20 Things You Can Do In 20 Minutes to Be More Successful at Work

8. Say Yes to Staff Training
In 20 minutes, you can authorize a budget line for training or, even more quickly and inexpensively, send an e-mail to your staff to encourage them to pick up on something new. And tell them they are expected to spend one day a month learning. Make it an official day on everyone's calendar.

"A lot of 9 to 5-ers out there don't have the time or interest to expand their horizons," says Julie Lerman, a Vermont-based .Net software consultant who is active in the computer user group community. In 20 minutes, you can take the first step to help those employees find out what they're missing and add critical skills to your organization.

One no-cost way to do this is to encourage participation in computer user group meetings and industry associations. Lerman gives the example of some developers who attended a free, full day MSDN (Microsoft Developer Network) training class, which showed off the new features in Visual Studio 2008. "These guys' eyes opened wide," says Lerman. "So now their interest has been piqued and it will be important for their managers to keep them looking for and wanting new information."
-Esther Schindler

9. And Who Are You?
An impromptu chat with someone on your staff can make that person nervous and can seem contrived if you're not in the habit of doing it. So get in the habit.
"Why are you wandering around?" asks Gerry McCartney, vice president of IT at Purdue University. "Because that's what a good boss does."

Visits with employees let you gather intelligence about what's going on in your organization-as well as help you build relationships that make it more cohesive. "If you believe that your people are the key to your success, building a personal connection is an important piece of sustaining their commitment," says Tom Murphy, senior vice president and CIO with AmerisourceBergen. "It also gives you a view of organization realities that you don't necessarily get when dealing just with your direct reports."

Just don't ask, How's it going? "Be specific," advises Murphy. And whatever you say, make sure you mean it. "People know if you're genuinely interested in their opinions and observations," Murphy says.

McCartney lays the groundwork for conversations with employees by spending a few minutes getting to know every new hire within his or her first two weeks on the job. "I think those folks are more inclined to talk to me later because when we met [there] wasn't a business agenda," he says. In fact, he makes it a point to engage employees in neutral situations, such as at an office luncheon.

When he brings up work, McCartney asks his staff to suggest ways to make their jobs easier and to make themselves more effective. They might not have much to say the first time, he says. But if they get the idea that he's approachable, they'll feel more comfortable coming to him when they do have something important to say.
-Elana Varon

10. Go for a Walk
You know walking is good for you. A regular, 20-minute jaunt can reduce your risk of heart attack, keep your weight down and help you manage stress. We're made for it, too. As James A. Levine, a physician and researcher with the Mayo Clinic, writes in a recent issue of the Mayo Clinic Proceedings, "Our bodies evolved to walk," but in the modern world, "we have forsaken our legs as a means of locomotion, work and leisure."

Health experts advise walking at least 30 minutes a day, but "20 minutes is better than nothing," says Maggie Miller, senior vice president and CIO with Warner Music Group.

Miller finds that a short run or a vigorous walk first thing in the morning helps her think more clearly and creatively. She'll also hit the pavement "when I'm mad about something." Her strategy: "Write the zinger e-mail and park it in my drafts box to simmer while I go for a walk in Central Park or, more likely, Riverside Park, which is quieter. By the time I get back I'll usually have worked out a way to deal with whatever the issue is in a much more constructive and collaborative way." Now, get out of that chair.
-E.V.

11. Knock on a New Door
In order to create an IT organization that provides strategic value, you have to understand how your business operates. "It always starts there," says Michael Jones, CIO of the National Marrow Donor Program. "I don't mean how IT operates in the business context; I mean how the business functions. What drives profit and revenue. What the business spends money on. Who your customers are. What requirements each person has." To find out, says Jones, "you need to talk to a lot of people, from the C level down to the basement."

Chances are you already check in regularly with a defined group of business executives. Why not use your 20 minutes to venture into uncharted territory and visit someone new?

Don't go in with an agenda. Leave the strategic plan behind. And for goodness' sake, don't give a speech. Have a conversation.

If the topic turns to business, ask questions. What's his or her job like? What's going well? What's not? What might make his or her job easier? Brian Tennant, CIO of Bethesda Lutheran Homes and Services says a simple Whatcha workin' on? can do the trick. "I ask people what they're doing and I gain a tremendous perspective on functions, roles, the work people do and the challenges they face," Tennant says.
If your new friend asks about you, keep it brief but keep it real. That's what friends do.
-S.O.