Organizational Freelancer Web Site is now online

The Organizational Freelancer Web Site is now available online at
http://businessacumen4.wix.com/orgfreelancer. The new web site provides information regarding diverse technical writing, web site design and other organizational freelancer projects.

You may send comments or feedback to Organizationalfreelancer1@gmail.com.

Leading Edge: How to out pace your competition

     Transitions happen in every organization. Consequently, the results include co-workers and leadership leaving to join new offices on a regular basis. Some call it staff turn-overs or others view it as "staying power" if you decide to not move on.

Sometimes when people leave to take on new opportunities, it is because they out pace the competition with leading edge in a specific profession. How is that even possible? A person can work all day every day in their field and omit the opportunity to keep up on new trends, technologies, training and methods. When we focus too much on the daily routine instead of our professional development, we may loose our competitive edge.

The usual suspects are to blame for a lack of maintaining one's skills:

• Avoid updates to your 5-year career plan
• Ignore the signs that your peers are out performing you 
• Too heavy a work load
• Reduced funds for training programs
• Lack of creativity in identifying best cost/no cost training programs
• Refuse to acknowledge your level of complacency 
• Lack of motivation

One of the most important ways to ensure you maintain your leading edge in your profession is through professional development. This allows you to make a critical business decision about your future: invest in yourself as well as your professional growth. When you  take the time to gain some refresher or new skill development through training, you are also acknowledging that life is more than just completing tasks in your in-box. 

Meetings: The Good, The Bad and the Ugly

     Organizational meetings are a critical part of work life because people learn about new initiatives, share information on exciting endeavors and build connections with their peers. Yet, each of us has been in a situation where the invitation to that one "weekly meeting" sends us into an immediate search for an exit strategy.

What can be so bad about meetings? Sometimes work gatherings can become overbearing or boring especially when they are unfocused or turn into gripe sessions. Not all meetings are destined for disaster.

For example, some meetings begin with good intentions and then quickly spiral well below the idea of productive, causing workers to run out of the room. It is easy to determine when your meeting is moving in the wrong direction because you will see people begin to text, look at their digital devices for no reason desperately hoping for a call or your notice your co-workers continue their winning streak on the app "Words with Friends."

How can you avoid such a workplace meeting conundrum? Leverage the effective meeting tips below:

• Solicit input on the agenda from the team
• Draft and distribute the agenda in advance of the meeting
• Engage everyone in the conversation so that even the silent types feel comfortable sharing their ideas
• Identify next steps before everyone leaves the room
• Respect your peers' time by ensuring your meeting stays on schedule
• After the meeting, share meeting notes, status updates and more with all participants as well as those unable to attend
• Continue to inform the team about project milestones

It's a matter of time management

It's Monday and it is time to create a mental list of your work priorities for the week. Then it hits you: How do I decide? You can always use old favorites such as "pressure from your co-workers or your boss" to determine how to plan your work day. However, if you use this process, then you will have limited control over your work schedule.

The other option is to focus on your time management skills. Also, when you rely on the old adage of "everything is due at the same time" as a reason to not prioritize your tasks, it reflects a lack of responsibility on your part. When you improve your time management skills, you become viewed as more dependable and worthy of recognition.

How can you turn the hands of time into a benefit for you at work? Try these trusty Time Management tips:

• Get to know your managers and their task level requirements
• Close out all the prior week's tasks as much as possible before leaving for the weekend
• Predetermine the new week's tasks and deadlines so you can plan accordingly
• Add a cushion to your submission deadlines to allow for last minute edits or updates
•  Know when to ask for support from your team mates
• Coordinate with your manager in advance when you need to take a "work time out" so you can be "off-line" to everyone in the office so you can finish your goals
• When multiple tasks are due simultaneously, negotiate a submission date change with managers you identified as flexible based on your work history

Innovators move forward

People begin their careers based on a variety of factors such as education, parental input/pressure, skills and passion for specific types of work. The type of work that you do may also serve as a  catalyst for change that will generate fresh ideas each time you are in or out of the office environment.

It is simply not enough to have great ideas and never see them through fruition. Some hiring managers like to see initiative and innovation in their staff. When employees share their new ideas, it is a reflection of their since of vested interest in the organization as well as identifies staff who dare to be, well creative every day.

Innovation requires research, planning and dedicated resources to get things kicked started. Next time you have suggestions about improving processes, new product development or providing enhanced services, show some initiative and begin your Innovation Exploration today.