Ezine 291
Managing Your Office or Space
By Dr. Lois Frankel

This week's ezine comes from my good friend and colleague Dr. Lois Frankel. I look forward to your comments.

Chances are if you were at your desk when this e-mail came through you stopped what you were doing long enough to see who it was from. A recent Business Week article indicates that distractions such as e-mails, noise, phones, and drop-ins consume an average of 28% of the American workday.

When you take into consideration the time spent on the distraction and the time it takes to re-focus, it costs U.S. businesses $650 billion annually in lost productivity. Gloria Mark, a professor of informatics at UC Irvine, conducted studies documenting that most of us switch gears every few minutes and that it can take up to thirty minutes to get back on track.

You're never going to eliminate distractions (author Gary Marcus says human beings are wired to be distracted because we have to be alert to change), but here are some tips for how you can remain more focused whether you work in a private office, a cubicle, or an open floor plan:

Pick up a white noise machine. I have one in my own office and it subtly drowns out voices from other offices. A desktop waterfall or machine that plays soothing sounds like rain, the ocean, or birds can do the same.

If you have a door, close it when trying to meet deadlines. Although I'm an advocate for keeping the door open as much as possible, there are those times when it's simply necessary to have it closed for a while. Try making a humorous sign or find an appropriate cartoon to place on the door for those times when a closed door is the only thing that will help you maintain you sanity.

Shut off your e-mail notification. If you're an e-mail junkie it's too tempting to divert your attention when you hear new mail arrive. And if you truly are addicted to e-mail, no excuses. You can do it!

Establish office rules of etiquette. Whether you're the boss or a team member, bring up distractions as a costly business issue to address (you might even forward this e-mail with this paragraph highlighted).

Be prepared to make a few suggestions to kick off the discussion, such as take personal cell phone calls out of the office, always use your inside voice, no music that can be heard by others, and refrain from group discussions within earshot of a workspace.

(Continued Below)

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08/12/2008 11:26 AM
Subject: Ron La Vine Method.....another Appointment...this time [company name]
Dan S.

Tue, 12 Aug 2008 11:47:33
Sonya,

Nick and I have been trying to get a hold of Ram D. from [company name] since when he had the territory. He continues to reach our webinars but has been difficult to get a hold of.

Using LaVine's method, I spoke to Lynn, and using the very same questions we have been trained into I retrieved two new key contacts.

Roger D., General Manager and Debbie S., Project Manager IT. Lynn mentioned she would be the best person to speak to in terms of technology and data integration exactly as trained in class.

I also retrieved her direct phone number and have given her a call. I will be giving her a call later as well. This is the training you approved and it s paying off.

Thanks,
Jimmy C.
Direct Response Representative

(Continued from Above)

Buy an inexpensive pair of earplugs. I actually carry a pair around with me to use on planes, in places where people tend to scream instead of talk on cell phones, and even at home when I'm trying to write but there's a lot of commotion in the house. They work just as well in the office and, after you've worn them for a while, you just might find that you prefer the sound of your own breathing to the talking, wheezing, or laughter coming from the cubicle next door. You'll notice I don't suggest headphones or other devices that entirely block out noise. The idea isn't to become a recluse or isolated, but rather reduce unwanted distractions.

Dr Frankel has produced the following books, audio books and tapes, CDs and DVDs. "See Jane Lead" 99 Ways for Women to Take Charge at Work, "Nice Girls Don't Get The Corner Office"101 Unconscious Mistakes Women Make That Sabotage Their Careers, "Nice Girls Don't Get Rich", 75 Avoidable Mistakes Women Make with Money, "Stop Sabotaging Your Career" 8 Proven Strategies to SUCCEED in Spite of yourself,

AUDIO BOOKS, Women Lead Conference DVD Series, What Powerful Women Know. http://www.drloisfrankel.com/
or phone: 877.DOC.LOIS or send mailto:info@drloisfrankel.com.

Hope you found this informative, see you next time.

Until then. . .

Make it a great day and a successful week!

Ron

Member of the American Society for Training and Development (c) 2008 by Accelerated Sales Training, Inc. - Live Cold Call Sales Training Workshops. All rights reserved. www.ast-incorp.com

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