1. Arrive at any networking events early, and stay late. The majority of the networking typically happens after or before an event takes place. If you arrive early, you can both prepare yourself mentally for the event and meet those others who arrive early. Afterwards, the discussion will likely be more relevant to what happened at the event and may lead to more opportunities for you to build relationships with these people.
2. Be prepared. Look into who else is going to be attending the networking events, to see what you could do for each other. Think up questions that you want to ask them. Practice your self-introduction and a 10-second description of you and the business you do.
3. Have a plan. What do you want to get out of this networking event? Is there someone in specific that you want to meet? Some objective that you want to accomplish? For example, some people attend networking events looking to meet 3-5 quality contacts.
4. Go for quality, not quantity. Sure, you could meet every single person in the room, but if that means that you don’t have time to speak with that one person who could potentially use your services, or purchase your product, then you’ve missed out on a great opportunity.
5. Don’t be afraid to give out more than one business card to each person. They may know someone who could use your products or services. Along the same lines, don’t be afraid to ask them to pass on your information to people they know.
6. Take note of the business cards you get. Stop to read them when they are handed to you before putting them away – this will show the person that you are talking to that you are really interested in them and what they are saying. This also could help spark a couple of questions from you to keep the conversation going. As well, make notes on the business card that will help you when it comes time to follow up with this new contact.
7. Remember that first impressions count. Make a good, strong one. Smile, be friendly. If you have had a hard day at the office beforehand, make sure your attitude doesn’t show it. People are more likely to communicate with someone in a good mood.
8. Choose the right networking groups and events. Make sure the event you are attending has the type of people you want to meet in it. At the same time, if the networking group is aimed at a certain group (CEOs who knit, for example), make sure that what the group is focusing on is of interest to you.
9. Don’t spend your networking time trying to sell. The goal of networking is to build relationships that will help both you and the person you’re building a relationship with at some time in the future.
10. Follow-up! The networking process is more than just meeting someone; in fact, it is a three-stage process. First, you meet the person. Second, you build the relationship with the person. Third, you get business or support from the relationship with the person. If you don’t follow up with the person after meeting them (and on a regular basis) then you won’t end up with a strong relationship that can bring you business. Remember, networking is a long-term process, and you won’t get the results overnight.

They say it’s important to love your job. But part of loving what you do is to love where you do it. If everyone hates coming into work because of all the issues employees have with one another, this causes stress on the employees, and their productivity. To follow are some quick tips to keep all your employees smiling.

1. Focus on your Employees. In any business, a large part of the business is keeping your customers happy. Since your employees are the ones who directly deal with your consumers, it’s important that they are in a good mood before they even begin to consider dealing with a less-than-satisfied customer. A great way to keep everybody smiling is to keep your focus on them. Ask them how their day has been, and try to remember at least one thing about each employee. This will help your employee to feel less like a number, and more like a person that you respect.
2. Show Appreciation. Dealing with your customers can be hard, especially when you work in the complaints department. Employees sometimes feel like all they do is listen to people complaining, and this makes the days drudge on. By showing your employee that you appreciate and recognize the kinds of problems they have to deal with daily, it allows the employee to feel more at respected and valued.
3. Ask what can be Improved. Whether you choose to believe it or not, few bosses actually see what goes on in their company. While it seems as though everything is going off without a hitch when you’re around, there could be a complete turnaround when you aren’t there. By keeping yourself involved, and asking the employees what can be improved upon, you keep your employees happy. They get what they want, and you get the productivity you want.
4. Ask for feedback. Though few bosses do it, it’s important to collect feedback – not only about yourself, but about the general atmosphere within the organization. Having bi-monthly meetings to sit down and discuss any issues your employees will come across allows everyone to speak their mind, and you the opportunity to address their issues immediately.
5. Ask yourself, “Am I happy?” An important part of keeping other people happy is first being happy yourself. If you constantly display a negative attitude, your employees will pick up on that, and will be affected by it. If you keep yourself positive and always smiling, your employees will feel more at ease as well.
6. Do I make others happy? When you come in the office, do people suddenly straighten up and look uncomfortable? If you make your employees uncomfortable, you probably aren’t keeping them happy. By communicating a positive attitude to your employees, you will reduce any tension that may have been there before, making the other people among the office as happy as you are!
7. Learn what works and what doesn’t. If you’ve noticed reduced productivity rates, there could be many reasons for that. Has anything changed around the same time as productivity dropped? Learning what affects your employees positively and negatively will make it easier to keep them happy.
8. Learn more about human nature. Everybody’s got their own little quirks. Maybe Shelby is a neat freak, and Joe is a complete slob. Knowing these little character traits about your employees can make interaction easier, and can help you in numerous ways around the office (example: Don’t put Shelby in the cubicle next to Joe).
9. Create Goals. An important part of keeping employee morale high is being a team. By creating team goals and tracking them regularly, you will increase that team feeling among your employees.
10. Provide a challenge. It’s often said when children are young that they don’t try in school because they don’t feel they are challenged enough. The same is true when you are an adult. A great way to keep your morale high is to give your employees something to work towards. Setting achievable goals that still require a lot of work are a great way to keep employees working hard!

With all this talk about improving your productivity and keeping yourself on top of your workload, one is forced to consider their organization methods. While some of your methods may be highly effective, there are probably a few that are not. Read on for 10 quick tips to keep yourself organized at work and home.

1. Make Lists. Lists are your new best friend. Writing down everything you have to do in a day will help you remember, as well as keep track of your progress with each task. This will not only keep you organized, but will give you a sense of accomplishment every time you scratch something off your list. When you first get to work, open a text file and write down all the things you need to do that day. Just seeing it in front of you will help with your time management.
2. Prioritize. After you’ve made that text file list, write it down on paper in order of priority. This way, you know what you need to start with, and what you should really put your attention on.
3. Time Yourself. A good way to know what you’re capable of is to time how long it takes you to complete each task. For people who offer quotes to their customers, this helps you to provide them with an accurate quote, which will keep your customer happy. For those who don’t provide quotes, it will offer you a better sense of how much you can do in a day, so that you don’t end up overloading yourself.
4. Use a White Board. White boards are a great way to keep random information you need, without wasting pages and pages of paper. Keeping a standard paper-sized dry-erase sheet with a dry erase marker will give you a place to write down the information that you need to refer to for specific projects, but won’t need later on in the day. At the end of the day, write down any of the information on the white board you’ll need later on paper, and fully erase your board. Nothing is nicer than starting the next day with a clean slate.
5. Avoid Multi-Tasking. For most people over 30, it’s a challenge to stay focused while multi-tasking. While the 20-somethings are more adapted to multi-tasking than the older generation, it still reduces productivity and can mean your work isn’t completed to the best of you ability.
6. Use File Management. While this is something very important for people like graphic designers, it is just as important for the everyday employee using a computer. Keeping your files organized will reduce the amount of time it takes you to find the file you need, and will make it easier for others to find files on your computer when you’re out of the office. Besides, nothing is more frustrating than opening your “My Documents” folder and having to scroll though the whole list of junk you have saved.
7. Manage Your E-mail & Phone Calls. One of the hardest parts of keeping yourself on track is the constant interruptions. E-mails and phone calls come whenever they feel like, which leaves you dropping whatever you may be working on to answer them. When completing something of utmost importance, ignore your e-mail, and let your calls go to voicemail. After you’ve completed your task, check both and respond ASAP.
8. Reduce Clutter. A problem that many people have is difficulty finding things in their workspace. Keeping your desk organized is just as important as file management. Without it, you would be sitting in a pile of papers with no idea where to find anything. For your sanity’s sake, keep your workspace clutter-free to help keep you more organized. Not only will this make you happier, it will reduce your stress level!
9. Spend 5-10 minutes cleaning. At the end of the day, spend the last 5-10 minutes re-organizing your desk for the next day. If you know there’s something specific you want to focus on the next day, keep that on the top of your pile of folders. This will help your day following to start much smoother.
10. Use ONE Organizing Tool. As much as people push these electronic organizing tools (calendars, PDAs, etc.), you have to use one that will work for you. The best way to keep yourself organized is to keep all your information in one place, so try to use one tool instead of 3. If you don’t have a PDA and can’t access your electronic organizer from your cell phone or from home, maybe it’s not the best method. I personally prefer to use an everyday paper planner, just because I can keep it in my purse and have it at my fingertips at all times.