General Article Archives - Page 29
Keep Your Inbox from Running Your Workday
Before you hit reply, read this: A recent survey found that knowledge workers spend an average of 17 hours each week sending and answering business emails. And all that email is taking a toll. The survey found that, on average, people spend 11.7 hours at work each week sending or answering email and another 5.3 hours on it when they work from home. They send or receive an average of 86 emails a day from the office and another 25 from ...
Read More10 Ways to Make Working From Home More Productive
There is a definite stigma about home offices. Virtual receptionists, virtual offices -- many entrepreneurs did anything they could to make it seem they worked from a "real," not a home office. Now, of course, having a home office no longer implies a lack of professionalism or success; in fact, some of the most successful people work from home. But that doesn't mean working from home is easy -- at least not for everyone. If you're struggling to ...
Read MorePassword Management - Quick Reference for CPAs
Each time you create a password at work, remind yourself how much sensitive company data you have in your care. From names, addresses, dates of birth, and Social Security numbers to tax and financial information, and business entity details—you’re tasked with protecting some of your company's most valuable data. And your network and system security is only as strong as the passwords you create. DOs Do use a passphrase instead ...
Read MoreManaging Smartphone Use in the Office
Smartphones are part of our daily lives, but that doesn't mean they should be a pervasive part of our professional lives. They do have their place: They help us stay organized, connected and able to complete work on the go through email and apps. However, many employees ignore basic phone etiquette. A recent survey from the consulting firm KDM found that, while 70 percent of those surveyed agree that it's inappropriate to have their phone out ...
Read More5 Tactics for Transforming Performance Reviews That Range From Ineffectual to Invaluable
Employee appraisals that improve performance are essential to reaching company goals. Many business leaders and experts say that performance reviews are just not that effective. It's true that there are many ways employers can tank one of these reviews and make it less helpful for workers. Some employees feel unfairly targeted or find it hard to listen at all. The reality is that performance reviews have evolved into a fairly standard ...
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