Time Management

Considering the popularity and accessibility of Facebook, it was only a matter of time before it significantly influenced the way we work—and not always in beneficial ways. Companies and brands use Facebook as a social media platform on which to build armies of dedicated fans and consumers who enthusiastically align themselves with certain products. Facebook is an excellent business tool. However, when it comes to productivity, Facebook poses a number of challenges for both employees and employers.

• How to Negotiate at Work [Jobacle]
• Choosing Between Money and Doing What You Love [HBR.org]
• How to Move Up in a Small Business [Glass Door]
• A Look at Wasting Time in the Workplace [Benzinga.com]
• How Charisma Can Help (or Hurt) You at Work [Fast Company]

Efficiency is the hallmark of any successful office professional. The virtues of being organized, diligent and expeditious are how true professionals advance their careers. Time management is critical to work ethic because it demonstrates the ability to make tough decisions and prioritize responsibilities. Even the most dedicated employee won’t go far without the ability to streamline their workload and assign their precious time to competing interests.

Time management is all about being organized. That, of course, is easier said than done. Even our best efforts to keep our cubicles and lives uncluttered can be easily thwarted by the onslaught of responsibilities that consume us every day. Those stacks of paper pile up on our desks, obscuring that important Post-it Note reminding us that there is a meeting we should have been in 15 minutes ago.

“Reply all,” “copy,” and “forward” are wonderful features -- when used sparingly. “We’re always doubling and tripling the number of emails we send to people without really thinking how they are piling up in their inboxes,” says Laura Stack, president of the time-management consulting firm The Productivity Pro in Denver, Colo. “We forward messages to people or suddenly add them into an email thread that has been going back and forth between other people and now they have to read the entire thread.”

In an ideal world we’d all know what we want to do with our lives at a very early age. We’d turn 18 and suddenly have an epiphany about our careers, and then pursue that career path with vigor, passion and focus. But the truth is most of us don’t figure out what we want to do until later in life—much, much later for some. And there is no shame in this.

Many office professionals find themselves frustrated by their careers because they see professional happiness as a destination and not a journey. Don’t mistake rights of passage, professional milestones and financial finish lines for having “made it” in a career. Remember that graduating from business school, landing that first dream job and earning that long-awaited promotion are not the ultimate fruition of your time and energy. Enjoy those moments, of course, but reflect on them and treat them for what they are: moments.

• How to Make the Most of the Extra Day This Year [MainStreet.com]
• Are Daily Routines Destroying You Career? [Jobacle]
• Tips for Getting Paid What You’re Really Worth [Forbes.com]
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You do crossword puzzles. You’re a sudoku fanatic. You were the first person in your third grade class to memorize all 50 states. You’ve always had a sharp mind, quick wit and could rattle off the lyrics to your favorite songs without even thinking. You’re not the type of person who forgets that there is a meeting at 2:30pm today. And then you receive a call that the package you overnighted to an important client never arrived.

Seems like we’re all busier than ever these days. Your to-do list is a mile long, and there never seems to be enough hours in the day to get everything done. To try and help you accomplish more and work more efficiently, we’ll be sharing a productivity tip every week.