Wednesday, July 23, 2008

Keep the Professional in Summer

We have been doing lots of things to have fun this summer, but in the world of work, don’t forget to keep the professionalism alive. Nothing says, “sitting back and goofing off,” like inappropriate dress, language, and work habits. Here are tips to keep the professionalism in your job:

  • Read a good book, such as The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen R. Covey. It’s an oldie, but goody.
  • Dive into a dreaded project as if it were a swimming pool. You can always set a timer for small increments of time (10-15 minutes) so the project does not look daunting. Breaking big projects into smaller parts keeps them from becoming overwhelming.
  • Set a routine and do frequent tasks on a specific schedule. For instance, handle phone calls between 10 a.m. and 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. and 3 p.m. or read the mail between 1 p.m. and 2 p.m. Another suggestion is to do certain tasks on specific days of the week.
  • Look for new, creative ways to do your job in order to change your perspective. Rearrange or redecorate your office so it reflects summer’s sunny disposition.
  • Smile and have fun!

1 comment:

Kris said...

I've always been a big fan of using timers to get started on a project. I'll use the kitchen timer or my cell phone depending on where I am at the time.