CYP NEWS BLOG

You're working like a dog, putting in longer hours, and maybe putting on a few pounds. You can hardly remember what it feels like to feel good at work. Here are five hacks by Generational guru Rebecca Ryan of Next Generation Consulting to soothe your stress, pump-up your productivity, and remember what it feels like to be at your best.

Hack #1: Curb your (email) enthusiasm - No one gets promoted for the number of emails they send. In the "time waster" category, email earns top honors. (Facebook is close behind.) Engineers at Intel studied the impact of email interruptions and found they cost over a billion dollars a year. 

It's time to show your email who's boss:
- In your email preferences, disable notifications that bounce or chirp. Here's how to do it in Outlook and Windows Vista . The rest of you can google "Disable email notifications in (insert name of email client here.)"
- When you need to really kick butt and focus, create a clever autoresponder to let folks know you're in the zone. Before the holidays, I put up an autoresponder that said, "There's a four inch stack of papers on my desk blinking at me expectantly. If I don't deal with them, my holidays will not be merry. Thanks for your patience." One of my colleagues emailed back, "Use them as wrapping paper and kill two birds with one stone." My point is: when you need to focus, you need to manage people's expectations, and they'll respect it.

Hack #2: Minimize drop-ins - Drop-ins are email with pants. It takes 4 - 15 minutes to refocus after an interruption. I don't care how "cool" of a boss you are, open door policies are for people who don't have real work to do. Here's how to stop drop-ins: 
1. Shut your door.*
2. Tell your team that when your door's shut, you're focusing.
3. Schedule regular check in meetings with your direct reports each week, so they have a built-in, consistent forum to talk with you about their work. If they try to drop-in between meetings, politely ask, "Can this wait until our check-in meeting?" Only rarely is something so time-sensitive that it can't wait. Train people to respect your focus time.
* If you don't have a door, develop a system to alert passers-by that you're focusing and not to be disturbed. (What system did you use in college to alert your roommate not to enter the dorm room when you had a special guest? Same idea, different application.)

Hack #3: Blow off some steam - The Conference Board recently released a report saying that the majority of American workers are dissatisfied at work. It's probably inappropriate for most of us to punch our boss in the face, but kickboxing, karate, meditation, a new endurance sport... all are great ways to alleviate work stress and release endorphins. 

Hack #4: Make some room in your head - If you're feeling that there's no way you can finish all the stuff you're supposed to, you need a brain dump. Simply take out a clean sheet of paper, and list all the things that you're trying to remember, or things you're thinking about. This will clear up an immense amount of head space, and make you feel lighter. 

Hack #5: Schedule your long-overdue, you-deserve-it, week-long your vacation NOW - You didn't take vacation last year, because you were afraid you'd come back to a pink slip. Your boss needed you, your employees needed you, and you needed your job. But this year is a new year, and it's time to cash out some of that PTO.
1. Pick a place you can afford, so that you don't come back further in debt.
2. Make some room on your credit card, so you can splurge a little - hot stone massage or round of golf, anyone? 
3. Book a nonrefundable plane fare - so you'll have no choice but to get. out. of. the. office.

Forbes.com has included us among the “World’s Smartest Cities.” Charleston is one of only four U.S. markets included on the list of 10.

The article accompanying the rankings was written by Joel Kotkin, the journalist who wrote the Wall Street Journal article about our region a couple of years ago. In his definition, “smart cities” focus on strong infrastructure, attractive economies and savvy urban planning.

Click here to read more.

Click here to read more.

Click here to read more.

The New Ideas SC contest could be your big break! Enter your idea for a new business – a product or service – and compete to win the Grand Prize of $5,000 to help kick-start your business at www.newideassc.com. Winners will also receive a Dream Team of advisors and a scholarship to the FastTrac® entrepreneurial training program of your choice. 

We're just looking for the idea – no lengthy business plans, schematics or prototypes. Simply answer a few questions about the idea and you're on your way. Enter between July 27, 2009 and September 23, 2009 in one of five categories: Bio-Science, Environmental Sustainability, Engineering, Software & Internet Technology and the most popular – Wildcard. Category Winners receive $2,500 and Category Runner-Ups receive $1,000. All Category winners receive a scholarship to the FastTrac® entrepreneurial training class.Prizes will be awarded at the Small Business Innovation Summit on November 4, 2009 in Charleston. Visit www.newideassc.com to enter your idea.