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True Productivity at Work Requires Pacing Yourself

Posted on 06/14/2012 by ·

"He who sows hurry reaps indigestion." -- Robert Louis Stevenson, Scottish author. "Have fun in your command. Don't always run at a breakneck pace. Take leave when you've earned it, spend time with your families." -- Colin Powell, former American Secretary of State and retired four-star general. "If a man does not keep pace with his companions, perhaps it is because he hears a different drummer. Let him step to the music which he hears, however measured or far away." Henry David Thoreau, American philosopher. Like most modern office workers, you probably find yourself constantly juggling multiple projects, driven by deadlines bearing down like freight trains. As a result, you may feel you have no choice but to keep pushing yourself in order to maximize your personal productivity. Oh, … [Read more...]

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Personal Productivity and the Rhythm of Work

Posted on 06/06/2012 by ·

"Action and reaction, ebb and flow, trial and error, change—this is the rhythm of living. Out of our over-confidence, fear; out of our fear, clearer vision, fresh hope. And out of hope, progress." -- Bruce Barton, American author. "Happiness is not a matter of intensity but of balance, order, rhythm, and harmony." Thomas Merton, American writer and Trappist monk. "Beauty of style and harmony and grace and good rhythm depend on simplicity." -- Plato, ancient Greek philosopher.   Forget company politics, who you know, how early you arrive in the morning, or how late you stay: in the daily workplace round, simple time management skills  reign supreme. You can't accomplish much in the corporate world without learning to break down your working life into distinct tasks you can easily … [Read more...]

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Four Great Personal Productivity Blogs

Posted on 06/05/2012 by ·

"Blogging is using a new medium for what it's good for—connecting and interacting." -- George Siemens, Canadian social theorist. "Blogging is good for your career. A well-executed blog sets you apart as an expert in your field." -- Penelope Trunk, American writer and blogger. "Seek the lofty by reading, hearing and seeing great work at some moment every day." -- Thornton Wilder, American playwright. Over the course of my 20-year career, I've seen a technological revolution wash over the world, impacting nearly every aspect of our lives. In the early 1990’s, desktop computers came into common usage, and "portable" computers still weighed about fifty pounds. About then, interesting rumors about an odd development called "the Internet" had started to circulate. Now, of course, we can't … [Read more...]

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Productivity Minute Video: Eliminate Distractions from Your Environment

Posted on 05/31/2012 by ·

Laura Stack, The Productivity Pro(R), shares tips on decreasing distractions to boost productivity. (C) 2012 Laura Stack. All Rights Reserved. https://theproductivitypro.com … [Read more...]

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Reduce the Unimportant to Maximize Your Productivity at Work

Posted on 05/29/2012 by ·

"Getting your house in order and reducing the confusion gives you more control over your life. Personal organization...frees you to operate more effectively." -- Larry King, American journalist. "Civilization is the process of reducing the infinite to the finite." -- Oliver Wendell Holms, American writer and physician. "Efficiency is doing things right; effectiveness is doing the right things." -- Peter F. Drucker, Austrian management guru. In their secret hearts, most workers believe that in order to maximize their productive potential—and especially to shine in the eyes of their superiors—they have to work like dogs. This seems like common sense; but as Will Rogers taught us years ago, "Common sense ain't so common." And in any case, this little nugget of wisdom happens to be Wrong, … [Read more...]

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Personal Productivity and Strategic Career Planning

Posted on 05/22/2012 by ·

"You've got to be careful if you don't know where you're going, because you might not get there." -- Yogi Berra. "Destiny is not a matter of chance; it is a matter of choice. It is not a thing to be waited for; it is a thing to be achieved." -- William Jennings Bryan. "The secret of achievement is to hold a picture of a successful outcome in the mind." -- Henry David Thoreau. Your company has a strategic plan for success. Do you? You should, if you expect to maximize your personal productivity and create success in the long term. Business is no place for flying by the seat of your pants. While you'll want to exercise flexibility in your career, moving forward without a firm destination in mind wastes time and energy, and it may leave you too unfocused to accomplish much of … [Read more...]

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Personal Productivity as a Habit

Posted on 05/18/2012 by ·
Personal Productivity as a Habit

By this point in your career, you've most likely figured out the basic requirements for achieving workplace productivity. No doubt you have a good idea of how to manage your time, set goals, break big tasks into smaller ones, prioritize your task list, keep your email inbox empty, shake off procrastination, and dodge perfectionism. In other words, you've learned the principles of high performance. But knowing what to do doesn’t matter if you don’t do it: day in and day out, in all circumstances, even when you don't feel like it. Fortunately, human nature serves you well here. Once used to a task, you can generally shift into a semi-automatic mode that allows you to perform the task efficiently, without having to constantly remind yourself about what comes next. Having a routine saves … [Read more...]

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Delegating to Providers Inside and Outside the U.S.

Posted on 05/17/2012 by ·

These days, the ability to effortlessly send data just about anywhere in the world makes international business much simpler and more profitable than ever before. One result is that national borders don't mean as much as they used to; and therefore, offshoring—i.e., delegating specific business functions to service providers in other countries, where labor is cheaper—has become a common practice. Who hasn't contacted a call center and ended up talking to someone with a melodious Indian accent? Offshoring represents a natural evolution of business in the global village. But don't forget the benefits of "inshoring": i.e., outsourcing business functions to providers in your own community, or at least your own country. I don't mean to belittle offshoring by any means; it certainly has its … [Read more...]

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How do You KNOW When You’re Busy?

Posted on 05/09/2012 by ·

I've come up with a few questions that you can ask yourself to see where you stand: Are you productive -- or just busy?  Watch out for this one, because it's an easy trap to fall into.  Everybody likes to look busy.  Some workers make a career out of it while actually accomplishing very little in the average day.  People zoom around the office, guzzling coffee and stomping back and forth to the copier; they scatter paper across every inch of their desks; and they furiously clack away at their keyboards while they talk on the phone.  Busy, busy, busy! But having lots of plates spinning at once doesn't necessarily mean anything was accomplished.  We all know what it's like to have a really busy day, but still feel like we've accomplished very little and were unproductive all day. Set your … [Read more...]

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Poor Communication Can Kill Personal Productivity

Posted on 05/07/2012 by ·

"What we've got here is a failure to communicate." -- Actors Strother Martin and Paul Newman at various times during the film Cool Hand Luke, 1967 "It seems rather incongruous that in a society of super-sophisticated communication, we often suffer from a shortage of listeners." -- Erma Bombeck, American humorist. "Communication—the human connection—is the key to personal and career success." -- Paul J. Meyer, American motivational guru. Most people just don't talk anymore. Oh, we blather on about this and that, but too often we don't actually communicate. Even in our private conversations, it sometimes seems like too much effort to say more than the bare minimum; and of course, really getting into a conversation takes away from our limited store of time. How ironic that in the … [Read more...]

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