Office Hacks for the New Age

No one wants to work harder than they have to, right? We want to get that pile of papers off the desk and into the trash -- I mean "Completed" pile - and get out of here by 5. But sometimes, we get slowed down by the archaic tools we're forced to use in the office.

Well, fear not, faithful Ninja readers! We've got the answers for you - a suite of apps and products that will help streamline your daily activities in the office and might even get you promoted!

Unless you're Jett. The only promotion he's getting is backwards.

1. Scanner Pro  

Gone are the days when you need a big and cumbersome scanner and copier in the office. They're making them smaller than ever now, and when it comes to scanning, smart phones have jumped ahead. Scanner Pro is a leader in the field of phone & tablet scanning. The app will actually find the edges of the document for you and autoscan it, so you don't even have to press a button to scan! You just move from one piece of paper to the next. Which saves a lot of time when your boss asks you to scan his collection of handwritten presidential letters during office hours...

2. Slack

  

Everyone hates morning meetings. You haven't had enough coffee, you don't even like these people, let alone want to collaborate with them. But they're necessary. With Slack, you can do them from home with your pajamas on! Think of Slack as a virtual office. You can collaborate on documents, schedule tasks for employees, farm out tasks on projects, keep track of where everyone is at, even hold meetings virtually. It's the pants optional job you've been waiting for!

3. Evernote  

Everyone needs to take notes. But paper and pencil is SOOO 1999. Evernote has been around for quite a while, and it's the best way to keep track of everything - from meeting notes to todo lists to saved websites to project information, and even personal stuff like recipes. Also, Evernote allows you to attach PDFs, images and Word documents to notes, and you can even access everything offline!

4. Google Sheets & Docs

Google Apps has the best suite of writing and calculation apps around, mostly because they're awesome at collaboration. Using Google Docs (it's like Microsoft Word) and Sheets (Excel), you can have multiple people working on one document at the same time - even when they're not in the same room! Everything is saved in Google Drive, so there's no worry if you spill beer in your computer and kill the hard drive. I mean "soda."

5. DropBox

And speaking of the cloud, DropBox is the best place for keeping all your stuff in one place safely. DropBox lets you store just about any type or size file in folders that are also shareable with other coworkers or clients. You can drag and drop things into your DropBox folder from your computer and it instantly uploads for anyone else who's sharing the same folder. That's using your ninja skills at work!

What other apps and programs are YOU using in your office to make things easier? Let us know in the comments!

Office Weapons Fit for a Ninja

So, you work in an office. Maybe there are a handful of employees you don't quite get along with (Jett *cough*). Maybe there's one or two that make you wish you had an office-sanctioned, rubber band crossbow to put them in their place (DB *cough cough*)

Well, wait no longer.

We at Office Ninja feel your pain. Everyone has a Jett in their office, and we want to help you put yours in his/her place. We've compiled a list of sites and videos that will help you create an office arsenal!

MAN MADE DIY

The awesome people at Man Made DIY have come up with instructions for the perfect rubber band gun - double barrel style! You may not even have to leave your desk to make this one. Make sure to aim for the butt with this puppy!

Because if you put out an eye, you might get fired or something.

HAPPY WORKER

Has all out warfare broken out in your office? The people of Happy Worker have got you covered with a variety of methods to take your office supplies to the next level. With weapons like the Impromptu Laser Pointer Gun and Work-2-Ruler Bow & Arrow, you'll be the General of the winning faction!

OFFICE GUNS 

The name of the site pretty much says it all. Office Guns takes the seemingly harmless binder clip and turns it into an implement of destruction. Learn how to make five different weapons out of this unassuming object. Guaranteed to make your next conference table meeting one no one will ever forget.

INSTRUCTABLES

Instructables has your back when it comes to office weaponry. Trebuchets, a blowgun, a liquid fuel rocket and the legendary office supply crossbow (Wha!?) to name just a few - all with easy to follow videos! It's the fastest way to arm your colleagues against the dreaded Accounting Department Vikings! Just keep an eye out for the Human Resource Raiders...

Speaking of which. Don't try this at home. Or at the office. We take no responsibility for what you do. *Fires office gun*

Ninja’d! 10 Tips for Successful Conference Calls

1. Close your email, all social media, and messaging apps…heck, close everything and stare at a blank wall. There is no other way to remain completely focused – unless you’re a ninja.

2. Set an agenda, send the agenda out to everyone, and stick to it like rice.

3. Mute unless spoken to. No one wants to hear your Uber driver asking you if you want water or your dogs barking at the Post Mates lunch delivery.

4. Speak slowly and clearly because your ninja mask may make it hard to understand you.

5. Take notes and share your notes at the end of the call with all participants to confirm you all heard and understand the post-call action items.

6. If there are more than four people on the call, tell everyone who you are again before you start talking mid-call lest someone else gets (or takes!) kudos for your brilliance.

7. If you need something to fiddle with during the call try a pen or pencil and not a ninja star. Dangerous items could be a distraction (I say this from experience). Try tending to a sliced finger during a conference call without talking. It’s a series of wide eyes, gesturing towards the office first aid kit, and jumping around in pain because you may not want your client to know you’re performing emergency blood stopping procedures mid-rant.

8. I know I told you to close all computer screens and apps but the one thing that is helpful is to keep a messaging window up with your fellow co-workers on the call to communicate incognito. Or you can use traditional pen and paper too, if you’re in the same room. Ninja slide!

9. No one likes a person who dominates the call and doesn’t let anyone jump in with their ideas. One option is to fake as if you can’t hear anyone anymore and say loudly, “Hello? Hello?” And once the person stops you can continue, “Oh I lost you all for a moment but now it’s working.” And quickly, “I’d like to add something actually…” and now you’re golden.

10. At the end of the call thank everyone and wish them a wonderful day. Appreciation goes a long way and encouragement is better than a kick to the gut. Unless they deserve it.

5 Things You Learn from an Office Ninja

Tomas and Raheem really have a go of it navigating their old-school boss and competing against a suck-up colleague who’s after the same promotion. If only they had a handbook…

1. Donuts

When your office decides to celebrate all your hard work by providing donuts you need to RUN not walk to the break room and devour as many as you can before your fellow employees get there. However, there may be a limit as to how many you can (and should) eat in one sitting. Your sprint to the break room probably won’t burn enough calories to break even eating one bacon maple donut.

2. Projectors

Just like public schools, some offices still sport technology from the 50s and 60s. One of the oldest devices still taking up space in conference rooms around the world is the overhead projector. We have engineer Roger Appledorn of 3M to thank for the widely used transparency projector system that still won’t die 70 years later. It’s hard to believe that these antiquated machines and self-driving cars co-exist in the same decade.

3. Spreadsheets

Organization, analysis, and storage of information via spreadsheet have come a long way over the years (IBM created the first computer spreadsheet in 1962!) but it’s important to stay with the times. Now with shared spreadsheets and project management apps we are able to get things done more efficiently (at least that's the idea). New technology can be overwhelming, however, for people used to doing things the old fashioned way, so take the time to train people to use this new technology. Making it accessible for your fellow employees makes things comfortable and easier (aka more efficient and faster) for everyone. Better business! If employees refuse to adapt, may we suggest you ninja their asses over to HR. Time is money and this ninja needs to bring home the bacon!

4. Costumes

Inspiration can come from anywhere and in this case, Tomas found his inner and outer Ninja in a box of Halloween Costumes. If you need a costume to help you find your mojo then so be it. Just think about it: how would your boss feel if the Wicked Witch of the West walked in and asked for a raise? Or if the Hulk demanded we upgrade the software for the computers in the office? Or if a Knight of the Round Table took over staff meetings? I see a lot getting done around the office with this tactic!

5. Office Romance

Office romance isn’t always the best idea but if you’re going to pursue someone may I suggest you don’t corner them in the break room (news flash: sexual harassment!) or shoot them with handcrafted office supply weapons. When in doubt, ask yourself: WWND? Hint: Ninjas are too busy for romance – at least that’s what HR told us.