Working Less Equals Working Smarter

Jenny Artiaga — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 20:56:42 +0000

A groundbreaking four-year study, set for publication in the October 2009 issue of Harvard Business Review, seems to confirm that getting away from work can yield unexpected on-the-job benefits.

When members of 12 consulting teams at Boston Consulting Group were each required to take a block of “predictable time off” during every work week, “we had to practically force some professionals” to get away, says Leslie Perlow, the Harvard Business School leadership professor who headed the study.

Requiring hard-driving consultants to take time off was “nerve-racking” and awkward at first, says Debbie Lovich, a Boston Consulting executive who headed one of the teams. Some fought the idea, claiming they would have to work more on weekends or draw poor performance ratings.

Ms. Lovich adds: “We wanted to teach people that you can tune out completely” for a while and still turn out good work. The work itself became the focus, “because if you know a night out is coming up, you’re not going to let things spike out of control,” she says.

Working together to make sure each consultant got some time off forced teams to communicate better, share more personal information and forge closer relationships. They also had to do a better job at planning ahead and streamline work, which in some cases resulted in improved client service, based on interviews with clients.

As word spread, other consultants began asking to join the study, Ms. Lovich says. And some clients told researchers the teams’ work had improved, partly because improved communication among team members kept junior consultants better informed about the big picture.

Other companies are putting the brakes on work in other ways. At KPMG, a professional-services firm, managers use “wellness scorecards” to track whether employees are working too much overtime or skipping vacation, a spokesman says. At Fenwick & West, a Silicon Valley law firm, “workflow coordinators” review attorneys’ hours to avert overload.

Source: The Wall Street Journal, September 23, 2009

Top 10 Things A Virtual Assistant (VA) Can Do For Your Business

Jenny Artiaga — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 20:42:30 +0000

By VAnetworking member Diana Ennen

Have you ever wondered, “What exactly is that Virtual Assistant that you keep hearing so
much about?” The answer is simple. A Virtual Assistant, or VA, is an administrative
professional who provides immediate professional support, services, and skills to busy
entrepreneurs and business managers via the Internet.

But “What can a Virtual Assistant do for me?” is a little more complicated. The ways in
which a VA can help you and your business are as unique and diverse as the individual
VAs are themselves. To help narrow down the possibilities, the Virtual Assistants at
VAnetworking.com were asked to list the top 10 things they could do for their clients.
This is what they said.

A VA can assist you with marketing support, increasing your clientele and freeing
up valuable time to service your customers. They also can handle all your
marketing and publicity helping you to spread the word about your product or
services.
Many Virtual Assistants specialize in web design and search engine optimization.
Once you work with a VA, they know your business inside and out, who better to
help you prepare your website.
A Virtual Assistant can make your next presentation shine by giving it that
polished professional presentation which is sure to capture your audience and
promote all your products and services.
A Virtual Assistant can be instrumental in proofing, editing, and typing all your
correspondence, pleadings, manuscripts, etc., thus allowing a more professional
edge to all your business communications.
A Virtual Assistant can take over all your bookkeeping, bills and accounts payable.
Let them worry about payroll so you can worry about the important tasks of
running your business.
A Virtual Assistant can plan your next company event or outing providing for an
enjoyable and memorable time for all. Think how much more enjoyable it can be
when the burden of planning is removed.
Because VAs work on an “as needed basis” and only when you have work, hiring
a VA can save you money. Clients only pay for the work done, and don’t have to
pay for benefits, equipment, or supplies. What a cost savings that can be.
A VA can save you space because s/he work from his/her office as an
independent contractor.
Hiring a VA can save you time because you will not have to spend time hiring an
employee or temporary help, as well as training the new staff.
A Virtual Assistant can schedule your appointments, manage your calendar,
organize your desk, and make running a business that much smoother.

Artie Industries's Blog

Working Less Equals Working Smarter

Top 10 Things A Virtual Assistant (VA) Can Do For Your Business