Ray Weikal's blog

You should be on Twitter if you're not already. Despite the fact that it has become one of the largest and most ubiquitous social media websites (with half a billion members, by one count), I'm surprised at the number of people I encounter who don't use Twitter. These are often smart people whom I would think would jump at the chance to engage in what is fast becoming a powerful tool for business and networking.

One of the consistent complaints voiced by admins is that they're simply overloaded with work. I recently heard one IAAP chapter president encourage her fellow members to start saying "no" to the boss when they're expected to do too much with too little time and resources. Companies will eventually reap negative returns on all this task juggling as their admins become less effective and efficient.

I recently spent a wonderful hour with members of the City of Fountains chapter in Kansas City, Mo. The meeting topic was about reducing stress at work. Several of the members talked about how juggling tasks is a job requirement for all admins. They also described how stress from work carries over into the rest of their lives.

Texting and social media have spawned a digital shorthand that's increasingly encroaching on the office. The proper use of capitalization seems to have become one of the primary victims of this trend in post-modern communication. Missing, misplaced or misused capitalization can make an important business document appear awkward and uninformed.