What can you do to keep your office life sane? You can change what you can and not sweat what you can't change.

Management Sanity

1. If you have meetings, keep them short and don't allow them to become events. Large amounts of food are not necessary for an hour meeting; coffee and hot water for tea will do just fine.

2. When you do call a meeting, keep to an agenda and start and end on time.

3. When possible meet with department heads one-on-one, you may find this to be more productive than a full staff meeting. People are more apt to talk about what is troubling them if there is no audience. There is also less chance of "water cooler" gossip.

4. Do something nice or unexpected for your staff, no reason necessary. A box of donuts can go far to lift your staff’s spirits and make them feel appreciated. It can also do wonders for your reputation as a "nice" boss.

5. If you have received hierarchy kudos after working on an important project, pass it on to staff members who helped to make the project a success.


Staff Sanity

1. Take a lesson from Nancy Reagan, and "just say no." No drugs here. Just say no to someone who seems to desperately need your help. Think before you response to this person's frantic cry for help--if it is something he or she does more than a couple of time a month, you owe it to yourself and her or him to just say no. While you cannot or perhaps it is not wise to say "No" to your boss, you can remind her that you are also busy by telling her what she has asked you to work on today. Ask which is the priority and if it should be put aside to accommodate this new request. None of this should be said in a snide voice, when bosses have good staff who can accomplish much in a short time, they take it for granted that you can add one more task to your to-do list. Speak up.

2. Make your technology keep quiet. If you do not need sound on your computer, turn it down or off. You do not need to hear a beep when you receive a new e-mail. When you are on the internet (researching only, of course) advertisements often have sounds that are meant to get your attention. They also get the attention of those sitting near you, turn off your sound. Turn down the volumn of your radio. Test its loudness by walking by or standing near your cubicle or your desk--if you can hear it, it is too loud.

3. Take 5 minutes to walk to the restroom or get a cup of coffee. Move away from your desk a couple of times during the work day--stretch your legs and your mind.

4. Get rid of cluttered space. We all know them. Office workers who live in grey, brown or beige cubicles with every space covered with a note, flyer or gadget. Are you one? Find out how to get rid of cubicle clutter Cubicle Owners with Clutter