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Proper Netiquette for Business

Posted on by Adam Kovitz
“Netiquette” is network etiquette: The do’s and don’ts of online communication. While Netiquette covers both formal (professional) and the informal rules for communicating on line, we’ll focus on the formal communication rules in this post.
Writing can be divided into many different categories. One of the main divides is between informal online and formal writing:
Informal online writing is seen in text messages (texting) and also in personal emails. For many people, personal emailing is being replaced by texting. In order to more quickly type what they are trying to say, many people use abbreviations and acronyms instead of words. The language created by these abbreviations is called “text speak”.
Formal writing includes business writing, formal letters, and academic writing.
The vehicle for writing (text, email, paper) is not the distinction between informal and formal writing. The style of writing is.
Some people believe that using text speak is hindering the writing abilities of students, and the communication effectiveness of professionals. While this is a debate issue, the first thing to understand is that informal writing is not “wrong”, nor is formal writing “right”. Each is appropriate for certain circumstances. As an analogy, while it’s perfectly acceptable to go out in jeans and a t-shirt, that may not be the best choice of what to wear when working in the office or going on a job interview.

When deciding whether your message should be written formally, consider who will be reading it and why. If your audience is just your friends and the purpose of your message is to let them know about where you will meet later in the day, you probably don’t need to use the rules of formal writing. However, if you are presenting a proposal to your boss, writing a cover letter for job application, or writing a research paper for a teacher, the formal rules of writing typically apply.

Some Basic Rules of Formal Writing

  • Use a sophisticated vocabulary with terms that are accepted in the topic’s field.
  • Keep a serious tone with literal meanings.
  • Organize the writing into paragraphs that fit together.
  • Avoid contractions (i.e. can’t, don’t, etc.).
  • Use standard spelling. No text speak or chat acronyms, such as “CUL8R” or “LOL”.
  • Use proper grammar and standard punctuations.

For more information about Netiquette and formal writing, here are some great resources:

“The Elements of Style“, William Strunk & E.B. White: First published in 1959 and updated many times since, this is one of the most influential books on writing style. 
“Netiquette IQ: A Comprehensive Guide to Improve, Enhance and Add Power to Your Email“, Paul Babicki. Paul Babicki is an email grammar, tone and content software subject matter expert, and developed an email IQ rating system called Netiquette IQ.
I encourage you to leave a comment by clicking on “…comments” below…

David Schuchman

from BCNJ Member Blog Feed http://dlvr.it/C9RlBG
via IFTTT

Posted in Member Contributions Tagged with: ,

Monthly Meeting

Posted on by Adrienne Roman

paulhatrak201510

The Breakfast Club NJ Presents : “How to Better Communicate for Success” presented by Paul Hatrak, CPA, CGMA, Certified Business Coach

Saturday October 10th at 8:00am ET

Synopsis:

“How to Better Communicate for Success” by Paul Hatrak

Presentation

“How to Better Communicate for Success”

Explains How to Better Communicate for Success

Have you ever lost an important sale or networking connection and wondered why?

It could be because you are selling and networking the same way with everyone and

not tailoring your activities to each person’s behavioral style.

You could be missing as much as 75 percent of your opportunities by doing this.

Paul will lead an interactive discussion that will help you understand the universal

language of DISC (dominance-influence-steadiness-compliance).

DISC is concerned with how we act and our way of doing things.

You will gain an understanding of your own behavioral style, recognize the behavioral

style of others, and be able to adapt and blend your style for greater, more effective

communication and relationships (personal and professional).

Profile of Paul Hatrak

About Paul Hatrak, CPA, CGMA, Certified Business Coach

As a FocalPoint Certified Business Coach and President of Hatrak Associates, LLC,

Paul’s mission is to work with clients with “entrepreneurial spirit” to drive further success

or to “rekindle the fire” that may have been lost in their business.

He’s combined 20 plus years of business and leadership experience with the powerful

results-based content and expertise of one of the world’s best known business coaches,

Brian Tracy.

Paul held senior financial management positions in large and small companies, holding

such titles as Regional Finance Officer and Controller.

As Regional Finance Officer of Willis Group Holdings, he directed finance activities

impacting the $100M New York Metro region.

Paul joined Willis from Marquis & Associates Inc. where he was a Partner and

controller.

He also has previous audit and tax experience with Deloitte & Touche. Paul holds a BS in Accounting from King’s College and is a CPA, licensed in Pennsylvania.

He is also a licensed Property & Casualty, Health and Personal Lines Producer in New

Jersey.

Paul is a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA),

New Jersey Society of Certified Public Accountants (NJSCPA), Financial Executives

International (FEI), and served on the board of the Morris/Essex New Jersey chapter of

the Institute of Management Accountants (IMA).

He is also avid networker, connector and golfer.

Please share this with other groups you may be in. Join us on Meetup.com at: http://www.meetup.com/The-Breakfast-Club-NJ/ to RSVP for the meeting.

RSVP

TBC meetings for 2015 are free (courtesy of one of our members), and free breakfast (bagels) to the first 50 attendees!!!

Be sure to tell your friends and bring them along. Be a part of our growing network of Job Seekers, Hiring Managers, Recruiters, Career Coaches, and people who want to be able to help themselves and each other.

Event Location:

Days Hotel Conference Center
195 Rt. 18 South, East Brunswick, NJ 08816
732-828-6900

Meeting Format:

7:30 to 8:00 – Registration & Open Networking

8:00 to 8:15 – Welcome and housekeeping

8:15 to 9:15 – Presentation by the guest speaker – Limited to 60 minutes

9:15 to 10:15 – Elevator Pitch – 30 Seconds about yourself, who you are, what you are looking for, target companies (3-4), how we can help you, how you can help others. Follow the rule of the Three B’s of Public Speaking: Be informative; Be brief; Be seated.

10:15 until you choose to leave – Open Networking, follow up with people you are interested in meeting following their elevator pitch, exchange business cards, peruse the library, arrange follow up meetings, etc.

The Breakfast Club NJ – 10 Points for Good Member Citizenship

1) Attend meetings regularly to keep group strong and help pay back to others (meeting logistics on our website www.thebreakfastclubnj.com)

2) Keep anti-virus on your machine up to date and run scan regularly

3) Review messages and if request for assistance please help whenever possible

4) Once you have received your invitation and joined our linked in group, connect to other members directly(questions see Gerry Peyton -gpeyton@ptd.net)

5) Join groups Facebook group, Google +, and connect to other members directly (questions see Adrienne Roman – adrienne1204@optonline.net)

6) Join groups twitter account (questions see George Pace – keeppace@gmail.com)

7) If you run across someone in transition invite them to join our group and sponsor them through process (details on our website www.thebreakfastclubnj.com)

8) Sunday mornings listen to our radio show, “Your Career Is Calling”, at 8am ET either on radio at 107.7 or via internet 24/7 live or on demand at www.1077thebronc.com (as this is a call in show your calls help make it successful)

9) If you are in transition put your elevator pitch in writing to group, ask for help with job search issues or connecting to people at target companies, regularly post job opportunities (from email you joined the group – send email to thebreakfastclubnj@yahoogroups.com)

10) Help fellow members whenever possible

  1. Attend meetings regularly to keep group strong and help pay back to others (meeting logistics on our website www.thebreakfastclubnj.com)
  2. Keep anti-virus on your machine up to date and run scan regularly
  3. Review messages and if request for assistance please help whenever possible
  4. Once you have received your invitation and joined our linked in group, connect to other members directly(questions see Gerry Peyton -gpeyton@ptd.net)
  5. Join groups Facebook group and connect to other members directly (questions see Adrienne Roman – adrienne1204@optonline.net)
  6. Join groups twitter account (questions see George Pace – keeppace@gmail.com)
  7. If you run across someone in transition invite them to join our group and sponsor them through process (details on our website www.thebreakfastclubnj.com)
  8. Sunday mornings listen to our radio show, “Your Career Is Calling”, at 8am ET either on radio at 107.7 or via internet 24/7 live or on demand at www.1077thebronc.com (as this is a call in show your calls help make it successful)
  9. If you are in transition put your elevator pitch in writing to group, ask for help with job search issues or connecting to people at target companies, regularly post job opportunities (from email you joined the group – send email to thebreakfastclubnj@yahoogroups.com)
  10. Help fellow members whenever possible

We look forward to seeing everyone let’s make this a great meeting for our members that are in transition and welcome those that have landed

RSVP

Posted in Monthly Meeting Tagged with: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Don’t be Scared to Make a Presentation

Posted on by Adam Kovitz

You’re about to give a big presentation (or be the focal point in a meeting), and your nerves set in. You feel pressure in your chest, your breathing gets shallow, and hear your heartbeat in your head. And suddenly, it seems inevitable that you’re going to mess this up and everyone will see.

The average person ranks the fear of public speaking higher than the fear of their own death. However, there are ways to conquer your nerves before your next big presentation:

Prepare Thoroughly: The first and most obvious way to calm your fears is to do everything you can to prepare. Nerves are often triggered by surprises. There will always be surprises. However, you can limit their number and impact by researching your topic thoroughly, organizing your thoughts, identifying the key points you want to make, anticipating tough questions, and practicing your delivery. Know your presentation cold.
Give Your Presentation to Another Person: There are plenty of people you can practice on with whom you feel safe and comfortable. Examples of people you can practice on are your spouse/significant other, a friend, relative or coworker. Speaking directly to another person will help you relax, give you confidence and presentation experience, and you will become comfortable receiving questions from someone.
Be sure to tell that person to be completely honest with you in their critique, and to ask you questions after the program. If they have questions about your presentation, it is likely that members of the audience will have the same questions. So, practice giving your answers.

Expect That You May be Looking at Blank Faces: When you’re talking to someone one-on-one, they give physical and verbal cues that they’re listening, such as head nodding and making sounds of agreement. Groups of people don’t always do that. It’s not that they are judging you. They’re most likely trying to listen to your presentation. Or, they might simply be in a world of their own.
Imagine Giving the Presentation: Picture every moment of the presentation in detail. Imagine the point of having the meeting turned over to you or being introduced on stage. Think about what that will feel like, how will you launch into your talk, and what the audience will look like. This will make you even more prepared so that your presentation will actually feel like an encore, not a first time occurrence.

Stay Calm and Loose: In most cases, people can’t tell that you’re nervous. If you stumble, act as though it’s no big deal or that it didn’t even happen.

Now You are Ready
With proper preparation, you now have to trust that you’ve done all you can to be ready to give your presentation. The likelihood that your worst fears will come true is very slim. And once you get through the first 1-2 minutes, the rest will be easy.
So now consider this… You were asked (and earned the right) to give your presentation because you are the best person to do so. Plus, the audience is there to listen to you for a reason. Enjoy the experience!

I encourage you to leave a comment by clicking on “…comments” below…

David Schuchman

from BCNJ Member Blog Feed http://dlvr.it/C1t6Tq
via IFTTT

Posted in Member Contributions Tagged with: ,

How does a PM get project team members to do the tasks assigned to them?

Posted on by Adam Kovitz
Or should I have titled this, “GET TO WORK!”  This is an age-old question, isn’t it? And you would think that if the Project Manager (PM) did their job and was very specific as to what is expected from any resource, this would not be an issue. Unfortunately, it is, especially in a Professional Services (PS) organization where resources are stretched very thin. But even in a Project Management Organization (PMO), this is true because the same can be said of resources: they are stretched thin. In this current environment of “doing more with less,” the truth is that organizations are getting less with less.
So how does a PM confront this? Once again, I would like to introduce you to a PM named “Bob” and a situation he confronted. 

Organizing the team

Bob was given a highly visible project that was strategically aligned with his organization. After reviewing the SOW and meeting with the project sponsor and his management team, Bob understood the importance and significance of the project. He went to the resource manager with the abilities needed of his resources and was given a Business Analyst (BA), a Technical Analyst (TA) and even a Subject Matter Expert (SME) who was to provide technical and product guidance to the project team. Bob had several project team meetings, and in these meetings Bob communicated that this project was strategically aligned with the organization and was a key deliverable to the organization.

Troubled Waters

After the initiation and planning phases of the project, Bob and his project team were well into the execution phase of the project. Bob believed, because his resources had told him, that they were proceeding along just fine on their tasks. Bob set meetings with each of the resources individually to review their work and ask if they needed him to help them meet their assigned tasks.  The BA had a deliverable for a Functional Design Document (FSD) where the BA had to consult with the TA and the SME for their input to that document. The BA told Bob that he was placed on a new project with a critical delivery that took him away from Bob’s project. Bob inquired as to why the BA had not told Bob earlier that this may be a risk before it became an issue. The BA told Bob that he believed he could deliver both tasks on time, but was overwhelmed with the work on the other project. Bob did not accept this explanation. The BA assured Bob in very strong terms that he was going to deliver the FSD in three days.

I didn’t lie, I just stretched the truth

So Bob immediately did two things. First he scheduled the meeting with the BA in two days. Then he scheduled a meeting with the client and the project sponsor that day and told them of the late delivery of the FSD. They were not happy, as that made them late on their deliverables to their management. Bob then walked into his manager’s office and closed the door. Bob reported what had happened and told his manager that in two days if there was a further delay.
After two days, the BA told Bob that he was going to be late again in delivering the FSD. Bob told the BA that he was not pleased and stated that he was going to have a meeting with his manager and ask that the BA and his manager attend. At the meeting, Bob asked the BA directly, “Why did you lie about the delivery of the FSD?” The BA was visibly shaken at the question and stated, “I did not lie, I just stretched the truth.” Bob, his manager, and the BA’s manager did not accept this answer. The BA was immediately replaced on the project and the BA manager had a new BA assigned that was familiar with the deliverable.
Lesson Learned

Should Bob have known about the BA sooner? Honestly, this has happened to all of us, whether or not we are a PM. The issue is not if Bob should have known sooner; we all should know sooner about a specific project resource. The issue here is Bob’s reaction and if it was appropriate. I contend that his actions were good and Bob did exactly what he should have done in this situation. I am sure there are high-level managers who would disagree with me that Bob’s first job was to know sooner. I am not disagreeing with them. I am, however, going to say to them that if you ask for more from less, you sometimes have to expect this situation. In this situation, Bob did what he could and learned, the hard way, not to completely trust this specific BA in future projects. 

I am open to discussion at any time on these blogs or anything else related to project management you would like to explore. If you would like to comment about this blog, please do so by posting on this blog or by responding in an email at Benny A. Recine. You may inspire a blog article. I look forward to your comments.

from BCNJ Member Blog Feed http://dlvr.it/C13Qw6
via IFTTT

Posted in Member Contributions Tagged with: ,

Why should I use Facebook to find a job?

Posted on by Adrienne Roman

This is one of the questions I hear most often – and my response is usually to quote the latest figures on how many people use Facebook in a month. I just saw this following status update on Mark Zuckerberg’s Facebook page.

Mark Zuckerberg
1 hr ·

“We just passed an important milestone. For the first time ever, one billion people used Facebook in a single day.

On Monday, 1 in 7 people on Earth used Facebook to connect with their friends and family.

When we talk about our financials, we use average numbers, but this is different. This was the first time we reached this milestone, and it’s just the beginning of connecting the whole world.

I’m so proud of our community for the progress we’ve made. Our community stands for giving every person a voice, for promoting understanding and for including everyone in the opportunities of our modern world.

A more open and connected world is a better world. It brings stronger relationships with those you love, a stronger economy with more opportunities, and a stronger society that reflects all of our values.

Thank you for being part of our community and for everything you’ve done to help us reach this milestone. I’m looking forward to seeing what we accomplish together.” End of Mark Zuckerberg’s status update on Facebook.

Back to the original question ‘Why should I use Facebook to find a job?’

Granted – a billion people are not going to be reading your Facebook status updates – I do realize that.

And it is not about a multitude of people viewing your status updates, either.

The ‘thing’ about Facebook, is that it is ‘personal’ (as opposed to ‘professional’). And who would be more likely to help you in your job search? A former colleague, or, a friend or family member? Arguably, we like to think both. And most of the time, I like to think both is correct. While a fellow job seeker or colleague would love to help you if they could, wouldn’t it be feasible that a ‘friend’ would do the same? Or more?

I know from my own experience, as far as relationship building goes, the best scenario to get to know a person is face-to-face, eye-to-eye, a handshake. In my opinion, human contact will never become secondary, to text and type. There is so much non-verbal communication in an in-person meeting, that most of the time, it really goes unnoticed. But we do register this type of communication. It is what fuels our instinct, our gut feelings.
My point in utilizing Facebook as a job search tool, is not to befriend every one you meet at all of your networking groups, but share your career goals and job search activity with those people you already consider ‘friends’ in Facebook. Make it a point to plant the seed, that you are interested in a certain position at a certain company. Or that you attended a great networking event at The Breakfast Club NJ. Or even that your department is looking for a great IT Project Manager with experience in Agile Methodologies. You do not know who might know someone that can help you. You may not be aware that cousin Vinnie’s next door neighbor is the CEO of your target company. Or that you daughter’s soccer coach’s wife is the HR VP in another company you are interested in. I think you get my point. It is within this ‘unknown network’ of friends, and friends of friends, and the public, that may actually reach out and help you.

Posted in Member Contributions Tagged with: , , ,

Monthly Meeting

Posted on by Adrienne Roman

ricksimmons201509

The Breakfast Club NJ Presents : “How to maximize your online reputation to help you in your job search by using social media” presented by Rick Simmons

Saturday September 12th at 8:00am ET

Synopsis:

“How to maximize your online reputation to help you in your job search by using social media” by Rick Simmons

Profile of Rick Simmons

Rick Simmons is Chief Solutions Officer at SimmonsOnlineSolutions. With over 15
years online with various aspects of internet marketing. Rick has watched the
evolution of the internet first hand. Rick was previously Sales Director at
Educational Directories developing Internet marketing for colleges and
universities. He was also Sales Director at Investor Broadcast Network, one of the
first companies to distribute information online, 7 years as a partner in an online
marketing firm and now 2 years with his own firm. With 30+ years in advertising,
marketing and sales, Rick brings passion, engagement, and enthusiasm to his role.
He has a firm that works closely with the needs and goals of small – midsized
organizations that need help with their internet marketing. Not only does he
know how Internet marketing Search Engine Optimization and Social Media can
help your business reach new customers, he’s good at explaining why. Whether it
is jumping an email marketing campaign by 20%, or helping a client decide on
options for social media – Rick works hard to insure you have the best data and
options to make an impact.
Please share this with other groups you may be in. Join us on Meetup.com at: http://www.meetup.com/The-Breakfast-Club-NJ/ to RSVP for the meeting.

RSVP

TBC meetings for 2015 are free (courtesy of one of our members), and free breakfast (bagels) to the first 50 attendees!!!

Be sure to tell your friends and bring them along. Be a part of our growing network of Job Seekers, Hiring Managers, Recruiters, Career Coaches, and people who want to be able to help themselves and each other.

Event Location:

Days Hotel Conference Center
195 Rt. 18 South, East Brunswick, NJ 08816
732-828-6900

Meeting Format:

7:30 to 8:00 – Registration & Open Networking

8:00 to 8:15 – Welcome and housekeeping

8:15 to 9:15 – Presentation by the guest speaker – Limited to 60 minutes

9:15 to 10:15 – Elevator Pitch – 30 Seconds about yourself, who you are, what you are looking for, target companies (3-4), how we can help you, how you can help others. Follow the rule of the Three B’s of Public Speaking: Be informative; Be brief; Be seated.

10:15 until you choose to leave – Open Networking, follow up with people you are interested in meeting following their elevator pitch, exchange business cards, peruse the library, arrange follow up meetings, etc.

The Breakfast Club NJ – 10 Points for Good Member Citizenship

1) Attend meetings regularly to keep group strong and help pay back to others (meeting logistics on our website www.thebreakfastclubnj.com)

2) Keep anti-virus on your machine up to date and run scan regularly

3) Review messages and if request for assistance please help whenever possible

4) Once you have received your invitation and joined our linked in group, connect to other members directly(questions see Gerry Peyton -gpeyton@ptd.net)

5) Join groups Facebook group, Google +, and connect to other members directly (questions see Adrienne Roman – adrienne1204@optonline.net)

6) Join groups twitter account (questions see George Pace – keeppace@gmail.com)

7) If you run across someone in transition invite them to join our group and sponsor them through process (details on our website www.thebreakfastclubnj.com)

8) Sunday mornings listen to our radio show, “Your Career Is Calling”, at 8am ET either on radio at 107.7 or via internet 24/7 live or on demand at www.1077thebronc.com (as this is a call in show your calls help make it successful)

9) If you are in transition put your elevator pitch in writing to group, ask for help with job search issues or connecting to people at target companies, regularly post job opportunities (from email you joined the group – send email to thebreakfastclubnj@yahoogroups.com)

10) Help fellow members whenever possible

  1. Attend meetings regularly to keep group strong and help pay back to others (meeting logistics on our website www.thebreakfastclubnj.com)
  2. Keep anti-virus on your machine up to date and run scan regularly
  3. Review messages and if request for assistance please help whenever possible
  4. Once you have received your invitation and joined our linked in group, connect to other members directly(questions see Gerry Peyton -gpeyton@ptd.net)
  5. Join groups Facebook group and connect to other members directly (questions see Adrienne Roman – adrienne1204@optonline.net)
  6. Join groups twitter account (questions see George Pace – keeppace@gmail.com)
  7. If you run across someone in transition invite them to join our group and sponsor them through process (details on our website www.thebreakfastclubnj.com)
  8. Sunday mornings listen to our radio show, “Your Career Is Calling”, at 8am ET either on radio at 107.7 or via internet 24/7 live or on demand at www.1077thebronc.com (as this is a call in show your calls help make it successful)
  9. If you are in transition put your elevator pitch in writing to group, ask for help with job search issues or connecting to people at target companies, regularly post job opportunities (from email you joined the group – send email to thebreakfastclubnj@yahoogroups.com)
  10. Help fellow members whenever possible

We look forward to seeing everyone let’s make this a great meeting for our members that are in transition and welcome those that have landed

RSVP

Posted in Monthly Meeting Tagged with: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Email Marketing: Target Your Customers

Posted on by Adam Kovitz
Email marketing is when a company or person sends a message to a group of people via email. Most commonly used for advertisements, business requests, sales or donation solicitation, any email communication is considered email marketing if it helps to build customer loyalty, trust in a product or company, or brand recognition. 
Grow Your Personal Relationships
Small businesses and individuals can develop a personal relationship with their network, prospects and customers in ways that their larger counterparts simply can’t match due to their size. However, growing personal connections can be time consuming with so much other work to be done.  With email marketing, you can more easily connect with your prospects without getting pulled away from the work you need to get done.
Promote Your Brand
If you were shopping for a car today, would you consider buying a Toyota or Honda? Many people would say “yes”. But with all of the recent news of problems with these brands, specifically injuries from defective air bag, why would you consider these brands? The reason why is that the auto makers have used robust email marketing and social media campaigns to counter the affects of negative news reports and assure their customers and prospective customers just how much effort they continue to put into the quality of their products. The automakers are winning.


 Keep Your Customers & Network Informed
Email marketing is very effective at helping business owners and consumers stay connected. Consumers often seek out email marketing campaigns from their favorite brands and local stores. On March 5, 2014, Nielsen reported that 28 percent of US online shoppers subscribe to store or product emails in order to stay informed (http://goo.gl/gufyoh). There is a real value to staying connected to customers, and email marketing makes that easy to do.

Email Marketing Drives Sales by Promoting Brand Loyalty
The same Nielsen study mentioned above also reported that 27 percent of US online shoppers subscribe to store or product emails in order to save money. Though consumers are looking to save money, it can turn into increased revenue for your business. E-coupons and e-promotions are big business, and email marketing is at its heart.

Promoting your business and brand through email is one of the most visible aspects of social media marketing. It’s a great way to keep and win new customers, enhance existing relationships and promote your brand. In addition, you will be able to accomplish all that and keep your marketing costs and effort minimal and manageable.

I encourage you to leave a comment by clicking on “…comments” below…
David Schuchman

from BCNJ Member Blog Feed http://dlvr.it/BsRWf2
via IFTTT

Posted in Member Contributions Tagged with: ,

Keeping Your Email Inbox Better Organized

Posted on by Adam Kovitz

Email plays an important role in our daily lives, whether it’s personal or business. And we all get tons of emails whether we want them or not. When we use it appropriately, email is an incredibly useful communication tool. But, many of us feel overwhelmed by the amount of email that we receive and need to respond to.
Whether you’re catching up from last week, working through a post-vacation backlog, or just clearing out junk, taking time to organize your email will help you work more efficiently. Not keeping your email organized can create challenges for you during the day, which may compound over time:
  • We can’t find that important message: – It’s always a terrible experience to miss an important email or not be able to locate a specific message in the mess that we call our “Inbox”. 
  • An overflowing Inbox can be a big distraction: The amount of time and effort to navigate a disorganized Inbox or email account will make you less productive. Spending excess time searching for specific messages will make you less focused on the important tasks and people that you really need to attend to.
  • No longer receive messages: All email accounts have set maximum disk space limit. If emails are left on the email server indefinitely, your email Inbox may get full. Email messages with attachments take up more space than emails containing only plain text. So, your email account will fill more quickly if you have a lot of messages with attachments. Once your email account has reached its maximum limit, your email account will not accept new messages.

Here are some steps to take to get control of your email account.

  • Purging messages: Start by sorting your emails by sender. This will help you identify the messages you no longer need and the ones you have already responded to. Go through the messages quickly and delete as much as you can. But, don’t let yourself get bogged down by any one message. Messages that are candidates for quick deletion are solicitations from vendors, stores or shopping sites, contain expired coupons and invitations, and from senders you don’t know.
  • Organize your existing messages into folders:
    • “Follow up” where you’ll file the messages you need more than a few minutes to respond to. 
    • “Hold” for messages that refer to an event in the future, like an invitation.
    • “Archive” for those messages you’ve responded to and want to keep a record of. For additional organization, you can have sub-folders under “Archive” by category, sender, etc.
    • Going forward, move new messages into these categories based on the matching folder, and then get rid of everything else. Once you respond to the “Follow up” and “Hold” messages, delete those too.
  • Create rules and filters: Most email systems allow you to create rules or filters that will act upon incoming messages even before you see them. You can instruct your email system to route messages into specific folders (or delete messages) based on the sender’s email address, keyword content, and other criteria.
  • Spam: Flagging unwanted messages in you Inbox as spam will cause your email system to treat similar massages as spam in the future. Check your spam folder frequently. Delete the messages that are truly spam.
  • Trash Folder; Your email system usually moves deleted messages in a “Trash” folder. While no longer in your Inbox, those messages are still in your email system hogging valuable space. Delete the messages in your Trash folder to permanently delete. then and recoup the space Better yet, change the setting on your Trash folder to auto delete.
  • Export and save important attachments: Download and save important attachments to your desktop or server. Then, delete those messages with the attachment from your email account.
  • Tweak your social media profile notification settings: Most social media sites have the ability for you to control the frequency and content for when the sites send you messages. Doing so will reduce the number of email messages you receive.
  • Export messages that you must keep: Doing so will enable you to remove the messages from your email system. But, you will maintain the messages in a file outside of your email system for posterity.
Taking control of your Inbox isn’t a once-and-done job. But, maintaining order doesn’t have to be complicated or a pain. Once you put the processes in place that work best for you, it won’t take long to turn your process into habit.

I encourage you to leave a comment by clicking on “…comments” below…
David Schuchman

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How to Improve Your Interviewing Skills

Posted on by Adam Kovitz

An interview is a business transaction wherein the objective of the hiring manager (the person who has the authority to hire) is to make a selection among job candidates called in for interviews. A candidate has two challenges: first, to convince the hiring manager that he is the ideal candidate for the position, and second, […]

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How does a PM in a PSO/PMO get the right people for the project?

Posted on by Adam Kovitz
“Mr. Program Manager of the Project Management Office/Professional Service Organization (PMO/PSO), I think for the new project that you have made me Project Manager (PM), Jane would be the best Business Analyst and Jack would be the best Technical Analyst (TA). NO? Why not”?

If this conversation sounds familiar, you are not alone. We PMs love to get the best resources for our projects because we want every edge we can muster to be successful. This especially includes getting (or begging for) the resources you are most comfortable with. I know I ask for the same resources for similar projects I am receiving as a PM. I know what they deliver and their “modus operandi” or MO. So, if I am comfortable with these resources, or even if I may have some issues with them, but know they would be successful on the new project I just received, I ask for them.  So how does a PM, with good intentions, make a request for a resource to his management team?

The Ask
So the first piece of advice I would suggest to any PM is to be on the resource managers’ best side. Some would suggest that this is a** kissing. Well, I am not sure what YOU would call it, but I call it sales. Yes, we are ALL in sales, whether you like it or not. The sooner you come to accept that truth, the better for you.  You have to know that manager and what that manager likes and especially what that manager dislikes. Also, you have to be able to prove that your request is not only in the best interest of your new project, but in the best interest of the Project Management Office/Professional Service Organization (PMO/PSO). To do that, you need to understand the new project by reading the Statement of Work (SOW) and using the deliverables in the SOW to your advantage in attaining the resources you desire. Now, here is my caution: Do NOT do this for every single project. Remember Aesop’s fable of the boy who cried wolf? This is why I suggest that you read the SOW before you request resources.

The Give
What do I mean by the give? Well, that resource manager you are requesting resources from may require you to give a resource from another of your projects, even if for a short time. When this request is in front of you, do not reject it out of hand. I suggest (in the strongest terms) that you go back and review the schedule for the other project. See where that resource may not be needed and begin the negotiations like so: Resource manager, I can release Joe the TA on my other project for three weeks between this day and that day. I do need Joe back, or the other project may go yellow or red if Joe is delayed for longer than that.
You see what I am suggesting here? You don’t want to come across as a taker ALL of the time. If that is the perception the resource manager has of you, then you will soon become unsuccessful in attaining the resources you request.

Conclusion

As part of a PMO/PSO, you will be having resources taken from you and you will request specific resources for your projects. You need to be seen as a PM who is reasonable and can be negotiated with. If that happens, you can be successful in attaining the most important resources for your most important projects. 

I am open to discussion at any time on these blogs or anything else related to project management you would like to explore. If you would like to comment about this blog, please do so by posting on this blog or by responding in an email at Benny A. Recine. You may inspire a blog article. I look forward to your comments.

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