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The Only Thing That Matters: Trading Theory for Action—and Results

Posted on 12/31/2013 by ·
The Only Thing That Matters: Trading Theory for Action—and Results by Laura Stack #productivity

"In theory, there is no difference between theory and practice. But in practice, there is." -- Yogi Berra, American baseball manager. "Human beings must have action; and they will make it if they cannot find it." -- Albert Einstein, German-American physicist. Procrastination. Perfectionism. Waiting for more information. Fear in all its forms. There are dozens of reasons—probably hundreds—for staying safely within your comfort zone rather than stepping out into the dangerous, prickly world of change. Some may even seem logical. After all, you're going to face change whether you like it or not; so why deliberately add even more to the agenda? Well, there's the old "stagnation is death" argument: If you don't change, you can't grow. But maybe you don't care about growing, just … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Business Productivity · Tagged: ,

Improve the Fulcrum

Posted on 12/26/2013 by ·
Improve the Fulcrum by Laura Stack #productivity #strategy

Improve the Fulcrum To take full advantage of workplace leverage, strive not only to strengthen yourself and your employees, but also to reposition or even replace your fulcrum. The fulcrum is the hinge or pivot a beam acts against to multiply the input force. It could be a handy rock, a log, or a seesaw pivot point. At work, a good fulcrum should be the right size, height, and position to work most effectively with your productivity machine. So how do you make sure you’re using the correct fulcrum to coax maximum leverage from your system? 1. Equip your team members with the right tools. Provide employees with laptops, software, smartphones, fast Internet—whatever it takes to maximize their productivity. In fact, let them provide their own tools if they want. If someone is … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Leadership & Teamwork · Tagged: ,

Strengthen the Beam

Posted on 12/19/2013 by ·
Strengthen the Beam by Laura Stack #productivity

Once you've optimized the force you apply to the strategic execution lever, you'll need to make sure the lever itself can handle the force before you apply it too vigorously. In our leverage model, the lever's beam represents your employees, both individually and collectively. The best way to strengthen the beam of your organizational lever is to have the right people in the right places, armed with the skills they need to execute in the moment and get the job done. It’s up to you to strengthen each team member's ability to execute strategy in every way possible. 1. Balance talent and hard work. Find the person with the right strengths needed to maximize the Personal Return on Investment (PROI) for each job on your team. Talent is a wonderful thing, but let's face it: it's useless … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Leadership & Teamwork · Tagged: , ,

Maximize Your Leadership Input Force

Posted on 12/12/2013 by ·

In the leadership leverage machine, your input strength is nothing less than your leadership ability. You get more power into your lever by becoming a stronger leader. Today’s simpler information exchange, better communications, and increased mobility have changed the meaning of "leader." Here's how you can take advantage of the recent reset in business attitudes: 1. Accept that the dictatorial days are over. The most effective leaders no longer just hand down pronouncements from on high; they act as partners with the front-line workers responsible for execution. 2. Delegate your authority widely. You can’t keep up with everything in your field, especially if you’re not on the front line making it happen daily. You're better off delegating your authority as effectively and as widely … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Leadership & Teamwork · Tagged: ,

Making 2014 Your Most Productive Year Yet: The ONE Thing You Can Do Every Day

Posted on 12/05/2013 by ·
Making 2014 Your Most Productive Year Yet: The ONE Thing You Can Do Every Day by Laura Stack #productivity

I'm not a big believer in New Year's resolutions. Frustrated by bad habits like procrastination, disorganization, or a lack of exercise, many of us vow to change. We make a New Year's resolution such as, “This year, I'll walk on my treadmill three times a week!” By March, the treadmill is gathering dust down in the basement. Defeated, we give up further attempts to change. Why does this happen? I believe it’s because we don’t make reasonable resolutions to begin with and thus fail to keep the ones we make. So people either stop setting goals (never a good choice), or they make resolutions that are ridiculously easy to keep. The solution? Stop focusing on massive gains. Instead, make it your goal in 2014 to improve 1% each day. If you can improve 1% each day, you’ll double in ability … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Performance · Tagged:

Congress, Deadlines, and (Lack of) Productivity

Posted on 12/04/2013 by ·
Congress, Deadlines, and (Lack of) Productivity by Laura Stack #productivity

I was interviewed today for a piece on Marketplace, the public radio business and economics program, based in the show’s Washington bureau. I got so fired up I decided to write it down and get your take. I was asked about all of the deadlines Congress faces after the Thanksgiving holiday (to come up with a budget, to avoid “sequestration,” to pass a funding bill, and to raise the debt limit, etc.), given that legislators have already missed or extended many previously. I was asked to comment on the Congress’ productivity and what they can learn from a “productivity expert.” Okay, so first they would have to learn how to be productive. What is productivity? A ratio of input to output. This Congress is the most unproductive in history. If you take the number of days congress has been in … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Performance · Tagged: ,

Outgrowing the Old: The Necessity of Change Management

Posted on 12/03/2013 by ·
Outgrowing the Old: The Necessity of Change Management by Laura Stack #productivity

"He who rejects change is the architect of decay. The only human institution which rejects progress is the cemetery." -- Harold Wilson, British politician. Successful businesses have always adapted readily to change, but at no time in living memory—and likely at no point in history—has adaptability been a more desirable business trait than it is today. Given our recent economic difficulties, in combination with accelerating technological sophistication, change occurs almost daily—whether we want it to or not. The greatest obstacle to necessary change is a reluctance to modify or abandon procedures that have become familiar and comforting. But a flexible, agile organization has no choice but to change in the face of reality. As German philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche once pointed out, … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Business Productivity ·

The Managerial Bulldozer: Removing Obstacles to Your Team’s Success

Posted on 11/27/2013 by ·
The Managerial Bulldozer: Removing Obstacles to Your Team's Success by Laura Stack #productivity

"Success is to be measured not so much by the position that one has reached in life as by the obstacles which he has overcome." -- Booker T. Washington, inventor. "Obstacles are those frightful things you see when you take your eyes off your goal." Henry Ford, pioneering American automaker. In my upcoming book Execution IS the Strategy (Berrett-Koehler, March 2014), I emphasize the fact that, for all intents and purposes, leaders can no longer legislate strategic execution or plan too far into the future. Rigid strategies quickly become stale in the current business arena, and binding our front-line team members to them may result in consistent failure. A more effective solution? Empower individuals to take ownership of their jobs, so they can use whatever strategy works best in the … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Leadership & Teamwork · Tagged: ,

The Good Manager: Building Your ROI by Building Your Team’s

Posted on 11/21/2013 by ·
The Good Manager: Building Your ROI by Building Your Team's by Laura Stack #productivity

"Vision changes a 'transactional manager' into a 'transformational leader.' While a manager gets the job done, great leaders tap into the emotions of their employees." -- Brian Tracy, American motivational guru. "Employees are the most valuable asset that any organization has. In the past managers said 'jump" and the employees said, 'How high?' Now, the managers are jumping with employees." -- Jacob Morgan, American business writer. During the past generation or so, something unusual has happened in business: managers have evolved from the boss to a team player. Figuratively, they are still in charge, of course, but leaders realized they got farther by being in partnership with their employees. They act more like a visionary facilitator, rather than a strategy imposer. Why? By … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Leadership & Teamwork · Tagged: , , ,

Eat, Drink, and Be Healthy: Five Enablers of Productive Achievement

Posted on 11/19/2013 by ·
Eat, Drink, and Be Healthy - Five Enablers of Productive Achievement by Laura Stack #productivity

"Without rest, a man cannot work; without work, the rest does not give you any benefit." -- Abkhasian proverb. "Getting in shape isn't just about looking and feeling better, it’s actually smart business." -- Susan Solovic, American small business expert. We all know we do better, more productive work when we feel well. And yet, we’re stuck in a vicious cycle: when we work long hours and run short on time, we cut into our precious free time—the time it takes to do the things that keep us healthy: exercise, eat and drink properly, and sleep enough. So we find ourselves in an unproductive, unhealthy rut. Clearly, productivity alone doesn’t keep us healthy. In fact, the exact opposite is true. As psychotherapist Nathaniel Branden points out, "Productive achievement is a consequence and … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Life Balance · Tagged: , ,