Increasing productivity: Paper or Plastic? Managing Your To-Do Lists

Paper or Plastic? Managing Your To-Do Lists

Technology has given us so many options when it comes to keeping track of our to-do lists—Smartphones, web-based applications, desktop applications, PDAs—but figuring out the best system for you can be a real challenge (and a frustrating one at that).  Interestingly enough, even with all the technology out there, informal research (mine and others’) still shows that when push comes to shove, most people still fall back on good old-fashioned paper. In fact, a lifehack.org survey shows that not only do most people use a paper to-do list, but that paper is more than twice as popular as any other method listed!  Why is that? Because we’re human. Life doesn’t always happen when you’re sitting in front of your computer. We sit in meetings. We leave the office and go home. We travel. … [Read more...]

Free webinar by Laura Stack and Day-Timer on April 7, 2009

Register today for a free webinar on April 7, sponsored by Day-Timer. Find a system that works for YOU!  Create a completely personalized planning style. How do you make the best use of paper and electronic planning methods? The simple answer is “it depends.” How do you describe yourself? What are your preferences? What does your work require of you? What are your work and home environments? Do you travel? This webinar will discuss the fundamentals of an organized, effective time management system and help you design one that perfectly meets your needs. Objectives: Understand the advantages and disadvantages of handhelds and paper Identify what frustrates you about your current system Test to see if you're more inclined to plan on paper or electronically Evaluate your time … [Read more...]

Microsoft Outlook Virtual Training with Laura Stack

Announcing The Productivity Pro® Microsoft Outlook virtual training series! Attend “live” training with Laura Stack, a Microsoft Certified Specialist in Outlook, from the privacy of your home or office. I’m going to present ten modules covering various aspects of Outlook step-by-step. This isn’t just computer training. It’s real-world, reality-based workflow processing that helps you actually be MORE productive with Outlook, instead of wasting hours every day playing with it. I estimate most people know 10-20% of the capacities of Outlook. Even if you think you’re an “expert,” you’ll be shocked by what you don’t know you don’t know. I’m making each one-hour webinar very affordable at $39 per person. If you attend all ten, the price is discounted to $349 per person. If for some reason you … [Read more...]

The Productivity Minute #8: Channels of Communication and Unproductive Email

Email, voicemail, and conference calls have revolutionized how we communicate in corporate America and around the globe. In today’s fast-paced business environment, companies depend on technology to link virtual teams across cities, states, and countries. Yet most companies don’t provide training on how to productively communicate with these resources. Whenever I find myself on the receiving end of an email volley, in which an email has repeatedly gone back and forth, I will simply pick up the phone and end it right there. Some people don’t put enough thought into which technology they will select to effectively communicate their message. For any given purpose, one channel (or medium) will be more effective than another. (C) 2009 Laura Stack. All rights … [Read more...]

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 #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...]

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...]

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...]