Check out this great resource of the Top 50 Productivity Blogs. Leo is a smart guy (I'm on his list). :-) … [Read more...]
Japanese organization helps men leave the office earlier
Posted on 04/03/2007 by ·
An article called "Japanese Housewives Win Right to Share of Ex-Husbands' Pensions" describes a new law now in effect in Japan to allow Japanese women to take half of a man's pension following divorce, women are filing in droves. In response, a new organization was established called Japan Aisaika -- the Devoted Husband Organization -- to urge men to leave the office earlier and change the way they behave at home. The group encourages husbands to stop being such workaholics, pay more attention to their families, and when they retire, become more independent and stop hanging around the house so much, which creates "husband at home stress syndrome" in women who have been used to their workaholic husbands never being home. Finally! A law that … [Read more...]
Self-discipline and time management
Posted on 03/28/2007 by ·
When you promise someone you will complete a task by a certain timeframe, do you do it? Or does the deadline slip past once again, with you muttering to yourself, “Stupid! What is wrong with you?” Now you aren’t able to focus on anything, always aware of this dark cloud hanging over your head. Guilt sucks the energy right out of you! Instead, decide today that you are going to be a person of your word. Are you reliable? Can people count on you to do what you say you're going to do? Do you have integrity and keep the deadlines you promise? What's others' perception of you? Do you live out what you affirm? Do you do what you complain about in others? What things do people "jokingly" say about you and your … [Read more...]
How Does Clothing Affect Personal Productivity and Energy?
Posted on 03/26/2007 by ·
Not only can Western society’s work ethic be rigid, but so can our clothing. There’s a reason that casual Friday was invented—it’s because we finally followed our intuition that uncomfortable clothing restricts our energy flow! In the 70’s movie Tootsie, Dustin Hoffman dresses up as a woman to get a job. While he’s donning women’s apparel he says something akin to, “Who’s the misogynist bastard who invented high heels?!” In my opinion, high heels and bras are tangible proof of evil. Wearing high heels on a regular basis can cause serious foot problems such as hammertoes, bunions, corns, calluses, Achilles problems, growth of nerve tissue called neuromas, and even stress fractures.[i] And that’s just your feet! High heels also cause knee … [Read more...]
Delegate instead of DO
Posted on 03/22/2007 by ·
When I first started my professional speaking business in 1992, I did everything myself. I hired my first employee in 1998, and after six years of flying solo, it was admittedly hard to let go. But I knew if the business was to grow, I was going to have to stop going to the post office, making copies, and getting the copy machine repaired. As you change positions in your company, your level of delegation must shift if you are to have any time to yourself. You must become a leader instead of a doer and get work accomplished through other people. If you try to do too many jobs at once, it’s like spinning china plates on sticks: the longer you keep it up, the greater the odds of a crash. The great philosopher Virgil said long ago, “We are all not capable of … [Read more...]
Workstation design: creative or unprofessional?
Posted on 03/20/2007 by ·
I'm quoted in the Alabama Press-Register in an article by Kaija Wilkinson called "Express Yourself," discussing productivity in office cublicles or "workstations" as they are called today. She discusses how neat they should be, configuration, use of personal items, and design. Pretty good article. I come across as a bit of a neat freak, so I wanted to provide some additional commentary on why I think it's a good idea to maintain a neat workstation. Order is your ability to sort, filter, and process information effectively. It’s also your ability to FIND what you want, when you want it. It’s how tidy your work areas look, inside and out. I believe a messy office is a career detriment. I can’t tell you how many negative comments I hear, such as, … [Read more...]
Make Productive Use of Driving and Commuting Time
Posted on 03/15/2007 by ·
Travel time can seem like wasted time! I like being a passenger in a car much better than a driver because I can observe the scenery, read a magazine, and catch up on phone calls. As the driver, you can’t do anything (safely) that requires your hands or eyes. You’re strapped into your car seat without much to look at except the bumper in front of you. So there’s nothing you can do, right? Wrong! Try these activities during long commute times: Use the phone. Now I’m one of those people who get aggravated while people are chatting away on their cell phones while driving…generally because they’re not, well, driving. Many people have no idea how slowly they’re going while they’re on the phone. Plus talking on the phone has proven to be unsafe, and many states have passed ordinances … [Read more...]
Employee perks: complaining in first class
Posted on 03/12/2007 by ·
I love sitting in first class on an airplane. By policy, I travel coach to my speaking engagements. Occasionally, I will earn enough upgrade certificates in my mileage program to upgrade myself to first class, even though I’m only paying for a coach ticket. I feel blessed each time I get to sit there and would expect others feel the same way. But today I had a seatmate who complained about everything—the seats, the food, and the lack of choices on the menu. Excuse me? A lack of choices? The people in coach are jealous that you even have food! And this guy’s complaining about sitting in first class. Are you that way? Are you complaining in first class? I give training seminars at an accounting firm in Denver that has received the … [Read more...]
Increasing your stamina, endurance, and energy at your desk
Posted on 03/04/2007 by ·
Can you maintain your productivity all day? Even if you do start out the day with plenty of zest, you may eventually feel that energy slipping away. You can be zipping along just fine, then—Boom!—you hit what sports enthusiasts call "The Wall." How well you handle your energy budget will determine whether you break through the Wall and move on to the rest of your day—or just bounce off and slog through the mental mud. There's no magic pill to help you increase your endurance or skyrocket your stamina. If you Google “increase your stamina” and “increase your endurance,” you'll keep coming upon exercise tips (at least you will once you get past all the ads for vitamins and, yes, magic pills). There's a good reason for that. Much of your ability to make it through the … [Read more...]
The Crackberry: A Corporate Noose or Time Leveraging Tool: Time Management and Blackberries
Posted on 03/02/2007 by ·
I enjoyed this post about how to be more productive with your Crackberry, I mean Blackberry. Especially true is Nakagawa's comment, "...the people who are the most productive don’t seem to have them." I'm sure you have your beefs about Blackberry usage in your organization (or by your spouse, for that matter). If you were king or queen of the world, what "rules" would you create about Blackberry usage? In addition to the 10 the author lists, I'll add the following from personal experience: 1. Do not pretend you are listening to someone by brainlessly mumbling "uh-huh" while you are answering an email on your Crackberry. 2. Pay attention to the presenter during training sessions rather than using the time as your personal … [Read more...]
