Anne McGurty recently presented “Lost in Your Own Office – Part 2” in Castle Rock, CO to the Professional Women Heathcare.

After the great success of the “Part 1” session Anne spoke about an individual personal assessment tool called DiSC™ that measures you personality and behavioral style that will help you to:

• Develop into an effective leader
• Improve customer service
• Enhance communications
• Increase productivity
• Organize your work load
• Facilitate better teamwork and minimize team conflict
• Cultivate your social skills

Comments from the Women in Healthcare participants included:

• Now I’m looking at co-workers and figuring out where they might fall in the DISC scale – and how to work with them better.
• Loved the interaction with others and learning something about myself!
• Informative, concise and useful..
• I now know how to interact with different personalities better.
• Anne brings a great knowledge through her real-life examples and warm personality.
• Excellent discussion of our personality types and how we can relate to others and improve ourselves at work.

Look for information coming soon on 3rd part of this amazing series to take place in early January 2012!

Last week I had the opportunity to speak to the National Association of Purchasing Managers (NAPM), here in Denver, CO. The interesting thing is that I had been a member of this organization years ago when I was in the corporate purchasing world. I knew a lot of the faces and it felt great to share my experience with them as I know exactly what their worlds are like.

When the meeting planner asked me to speak, she asked about what topics I had in my portfolio and naturally it made sense to talk about organization and productivity. But here’s the interesting thing, she told me that the group wanted to learn about networking. Great topic!

When I was in purchasing part of my job was to continue to learn more by participating in the monthly NAPM meetings. Yet I never really got much personal connection, except for a few contacts here and there. Based on my experience and the meeting planner’s topic request, I prepared a presentation from a chapter in my book, Lost in Your Own Office, titled Who are all these people?

The interesting thing is that most people go to events and think they are being proactive by stepping out and getting business cards, having conversations, and then never really do anything with this information.

In my presentation, I asked the audience to raise their hands to my question, “How many people met someone new last month at the NAPM meeting”?  I’d say about a dozen people raised their hands. I then asked them to keep their hands up if they have connected with that person since the last meeting. Every hand went down. I got chills.

So how can you be more productive in your life and maximize the value of your time spent at networking events? The system I recommend to maximize the connections you make are these few steps:

1. Bring business cards and collect cards of those you meet.
2. Immediately input those contact names into a database when you get back to your office, ie., Outlook, iContact , Gmail, etc.  If you hate typing, purchase a scanner or delegate the task to an assistant.
   • Organize the contacts using categories on where your met them.
   • Note personal interests.
   • Schedule follow up opportunities, ie., holiday cards. Use programs such as SendOutCards or Constant Contact.

3. Follow up with an email or send a card and invite them to meet for coffee.
4. Invite them to be your connection on social media platforms like Facebook and Linked In.

I promise you that taking these simple steps to stay connected and paying more attention to the people you meet will be an incredible value in building relationships in your life both professionally and personally.

Developing relationships with business contacts may turn into the friendships that save you in a time of crisis. I share my story of how my business relationships helped me in Sharing Your Truth, Volume II.

Even though building business is what most of us are striving for every day, it’s important to have the awareness to see beyond the dollar signs of individuals and value the humanness of everyone — which can have a tendency to be lost in our day to day business world.

Recently when we had The Paper Tiger webinar, I mentioned to the attendees that this webinar was just an introductory to what they could do with organizing files and any other “stuff” that you or others want to find. Participation on this call was a great step towards getting organized, naturally, it make sense to keep the momentum moving forward and take action now.

I’m excited so many of the participants have taken the next step on their journey by signing up for my Introductory Coaching Program. I look forward to watching their continued growth.

If you missed the last webinar, we have another one coming soon! Join us for our next Live Webinar scheduled for November 17th at 1:00 EDT.

REMEMBER if you fear it, do it!! Fear will challenge you and allow you to grow. Once you step forward and face your fear, you will truly come alive.

“Courage is not the lack of fear. It is acting in spite of it.” ~ Mark Twain

SPECIAL!

Forward this to your friends and family!

Personal Productivity Development Coaching For ONLY $297 Receive a 30 day coaching program to:

• Assess your organization,
• Create the right plan customized for the way you work,
• Identify the right tools, and
• Create a plan for maintenance
• PLUS, receive a free copy of my book, “Lost In Your Own Office, Tips for Getting Organized”

All this for ONLY $297! Click here for the details and to get started.

The $297 program includes a one-hour weekly one-on-one phone call (total of four) and unlimited email quick questions. This package is regularly $1,500 for a three-month program.

If you or anyone you know is looking for the most effective cutting edge tools, strategies and techniques for long-lasting change in your business and personal life, call me at 303 881-0174 or email at amcgurty@strategizeandorganize.com today to schedule your time with me and take advantage of this special offer! Or refer to my website at www.strategizeandorganize.com.

Check your email in the coming weeks – I’ll be sending messages to stay connected with you and checking in on your progress! (If you want to unsubscribe, please refer to directions at the bottom of this newsletter.)

September is almost over and I’m always tending to review my fall checklist.  See for me September/fall is almost a time for renewal.  My birthday is August 30 (this year was a big one, I turned 50!).  It was fabulous.  I had about 30 friends come to visit for the celebration.  Some friends I’ve know for a long time, and some friends, Lisa and Jim Jimenez came in from Orange County, and my former boss from the corporate days at Encoda Systems, Dave Johnson, cut his work week in Las Vegas short to be part of the celebration as well.  When was the last time you gathered your friends to celebrate your friendships?

I’m incredibly lucky to have such a committed group of friends.  These events are good reminders of how good life is and can be — which makes me think of values.  How do values work into organization?  How do you value friendships?  Do you have tons of friends and you keep making more?  Are you running around trying to please everyone you meet? Friends and family can bring chaos as well – I’ve gotten to the point that I like to think about how much certain people bring into my life.  What about the people in your life?

As I was at my party I went around the room at one point acknowledging everyone and took a few minutes to talk to each person about the value they brought into my life. My family is all over the country and it’s not that they didn’t want to be there … well that’s a whole other blog posting. The point being that I value my friends as a family.  They have been with me over the last 30 years that I’ve been in Denver and supported me through business ventures, jobs, holidays, and most recently breast cancer.  It’s no wonder I value this group of friends.  Think about your life, would it be time well-spent to think about the people in your life that have made an impact in your life and invite them to a special celebration to celebrate them?

So as I think about the rest of the fall, I’m reminded of how I want to spend my time.  It’s like the Pareto Principle, that 80% of the results are from 20% of the effort.  So if I were to spend time with the 30 people who are active in my life, then I could dare to guess that I could have a fairly abundant life.  Who are the 20% in your life who are making a difference?

Could it be that simple?  I’m thinking so.  We don’t have to overcomplicate our lives.  People will come and go… and come back.  Acknowledge those who are showing up and spend valuable time with them, rather than always wanting more, or putting needless demands on yourself to please everyone.  Enjoy the friendships and support right in front of you, like a favorite coffee or tea mug, it’s absolutely perfect, enjoy it everyday and simplify your life.

As September rolls around, I’m hearing from lots of people who are saying goodbye to their child that is “off to college.”  Many of these people I’ve known for years and have heard them share wonderful stories about their children.

There is often an added discussion about what they are going to do with all their college student’s “stuff”. And I often hear that now that the kids are gone, they can finally get “this or that” area organized.

Chances are, even if you don’t have kids going off to school, or like me, don’t have kids at all, you may have storage spaces that need to be addressed.

Your storage spaces are likely a mixture of your past, present, and future. Well-loved toys, grade school memorabilia, and furniture from the college years may make up memories from your past. Perhaps golf clubs, cold-weather clothing, and gardening tools may reflect your present. Baby clothes or gear being saved for a future child may represent your future.

Take a good look at the categories you’ve created and see if they reflect your current lifestyle and activities. Never going to play badminton again? Out go the rackets! Have your kids moved out of the house? Perhaps it’s time to let go of their 20-year-old boxes of stuffed animals. Use a keen eye and steady conviction to get rid of the things that you no longer love, truly need, or find useful. If you’re still not sure if you should get rid of an item, ask yourself, “What’s the worst thing that could happen if I toss this?” The answer may help give you the power to discard the clutter.

It will be helpful to have large, dark-colored garbage bags for trash, plus some large boxes on hand for items to donate, sell, or give to friends. (For extremely large purging jobs, consider renting a dumpster.)

As you declutter, take note of the amount of “past” memories stored compared to the “current” and “future” items in the space. While it’s wonderful to save some memories, don’t allow yourself to dwell too much on the past. It’s not coming back, and the future is what you make it. What do you want to do in the upcoming months and years? Out with the old to make way for some new hobbies and activities: a cleared-out attic could make a great artists’ studio. Your tidy basement might morph into a fabulous home theater! An organized garage could allow your budding Tim the Toolman to come alive. (And let your car have a proper home!)

Once pared down, take time regularly to review and purge. Clutter has a way of sneaking up on us. Don’t let it! If you don’t know what to do with something, the basement/attic/garage is not its holding cell. Make conscious, deliberate decisions about the things in your life, and reclaim your space once and for all! Now, keep reading to learn how to store what’s left in an organized, easy-to-retrieve manner.

Dear Friends,

In just a few days my story is being published in an anthology with 43 other women. I’m excited to share my story entitled “Organizing for a New Life.”  The book, Speaking Your Truth – Volume II is to be released Tuesday, August 9, 2011, on Amazon.com and we are aiming for best-seller status.

I wanted to give you a heads up about this launch and ask for your support. I’ll be sending another notice out on Tuesday as a reminder, but I would greatly appreciate it if you would support me by purchasing a copy or two.

This book is a great read or an inspiring gift for a friend, colleague, or family member.  Here’s a brief sample of some of the stories in this book:

• A young girl’s innocence is lost at an early age, when a friend of the family abuses her. Her life is ultimate changed forever.
• A woman who was born without hair, learns to love and accept her herself and live boldly.
• A 9-1-1 operator answers a chilling phone call… and the caller is someone she knows.
• An actress battles with the loss of her father, the loss of her career, and the loss of her voice – only to come out stronger than ever before.

This is just a taste of the many stories in Speaking Your Truth that will move and inspire you.

I’ll be letting you know when it’s time to GO on Tuesday. Again, we are so excited about the launch of this book and I thank you for your support.

You can find out more about the book at www.speakingyourtruthbook.com.  I will be making this book available for future speaking engagements too.  So if you relate to my story and would like me to speak to your audience, please let me know!  You can contact me for speaking engagements at www.annemcgurty.com.

Thank you,

Anne McGurty

P.S. Please feel free to pass this blog post on to others who might be interested as well.

What’s going on here?
More than 3 million businesses run Google Apps. Digital Tiger combined with Google Apps will help you find all your information.

Check in with your organization and refer to these key tips to open the door to the cloud.

1. Set up your Paper Tiger Online account and a Gmail account.
2. Set up your mobile synchronization. Ensure your team has an Android, iPhone or BlackBerry Smartphone. They need to be connected to their Google Apps.
3. Assess the people, processes and technology to be leveraged into the cloud environment. Ie. What files make sense, who will have access to files, what scanners will you use.
4. Build a Knowledge Base using your Google Docs Site. Use it to be clear on compliance issues and retention policies specific to your organization. Users will be emailed upon updates and can use the powerful search for current information and cross reference to historical paper files.
5. Know how to access your backed up information. If you’d like to save all of the documents that live on Google’s servers to your hard drive, start by hovering the mouse over any file in the Google Docs homepage file listing. Next, choose Actions and select Download in the menu that appears.
   1. In the resulting dialog box, click the All Items tab. You’ll be see many items of each file type that you can download; if you’re happy, click the Download button. The files will be downloaded together in a .zip file.
6. Set up Google Cloud Connect.
7. Synch Contacts for Centralization. Yes, you can set rules to create your own CRM system. Your whole team can have access to customer information in one central location.
8. Assign an internal administrator/auditor or hire a productivity consultant to partner with you during the process.
9. More collaboration means more internal controls required. Create a plan to identify roles, relationships, and managing identities.
10. Don’t reinvent the wheel. Both good and bad. This is a time to change habits. Document the file architecture so everyone is on the same page.
11. Click and drag images into docs. To insert a picture into a word processing document, click and drag the image from a folder on your hard drive or on your desktop into the browser window.
12. Still using Outlook, forward your Gmail account to Outlook so you don’t miss any emails.

Digital-Tiger Special

Register For Our Next Live Paper Tiger-Digital Tiger Webinar and Receive This Special Offer!

Our next live webinar will be Thursday, August 11th, from 1 – 2pm EST. To see the details and register, click here.

I would like to help you set up your Google accounts and start getting ready for The Paper Tiger Online beta. We can do this over the phone or if you are already set up and want a strategic consultation to plan out your processes, I would love to help you. See the details here in the right column: www.strategizeandorganize.com.

To schedule your session, call Anne at 303-881-0174 or email amcgurty@strategizeandorganize.com.

Whether you’re planning to move or simply want to cash in on your excess stuff, a garage sale (tag sale, yard sale) can be a profitable way to transfer your goods on to their next destination. However, without proper planning and organization, the day can be a disaster.

Here are some tips to hold a spectacular sale:

START GATHERING YOUR GOODS EARLY. Keep a large box in the basement or garage year-round to hold household items you no longer want, need, or love. If you’re really industrious, keep some pricing stickers and a pen in the box so you can price as you stow.

ADVERTISE. Make large, colorful signs. Be sure to list the date, time, and place, as well as the types of items you have for sale (kids’ clothing and toys, furniture, tools, collectibles, etc.) Place the signs in high-traffic intersections within a few miles of your home. Consider running an ad in your local paper’s classified section. Place flyers at local stores where allowed.

SET UP THE SALE. Give yourself at least two days to get the tables set up and items arranged and priced. Make sure everything is clean and attractive. Group similar items together: put stuffed animals in a wagon, arrange household items on tables, place books and tapes/CDs neatly in boxes, display toys at kids’ eye level, and hang clothing on racks. Put big-ticket items, like furniture, tools, and larger kids’ toys, near the edge of the driveway to attract passersby.

BE SURE TO PRICE EVERYTHING.

People are often too shy to ask. Attract people with balloons and banners. And have a “free” box prominently placed.

DON’T FORGET THE LITTLE THINGS.

Make sure you have enough change, especially ones and fives, and a calculator handy. Have bags and newspaper for packing breakables. Play upbeat music on your boombox. Have lemonade and popcorn for sale to prolong browsing. Hand out free candy to kids if okay with parents.

COUNT YOUR CASH AND CONSIDER DONATING.

© Articles on Demand.

Contact Anne to learn the critical steps to get ready for a smooth transition to Digital Tiger. 

Email or call Anne by July 31st to schedule your free 30 minutes, and she will send you a free tip sheet – the top tips to get started with Digital Tiger!

Also for ONLY $297, receive a 30 day coaching program to:

• Assess your organization, 
• Create the right plan,
• Identify the right tools, and 
• Create a plan for maintenance

All this for ONLY $297!

The $297 program includes a one hour weekly one-on-one phone call (total of four) and unlimited email quick questions. This package is regularly $1,500 for a three month program.  

 Take advantage of this special offer with Anne McGurty exclusive to Paper Tiger customers. Call Anne today at 303 881-0174 or email at  amcgurty@strategizeandorganize.com

 To learn more about Anne and the services she provides, please visit www.strategizeandorganize.com

 Join us for our next Live Webinar scheduled for July 13th at 1:00 EDT

Are you making the best use of your time? Sometimes we say “yes” because we want to appear productive and energetic. But it’s important to know how much work you can realistically handle. And oftentimes, we don’t understand who is the right person to handle the job.

Are you truly using your talents and skills, or could you pass some tasks on to others in your office? Take control of your time and tasks by making a list of all your responsibilities, both daily and special projects.

Are there any tasks you hate doing, or do you know someone else who could do it quicker or better? If it’s something you can easily hand off, give it a trial run. Even if it takes a little more time on the front end to train someone else, it may pay off by giving you more time to focus on larger responsibilities.

Start your process, by profiling your staff to understand their strengths and organize a team meeting to discuss how you can all work better together. In the long run, this team building and self-assessments will benefit both you and your company by allowing staff to expand their skills and comfort zone and give all of you time to indulge in your passion and talents.

Work smarter, not harder by understanding the strengths and weaknesses of your staff. Be free to delegate and say no to what doesn’t serve you or your organization.