Work Smartr » Tips

The Minimalist Workspace

J. Angelo Racoma — Mon, 24 Nov 2008 02:23:13 +0000

Len Babauta of Zen Habits has an excellent on Unclutterer on how to create a minimalist workspace. In essence, the best minimalist workspace actually involves using no tools at all, with only yourself and mind as your work “space.” However, since that is not possible for most folks, Len has a few tips on how to maximize space with minimum clutter.

Have one inbox.
Clear your desktop.
Get rid of knick knacks.
Clear the walls.
Clear your computer desktop.
Re-examine your paper needs.
Eliminate unnecessary tools.
Simplify your filing.
Go through each drawer.
Use a minimalist desk.
Clear the floor.

While most of these tips are most appropriate to folks who actually use desks for work, it can also apply to those of us who don’t. For instance, writers, bloggers or online entrepreneurs might be accustomed to bringing their laptops anywhere they go. So the trick here is to keep a clean, streamlined computer desktop with no clutter. I know I usually fall victim to a cluttered desktop, cluttered task bar and browser windows cluttered with tabs. And these are a few things I’d like to be able to fix so I can be more productive.

[via Unclutterer]

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Using Google Spreadsheets To Track Time Inputs

J. Angelo Racoma — Tue, 21 Oct 2008 08:53:45 +0000

For freelancers and telecommuters, tracking time spent on projects can be difficult or time-consuming. There are software out there you can use to do this, but sometimes these just don’t have the right features, or are too complicated to use.

Sure, you can always use spreadsheet applications, but those can be cumbersome, and you’re constrained to keeping track of stuff on just one computer.

My solution: Google Spreadsheets.

This lets me “time in” so I can easily track how much I spend on my different tasks. The columns I usually use are:

Date/Day
Start time
End time
Time spent for task
Total time for the day

– The sum of the individual tasks done for the day

Total time for the week

– The sum of the time put in for that whole week (Mon to Sun)

Total time for the month

– The sum of all time put in for a month

Sure, I do have to copy around formulas to different cells. But it’s as easy as Ctrl-C and Ctrl-V. And I do have full control!

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Work On Your Cognitive Skills

bryboy — Tue, 19 Aug 2008 10:55:43 +0000

When you apply for a job or perhaps undergo an annual evaluation, chances are you will undergo a series of tests which include tests on your various abilities. They are called the aptitude test, something that is standard in most companies.

Of course, the initial goal is to rank high although it would be best to answer them openly and honestly. It is not an exam wherein anyone passes or fails. Rather, they are exams to determine your shortcoming as a person. For one, there is no such thing as a perfect person and surely there will be some areas in our personality that need to be improved.

Ordinarily, people tend to ignore this belief and answer these tests regardless if it affects them or not. In reality, the organization or group giving these tests have nothing to lose. But on the part of the person taking them, he is depriving himself of improving areas that can help in molding him both into a better individual and professional.

Deep inside though, a person would know which areas need to be improved. People do not want to be embarrassed and hence such improvements are limited to what a person can do on his own. That may be a challenge for him personally but it would be better to authenticate first which among these areas really need attention and improvement.

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Treat Overtime Work as Milestones not Income

bryboy — Thu, 14 Aug 2008 19:21:43 +0000

There is a problem when it comes to assessing why overtime work has to be done for some people. To most, it is a means of additional income. To the superiors, it is a measure of incompetence and a sign of something wrong within the workflow process which needs to be evaluated and changed.

At times, company sections cannot help but render overtime to meet deadlines and keep the operations flowing. It is something that is critical, especially if goals are to be met by the organization. Rather than hiring additional personnel or buying new equipment such as workstations, asking identified employees to render extended hours is a need.

Overtime work done once or on an as-needed basis is acceptable. But if overtime work becomes a regular thing, it is indeed something that shows something direly wrong. Assessing each point should be done and providing various solutions to help address the solution is important.

Employees work their butt out each time. Some may like the additional pay while others may not. But as far as job scope is concerned, the best way to address flaws in a work system will be identified only with the inputs of the manpower that is caught in between these issues.

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Manage your Workload Wisely

bryboy — Tue, 12 Aug 2008 19:21:01 +0000

There are people who will not admit it but at times, taking in workloads even if they cannot handle them may be a problem when it comes to meeting deadlines. At first, an aggressive worker who would not complain of the tasks simply because he loves the job may end up falling short of expectations.

As far as fear of being tagged as incompetent, it does not always follow that people who beg off from additional work is categorized as complaining. We all know that the best person to measure such would be the manager or supervisor. While you may at times fall in love with your job, it is the output that is important above all.

In all, there is a fine line between laziness and trashing yourself with work such as reports and paper work. Know your limits and simply get tasks to which you can manage. It is no longer an age where more work makes you the ideal employee. It is production that counts and will get the credit and not your dedication and hard work.

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