1. Holiday Gifts – ship them ahead of time so you don’t get stuck waiting for more luggage at the carousel. Even though we’ve already passed the cutoff for ground transportation, it will save you the headache in the long run to ship FedEx or UPS express. And, if you do have to take gifts with you on the plane, don’t wrap them or you luggage is sure to get pulled.
2. Online Check In – utilize online check-in whenever possible so you don’t get stuck waiting in line at the airport. All you have to do is check your bags when you arrive. Click here for links to the major carriers online check-in.
3. Arrive On Time – I am notorious for arriving late to the airport and have missed a number of flights because of it. Be sure to arrive at least 2 hours prior to your departure time.
4. Check the Stats – Are you leaving from a major hub or overcrowded airport with delays? Check to see what’s happening at the airport and with your flight before you leave home. FlightStats.com has information on weather, flight details, and airport security delays.
5. Park Offsite - If you can’t get a relative to take you to the airport at 5am consider parking at the airport instead. It seems costly, but if you part offsite you can get lower rates and they typically offer convenient shuttles to and from the terminals.
6. The In Crowd – Join all of the preferred loyalty clubs even if you don’t care about earning points or miles. You’ll get better service, especially if the company has overbooked for the holidays.
7. Fly Through Security – Consider joining the CLEAR program, available at a number of airports nationwide. A great benefit for frequent travelers, the CLEAR card allows you to bypass the security line by providing biometric data and clearing a background check in advance. Rates for the year are $99 per person, but will be increasing to $128 next year. Sign up with a local travel agency and get 1 month free.
8. What’s in the Bag – Know what you’re allowed to bring with you on the flight and pack accordingly. The rule is 3-1-1 = 3 ounce bottles or less; 1 quart-sized clear plastic zip bag; 1 bag per person. Pull out the bag and place it in the security tub during screening. If you have additional items such as medications, baby formula and food, breast milk, and juice be ready to declare these at the security gate.
9. Overhead Bin Scramble – if the space in the overhead bin above your seat is taken then get the closest space to your seat, preferably toward the front of the plane. Don’t be afraid to take someone else’s bin space – hey, yours was already taken. Rearrange the bags to make yours fit because if your luggage gets stuck behind you, you’ll be the last one off the plane.
10. Cell Phone Zone – Since most airports don’t allow you to stop at the baggage claim area and wait they’ve designed cell phone waiting areas. Drivers can park in the lots and wait for arriving passengers to call before circling around.

How frustrating is it when you try to schedule a meeting in Outlook and end up going back and forth, back and forth, trying to find a time that works with everyone’s schedule? Yes, Outlook is great if you can look at other’s schedules, but so many people still do not utilize all of it’s features so it can be difficult to tell if someone actually has a prior commitment or just blocked out space for a tentative event.

I first read about TimeBridge on VentureBeat, an online news blog, last week. It’s a two and a half year old startup that just launched their flagship scheduling product on December 11, 2007.

Here’s how it works: The program, which is a small download for Microsoft Outlook users or a web app for Google adherents, syncs with the user’s calendar to show which time slots are open. The user, who we’ll assume is initiating the meeting, can then highlight blocks of time that would be acceptable for a meeting.

Invitations are then sent off to the other participants, who can see all the times the organizer has available and choose their own set of open time slots. Through a process of elimination, the times that other participants can’t make it to a meeting are ruled out, and a confirmation for the best time is sent out to everyone.

I gave it a try for myself and have to say it is quite handy. I really like the tool and others who tested the web application (they didn’t want to download the software quite yet) had good luck with it. In the end, we all received a final confirmation for our meeting. I will definitely continue to use this software, especially for meetings with those outside the company. I end up sending a whole list of times and I’m looking forward to cutting down on the email!

Send a fun and environmentally-friendly holiday card this year with Adobe. The eCards are free and don’t contain advertising (except Adobe of course). Visit http://www.adobe.com/aboutadobe/holidaycard/2006/ and get started. First, you select a background theme, then add a border, then select your holiday message available in 17 different languages. Finally, pick your music and send it off. You’ll need JavaScript enabled.

Click here to see my card! Below is the message that appears in the recipients email box.

By Shanon Lyon, Special to PayScale.com

Whether it’s spilling drinks or spilling company secrets, the holiday office party is an occasion ripe for faux pas (or worse). So before you throw back a drink (or three) and saddle up to the CEO to discuss the new healthcare plan, get familiar with the five biggest office party mistakes and how to avoid them.

1) Arriving Unfashionably Late to the Office Party (or Not at All)

Unless you have a legitimate excuse (a friend’s much better party doesn’t count), you should do your best to make an appearance at the holiday office party. According Colleen A. Rickenbacher, business etiquette expert and author of Be on Your Best Business Behavior, you should always arrive within the first 15 minutes of an invitation.

“If it’s a come and go kind of party, the CEO and chairman of the board will be there when the party starts,” says Rickenbacher. “If you show up late, you’ll miss them completely or pass them on their way out the door, which doesn’t make a good impression.”

Both Rickenbacher and Rachel Weingarten, author of Career and Corporate Cool, suggest staying at the office party for at least 30 to 45 minutes but not leaving before any award ceremony or special event.

“Make sure you get around to the key people, chit-chat for a minute or two, and thank the person who organized the event,” says Weingarten.

2) Dressing Inappropriately for the Office Party

You want to be noticed, but not necessarily for what you’re wearing. If the room is full of cocktail dresses and suits, and you’re sporting a “festive” snowman sweater, you’re going to stand out. Likewise, anything too low, too tight, or too short could get you the wrong kind of attention. Rickenbacher suggests asking the organizers what they’re wearing to help guide your decision.

3) Bringing a Date (Who Wasn’t Invited)

Don’t assume you can bring a date to the office party unless it says so on the invitation. And, if the invite does call for a guest, make sure you bring someone you know. Explaining your relationship (or lack thereof) can be awkward for everyone involved and lead to faux pas number four.

4) Drinking Too Much

Excessive drinking is the story behind many social disasters which makes it the worst office party offense.

“People hear ‘party’ and they forget the word ‘office.’ They act in a way that they would when they’re out with friends or with their family,” says Weingarten. “You end up making mistakes that your family has to forgive you for, but your co-workers or your boss can fire you for.”

Play it cool by eating before your first drink and mingling as far away from the punch bowl as possible.

5) Being Ungrateful to the Party Hosts

Remember that the office party is put on to thank you and your colleagues for your hard work. Both Weingarten and Rickenbacher suggest bringing a small gift for the organizer or host of the office party, like a desk calendar, a book, a candle, or a bottle of wine.

“By thanking the host or hostess, you’re also doing a bit of PR for yourself,” says Weingarten. “If this person is responsible for gathering everyone in the company, then this is also the person who has everyone’s ear.”

So, what if you wake up the morning after and realize you made a boo-boo at the office party? According to Weingarten, it’s possible to recover from these mistakes – if they’re forgivable. Making a fool of yourself is forgivable. Spilling a drink on someone is forgivable. Gossiping about your supervisor in the bathroom only to realize she’s in the stall next door is nerve-wracking, but forgivable. If your screw-up didn’t hurt anyone but you, a simple non-committal card (“Here’s hoping I wasn’t too stupid!”) will do. If you’ve insulted someone, it’s important to apologize in person as soon as possible. And if you do something that’s unforgivable (like sleep with a married co-worker or spill the beans on a top-secret project), well, you’re on your own.

LinkedIn Answers and Yahoo! Answers are two great sites to find and share information on a variety of professional and personal topics.

With LinkedIn Answers you can ask a question and get answers from your connections and people in your network. For example, if you’re looking for a event management company to help you plan your next offsite, ask for a recommendation under Administration > Event Services. It’s a great way to get referrals and an “outside” perspective to a question. I say “outside” because the it’s sent to those within your network of associates, but open for all LinkedIn users to answer. An answer from a friend-of-a-friend is more useful than a random website you found online.

Yahoo! Answers covers a wider array of topics than just professional services. Here you can find pet tips and do-it-yourself instructions in addition to business related information.

Ask a question, answer a question and you just might just find what you are looking for. If you have a question that you’d like to see answered on Admins @ Work, please send it me at erin@adminsatwork.com.