Want to start on Spring Cleaning? Start with one room. Here's how! (C) 2016 Laura Stack, All Rights Reserved. www.TheProductivityPro.com … [Read more...]
Four Training Tips: Maintaining Your Team’s Competitive Edge
Posted on 03/24/2016 by ·
Regular training for your employees is integral to productivity and profitability, meaning it's something you should never take for granted. Among other things, training: 1. Improves Confidence and, Therefore, Performance. When people know they've been equipped to do their jobs properly, it boosts their spirits and reassures them they can achieve levels of competency and productivity they haven't realized in the past. Further, when employees understand why their work matters and how to do it, they're more likely to hit the mark or go above and beyond. 2. Saves the Company Money. Well-trained employees make fewer errors and require less direct supervision. Furthermore, they spend less time thinking about problem solving, because they already know what to do. Consistent training also … [Read more...]
Tune up Your Efficiency Engine: The Big Five Health Factors for Leaders
Posted on 03/22/2016 by ·
Good health doesn't automatically produce productivity for leaders, but it prepares you for it. You can't do your best work when you feel bad. You've noticed how sluggishly your brain works after a poor night's sleep or a missed meal, how distracting a growly stomach can be, and how low self-esteem can create nagging anxiety. Now compare all that to workdays when you felt in tip-top condition, bursting with energy and good health. I'll bet you performed extremely well on those days. You can't control all the factors contributing to good health, but you can control most of them. I find these five most im¬portant to me: 1. Sleep. The typical adult requires seven to nine hours of restful sleep per night. Among other things, sleep helps you fend off infection and illness, because your … [Read more...]
Get Things Done Without Doing It Yourself
Posted on 03/18/2016 by ·
An efficient way to get something done is to NOT do it! How does that work? (C) 2016 Laura Stack, All Rights Reserved. www.TheProductivityPro.com … [Read more...]
Five Productive Ideas I Learned From Jason Womack
Posted on 03/17/2016 by ·
I had the pleasure of attending a seminar today from a fellow faculty member of the Institute for Management Studies (my husband John Stack is the Chair of the Denver chapter), JASON WOMACK. Here are five awesome ideas I gained on how to boost your productivity: 1. If a meeting suddenly gets canceled, what’s the first thing you usually think? “Ooooh I can catch up”! Instead, Jason suggests you can never get caught up. Even if you “do email” all day on a Sunday, you’ll never get caught up. Instead, you should get ahead with any unexpected “found” blocks of time. Work on a long-term project and make progress—not just maintain. 2. Technology is massively key to personal productivity! Here are some great resources Jason offered: www.usemyiphonebetter.com and Speedkeys. Also use … [Read more...]
The Information Flood: 5 Lifelines to Save Leaders
Posted on 03/15/2016 by ·
The only way to overcome "infobesity" is to triage mercilessly, reducing the amount you take in forever. Keep these tips in mind as you work toward stemming the info-tide. Limit Your Exposure to External Information at Work. Instead of checking social media during your lunch and breaks, actually take those breaks. Eat, talk to people, go for a walk—just get away from your desk. You have enough work-related information to deal with. If you check the news, don't let links and ads to drag you off in unproductive directions. Check Your Email As Little As Possible. Focus on email several discrete times a day, rather than keeping your inbox open and constantly monitoring it. I process email five to seven times a day, getting the inbox down to zero (using Outlook's "Move to Tasks" … [Read more...]
Get Ready for the Next Day at Night
Posted on 03/11/2016 by ·
A great way to make sure you have a productive day is to set yourself up for success the night before. Here's how. (C) 2016 Laura Stack, All Rights Reserved. www.TheProductivityPro.com … [Read more...]
Whip Your Meetings Into Shape: 4 Tips for Maximizing Leadership Productivity
Posted on 03/10/2016 by ·
As you can likely attest, most business meetings waste productive time and last far longer than they should. But until we learn to communicate telepathically, meetings will remain a necessary evil—not only as a means of exchanging ideas and information, but also as a way of building relationships with others. That doesn't mean you have to like them, but you can certainly make them more tolerable by applying these tips: Decide If the Meeting Is Even Necessary. Can you handle the issue with a few emails or a conference call? If so, do it. Why call a full meeting if you don't need one? Start On Time. If people don't arrive on time, tough. Start when you agreed to, and don't start over just because individuals arrive late. Latecomers can check the minutes later to find out what … [Read more...]
Time = Money²—3 Leadership Tips for Stretching Your Most Valuable Resource
Posted on 03/08/2016 by ·
How much do you value your time? Maybe you've never seriously considered the implications of that question. To lead effectively, however, you have no choice but to address time-wasters and why they matter. You're important to your organization; otherwise, you wouldn't hold the position you do. Therefore, your time must also matter a great deal. Don't assume your value is equivalent to your salary; the amount of money you earn is likely to be a lot less than the true worth you bring to the table. That's one reason your leaders value you. To do the best job possible, value your time both realistically and highly. Depending on your leadership position, your value to the organization may be thousands of dollars per hour. Once you've pinned down the value of your time, use these tips as … [Read more...]
Handling Your Paperwork
Posted on 03/04/2016 by ·
That "paperless office" thing did not really happen, so how do you control all of the paper that comes into your life? (C) 2016 Laura Stack, All Rights Reserved. www.TheProductivityPro.com … [Read more...]
