Speak Body Language

Maybe because of my hearing loss, I tend to notice the slightest changes in facial expressions. I never thought anything of it until a friend mentioned it. She invited me to stay for dinner and I accepted. About 20 minutes later, I noticed her facial expression changed slightly. I told my friend that I changed … Read more

Rules for Renegades Book Review

Renegades usually don’t follow rules because that is what makes them renegades. Rules for Renegades aims to share Christine Comaford-Lynch’s experiences. She states that she started with no special advantages and that 10 life lessons — the rules — she shares will help readers gain confidence and self-esteem, build strong relationships, and become financially independent. … Read more

4 + 1 Tips for Making Meetings Effective

The following tips for holding productive meetings come from former colleagues and from attending good and bad meetings. Remember meetings go beyond businesses. Volunteers and families hold meetings. Do occasional check-ups on regularly-scheduled meetings to ensure they still have value: A meeting scheduled daily, weekly, bi-weekly can slowly move away from its original purpose. Eventually, … Read more

1-800-WasteMyTime

I look forward to reading Mary Roach’s humorous Reader Digest column in every issue. The column reflects on things she runs into in life that many of us can relate. In the June 2007, she shares her experience in calling tech support regarding the Windows setup CD. Her computer crashed and it needed the setup … Read more

The Hamster Revolution Book Review

Taking cue from The One Minute Manager, Zapp!, Fish! and Who Moved My Cheese?, The Hamster Revolution uses a parable to show how to better manage and organize e-mail and information. The hamster represents people endlessly running on the wheel of e-mail. Right away, I start using concepts from the 90-minute book. Considering I’m an … Read more

Thank You in E-mails

The previous post discussed the value of saying, “Thank you.” But it’s possible to overdo it especially when it comes to e-mail. “Here’s your weekly report.” “Thank you,” said the reply. Add up all the thank you e-mails for things like that and it makes for a cluttered inbox. Sometimes a thank you e-mail has … Read more

Freelance Writer Interview: SJ Yee

Freelance Folder has an insightful interview with SJ Yee, a freelance writer from Singapore. Yee’s answers will help those interested in writing know what to expect and how it’s different working as a freelancer as opposed for a corporation or publication. I like Yee’s 10 things to do when becoming a freelance writer – I’ve … Read more