Productivity expert Laura Stack shares ways to simplify tasks. (C) 2016 Laura Stack, All Rights Reserved. www.TheProductivityPro.com … [Read more...]
Four Ways to Facilitate Inter-Team Teamwork
Posted on 06/02/2016 by ·
"Good things happen when you meet strangers."— Yo Yo Ma, Chinese American cellist. One thing you can count on when working for a large organization is working with people from other teams (click to tweet). Each team has its own dynamic, processes, procedures, and level of team trust; so when you're thrust into a situation where you have to cooperate for the first time, there may be uncertainty until you build bridges leading you all to common ground. Usually, this happens naturally over time; but life is a lot less complicated when you make a concerted effort to set aside your differences, emphasize your commonalities, and engage smoothly with the familiar strangers who happen to be your co-workers. So do what you can to smooth the transition, even if you fail to understand the … [Read more...]
Seven Cures for Sagging Productivity Blues: The Summer Slump
Posted on 05/31/2016 by ·
"In the middle of winter I at last discovered that there was in me an invincible summer." -- Albert Camus, French writer. As the mercury begins to rise in earnest at the end of Q1, the American worker's thoughts turn fondly to fun in the sun… and you know what that means. Soon, you'll face one of the great banes of business performance: the dreaded summer slump (click to tweet). With upcoming vacations to serve as slow-downs, the season isn't likely to serve as a shining beacon of productivity for your team. Instead of agonizing about the inevitable decline ahead, think long-term. Sometimes you just need a break before you break. Often, by the time May rolls around, we've had it up to here with the bustle of post-holiday catch-up, juggling the new work that pours in during the … [Read more...]
Complete The Task In Less Time
Posted on 05/27/2016 by ·
Laura Stack talks about getting things done more efficiently. (C) 2016 Laura Stack, All Rights Reserved. www.TheProductivityPro.com … [Read more...]
What You Stand For: Building a Team Philosophy and Code of Conduct
Posted on 05/26/2016 by ·
"Success or failure depends more upon attitude than upon capacity. Successful [people] act as though they have accomplished or are enjoying something. Soon it becomes a reality. Act, look, and feel successful, conduct yourself accordingly, and you will be amazed at the positive results." – William James, American philosopher. What makes a team successful? In many ways, building a team is like constructing a building. While most of us aren’t engineers, we understand the basics of their work. We know, for example, that constructing a building requires basic resources, fasteners to hold the pieces together, protective elements, and more—but it’s all built on a foundation, proceeding from the bottom up. A Solid Substrate In my Christian Bible, Jesus Christ once declared to the Apostle … [Read more...]
Moving to the Head of the Team: Are You Ready to Take Over?
Posted on 05/24/2016 by ·
"Management is doing things right; leadership is doing the right things." – Peter F. Drucker, Austrian-American management theory pioneer. Few of us join an organization with the intention of remaining a low-level worker forever. With the proper credentials, a few years of team play under your belt, and the right attitude, you're almost certain to receive a promotion to a position of greater authority in time. Are you ready to take over the reins when the time comes? Lead by Example Many workers dream of becoming a manager someday, but how many actually plan how they'll do the job when they get it? (Click to Tweet!) If you think or know you're on the management track, or just really want to be, you'd best start planning ahead before the grooming even starts. Mental preparation and … [Read more...]
Working On Mundane Tasks
Posted on 05/20/2016 by ·
Laura Stack shares tips on completing mundane tasks. (C) 2016 Laura Stack, All Rights Reserved. www.TheProductivityPro.com … [Read more...]
Have You Reached the Breaking Point at Work?
Posted on 05/17/2016 by ·
Stress: The confusion caused when one's mind overrides the body’s natural desire to choke someone who desperately needs it. – A slightly sanitized pop-culture definition of "Stress" At one time or another, we've all reached the breaking point at work: the place where you have to get away from the pressure, the distraction, the politics, and the complaints before you just lose it all and dissolve into a babbling mess on the floor. If you live in Dallas (the setting, ironically, of Mike Judge's Office Space, the exemplar of office breakdown movies), then you can actually go to a business called The Anger Room and start beating things up. For sessions starting at five minutes and lasting for as long as half an hour, you can whale on old computers, printers, fax machines, TVs, and … [Read more...]
Can Money Buy Time?
Posted on 05/13/2016 by ·
Can Money Buy Time? Absolutely! (C) 2016 Laura Stack, All Rights Reserved. www.TheProductivityPro.com … [Read more...]
It’s What’s Inside That Counts: The Triumph of Intrinsic Motivation
Posted on 05/12/2016 by ·
"People are born with intrinsic motivation, self-esteem, dignity, curiosity, joy in learning… monetary awards are not a substitute for intrinsic motivation." – W. Edwards Deming, American author, statistician, and engineer. To the shock of many managers and executives of the older generations, throwing extra money and privileges at underperforming workers no longer causes them to perk up and start producing like they should. Oh, it helps on occasion or temporarily, especially for younger workers and during economic downturns. But increasingly, motivations imposed from the outside simply fail. To many leaders, this seems bizarre, but they're viewing the picture only from their own perspectives; they assume what would work for them works for everyone. But it doesn't always work, especially … [Read more...]
