the time counts down. Once it expires the add-on will block the site for the remainder of the day.

Cool Clock

Cool clock is a great add-on for Chrome if you find that you miss meetings or appointments. It comes with a clock, calendar, alarm, timer and hourly desktop time notifications. You can use this for more than just a tool to remind you about meetings. It can also remind you of important tasks you should complete.

Last Pass

Do you have a lot of passwords? Do you spend a lot of time trying to remember this one or that one? Last Pass is a Chrome add-on that tries to make this easier. It manages your online passwords for you so you do not have to fight to remember them.

Turn off the Lights

If you need to watch videos often as part of your job but get distracted easily, this extension comes in handy. Turn off the Lights dims everything else on your screen but keeps your media player bright so that you have to concentrate on the video you are watching instead of the other things you have open.

Please, I’d love to hear about your favorite extensions and tools.

Posted in Connectivity and Acess, Technology and How it's Used, Time Management, Tips and Tricks | No Comments »

Evernote: Stay Organized

Wednesday, October 3rd, 2012

Phil Libin designed Evernote to act as a second brain. At its most basic, Evernote is simply several pieces of software that store notes, photos, videos, and web pages on virtual notes. The advantage of Evernote is that as soon as you store your notes, you can search for them. Put simply, you won’t be poring through countless files on your computer looking for that chicken salad recipe. Instead, you can just log onto Evernote, search for “chicken salad,” and instantly pull up that recipe. The thing about Evernote, though is that it is so simple to operate that some users don’t dig deep enough into the program’s features. Those who don’t take the time to seriously explore this program will miss out.

Mobile

For example, you may not realize that it can sync with other devices. You can download the Evernote app onto your smartphone, tablet, and laptop. After logging into your account, Evernote will sync your devices, and will sync them frequently, so that you always have mobile access to your data.

Protect yourself

If you are like me, you save all your important information in Evernote, such as passwords. This can be troublesome if it weren’t for Evernote’s ability to encrypt data.

It is simple to do this. Just highlight the text you want, right click, and choose the “encrypt selected text” option. You will then be asked to create a password for your encryption. Now your information is safe and sound.

Outside apps

Another lesser-known feature of Evernote is that it works with outside apps. One of these being an app for the iPad called WritePad. It lets users to take hand written notes with their stylus or their finger. The user can then decide to save it directly to Evernote.

Posted in Time Management, Tips and Tricks | No Comments »

The Pitfalls of Working From Home

Friday, June 8th, 2012

Commuting to the office is a drag, and those that do it every day envy individuals who get to work from home. They don’t have to endure the hassle and cost of a commute. They don’t have to cope with a co-workers annoying habit of singing randomly and they don’t even have to get out of their pajamas if they don’t want to.

What these office workers do not understand is that working from home has its own issues. Namely, it can be hard for them to shut off their workday. It’s not abnormal for professionals who work from home to look and see that it’s midnight and they’re still writing reports. Maintaining a healthy work/life balance can prove to be a complicated balancing act for those who work from home.

However, there are things that individuals who work from home can do to remedy this for their own mental health.

  1. Set up a time for your “close of business”: Set normal working hours for yourself and stick to them. Whether you start work at 9 and stop at 5, or work from 11 to 7, ensure the hours you set do not intrude too much on your personal life. Giving up that can be very harmful. You know, all work and no play etc.
  2. Do something for yourself: When your day ends, ensure you do something for yourself. It doesn’t need to be much. Watch a TV show, work out, or read something non-work related. This habit can help you no matter when you have set your workday to end. This can be something simple: Maybe you want to take it easy on the couch and stream a few episodes of your favorite sitcom. Or it may be a bigger deal, such as a dinner date with a friend or a trip to the movies. Taking a mental break will help get you mentally out of your work.
  3. Leave the house: When you work from home you can easily end up spending the majority of your time at home. So, it’s essential to notice this is happening and leave the house. Make dinner plans with your friends or go hiking. You should do anything to make sure that you don’t go all week without leaving the house. That’s simply not healthy.

Overwork leads to stress. Whether you work from home, in an office, or out in the field, the key to holding onto your sanity is to reserve non-work time for yourself. But what if you cannot force yourself to shut off the workday? Then it might be time to consider returning to the office, where there’s always someone around to shut off the lights and chase you out of your cubicle.

Posted in Just for Fun, Time Management | No Comments »

Remote Workers and How to Manage Them Effectively

Wednesday, April 18th, 2012

A growing number of employees today work remotely. This is possible on account of advancements in technology. The rewards are many for both employee and employer. Employers can spend less money as they have less people that need space in the workplace. Employees that work remotely are often more productive; they spend less time commuting, and they have the flexibility to adjust their work around their life instead of working 9 hours straight, which can cause burnout.

Remote Worker Challenges

Remote workers and contractors do present at least one considerable challenge to employers: It can be difficult for employers to effectively monitor the hours that their workers are putting in. How do employers know, after all, if their remote employees are pounding away at their keyboards or playing Angry Birds on their smartphones all day?

By setting realistic deadlines employers can monitor their remote workers successfully. This is a change in managerial strategy; it puts the focus on the goal rather then the hours that the employee works. Ultimately, employees are the only ones who know when they work most effectively, even if it is from midnight to 4am.

Setting Remote Worker Deadlines

This could be the simplest way to monitor your remote workers. Employers could decide that a specific amount of work needs to be turned in by Friday. One other way would be to set up weekly or bi-weekly meetings via phone or video chat. To resolve any feelings of detachment some employers may ask that a remote worker spend one day a week in the office. This can help keep everyone on track and informed.

Off-Site Not a Permanent Condition

While many individuals may have the personal discipline and time management skills to effectively work remotely, some don’t. So, if an employee doesn’t work well remotely, and that has grown to be clear, remote working doesn’t have to stay permanent, it can easily be revoked. Ultimately, trust within the employee/employer relationship is among the key components of a successful remote working relationship. The employee needs to maintain that trust by hitting deadlines and delivering high quality work.

Although I can’t claim to be an expert on the subject, I do have employees that work remotely.  It has presented some of the challenges that I’ve listed above, but it’s also proven to be a positive experience for both the company and my staff.  I’d love to hear your thoughts and any experiences you may have had.

Tags:
Posted in Technology and How it's Used, Time Management, Tips and Tricks | No Comments »

The Life Impacts of Constant Connectivity

Wednesday, April 11th, 2012

Do you remember a time when you took your dog for a walk without texting, or watched a game with your friends without checking your email? It was called downtime and it was healthy for you. In this age of connectivity it appears as though that may be a thing of the past. Today having our devices with us at all times is not unusual, but is it healthy?

It’s extremely hard to argue that our gadgets—our smartphones, tablets and laptops—haven’t made our everyday life simpler. We can make dining reservations as we drive down the highway. If we’re lost, we can find directions on our smartphones. If we need recommendations on how to deal with our child’s fever, we can find medical advice by tapping the screen on our iPad.

But are we paying for this connectivity more then just monetarily? As we are always connected, we rarely, if ever, are alone with our ideas. Lots of people have wondered if this is negatively affecting the philosophical, pensive, aspect of humanity.

That is not a question we’ll explore here, but it’s something to think about. A more pressing question is, what is being continually plugged in doing to our health?

Always being connected takes its toll, whether it’s for work or for play. The human body needs time to rest, and not just when it’s asleep. If you find that you have trouble with being away from your phone, or have anxiety about not checking your mail, it may be time to shut off your devices.

While being connected helps grow relationships online it can harm ones offline. When you’re out with your friends and family members it may be good practice to unplug. It’s just too easy to text and check your email, forgetting to give the ones around you the attention they deserve.

If you are one that always has their gadget in their hand, think about how your life may being impacted by it. Try leaving it at home one day, or turning it off on the weekends. You may find that you are considerably more laid back because your brain is not focusing on more then just being present.

I know that some of this my be quite controversial and even difficult to swallow, but I would encourage you to try to “unplug” every once in an while.  What are your thoughts on the subject?

Posted in Connectivity and Acess, Facebook, Social Media, Technology and How it's Used, Time Management | No Comments »

Is Telecommuting the Future of Business or Will it Fade Out?

Friday, December 2nd, 2011

Business trends change from year to year or even month to month. One of the most debated about trends is telecommuting. There are a number of viewpoints concerning Telecommuting; unfortunately, as it is a relatively recent trend there’s not much information around it. Does it make employees more productive or not? Does it make them happier, lonelier, disconnected, or more connected? What about the cost for the company? Does it cost more or less? These are a few of the many questions businesses must consider when deciding if allowing employees to telecommute fits their company’s structure and style.

Some studies show there are incredible benefits to telecommuting. We’ve laid out several pros and cons below:

Pros

  • As people aren’t wasting time and money commuting they often work longer hours.
  • Telecommuters are less stressed when working in the comfort of their own home.
  • Employees can take advantage of their most productive hours, even if that is the middle of the night, and can modify their working hours to their daily life.
  • Telecommuting is perfect for those who do not thrive in the typical structured nine-to-five work environment.
  • Telecommuting enhances self-reliance and time management skills.
  • Telecommuting also gives employers more freedom to hire skilled individuals with no cost of moving them across the globe.
  • Telecommuting can save the employee and employer money.

Cons – the other side of the coin

  • Telecommuting can lead to burnout and resentment of the company if they work too much.
  • A lack of socialization for individuals who crave social interaction may result in depression and loneliness.
  • Telecommuting can cause a lack of motivation, as there is not a physical tie to the rest of the team.
  • Telecommuting can lead to a break down in communication due to distance.
  • Telecommuting can require a more time than usual to setup a home office.

For both manager and employee, successful telecommuting takes strong communication, time management skills, and clarity of job responsibilities. We are seeing more and more people desiring an independent working environment. But in the end, whether telecommuting will work or not, depend on the company’s culture and the employees’ mindset. Tell us what you think; will telecommuting be the way most businesses are organized in the future or will it fade out?

Tags:
Posted in Time Management, Uncategorized | No Comments »

How not to act in the office

Tuesday, September 27th, 2011

Forming a habit can be a good or a bad thing, depending on the nature of the habit. For instance, paying close attention to detail and making sure your workspace is clean and tidy are good habits to form in the office. We are all also aware of some bad habits workers can form. Research shows that any habit requires a minimum of 21 days to change. That sounds like a lot of work to put into breaking a bad habit. Wouldn’t it be easier to avoid forming the bad habit in the first place?  Here are a few bad working habits, as well as some tips on how to avoid them proactively.

Working Through Lunch

    It’s not uncommon for your day to get out of hand before noon. The fact is, sometimes working through lunch is unavoidable.
However, developing this habit can actually be detrimental to your productivity. We need to take breaks and give ourselves time to cool down and regroup. If you’re having a stressful day at the office, it’s best to take a full lunch rather than to try to power through. Try setting strict time boundaries on your lunchtime and start viewing it as its own work assignment.

Idealizing

    For most of us, the grass is always greener at another job. When we’ve had a bad day in the office, it’s easy to relive our childhood daydreams of exciting and harmful professions such as being an astronaut or firefighter.. Unfortunately, idealizing another line of work makes it difficult to be happy in your current position. Instead, try making a list of all the good things your job provides for you. Documenting each small joy will help you appreciate the job you have.

Work Time Distractions

    Comical YouTube videos and entertaining flash games are added to the Internet every minute of every day. It’s easy to waste hours of work time on these simple distractions. This is a bad habit to form, and one that should definitely be avoided. To help, schedule “small breaks” throughout the day.  Reward yourself after finishing a large project or after working solidly for several hours. Creating these time boundaries will help prevent forming a habit of being distracted.

    Forming bad habits can be easier than you’d think and breaking a bad habit can be much more difficult than you’d imagine. The next time you notice yourself slipping into any of these bad habits, take some time to consider what good habits you could form to combat them.

What habits, good or bad, have you developed?

Posted in Time Management | No Comments »

Getting More Done with What You Have

Friday, October 16th, 2009

Do you ever find that there’s more work to be done when the day is over?  We live in a fast-paced world and it seems that there’s so much to be done, and so little time to do it in.  With that in mind, I thought we spend a few minutes looking at some common pit-falls to success… we hope they help you out! (more…)

Posted in Time Management | 3 Comments »