Business Productivity

Lead, Then Get Out of the Way: How a Good Manager Makes Life Easier for the Team

Posted on 11/07/2012 by Laura Stack ·

"A good manager is a man who isn't worried about his own career but rather the careers of those who work for him." -- H.S.M. Burns, former President of Shell Oil. "One of the most important tasks of a manager is to eliminate his people's excuses for failure." -- Robert M. Townsend, American economist. From a productivity perspective, one can describe a workplace team using the metaphor of a precision machine. Team members are interlocking parts, which while they vary in significance, all require the others for the engine to function effectively. As in a car, alone and disengaged, the individual parts aren't good for much. As team leader, you play several crucial roles here: a) MECHANIC. You keep the productivity engine in good repair and provide the lubrication it needs to purr like a … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Business Productivity · Tagged: Micromanagement, performance

The MEET Formula Long and the Short of It: Strategy and Tactics in the Modern Workplace

Posted on 11/05/2012 by Laura Stack ·

"All men can see these tactics whereby I conquer, but what none can see is the strategy out of which victory is evolved." -- Sun Tzu, ancient Chinese military strategist. All leaders must possess a strong understanding of the difference between strategy and tactics. Simply put, strategy represents long-term thinking: the framework organizing what you do over years or decades to achieve your ultimate goals. Tactics involves individual steps towards those goals—the things you do today to prepare for tomorrow to achieve that strategy. Leaders surely recognize these definitions, but employees don’t always understand the distinction, because most focus on the operational day-to-day activities required to keep the money flowing. As a result, it can be difficult to get them to invest time on … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Business Productivity · Tagged: empowerment, strategic planning

Nothing But Cream: Promoting Excellence in the Workplace

Posted on 10/31/2012 by Laura Stack ·

"If a man is called to be a street sweeper, he should sweep streets even as a Michelangelo painted, or Beethoven composed music, or Shakespeare wrote poetry. He should sweep streets so well that all the hosts of Heaven and Earth will pause to say, 'Here lived a great street sweeper who did his job well.'" -- Martin Luther King, Jr., American minister and civil rights leader. We've all heard the saying "the cream rises to the top," and anyone who's ever handled raw milk knows this to be true. Business leaders love to apply this term to the workplace—but rarely do they bother to tell you that, with a little hard work on your part, your team's output can be mostly cream. Like everything else it takes time, careful planning, and consistent guidance—but that's why they … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Business Productivity · Tagged: employee engagement, empowerment, excellence, organizational strategy

Top Ten Things to Do Before Ten to Ensure a Productive Day

Posted on 09/17/2012 by Laura Stack ·

"Early to bed, early to rise, makes a man healthy, wealthy, and wise." -- Benjamin Franklin, U.S. publisher and Founding Father. "If it's your job to eat a frog, it's best to do it first thing in the morning. And if it's your job to eat two frogs, it's best to eat the biggest one first." -- Mark Twain, American humorist. Whether you achieve full alertness within minutes of waking up or require a caffeine infusion before you can think straight (like me), the early morning hours represent a crucial productivity period. What you accomplish in the first few hours after rising can set the tone for your entire day's productivity at work. New research into sleep habits emphasizes the value of early-morning productivity. According to a recent study in the journal Emotion, early risers … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Business Productivity · Tagged: Performance, To Do List

Make Some Waves to Get Rid of Time Drains

Posted on 07/03/2012 by Laura Stack ·

Laura Stack, The Productivity Pro(R), says that sometimes you need to speak up about things that are hampering your productivity. (C) 2011 Laura Stack. All Rights Reserved. https://theproductivitypro.com … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Business Productivity · Tagged: time drains

How to Drive Workplace Productivity in a Virtual Office

Posted on 04/20/2012 by Laura Stack ·

In last month's newsletter, I discussed workplace delegation in light of the technological innovations that allow us to reach halfway across the world if desired to find ideal outsourcing providers. But in truth, you can apply this whiz-bang technology to employees in just about any category. Given access to reliable channels of instant communication, you no longer have to keep team members close at hand in order to maximize team and personal productivity. The virtual office, administered and maintained via cyberspace, has truly come into its own. Your virtual assistant can live in Michigan and your receptionist in Florida, while your prestigious professional address may place you in downtown Manhattan, even if you run everything from your home in the Hamptons. When managed properly, … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Business Productivity · Tagged: virtual office, workplace productivity

Super Competent: Achieve More in Today’s Workplace

Posted on 04/10/2012 by Laura Stack ·

In this competitive economy, just being able to do your job is no longer enough. Competence is simply expected in today’s workplaces. But you can’t be simply competent; you have to be super competent to get an edge. Part of being super competent is discovering the six keys to unlocking your full potential: Activity, Availability, Attention, Accessibility, Accountability, and Attitude. Once you do, you’ll find you have reached a clear and practical system for achieving maximum results in a minimum amount of time. By contrasting super competent hero thinking with simply competent zero thinking, you’ll see that transforming your performance is not about mantras but mindsets. When the rubber hits the road, the difference between merely having ability and being exceptional may be the … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Business Productivity · Tagged: achieve more, SuperCompetent, workplace productivity

55 1/2 Easy Ways to Boost Productivity Today

Posted on 04/03/2012 by Laura Stack ·

Okay, let’s face it. We’re all trying to do more with less. And chances are that you and your company have already made the big, tough decisions needed to streamline operations. But what about the little things? You can still boost both personal and team productivity in lots of smaller ways that are easy to implement and provide immediate results. Read on for quick tips on getting more done. 1. Hit the ground running. Don’t waste the first hour of the day. As soon as you arrive, focus on getting something done before you even think about checking Facebook or dropping in on a coworker. 2. Decline a meeting. Meetings are necessary. Every meeting is not. Don’t automatically accept every meeting invitation you receive, especially if there is no clear agenda or outcome. 3. Close your … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Business Productivity · Tagged: Boost Productivity

Lean Processes and DOWNTIME

Posted on 03/27/2012 by Laura Stack ·

While it hasn’t always been practiced with any great rigor, the concept of waste reduction has long been a part of American business tradition. Ben Franklin's common- sense reminders of "waste not, want not," and "a penny saved is a penny earned" have been well taken by such luminaries as Henry Ford, who introduced the modern assembly line, and the founders of time-and-motion studies and scientific management, Frank Gilbreth and Frederick Winslow Taylor. By the 1970s, Japanese industrial engineers had integrated all these concepts and more into a framework that eventually came to be known as lean manufacturing. Mostly derived from the Toyota Production System (TPS) and guided by industrial engineers Taiichi Ohno and Shigeo Shingo, lean manufacturing is based on the idea of preserving (or … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Business Productivity · Tagged: downtime, Lean processes, performance