The January issue of Intercom is now online. This issue's theme is “Personal Productivity: Work Smarter, Not Harder.” Below is a copy of the note from the editor. Take advantage of one of the many benefits of STC membership; read the January issue of Intercom!
As we start a new year, have you made promises or resolutions to change and improve your work habits or personal productivity in 2014? The articles in this issue of Intercom may inspire you!
Alyssa Fox uses the Pareto Principle to explain how to prioritize our focus on the activities that help us maximize our value. In her article, she recommends the following solutions and provides methods for implementing them—separating the urgent from the important, determining the big picture and future impact, eliminating and delegating work, learning to say no, and maintaining productivity. For each month of 2014, Judith Shenouda offers us a 12-step calendar to help us work smarter and live better. Some of her recommendations include getting organized, knowing what makes you unique, expecting and accepting some failures, setting limits, and learning how to give and receive. Crystal Holyn Holdefer asserts that we can understand ourselves better and increase our professional value through self-reflection. By keeping a self-reflective journal of our work practices, she suggests that we can change how we see ourselves and how others (such as supervisors or employees) see us.
Two columns in this issue also relate to personal development. Jack Molisani focuses on the six steps of financial stress reduction and how to build the career you want from a seminar he attended by Chellie Campbell and based on her book, The Wealthy Spirit: Daily Affirmations for Financial Stress Reduction. Neil Perlin writes about industry situational awareness for technical communication and recommends several unconventional venues for professional growth and advancing our education in leading technologies.
And don’t miss the Society Pages, which include President Nicky Bleiel’s midterm report, information on applying for STC awards and honors, and news about the 2014 STC Technical Communication Summit in Phoenix, AZ, in May. The Summit is an excellent way to boost your productivity and professional development. Consider registering now at the early bird discount to save money—another smart new year’s resolution! Visit summit.stc.org for more information.