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Three Synergistic Partnerships

Posted on 04/15/2014 by ·
Three Synergistic Partnerships by Laura Stack #productivity

Sometimes, separate components can come together to form something far more valuable than the sum of its parts: a new chemical, a cake, a family, a business, a partnership. We call this "synergy." It's like the miracle of compound interest, if you think about it: one plus one equals way more than two. We've recognized the value of synergy throughout history, but it was only in the twentieth century that the great Buckminster Fuller created a term for it. We often see synergy in teamwork situations, where individuals lend their strengths to a collaborative framework in such a way that the contributions slot together perfectly, growing into a greater whole that expands beyond their limits. Ideally, this is what we're all reaching for as we build and shape our teams. When conditions are … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Business Productivity · Tagged: ,

Make Low Employee Productivity a Thing of the Past

Posted on 04/10/2014 by ·
Make Low Employee Productivity a Thing of the Past by Laura Stack #productivity

"The simple act of paying positive attention to people has a great deal to do with productivity." -- Tom Peters, American business author. Teamwork rules in the corporate environment. As the leader of your team—whether it consists of a small group, a division, or an entire corporation—the team's success ultimately rests on your shoulders. While the stress of maintaining high productivity may "roll down the hill," so to speak, you can divest yourself of only so much responsibility for your team's performance. Guaranteeing high performance may seem a daunting task, but it basically boils down to prevention and maintenance. Maintenance takes place when you have to jump in and fix something when it goes wrong. Preventive measures are put in place in the beginning to prevent breakdowns from … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Business Productivity · Tagged: ,

Adjusting Your Attitude for Maximal Productivity

Posted on 04/08/2014 by ·
Adjusting Your Attitude for Maximal Productivity by Laura Stack #productivity

Simply put, your attitude is the state of mind you present to the world. To succeed in the workplace, the sum of the factors that comprise your attitude must be positive, so it pulls you forward on your path to success. In my experience, a positive outlook helps leaders attain the improbable on a regular basis, both from themselves and through others. At a minimum, it will help you get through those inevitable times when everything looks dark and seems difficult. When interviewing workplace superstars for upcoming books, something that used to surprise me (but doesn’t anymore) is with rare exception, they think positively. They’ve discovered a little secret—when your reach exceeds your grasp, you can accomplish amazing things with a positive attitude. I’ve interviewed many leaders who … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Personal Productivity · Tagged: , , , ,

Clearing the Errors: Fixing Six Common Mistakes in the Corporate Environment

Posted on 04/03/2014 by ·
Clearing the Errors: Fixing Six Common Mistakes in the Corporate Environment by Laura Stack #productivity

"The first mistake in public business is the going into it." -- Benjamin Franklin, American politician, publisher, and inventor. Despite Ben Franklin's tongue-in-cheek observation, as quoted above, we Americans insist on "going into public business." The tendency arises naturally from our capitalistic system, where we can make good lives for ourselves if we work hard and follow a few logical rules. But as organizations grow and age, institutionalized mistakes creep into the workflow. Some seem obvious with a little self-analysis, some less so. In this article, I'll take a look at half a dozen that you, as a leader, should keep an eye out for. 1. Lack of a clear mission and vision. If you don't know where you're going, how will you know when you get there? Formulate simple, clear-cut … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Business Productivity · Tagged: ,

A Look in the Crystal Ball: Challenges Leaders Will Face in 2014

Posted on 04/01/2014 by ·
A Look in the Crystal Ball: Challenges Leaders Will Face in 2014 by Laura Stack

"It is not in the stars to hold our destiny, but in ourselves." -- William Shakespeare, British playwright and poet. Let's face it: business life won't be getting any easier or slower or less complicated (unless human nature and civilization undergo a radical reversal). Technology will keep advancing at a rapid pace, and the changes it brings will continue to reverberate through our society. When I was growing up, many things we take for granted now didn't even exist: cell phones, CDs, DVDs, home computers, and satellite radio, just to name a few. Now they're commonplace things most of us enjoy. What might be commonplace 30 years from now? There's no telling, but what I can say is this: the business leaders who are ready and willing to embrace the future will be the ones who prosper … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Leadership & Teamwork · Tagged: ,

Aim for the Stars: Five Steps to Help You Climb the Corporate Ladder

Posted on 03/27/2014 by ·
Aim for the Stars: Five Steps to Help You Climb the Corporate Ladder by Laura Stack #productivity

"You cannot push anyone up a ladder unless he be willing to climb a little himself." -- Andrew Carnegie, American billionaire and philanthropist. It's basic human nature to want to better yourself, so it's no surprise that the vast majority of workers want to climb the organizational ladder as far as possible during the course of their working careers. The money tends to increase the higher you go, so rank hath its privileges. Many entry- to mid-level workers look toward management as a goal, and those already in management often want to ascend higher. Let's say you're already middle management and have an eye on the distant gleam of the C-Suite. You can improve your odds of getting there if you: 1. Get down to business. If you've aimed for management from the very beginning, this … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Leadership & Teamwork · Tagged: ,

Making Employees Partners in Business: Realistically Democratizing the Workplace

Posted on 03/25/2014 by ·
Making Employees Partners in Business: Realistically Democratizing the Workplace by Laura Stack #productivity

"A genuine leader is not a searcher for consensus but a molder of consensus." -- Martin Luther King, Jr., American religious and civil rights leader. Professionally, my life's work has revolved around making work easier and more productive for everyone involved. So I find the concept of democratizing the workplace attractive, which involves giving employees more freedom and allowing them to participate in decision making. When employees feel empowered in their work, they’re more likely to take ownership of their jobs and contribute more discretionary effort, thereby increasing their productivity. To succeed, democratization has to take place within a framework guided by leaders. Yes, your team members should be partners in the accomplishment of goals, but they are not necessarily equal … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Business Productivity · Tagged: ,

The Fast Beating the Slow: The Need for Speed in Modern Business

Posted on 03/20/2014 by ·
The Fast Beating the Slow: The Need for Speed in Modern Business by Laura Stack

"If you don't have a goal, you will score zero even if you run with the fastest speed." -- Israelmore Ayivor, African author and blogger. According to some futurists, there may come a time when technology evolves so rapidly we won't be able to keep up with it. At that point, the future will become completely unpredictable. They call this the Singularity—and some believe it's just around the corner. In the business world, change already moves at a breakneck pace. No longer do three- to five-year strategic plans suffice. As I've pointed out in my latest book, Execution IS the Strategy, static plans go stale within months. Indeed, some companies are reviewing strategy quarterly or even monthly. Front-line employees must have the permission and the flexibility to work with any tactics … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Business Productivity · Tagged: , ,

Stemming the Email Tide

Posted on 03/18/2014 by ·
Stemming the Email Tide by Laura Stack

Email may be the ultimate double-edged sword of the Information Age. It's never been easier or cheaper to communicate, which seems wonderful at first glance. Productivity should come easier than ever, right? In many ways, it does. But ironically, cheap and easy communication also means the signal-to-noise ratio is worse than ever. With email, we have to filter out the productive datapoints from the static of spam, lengthy threads, endless CC strings, single replies of “thank you,” and noisy “Me To” people. On the one hand, we don't need email adding more to the information blast we face daily. On the other, we do need email to receive new tasks, deliver our work, stay informed on developments in our field, maintain contact with coworkers, network with colleagues, serve our customers, … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Tools & Systems · Tagged: , ,

Five Reasons Why Execution Needs to Happen More Quickly Now Than Ever Before

Posted on 03/13/2014 by ·
Five Reasons Why Execution Needs to Happen More Quickly Now Than Ever Before by Laura Stack #productivity #strategy

Back in the golden age of American business—before the dot-com meltdown, the Great Recession, and the banking crisis—most business leaders considered strategy and execution two different (if related) factors in the business equation. Strategy was something arrived at gradually at high-level meetings that took days, typically defined in 3-to-5 year chunks. At best, execution represented the downstream outcome of the leadership strategy, which was to be implemented by the management team. We all know better now, having realized the hard way that strategy and execution are actually aspects of the same business continuum. In its most simplistic sense, execution is the process of moving from A to B, or from a stated strategic initiative to a tactic. Efficient execution, then, is the shortest … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Leadership & Teamwork · Tagged: , , ,