The top not to do list

The TOP [NOT] TO DO LIST


Avoid office politics and gossip

Do not indulge in office gossip. It may be fine to comment on office happenings, make a few jokes but then it should also be limited. Do not indulge in gossiping actively. You may hurt the sentiments of someone who is working with you.

No personal problems to office

It is always wise not to bring your work to home and avoid bringing your personal concerns at workplace. Do not discuss your worries and tragedies with co-workers during working hours. Avoid talking about husband-wife fights, love problems, financial hurdles and other such topics. It may have a negative impact on work efficiency. Focus on the present and it will provide you some mental space away from your problems.

Your Desk ain’t your Dining Table

Do not eat near or on your desk. Accidents do happen and you do not want to ruin important documents or your keyboard. Some offices may allow eating at desks but it is advisable to eat lunch at office canteens or other places. Clean the clutter after eating. Take proper precaution not to mess up the place where you are going to eat. Make use of tissues and dustbins.

Time Management

Plan your time at office and stick to the plan. Follow your schedule strictly. Have your lunch at the time provided. If there is no fixed lunch time, do not stretch it long. Follow the office rules. Avoid leaving office before its official timing. Do not take longer breaks in between work and wasting time unnecessarily.

Do not answer calls from unrecognized phone numbers.

Feel free to surprise others, but don’t get surprised. All it results is unwanted interruption and might lead you in a poor negotiating position. Let it go to voicemail, and consider using an automated service for it.

Do not agree to meetings or calls with no clear agenda or end time

If you define desired outcome clearly with a stated focus, objective and agenda listing topics/questions to cover, no conference/session/meeting should last more than 30 minutes. Request them in advance so you “can best prepare and make good use of the time together.”

Prioritize your customers

There is no sure path to success, but the surest path to failure is trying to please everyone. Do an 80/20 analysis of your customer base in two ways–which 20% are producing 80%+ of my profit, and which 20% are consuming 80%+ of my time? Then put the loudest and least productive on autopilot by citing a change in company policies. Send them an e-mail with new rules as bullet points: number of permissible phone calls, e-mail response time, minimum orders, etc. Offer to point them to another provider if they can’t conform to the new policies.

Do not work more to fix overwhelm — prioritize

If you don’t prioritize, everything seems urgent and important. If you define the single most important task for each day, almost nothing seems urgent or important. Oftentimes, it’s just a matter of letting little bad things happen (return a phone call late and apologize, pay a small late fee, lose an unreasonable customer, etc.) to get the big important things done. The answer to overwhelm is not spinning more plates — or doing more — it’s defining the few things that can really fundamentally change your business and life.

Do not be glued to cell phone or Trackberry 7 Days A week!!

Take atleast one day off the Digital Cocoon you have surrounded yourself with. Leave your cell phone and go out out uninterruped. It provides a mental diversion that always helps you in a positive way, it might also leave you with a lot of happy and undiluted moments with family and friends.

Work ain’t Life

Work is not all of life. Your co-workers shouldn’t be your only friends. Schedule life and defend it just as you would an important business meeting. Never tell yourself “I’ll just get it done this weekend