Chicago Green Festival, May 14 & 15, 2011

Linette George — Mon, 09 May 2011 20:30:51 +0100

Join Linette at the Chicago Green Festival at McCormick Place on May 15, 3 - 4 p.m. She'll share tips on how to Take Back Your Desk!

Kermit had it all wrong. Bein' green IS easy once you know how. With a little effort you can 'green-up' your office from the bathroom to the boardroom. Here are 15 easy things you can start doing today (recycled from last year):

Power down computers and other electronic equipment at the end of each day.
Utilize the power save mode on computers, printers, and photocopiers.
Use douRead More...

Aw Geez, Not Another Meeting!

Linette George — Fri, 22 Apr 2011 05:00:00 +0100

Step one in meeting effectiveness is to seriously consider whether the meeting is actually necessary. Are there alternative, more effective methods for accomplishing your purpose? Can your objective be accomplished with a memo or an e-mail? Would one-on-one conversations be more effective? Since meetings have become a serious waste of time in many organizations, look for ways to avoid having a meeting, if possible.

Excuse Me for Interrupting...

Linette George — Thu, 03 Mar 2011 14:35:29 +0100

Have you ever left the office at the end of the day feeling like you didn't accomplish a thing? Perhaps it's because you had too many interruptions pulling you away from what you intended to do. All day long we get interrupted by phone calls, emails, pagers, co-workers, etc. After an interruption it takes about 20 minutes to regroup and become fully re-engaged in what we were working on before being interrupted; no wonder we feel we can't get anything done!

According to Dr. DonalRead More...

Manage Your Life and the Time Will Follow

Linette George — Sat, 15 Jan 2011 05:19:31 +0100

Happy Get Organized Month!

The beginning of a new year is a great time to evaluate relationships with friends, family, partners--and time. Most of us feel we never have enough time. In reality, everyone gets the same amount each day. How you manage your 24 hours is up to you. But, I'm going to challenge you not to think of it in terms of "time management," rather behavior management. In other words, learn to manage your life within the time you're given.

The cold hard truthRead More...

Minimizing Holiday Stress

Linette George — Tue, 14 Dec 2010 19:06:16 +0100

To be an influential and effective teacher, I need to swallow my own medicine. In this blog I'm doing just that. As I was scheduling time to write this, I realized I could decrease my stress level by cutting out all things deemed "not absolutely necessary." So, in order to "walk the talk," I'm writing an abbreviated blog this month.

The holidays are upon us and so is all the "crazyRead More...

Gratitude

Linette George — Fri, 19 Nov 2010 03:44:35 +0100

A few years ago, my screensaver used to read "Practice Grateful Living." Every time I saw it, I would think of at least one thing I was grateful for. It was very empowering and gave me a new perspective on life.

In these challenging social and economic times, I think of all the ways I'm blessed: my husband and I are both employed; we have health insurance, a roof over our heads, clothes to wear, food in the fridge, good health, loving and supportive family and friends, and an amazing dRead More...

Don't be Put Off by Procrastination

Linette George — Wed, 17 Nov 2010 06:00:00 +0100

Ok, it's confession time. "My name is Linette, and I'm a procrastinator." Does it surprise you that someone who trains others how to be productive suffers from the dreaded "disease" of procrastination? It's true. Having confessed this, though, I must also tell you that I work hard at overcoming this limiting behavior; and I'll share some ideas that I hope will help my fellow sufferers out there.

Chances are, if you are a perfectionist, you also procrastinate. How do I know? Well, I sufRead More...

Gettin' Your Brave On

Linette George — Wed, 20 Oct 2010 05:00:00 +0100

Lately, one of my favorite expressions is, "I'm gettin' my brave on." Does the way of the world today make me feel like I need an extra boost of courage, or am I just feeling all motivational? I don't know, but either way, the phrase encourages me. In today's tumultuous world, most of us could use some extra encouragement to help us reach our goals.

My 30th year of life was proclaimed "The Year of Facing My Fears." I was determined to enter my third decade with gusto. That year, I bougRead More...

Making Your Home Office Work for You

Linette George — Wed, 15 Sep 2010 05:00:00 +0100

Working from home can be wonderful--no rush hour traffic, no co-worker's dirty dishes in the sink or splatters in the microwave, a private bathroom, and best of all, a micro-commute in your pj's and bunny slippers.

Although there are many advantages to a home-based office, there are also challenges. It’s not always easy to maiRead More...

Time Off for Good Behavior

Linette George — Mon, 16 Aug 2010 15:09:43 +0100

I love taking vacations. It’s part of the reason I started my own business. The typical two weeks a year given by my former employers (with the exception of my time spent teaching) just wasn’t enough time off for me. So imagine my surprise (and horror) when my husband, who works in corporate America, told me some of his colleagues have to be forced to take their vacation time! That got me to think about how our culture views time off. The findings are sad, but true.

Did youRead More...

Conquering Those Endless Paper Piles

Linette George — Tue, 20 Jul 2010 05:00:00 +0100

Paper, paper, and more paper! It seems endless. That's because the volume of office paper has tripled since the birth of the computer. So much for the paperless office! But don't despair; you can create new habits and systems to conquer that seemingly endless invasion of paper.

On average, a piece of paper is moved eight times before it is recycled or fileRead More...

TEDx Memphis - Simple by Design

Linette George — Thu, 06 May 2010 14:27:18 +0100

On April 17 I had the pleasure of attending TEDx Memphis - Simple By Design. Six provocative speakers shared their insights and expertise in various genres related to simplicity in 18 minutes or less. Four TED videos related to the theme Simple By Design were also shown. Two of the presenters were:

Chris Crouch, creator of The GO System (the workplace productivity training program offRead More...

Back to Basics

Linette George — Thu, 06 May 2010 14:14:56 +0100

One of the key elements of a well-organized office is space optimization. To achieve this, look at your space (desk, walls, file cabinets, storage units, even the floor) from a fresh perspective.

Just as with real estate, "location, location, location" is key in office organization. The things you use most often get the best real estate--close to you and where you use them. Picture a dartRead More...

15 Simple Ways to 'Green-up' Your Office

Linette George — Tue, 06 Apr 2010 20:35:37 +0100

Kermit had it all wrong. Bein' green IS easy once you know how. With a little effort you can 'green-up' your office from the bathroom to the boardroom. In honor of Earth Day's 40th Anniversary, here are 15 easy things you can start doing today.

Power down computers and other electronic equipment at the end of each day.
Utilize the power save mode on computers, printers, and photocopiers.
Use double-sided printing and copying.
Cut Read More...

Doin' It With Feeling

Linette George — Tue, 06 Apr 2010 20:14:40 +0100

Studies have found that those most successful at following through can actually FEEL consequences. People with great follow through also tend to worry or feel anxious. These people seem to have a more intimate connection to the feelings associated with negative outcomes and therefore will be more likely to avoid them. I'm not suggesting you should believe the sky is falling, but I am suggesting you create a motivation that you can literally feel Read More...

You Get What You Pay Attention To

Linette George — Tue, 02 Mar 2010 19:42:00 +0100

Have you attended a great workshop or conference where you took copious notes knowing that what you were learning would revolutionize the way you currently do something? You just knew if you implemented this new technique your sales would soar. Or if you implemented the tickler file system you learned, your whole workday would be more productive and less stressful.

We have such high hopes of implementing new concepts; howRead More...

Are You Feelin' the Pain?

Linette George — Thu, 04 Feb 2010 06:00:00 +0100

Are You Feelin’ the Pain?

Did you resolve to start, stop, or do something differently in the new year? Did you vow that 2010 would be the year you quit smoking, lost weight, spent more time with the kids, made more sales calls, left the office on time, took a vacation, etc.?

How’s that working out for you? If you’re like most people, you began the new year with the best of intentions, and then by early February (or for some, the second week of January) those good intentions vaRead More...

Resolve to Get Organized

Linette George — Tue, 05 Jan 2010 04:54:55 +0100

It’s that time again, time for New Year’s resolutions. This fresh start fills us with feelings of great optimism and inspires us to take on even the most daunting challenges. So, what are you inspired to accomplish in this New Year?

Getting better organized is always an excellent option. In fact the entire month of January is dedicated to doing just that - it’s Get Organized Month. Ok, so maybe an entire month dedicated to getting organized feels too ambitious for yoRead More...

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