Project Management

Going from admin to app builder

In four years working as a virtual assistant from Sydney, Australia, Bronwen O’Brien grew frustrated with software that wasn’t meeting her busy business’s needs, so she went out and gathered information about developing something better. She eventually decided to partner with Blue Chili to create her app DigitialSorbet.

Two cures for procrastination

You don't want to do it, you don't know how to do it or you can't imagine when you'll find time to do it. Whatever your excuse for procrastinating, here are two ways to overcome it.

Even more uses for color coding

Look beyond your file folders to organize by color in your office. If you already place urgent papers in a red folder for the boss and all your forms for the accounting department in a green folder, add these steps.

Power through any task

When you’re feeling overwhelmed by the enormity of the project in front of you, remind yourself that you need only do one small part of it at a time. If you can finish one small part, you can move on to the next small part.

Are you someone who can't say no?

It doesn’t help anyone if you say “yes” to every project while knowing you can’t possibly complete all the work. How can you set boundaries more assertively with your boss, without coming across as incapable or rude, when you're asked to take on yet another assignment? 7 tips:

3 ways to save an unproductive day

It’s easy enough to reach the midpoint of a workday and realize that you haven’t accomplished what you’d hoped. But you can still salvage the day. Three strategies for making progress on a critical project:

Reduce the load one column at a time

Fifty percent of a company’s paperwork can usually be eliminated, without disrupting business. How can you help reduce the distraction of unnecessary paper piles?

How am I so productive?

Jasmine Freeman’s job as chief executive assistant to Joan Burge at Office Dynamics keeps her busy supporting Burge’s day-to-day work and de­­veloping social me­­dia to support the business. A number of tools help her “keep on top of things”:

Ditch PowerPoint for ... flip charts?

Switzerland’s Anti-PowerPoint Party is seeking support for a national referendum to ban the use of PowerPoint. Author Matthias Poehm believes PowerPoint is the wrong tool for making an effective presentation. His advice? Go back to using a flip chart.

4 tips on how to set measurable goals

You can’t manage what you don’t measure. This old management adage ex­­plains why most bosses want administrative professionals to create measurable goals. But how do you measure results in a job that’s often about responding to others’ needs?

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