"Stressing output is the key to improving productivity, while looking to increase activity can result in just the opposite." -- Paul Gauguin, French Post-Impressionist painter. Feeling off track lately? Have you fallen into an unproductive rut you just can't escape? Well, then—you could use a productivity booster shot! By adopting just a few generalized tactics, you can clear up those cloudy productivity skies and let the sunlight of your hard-earned time management skills shine through. Include in your vaccine these four multi-positive strategies—good habits that boost productivity in a number of ways. Get healthy. Admit it: your productivity takes a nosedive when you feel poorly—whether you've got a touch of the flu, didn't sleep well the night before, or simply don't have … [Read more...]
Structure is Your Friend
Laura Stack, The Productivity Pro(R), discusses the importance of structure. (C) 2012 Laura Stack. All Rights Reserved. https://theproductivitypro.com … [Read more...]
Setting Boundaries is a Process of Negotiation
Laura Stack, The Productivity Pro(R), gives advice on setting boundaries in a positive way so that people have realistic expectations. (C) 2012 Laura Stack. All Rights Reserved. https://theproductivitypro.com … [Read more...]
Reevaluate Your Productivity Habits
How are your habits affecting your personal productivity? Laura Stack, The Productivity Pro(R), talks about taking time to look at your habits to see how they are helping or hurting your abililty to get things done. (C) 2012 Laura Stack. All Rights Reserved. https://theproductivitypro.com … [Read more...]
Hard Work vs. Talent: The Eternal Debate
"I have no special talent. I am only passionately curious." -- Albert Einstein, German-American physicist. "Talent wins games, but teamwork and intelligence win championships." -- Michael Jordan, American pro basketball player. "Talent is cheaper than table salt. What separates the talented individual from the successful one is a lot of hard work." -- Stephen King, American writer. One of the cornerstones of American culture is the concept of human equality: the notion that while some of us may be born into better circumstances than others, we all have equal rights as human beings to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. We've enshrined that status in the very documents that declare and outline our system of government. But as equal as we may be in the eyes of the law, … [Read more...]
Snoozing Your Way to Personal Productivity: How Much Sleep is Right for You?
"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...]
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...]
