Time Management Tips for Employees

I don’t have to tell you that today we are being asked to do more than ever; through attrition we are inheriting more and more duties and if we don’t like it, we are pointed to the door. Time management skills are a must to have in your arsenal as you climb the ladder of success. Here are some time management tips that have helped me and will also help you:

Know your job inside and out; learn what is expected of you and the goals you are to achieve. If you don’t know where you are going, how will you know when you get there?

Time_Management

Prioritize you tasks, if you know your job you will know what is important and what can wait. Focus on first priority and everything else should fall into place.

Don’t be afraid to ask questions or ask for advice; your boss will appreciate your effort in getting an assignment finished properly and in a timely fashion. Take notes so you don’t have to ask again, make everything a learning experience.

Make lists, no matter how well trained you are in your job, constant interruptions and multitasking make us forget the simplest thing; do not rely on memory.

If your attendance is not necessary at a meeting, asked to be excused; many meetings are a waste of time.

Be honest with your supervisor, if you are having problems meeting a deadline say something, in advance of the deadline of course. Can you delegate or ask for help? Do you need more training? Maybe your time management wasn’t at its best, again make everything a learning experience.

Organize your day. Before you leave in the evening make a list of pending assignments and prioritize them so in the morning you are ready to go. Set aside time to answer emails and return phone calls. You don’t have to jump at every request. Manage your time and prioritize.

Time management is learned over time so keep your eye on the ball, focus on what is important and you will do well.

How To Say Thank You In Different Languages

I work for a greeting card company in the design department; I am not a designer but I love coming up with new ideas for card designs.  My focus this year is on GRATITUDE, being thankful for all we have and acknowledging whomever was responsible for our good fortune.  Creating products geared toward businesses, one realizes that it is the customer that deserves the thanks; without them we would not be in business.

thank you

So getting back to my idea, I thought a z-fold calendar would be the perfect place to design a thank you; something that can be displayed all year long to be sent as the company holiday greeting card. I did some research and discovered that expressing thanks in this small world would be extra special if I could do it in different languages. I felt a little like Joel Grey in Cabaret when he sang Willkommen-don’t think that song wasn’t in my head all week!

I entered the term Thank You into bablefish.com and translated into languages that were common and familiar to me; Merci (French), Gracias (Spanish), Vielen Dank (German), Grazie (Italian) for instance. Grazie is my favorite, it sounds so cool rolling off the tongue-like you really mean Thank you

How To Write A Thank You Letter

Having trouble thinking of exactly how to write a thank you letter? Well, first of all, congratulations for having such good manners! Secondly, just say how you feel. Maybe it is easier for you to start with an outline; remember who, what, when, where and how from grammar school?

Gracious Thank You Card

• Who gave you the gift? (very important to personalize)
• What was the gift? (nice to mention in the letter again to make more personal)
• When was it given? (for which occasion)
• Where was the gift given? (was it a party?)
• How will you use the gift? (mention what the gift meant to you)

Dear Aunt Betty,

Thank you for the ear buds you gave me for my birthday. I will remember you every time I plug in to listen to my favorite tunes. It was wonderful seeing you at my party and look forward to seeing you again soon.

Love,
Your Niece Barbie

Also, keep in mind what not to do.

• Do not write a generic thank you letter and Xerox it for mass mailing.
• Do not go on and on, just get to the point and write a sincere thank you letter.
• Do not sound phony. If you don’t like the gift you can thank the giver for their thoughtfulness and generosity.
• Do not wait too long so send your thank you note

Get Well Messages To Write In A Card

It is difficult to know the right words to write in get well cards, but sending cards to someone who is battling an illness is so important to keep their spirits up. The tone you choose to you write with is dependant on who the person is to you, a close friend, a co-worker, a member of the family. Most importantly is to find out the nature of the illness; this will make your choice of words a little easier. For example, a broken foot is less serious than heart surgery. I had a very close call recently when I was sending my father-in-law a get well card and neglected to read the preprinted verse. He was terminally ill and inside was a cheery wish for a speedy recovery. Thankfully I had the sense to look before I mailed the card.

Sunny Hopes and Well Wishes Get Well Card

Here are some suggestions for get well messages to write in a card:

• I am so sorry to hear that you’ve been ill
• I’m wishing you the very best during your recovery
• I hope you’re doing well and are on the road to recovery
• You are in my thoughts/prayers
• Best wishes for a speedy recovery

It is also important to remember what you shouldn’t write as well:

• Don’t compare illnesses
• Do not tell stories you heard about the hospital, doctor or your Aunt Jane who had sort of the same thing
• Don’t let the tone of your message be morose or sad
• Don’t tell them there are people who have it much worse

A short, simple message is all you need to convey your feelings.