"Action and reaction, ebb and flow, trial and error, change—this is the rhythm of living. Out of our over-confidence, fear; out of our fear, clearer vision, fresh hope. And out of hope, progress." -- Bruce Barton, American author. "Happiness is not a matter of intensity but of balance, order, rhythm, and harmony." Thomas Merton, American writer and Trappist monk. "Beauty of style and harmony and grace and good rhythm depend on simplicity." -- Plato, ancient Greek philosopher. Forget company politics, who you know, how early you arrive in the morning, or how late you stay: in the daily workplace round, simple time management skills reign supreme. You can't accomplish much in the corporate world without learning to break down your working life into distinct tasks you can easily … [Read more...]
Four Great Personal Productivity Blogs
"Blogging is using a new medium for what it's good for—connecting and interacting." -- George Siemens, Canadian social theorist. "Blogging is good for your career. A well-executed blog sets you apart as an expert in your field." -- Penelope Trunk, American writer and blogger. "Seek the lofty by reading, hearing and seeing great work at some moment every day." -- Thornton Wilder, American playwright. Over the course of my 20-year career, I've seen a technological revolution wash over the world, impacting nearly every aspect of our lives. In the early 1990’s, desktop computers came into common usage, and "portable" computers still weighed about fifty pounds. About then, interesting rumors about an odd development called "the Internet" had started to circulate. Now, of course, we can't … [Read more...]
Productivity Minute Video: Eliminate Distractions from Your Environment
Laura Stack, The Productivity Pro(R), shares tips on decreasing distractions to boost productivity. (C) 2012 Laura Stack. All Rights Reserved. https://theproductivitypro.com … [Read more...]
Reduce the Unimportant to Maximize Your Productivity at Work
"Getting your house in order and reducing the confusion gives you more control over your life. Personal organization...frees you to operate more effectively." -- Larry King, American journalist. "Civilization is the process of reducing the infinite to the finite." -- Oliver Wendell Holms, American writer and physician. "Efficiency is doing things right; effectiveness is doing the right things." -- Peter F. Drucker, Austrian management guru. In their secret hearts, most workers believe that in order to maximize their productive potential—and especially to shine in the eyes of their superiors—they have to work like dogs. This seems like common sense; but as Will Rogers taught us years ago, "Common sense ain't so common." And in any case, this little nugget of wisdom happens to be Wrong, … [Read more...]
The Laura Stack App is here!
We invite you to download the new "Laura Stack" mobile app for iPhone and Android to get the latest updates and free stuff! Go to your phone's market and search for my name. If you're a consultant, trainer, speaker, or coach, I highly recommend you contact David Matthies at freshthinkapps.com to chat about building a mobile app for YOU! … [Read more...]
Productivity Minute Video: Do You Plan Your Day?
Laura Stack, The Productivity Pro(R), talks about planning your day to make the most of the time you have. (C) 2012 Laura Stack. All Rights Reserved. https://theproductivitypro.com … [Read more...]
Personal Productivity and Strategic Career Planning
"You've got to be careful if you don't know where you're going, because you might not get there." -- Yogi Berra. "Destiny is not a matter of chance; it is a matter of choice. It is not a thing to be waited for; it is a thing to be achieved." -- William Jennings Bryan. "The secret of achievement is to hold a picture of a successful outcome in the mind." -- Henry David Thoreau. Your company has a strategic plan for success. Do you? You should, if you expect to maximize your personal productivity and create success in the long term. Business is no place for flying by the seat of your pants. While you'll want to exercise flexibility in your career, moving forward without a firm destination in mind wastes time and energy, and it may leave you too unfocused to accomplish much of … [Read more...]
Personal Productivity as a Habit
By this point in your career, you've most likely figured out the basic requirements for achieving workplace productivity. No doubt you have a good idea of how to manage your time, set goals, break big tasks into smaller ones, prioritize your task list, keep your email inbox empty, shake off procrastination, and dodge perfectionism. In other words, you've learned the principles of high performance. But knowing what to do doesn’t matter if you don’t do it: day in and day out, in all circumstances, even when you don't feel like it. Fortunately, human nature serves you well here. Once used to a task, you can generally shift into a semi-automatic mode that allows you to perform the task efficiently, without having to constantly remind yourself about what comes next. Having a routine saves … [Read more...]
Delegating to Providers Inside and Outside the U.S.
These days, the ability to effortlessly send data just about anywhere in the world makes international business much simpler and more profitable than ever before. One result is that national borders don't mean as much as they used to; and therefore, offshoring—i.e., delegating specific business functions to service providers in other countries, where labor is cheaper—has become a common practice. Who hasn't contacted a call center and ended up talking to someone with a melodious Indian accent? Offshoring represents a natural evolution of business in the global village. But don't forget the benefits of "inshoring": i.e., outsourcing business functions to providers in your own community, or at least your own country. I don't mean to belittle offshoring by any means; it certainly has its … [Read more...]
Effective Teleconferencing Tips for Virtual Teams
Effective Teleconferencing Tips for Virtual Teams: Following the 3P’s for Success Your marketing team is based in Chicago; you work from your office in Denver; and the team works from field sites all over the globe. You need to connect voice-to-voice to discuss next quarter’s sales efforts and don’t have the budget to travel to a central location. Teleconference, to the rescue! Conference calls can be a great way to connect virtual teams from around the world. They are less expensive than face-to-face meetings, can often take less time, and allow teams to communicate more informally, ask questions, and solve problems better than email. Holding one should be a no-brainer. What can be so hard about a group of people talking on the phone? All you have to do is connect everyone on … [Read more...]
