interview with jasmine freemanlet her know she’s one in a million. valentine’s day february 14....
TRANSCRIPT
AdminAdvantageThe Exclusive Online Magazine for Administrative Professionals
Vol. 16January 2010
Interview with Jasmine Freeman
FEATURES:The Administrative Hiring Outlook for 2010Key Attributes of a Successful Virtual Team PlayerThe Lean Office - Get Started Today With 5S
let her know she’s one in a million.
Valentine’s DayFebruary 14.
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�
12Interview with Jasmine Freeman
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24 20
CONTENTSof January ‘10
AdminAdvantageUS & North AmericAN editioN
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editoriAl teAm
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robert olszewskigraphic designer
Kulasekaram Vimalarasa (raj)Web developer
Suresh KaruppannanWebsite designer
AdVertiSiNg
Susan SilvaAdvertising & Sales US
Jane olsendirector Advertising & Sales UK
BUSiNeSS StAFF & Pr
mek rahmaniFounder, ceo & Publisher
Interview withJasmine Freeman
12
News
The Administrative Hiring Outlook for 2010
Key Attributes of a Successful Virtual Team Player
Let’s Prepare Your 2010 Personal Budget!
An Amazing Free Magic TrickWith a Banana!
The Lean Office - Get Started Today With 5S
4
9
20
24
18
28
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� JANUARY 2010
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CAREER
Research for the OfficeTeam 2010 Salary
Guide shows that demand for administrative
professionals with the right skill sets remains
steady. Office support staff play a critical role
within their organizations as companies increase
their focus on operating efficiently and cost-
effectively. In particular, employers are looking
for candidates who can identify ways to reduce
expenses, improve processes and add value
to the company. Organizations also seek the
following attributes:
Broad expertise. Companies look for
candidates with diverse skill sets and
experience that show an ability to fill a
variety of roles within an organization. Firms
want individuals who are able to multitask
and who have a demonstrated eagerness to
go beyond the job description to support a
department’s needs.
Flexibility. Organizations seek support staff
who are confident as they meet changing
business needs and demonstrate an ability
to work in challenging environments and
handle tight deadlines. They value individuals
who can quickly update their skill sets and
help others embrace change.
Technical abilities. Knowledge of Microsoft
Office applications remains critical. Employers
want administrative professionals who are
experts with Outlook, Word and Excel and
have proficiency with PowerPoint and Access.
•
•
•
CAREER
Whether you’re an
administrative professional
who is currently searching
for employment or one
hoping to change positions,
you’re likely wondering what you can expect in
2010. While there has been some movement
on the hiring front, the job market remains
very competitive. However, the outlook for
administrative professionals is not all doom and
gloom.
The Administrative Hiring Outlook for 2010
Robert Hosking
� JANUARY 2010
10 11 JANUARY 2010
Robert Hosking is executive director of
OfficeTeam, the nation’s leading staffing
service specializing in the temporary
placement of highly skilled administrative
and office support professionals.
OfficeTeam has more than 325 locations
worldwide and offers online job search
services at www.officeteam.com.
CAREERCAREER
opportunities in 2010. Companies need
professionals who can wear many hats and
support multiple managers, especially with teams
that have been stretched thin and where work
must be redistributed among fewer workers.
Other Hiring Trends
In addition, some companies are recognizing that
now is an opportune time to add staff to upgrade
their teams’ skill set and expertise. They’re
taking advantage of today’s deep talent pool to
hire individuals who would not be available in a
more robust market. New employees are helping
firms navigate changing business conditions and
prepare for times of growth that lie ahead.
Additionally, some organizations that reduced
staff levels during the recession are discovering
that they cut too deep and now require additional
personnel. However, they may be hesitant to hire
full-time employees until they are certain their
business growth will be sustained. Many are
turning to temporary administrative professionals
to keep up with workloads as they evaluate their
staffing situations. This allows them to maintain
productivity and ensure high-priority initiatives
remain on track while avoiding layoffs should
circumstances change.
All companies that are recruiting have one thing
in common, however: They are taking extra
time to identify and hire the best candidate
for each opening. Companies are being more
selective because they can be, and they’re
paying extra attention to application materials
to avoid costly hiring mistakes. In many cases,
firms are biding their time until they identify
individuals who meet every requirement of the
open position. According to a recent OfficeTeam
survey, executives polled said they spend more
than six minutes, on average, screening each
resume they receive. It’s also not uncommon
for applicants to go through several rounds of
interviews before a decision is made.
Administrative Salaries
Overall starting salaries for administrative
professionals are expected to decline in 2010,
but some positions are bucking the trend and
will see base compensation remain steady or
increase slightly.
Following are average pay ranges at the time of
hire for select positions in the United States:
• Senior administrative assistants will earn
between $31,500 and $40,500.
• Base compensation for customer service/call
center managers will range from $35,000 to
$54,000.
• Senior data entry specialists will be offered
starting salaries of between $24,750 and
$31,000.
• Presentation specialists will earn base
compensation ranging from $38,000 to
$50,000.
• Insurance verification clerks will earn base
compensation in the range of $26,250 to
$33,750.
The starting salary ranges provided above
will vary based upon factors including region
and area of expertise. For example, in major
metropolitan areas, where the cost of living can
be considerably higher, base compensation for
top administrative professionals typically exceeds
these ranges.
For more information about hiring and salary
trends in 2010, request a free copy of the
OfficeTeam 2010 Salary Guide by visiting www.
officeteam.com/SalaryCenter or calling (800)
804-8367.
Industry and department experience.
Companies seek support staff who can hit
the ground running, so they prefer candidates
who are familiar with their industry or have
worked in the same type of department in
the past. These applicants are sought after
because they are more likely to understand
the demands, processes, terminology and
software at their new employer.
aReaS Of DeManD
The U.S. government’s economic stimulus
package may lead to more administrative
openings in industries that receive assistance.
For example, national infrastructure improvement
projects and support of “green” industry initiatives
will likely create additional hiring opportunities in
these areas. In addition, as more hospitals and
healthcare organizations transition from paper
to electronic medical records, facilities will seek
medical records clerks who can help supervise
the scanning and processing of patient data.
Businesses are placing emphasis on revenue-
generating positions. Strong customer service
representatives are in demand across most
industries as organizations aim to build and
sustain customer loyalty to increase sales and
gain a competitive edge. According to the U.S.
Department of Labor’s Bureau of Labor Statistics,
employment for this role is expected to increase
25 percent from 2006 to 2016.
Executive assistants also may find new
•
12 13 JANUARY 2010
Hi Jasmine, Can you tell us a bit about your background. What brought you to this point in your career and when did you realize it was a career choice, not just a job?
I started out as a temp through OfficeTeam at 18-
19 years old. As I temped I saw many different
offices from small businesses to large, healthcare
industry to finance. At one point I even temped at
a garbage collection service for a few weeks! In
time I landed a job at one of the major employers
in the Omaha, Nebraska area (First National
Merchant Solutions, a division of First National
Bank). I started as an administrative assistant
at First National Merchant Solutions and worked
my way up to being the executive assistant at a
privately held company.
In my early 20’s I started utilizing the admins in
the executive offices as my mentors. One of
these admins invited me to her local IAAP chapter
meeting. In the office there were only a small
number of admins to network with, most of them
supporting senior executives. I thought it would
be wise to join the local IAAP chapter to meet
new admins and grow my personal network.
I quickly became involved in committees and
volunteered myself where I could. I chaired
committees and got to know as many of the
members as I could always attending meetings and
even attending the international conference with my
peers. I truly realized that I was a career assistant
by choice after my first workshop with Joan Burge.
Interview with Jasmine Freeman
by DeskDemon.com
INTERVIEWINTERVIEW
12 JANUARY 2010
Jasmine Freeman is a supernova! How
do I know? Because I have been
studying star assistants for 20 years.
A supernova is a rising star. When
Jasmine became my business partner
and Chief Executive Assistant in November 2006,
she already had the makings of an extraordinary
assistant. She didn’t come with 25 years of
experience or a great deal of exposure by working
for various businesses.
She came to Office Dynamics with excellent core
administrative skills, enthusiasm, a hunger to
learn, positive attitude, unruffled feathers, humility,
kindness, sincerity, and so much more. Jasmine
joined Office Dynamics at very difficult time for me
personally due to a surgery. She packed up her 3
children and husband within a matter of weeks,
came to a big city she knew nothing about, and
jumped into a new job where the CEO was absent
quite often the first 3 months.
It is now 3 1/2 years later and Jasmine truly is
my strategic business partner. Our business
relationship has extended into many areas. She
basically runs the show when I’m off running
around the country--and even when I’m in the
office. Jasmine has grown by leaps and bounds.
She has all the core components of a Star
Assistants: skill, attitude, teamwork, and strategy.
I am proud to call her my business partner!
A message from Jasmine’s boss, Joan Burge
1� 15 JANUARY 2010
How did you and Joan meet? Was it a hard decision to pack up your family and move to Las Vegas?
I was asked by one of the senior executive
assistants that I admired to attend a training course
in Las Vegas that was known as a “high-end
boot camp for executive assistants.” I was a little
apprehensive as I had moved up since beginning
at the bank but I was only supporting a Senior Vice
President and his team – I didn’t think I was ‘high-
level’ admin enough for this class. She encouraged
me and we traveled to Las Vegas together for
the course. I was amazed, my impression of this
entire profession was shifted and I was excited to
get back to the office and implement everything I
had learned. I left with an action plan and started
changing things. When I came back to the course
the following year for a Part 2 edition I had a
wonderful success story. I had moved to the
executive offices on the 39th floor of our 40 story
building. (One of the division head assistants that
had moved up there years prior remembered me
and my willingness to learn and she knew I was
always there to do a great job in any role). I shared
with the class just how amazing this was that I was
noticed and asked to interview for this position that
very few even knew was open. I landed this high-
level position and moved my way up the corporate
ladder. The instructor for the workshop was
impressed with my story and just how much I had
transformed in the past year. She approached me
at break during the course and shared this with me.
She even went as far to tell me that if I ever moved
to her area, she would love to have me as her EA.
This was a person I admire and I couldn’t get the
idea out of my head, the ‘what if I did this’ just
kept nagging at me. This was a Friday afternoon
when she asked; I had written her by Monday that
I would be interested in an interview. I had a great
position where I was but you never know unless
you try, right? My husband and children were
phenomenal support. Dave, my husband, stayed
behind and sold our home and his business while
INTERVIEW
I got started with my new endeavor. (I was even
enrolled in an online communications course at the
time I took this job and had to finish it in my new
location).
I would say, yes, it was hard to move away from
all of our family and friends and the network
I established for myself working at the same
company for the past six years but I was so filled
with excitement and backed by support from all
sides that I could only look forward.
Joan is an expert in this field. Working with her and her material on a daily basis do you feel you have become a more efficient EA? Do you have any input on her material being an EA?
Being exposed to the material on a daily basis
is one thing, actually implementing it is another
– just like an admin who goes to a workshop and
expects it to better their career when they return,
you have to actually implement what you learned
to become more efficient. Yes, I have become
more efficient, but I am always evolving and
tweaking the functions of our office for the better.
You have your own video series! How did that come about and now that you have seen the finished products what do you think of the outcome? Will we see more of you in the future?
The video series was a great experience and
it happened on kind of a whim. Joan speaks
about me in her own video series, in her
latest book and even at her live workshops
so people I would interact with started to ask
when they would meet me. Joan’s sister, who
is also her Media Director, was coming in to
do some filming for Joan’s video series. She
had the bright idea that we film an intro of me
which snowballed into me actually filming a
series where I answer different questions that
other admin asked of me via The Joan Burge
Blog. I had about a week to prepare myself as
INTERVIEW
16 1� JANUARY 2010
well as my content. I was extremely nervous
but surrounded by professionals who really
helped me through it. I enjoyed the experience
and I really love connecting with all of the
administrative professionals around the world
that have viewed my videos and share their tips
and tricks with me. I would love to do more in
the future; we’ll see what 2010 brings.
Networking seems important to you. Where do you network and how has it helped you in your career.
I have always been a networker but since
my move to Las Vegas, I’ve become an avid
networker! I not only have myself engaged
in the world of Social Media, I am an active
member of a few different groups here in
town. I have been a member of IAAP since
2003, currently a founding member of the
Las Vegas Valley Chapter. I joined the Vegas
Young Professionals as soon as I arrived to
this city and I have only missed a few meetings
since – it’s a great organization! VYP also has
their own Toastmasters chapter which I joined
in 2009 after Joan asked me to participate
as a speaker at her Annual Conference for
Administrative Excellence. All of these groups
help me to grow and flourish in different ways
and I think that the variety of the groups you
belong to is important. I’ve developed valuable
skills within each of these organizations as
well as made lifelong friends and promising
business connections.
Full time job, networking, an active mom when do you have time for you? What do you do for yourself?
I love activity! In one whirlwind weekend you
might find me hiking around at Red Rock
Canyon, at the gym, at my church, on our boat at
Lake Mead, sipping wine with my dear husband
or in the kitchen with my mini-chefs. I enjoy life
and don’t want to miss a minute of it.
Out of all the material, past experience, awesome people you are exposed to, what is that one piece of advice from you that you would give other administrative professionals who wish to move up in their career.
Looking back there are three things that stand out:
Surround yourself with supportive people
who care about you and will support your
successes. Without Dave being so open and
willing to support my ‘hunch’ we never would
have entertained the idea of me working with
Joan Burge in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Network with everyone! Your connections are
precious and they almost lead us through life
in a sense – the broader your network, the
broader your possibilities.
Keep your professional brand evolving with
you as you develop. Your image does matter
and you never know who you might meet
and make an impression on.
1.
2.
3.
INTERVIEWToo many business owners put off doing
their Morning meeting. Check voicemail.
Get coffee. Email. Sales call. Make copies.
Organize planner. Interview prospect.
Email. Afternoon meeting disaster plan.
READY.GOV
Whether natural or man-made, at least one in four businesses affected by a disasternever reopen. Though emergencies are unpredictable, when you have
a plan in place you can adapt, recover and stay in control.
It’s never too late to protect your business until it is.
Make a plan.
1� 1� JANUARY 2010
LIFESTYLE
Michael Breck is a professional
Magician in Scotland. He also runs an
entertainment agency called The Magic
Agency, which supplies Magicians, Bands,
and Entertainment for weddings, parties,
and corporate events all over Scotland.
For more ideas about Magic and Wedding
Entertainment go to Entertainment For
Weddings or Magical Entertainment.
(depending on the thickness of
the fruit), until you go right round
the centre of the banana. However, the
last time you do it you must bring the needle
back out the FIRST hole you made. This is easy
as the thread will still be sticking out of the hole.
If you then pull both ends of the thread, the
thread will emerge from the first hole and as it
does so, it will cleanly cut the banana in half,
inside the skin.
What you have done is cut the banana in half,
internally, with the needle and thread, without
damaging the skin. No one will notice the needle
holes. Just give them a rub with you thumb and
they will blend right in.
When you are ready to present the trick,
tell the spectators you will show them an
amazing magic trick with two bananas. Let the
spectators examine the fruit and then take one
back. Peel it and, very dramatically, break the
banana in half.
Holding a piece in either hand, wave the two
halves over the one the spectator is holding.
Stare at it intensely and ask him have him
peel the skin off his one - very slowly. He
will be amazed to see that his one is in two
halves as well.
He can examine as much as he wants but
there is no clues as to how this wonderful trick
was done.
An Amazing Free Magic Trick
With a Banana!
by Micheal Breck
This is an amazing magic trick with two
bananas, which will literally drive the
audience bananas!
hOW iT LOOkS TO The auDience
The Magician shows the spectators two
bananas, which they can examine. The Magician
gives one of the bananas to a spectator and asks
him to guard it carefully with his life. The Magician
takes the other banana, peels the skin from it,
and then breaks it in half.
The Magician then asks the spectator to peel
his banana. When he does this, he is amazed to
find that his fruit is also cleanly cut in half - even
though the skin is not broken in any way!
hOW The TRick iS DOne
This is a very old magic trick but with the right
presentation, it is a sure-fire winner with
any audience.
Buy two bananas, which are the same size and
colour. You will also need a needle and thread.
What you are going to do is insert the needle
and thread several times round the middle of
the banana. Take the needle and thread and
insert the needle into the skin and bring it back
out at a point about one centimetre around its
circumference. Push the needle back in about
another centimetre further round and bring it
back out again.
You will have to do this about four times
LIFESTYLE
20 21 JANUARY 2010
Key Attributes of a Successful Virtual Team Player - Profile of a Top Remote Worker by Nancy Settle-Murphy
Just because someone works virtually doesn’t mean
that person really has what it takes to collaborate
successfully. In fact, many who work remotely are
poorly-suited to make the connections they really need
to thrive. In this article, we look at characteristics that
make for a successful virtual collaborator, and those that may
cause big problems for many remote workers.
WORKSMART
We recognize that some jobs don’t require
a great deal of real collaboration to get work
done, and that other jobs can be performed
competently by the “lone wolf” who remains
detached from colleagues. Here we focus on
qualities that are especially important for those
who rely on successful collaboration to shine.
Social butterflies tend to thrive. The reason:
They crave contact with others and are
motivated to maintain connections with
others, either virtually - through phone,
email or social networking tools-or face-
to-face whenever they can. Introverts
who find it painful to stop and chat with
an officemate may find it infinitely more
difficult to cultivate social connections in a
virtual world. Maintaining a deep, trusting
connection with colleagues is tough for any
of us who work virtually, but for someone
who’s reluctant or introverted, these deep
bonds are almost impossible to create and
•
WORKSMART
JANUARY 201020
22 23 JANUARY 2010
keep up when working from afar.
Excellent organizational skills a harbinger
of success. Virtual workers have to be
more self-motivated and disciplined than
their office colleagues, since they don’t
have the luxury of having someone drop
in to remind them of an errant deadline
or an urgent action. Virtual workers have
to set up their own systems for reading,
filing and accessing important content,
performing tasks and reporting progress.
Virtual workers also have to follow an
established protocol related to the use
of file-sharing, email or social networking
tools. Those who are perpetually
disorganized or need constant reminders
will suffer for their shortcomings even
more in a virtual world, with no one there
to look over their shoulders.
Ability to manage time across many
dimensions. Virtual workers must be adept
at managing their calendars and synching
up with others, since conversations and
meetings must be so well-orchestrated.
They need to be disciplined and realistic
about keeping their own calendars,
making sure they build in time for thinking,
eating and moving about throughout the
day. While some cram too many meetings
into a single workday, forcing them to
work after-hours or risk falling behind,
others may take too much time “off”
•
•
for non-work activities, simply because
no one is watching. Those who have a
realistic sense of how much time they
need to get their work done will be far
more productive than those who either
can’t or won’t accurately estimate how
much time they need to get work done.
Willing and able to use a variety of tech tools
with ease. Email and phone as the primary
means of team communication are quickly
giving way to other communications
tools. Social networking apps, shared
repositories, instant messaging, web
meeting tools, blogs, wikis, telepresence
-and more-have become commonplace for
virtual teams. Some workers can choose
the tool that best meets a particular need,
and for others, their organizations have
governing principles about the use of
certain tools. Regardless, virtual workers
have to be conversant about how tools
work, and which works best in a given
situation, and need to feel comfortable
using those tools quickly and easily.
Those who are slow to adapt to new
communication tools may find themselves
being left out of important online
conversations or getting only a fraction of
the information they need.
Exceptionally sharp listening skills. People
who work virtually miss the vital visual
cues that accompany a colleague’s
•
•
WORKSMART
disappointment, frustration, elation or
impatience. Virtual workers need to be
able to hear verbal cues and read written
clues to discern what’s really going on for
others, much of which often goes unsaid.
People from “high context” cultures,
where both the context and the words
themselves are considered as key parts
of the overall message, tend to be more
successful than those who take another’s
words simply at face value. Those who
don’t listen deeply, such as those who
chronically multitask during team calls,
may never get a sense of the thoughts
and feelings that man make or break the
success of a virtual team.
Knows what to communicate, how and when.
People who know how to organize their
thoughts into cogent, concise messages
have a significant advantage over their
colleagues who struggle to put their
ideas into writing. Knowing what medium
works best for a particular message or a
certain situation is a vital skill for a virtual
worker who has few chances to make
reparations if a message is misunderstood
or misinterpreted. Those who insist on
emails as the default communication mode,
for example, may find themselves out of the
loop pretty quickly if everyone else is sharing
information across a variety of channels.
Ignites own spark. People who can move
•
•
ahead without a lot of direction or guidance
on a day-to-day basis are far more likely
to be successful in a virtual world, where
workers must work with a high degree of
ambiguity and the absence of information,
sometimes for long periods of time. Those
who crave constant feedback or need
frequent affirmation will stagnate easily and
frequently in a virtual world.
As much as one-tenth of today’s workforce
works virtually at least part of the time.
That’s about three times the percentage as
those who worked remotely less than 10
years ago. Some workers have no choice
when it moving into the virtual work world.
And some managers don’t have the luxury
of selecting only some of their workforce
for virtual work. Where there is a choice,
consider these qualities and attributes when
deciding who will blaze the path for others to
follow. Consider how your company’s training
programs can cultivate some of the needed
skills and competencies.
WORKSMART
Nancy Settle-Murphy is President of GuidedInsights,
a Massachusetts-based training, facilitation and
communications consulting firm that specializes in
strengthening team collaboration, especially across
cultural and geographic boundaries. Contact Nancy at
http://www.guidedinsights.com or by calling
978.263.2545
2� 25 JANUARY 2010
Let’s Prepare Your 2010 Personal Budget!
by Lucy A Rudnicka
Why PeOPLe DOn’T Like BuDGeTinG
Many people dodge personal budgeting for
a couple of reasons. First of all, our lives are
very busy and personal budgeting means an
investment of time. We are not prepared to spend
out time on something unless we feel it’s valuable
2�
to us. Absent that conviction, we will simply drag
our feet or just not do it at all.
Another reason is that many people believe they
lack the skills to do it.
Nothing could be further from the truth! These
days, with all the financial templates available,
you don’t even need to know your math! Ok,
that may be a slight exaggeration, but the math
part can be handled by a good template. What
you do need, however, is to be organized and
have your paperwork available to you.
a PeRSOnaL BuDGeT iS GOOD fOR yOu!
I often think of my personal household as a little
business in itself. It’s not much different! The red
tape each of us has to deal with in this life is truly
staggering. In an ideal world we should all have
personal assistants helping us keep it all organized.
The world has become too complicated for us to
be able to keep track of our finances in our head
without forgetting some aspect of them. Just like
any business, our personal life also needs order,
transparency and targets.
And this is what a personal budget does. Because
of the steps involved in preparing a personal
budget, it helps us put our financial activities in
order, it creates transparency and provides a format
for setting and monitoring financial targets.
We may feel we know how our finances are
doing just by watching our bank account
balance, but I’m not talking about that. Just
knowing we are “basically all right” is not enough
any more. Especially for those of us who face
financial challenges, a personal budget is a
means of gaining control of our finances.
hOW TO cReaTe a PeRSOnaL BuDGeT
The first step in drafting a personal budget is
gathering historical information. To this end
you will need to obtain your bank and credit
card statements, your cash receipts, your most
important bills, such as insurance policies, major
repairs, etc.
The second step will be to organize this
historical information in some structured way.
A good example of it would be to input it into a
well designed personal budget template . Such
a template would have the typical household
income and expense categories, which would
help you not forget some major area
of expenditures.
From my own experience I know that some
expenditures are hard to estimate. I was once
shocked to see just how much I was spending
on food. The way I found out was by adding
my receipts from all the grocery stores I go
to, including the farmer’s market, my specialty
Internet food orders, etc.
So, it could be that you will need to start
collecting your receipts for a couple of months
before you can actually design your budget. But
it will be worth it! I promise.
Remember, You Also Have Annual Expenses
WORKSMART WORKSMART
26 2� JANUARY 2010
Remember to take into account things you pay
for once a year. They will not show up on your
bank account until they are due. Things like
insurance premium, car registration, membership
dues, etc. need to be divided by 12 and
allocated to your monthly budget.
anTiciPaTe RePaiRS anD MainTenance
Have you allocated something to repairs and
maintenance? Many of the things we own
unfortunately keep breaking down and need either
repair or replacement. You will need to make an
estimate for repairs, maintenance and replacement
and include it in your budget. This is something
that can be only partly based on the past.
GeTTinG OuT yOuR cRySTaL BaLL
Historical information is a good and
indispensable first step of the budgeting process,
but we can’t stop with that. Life keeps changing
and there are events which you may already have
knowledge of with a potential financial impact on
you. This financial impact needs to be estimated
to the best of your ability and included in your
personal budget.
ReaDy TO BuDGeT?
Ok. It seems that we are now ready to actually
create our budget. All our information has been
entered into our template and we can start
looking at the result.
Let’s see: have we covered all the categories?
If the answer is yes, the next step would be
to assess the overall situation. Are we making
ends meet? Are we happy with the savings we
are able to set aside every month? Do we need
to downsize or just fine tune our spending?
Once we get a feel for the overarching goal of our
exercise, we can start looking deeper. We now
go over the actual as well as estimated costs and
ask ourselves some probing questions for each
expense category:
• Is what I am spending needed?
• Is what I am spending in this area sufficient?
• Is it adding real value to my life?
• Is the cost of it worth it?
• Should I stay with it or make some changes?
• What would happen to the quality of my life,
if I discontinued this item?
Depending on our financial state of affairs, these
question may gain urgency. For example, if our
financial security is threatened, the questions will
evolve more around:
• Is this a necessity or can I survive without it
for the time being?
The changes could mean staying with the
activity, but changing the supplier to lower the
cost. It could mean changing how often we
engage in the activity if we find that the cost
is too high. Or it might mean that we need
to cancel a subscription we forgot you even had,
because we are not using it any more and yet it keeps
appearing on our bank account and we just haven’t
noticed it until now - the inevitable part of this process
will be some simple house cleaning.
After giving some thought to each line of expense, look
again at the big picture. Is the bottom line what you need
now? This process typically involves several iterations.
Play with several scenarios. Think of the targets you would like
to set for yourself. Depending on your situation, are there any
additional sources of earnings you could generate?
iT DOeSn’T have TO Be PeRfecT
If you get this far in your personal budgeting process,
you will have had many eye-opening moments
of clarity already. In my own experience nothing
sharpens your thinking as much as this kind of a
budgeting exercise.
Even if your personal budget doesn’t look perfect the
first time around and you do not find ways to meet
the targets you had in mind, come back for a second
round. Remember, budgeting is a process.
WORKSMART WORKSMART
JANUARY 2010
Lucy Rudnicka is a former Corporate Controller. She now owns her own
Accounting Services firm - FINANCIALSforYou.com.
Get started with personal budgeting using a personal budget template .
2� 2� JANUARY 2010
Do you get frustrated looking for
files? Is your desk too small for
all your stuff? If you can answer
yes to these questions, you may
need a personal 5S.
The Lean Office - Get Started Today With 5S
by John Boyko
2�
CAREER CAREER
5S, which stands for Sort-Set in order-Shine-
Standardize-Sustain, is typically an organizations
gateway to a lean transformation. 5S will help
any organization improve productivity by reducing
the amount of time wasted throughout the
day. A key strategy for this simple yet powerful
tactic is known as the “visual workplace.” Visual
controls help make conditions, instructions
and actions instantly recognizable through
simple signals such as color codes, signs or
demarcations. In this article we’ll focus on how
to apply 5S to an area that is very important to
you, your desk.
In a professional environment, a cluttered
workspace usually indicates a cluttered mind.
This is not a message you want to send to your
superiors or customers. So how does one tackle
this dilemma? One very simple yet effective
method is to apply the 5S process to your
immediate work area. This includes converting
paper to electronic files, cleaning out your hard
drives, establishing visual management to your
filing systems and organizing the physical space.
By applying the following 5 simple steps, you will
be able to quickly de-clutter those desktops and
become a highly productive worker.
Sort - Going through your “stuff” can be quite
a daunting task and all too often a stumbling
block. If you feel your workspace has gotten
so out of control that you just don’t know
where to start, sorting is your first task. You
will need to dedicate some time to sorting
1.
30 31 JANUARY 2010
so a good idea is to come in on a Saturday
morning and go through all those papers,
files, magazines, etc. Your goal is to get rid of
as much as possible. Get three large boxes
and label them as follows:
Things I need and use every day
Things I occasionally need
Things I haven’t touched in over three
months and have no need for
Common sense dictates that if you haven’t used
an item recently and have no reason to keep it,
get rid of it. The remaining items will have to be
stored appropriately.
Set in order - These days there is no excuse
not to go paperless; how often do you print
emails, instead filing them electronically.
The intent with setting in order is to develop
a system that allows you to quickly find
and retrieve items, quickly identify required
actions and clearly understand where things
belong.
Create an electronic filing system that uses
colors and icons. If you need to keep paper
documents, try scanning and saving them
electronically. Identify actions such as
“replenishment” or “complete” with simple signals
that don’t require verbal instructions. Make sure
all physical items have a defined “home” location,
this will ensure that organization is kept up.
Items that are used every day should be
•
•
•
•
2.
stored (physically or virtually) within easy reach.
This may include active files, equipment or
information. The occasionally used items can
be put away in less frequented areas such as
external hard drives, storage closets or hard
to reach shelves. In either case make sure
everything is properly labeled and coded.
Shine - 5S is a chance for you to not only
establish a better filing and storage system
but also to purge your hard drives of
excessive files. To insure your work area
won’t get cluttered after all this effort you
should make it a habit to immediately go
through mail and incoming items as they
are received. Don’t wait until later; this is
especially true with any magazines and
periodicals. Look through them, extract
whatever information you need and throw the
rest out.
Standardize - This is where you will develop
the “rules” for maintaining the first three S’s.
Make sure your new efficient process is as
intuitive as possible. Consider this a starting
point that you will continually improve. Use
Outlook to send yourself reminders and
schedule tasks. Establish a standard color
coding system for your reminders and tasks.
This could indicate customers, priority,
locations, etc. Once you’ve developed
a personal 5S system try and spread it
throughout your office. A good trick is to run
contests or post “tips and tricks.”
3.
4.
CAREER CAREER
Sustain - Don’t let your new
system fall apart. You’ll have
to instill personal discipline
to keep this process going.
A good idea is to schedule
a “Sorting” day every month
or so. The intent is to
make 5S habitual. Some
companies like to develop
formal methods to sustaining
improvement through training
and auditing. This can be
done with sophisticated
software programs or simple
paper forms. Regardless
of the method you choose,
the idea is to hold yourself
accountable.
One of the key elements to any
process improvement program
is efficiency. As you’ve seen
this can start at a personal level
and ultimately spread throughout
your company. By using 5S you’ll
be amazed at how your productivity
levels will increase. Following these
five simple steps will guarantee that
clutter and misplaced items area
things of the past.
5.
31
Don’t put it off another day, get started on your 5S now!
For a Free 5S Auditing Tool email
John Boyko is a Lean Manufacturing Consultant for Summit
Business Solutions, Inc., a consulting and training firm specializing
in Productivity Enhancement, Working Capital Improvement and
Top Line Growth through proven strategies and software solutions.
Besides his position at Summit, Mr Boyko has served on the Board
of Examiners for the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award and
is an accomplished speaker.
Visit Summit Business Solutions
at http://www.summitbizpro.com
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