Ask the Office Doc
Admit it…you save the advice column for last when you read the Sunday Detroit News. After all…it’s pretty entertaining to read about someone else’s gullible personality or annoying boyfriend…as long as it’s not your problem!
So in the spirit of constant entertainment (and occasionally helpful hints), Office Express is pleased to introduce The Office Doc. Your notes and comments will be kept in strict confidence. From the sublime to the ridiculous…we invite you to submit your questions. Who knows? Your question may be just what someone else might need to see. (Or you might be the reason that hundreds of people are entertained…which in of itself is a good thing.)
What’s on your mind? Ask the Office Doc
Dear Office Doc:
Part of my job as an administrative assistant is to organize the files, purge and destroy unnecessary files, and in general get ready for the new business cycle. How can I encourage my boss to buy some new supplies and maybe a shredder? He is really on the warpath about spending money. Please help me persuade him!
Desperate for help
Dearest Desperate: your boss will be the one who is desperate if he doesn’t destroy personal and confidential documents properly. You must explain to Frugal Freddie that there are several laws that require you to protect client or consumer financial records; confidential employee information; and medical records and information. And even if you put all those acts and laws aside, preventing espionage is as important a reason as any to destroy sensitive information.
So before everyone shares that secret chocolate chip cookie recipe, get that new shredder! But you need to know that all shredders are not created equal. Please go to www.fellowes.com and make sure you check out the Shredder Advisor. This is an awesome tool to help you choose the correct shredder. Too many people choose a shredder that’s too small for the job, and that defeats the purpose. You’ll also find helpful information about records storage drawers and boxes, and even some tips on how to lay out your storage room.
Of course, the best tool at your disposal is your Office Express Sales Rep. He or she can help you assess your needs and choose the right tool for the job. So don’t be desperate! Be smart, be organized, and be efficient with some help from Office Express!
Dear Office Doc:
I love my job! But I don’t love the way I feel at the end of every work day. My wrists hurt, my neck is stiff and it makes me crabby and short tempered with my family when I get home. Besides I actually think I could do an even better job if I felt better. Do you have any suggestions?
Knotted up and not fun in Farmington
Dear Knotted up we are going to smooth out those muscles and that temperament! Where have you been my dear? Haven’t you heard of ergonomics? It is the applied science of equipment design intended to maximize productivity by reducing operator fatigue and discomfort. In a nutshell if you feel better, have a better work environment, and stay healthy that is good for both you and your boss. Now ergonomics or the implementation of an efficient workplace has been around since the ancient Greeks when Hippocrates described how the surgeon’s workplace should be designed.
Well anyway, fast forward to the modern office. Most everyone is working at least part of the day in front of a computer. Therefore your office furnishings become very important in regards to the proper task chair, an adjustable keyboard, the correct lighting, how your desk is arranged and the way you interact with all of these elements. First there are a great many task chairs on the market nowadays with the adjustments you need to foster good posture throughout the workday, your Office Express sales rep will be happy to educate you on these chairs and how they will help you feel better and work better. The adjustable keyboard is also a great tool to have if you do a lot of keyboarding during the workday. Some of these adjustments include articulating from left to right and up and down with just a touch of a paddle, sit to stand keyboards are also available. One of the keys to ergonomic equipment is to adjust or change your position in the chair throughout the day, or you hands on a keyboard platform to keep from putting too much stress on your wrists.
There are a great many products on the market to help make your office a healthier place to work and Office Express can help find the right ones. However don’t forget to simply move around a little when you’re working, take the long way to the restroom, do some shoulder roles, lift your arms over your head and “shake them out” or try standing when you take a phone call. In short be more aware of how your body is interacting with your environment. Oh yeah, and to sell your boss on the idea, emphasize how it will maximize productivity no boss can resist that!
P.S. Give everyone in your family a chore to do before you get home, it’s amazing how an emptied dishwasher or clean sink can put you in the best mood!
Dear Office Doc:
We have casual Friday in our office and I never know how to dress help!
Not dressed for success Bess
Dear Bess don’t stress your self out! Choosing the correct work attire for “Casual Friday” is fairly simple. Just remember the “casual” clothing you wear to check out the bargains at the Gibralter Trade Center would not be the same “casual” clothing you wear to work on Friday. For women well fitting slacks and a sweater or tailored shirt and flats or low heels pretty much works the best. Just make sure your clothes are clean, pressed and modest and your shoes are clean and polished. It’s not brain surgery, just use common sense and have some fun with it. Add a few pieces of funky jewelry or a scarf to personalize your Friday look and you’ll be ready for Friday night too!
Dear Office Doc,
Several of the people I work with think nothing of borrowing – well, stealing! - my office supplies. I never get them back unless I specifically ask. They also count on me to supply them with phone numbers they should have, and interrupt my conversations. And they’re always yakking on their cell phones! Doc, I could go on and on! It’s so frustrating!
Frustrated Fiona
Fiona, my dear, you must try not to be so sensitive. I have to believe these co-workers adore you and that is why they come to you all the time. You sound like the den mother of your workplace! However that being said, it is a sad truth that we probably spend more time with our co-workers than with our own families. We must all try to be better workplace citizens. The annoying jokester is just trying to lighten things up and the sweetie in accounting who always brings in the homemade cookies is not really trying to sabotage your diet. Fiona, darling…it is not all about you! So please get back to work and stop obsessing over these petty workplace grievances. By the way - you whistle off key.
Dear Office Doc,
My boss is always yelling at me about how the cost of ink cartridges and toner. How can I keep the prices in line and make him happy?
Liz from Livonia
Dear Liz, there is an easy answer to this question. The easiest way is to call Office Express at 877-795-2600, and tell Kim, Lisa, Brenda or Becci in our great customer service department that you need to save money on your ink cartridges and toner. The ink business is just like the pharmaceutical business…there are many great generics out there that are substantially less expensive than the branded products and work just as well. Our customer service department can help you cross-reference the parts you need, or you can go to www.nukote.com and do the research yourself. You’ll save money and you’ll love the results. It’s a win - win situation!
Dear Office Doc,
I was marking some boxes in the warehouse with a black Sharpie and I marked up my favorite khaki pants. What can I do about it?
Clumsy Carla
It’s a little late now CC: kind of like trying to put the toothpaste back into the tube. There can’t be anything worse than ruining your favorite pants…especially if they’re the ones that make you look 10lbs. thinner. But next time try this:
Act quickly (like you do when you go for the sales rack at the back of the store)—use stain remover on the spot as soon as you can. When applying the stain remover, place your clothes face down on a piece of paper towel, then apply the treatment from the back of the stain. Don’t iron the stain (like anyone irons anymore!) or put in the dryer; it will only set the stain.
And good luck with those ballet lessons.
Dear Office Doc,
I am so busy at work these days I can’t stay organized. My office is small so I’m afraid it can’t be done. It is such a mess that last week I accidentally sent confidential paperwork to a client. HELP!
Overwhelmed by a Mess
Overwhelmed: Never, never be an “overwhelmed mess” by something that is so easily fixed! Your hairdo may go flat, your stockings may run, your favorite shade of lipstick may be discontinued; but your office will be organized. First of all, purge the duplicated, unnecessary and obsolete paperwork, trade magazines and generally useless stuff you have collected. Ahhhh, see your desktop? That’s a great start. Now decide on a system to file your paperwork in an orderly manner. Every job file, patient file etc. should be filed in the same manner. Choose different colored folders to designate different stages of a job or quote, when the job moves to the next stage the file folder moves. Feel free to use orange and green or stay girlie with lilac and pink. Always put your most important papers to the front of your files. It’s easy to keep the confidential papers clipped with a paperclip or stapled so you won’t fax them to the wrong people. (You’ll have time to think about what you’re doing while you disassemble the file.) It beats trying to explain that the office monkey sent them when your back was turned. Keep your loose papers in a separate notebook until they can be filed into the proper file folder, labeled with the proper job name or designation. I could go on and on but I must get this correspondence in my yellow file folder. Go to www.smead.com for more ideas about organizing your life, and be obsessed by organization instead of overwhelmed by a mess.
Dear Office Doc, My co-worker talks really loudly when he is on his cell phone. How should I handle this?
Annoyed Annie
Dear Annoyed Annie: Good luck. Cell phone etiquette is a class most people don’t take. For some reason, they think that using a cell phone is like calling long distance…the further away the person is, the louder they have to talk.
You could try talking to him in a REALLY LOUD VOICE ABOUT SOMETHING. When he asks what is wrong with you, pat him on the shoulder and whisper sympathetically that you understand about his hearing problem…you’ve heard him shouting on his cell phone. You’re just trying to help. That should embarrass him into in lowering his decibel level by a notch or two.
Dear Office Doc, I have a hard time seeing the small print on some of my paperwork. I think it is because I don’t have the proper lighting in my cubicle. Can I get lighting for my office if the furniture is not new?
Strained and Stressed in Troy
Dear Strained: I hate to break it to you, but it’s probably not the lights. It’s called old age! Don’t worry…it happens to the best of us. I recommend those funky magnification glasses you can buy in the local drug store. They come in cool colors and wild patterns. If you must get old, do it with style!
If you really think you’re not that old, then by all means, blame the lighting. You could try a task light that focuses right where you are working. A task light is a great way to light up a small space. Of course, it will also highlight your wrinkles…but I guess that can’t be helped.
