last minute meeting frenzy

Meetings can be stressful enough, but what if it was LAST MINUTE?! I’ve never personally had this happen to me, but I can only imagine. For this topic, I looked to my fellow PR tweeple. Yes, that’s slang for twitter people!

I gave each of them this scenario: “You have been told about a last-minute meeting, how do you prepare & what do you bring?”

@kayla_hollatz: Well, I like to bring many post it notes so I can jot down quick notes!

@BeckuhBeck: To prepare, I would look over any notes or work that is relevant to what we’ll be covering in the meeting. If I had time, I’d try to do a quick chat with anyone else involved. I would bring with me a notepad = pens or my laptop, so I can jot down important information.

@OliviaAdamsPR: I would first find out the purpose of the meeting and know the basics. I’d want to obtain the agenda, know the location, and find out who needs to attend. I’d also create a checklist to help organize my thoughts for the meeting. Checklists can help ensure all of the bases are covered and reduces panic. Finally, I’d make sure to breathe and keep a positive attitude. As long as you have composure and poise, any last minute meeting can run smoothly!

I think they pretty much summed it up for me! Whether it be a last minute project or meeting, keep calm, brainstorm and go prepared with lots of post-it notes & pens. Special thanks to my PR dolls for helping me out with this post. Folks, go ahead & click their name to follow them on Twitter. You won’t regret it!

saying your Ps & Qs

Most of us were told when growing up to always say “please” and “thank you”, or at least I was. My mama would slap me silly if I didn’t show respect and gratitude towards everyone, no matter how small the favor might have been. As I’ve grown older, I’ve seen this elementary habit fall out of adults every day life. I find it quite sad.

I think I first noticed this trend when I started my new job. I have an assistant who help me do simple tasks such as stuffing envelopes, making copies or filing papers. For our annual event, I kept her a busy bee for about 3 months straight and she never complained once. They were God-awful tasks like licking envelopes and shredding papers. I often times felt so bad for her because I knew how that was just a few months prior . . . I was the assistant.

In return for her outstanding help and her being the only reason I didn’t pull my hair out, I wrote her a personal thank you note. I didn’t think much of it because I thought it was the right thing for anyone to give someone that helped them out. I thought wrong. My assistant came to my office almost in tears and gave me a HUGE hug telling me that it was the nicest thing anyone had ever said to her. I’m pretty sure I made her whole week and it felt good.

Needless to say, “thank you” notes make such an impact in people’s lives. The smallest of people on the food chain in your work place deserve them the most but often times never get thought of. It makes them feel included and important.

So in conclusion, don’t forget to thank your staff even in the busiest of times around the office. Five minutes of your time could be worth millions to them.

fashion friday: casual friday

For any of us that have jobs in the professional workplace, we have heard the term “Casual Friday.” Now, some of you may wonder: what is too casual? I want to look professional but also want to dress down, but how? I even found myself asking these questions. I can say that today is my very first casual Friday! WOOHOO! Throughout my first week, I came up with a few do’s and don’ts. For all of you fresh-out-of-college folks like myself, I hope this helps!!

Casual Friday:  a day on which employees are allowed to dress less formally than on other workdays.

• DON’T wear holy jeans with wear & tear. You are not going clubbing! Dark dress jeans or khakis are perfectly acceptable.
• DON’T wear anything shorter or more revealing than you normally would to the workplace. You do have to remember that you are still the face of an organization and you will be judged accordingly.
• DON’T wear flip-flops . . . EVER! No matter what day of the week, flip-flops are a huge NO NO in the office. Leave those for sandy Saturdays at the beach!
• DON’T ever show up hungover from a late Thursday night. Lately, this has become a BIG problem with younger generations. Yes, Friday is for being casual, but not for showing up with no makeup, wrecked hair, and ratchet looking.
• DON’T EVER ASSUME! Like I said, these are guidelines that I have lined out for casual Friday. Your workplace may have different standards. If in doubt, ASK!!

Casual Friday is meant to be a reward for a hard weeks work. The last thing you want to do is ruin it for the rest of your coworkers. For girls, dress jeans and a nice top would suffice. For guys, you have it easy! You can wear dark jeans or khakis with a polo. As a last note, keep in mind that you are upholding an important position. You are expected to uphold a certain image to your coworkers and clients. Make sure you always look the part!

It’s been a successful week my friends!! I started a career in PR, have normal hours, and am moving forward with a new chapter in my life. Stay tuned!!