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We all deal with tight deadlines on a regular basis. Many of us work directly with some very impressive (and intimidating) executives. At times, the pressure can be overwhelming.

If you work in a position where working well under pressure is a requirement, check out the following tips to help you manage the stress and perform at your best, even under pressure of looming deadlines and high powered bosses.

Stop Procrastinating

Nothing – and I mean nothing – adds unnecessary pressure to a situation like good old fashioned procrastination. Waiting until the last minute to start working on a project is asking for everything to go wrong. If you’re a chronic procrastinator, you undoubtedly know this. Expect that there will be delays at every step. It’s always helpful to start projects much earlier than you would think necessary and set mini-deadlines along the way. Give yourself plenty of time to perform at your best. Work that is rushed is often inaccurate and low quality. Avoiding procrastination will help decrease the number of circumstances in which you are under a huge time pressure to get things done.

If you’re one of those people who “work well under pressure” and you feel you need that tight deadline to push yourself, you can always set a “fake deadline” for yourself. Make it a week earlier than the real one. That way, you still put the pressure on yourself but you’ll have some flexibility so if things go wrong, or you just need more time to check your work, you’ll have it.

Ask for Help

I don’t know why it’s so hard for us to ask for help. I guess it’s a pride thing. We all want to show that we are endlessly capable so we think that asking for help is like admitting we aren’t. Well, it’s time to get over it. Sometimes, we can’t do it all. We’re only human! When the pressure is on and you feel like you’re about to crack, you don’t have to suffer alone. Call upon your team to help you out. You help others all day long – they’ll be thrilled to show you the same support. And don’t be afraid to take them up on their offers to assist! So many times I see people drowning who refuse to take the life vest. Again, it’s a pride thing. Stop it! Just accept the help, be grateful and share the credit where it’s due. That’s perfectly acceptable in business.

Organize and Prepare

Most of us go through periods where we are extremely busy followed by short periods of calm during which we can reorganize and prepare for the next wave of action. During these lulls, be sure to use your time wisely. It can be tempting to just sit back, relax and pat yourself on the back for all your hard work. But don’t forget that this period of stillness is only temporary. Take some time to reflect on what is working well and what isn’t. Consider what projects/tasks are coming up on the horizon. Can you avoid any pressure in the future by doing some preemptive work now? How can you improve your organization system to make the next flurry of activity less stressful?

Slow Down

It can be tempting, when dealing with a heavy load of pressure, to move into “speed demon” mode. Remember that you often end up sacrificing accuracy and quality when you concern yourself with trying to move at lightning speed. It also increases your anxiety level making the pressure that much more intense. Take a minute to breathe deeply and keep your composure. Don’t allow the need for speed to rule your behaviors in critical moments. Be smart. Snap decisions aren’t always the best way to go. Don’t allow time pressure to push you into doing mediocre or unsatisfactory work.

Following these key tips will help you decrease the amount of pressure your under and better handle it when it comes along.

As an Executive Assistant, I face the challenges of managing up on a daily basis. It seems to me that most office professionals – from administrative assistants to office managers – have to do at least some level of managing up. If you don’t know exactly what it means, you probably still do it. It’s an almost essential part of any career. And mastering this delicate art can be tricky.

What Does Managing Up Mean?

Most high level executives have a lot on their plate. They need help staying on track, managing time, and prioritizing tasks. That’s where we come in. Office support professionals are there to help them do all of these things. It can be awkward though. After all, telling your boss what he should and shouldn’t be doing at any given moment is a daunting task.

Managing up means doing just this. It’s a continuous process of knowing and understanding the needs of your boss. To effectively manage up, you must always be aware of the most critical tasks, projects, meetings, and other items on your boss’s agenda at any given time. It’s a matter of filling in the gaps, keeping the most important items in front of him and clearing away the unnecessary junk in the middle.

It can feel strange at first. At times, it can feel like babysitting. I sometimes think of myself as a professional nag because I’m constantly hounding my boss to do things or pushing him out the door so he won’t be late for a meeting. I used to consider this the worst part of the job. Now, I think it’s the most fun!

Addressing the Challenges

Obviously, the process of managing up can be challenging. There’s a delicate balance that must be achieved so that you strike the right note. The goal is to create a position for yourself as your boss’s right hand – that indispensible cohort that makes all things possible. You want to command your boss’s attention and manage him without making him feel like he’s being…well…managed. Done in the wrong way, managing up can backfire, making your boss feel stifled and out of sync. At the same time, you don’t want to appear like a complete suck up to the rest of the office. Trying to manage up by schmoozing won’t make you very popular.
So, how do you manage up effectively?

Try the following:

Communicate

I value communication as one of the most essential skills for professional success. And it’s absolutely critical for managing up. Talk to your boss about how he’d like you to handle day to day activities. Don’t guess. Ask whose phone call he’d like to be interrupted for. Ask what pressing projects he has on his plate. Ask what meeting simply cannot be rescheduled no matter what. Until you’ve worked with your boss for a long time, you won’t be able to just figure it out without some guidance. Even though he may expect you to be a mind reader, you’re probably not. Asking questions and really listening is the only way to understand your boss’s needs.

Recognize Weaknesses

Every boss has a few weaknesses (whether or not they freely admit it). It’s your job to minimize the appearance of them. For example: my boss is a pack rat. It’s incredibly frustrating and it can cause major disorganization. I have to manage this and I do so in many different ways (forgive me, I can’t share all my secrets here…). My point is this: don’t be afraid of seeing your boss for what he really is – a human being. Recognize his weak spots and do your best to “fill in the gaps”.

Be Assertive but Remember Who You’re Talking To

As I said before, managing up can sometimes feel like babysitting. But don’t forget where you are. Managing your boss is not the same as managing a 2 year old (though it sometimes feels that way!). If your boss’s weakness is that he is perpetually late for meetings, you must manage that by keeping him on schedule. However, you can’t act or sound like his mother. Chances are that won’t go over well. Be confident and assertive but watch your approach. With some people, you can push it. With others, you just can’t. You have to know who you’re dealing with.

I often have to practically push my boss out the door so he won’t be late for meetings. I have a very well rehearsed approach: about 30 minutes before he has to be out the door, I stroll casually into his office and remind him that he has a meeting coming up. I might hand him the materials or briefly review the purpose of the meeting. This is just a casual early reminder for him to start wrapping up what he’s working on. At 10 minutes before he has to be out, I’ll poke my head in the office and give him a 10 minute warning of some sort. If it appears that he’s engrossed in something and that I’m going to have to bug him, I’ll do the same thing at 5 minutes. When it’s time for him to leave, I’ll go in his office and ask if whatever he’s working on can be handed over to me instead. I’ll stand by his desk until he stops working. I’ll pack up his briefcase and clear off his desk if I have to. If I don’t, he’ll continue being absorbed in his work and he’ll never leave. My little routine probably wouldn’t work for everyone but my boss knows that being late is his biggest downfall. He’s even said that, no matter how mad or annoyed he gets, he needs me to be demanding about getting him out the door on time.

It’s your job to determine the level of assertiveness that will get the job done without completely frustrating your boss.

Build the Relationship

Overall, I think the most important piece of managing up is building an incredibly strong professional relationship with your boss. Be dependable, honest and trustworthy. Your boss will learn to truly rely on you if you are consistent. Don’t hide mistakes – discuss them openly and honestly and resolve them together. Build a relationship of mutual respect. Honor commitments and recognize that your work reflects on your boss. Help him look good and you’ll look good. You’re a team. Be a reliable, dependable support player and together, you’ll win the game.

Well, I’m happy to report that Part 2 was another successful webinar! Once again, Maria Braune (our expert from RollCall) offered some really valuable advice. Some of the key points of discussion were:

• Different types of pricing for web conferencing services
• How to determine what conferencing service best suits your needs
• The kinds of things you can do with conferencing technology - like poll and chat
• An overview of how RollCall’s Web Presenter technology works

A recording of the webinar is now available for download here: Download Part 2: Meet Me in Cyberspace

Again, this is a zip file so, after you download it, you’ll need to extract the files and then play it from any media player you wish.

If you choose to listen, I’d be interested to know what you think. I’m hoping to do some more webinars in the future and any feedback you can offer would be helpful. Also, if you have some specific topics you’d like covered in the future webinars, let me know and I’ll see what kinds of experts I can find to help us. Thanks to all of you who participated!

Are you feeling bored with your job? Do you need more to do? Or do you just need a way to breathe new life into your same old daily routine?

Well, look no further! Below you’ll find 6 easy and effective ways to help you completely reinvent your job (or at least, your experience of it).

1. Redecorate Your Office

Don’t under estimate how much difference a new environment can make. Whether you work in an office or a cubicle or at a desk in the lobby, take some time to rearrange your space. Add some new flare – switch out the old photos of your family from two years ago and put up a few more current ones; get a nice, relaxing fountain to fill the room with the calming sounds of water; maybe spice things up with a few nicely framed paintings. Remember to add some vibrant color and a few plants too. The new vibe will reinvigorate you and the decoration process can be really fun!

2. Buy a New Suit

Ok, I know this sounds silly but here me out: a new suit can completely change the way you feel at work. Sometimes when I’m down on work, I stop putting in as much effort to “look the part”. I just sort of go through the motions. For me, a new suit can change my entire attitude. It makes me feel powerful and gives me a burst of confidence and poise. As silly as it is, looking good helps you feel good. Remember that a high quality suit can last a long time. Consider it an investment (that’s what I tell Mr. Toolbox).

3. Ask to Shadow a Co-Worker for a Day

Try to find a co-worker in a department different than yours and ask if you can help out with them for a day. Working side-by-side with someone new can completely shift your perspective, especially if they’re working on tasks you don’t normally do yourself.

When I was an Assistant Manager at the bank, I spent a couple of days at our loan processing center. On a normal day, I would ship a loan package off to this department and it would disappear for a few weeks, then suddenly come back all processed with paperwork to sign. I had no idea what happened in those weeks it was gone. Working at the loan center gave me a whole new perspective of the lending process. I learned the steps that took place in order to complete the loan, got to know some of the people I’d never met before who worked on my files, and also learned a few ways I could do my job better. The days I spent there also showed me that I did NOT like being a loan processor. I much preferred working in the branch environment! So I went back to my job with renewed enthusiasm and appreciation.

4. Ask to Shadow your Boss for a Day

This might sound strange but think about it: do you really know what your boss does all day? If you don’t, you might be missing valuable opportunities to help out. As an Executive Assistant, it’s important that I find small helpful ways to make my boss’s job easier. When I first started, I shadowed him for a whole day just so I’d see how he operated. If I did it again now, I’m sure I’d see new ways I could help. I would probably pick up a few new tasks just by watching him go through his everyday routine. There are many things that I’m sure he’d like to delegate to me, but he puts it on a list and forgets to do it. If I’m right there, he’d be a lot more likely to hand over some work.

Spending some quality one-on-one time with your boss is bound to shift your perspective of your own job as well. Perhaps you’ll make it your goal to take his or her place one day. On the other hand, you may decide that you’re perfectly happy right where you are.

5. Create a Project and Take Ownership of It

Does your company have a newsletter? Maybe no one’s even thought of it. Use your spare time (or a small window of appointed time) to create a sample of a company newsletter. Take it to your boss and ask if you can head up the project to send a newsletter out each month.

Nothing reinvents a job like a new, fun task. Find a project that you think you’d enjoy doing and get your boss’s consent to take ownership of it. This will not only give you something interesting and new to work on, it will also show your initiative and enthusiasm for taking on new tasks.

6. Learn and Implement New Skills

This is probably the most important thing you can do to reinvent your job. Take it upon yourself to learn as much as you can – both at the office and outside of it. As you learn new skills, be sure to share your knowledge with others and implement your new abilities into your daily tasks.

When I took an Intermediate Excel course a few years ago, I was able to completely reorganize many of the spreadsheets I had been using. My job became more interesting because I was utilizing new knowledge, and I became a more effective employee because I was using more advanced techniques. Each time you take a class, at least a small portion of your job can be “reinvented”. You’ll also find that each new skill increases your value to your company and your career growth opportunities as well.

Just a reminder that if you want to participate in Part 2 of our webinar, Meet Me in Cyberspace: The 411 on Virtual Meetings, please register soon. It takes place this Thursday, April 24th at 2:00 EST. Below are the topics we plan to go over:

• Brief recap of Part 1
• How pricing works for web conferencing
• Overview of web conferencing technology - features and functions
• Support and pre-consultation information – how to work with a web conferencing rep to review needs
• Open question session with Maria Braune from RollCall – ask the expert!

We’re looking forward to another informational session so don’t miss out. Sign up now if you’re interested!

Did you know that this week is Administrative Professionals week? April 21st to 25th is a week dedicated to recognizing and appreciating the amazing work we do each and every day. And really, is there any better way to show appreciation than with food?

Boston Market knows that’s the truth! And obviously, the folks over there appreciate the work of administrative professionals. I received word from them that all week long, they’re offering $3 off any order of $10 or more to all administrative professionals. Just bring your business card to your local Boston Market and you’ll be treated like the star you are!

You can also sign up at www.bostonmarket.com for the latest specials and coupons, and you can even place online catering orders for last-minute office lunches.

So treat yourself today (and everyday) like the amazing professional you are!  Whether it’s a chicken dinner or a new suit, do something special for yourself that says, “I rock!” Because you do!

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