This is the latest news and information for workers and managers from across the Web universe, brought to you by Monday Morning Manager writer Harvey Schachter. Follow us on Twitter @Globe_Careers or join our Linked In group.
Ask your staff what's not getting done, advises consultant Alison Green. When you know what's not happening that ideally should, you can help them choose how to rearrange their workload, rather than letting the decision be made without you or by default. Ask A Manager
Don't drown people with numbers
The biggest complaint about financial presentations, according to Mississauga consultant Dave Paradi's most recent survey, is being overwhelmed by numbers. Respondents said there were too many numbers on a slide, the font was too small, there was too much information and too great a reliance on number-heavy tables rather than visuals like graphs. ThinkOutsideTheSlide.com
When assigning tasks, set priorities
Always assign a priority level when assigning new work to employees. That allows them to schedule a reasonable time for the task, rather than having to get everything on their plate done at once. The Organized Executive's Blog
'Leanwashing' shifts blame for obesity
You probably know about greenwashing, but prepare to be hit by a new term, "leanwashing," to cover misinformation about diets. A new study suggests that food and beverage companies are leanwashing – perpetuating the notion that lack of exercise is at least as important as diet in causing obesity. Ross School of Business
Strip formatting from Word documents
If you can't change or eliminate formats from some text in Microsoft Word, copy and paste it into the Notepad accessory, which only works with unformatted text so it removes any existing formats in the selection. Now copy and paste back into Word. Allen Wyatt's WordTips
Harvey Schachter is a Battersea, Ont.-based writer specializing in management issues. He writes Monday Morning Manager and management book reviews for the print edition of Report on Business and an online work-life column Balance. E-mail Harvey Schachter