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...]
How do You KNOW When You’re Busy?
I've come up with a few questions that you can ask yourself to see where you stand: Are you productive -- or just busy? Watch out for this one, because it's an easy trap to fall into. Everybody likes to look busy. Some workers make a career out of it while actually accomplishing very little in the average day. People zoom around the office, guzzling coffee and stomping back and forth to the copier; they scatter paper across every inch of their desks; and they furiously clack away at their keyboards while they talk on the phone. Busy, busy, busy! But having lots of plates spinning at once doesn't necessarily mean anything was accomplished. We all know what it's like to have a really busy day, but still feel like we've accomplished very little and were unproductive all day. Set your … [Read more...]
Poor Communication Can Kill Personal Productivity
"What we've got here is a failure to communicate." -- Actors Strother Martin and Paul Newman at various times during the film Cool Hand Luke, 1967 "It seems rather incongruous that in a society of super-sophisticated communication, we often suffer from a shortage of listeners." -- Erma Bombeck, American humorist. "Communication—the human connection—is the key to personal and career success." -- Paul J. Meyer, American motivational guru. Most people just don't talk anymore. Oh, we blather on about this and that, but too often we don't actually communicate. Even in our private conversations, it sometimes seems like too much effort to say more than the bare minimum; and of course, really getting into a conversation takes away from our limited store of time. How ironic that in the … [Read more...]
Do You Have Written Goals?
Laura Stack, The Productivity Pro(R), discusses the importance of having written goals. (C) 2011 Laura Stack. All Rights Reserved. https://theproductivitypro.com … [Read more...]
Time Management Skills: a Quick Review
"Until you value yourself, you won't value your time. Until you value your time, you will not do anything with it." -- M. Scott Peck, author of The Road Less Traveled. "Time is the scarcest resource of the manager; if it is not managed, nothing else can be managed." -- Peter F. Drucker, Austrian management guru. "Make use of time; let not advantage slip." -- William Shakespeare, British playwright. Time management. You can't escape the topic when discussions turn to personal productivity, for a very good reason: time management forms the skeleton upon which you build your productivity. It underlies all productivity programs, whether group or individual. Without at least rudimentary time management skills in play, you may stay constantly busy, but you probably won't get anything … [Read more...]
How Communication and Connection Boost Employee Productivity
One of the trickiest parts of leadership is finding a way to strike a balance between your employees as subordinates and your employees as real, live people. Read on for some important points to keep in mind as you work to build relationships with those around you. Not a leader? I hope you’ll read on anyway. Managing relationships with the people you work with (and for) is as important to your everyday productivity as it is to your career. Teach people how to treat you. You know how you want to be treated. But do you actively take the steps to make sure it happens? Always think about the precedents you are setting as you interact with other people – whether you work with them every day or are meeting them for the first time. If you let others speak to you disrespectfully or … [Read more...]
How to Drive Workplace Productivity in a Virtual Office
In last month's newsletter, I discussed workplace delegation in light of the technological innovations that allow us to reach halfway across the world if desired to find ideal outsourcing providers. But in truth, you can apply this whiz-bang technology to employees in just about any category. Given access to reliable channels of instant communication, you no longer have to keep team members close at hand in order to maximize team and personal productivity. The virtual office, administered and maintained via cyberspace, has truly come into its own. Your virtual assistant can live in Michigan and your receptionist in Florida, while your prestigious professional address may place you in downtown Manhattan, even if you run everything from your home in the Hamptons. When managed properly, … [Read more...]
Sleep Your Way to a Productive Day!
Sometimes I wish I were a bear, so I could hibernate for six months. Alas, I’m only human. How much sleep do you think the average adult gets per night? A National Sleep Foundation poll of 1000 adults found that 1/3 get less than 7 hours per night and only 1/3 are getting the recommended 8 hours per night. John Shepard, medical director of the Mayo Clinic Sleep Disorders Center, says that most adults need between 7 ½ and 8 ½ hours of sleep per night, teens need 9 hours and 15 minutes, and small children need more. In 1910, the average adult got nine hours of sleep per night, because without electricity, people generally went to sleep when darkness fell. Now we just flip on the lights and keep working. Americans tend to under-sleep by choice, burning the candle at both ends due to hectic … [Read more...]
Executive Excellence – Shaping Emerging Leaders as Productivity Resources
"Management is doing things right; leadership is doing the right things." -- Peter Drucker, Austrian management consultant and social ecologist. "Leadership and learning are indispensible to each other." -- John F. Kennedy, 35th U.S. President. "Talent without discipline is like an octopus on roller skates. There's plenty of movement, but you never know if it's going to be forward, backwards, or sideways." -- H. Jackson Brown, Jr., American author. Succession planning—i.e., providing for future leadership—is crucial to any organization's long-term success. Essentially, this process boils down to "buy or build." Either the organization hires proven leadership from outside as needed (often at the expense of loyalty), or it cultivates new leadership from the ground up. The … [Read more...]
