I grew up on MSN messenger. My parents made me do Mavis Beacon for a few hours every week to get better at typing but I’d like to think that I can type so fast because of the 3-4 hours I spent on msn after school. Sadly, my chat time has drastically declined to 15-20 minutes every night before bed. iChat and Gchat are essential in planning activities with friends and communicating with my family back home.

I think our generation (not sure who I am referring to with that comment, but let’s assume I’m saying people around my age) think IM is much more efficient than using the phone to communicate. I can definitely see the downsides of using an office IM so let’s look at both sides.

For IM:

1. Communicate without picking up the phone. If someone isn’t there, they’ll get the message when they get back. If they are there but busy or in meeting, they can respond without having to dedicate 100% of their attention to a phone call or desk visit.

2. Record of communication. Rather than having all these short emails or scribbled notes on a pad of paper, you can review what has been said. It is the perfect way to share links or ask small questions like “Should I float the table to the right or to the left of the column?” A question like that doesn’t need a phone call or a walk from your desk. Plus, you can refer back to it later if you forget.

From Kay Reynold’s article Instant Messaging for Businesses, here are a few more pro IMs:

1. Time Management. How often have you played phone tags with business partners? Or played the voicemail game with clients? E-mails get lost in cyber space, memos get trashed upon receipt and lengthy conversations take valuable time out of your day. So what’s the solution? Instant messaging allows people to quickly and effectively communicate their needs or information. With a click of a button, your message pops up on the recipient’s computer, regardless of whether or not they are at their computer.

2. Customer Relations. Be honest: are you always available for your customers to reach you by phone? Probably not. And voicemail messages can be garbled or even lost. With instant messages, your customers can reach you in just a few seconds, and you can either read the message as soon as you receive it, or tend to it later. You can also set up the “Away” message feature that tells people that you are away from your desk, and can even tell them what time you will return.

Against IM:

1. Obviously it can’t be abused in so many ways. Inner office IM can be a way to spread gossip, distract employees, and get lots of stuff on record that you would never want anyone to know.

2. Data security/legality issues. How can you ensure that important information won’t be leaked to outside sources?

3. We’ll all gain 5 pounds because we don’t get up and walk anymore.

So now we need your advice. What is the best IM client to use in the office? Is it MSN? Yahoo? AIM? Gtalk? Trillian? Comment with your suggestion and advice below! Thank you!

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Spring is officially here! Flowers are budding, trees are blossoming, and birds are chirping. But the time we dread throughout the year is here — spring cleaning. The whole years paper piled up waiting to be cleaned, empty cups of coffee, and things you don’t even recognize.   But no fear cause- Shoplet.com is here! We have everything to create a nice and organized work area for your home and office. From cleaning products to organized file folders. We have everything!

 4 easy steps to a successful Shoplet.com spring cleaning: 

 1. Take a deep breath! Start picking up all those old notes and papers and feel free to bring a shredder and a garbage.  

2. Once you have thrown out your unnecessary things (crumpled paper, pens that don’t work, cups of coffee, etc.) Now take everything off your desk so you can wipe the dust off. Start placing things back to your desk. For the most important step of the cleaning process: remember to take anti-bacterial wipes ( Shoplet.com has a huge variety) and slowly wipe down your monitor, mouse, keyboard, and your telephone. Believe it or not-this is the number one way to pick up bacteria and catch a virus or cold.

 3. Once things star clearing up, start placing  things on your desk you actually need! Create neat piles that can be filed into folders or stacked neatly put on your tidy desk. Stay organized with file folders that can be found to your criteria and needs with Folder Finder on Shoplet.com.

 4. Hopefully you have seen some major progress in your work area. Lastly, a great way to stay organized all year-round is to get something like a bulletin board to pin your schedule and important papers places where you can always see them. You can also have some fun and get some funky colored push-pins to (kind of) brighten up your papers! Now it is easier to see what you have to re-stock on. Here are some suggestions: new notes, paper, cartridge, and pens.

Have an easy and (somewhat fun) Spring Cleaning!! 

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Is your office desk buried under mounds of clutter? Do you have trouble finding your phone when it rings?? Are you STILL looking for that half slice of pizza you were eating for lunch 3 days ago?? OK, that’s just nasty! Reorganizing your desk can give you peace of mind, allow you to find things you’re looking for more quickly, and make a good impression on the people who see your work area, such as your boss, customers, and other employees. You will be more productive and will benefit from having a tidy and attractive workspace, as you can better focus on your work without so many visual distractions. Even if your desk looks like the above, all hope isn’t lost! Here are a few tips:

Step 1: Clear it Out! Pull everything (except perhaps very large items, such as computers or printers) off and out of your desk.

Step 2. Scrub It! Now you can clean your desk! Get out the Pledge and glass cleaner and wipe down your desk and drawers, including all the nooks and crannies (what WAS that gunk in the back of the drawer?). Amazing the things you find back there, isn’t it!

Step 3. Sort It! Sort through your things and group similar items together, i.e. office equipment (pencils/pens, paper clips, rubber bands, post-it notes, white out, staplers) accessories, filing materials, paperwork, knick knacks (framed pictures, work awards, etc.)

Step 4. Keep or Toss? Keep a recycle bin and garbage can nearby to get rid of things - especially paperwork - you don’t need. Here are some questions you can ask yourself to help determine what to keep and what to TOSS. Is the item an unnecessary duplicate? If the answer is “Yes,” toss it! Is the item current and relevant to my work? If the answer is “No,” toss it! How often will I need to use or refer to this item? If “Never,” toss it! Does this item add anything to other information on hand? If “No,” toss it! Don’t forget to recycle!

Step 5. Strategize! Now it is time to define a place for everything. In doing this, follow two principles: the Frequency-of-Use Rule and the Grouping/Separating Rule.

Frequency-of-Use Rule: Items should be placed according to how frequently you need to access them. Items that are accessed quite frequently (i.e., on a daily basis) should be placed within immediate reach/view, while things that are used less often (i.e., weekly, monthly, or yearly) should be placed further away so that they do not interfere with your daily work. So first, think about what items you need most at your fingertips – i.e. telephone, rolodex, calendars and planners, frequently-accessed reference materials, staplers, pens, etc.  - and place these items in easy-to-access places in, on, or above your desk. Items that you use fairly frequently, but not every day should be placed either in desk drawers, filing cabinets near your desk, or shelving above or near your desk.

Grouping/Separating Rule: Similar items should be placed together, while dissimilar items should be separated from each other. For example, put similar items together, such as paper clips, and separate them from dissimilar items, such as pencils.

Step 6. Organize! Store items in storage areas and containers designed to accommodate them. Action items can be stored on your desktop in single or multiple stacking paper trays. Store supplies like paper clips, rubber bands, pencils/pens, scratch paper, Post it, and white-out in desktop supply caddies or drawer divider trays designed to organize such items. Arrange the items you need for clear viewing under a clear desk pad or in an orderly fashion on a tackable board over your desk.

Step 7. Nix the Knickknacks! If you can bear it, try and keep the number of knickknacks to a minimum (you don’t need five pictures of your kids), and place them in areas on or above your desk that will not interfere with your work.

Step 8. Make Your Work Area More Functional! Obviously you need to leave some clear space on your desktop for writing purposes and to give your desk a tidy appearance. Make use of the numerous office organizing products on the market - e.g., paper trays, drawer divider trays, computer disk holders, desktop supply caddies, shelf dividers, etc. Don’t be afraid to purchase something or ask your boss to purchase something for you if it will help you get more organized.

Once you’ve organized your desk, keep it that way! To maintain your new found tidiness, make an immediate decision about what to do with each item that comes across your desk. Resist the temptation of saying to yourself, “I’ll just put it here for now.” If you keep files in your desk, make appointments with yourself to go through them several times per year to discard outdated material (again, don’t forget to recycle!) Try to put things back in their proper places as soon as you are done using them. Straighten up your desk at the end of each workday. It only takes about five or ten minutes and it is much easier to clean up a day’s worth of mess than a week, month, or year’s worth.

HAPPY ORGANIZING!

[via www.thecluttercoach.com]

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Clean At Last!

There Now, Doesn’t That Feel Good!

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What do you envision in an office space in 10 years? It is one of those questions that give you goosebumps, isn’t it?
Here are four nifty items that may give you some insight.

iPod Nano Tie
	Apple has made a few attempts in intergrating iPods with fashion. Their strategy is rather marketing-incline than subtlety; they want people to wear an iPod as an accessory. While the delicatly designed iPod looks as good as it is sitting on a desk as a talisman of industrial design, it may not necessarily look good with a Michael Kors watch or a Ben Sherman shirt. A British company came up with a tie that hides your iPod Nano. Flip over the tie, you will see 2 loops that help to hide the wire hanging off your iPod Nano and an extra flap of fabric that serves as a pocket to your iPod. The tie came in navy, red and pink and it is made of 100% silk. Steve Jobs may be an expert in computer products, but when it comes to fashion advice, you go to someone like Carson Kressley.
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Your Personal Massues in Your Office
One night, you are at your office; over time; on a deadline; don’t you wish there was someone who can give you a massage? One of the 2008 new invention is this Head Spa Massager. The moment you put on this device, it simulates thousands of little fingers massaging your scalp. Despite it’s ‘futuristic’ and interesting design, it is sold at an affordable price. The device uses a rechagrable battery and is fairly easy to carry with you. If you feel such an intense need that you need a personal masseuse in your office, this is probably a good option besides the fact that you are going to look lke the Borg Queen…
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Portable Office Work Station
I am a transformer fan, which explains why I find this Portable Office fascinating. This giant box looks like nothing but a decoration when it is condensed, it is in fact not one but two office spaces when extended. It includes 2 desks, outlets and a tone of storage space. It also has a handle and weels underneath it for mobility. Imagine the flexibility this invention can offer an office space. Would not it be cool if we use these things instead of cubicles?
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Robo Receptionist.
The final object that will most likely be implemented in an office space in countable years is possibly an android - a robot that look just like us human. Believe it or not, without make a big deal out of it, androids are being developed all over the world. One of the famous projects belongs to Kokoro, a Japanese company that specializes in anamotronics and robotics. Kokoro has came up with a few versions of female androids. They are all so advance at a point where they understands basic commands and interact with human beings. It has been announced and demonstrated that the female androids developed by Kokoro are capable of fulfilling receptionists positions. Androids are definitely the most fascinating invention and ought to be paid more attention to.■

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