Tasty Catering, Inc., an event planning and catering business, turns off its telephones for thirty minutes each day, from 12:30 until 1:00 p.m.

Not surprisingly, the company encourages employees to eat, instead of work, during that time.

Should association professionals be measured by their success at achieving job objectives or by whether or not they are "at work" at specific times?

Is it a newsletter editor's job to edit a newsletter or to be "at work" a specific number of hours each day editing a newsletter?

Is it a graphic designer's job to design various association items or to be "at work" a specific number of hours designing various association items?

Is it a writer's job to write copy for association materials or to be "at work" a specific number of hours writing copy for association materials?

Some employees do need to work set hours. If an association maintains an office, for example, it may be essential for those with reception duties to be in the office when it is open.

But that policy should not be applied to all employees. And there is nothing unequal about that. Some positions have time specific duties and some don't.

Associations should be more concerned about employees achieving objectives and less about them being "at work."

Hours don't always matter.

I don't use a speakerphone when teleconferencing. Here's why:

1. Other attendees can often hear more clearly when the speaker is talking directly into a telephone receiver than into the open air (and landlines often provide better reception than cell phones);

2. Using a speakerphone gives others the impression you are too busy to give the meeting your full attention. They believe you are keeping your hands free to do other work;

3. Speakerphones often disturb co-workers in offices. Those folks may be subjected to conversations that pierce walls and closed doors.

Speakerphones benefit you, not your co-attendees.

There may be some items at the bottom of your to-do list that never rise to the top but that cannot be dropped. Those are the things you should do when you have down time.

When is that?

When you've finished a major task and don't have time to start a new one, but it's too early to stop working;

When you can't finish any of your priorities because you're waiting for people to get back to you with important information;

When your brain needs time to recharge between big jobs;

When your server is down.

Take care of things at the end of your list when you aren't able to do the things at the top of your list.

Here's an argument for a shorter work week.

If you maintain an inbox for paper documents, remove items from it as quickly as possible. Do not use it as a storage bin.

Others will be hesitant to leave you printed information because they'll worry you won't look at it anytime soon.

If you need a holding basket for things "in process," create one for yourself (that others cannot see).

Leaving reviewed (or non-reviewed) items in your inbox gives the impression you cannot be counted on to act on matters in a timely fashion.

"With few exceptions, no one's life depends on 24/7 availability," says Elizabeth Weaver Engel, CAE, of Spark Consulting.

See what she says about when and how to switch off.

If you send email "after hours," others may think you are in work mode during that time. But that's not always the case.

Some people, especially consultants, work during all hours of the day (and night). That doesn't mean they are tethered to their computers or smartphones all the time, but they do check them fairly regularly. It's just that they don't always establish clear divisions between work time and personal time.

So, if those folk email you "after hours," it doesn't mean they expect you to read their messages and respond right away. And they aren't trying to impress you by showing how they are working when you are not.

It simply means they sent the message when they had the time. Get back to them when you can.

I've never skipped work on my birthday. Neither have any of my office mates.

Wouldn't it be better to take a day off after a big meeting, around a holiday, or when visiting family, friends, or vacation sites?

Here are some tips from MemberClicks about how to increase the productivity of small associations.