The Productivity Minute #7: The Importance of Boosting Employee Productivity in Down Times

Tough economic times are packing a one-two punch in the workplace. First, everyone is forced to do more with less (POW!). Second, you have to do it all while dealing with the nagging anxieties that come with an uncertain economy—threats of downsizing, bankruptcies, cost containment, you name it (POW, again!). So how do we cope—as leaders and as productive employees? by Laura Stack (C) 2009 Laura Stack.  All rights reserved.  www.TheProductivityPro.com … [Read more...]

Work life balance: How to Make the Most of 5:00-9:00 PM

Feature Article: How to Make the Most of 5:00-9:00 PM by Laura Stack

Let’s forget about 9:00 to 5:00 for a minute. We spend lots of energy making sure that we are efficient and productive during the workday. But what about AFTER the workday? Do you find yourself keeping your nose to the grindstone and working diligently throughout the day only to have it all unravel when you step through the door at home? I hear it all the time: “I’m so exhausted when I leave the office, but I always know there is more work waiting for me when I get home. What can I do?” With most of the day behind us, it’s easy to lose our focus and end up letting those precious hours at the end of the day go to waste. Keep in mind that those weekday hours from 5:00 ‘till 9:00 make up 20 hours of your week! Not many of us can afford to waste that much time. Ask yourself a few … [Read more...]

The Productivity Minute #6 by Laura Stack

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The Productivity Minute #5 – Sleep: The Secret Productivity Trick

Laura Stack shares ideas on how to boost your productivity during the day by sleeping better at night and provides some tips on how to do it.  Watch video below. (C) 2009 Laura Stack.  All right reserved. https://theproductivitypro.com   … [Read more...]

The Productivity Minute #4 by Laura Stack – Graciously Refusing Requests from Coworkers Part II

Laura continues her tactful advice on how to handle coworkers who drop in with requests that you must refuse---and how to say NO without actually saying the word. The Productivity Minute video podcast By Laura Stack, www.TheProductivityPro.com (C) 2009 Laura Stack. … [Read more...]

Public seminars in Denver Colorado with Laura Stack: Feb, Mar, and Apr dates

Announcing a series of special public (open enrollment) seminars presented by Laura Stack, The Productivity Pro, in Denver, Colorado!  Hold the date and make your plans now to fly out and attend one of these innovative, productivity-boosting sessions: February 24, 2009: Social Media and Technology: Tips & Techniques for Increasing Efficiency & Productivity (half day) http://www.csaenet.org/calendar/index.cfm?FuseCalendar_ID=307&CurntDate=2/24/2009&fuseaction=ShowEvent March 18, 2009: Microsoft Outlook Tips and Tricks for Skyrocketing Your Productivity (2003 and 2007 versions) half day https://theproductivitypro.com/s_publicworkshops.htm April 24, 2009: Become a Productivity Pro! Mastering Personal Productivity (fully … [Read more...]

Break Out of the Comfort Zone – guest post by Karen Leland

Welcome to guest blogger Karen Leland, who interviewed me for an article for Woman's Day and who authored Time Management In An Instant: 60 Ways to Make the Most of Your Day. Breaking Out of the Comfort Zone In my office, on my desk, I have a plain white coffee cup that has written on it in simple black letters, “’Do one thing every day that scares you’—Eleanor Roosevelt.” As I stare down the barrel of another year filled with hope, possibilities, challenges, and change, I think about what living the cup’s motto really means in practice. ? It’s all too easy to stay in the same routine year after year, doing the same things, thinking the same thoughts, eating the same foods, doing the same job and engaging in the same hobbies. Relatively nothing new learned or risked. No standing on the … [Read more...]

The Productivity Minute #3 by Laura Stack – Graciously Refusing Requests from Coworkers Part I

The Productivity Minute, Episode 3.  How do you say NO without saying NO?  Laura Stack explains how to tactfully decline requests by coworkers in this episode. (C) 2009 Laura Stack.  All rights reserved. … [Read more...]

Go on a Low-Information Diet and Improve Your Efficiency!

Pretty much anybody you ask will tell you they’re pressed for time. There just aren’t enough hours to get it all done, yadda yadda yadda.  So we prioritize, streamline, and simplify.  You can improve your efficiency until you’re blue in the face, not to mention very tightly wound, but you still aren’t addressing one of the biggest time and energy wasters in your day: incoming information.  As my 13-year-old daughter, Meagan, would text on her phone: “TMI” (translation: Too Much Information). If the 21st century has brought us anything, it is WAY too much information. You can watch several channels full of cable news 24 hours a day. You can surf the internet on any topic until you can’t see straight. Most people could heat their home with the amount of junk mail they receive on a continuous … [Read more...]

Social Media: What, why, and how to be productive – Podcast

Like it or not, social media sites like LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter are here to stay – and it isn’t just kid stuff anymore.  In fact, businesses and individuals worldwide keep finding interesting ways to use social networks and other interactive online media to do some pretty amazing things – from building their brands to getting to know their customers. How do you keep it from sabotaging your productivity? Powered by Podbean.com … [Read more...]