"Sleep that knits up the ravel'd sleeve of care, The death of each day's life, sore labor's bath, Balm of hurt minds, great nature's second course, Chief nourisher in life's feast..." -- William Shakespeare, Macbeth, Act II, Scene II "Sleep is the best meditation." -- The Dalai Lama. "It is a common experience that a problem difficult at night is resolved in the morning after the committee of sleep has worked on it." -- John Steinbeck, American writer. Do you get enough sleep at night? At first glance, you may wonder what this question has to do with personal productivity. But think back to the last time you missed a significant amount of sleep. How did you feel the next day? Were you able to get your work done efficiently and professionally? Probably not. I'll bet you felt tense, … [Read more...]
Snoozing Your Way to Personal Productivity: How Much Sleep is Right for You?
Reevaluate a Complicated Process
Laura Stack, The Productivity Pro(R), discusses processes and why they sometimes need to be re-vamped for better productivity. (C) 2012 Laura Stack. All Rights Reserved. https://theproductivitypro.com … [Read more...]
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Join us on Facebook and download the entire first chapter of "What to Do When There's Too Much to Do" free! … [Read more...]
Break Out of the Cube to Increase Employee Productivity
"Human beings were not meant to sit in little cubicles staring at computer screens all day, filling out useless forms and listening to eight different bosses drone on about mission statements." -- Peter Gibbons in the movie Office Space, as portrayed by actor Ron Livingston. Most modern offices consist of open-format workspaces designed to encourage collaboration and sociability. This sounds reasonable enough...until you remember two inconvenient facts. First, external distractions tend to limit worker productivity, and second, open offices provide a constant stream of distractions. Nevertheless, businesses often put office-workers on display in cubicle mazes, overseen by a few managers in private offices. Walls (if they exist at all) rise just high enough to provide an illusion of … [Read more...]
Strategic Alignment is Critical to High Performance
In business, we measure success by the bottom line; or as I've heard some people put it, "we keep score with dollars." When you get right down to it, profit represents the combination of drive, work, and efficiency we call high productivity. Staying busy isn't enough; we have to stay busy at what matters, in ways that move us toward well-defined goals and objectives. I've dedicated my 20-year career to helping my corporate clients improve employee performance and execute on strategy. I’ve stressed the value of time management skills, productivity training, to-do lists, task triage, and avoiding distractions. I've pointed out how individual empowerment, effective teamwork, and a positive workplace atmosphere all contribute to the kind of employee engagement that yields high levels of … [Read more...]
The Effects of Multitasking and Digital Stress
Someone shared this with me and I wanted to pass it along to you. This is a fascinating study on the way our brains work and how multitasking not only affects our productivity but our health too. How do you feel about this? Comment below! Via: OnlineUniversities.com … [Read more...]
Does Groupthink Hurt Your Productivity at Work?
"Groupthink: a mode of thinking that people engage in when they are deeply involved in a cohesive in-group, when the members' strivings for unanimity override their motivation to realistically appraise alternative courses of action." -- Irving Janis, American research psychologist. "The tribe often thinks the visionary has turned his back on them. When, in fact, the visionary has simply turned his face to the future." -- Ray Davis, American motivational speaker and writer. Can working in an open office, engaging in brainstorming sessions, and contributing to a business team actually hurt your personal productivity? Excellent question, because all of the above—and many other group-oriented activities—are integral business practices in today’s companies. We've all experienced team-building … [Read more...]
ATUS 2012: America’s Personal Productivity Stats
"The American work ethic is something to be admired. Our workforce, regardless of position, works hard to produce the best product and serve customers to the best of their ability." -- Leonard Boswell, U.S. Representative for Iowa's Third District. "On days that they worked, employed persons spent an average of 7.6 hours working. More hours were worked, on average, on weekdays than on weekend days—8.0 hours compared with 5.7 hours." -- Citation from the 2011 American Time Use Study. Executive Summary: This year's ATUS data paints a picture of a nation working harder than ever, significantly exceeding the "traditional" 40-hour week and working nearly as hard on weekends as on weekdays. The workers among the survey population were clearly not slacking, any more than they were in 2010. In … [Read more...]
The “Work Less, More Success” Guide to Time Management – Step Five
Continuing with our series on the Productivity Workflow Formula™ (PWF) Step 5: Close the Loop: REDUCE INEFFIENCIES Next, reduce your inefficiencies by determining what does and doesn't work for you. Constantly refine your workflow processes, reworking or replacing components if they break down or just don't seem as efficient as they might be. Other people may present your most difficult barriers to closing the loop. Since you can't control the actions of your co-workers, try to make your interactions with them easier. Start with precision communication that cuts down on unproductive "noise" like hedging and passive language. Get right to the point and ask for acknowledgement on everything. If you don't completely understand what someone asks of you, keep asking questions … [Read more...]
The “Work Less, More Success” Guide to Time Management – Step Six
The final step in our series on the Productivity Workflow Formula™ (PWF) Step 6: Manage Your Capacity: REDUCE ENERGY EXPENDITURES The best-laid workflow plan will fall apart if you don't have the energy to sustain it. Therefore, Step 6 focuses on keeping yourself physically and mentally fit, through a combination of good sleep, diet, exercise, and preservation of personal happiness. Taken together, these form the hub that links and strengthens the other PWF steps. Begin by recognizing the limits of your personal "battery." You can only go so far before you run out of energy, so know when to slow down and recharge. Don't skip your scheduled breaks—stretch breaks, meals, personal time, weekends, and vacations—or fatigue may eventually overwhelm you. You can't stay productive if you … [Read more...]
