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Technology: a Productivity Blessing or Curse?

Posted on 10/06/2008 by ·
Technology: a Productivity Blessing or Curse?

Anyone who works in the business world knows that technology can be both a blessing and a curse. At its best, it allows us to do more in less time. At its worst, it’s a frustrating, productivity draining distraction. As we rely more and more on our various gizmos and gadgets, productivity can become a tricky thing. It’s like the prescription drugs they advertise on TV—sure the stuff works as advertised—but just listen to all those side effects! Read on for a few technological side effects that might be creeping into your work or home life: May cause drowsiness. The best and worst thing about technology is improved access to information and the ability to work from virtually anywhere. For you this might mean traveling with your laptop, never being without your Blackberry, or … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Life Balance · Tagged: ,

Results-Only Work Environment

Posted on 10/02/2008 by ·

I found an article at BNET.com very interesting.  Separating hours on the job from results has been a boost to productivity in many situations.  Outside of the service based or retail environments, should our productivity be based on hours spend on the job, or on what is accomplished?  Some companies, like Best Buy, have implemented the Results-Only Work Environment or “ROWE,” and finding success.  When I chat with audience members after giving a keynote speech, they tell me about coworkers who spend 10-12 hours a day in the office and get nothing done.  That's because being physically in the office has little to do with productivity.  Some people can be there ten hours a day and get virtually nothing done, while others can accomplish great amounts of work in just a few hours.   Part of … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Leadership & Teamwork, Life Balance, Performance, Personal Productivity, Time Management, Tools & Systems · Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , ,

Leave Your Name and Number at the Beep

Posted on 09/30/2008 by ·

It happens all the time.  You just want to get some brief information to someone but when you call you get sucked into a long conversation.  Sometimes you don't WANT the person to answer their phone – you just want to leave a voicemail.  It’s nice to catch up, but what if you just need to pass on some information and get to the next task?   Well friends, someone has come up with a solution for this problem!  Check out www.slydial.com. It lets you just leave a message – simple as that.  It is a free service, and they do offer some premium services for a fee.  It is well worth checking out.  While on the subject of voice mail - here’s a quick tip.  Before making a call, jot down the bullet points you want to cover.  This way you have an outline for the call, or if you do get voice mail you … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Leadership & Teamwork, Personal Productivity, Time Management, Tools & Systems · Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Paper Planners are Not Over!

Posted on 09/26/2008 by ·

I'm the Day-Timers community expert on productivity.  So I asked them to put a brief survey on the Day-Timers Web site, asking, “When you think of something that you need to do, what do you usually do?”  In this day and age of technology, the surprising answer was overwhelmingly “Write it down.”  To date, 55% of respondents chose this option over others.  This demonstrates that even with Blackberries, Outlook, cell phones and web based to-do lists, we still need and use paper and planners.    Picture this…you’ve dutifully put all of your information, appointments, phone numbers etc. into your Outlook and synced the information with your handy-dandy Blackberry.  All is well. You hop on a plane for a business trip, Blackberry in hand.  You’ve arrived at the Miami airport and whipped … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Performance, Personal Productivity, Time Management, Tools & Systems · Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Would you rather vacation with your spouse or your Blackberry?

Posted on 09/23/2008 by ·

People love their Blackberries, no doubt.  A recent study confirmed this, according to an article on WCBSTV.com.  They may be terrific productivity tools for some, but at what cost?  The article by Scott Rapoport states “The study of 6,500 traveling executives says 35 percent of them would choose their PDA over their spouse.”  Wait a minute – people would choose a communication device over a loved one?  If this is true, where have we gone wrong?    It is important to keep track of your business, be connected to your co-workers, clients and employers.  Blackberries certainly have made this easier, particularly for those who don’t spend most of their time in the office.  With this easy connectivity, are people losing the ability to know when to turn it off?  It would seem that technology … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Leadership & Teamwork, Life Balance, Performance, Personal Productivity, Tools & Systems · Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

No Email Days?

Posted on 09/18/2008 by ·

Would you be more productive by taking a day off each week from emails?  Some companies have tried to implement no-email days and have received mixed feedback.  This story from ABC News tells of co-workers who discovered that they were across the hall from one another rather than across the country.  It takes time to adjust, but taking a break from email can actually boost productivity and enhance your business relationships. While it may seem quicker to dash off an email, taking the time to pick up the phone to contact a client or walk down the hall to see a co-worker personalizes the contact.  In this era of “crackberry” communication, it seems like a rare thing to have actual conversations with people.  What would your office be like if everyone took the day off from email and just … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Leadership & Teamwork, Personal Productivity, Time Management, Tools & Systems · Tagged: , , , , ,

Organizing Your Blog Reading

Posted on 09/15/2008 by ·

There are many terrific blogs on the Web that I enjoy reading.  However, it's easy to waste a lot of time book marking each individual blog in your “favorites,” and then visiting each one individually when you have time to do some reading.  It can be even worse if you have numerous email subscriptions clogging up your inbox. When you have more than just a few blogs you like to read, make it easy on yourself and try a free, simple solution like Google Reader. Google Reader allows you to organize your favorite blogs and read them all in one place.  When you subscribe to the RSS feed of a blog, instead of opting to receive emails, select Google Reader as your method of delivery.  You can organize your feeds into folders much like your favorites or bookmarks in your browser.  That way you can … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Personal Productivity, Time Management, Tools & Systems · Tagged: , , , , , ,

It’s OK to say “No”

Posted on 09/12/2008 by ·

Have you ever found yourself trying to make plans with a friend, just play with the kids, or do something fun for yourself, only to find your planner so full that “maybe next month” is the best you can do?  If so, you probably have that old Ado Annie syndrome…you’re “just a girl who cain’t say no.”  We all want to feel like great parents, accomplished at work, and like we’re giving back to the community.  It is human nature to want success and to please others. It’s good to feel that way – to be ambitious, to be busy, and to get things done.  But how much is too much?  “Yes” is a good thing – in moderation. Productivity doesn’t mean filling every moment of every day with tasks that further some agenda.  Prepare yourself for upcoming burnout if your schedule is so full that there isn’t time … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Life Balance, Personal Productivity, Time Management · Tagged: ,

Married Parents Use of Time 2003-2006

Posted on 09/08/2008 by ·

A recent article in the June/July edition of Working Mother magazine pointed out that “Men contribute more to household work and child care than they did 45 years ago – by a large margin.”  While this may be true, a recent study, Married Parents’ Use of Time, 2003-06, posted by the United States Department of Labor Bureau of Labor Statistics reveals that there is still a gap.  The study shows that married fathers spend an hour more at work than married mothers on average.  Married mothers had increased likelihood of providing care to the family’s children than married fathers by 21%.  On an average day, married mothers working full time are 25% more likely to spend time on household activities like cooking, yard care and cleaning than the married fathers working full time. There is also … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Life Balance, Performance, Time Management, Tools & Systems · Tagged: , , , , , , , ,

Time Keeps on Ticking: Log it!

Posted on 09/04/2008 by ·

We’ve all been there at some point—you look back on the week or the month—feeling that too much has been left undone.  You say to yourself, “Where did the time go?” It’s a common lament.  If this sounds like you, it might be useful to try a time log for a week to discover your patterns.  Time logs can help uncover wasted time that can be turned into productive time.  They can also show you when you tend to be most productive, so you can organize your days to take full advantage of those productive times.  You’ll quickly so who is interrupting you the most.  You’ll discover your bad habits and see where you let pleasurable activities take over high-priority tasks. There are numerous logging software tools available for download on the internet. These can be useful for those who spend their … [Read more...]

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