Monday, March 01, 2010
Paperless Office, Where are You?
Interesting insights contained on http://www.mindjack.com/: “Tiffany Wilken in her essay on the myth of the paperless office reiterates, ‘paper usage seems to be increasing, rather than decreasing. What gives?’ Though we take advantage of digital technology for info-searchs, email, chats, and games, we don't quite trust it. We've all been burned by our computers at one time or another. In the back of our minds is the haunting doubt, ‘What if my computer crashes and I lose all my files?’ A hardcopy back-up still feels safer than something on hard-disk. “The major obstacle to reaching the paperless office may be sociotechnical, according to a report funded by the Electronic Document Systems Foundation. People like the smell of opening a book. We may simply prefer paper…” ! Labels: information safety, modern life, office, paper, technology
Tuesday, January 26, 2010
Temptation Over the Top
More 23 million American workers may be fooling around on the jobs most of their day. They use company time to play on the computer, search for new jobs, and communicate with friends. Could it be that having too many information and communication sources at one’s fingertips is too great a temptation? Labels: computers, office, temptation, time management
Friday, January 08, 2010
Blackberry = Freedom?
How telling! Fours year ago this observation appeared in Men's Health: “ You rush out and buy a Blackberry thinking that you'll be able to email and phone people from wherever you happen to be. Suddenly, everywhere will be your office. Within about a week the reality sets in. You're fiddling with the thing all day long, including right before you go to bed. It would be a useful device if you'd turn it off at about 6 p.m. and didn't turn it on again until about 8 a.m., but that's never going to happen.” Labels: cell phones, email, health, lifestyle, office, technology
Sunday, November 29, 2009
Twelve Years of Inundation
"The average Fortune 1000 worker already is sending and receiving approximately 178 messages and documents each day, according to a study, "Managing Corporate Communications in the Information Age." (Boles, 1997 “Help! Information overload.” Workforce Magazine) Labels: email, information overload, magazines, office, study
Wednesday, October 14, 2009
Boycott Multitasking
Just for today, give yourself the benefit of working on one thing at a time. You may have to switch gears, such as when the boss comes in, the important phone call comes through, or you receive a message that requires immediate action, but when you switch gears, switch them entirely: give your complete and undivided attention to the pressing issue at hand. All told, this is the most effective way to work and you'll be your happiest. Meanwhile, if you notice yourself falling into patterns that resemble multi-tasking, try these solutions: * Take a 15-minute break once during the morning, once during the afternoon. * Don't eat at your desk, get away so that you can recharge your battery. * Invest in equipment or technology that offers you a significant return, i.e. pays for itself within one year or less, and saves at least two hours a week of your time. * Hold regular meetings with your team to discuss how everyone can be more efficient, without multi-tasking. Focus on the big picture of what you're all trying to accomplish. Often, new solutions to old problems will emerge and activities that seem urgent can be viewed from a broader prospective. * Furnish your offices with plants, pictures, and art or decoration that inspires creativity and hold brain thinking. Labels: effectiveness, efficiency, multi-tasking, office, task management, technology
Thursday, August 06, 2009
Interruptions Lower IQs
From an article in New Scientist magazine, April, 30 2005: The next time your boss complains you are not focused enough, blame it on email and phone calls. Even smoking dope has less effect on your ability to concentrate on the task in hand. At least that's what Glenn Wilson, a psychiatrist King's College London, found when he and his team asked 80 volunteers to carry out problem-solving tasks, first in a quiet environment and then while being bombarded with emails and phone calls. Despite being told to ignore the interruptions, the average IQ of the volunteers dropped by about 10 points. Not everyone was equally affected - men were twice as distracted as women. Studies have also shown that IQs of people high on pot drop by only 5 points. "If left unchecked, 'infomania' will damage a worker's performance by reducing their mental sharpness," says Wilson. "This is a very real and widespread phenomenon." Information overload can reduce a person's ability to focus as much as losing a night's sleep can, he adds. Labels: distraction, mind, multi-tasking, office, performance, study
Thursday, July 27, 2006
Terminated for Email Violations
What type of information are you sending? In 2003, 22 percent of employers reported they had terminated an employee for violating e-mail rules, according to an e-mail survey from the ePolicy Institute and American Management Association. Labels: email, employment, information, office, work
Monday, July 17, 2006
Antidotes to Racing the Clock
A read says, “No matter how conscious I am of saving time throughout the day, I still find myself racing the clock. What, if anything, am I doing wrong? Answer: Consider the following example: any one-hour activity that you undertake in the course of the day will consume one solid year out of the next 24 years of your life. One hour is to 24 hours as one year is to 24 years. With this realization, consider the cumulative effects of reading junk mail for only 30 minutes a day, or of spending 15 minutes a day in line at the bank which could be avoided if you judiciously used mail, phone, or email services. Make each 30 or even 15 minute segment count. Labels: office, priority setting, saving time, time management
Friday, April 07, 2006
The Strain of Cellphone Use
HealthDayNews.com: Cell phones and pagers, part of the technological revolution that was supposed to liberate everyone, is tethering people to their jobs to an unprecedented degree, to the point where family life is suffering. The study limited the blame to cell phones and pages, and not computer-based communication such as e-mail. Cell phones and pagers were linked to increased psychological distress and reduced family satisfaction for both sexes. The research, by University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee sociologist Noelle Chesley, appears in the December issue of the Journal of Marriage and Family. "The use of cell phones and pagers was linked to increased distress and a decrease in family satisfaction over time," said Chesley, an assistant professor of sociology. "There is clearly a link between using the technology and experiencing increased access."
Labels: family life, happiness, health, office, quality of life, stress, technology
Tuesday, April 04, 2006
Background Checks
When you need information on a business or person, background checks can be done from $0 to $125 through: Credit bureaus County business records Marriage and divorce records Clipping services State and federal court records Bankruptcy court Municipal and county real estate deeds Labels: background checks, office, resources, tips
Thursday, October 27, 2005
Ads that Make Me Sick
“Quick, the boss is coming!” “Hide any open window in an instant with the touch of a button with HideWin. With this free program, you can assign each and every utility currently running a Hot Key, which will completely remove or restore a window on your screen. It even disappears from your Task Bar! Too cool! Learn more and download this today!” In other words, goof off all day, hide your activities, and later claim that you’re overwhelmed at work. Labels: advertisement, office, services, tasks, technology, temptation
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