Laura Stack, The Productivity Pro(R) Talks about finding the best use of your time in the morning. (c) 2010 Laura Stack. All Rights Reserved … [Read more...]
Business Productivity: SHRM Interview on Social Media with Laura Stack
Posted on 07/02/2010 by ·
SUPERCOMPETENT KEY #5: ACCOUNTABILITY
Posted on 06/30/2010 by ·
This article correlates to the fifth key in my newest book SuperCompetent: The Six Keys to Perform at Your Productive Best (Wiley), to be released on August 9: ACCOUNTABILITY. Accountability recognizes that "the buck stops here." SuperCompetent people mean what they say and say what they mean. They're authentic, and other people know this and appreciate them for it—and also for their refusal to blame others when unforeseen circumstances trip them up. Their intense focus on their values is borne out in their demeanor and their sense of personal responsibility. Accountability involves your commitment to yourself and others. It's about the promises we make to the people who rely on us—and to ourselves. It's about consistently hitting goals, meeting deadlines, fulfilling promises, and … [Read more...]
Work Life Balance: Beating the After-Work-Low-Energy-Blues
Posted on 06/28/2010 by ·
How is your energy level after work? When you work hard all day long and come home exhausted, what is the first thing you want to do? For many people, it’s pick up the remote, sit on the couch, watch television, and just veg out. Let’s discuss some alternatives, because the less you do, the less energy you are going to have. The more you do the more energy you are going to have. It’s one of life’s cruel ironies. Take exercise for example. The more you exercise, the more energy you have; the less you exercise, the less energy you have. Intuitively, we know this is true, but it is so hard to put into practice. After you’ve worked hard all day, you come home to more…work. This is the second shift—the one you don’t get paid to do. You need all the energy you can muster to make dinner, … [Read more...]
Time Management: Social Media Un-Productivity: How to Avoid Addiction
Posted on 06/23/2010 by ·
SOCIAL MEDIA UN-PRODUCTIVITY – HOW TO AVOID ADDICTION I’ve coined the term Obsessive Compulsive Social Media Disorder. Do you have it? Many people confess, “Facebook is my secret addiction. I’m obsessed! I don’t really know how to cure it, but I spend hours every day on Facebook, plus LinkedIn, Twitter, and all my other social media sites. I’ve not yet been able to monetize the results of this activity and am not really sure whether I am getting any business off of it.” It’s a common complaint. You absolutely need to have a presence in social media and spend time doing it; however, it can be a huge productivity drain if you are not careful. Here are a few tips to make it more manageable and more productive: 1. Do not leave your Twitter feed open and observe posts in real time. … [Read more...]
Performance Improvement: Daily Routines and Morning Rituals
Posted on 06/21/2010 by ·
How would you describe your morning routine? Perhaps you get to work, fetch your coffee, line up your snacks, figure out what you didn’t do yesterday, catch up with your coworkers, post your social media updates, and check your email. Now what time is it? Lunchtime! And your energy is fading fast. So perhaps you got Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter updated, your favorite blogs read, and your email done…but you kept adding to your to-do list…and you didn’t accomplish much of anything significant. I’m issuing a productivity challenge for tomorrow: I dare you to break your typical routine. If you usually come in the morning and get a cup of coffee, I would challenge you to bring your coffee. If you usually open up your Outlook and check your messages, I would ask you not to do email first. … [Read more...]
Increasing Productivity: Reducing Your Reading Pile: Productivity Minute Video
Posted on 06/17/2010 by ·
Laura Stack, The Productivity Pro(R) shares tips and tricks on reducing the reading pile and keeping it under control. (c) 2010 Laura Stack. All Rights Reserved … [Read more...]
Workplace Productivity: Protecting Yourself From Drop-In Interruptions
Posted on 06/15/2010 by ·
Protecting Yourself From Drop-In Interruptions 1. Set up a self-help center. If you have people walking into your office and asking for forms or answers to their questions, create an answer area outside of your office. You could use a document sorter, cabinet, or wall storage. Every time you’re asked for something, stock it in the self-help center. That way the next time someone comes in and asks for that exact same information, you can say, “Absolutely. It’s out there in the self-help center.” And guess what? Pretty soon people start helping themselves, saving you time. 2. Use an understood signal. Use an understood signal with the rest of your team that communicates “I am really up against a deadline right now. I would really prefer not to be interrupted. If there’s an emergency, come … [Read more...]
Free Webinar Sponsored by Day-Timer(R) – SuperCompetent
Posted on 06/10/2010 by ·
In partnership with our sponsor, Day-Timer(R), please join Laura Stack for a complimentary webinar based on her newest book, SuperCompetent: The Six Keys to Perform at Your Productive Best (Wiley, August 9, 2010). https://www2.gotomeeting.com/register/178545971 This work culminates Laura's 18 years of studying the art and science of personal productivity and describes the six behaviors high-achieving employees demonstrate over their lower-performing peers. all of us must learn to be competent—and not Simply Competent—but SuperCompetent(R). In this competitive economy, just being able to do your job is no longer enough. Competence is expected; you’ve got to be SuperCompetent(R) to get an edge. Whether you’re an employee, an entrepreneur, a team leader, or all of the above, SuperCompetent … [Read more...]
Time Management: How to Say No Without Saying NO
Posted on 06/09/2010 by ·
HOW TO SAY NO WITHOUT SAYING NO: REFUSING REQUESTS WITH TACT AND GRACE 1. Try to negotiate. When someone asks us to do something, when do we assume they mean they need it? We assume they mean now. But that’s not always the case. Instead of doing a task immediately, try to negotiate. Can you extend the deadline a bit? Just ask, “Do you need that today? Or would Monday be okay?” You will often be pleasantly surprised. 2. Simplify. Can you reduce the scope of the task? Asking, “At what level of detail does this need to be done? Does it need to be to the second decimal place or can I just round a little bit?” Find out in advance. 3. Communicate. Simply be honest about what’s on your plate. Saying “Here’s a list of all the things I’m working on in priority order. Where would you say this … [Read more...]
