Everyone has a productivity personality. It’s the collection of strengths, weaknesses, and day-to-day habits that come together to determine how a person works best. I’ve written often about how important it is to get a handle on your own personal productivity personality, but it’s important that you don’t stop there. After all, most of us depend on others at some point in our day and the individual work styles and attitudes of those around us can have a huge impact on our own ability to get things done. That’s why I put together a list of the 12 dysfunctional personal productivity personalities. Hopefully this list will help you smile (rather than cringe) the next time a coworker’s bad habits start to drive you up the wall. I’ve also included some thoughts on how to deal with each … [Read more...]
Take the Stairs: The path to true success
I’d like to introduce you to Rory Vaden, who has been a friend of mine for many years. He has a novel area of study---he is the world’s only Self-Discipline Strategist. His first book, Take the Stairs, just released this week, reached the #1 ranking in all categories on Amazon.com as well as Barnes & Noble, and just yesterday, he’s #1 on the USA Today list and #2 on the famed NY Times list. Rory sent me a review copy of his book, which I really enjoyed, as we somewhat play in the same sandbox (my book Leave the Office Earlier, had an entire chapter called “Discipline”). I recently connected with him to expand on some of the most interesting concepts presented in the book. Laura: What do you think is the biggest challenge facing business today? Rory: Procrastination is the most … [Read more...]
Overwork and Personal Productivity: the Reality
"Taking enough time to renew our strengths and resources is necessary to preserve and enhance the greatest asset we have, ourselves." -- Timi Gustafson, American health writer and dietitian. "We often hear of people breaking down from overwork, but in nine out of ten times they are really suffering from worry or anxiety." -- Sir John Lubbock (1834-1913), British polymath and Member of Parliament. "Make a distinction between work and leisure; don't skip your holidays; take care of your health and well-being..." -- Dr. Marianna Virtanen, lead author of "Long Working Hours and Cognitive Function: The Whitehall II Study." Say what you will about the slacker generation, most Americans don't hesitate when it comes to hard work. A willingness to jump in and get the job done has been an … [Read more...]
How to Leave Work Early and Enjoy Your Valentine’s Day
A few tips from expert Laura Stack to help you enjoy more time with your loved ones on Valentine's Day. Hectic work schedules have probably ruined more Valentine Day celebrations than we care to think about. It is easy to schedule business dinners for February 14th without a second thought…until the day before…when it finally hits us. More so than expensive jewelry or chocolates, many people are satisfied with having the undivided attention of a loved one for the evening. Laura Stack, Productivity Expert and author of Leave the Office Earlier, has these tips to help you create an unforgettable Valentine’s Day: Plan before you leave work. Double-check your planner and organize activities for the next day before you leave the office on Valentine’s Day. Getting tomorrow’s tasks out of … [Read more...]
Collaboration: Increasing Your Workplace Productivity Through Others
"The in-box culture is dead." -- Evan Rosen, author of The Culture of Collaboration: Maximizing Time, Talent and Tools to Create Value in the Global Economy "In the long history of humankind (and animal kind, too) those who learned to collaborate and improvise most effectively have prevailed." -- Charles Darwin, British biologist "Individually, we are one drop. Together, we are an ocean." Ryunosuke Satoro, Japanese poet. The term "collaboration" has a number of interrelated meanings in the working world. In one sense, it refers to broad community efforts designed to make work-life easier and more productive for everyone. In another, it applies to delegation: the practice of handing off part of the workload to others who can do it more easily or cheaply. The idea can extend to other … [Read more...]
The Productivity Academy returns to Denver March 15
What do you do when there’s TOO MUCH TO DO? You mark your calendar and come to THE PRODUCTIVITY ACADEMY with Laura Stack! Due to popular demand, we are once again presenting The Productivity Academy on March 15 at the Marriott Denver South at Park Meadows in the Denver area. Past participants have said: You just have NO idea. Really. New planner. New plan. New tools. New knowledge. New mindset. New energy. New enthusiasm. New HOPE!! and I have benefited hugely from the tasking tools in Microsoft Outlook, particularly saving emails to tasks - as well as your 3-minute rule. My inbox is emptied every time I check my email! I am also using standing tickler files at work and home, which has helped me corral all that incoming paperwork! Finally, I am aware of what times of the day I … [Read more...]
Delegation and Workplace Productivity in the Global Village
Modern job descriptions, especially those at the managerial level, often specify more responsibilities than anyone can accomplish within an ordinary workweek. This may seem ludicrous at first blush, but it reflects the reality of the business world as it exists today. No one really expects upper-level managers to directly handle all their responsibilities; nor could they. Trying to do so would wreck their lives inside of a week. It’s called "management" for a reason. True achievers know to parcel out most of the items on their plate to subordinates or even to people outside of their organization, before focusing on the few things they do best that profit the company the most and produce the highest value for the time worked. In other words, leaders delegate like crazy to those who can … [Read more...]
Time Management Skills: Group Productivity Issues
Time management training tends to focus on individual workplace productivity; and while that's all well and good, most of us actually work within team environments. It's not a good idea, therefore, to just ignore the productivity issues affecting your coworkers. Your team workflow process can't function smoothly if the individual parts are broken. Raising awareness of group productivity issues requires little more than circulating an informal survey among your teammates, and then distributing the results. Simply ask something like, "What are your X biggest time management challenges?" You can make "X" any number you like, depending on how much time and resources you have to dedicate to the issue. Needless to say, your team's manager bears the ultimate responsibility for maintaining an … [Read more...]
Increasing Productivity:How Reflective Thinking Impacts Workplace Productivity
"Reflective thinking requires the continual evaluation of beliefs, assumptions, and hypotheses against existing data and against other plausible interpretations of the data." -- John Dewey, American educator. "Reflective thinking turns experience into insight." -- John C. Maxwell, American author and leadership guru. "By three methods we may learn wisdom: first, by reflection, which is noblest; second, by imitation, which is easiest; and third, by experience, which is the most bitter." -- Confucius, ancient Chinese philosopher. As a savvy SuperCompetent, I suspect you take a few moments occasionally to examine your workflow process, carefully considering what works and what doesn't so you can maximize your productivity going forward. Psychologists call this process "reflective … [Read more...]
Increasing Productivity: Great Personal Productivity Podcasts
" Remember self-help tapes? You used to throw them into your car [stereo] or Walkman when you were going on a lengthy trip so you could 'grow on the go' and hope to return home all the better for it... Well, podcasts that discuss various aspects of productivity very well could be the evolution of those self-help tapes." -- Mike Vardy, Stepcase Lifehack. "Productivity is never an accident. It is always the result of a commitment to excellence, intelligent planning, and focused effort." -- Paul J. Meyer, American motivational speaker. "None of the world's problems will have a solution until the world's individuals become thoroughly self-educated." -- R. Buckminster Fuller, American author, designer, and inventor. From a productivity standpoint, the relentless march of technology allows … [Read more...]
