• Where’s Ann Michael? – Preparing to participate in a 12 person telesummit at the end of June! More details coming soon.
• Feature Article – Balance, Harmony or Synergy
• Ann Michael Recommends – my friend and colleague Lillian Coury's free teleclass - details below.

Sometimes I just have to chuckle when I walk into my office. Think about what my passion is - I love to get people organized so that they feel less stressed and can get more done in less time--enabling them to get out of the office on time each day. Most people think that my office must be immaculate. I am here to tell you , that isn't always the case. Every now and again my office gets a bit out of control. And you know what, that's okay.

Being productive at work isn't about having the perfectly neat office space. Being productive is about having what you need, when you need it so that you can get your "to-do" done. Many of my resources are at my fingertips and the rest are a chair swivel away. When I am engrossed in a project does my workspace look neat - no. I have the tools and resources I need scattered about so that I can focus on my number one priority.

Does being neat help? Absolutely! Is it practical? No. So ease up, relax, and focus on creating a work environment that supports what you value most - getting those top priorities completed. You can straighten up when you are done.

I’m very happy to recommend a FREE teleclass to you – good for ALL of us busy business professionals:

"Sharpen Your Edge: 7 Tips for Greater Confidence, Influence,
and Impact you can use NOW!"

on Thursday, May 13th at 7:30 p.m. Eastern
(6:30 p.m. Central, 5:30 p.m. Mountain, 4:30 p.m. Pacific).

My friend and colleague, Lillian Coury, has put together this teleclass because she wants to share what she has successfully brought to her clients over the last 10 years:

• Building confidence techniques that have worked with hundreds of her clients.
• Her very best tips that really work for people like you--busy, ambitious and successful business professionals.
• This technology is quick, easy, efficient and focused -- and the best way to serve you.

Lillian understands you because she's one of you! You’re busy, ambitious, and need to adapt to a constantly changing world. She’s committed to supporting the people who make their world a better place through their work. Here’s what’s in it for you:

• Greater confidence which affects your influence and impact…and that brings more income!
• Time effective so you won’t be left behind. You know you need to change and grow, and you also know just how hard it is to make the time, and this makes it easier.
• You stay competitive in a competitive world when you consistently sharpen your edge.
• You work smarter, you live better!

That’s what Lillian does -- she helps you work smarter, live better and enjoy greater confidence NOW! Her clients are the best and brightest business professionals across the country, and they enjoyed great success using her techniques. This teleclass helps you clean up your act, sharpen your edge to work smarter, and live better! So here’s your opportunity to set aside just 90 minutes for yourself and learn

• 7 Tips for Greater Confidence, Impact, and Influence you can use NOW!
  Make a date with yourself for this FREE teleclass on May 13th – Register now!

I have full confidence that you will use these tips to sharpen your edge for greater confidence – this is worth so much more than 90 minutes of your time. Don’t lose out on this.

Please feel free to invite friends and colleagues to this call. And, if you’d like to find out more about Lillian Coury and the work she does, please visit her website.

Balance, Harmony, or Synergy?

I attended a small business bootcamp recently and one of the attendees took issue with a comment made by the presenter regarding work/life balance. The essence of her comment was that balance implies that there are equal amounts of both and that that simply isn't realistic. I have to confess, I agree with her!

Let's face it, some days - or even weeks - we have more of one than the other. We've all had that major project that requires extra hours on our part to get it done on time. On the family side, all of the end of the year school activities can throw even the most organized parent into a tizzy. What about the parent who needs the support of their child for a visit to the doctor or with other elder care issues. Invariably, when we have those extra long days at work we are thinking about our children or our parents. Then, when we are busy tending to family matters, we are thinking about all that needs to be done at work. Balance? Not a chance.

In his book The Age of Speed, Vince Poscente challenges us to redefine our relationship with time. Here are some key thoughts:

• Instead of applying the work/life balance strategy shift to a framework based on values.
• When we implement the values-based time model in our lives, time becomes the tool we use to organize our priorities and values.
• It's not a question of how much you have to do or how fast you're going, it's a question of whether or not the way you spend your time is in line with your values and goals.
• Start looking at everything and saying, is this really going to help get me to my desired outcome?
• With a focus on what value each task is serving, rather than on the task itself, you can make the most of your scarce time - and you can successfully manage your priorities.

When it comes to living the value-based model, one employee relations manager said it best: "I use to schedule my life around work. Now I schedule my work around my life." While not all of us may have that much flexibility, we certainly have some wiggle room to change our perception of time. It's not about balance or harmony or synergy, it's about what we value.

Protect Your Documents

Have you ever wanted to protect sensitive information in company documents, like a Word or Excel file? You can!

In 2003 and earlier versions:

• Open or create the document, save and name it.
• Go to the Tools Menu and click on Options and select Security.
• Here you can create a password to open or to modify the document.

In version 2007:

• Open or create the document, save and name it.
• Click on the round windows icon in the top left corner.
• Drop down to Prepare and then Encrypt document.
• Create your password.

CAUTION: Microsoft cannot retrieve a lost password so be sure to remember what it is.

Ann Michael Henry is the Founder and The Productivity Chef for Mise En Place -- an organization and productivity consulting firm devoted to working with clients to discover the right ingredients for managing e-mail, digital data, paper, and workload so that they can "get cooking" at work and still have time to satisfy their appetite for life.

Her personal philosophy...let's get the work done so that we can go out and play is what motivates Ann Michael. If you liked today's issue, you'll love Ann Michael’s productivity tools, products, and training designed to help you improve your focus, organization, and productivity at work so that you have time to experience all that life has to offer.

Having the right ingredients – tips, tools, and proven techniques – to accommodate an individual's work style is what makes the difference. This is where Ann Michael thrives! Her ultimate goal is to find the recipe that works for you!