Ergonomics and Productivity

Last weekend I was suffering from severe head, neck and back pain so as soon as Monday morning rolled around, I called my chiropractor for some adjustments. Sometimes there just isn’t anything better than a good neck cracking!

But while there, my doctor and I reviewed my work environment (and water intake) and how everything from my mouse to my chair impact my risk of “job-related injuries” — yes, sitting at my desk! Hunching or slumping over a keyboard all day can wreak havoc forcing your spine out of alignment and resulting in restricted movement which can cause neck and back pain and headaches (hello!).

So I decided this might be good information to share with everyone since we all sit at desks at some point.

Sit Correctly. It’s important to have a chair with adequate back support and to position your chair so that your knees are angled at 90 degrees and your feet rest flat on the floor. If your feet still dangle at the chair’s lowest setting, you might need a footrest.

Proper Screen Position. The top of your computer monitor(s) should be at a 90-degree angle to your eye. This may mean that you need to place your monitors on a platform (mine is on a block of wood).

Keyboard Placement. (Oh boy, this is a big one!) Sitting in your chair, relax your shoulders and arms. Your forearms should hover horizontally over the keyboard – but not at an upward angle. (uh oh!)

Typing Correctly. When you’re typing, float or hover your hands above the keyboard rather than resting your wrists on a pad or the desk. Think of the times you’ve seen piano teachers with sharp pencils under the wrists of students. The wrist pad is for rest periods, it’s not for support while typing (I did not know that).

Mouse Trap. If your keyboard needs to be at the proper height, so too does your mouse (you use it just as much, don’t you?) So your mouse should never be higher or lower than your keyboard, it should always be on the same level. Also, mouse moves can aggravate shoulder and neck problems, so consider switching to a “roll ball” type mouse to eliminate forearm movement.

Stretch. Elongate and relax weary muscles by stretching. Doing so will counteract the negative effects of  sitting (and slouching) at your desk. Taking this break will also give your eyes and mind a rest.

I hope you found this information to be eye-opening and as helpful as I did and you’ll be able to make these changes with little time and effort. Think of how great you will feel without an aching back, a throbbing head, or a stiff neck!

Thank you for reading,
Kimberly J. McCloskey
(1/31/10)

http://kimberlymccloskey.wordpress.com

Guard Your Focus

Do you ever find it difficult to begin a new project or to stick to it long enough to see it through to completion? I’m sure you have. I think everyone has faced this problem at some point – some of us more than others. Maybe we’ve even scheduled the time needed, but the creative juices simply aren’t flowing or we’re experiencing interruptions that are distracting to us.

How can we take control of the situation and make ourselves focus on this one project, this one task? It really is easier than you think. Take these steps to guard your focus:

• Eliminate Distractions: I’ve said it a million times and my research backs it up – you must limit interruptions in order to focus. There’s no way around it. That means no new email popping up on your screen, no instant messaging, no TV or radio, and no phone (that’s what voice mail is for!). If there are noises outside of your office and you are able to close your door – do it.
• Reduce Interruptions: If you have people who come into your office to chat or ask questions, you have to make an immediate decision of how important the interruption is. If it can be put off for an hour – politely do it. However, I believe a good way to completely avoid these types of interruptions is to close your door when you need to focus. Tell others of your strategy in advance and I’m sure they will be willing to comply.
• Don’t Delay: Do the most important project or task early in your day, or dare I say, first. If you put it off you will inevitably get busy with other things and suddenly you’ll realize the entire day has passed you by. Furthermore, procrastinating sometimes makes difficult tasks harder – maybe because the dread builds up inside of you or simply because you get tired or stressed.
• Make a Plan: Sometimes it can be helpful to take a few minutes to visualize what you need to accomplish with this project. Think about the steps you need to take and write them down to help keep you moving forward.
• Ask Questions: Believe it or not, asking yourself questions about the project will help you focus. Relevant questions help you think deeper and deeper about the topic. What is the purpose of this project? How do I want others to feel upon its completion? What message do I want to get across? Where did this idea originate?
• Time Marches On: It’s a simple fact that time moves faster than you realize, so know up front that you may not complete your project in one sitting. If you go into your project knowing that it will take several hours to complete, schedule time blocks to work on it to give yourself a break in-between to refresh or handle other important tasks.
• Habitual Completions: Complete everything you start and make a habit of doing so. Otherwise, knowing you have incomplete projects will lower your self esteem, motivation and effectiveness and these will spill over into areas other than the projects left undone.
• Self Control: All of the above points are going to involve developing your will power to stick to these new routines. Habits are not formed overnight, so you must put forth the effort to ensure they work. Soon you will realize the benefits of knowing how to focus your attentions and be more productive.

When we focus our attention on one particular thing, we become hypersensitive to information around us, information that we otherwise might have missed. A nifty example is that I never noticed painted horses before I got my own, then suddenly I saw painted horses everywhere. I’m sure the same has happened with you when you bought a new car; you probably began seeing that same car every place you went. Right? Why not harness that natural power of our minds and use it when we need it?

Learn to be conscious of how to focus your thoughts on demand. Through determination, discipline and patience you will surely reap the benefits of getting much more accomplished in a short amount of time.

WANT TO USE THIS ARTICLE? You may as long as you let me know and include this blurb with it: (C) 1/26/2010 by Virtual Assistant Kimberly J. McCloskey who writes articles to help everyone improve their personal and professional efficiency. Request your subscription to her newsletter at kimberly.j.mccloskey @ gmail.com.

Good Riddance 2009 – Bring on 2010!

Happy New Year!

Good riddance 2009 – Greetings to 2010 with open arms and great expectations for a far better year in so many ways.

It even started out well enough. Today was one of those days where I just buzzed around the house and took care of all those little jobs I make a mental note of but never actually get around to doing. Like the canning jars I just set in the laundry closet all year long as they become empty – they finally got organized into boxes and freed up a lot of space. And like writing birthdays and anniversaries on the new wall calendar for the kitchen so even hubby can’t miss an important date.

Well, after I did those things (and others) I felt great. So then I turned my efforts to my office and implemented an idea I got from one of my new clients. I admit at first I thought her idea was extreme, but I suddenly saw the benefit of doing it and even decided to expand on it. I have created a list of topics to cover in both my personal and business blogs for the entire year (and this was not one of them). I have also begun a list of subjects for my monthly newsletter articles. I can see how doing this now, when I’m not stressed or overworked, will be a huge benefit during those hectic weeks when my creative juices aren’t flowing.

So now I feel really motivated. I just want to keep going and get more accomplished. I’m ready to create all my new files for 2010 and clean out the ones I don’t need from 2009 – the visual reminders of its failures and struggles. I want to continue coming up with ideas to write about for the entire year because having extra ideas will help me meet and go beyond the writing goals I have set for myself (like this blog post!). I want to update and reorganize my Customer Book with the information on the new clients I have acquired over the last month or two (and just yesterday – yay). There’s so much I want to do!

What I did instead was to stop everything and write this blog to share my feelings because this is awesome! I haven’t felt this way in a while and I don’t want it to end.

Sadly, though, it’s getting late and all I can do is hope (and know) that my enthusiasm will continue tomorrow and into next week and next month and the rest of the entire year! Bring it on, 2010!

Thank you for reading!
Kimberly J. McCloskey
Virtual Assistant

No Resolutions

The end of the year signifies the time for people to think ahead about what they want to see accomplished in the coming year. Most people make resolutions – to quit smoking or to lose weight or to change the way they run their business – but to me I always thought that making a resolution was a way of procrastinating. When you come to the realization that you want to quit smoking or lose weight or change your business, then you need to do it right away, while you are motivated. Don’t put it off until January 1^st because by then you might just lose interest!

So I’m not going to be the one telling you how to reach your goals in 2010. Instead, I’m going to revisit some strategies I’ve already covered this year that can guide you to organize your systems and your brain in order to help you reach your goals any time of year. There’s a difference.

• If you feel like a lot of your time gets wasted, then you must set up a new system for managing and controlling your time. I use the Time Boxing theory in conjunction with my Outlook Calendar to remind me of everything, for scheduling appointments and other must-dos. Figure out a system that works best for you and stick to it.
• Cleanse your environment by organizing your files in your file cabinet and in your computer. Create new ones where necessary, delete or remove unused ones. Institute a new filing system if you find the old way isn’t all you want it to be, or just modify the old one to work better for you. Everything should be easy for you to find.
• Unclutter your Inbox either by revamping your existing email system or create a whole new one. Create folders and subfolders for each of your clients or projects and institute a way to handle emails as they come in. You need some kind of system that will help you take action quicker and also not let emails go forgotten indefinitely in the Inbox.
• Consciously choose to think good thoughts by using Thought Management. Visualize what you want to achieve, think about people or events that make you happy, and think positively. When joy is in your head, it’s also in your heart.
• Teamwork is quite important when it comes to reaching your goals. No one can do everything alone. Working Together Works so get someone to brainstorm with or to be held accountable to throughout the steps of reaching your goals. Having moral support can be a huge motivator.
• Be Respectful and Be a Responsible Person. Your words and actions towards others should always be watched and measured. Think about what you want to do or say before you act or react. Living your life with Integrity will give you a clear conscious while moving towards your goals.
• Be your own person by exercising your Individual Independence. Set goals and dreams based on what you want, not on what others want for you. And then go after them in a way that feels right and comfortable for you.

If you want or need a refresher on any of the above topics, please visit my newly relocated website at http://kimberlymccloskey.wordpress.com.

WANT TO USE THIS ARTICLE? You may as long as you let me know and include this blurb with it: (C) 12/18/2009 by Virtual Assistant Kimberly J. McCloskey who writes articles to help everyone improve their personal and professional efficiency. Request your subscription to her newsletter at kimberly.j.mccloskey @ gmail.com.

Delegate Without Assuming

A while back I was talking with one of my virtual assistant friends about a situation she was experiencing. Basically there were a series of communication failures that occurred over a weekend resulting in her not receiving a project from a client until the requested deadline.

I feel there were mistakes made which could have avoided the ensuing crises. I also feel that these could have been avoided had assumptions not been made.

So let’s review some basic steps that should be taken whenever you delegate a project to someone whether it’s an in-house employee or a virtual contractor.

• Project overview: When you hand over a project, make sure the overall scope is understood by the preparer. For example, you want a postcard mailing to go out to a specific neighborhood.
• End result: Make it perfectly clear how you want the end result to look, feel and/or perform. If it’s postcard design, you want the recipients to feel motivated to act on the postcard. If it’s a new web site, you want viewers to feel your friendly personality come through in the design and context.
• Steps: If there are specific steps or programs that must be used in order to complete the project, make sure that information is discussed and provided. Whether you’re delegating bookkeeping or newsletter preparation, ensure the preparer has access to the proper software.
• Priority level: You need to know beforehand what the priority level on your project is and convey that. Is it extremely important or can it wait? Is it a client proposal that must be done immediately or is it sending holiday greetings to customers that can be done over the course of a couple of weeks?
• Deadline: Beyond the priority level, you must establish a deadline for the project completion and share that with the preparer so they can arrange their schedule accordingly. Again, does that proposal need to go out today? Will you be happy if those holiday cards are in the mail by December 15th? Make certain this information is clearly spelled out.
• Updates: Do you want progress updates from the preparer during the course of the project? Establish how many or how often before the project begins. Do you want to know what’s going on each step of the way? Or will a daily or weekly update suffice to keep you in the loop?
• Verify receipt: When you submit a project for completion, if you do not physically deliver it then it’s your responsibility to follow-up and verify that it was received. This rule is doubly important if you consider the job to be a rush or if you submit it during non-business hours. Electronics are not perfect, so it is possible for emails, text messages or phone messages to get mis-delivered or not delivered at all. The intended recipient doesn’t know they’re missing an urgent message, so the burden can’t possibly be on them.
• Emergencies: Although I understand wanting to allow time for unexpected obstacles when establishing a time-line or a deadline for a project, I feel that when the obstacle presents itself, it’s time to push aside the safety barrier and be completely honest with the preparer. You’ve already lost the cushion and the project has automatically jumped into the “Urgent” category. Communicate honestly with the preparer and together you can negotiate an acceptable newly established drop-dead deadline.

Remember that the preparers of our projects cannot read our minds, therefore it is our responsibility to communicate clearly what we expect of them. They will be better prepared to complete a project to our satisfaction only if they are provided adequate time and information. Granted, when we’ve worked with the same person on the same project many times over, most of the above information won’t need to be relayed unless something changes, but still, don’t make assumptions.

The saying “When you assume, you make an a– out of you and me” was created for a reason.

WANT TO USE THIS ARTICLE? You may as long as you let me know and include this blurb with it: (C) 11/16/2009 by Virtual Assistant Kimberly J. McCloskey who writes articles to help everyone improve their personal and professional efficiency. Request your subscription to her newsletter at kimberly.j.mccloskey @ gmail.com.

A Warm Welcome

Hello to all my faithful readers of my newsletter, articles and blogs and welcome to my new location on the Internet. Yes, things look a little different here, but they also look somewhat the same.

My favorite photo of the sunlight through the trees comes with me everywhere I go. Past articles have made the move here as well. And my personality will continue to shine through in all my future writings.

So thank you for stopping by! Maybe you can take a moment to look around at the new layout and give me your feedback – I’d love to hear it.

Very kind regards,
Kimberly J. McCloskey
11/16/2009

Smooth Sailing

Reflecting upon my 14 year wedding anniversary last week, I recognized there are some parallels between maintaining a marriage, a friendship or a business relationship. Solid, long-lasting partnerships don’t happen on their own – they need to be nurtured. Such things as loyalty, communication and desire are important aspects to any relationship but here I’ll talk about how they pertain to our business lives.

• Trust: Trust comes from knowing those around us are being honest in what they say and what they do. As a business person, we must trust our business partner, our employees, and our clients. Furthermore, the trust needs to be mutual so that everyone can perform their obligations each day to their best abilities.
• Loyalty: Being loyal to our professional connections creates a solid bond. If we consistently subcontract to the same person or buy from the same vender, it is an on-going demonstration of our faith in their abilities. Consequently, as a result they may offer us better deals or rates than their averge customer and refer us to others.
• Communication: We must be able to openly communicate about responsibilities, touchy issues and the occasional emergency or disagreement when they arise. Communication encompasses asking questions or for help when needed and respectfully answering other people’s questions. Communication also means returning phone calls and replying to email in a timely manner.
• Teamwork: When employees, managers and owners in our offices or businesses get along, everyone who enters our environment will be well aware of it. Camaraderie ultimately leads to everything going smoothly. Customers and venders will be more confident in their business dealings with us because they’ll know we’re all working toward a common goal.
• Compromise: Sometimes not everyone agrees to the best course of action in a particular situation, so being able to negotiate and compromise allows for a workable solution. Everyone can be happy with the outcome.
• Desire: There needs to be a mutual desire to continue and maintain the relationship by everyone involved. No relationship will survive if only one person is working on it.

These are just a few examples of principles that not only must be utilized to maintain a successful marriage vow, but also a long-term friendship or business relationship.

Take a few minutes to review your relationships and determine which ones are being properly sustained or not, then review the above list of attributes. They may be simple, but they are very powerful.

WANT TO USE THIS ARTICLE? You may as long as you let me know and include this complete blurb with it: (C) 10/2009 by Kimberly McCloskey, Virtual Assistant who writes articles on how everyone can improve their professional and personal efficiency. Request your subscription to her newsletter “Productive Pointers” at kimberly.j.mccloskey @ gmail.com.

Gray Areas of Integrity

I was quite surprised when I began researching the term “integrity” of all the variables that come into play when defining it. I thought having integrity went hand-in-hand with being honest – and it does, but with a twist. The twist is what you believe being honest is, not necessarily what someone else believes. You call the shots about what is right and wrong. That hardly seems fair, does it? Shouldn’t it be something that is black and white that everyone readily agrees on?

For example, being supportive of family and friends, being a hard worker, and paying our bills on time – to us these all mean having integrity. However, doing drugs, lying, cheating and stealing are acts that lack integrity. Right? These are things most people tend to agree on.

The term integrity suggests trustworthiness whereas we are known to keep our promises, always doing what we said we would do. It also suggests incorruptibility, in that we are not capable of telling a lie or not sticking to a pledge we made. We will always do the right thing, even if it isn’t the most popular. These are the descriptions we are most familiar with.

But as we examine it closer, from here the water gets a little muddy – or the web gets a bit tangled.

Another definition I found says that integrity is adherence to moral principles, to our own personal code of conduct. What is right and wrong by our standards. Integrity is what we want it to be, what we believe it to be.

So, is having a glass of wine with dinner acceptable or not? We may disagree on this point, but we will do what we feel is right. In the end we both will have felt we acted with integrity because we followed our own beliefs. See? It’s not black and white and I believe that is an important lesson when forming opinions. Just because we don’t agree, doesn’t mean either one of us is “wrong”.

Regardless of what is considered right or wrong by other people, there are benefits to living our life with integrity – always following our own conscience.

• By sticking to what we believe is right, we won’t have any regrets.
• We won’t be bothered by rejection and criticism because we know our decisions were sound.
• If we always stick to the facts, we won’t have to worry about keeping stories straight.
• When we have nothing to hide, we fight harder to stand up for our character.
• It’s easier to accept responsibility and move beyond it when mistakes are made.
• People will respect us.

When we live our life with integrity it will obviously be uncomplicated and less stressful – we aren’t tangling any webs. It really is as simple as sticking to our beliefs and always doing the right thing.

Whenever we act with integrity, we win. Whenever we choose not to, we lose.

Do you want to be a winner or a loser?

WANT TO USE THIS ARTICLE? Please do! As long as you let me know and include this complete blurb with it: (C) 9/23/09 by Kimberly McCloskey, Virtual Assistant, who shares articles on how people can improve their personal and professional productivity and efficiency. Request your copy of her newsletter “Productive Pointers” at kimberly.j.mccloskey @ gmail.com.

Give It To Me Straight

I find it disappointing when people tell me what they think I want to hear instead of being honest. Don’t you feel the same way? Honesty is always the best policy and it’s the one I prefer to deal with.

For example, say I talk to a prospect who says they want to use my services, they just need to get their ducks in a row, and will get back to me in a day or two. In the interim I take steps to prepare for a new client and project. However, if in the end the prospect never calls or emails and, worse yet, they ignore my attempts at contacting them.

How is that fair?

Another example would be an acquaintance saying they’re going to invite us over for dinner some day. That’s a kind gesture, but they shouldn’t just say it to sound kind. When they voice the idea, they should just go ahead and suggest a day.  If there’s no reason right now why they can’t have us over, they shouldn’t even mention it.

How do you think that makes us feel?

Yet another example is something we’re going through right now. We’re trying to find a forever home for a puppy we’ve come across. People shouldn’t tell me they might take the puppy if they don’t really want the puppy. If they say they’re going to think about it and will call me tomorrow with an answer, they should do it. Otherwise me and everyone else who is trying to find a home for the puppy are focusing our energies in the wrong place.

How is that helpful?

Do you see why telling people what you think they want to hear is wrong on so many levels? You can’t read other’s minds so what gives you the right to believe you know what they really want to hear?

And what happens if/when paths cross again in the future? Someone is going to feel awkward or uncomfortable.

Personally, I would much prefer you tell me right up front what you’re honestly thinking. By doing so you’re giving me the information I need to move forward. I agree, it may not be in the direction I was hoping for, but it’s so much better to be working on a viable possibility than to be banking on something that’s never going to happen.

So the next time you find yourself wanting to say something nice just to avoid hurting somebody’s feelings, think about the short and long term implications. Then do the right thing and just be honest. It’ll save everyone a lot of grief.

WANT TO USE THIS ARTICLE IN YOUR E-ZINE OR WEB SITE? You can, as long as you let me know and include this complete blurb with it: © 9/4/2009 by Virtual Assistant (VA) Kimberly McCloskey who publishes the newsletter “Productive Pointers” featuring articles on how we all can improve our personal and business efficiency. Request your subscription at kimberly.j.mccloskey @ gmail.com.

Chatterbox Restraint

Are there people you know who make you cringe when you see them approach because they’re going to tell you far more than you need or want to know? I think we all know someone (or a couple some ones) like that.

But is there any possibility that you could be that person?

Do you ever feel like people aren’t listening to you? Have you noticed that some people avoid asking you questions or steer clear of you all together? Do you ever look back on a conversation and realize you gave away too much information? Yes? No? Maybe sometimes?

Effectively communicating with others is not only about conveying the right information, but also not conveying too much information. Having a habit of dominating conversations can be damaging to your character, credibility and possibly your relationships. And chances are if you are a chatterbox with your family and friends, you’re probably long-winded with complete strangers, too.

Here are some tips to keep your conversations interesting to others:

• Think first. Sure, we all get excited when we have something great to share and feel as if we can discuss it nonstop for hours – Warning! Warning! If you recognize this feeling before a conversation, stop and think about what you want to convey. Stick to the important points or summarize.
• Skip the details. When you begin a new topic, summarize it and stick to only the most important elements. A good rule of thumb might be to keep your comment to less than 30 seconds (which is longer than you think!) and see how it is taken by the listener. Details should be saved for those who want to know them.
• Questions are good. One surefire way to know if someone is interested in what you are talking about is if they ask questions. If they want to know more, they will inquire and this is how a mutually appealing conversation develops. If they don’t ask for more information, that might be a hint to let the topic drop.
• Allow interaction. If the other person tries to interject a comment, let them! Remember that a true conversation consists of more than one person sharing their thoughts and ideas. Allow time for the other person to speak and certainly do not interrupt them when they do.
• Gauge the pause. When the other person pauses and you think they are through speaking, wait a couple of beats to ensure they really are finished. In actuality, they may just be gathering thoughts for their next comment!
• Body language. If the person you’re speaking to keeps turning away, resumes a task without keeping eye contact with you, sighs heavily, or otherwise looks bored out of their minds then you’re probably talking too much. Eye rolls, foot tapping, mindless nodding, inappropriate uh-huhs, ignoring you, staring through you, and looking at their watch are all signs the listener isn’t listening. Be kind and let them off the hook.

Overall some people might think “talkers” to be self-centered, conceited, ignorant or lacking in social skills, but I disagree (most of the time). In my experience, talkers are excited about a subject and just want to share their knowledge or experience. Some may be looking for acceptance and wrongly feel they have to impress. Others have minds that are moving a mile a minute (dare I say attention deficit?) which often leads to getting side-tracked. And people like me are detail-oriented and have a tendency to share more information than is necessary.

This doesn’t make talkers bad people! On the contrary, I believe if we all step back and assess our own conversations, we might find ourselves falling into the chatterbox category sometimes. If you do, then now you should be more aware of it. Now you can harness your thoughts and engage in more fulfilling conversations more often.

WANT TO USE THIS ARTICLE IN YOUR E-ZINE OR WEB SITE? You can, as long as you let me know and include this complete blurb with it: © 7/31/2009 by Virtual Assistant (VA) Kimberly McCloskey who publishes the newsletter “Productive Pointers” featuring articles on how we all can improve our personal and business efficiency. Request yours at kimberly.j.mccloskey @ gmail.com.