Become More Productive and Successful at Work by Rough Guider - HTML preview

Random tips (and some fun)

There are a lot of tips and loads of advice that I've picked up during my career, some more fun than others, but all very useful when introduced into our day-to-day working lives. I think that this would be best presented in bullet point format:

• Get them out of my office or away from my desk. If someone is in your office or by your desk and you need to get rid of them you can do so without even saying anything. This is a tried and trusted method which I was taught by the Chairman of a company I used to work for. He used to do this regularly to me! So this colleague is by your desk and the conversation (which may not even be work related) has clearly come to an end from your perspective. Take the bull by the horns and stand up and walk towards your door (if you have an office) or start walking towards to kitchen, toilets or reception (or wherever) as they are still talking. If you manage to take control of the conversation even better. My experience (we're talking a 100% record here) is that your colleague will stand up when you do (a bit like when someone copies your movements on a date, that is, if they like you) and will walk with you to the door, or wherever you are going. You then simply let them carry on walking away. You meanwhile return to your desk or office as they continue towards the horizon. It does work. Please try it and perfect it.

• Organize your work space and have it looking great. The thing is, you may think you know (or you may convince yourself that you actually know) where all your important documents are, but anyone looking at your desk will sub-consciously, or indeed consciously, place you in a box (not literally, unless you are unlucky) as the type of person who can't organize a……… you know the rest. Having a smart workplace is often translated in the minds of others as being smart. Go on, put aside that hour and make the desk look terrifically organized.

• Don't get confused between hours and output. As a manager I would much rather my staff complete their daily routine within the standard office hours than burn the mid-night oil. In my mind it indicates that the person is either inefficient, or is deliberately staying late to impress me and others or truly has too much work to do. But guess what, a thirty minute conversation gets to the bottom of this very quickly. A good manager should sort this out pronto. Just remember, if the previous incumbent finished their work properly and accurately between 9 am and 5 pm why is someone else taking