Workplace Ruminations

February, 2009

Have you ever been stuck driving in a snowstorm? Real fun isn't it! This happened to me not to long ago. The snow was falling so fast that no matter how long I ran the defroster, how fast the wipers were going, or how hot I kept the car, the snow just kept piling up on the windshield. I sat watching the snow in amazement as it continued to pile up in spite of all of my efforts. Heck, I actually became concerned that the wipers would break.

Have you ever had days where it feels like a Nor'easter is blowing through your office dumping three feet of work on you? No matter how much faster you work, how much energy you apply, how many things you juggle, you just can't seem to dig out? When we dig out from a real blizzard, recovery is prioritized. First it is the major roads – the expressways and highways, then the secondary roads, then the side streets. If we have lost power, first the transformers, then the main lines, then the lines to homes are fixes. We start with the area that will provide us with the greatest benefit.

Use this strategy to dig out from your blizzard at work:

  • Assess the situation – what needs to be done, what are the available resources.
  • Prioritize these tasks according to importance, not ease of completion.
  • Screen all "to-do’s" that arrive at your threshold, no matter the delivery system, to ascertain its importance.
  • Determine if a "to-do" can be delegated; if it can, then do so.
  • Allow uninterrupted time to get work done.

Now go ahead and dig out!

Productivity Pointer
How to Add a Border and a Color that Works

Adding a border is easy. Just click on the picture and create a wide, colored line.


  1. Right click on a picture to highlight it.
  2. Click on Format Picture
  3. Select the tab at the top that says Colors and Lines.
  4. In the Line section for Color, click on the downward triangle.
  5. Choose a color for the border.
  6. Next, choose the Weight – the higher the number, the thicker the line.  

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Choose something that coordinates with the picture; often times a lighter color nicely "finishes" the look without detracting from the picture. One great choice that works in most cases is the Gray - 25% box in the lower right which creates a subtle frame for the picture.

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 "Be aware of wonder. Live a balanced life -- learn some and think some and draw and paint and sing and dance and play and work every day some."
~ Robert Fulghum