Saving MS Office Documents

As everyone is aware, this quarter we have moved to using MS Office 2007 at our campuses and online. This does not mean every student will have it installed on their computers so we need to ensure we are saving anything that is created in office 2007 as a word 97-2003 document.

This will allow all of our students and faculty who do not have 0ffice 2007 to open, read, save, etc the document. You will quickly know if a document was saved in 2007 format as it will have a .docx designator. The steps to doing this are simple, but should be completed each time you create a document. Here are the steps:

1. After creating the document, click the Microsoft Office Button, and then click Save As
2. Select Word 97-2003
3. Type a name for the document, and then click Save.

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Winter Quarter Classes

The Education Department would like to remind you that Winter Quarter courses start on Wednesday, January 2nd, 2008. Remember to validate your registration by logging into your classes within the first 72 hours. If you need to make modifications to your schedule, please contact a member of the Education Department at 1-877-609-8889 by Tuesday, January 8th.

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Perfect Attendance

Congratulations!

Jill Andel
Aaron Andreen
Judy Andrescik
Tiffany Arcaris
Jeffrey Bailey
Jessie Baker
Tanya Baker
Melissa Bartel
Jonah Bechitsao
Tyra Beckers
Elia Belmares
Bryan Benjamin
Katie Berube
Rhett Beyer
Julie Bisch
Linda Borgos
Travis Boyd
Candace Brandt
Jennifer Bremer
Jennifer Brennan
Heidi Buelow
Julie Busse
Lee Campbell
Diane Carbajal
Hannah Casey
Jeanne Castellano
Cara Cecil
Aaron Chaniotes
Susan Chapin
Brian Cheese
Melissa Christian
Susie Jo
Ginger Cloyd
Marta Crislip
Corinne Danielson
Mary Davis
Annettia Davis-Cook
Manuel DeBrito
Jessica Denne
Arnetta Dill
Chandha Duwearatchi
Sara Eilers
Annette Ekholm
Shane Ellenburg
Susan Elliott
Nathen Erickson
Nicholas Erickson
Robert Espersen
Cheryl Fernandez
Juliana Fondungallah
Bridget Foote
Stephanie Froelich
Angela Gallo
Tiffany Garcia
Keith Gartland
Elizabeth Gerdes
Lynn Geyen
Maggie Glazer
Terry Glidden
Deborah Gockowski
Yvette Goins
Wendy Gomez
Kathleen Goodrich
Cynthia Grangroth
Dawn Grant
Holly Gray
Shaun Greene
Serah Grinkley
Gina Guidarelli
Bethanee Hailstone
Sara Halama
Brent Halbersma
Stacy Hall
Stephanie Hamre
Cheryl Hanson
Daniel Hanson
Kristy Harris
Eric Harrison
Teresa Hart
Jesse Hartmann
Lee Harwarth
Rebecca Haugen
Emily Hinzman
Dorna Hoft
Yalanda Holtz
Diane Houy
Leslie Huddleston
Kathy Hurlburt-Smith
Nicole Jackson
Jessica Jenkins
Erin Jensen
Bassam Jirjis
Ryan Johnson
Melissa Johnson
Jeffrey Juberien
Jenna Kasse
Jessica Keeneth-Zeuli
Michael Kesling
Hemant Khatri
Alicia Kiewatt-Stenlund
David Kilian
Susan Kimmes
Angela King
Joy Kockler
Jeremy Kraft
Michelle Krasicki-Aune
Karri Krueger
Debra Labore
Onalee Larsen
Crystal Layland
Mario Lee
Maria Leegard
Sarah Leonard
Nicholas Lewis
Andrew Lihosit
Beatriz Lopez
Khoun Lovan
Carrie Luedtke
Leslie Luster
Cheryl Magers
Debi Malz
Joseph Marino
Lexington Marino
Elizabeth Masog
Darren Mattern
Landon Matthews
Deloris Matthews
Andrew May
Glen McCarty
Christine Melander
Brad Messner
Cynthia Meyer
Steven Meyers
Terry Millsap
Janet Mitchell
Heather Mohr
Brittany Monson
Jay Monson
Victoria Morris
Mark Myhre
Patrice Norris
Anna Novak
Tracey Nubbe
Ryan Oldenburg
Kelly Olson
Nichol Owen
Noele Owen
Shawn Owen
Kali Palmer
Nicole Patterson
Sarah Pavek
Mark Pederson
Kimi Pena
Rebecca Pendleton
Vicki Pipal
Mandy Pitcher
Joyce Podtburg
Alicia Polansky
Roberto Quinones
Amanda Reinert
Cindy Rettman
Tina Reynolds
Jeffrey Richardson
Jennifer Richter
Natalie Ruiz
Rebecca Ryman
Stephanie Salo
Esau Sanchez
Sandy Saunders
Jennifer Scheele
Jeffrey Schlueter
Rachael Schmillen
Tim Schumacher
Michael Scott
Gretchen Seifert
Wanda Senne
Nicole Shipman
Rebecca Simpson
Patti Skarda
Ryan Smith
Barbara Smith
Sara Smith
Luke Smith
Joni Smude
Christopher Songe
Patrick Sonnek
Amy Sorsoleil
Emily Sparks
Ed Springman
Linda Stampley
Danette Stoermann
Elona Sutton
James Swanson
Zelda Taylor
Robert Teeple
Aron Tintor
Melanie Torborg
Debra Towar
Therese Tuinstra-Blunck
Susan Ulmen
Leabo Vang
Elizabeth Varela
Natalie Walter
Denise Wass
LaVonne Watts
Sheila Weaver
Stephanie Weede
Alicia Weierke
David Weizenegger
Cynthia Wellard
Christopher Wiener
Laura Wilkerling
Brian Wurtzel
Laurie Zahalka
Elizabeth Zeien
Jeffrey Zillman
Suzanne Zimmerman

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Highest Honors

Congratulations!

Aaditi Gore
Aaron S Andreen
Alicia K Weierke
Alicia M Polansky
Amanda J Bruce
Andrew J Lihosit
Andrew S May
Angela M Bishop
Angela M Gallo
Angela P King
April D Stier
Aron L Tintor
Ashley L Kedrowski
Barbara A Smith
Bassam F Jirjis
Ben Lindholm
Bethanee C Hailstone
Brad A Messner
Bradan J Bach
Brandie L Guerrettaz
Brandon S Bieringer
Brian A Cheese
Brian Wurtzel
Bridget A Foote
Bryan R Benjamin
Carrie A Luedtke
Cassie I Bernier
Cathryn M Saterdalen
Chandha Duwearatchi
Cheryl A Hanson
Cheryl L Nordstrom
Christine Melander
Christine S Cramer
Christopher M Griffith
Christopher Songe
Christopher Wiener
Cindy Rettman
Clark C Haaland
Crystal M Layland
Cynthia L Wellard
Cynthia M Meyer
Daniel C Chiodo
Daniel W Hanson
David L Kilian
David Weizenegger
DeAnn A Maue
Debra E Phillips
Debra L Towar
Denise D Wass
Denise L Wahl
Desirae T Whiting
Diane K Carbajal
Dorna S Hoft
Ed B Springman
Elia N Belmares
Elizabeth A Butler
Elizabeth A Masog
Elizabeth F Gerdes
Elizabeth T Bargabos
Elizabeth Varela
Elona M Sutton
Emily M Sparks
Emily R Hinzman
Erin Jensen
Esau Sanchez
Gina M Guidarelli
Gretchen M Seifert
Hemant B Khatri
Hollie C Strang
Holly M Gray
Irina A Stitt
Jaclyn M Melvin
James S Swanson
Jamie Brudos
Jamie S Harycki
Jason S Schlachter
Jay A Monson
Jean E Collette
Jeanne F Castellano
Jeannine E Johannsen
Jeff D Petersen
Jeff G Hemming
Jeffrey A Zillman
Jeffrey H Schlueter
Jeffrey L Juberien
Jenna M Rhea
Jennifer Bremer
Jennifer Kroschel
Jennifer Norton
Jeremy Kraft
Jesse J Hartmann
Jessica J Dressen
Jessica L Jenkins
Jill M Andel
Joanna Kuiper
John E Skoy
Jonah S Bechitsao
Joni M Smude
Joseph A Marino
Joshua Friedt
Joy M Kockler
Judy Andrescik
Julie A Krueger
Julie R Bisch
Karri L Krueger
Kateryna Kowalski
Kathleen Goodrich
Keith J Gartland
Kelli J Bayerle
Kelly A Syverson
Kelly J Olson
Kevin Petman
Kristi M King
Kristian W White
Kristopher M Schwartz
Kristy J Harris
Kyle M Jones
LaDonna R Solnitzky
Landon E Matthews
Laurie L Zahalka
LaVonne Watts
Leabo Vang
Leanna M Hiner
Lee A Campbell
Lee A Harwarth
Leslie Huddleston
Lexington L Marino
Linda K Borgos
Linda Stampley
Lisa K Forbrook
Lisa M Wilson
Lonnie Biever
Lori L Bachman
Luke A Smith
Maggie A Glazer
Mandy J Schutz
Mandy M Pitcher
Manuel F DeBrito
Maria Leegard
Marie A Ferguson
Mario R Lee
Mark Myhre
Mark Pederson
Matthew W Paulson
May S Xiong
Melanie Torborg
Melissa Frueh
Melissa M Christian
Melissa Schefers
Michael D Gray
Michael R Kesling
Michelle Krasicki-Aune
Michelle Pelletier
Michelle R Hentges
Milissa Becker
Mindalyn L Schmidt
Natalie Walter
Natasha A Will
Nathen A Erickson
Neil J Moeller
Nichol L Owen
Nicholas Erickson
Nicholas J Felder
Nicholas M Peshman
Nicole L Knudtson
Nicole M Spencer
Noele C Owen
Onalee K Larsen
Pamela S Smith
Patricia C Fogg
Patrick H Sonnek
Patrick R Lewis
Paul Zakariasen
Rachael L Schmillen
Rachel E Karras
Rebecca A Haugen
Rebecca D Pendleton
Rebecca L Koens
Robert J Espersen
Roberto Quinones
Robin D Dulas
Ruth H Otteman
Ryan Dilley
Ryan H Johnson
Ryan P Oldenburg
Samantha L Carl
Sandra L Anderson
Sara Eilers
Sara L Smith
Sarah P Leonard
Scott C Ritchie
Shane B Ellenburg
Shannon Verly
Shaun P Greene
Shawn Owen
Sheila S Weaver
Sonja Wagman
Staci L Rothbauer
Stacy M Hall
Stephanie L Derichs
Stephanie L Papka
Stephanie L Weede
Stephanie Salo
Steven S Meyers
Susan L Kimmes
Susan M Chapin
Susan M Ulmen
Susanne L Burke
Suzanne M McLean
Tiffany A Arcaris
Tiffany M Garcia
Trace W Martin
Tracey Nubbe
Tresha K Kuperus
Tyra Beckers
Vicki L Pipal
Wanda Senne
Wendell W Topp
Wendy Gomez
William A Nisporic III

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Honors

Congratulations!

Alex Thompson
Amanda J Reinert
Amber L Cleveland
Amy Sorsoleil
Ann M Behling
Annette Ekholm
Ashley D Hofer
Brandice L Bialek
Brenda Fisette
Brenda L Olson
Brent T Halbersma
Cara Cecil
Cheryl Fernandez
Cheryl Magers
Chris Barthel
Christina Blake
Cory Higbee
Cynthia R Grangroth
Danette M Stoermann
Darren M Mattern
Dawn M Grant
Deanna Hallman
Debbie Carr
Deloris Matthews
Diane M Houy
Doris M Nolden
Dorothy J Ladewig
Elizabeth A Zeien
Eric P Harrison
Eric P Smykalski
Farah Lakhani
Fernando Nino
Gerald L Setterlund
Ginger A Cloyd
Glen R McCarty
Heather Appleby
Heather R Shafer
Heidi Buelow
Jason R Alberti
Jenna Kasse
Jennifer A Brennan
Jennifer E Ostendorf
Jennifer Scheele
Jessica Church
Jill M Doscher
Joan Erickson
Joshua I Heckler
Julie A Williams
Kate Norten
Kelly Murphy
Kia Vang
Kimi Pena
Lily Hansen
Mark A Radloff
Marlo E Narch
Marta Crislip
Mary V Davis
Melinda L Gayken
Michael B Stagemeyer
Molly Organ
Nancy C James
Natalie S Ruiz
Nicholas J Rupp
Nicholas M Lewis
Nicole L Patterson
Randi Barbour
Rebecca A Ryman
Rebekah K Herrmann
Roxana Davison
Ryan Elke
Sarah Pavek
Stephanie Froelich
Stephanie Hamre
Susan D Elliott
Suzanne M Zimmerman
Tanya R Baker
Tara L Colomb
Terry J Millsap
Tim D Schumacher
Zelda L Taylor

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Fall Quarter Grades Are Now Available!

Online Grades have now been published in the student portal. To view your fall grades, access the "My Grades" area within Academics of the student portal

https://my.msbcollege.edu/secure/Student/loginstu.aspx?ReturnUrl=%2fsecure%2fstudent%2fstudent.aspx

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Welcome to Break Week!

Dear MSB Online Learner:

Welcome to Break Week! Enjoy your time off from classes!

As a friendly reminder, your Winter 2008 courses will be available for you Wednesday, January 2nd, 2008 by 8 am. Don’t forget to log in to your classes in Blackboard, within 72 hours, to validate your registration.

Below you will find the article Are you Making Time for You? Take some time to take the quiz and apply the results to your own environment.

Are You Making Time for You?
by Susan Bryant
Monster Contributing Writer

Juggling work and home life can be so time consuming, it's possible to never pencil in any time for yourself -- not as an employee, spouse or parent, but just as you. Where do you fit into the equation of work and life balance? Do you fit in at all? Answer the following statements to find out what value you place on personal downtime.

Keep a record of whether each of these items is TRUE or FALSE for you…1. If I'm not accomplishing something with my time, I feel like I'm wasting it.
2. I can't spend time on myself without feeling guilty that my family or job needs my attention more.
3. I never feel replenished by the activities of my life, only depleted by them.
4. I have every hour of my week accounted for. I have no time when nothing is scheduled.
5. I can't remember the last time I felt completely rested, calm and reenergized for the next day's challenges.
6. Having an unexpected day to myself -- free from responsibilities to others -- makes me anxious.
7. I've lost a sense of who I am as an individual. I tend to think of myself only in terms of my responsibilities to others.
8. I feel resentful at times towards my spouse, children or employer because my needs always seem to be last on the list.
9. I can't remember what I once did for fun.
10. My typical week leaves me so exhausted, finding a way to have some time to myself only seems like another burden.

Each "true" response is a red flag of the critical importance of finding a way to incorporate personal downtime into your life. Consider yourself a well that is constantly drawn from to nourish the important relationships and work in your life. Without replenishing the well, it eventually dries up. Making time for yourself isn't only necessary for your own well-being; it has a direct positive impact on those around you. Invest in yourself by making personal downtime a priority in your life. It is the one task that should truly remain at the top of your to-do list.

If you have any questions or need assistance, please feel free to contact the education department at 1-877-609-8889.

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Free Textbook Drawing Winner!

Congratulations Deandrea Williams!

Deandrea registered for classes before December 20th and was the winner of free textbooks from the online bookstore for Winter Quarter!

Thank you to everyone who participated in the drawing by registering for classes before December 20th. If you have not yet registered for Winter Quarter, please contact a member of the Education Department as soon as possible.

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Welcome to the last week of Fall Quarter 2007!

Dear MSB Online Learner:

New students: We’re excited to get a chance to help you pick out your courses (if you haven’t already had a registration appointment) and look forward to having you as a student this winter!

Current students: Register for Winter Quarter courses right away to reserve your seat before classes are full! Thank you to everyone that has already registered. Also, as a friendly reminder: please check each class expectations and grading criteria as well as the course calendar for all due dates for the remainder of the quarter. All course work must be complete prior to the end of the final date of the quarter. All work will be due prior to Thursday, December 20, 2007.

Below you will find the article Work Less, Accomplish More. Take some time to read the article carefully and take what you can and apply it to your own environment.

Work Less, Accomplish More
by Beverly West
Monster Contributing Writer

Admins, whose job descriptions tend to include a bit of everything, can often feel like there are never enough hours in the day, no matter how much overtime they put in. If you're feeling overworked, overwhelmed or just plain over it, the following time-management tips can help you maximize your productivity so you can accomplish more -- and get home earlier.

Separate Work from Home

"Between responding to personal emails, instant messaging and fielding cell-phone calls from my kids, it can get very hard to stay focused on the tasks at hand," says Dana Bilbao, a producer for a Los Angeles-based entertainment company. So when Bilbao is in the office, she tries to concentrate on her work as much as possible. Then when she's at home, Bilbao can really deal with her issues there without distraction. "I wind up having better quality time both places," she adds. Separating your work duties from home-related ones will allow you to keep your mind on work when you're there and, in turn, procrastinate less, feel less overwhelmed and accomplish more.

Establish Boundaries and Stick to Them

While it's always great to try to make everyone happy all the time, it's just not possible in a workplace governed by the irrefutable laws of time and space. Learn when to say no. "There are times when it is absolutely right to go above and beyond the call of duty on the job," says Jason Bergund, a New York City-based production coordinator. "When it's a real emergency, then I don't mind staying late or going out on a limb. But that's different than just letting people dump their last-minute work on your desk so they can make it home early." While you need to do your work, you also need to take care of yourself and know your job's boundaries.

Get Organized

Time spent hunting for files or lost phone numbers could be used for making progress on your to-do list. Good organizational structures are essential in any time-management plan. Kim, an administrative assistant for a New York-based securities company who preferred not to use her last name, spends a few moments each day sifting through and responding to email so it doesn't become a mountain of unorganized cyber junk by midweek.

Bilbao prioritizes using notes. "Sticky notes posted on my keyboard are my method for reminding myself of the most important and immediate items on my list," she says. "I think people should try out a few systems and see what works best."

Make Time for Yourself

Any well-constructed to-do list has to include some time for relaxing and centering yourself, or you might wind up too stressed out to do anybody any good. "The second I drop the kids at school, I take a moment to breathe," Bilbao says. "It's the most important moment of my day. I switch gears from caring for kids to working with grown-ups."

If you have any questions or need assistance, please feel free to contact the Education Department at 1-877-609-8889.

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Welcome to the eleventh week of Fall Quarter 2007!

Dear MSB Online Learner:

New students: We’re excited to get a chance to help you pick out your courses (if you haven’t already had a registration appointment) and look forward to having you as a student this Winter!!!

Current students: Don’t forget to register if you haven’t already, classes are filling quickly! Thank you to everyone that has already registered!!! Also, as a friendly reminder: please check each class expectations and grading criteria as well as the course calendar for all due dates for the remainder of the quarter. All course work must be complete prior to the end of the final date of the quarter. Identify due dates of all work in the final weeks of the quarter now to plan ahead. All work will be due prior to Thursday, December 20, 2007.

Below you will find the article Five Ways to Stay Positive in Negativity. Take some time to read the article carefully and take what you can and apply it to your own environment.

Five Ways to Stay Positive in Negativity
by Julie Fuimano

It's easy to be positive in a positive environment. It's when things are emotionally draining and negative that you're challenged to behave differently. But you have the opportunity to be the beacon of light for others around you. By your actions and responses, you can demonstrate and teach others how to behave in an appropriate, positive and professional manner.

Positive energy catches on just as quickly as negative energy. Sometimes people are simply stuck in a habit or pattern of behavior and are accustomed to acting a certain way. If the environment is really caustic, then it's what people are used to and may be all they know.

It takes some time and effort as well as a commitment to do something differently to create sustainable change. You must be willing to identify and stop tolerating what's not working, do the right thing even if it's initially unpopular and then teach others to do the same.

Here are five ways you can be a positive force in your workplace:
The First Step Is Awareness

Recognize the negativity around you. Sometimes you can even feel your energy being drained by the words being spoken. If it feels bad or uncomfortable, then it's negative. These feelings are a form of intelligence similar to a tap on the shoulder letting you know something is not right. If you can identify what is happening, you can make good choices about handling it.

It All Starts with You

In what ways are you contributing to the negativity around you? Are you listening to gossip or participating in conversations where the only focus is to denigrate, diminish or criticize? Language matters. Everything you say has an impact, and when you say something negative, not only does it dishonor the person you're speaking about as well as the person you're speaking with, it makes you feel bad even if you don't realize it. Learn to respect people's humanity and their right to be themselves. Complaining without end does not focus on creating solutions; rather, its impact is only to perpetuate and magnify the problem, wasting everyone's precious time and energy.

Speak Up

Tell the other person how you feel by saying, "This doesn't work for me." It's nonjudgmental, since you're making it about you, not them. Also, people often don't realize they are being negative. Point it out in a gentle, caring way: "Do you realize you are complaining?" Just bringing it to their attention can be enough to shift the conversation. Over time, people will learn what they can and cannot discuss with you, and it will stop being an issue. If you say nothing, your silence conveys permission to continue.

Be Constructive, Positive, Meaningful and Beneficial

What is the point or purpose of what you're saying? Is it to hurt or help? And at the end of the conversation, is there an action step to take? Constructive conversations are empowering and leave people a little better off from having participated in them. Become the kind of person who takes your time and words seriously.

Praise and Acknowledge

It's amazing what a few words of praise and acknowledgement can do. You want to be the kind of person people gravitate to because they know they will be uplifted by you, not put down or drained of life-sustaining energy. In short, you want people to feel good after being in your presence.

No matter what is going on around you, you control your inner environment and how you choose to respond to external events and situations. It's your responsibility to become the kind of person you enjoy being and with whom others enjoy being around.

It takes a true leader to walk a path different from the crowd. So when others are negative, stretch your boldness muscles and be positive in spite of what others do or think. It's the only way to create a ripple of change. And if each of us does our part, then slowly but surely, we will make a difference in our work environment and the larger community.

[Julie Fuimano, MBA, BSN, RN is the Coach with Nurturing Your Success Inc., working with people who are frustrated, stressed and unhappy and who are ready to give up being overwhelmed for the time, peace and happiness they desire. Clients report increased clarity and focus, confidence and control in situations. They say no to what they don't want -- without guilt -- and yes to what they do; they receive more respect, have more time for themselves and have more fun. Call (610) 277-2726 or write to Julie@NurturingYourSuccess.com to explore how coaching would work for you or your organization. Fuimano is a popular speaker, world-renowned writer and author of The Journey Called YOU: A Roadmap to Self-Discovery and Acceptance, the manual for personal leadership. Sign up for her e-newsletter here.]

If you have any questions or need assistance, please feel free to contact the Education Department at 1-877-609-8889.

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Welcome to the tenth week of Fall Quarter 2007!

Dear MSB Online Learner:

New students: We’re excited to get a chance to help you pick out your courses (if you haven’t already had a registration appointment) and look forward to having you as a student this winter!

Current students: Don’t forget to register if you haven’t already, sections are filling quickly! Thank you to everyone who has already registered! Also, as a friendly reminder: please check each class expectations and grading criteria as well as the course calendar for all due dates for the remainder of the quarter. All course work must be complete prior to the end of the final date of the quarter. Identify due dates of all work in the final weeks of the quarter now to plan ahead. All work will be due prior to Thursday, December 20, 2007.


Below you will find the article Time Management for Managers. Take some time to read the article carefully and take what you can and apply it to your own environment.

Time Management for Managers
by Matt Krumrie
Monster Contributing Writer

It's 8 p.m., and Mary is still at the office. Sighing as she answers her final email for the night, she thinks back over the day.

"This isn't the job I was hired to do," she grumbles. "Instead of the project and people management I love, all I'm doing is babysitting and dealing with one crisis after another."

If you're a manager, you may have been in this situation. Sometimes there just doesn't seem to be enough time to get things done. But other people do it, and so can you.

"Have you ever wondered how some extremely successful people not only get it all done, but also have time for vacations, trips and golf?" says Kathy Gillen, president of executive coaching company The Gillen Group in Elk River, Minnesota. "It's because they have managed a way to figure out how to manage their time."

Let's face it: There isn't a day that goes as planned for most busy managers. That's what management is -- juggling tasks to achieve a common goal and ultimately better the whole organization.

"When's the last day you didn't have a high-priority phone call, an urgent email or a stressed-out colleague begging for attention?" says Tom Gegax, founder of Gegax Management Systems in Minneapolis and author of By the Seat of Your Pants: The No-Nonsense Business Management Guide. "Getting pulled off-course is in every leader's job description. That's why enlightened managers must have a strategy for dealing with daily interruptions."

The Six D's

Gegax bases his time-management principles on the "six D's": don't do it, delay it, deflect it, delegate it, do it imperfectly and do it.

"When something pops ups, rather than robotically just doing it, I start with the first option," Gegax says. "If that doesn't apply, I move on to the second. I keep cruising down the list until I reach the appropriate action."

For instance, many seemingly urgent tasks disappear if you don't do them or delay them, he says, leaving you more time and energy to focus on the tasks that matter.

And while some flare-ups need immediate attention, your involvement isn't always required. Carefully consider whether to deflect the situation to another department or delegate it to a subordinate, Gegax advises.

If you do opt to tackle the problem yourself, Gegax cautions against automatically shifting into "perfectionist mode."

"A large number of my projects could hardly be described as perfect, yet were successful nevertheless," he says.

Of course, reserve the final "D" -- do it -- for the tasks you've determined will keep you moving toward your goals.

The Multitasking Trap

Multitasking may seem like a way to productively "juggle" numerous tasks, but it actually prevents you from getting things accomplished, says Laura Stack, president of Denver-based consultancy The Productivity Pro and author of Leave the Office Earlier. She offers these tips on how to better manage your time and stay focused:

*Batch: Email kills your concentration. Turn off the notification function on your email program. Set aside a specific number of times per day to check and deal with your email.

*Prioritize: Don't get sidelined by interruptions. If you're working on the last-minute details of a report for a meeting that starts in 30 minutes, don't accept a drop-in visitor's request to "ask you something really quick."

*Control Self-Interruption: Many times you interrupt yourself. You're sitting at your desk when all of a sudden, your brain starts talking to you. "Oh, I need to tell Chris this," it says, and you pick up the phone or dash off an email to "blurt" out whatever you were thinking about before you forget. Instead, get yourself a three-ring binder, some loose-leaf paper and A-Z tabs. Create a sheet of paper for each person with whom you communicate frequently. When your brain reminds you of something, simply turn to that person's communication log. Jot down the thought or idea, and then go back to what you were doing. When that person's log has several thoughts saved up, call the person and set up a meeting or phone conference.

If you have any questions or need assistance, please feel free to contact the Education Department at 1-877-609-8889.

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