Weekly Round-Up #135: How To Say "No", Are You Afraid Of The Phone? And Cool Stuff For Your Desk
This week we look at how you can say “No” to your coworkers without upsetting them, what to do if you suffer from Telephobia, 65 simple ways to improve your home, Should your office have a summer dress code and some super items for your office (whether at work or at home).
This week we look at how you can say “No” to your coworkers without upsetting them, what to do if you suffer from Telephobia, 65 simple ways to improve your home, Should your office have a summer dress code and some super items for your office (whether at work or at home).
How To Respectfully Say No To Your Colleagues [Infographic] – Get VOIP
We all feel a certain amount of pressure at work to say “Yes” to anything that crosses our desk but that leads to extra stress, not being able to complete our own tasks and, eventually, burnout. I’ve written before about the fact It’s Okay To Say No but [this infographic] has some nice do’s and don’ts for how you can say “No” to a colleague when you can’t (or don’t want to) take work on.
13 Driving Tactics to Save Fuel – On Stride Finacial
I have a “Journey MPG Calculator” in my new car which makes me have a sort game with myself to see if I can beat my previous record (currently 55.6mpg) so these tactics will come in really handy to help me get the best fuel economy I can – especially as fuel prices are creeping upwards.
65 Unbelievably Simple Home Improvement Tips – The Popular Home
Sticking with being frugal, you don’t have to spend a massive amount on your house to really change the look of a room – I love the idea of using old pallets as a garden furniture set. There’s also some great space-saving, DIY and tech tips too.
6 Types of Bosses (And How to Work for Them) – Quick Quid
My one complaint about this infographic is that all the boss types are positive. It’s great if you have a nurturing boss, and if so then
I’ve worked for a sociopathic boss in the past so I think it’s important you recognise the signs of a psychopathic boss and how to deal with them.
Is Your iPhone Making You Less Productive? – TSheets
There’s always an argument between Android and iPhone users about who has the better phone, apps and experience with the mobile device but now it would appear that iPhone users may also be less productive! The survey carried out by TSheets has some interesting results – but I’m not sure it will persuade you to change your phone just yet!
For transparency, I’m an Android User!
Should you set a Summer Office Dress Code? – Staples
We’ve had a mini-heatwave here in the UK and with temperatures over 32°C (90°F) for a couple of weeks people really suffered in workplaces – and with the threat of another mini-heatwave looming (although UK weatherman never seem to get it right). So, should you still expect your employees to turn up in full uniform or suited and booted in the summer? Perhaps it’s time to relax the rules a little when the weather turns warmer,
The Note-Taking Habits of Highly Successful People – Andrew Merle on Medium
Do you try and memorise tasks that pop into your head? Perhaps you enter them into your phone? Or Do you carry a pen and paper around with you wherever you go? According to this article on medium successful people use one method to keep their notes and tasks straight.
How to Greet Someone If You’re Not Sure If You Know Them – Lifehacker UK
I’m terrible at remembering names and faces – just last weekend I bumped into someone I met 3 years ago and while they were familiar to me I couldn’t place them at all. Perhaps I should have followed the tip in this Lifehacker article) and saved 20 minutes of confusion on both our parts!
This Is the Best Time to Sleep If You Need to Wake up Feeling Refreshed – The Daily Mirror
Apparently there’s a way to calculate when you need to go to sleep based on when you need to get up. I’ve used some sleep apps in the past that set of an alarm when you’re in a light phase of sleep but these can be a bit hit and miss and depend on you having your phone on the bed with you so perhaps picking a bedtime is a better solution?
These Are the 5 Tasks You Should Stop Doing Today – Dropbox Blog
Did you know that “drop-by” conversation with co-workers can take up to 25% of your working time? Think of what you could be accomplishing in that time! Not only that, according to research you’ll also spend 4 hours a day reading and writing emails – perhaps you need to sign up to the Free Become An Email Ninja Course to help you out?
Scared Of The Phone? Here’s How To Overcome That Fear – BBC Capital
I have to admit, I hate using phones. I’d much rather contact people through email. I wouldn’t say I have full-blown telephobia as I don’t really suffer from anxiety as such, but I do have dodgy hearing so struggle to understand people on the other end of the line without any visual cues as to what they are saying. Unfortunately though there are times when you need to talk to people over the phone and the advice here may help you start to overcome your anxiety.
7 Things I Learned About Gmail Working At Google – The Next Web
I love Gmail – it’s my go-to email provider of choice and whilst the interface may look a little dated, the functionality is fantastic. Every time I read tips about Gmail I seem to learn something new – for example I didn’t know you can “pause” your inbox, how great is that?!
Your Brain Can Only Take So Much Focus – Harvard Business Review
You might think that you can keep all of those to-do items in your head, as well as your kid’s after school schedule and the bits and pieces you need to pick up from the shop but there’s only a certain amount you can store in that head of yours. Just like a computer slows down with the more programs you open up at the same time, so the brain slows with the more things you ask it to remember.
This article from The Harvard Business Review explains how your brain can struggle under too much strain and what you can do to give it a rest.
9 People Share Tips For Overcoming Chronic Procrastination – Huffington Post UK
Are you constantly putting the same thing off over and over again? You’re not alone! In this article the Huffington Post asks regular people like you and me how that overcome their procrastination and just get on with stuff.
38 Things For Your Desk That Are Basically Too Awesome Not To Buy – Buzzfeed
Finally, a bit of fun for your Friday. Some offices won’t let you have any personal items in the office (apparently it can be a distraction) and in fact what you have on your desk can say a great deal about you but if you want to jazz up your desk or home office then you’re bound to find something in this Buzzfeed post), I love the woodland pencils and Tardis rubbish bin!
Have A Great Weekend
I hope you have a great weekend, as always if you have any links you like to share with me and my readers please contact me through the website or send me a tweet.
Until next week, Stay Productive!
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