Some people are gadget people and some aren’t. But in the best possible way, gadgets make your life better.
At work, I think there are a couple must-have gadgets:
1. Bluetooth – If you spend any time on the phone, you need a Bluetooth. It frees up your hands, so you can work as needed. And you can potentially take work conference calls on your way home.
2. To-Do list – Some people use Outlook tasks. Some people keep track in Apps like Evernote. But you need a good gadget to keep track of all the to-dos at work.
3. Extra battery/charger – For work on the road, it is inevitable that you will run out of batteries on your phone at some point. Thus, the need for an extra battery or portable charger. Essential.
4. A good chair – maybe not exactly a gadget. But you spend more time in your work chair than anything. You don’t want crazy health problems. Get your work to invest in a good chair.
5. The right software – Often you start a new job and you get the very basic software. But to be a work whiz you need the good stuff. You need software like Visio for awesome charts. You need to be able to download a really fast and great browser. Maybe a mind mapping software like Mindmapper.
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Check out some of my other “Top 5’s”
– Top 5: Best Places to Have a Government Job
– Top 5: Worst Places to Have a Government Job
– Top 5: Reasons You Didn’t Get the Promotion
– Top 10: What Works in Social Media
– Top 5: Ways to Handle a Boring Meeting
– Top 5 Signs You Need a New Job
– Top 5: Ways to Look Important at the Office
Totally awesome…the bluetooth is always a must!!! Without it, I’m always dropping my phone while trying to do 10 other things while talking!!!!! I never thought about the good chair, good lookin’ out, Steve.
Sometimes some headphones are needed. I know for me, when I really need to get something done, I put on some music and go to work. Headphones also say to people, “I am really busy, leave me alone for a little while” without you having to say it.
There are a couple of free versions of mindmapping software if your organization allows them:
Freemind is a SourceForge project, written in Java
XMind has both free and for-sale versions. It is more graphical than Freemind. You have to provide an email address for the download.
Both are easy to use.
What about the junk drawer? You need some place to accumulate those odds-and-ends that seem to appear in your office.
In what branch of government do you work? Talking on a cell phone while driving, even with Bluetooth, is strictly forbidden in my agency (EPA). And for good reason, I think. Driving is dangerous enough that it needs your full attention.
And about Outlook….you mean there are branches of government that get to have Outlook??! We at EPA are stuck with IBM Lotus Notes, which has much lower functionality than Outlook (which is to say it sucks). Even the tech support acknowledge they hate it, but HQ makes us have it anyway.
And finally…..software. We are not allowed to install any software on our systems. I would be infinitely more productive with Adobe Standard (as opposed to Reader) and with Firefox and the productivity software I had in the private sector. But all of that is strictly forbidden here. Trust me, I’ve tried, and I’m still trying, to at least get the Adobe Standard so I can work with PDFs. But they say if they give it to me, everyone will want it. Well, maybe there’s a reason for that! [smacks head].
Overall I love working at EPA and it is my dream job, being paid to protect the environment. But our IT policy really drives me crazy, and hamstrings the agency IMHO.
#2 – I replaced a pile of sticky notes with Office OneNote. Now I can hoard information in a professional and organized manner instead of having it all over my desk. 😉
#4 I completely agree. My new chair contributed to a case of tendonitis. Fortunately, I’m getting a different chair and ditching this one!