"We...can strategically train our attention. When it comes to email and the Internet, it's critical that we do so to give ourselves more time to think more reflectively, creatively, and deeply in an increasingly complex world." -- Tony Schwartz, president and CEO of The Energy Project "If left unchecked, 'info-mania' will damage a worker's performance by reducing their mental sharpness. This is a very real and widespread phenomenon." -- Glenn Wilson, British psychologist "When you log on, you feel like you're in touch with everything that's going on in the world. But what you really are is out of touch -- literally. There is no touching anymore." -- Judith Regan, Regan Books Would it surprise you to learn that paying too much attention to your email can lower your IQ by as much as 10 … [Read more...]
Productivity Minute Video: Increasing Productivity: Complete the Task in Less Time
Laura Stack, The Productivity Pro(R) gives advice on finishing tasks quickly. (C) 2011 Laura Stack. All Rights Reserved https://theproductivitypro.com … [Read more...]
By Popular Demand: Time Management for High School and College Students
Both high school and college can, in their own ways, be as challenging as any job. So as you prepare yourself for adult life, it's important to become well-grounded in one of the most critical aspects of any successful career: good time management. Now, you can't really manage time of course; but you can manage how you respond to it, and you can certainly learn how to use it wisely. In this article, I'll offers pointers on how you can put your limited amount of time to the best possible use. Not only will implementing these techniques help you do better in school while carving out more time for yourself, while you're still in school you'll have a test-bed where you can refine these methods in anticipation of the day when you step fully into the business world. The Basics of … [Read more...]
Productivity Minute Video: Working on Mundane Tasks
Laura Stack, The Productivity Pro(R) shares tips on completing mundane tasks. (C) 2011 Laura Stack. All Rights Reserved https://theproductivitypro.com … [Read more...]
Office Productivity: How to Handle a Micromanager
"Micromanagement is a personality aberration of insecure individuals." -- Susan K. O'Brien, organizational specialist "One micromanager can do more damage to an organization than termites in the foundation of a house." -- Eric Boehme, IT professional "Micromanagement doesn't just suck the life out of the workers, it sucks the life out of the manager, too." -- Wally Bock, leadership expert In recent months, I've received a flurry of responses to my articles about the evils of micromanaging. This doesn't surprise me: according to the latest statistics, a whopping 75-80% of American workers have suffered under micromanagers at some point. One- third of us have changed jobs because of them. My previous work on the subject has focused on the negative aspects of micromanaging, and why you, … [Read more...]
Productivity Minute Video: Down Time Does Not Have to Be Wasted Time
Laura Stack, The Productivity Pro(R) talks about using down times to catch up on tasks. (C) 2011 Laura Stack. All Rights Reserved https://theproductivitypro.com … [Read more...]
Taming Your Inner Perfectionist
"A man would do nothing, if he waited until he could do it so well that no one would find fault with what he has done." -- Cardinal John Newman, British Clergyman "I think perfectionism is based on the obsessive belief that if you run carefully enough, hitting each stepping-stone just right, you won't have to die. The truth is that you will die anyway and that a lot of people who aren't even looking at their feet are going to do a whole lot better than you, and have a lot more fun while they're doing it." -- Anne Lamont, American author and political activist "People throw away what they could have by insisting on perfection, which they cannot have, and looking for it where they will never find it." -- Edith Schaeffer, American author As Voltaire once pointed out, "The perfect is the … [Read more...]
Executive Time Management: How Time Management Changes As You Move From Middle Management To The VP/C-Suite Level
By the time you reach the upper tiers of management, you'll certainly be an expert at organizing and managing your work day—but you'll soon realize that things work a little differently at the C-Suite level. In particular, how you use your time and who you give it to undergoes significant changes. Priorities and responsibilities shift; sometimes subtly, often radically. There's much more to do, and the ante is higher: your actions impact the organization in ways undreamt of before. The modern business environment demands exceptional leadership, so you have to do whatever's necessary to enhance productivity and efficiency at all levels. Not least , you need to be able to juggle multiple projects without getting bogged down, while simultaneously balancing customer, employee, and … [Read more...]
Productivity Minute Video: Do Your Picky Standards Keep Others From Helping You
Laura Stack, The Productivity Pro(R), shows you how your standards may be holding others back from assisting you. (C) 2010 Laura Stack https://theproductivitypro.com … [Read more...]
