long live sticky notes

As a kick-ass Supergirl you’re BUSY. Me, too. And when my to-do lists are overwhelming I go on the hunt for a new and/or better time management technique (not the most efficient path, but more on that later). Recently the articles all seem to be some variant of David Allen’s “Getting Things Done”. In the cubicle-land that I work in its safe to say at least 10% of the population has their Master To Do List with them at all times. Whether they carry a mead spiral bound, a moleskin or their blackberry, action items are duly recorded.

If you haven’t heard of Getting Things Done one of the characteristics is to consolidate all of your to-do lists in one place. The very simplified theory behind this is you 1) get peace of mind because you always know where to look for your notes and 2) since you know what all your tasks are you can make efficient decisions about what to work on at any given time. The entire system of Getting Things Done is more complex, I’m taking a moment to focus on the to-do list. I loved the idea of consolidating my lists. At least once a month I leave my grocery shopping list on the refrigerator or lose my homework assignments in a textbook. Because I knew this system would work I went straight out and bought a little notebook with a clasp and attached pen. Obviously the 25 other notebooks I have stashed around the house were not good enough. The Master To Do List was going to streamline my life. And it worked! For three weeks. Inevitably I would leave my cute little notebook in my purse or somewhere equally inconvenient for scribbling a note to myself. I have to admit, I gave up on the idea pretty quickly. Old habits die hard.

Until I had a brainstorm. The sticky note. They’re everywhere. Work, home office, kitchen, heck, I even have some in my exercise room (don’t ask)… My brainstorm merges the best points of lazy note taking and the efficient consolidated list. Wherever I may be I jot my notes down on sticky notes. When it is convenient I pile them up and bring them to my notebook. All my tasks end up in one place and they’re easy to organize to boot. Priority change on a project? I’ll just move that sticky to the front page. Need to make a couple of phone calls? Peel those stickies out while I’m sitting in traffic and make the calls. Can you tell how pleased I am with myself? And a pleasant side effect is my monitors don’t have a multi-colored frame reminding me of how busy I am.

less is more in PowerPoint

We've all seen them, endless PowerPoint slides filled with multiple levels of bullet points. The entire speech is posted for the audience to read and then squeeze in a little shut-eye while the speaker finishes. From an aesthetics standpoint, blah. More importantly though, the speaker is doing themselves a disservice. Instead of being the superstar the speaker is sharing the spotlight with a direct competitor, the PowerPoint slides. The human mind cannot process visual and audio input at the same time. Each time the speaker puts up a new slide the audience shifts their focus from the speaker to the slide. It is in the speaker's best interest to offer a slide that can be interpreted in a split second so the entire audience shifts their focus back to the speaker. How does supergirl accomplish this daring feat? It won't be easy. Boring PowerPoint slides have been entrenched in office culture for decades. Move slowly so you don't scare anyone with your radical ideas:

1. The speech, slides and handout are 3 different things. Repeat this with me: three different things. The speaker should have a speech, a few slides to underscore key take-away points and a handout applicable for the task at hand. Supergirl hint; if you don't already know how to use the notes feature, open Help in PowerPoint and do a keyword search for "add notes".

2. Start each PowerPoint presentation from scratch. Avoid reusing old files as much as possible. Opening the old files gives the speaker permission to recycle all of those slides and you lose a lot of ground.

3. There is no law commanding each slide to have a title and body. Remember, key take away points that can be interpreted by the audience rapidly. One sentence, max. Seriously, if you can make it shorter, do it. The speaker should be in the spotlight, not the slides.

how to get noticed - for the right reasons

"Nice Girls Don't Ask" observes the phenomena of men asking for what they want and women not. Working hard and hoping you'll get noticed is for weenies. Supergirls get noticed, ask for a raise and justify their request.

There are two tactics for getting noticed. First, talk to your manager or coach. Talk to their boss. Keep it professional and get to know the people that will be your advocate when it's time to decide who receives a raise or bonus. Second, track your successes and share them with your boss. You're not bragging, you're informing. This is the sticking point alluded to in "Nice Girls Don't Ask". Men don't share the stigma women have of letting people know their successes. Men tell their boss they got a fabulous client or saved the firm a bunch of money.

People who don't "toot their own horns" are destined to be overlooked. You don't have to be in your boss' face. If your boss is formal and likes processes a quarterly meeting would be appropriate. A quick email may suffice for a casual boss. If you're not sure, ask! "Boss, I'd like to keep you updated on my successes without burdening you. Would you prefer to schedule a regular meeting or should I send you an email periodically?" Your boss will notice you are being considerate of their time. Keep a record of your wins. Brief so you continue to update yourself. The date and a sentence or two should be enough, "10/2/2009; Ordered 20,000 sheets of letterhead instead of 2,000. Will save company $5,000 over one year." This will come in handy at review time or when you are dusting off your resume.

How you communicate to your boss is a means to an end. The goal is to make a business case for why you deserve a raise. Know your facts. Find out what comparable positions earn in your area. Have a conversation with your boss, not a debate. Refrain from bringing up financial hardships, your personal life is outside the business case. Likewise, don't mention leaving the company if you don't get the raise. If you do bring the subject up be fully prepared to act on the threat.

All of your preparation is for nothing if you don't ask for the raise. Ask your boss for a meeting to discuss your salary when s/he is calm. You don't want to start off on the wrong foot by bringing the subject up when your boss is dealing with an emergency. Once in the meeting maintain a professional demeanor. If your boss cites budget restrictions, offer alternatives to a monetary raise. Be creative with other perks you would accept in lieu of money such as a monthly bus pass or your dry cleaning being paid for. If this is a company you enjoy working for don't let a refusal bring you down. Ask your boss what would justify a raise or a promotion - then get yourself noticed for all the right reasons.