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Warts and All: Taking Ownership of Unlikable Tasks

Posted on 04/17/2013 by ·

"Eat a live frog first thing in the morning, and nothing worse will happen to you the rest of the day." -- Mark Twain, American writer and lecturer. "Many people today don't want honest answers, insofar as honest means unpleasant or disturbing. They want a soft answer that turneth away anxiety." -- Louis Kronenberger, American critic and author. Have you found that perfect job yet? Of course not, because the perfect job doesn't exist. Every job in the world includes unpleasant tasks that may bore you to death, strain your capacities, or require such brainless repetition you'd rather go hide in the nearest swamp. Whatever your job's deficiencies, though, you've got take ownership of those tasks—or how can you say you've done your job? Here are a few suggestions that'll help you stay … [Read more...]

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Helping You Helps Me

Posted on 04/08/2013 by ·

In some situations, the concept of taking accountability for productivity and performance extends beyond your own job—especially when you find yourself in a leadership position—and team productivity becomes paramount. In situations like these, doing your job well also means helping others do their jobs better and more efficiently, so their performance dovetails with yours in a satisfyingly synergistic way. Carefully cultivated, the result can be a fruitful cycle of productivity, forming a positive feedback loop that expands into all aspects of the workflow process, making work life easier for all involved. As a manager, you must constantly refine your organization’s workflow processes and streamline your systems. Actively pursue opportunities to eliminate nagging time bandits, … [Read more...]

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How NOT to Decide What to Do Next

Posted on 03/25/2013 by ·

"Procrastination in the name of reducing risk actually increases risk." -- Colin Powell, retired American four-star general and former Secretary of State. "Many people go through life making nothing but 'if' decisions. These are not decisions for success but preparations for failure." -- Zig Ziglar, American motivational guru. It happens every day: You finish a task, check it off your list, and feel a sense of accomplishment. Great—now what? It’s important to quickly decide what to do next. But it's equally important to decide what NOT to do next. Making the right choice can be difficult when you’re drawn to distraction, react to requests, or randomly select the next task. We must choose the correct course of action by design, not by default. So I’d like to give you some guidance on how … [Read more...]

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New iPhone App for The Productivity Minute Podcast

Posted on 03/19/2013 by ·

We've got a new iPhone app for our Productivity Minute audio podcast! Boost your personal productivity any time with a quick productivity tip from Laura Stack! Instructions: 1. On your iPhone, visit http://theproductivitypro.podbean.com/mobile/. 2. Click the arrow button to add the Quick Launch icon to your home screen. 3. Visit the app and listen to The Productivity Minute at your convenience! You can also sign up for FREE to watch the Productivity Minute videos. When you sign up, you'll receive a weekly email with a link and password for that week's video.  Enjoy a year's worth of productivity tips! … [Read more...]

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Walking the Tightrope

Posted on 03/08/2013 by ·

I realize all you young go-getters would work 25/8 if possible; however, heed this advice from a 20-year business veteran who tried that: 1. You can't maintain a breakneck pace forever. Sure, you have to invest plenty of time getting your business aloft, but you shouldn't still be working so hard three years later. Something's gotta give—don't let it be you. 2. Protect your time. Keep external challenges from destroying your focus and eating your precious time. Block out time to concentrate on your strategic priorities and erect barriers against interruptions. 3. Know when to unplug. If you don’t take care of yourself and get the R&R you need, you won’t have the energy to take care of your business and other people. Carve out personal time to do the things you enjoy, away from work … [Read more...]

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Rising from the Ashes

Posted on 02/25/2013 by ·

In the modern business world, we sometimes tout failure as a virtue that almost inevitably leads to success. Popular examples include Thomas Edison's 1,000+ unsuccessful attempts to improve the light bulb before hitting on the right solution, and Bill Gates' unsuccessful first business. Experts tell us repeatedly to fail forward, to fail as fast as possible, to dare to fail—because it makes us smarter and better in the long run. So it was refreshing to encounter a Harvard Business School working paper called "Performance Persistence in Entrepreneurship" that takes the opposite perspective.[i] The authors discovered that brand-new entrepreneurs succeeded just about as often as those who had tried before and failed (18% vs. 20%). The most successful entrepreneurs were those who had already … [Read more...]

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Start the New Year off Productively with Laura Stack

Posted on 01/04/2013 by ·

Did you know that one of the most popular New Year's Resolutions is to get organized?  Maybe it was one of yours.  How will you  accomplish that goal? We've got just the plan for YOU to take your personal productivity to the next level! We have just a few more spots open for the brand new 2013 STACK ATTACK! This is your perfect opportunity to get all of your "ducks in a row" with a productivity makeover. Spend the day in Laura's home office getting YOUR systems up and running. Learn more about the STACK ATTACK, and sign up today! And in recent news... Laura was featured yesterday on Entrepreneur.com in this article by Stephanie Vozza: Forget Your To-Do List: The 3 Lists Every Entrepreneur Needs … [Read more...]

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How Your Standards Can Slow You Down

Posted on 01/02/2013 by ·

"If you look for perfection, you will never be content." -- Leo Tolstoy, Russian novelist (Anna Karenina). "I am careful not to confuse excellence with perfection. Excellence I can reach for; perfection is God's business." ― Michael J. Fox It’s true that as your experience and skills evolve, you should occasionally push the envelope of your personal constraints. But to paraphrase Clint Eastwood in the film Magnum Force, you've got to know your limitations. And you do have limitations—which also means you can't always do everything just right. It’s important to have high standards for your work; in fact, you need them if you expect to achieve consistent productivity. But be aware of the difference between high standards and impossibly high standards. When your standards for yourself and … [Read more...]

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Look Back on 2012 and Look Forward to 2013

Posted on 12/26/2012 by ·

"Life is divided into three terms---that which was, which is, and which will be. Let us learn from the past to profit by the present, and from the present to live better in the future." -- William Wordsworth, British poet. If you're anything like me, you recently looked up and wondered (or said aloud to a friend), "Hey, what the heck happened to 2012?" As we all know from experience, time really does fly when you're having fun. When it also flies at work, that’s a good thing, because you know work fascinates you nearly as much as play. Wonderful news, right? Be careful here: just because you've kept busy and enjoy what you do doesn't mean you've actually accomplished anything lately. To get ahead, we have to leverage our past experiences to gain an advantage in the future. So as you … [Read more...]

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Get Started Already!

Posted on 12/19/2012 by ·

"The secret of getting ahead is getting started." -- Agatha Christie, British mystery novelist. "The way to get started is to quit talking and begin doing." -- Walt Disney, American animator. No matter how grandiose your plans or how carefully laid your schemes, they're worthless if you never shift gears from meditation into motion. You may have heard the old platitude, “Dreams are just goals without deadlines.” Yes, it’s true we all need to keep ourselves motivated as we work our way through life, but eventually, you've got to get off your duff and get moving. I'm not telling you to leap immediately into action without considering the consequences. I like to say, “Thoughtless action will benefit you no more than action-less thought.” But once you've gathered your resources, considered … [Read more...]

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