From Halloween to Black Friday and Beyond: Beating the Holiday Slump

From Halloween to Black Friday and Beyond: Beating the Holiday Slump by Laura Stack #productivity

"After all, the best part of a holiday is perhaps not so much to be resting yourself, as to see all the other fellows busy working."– Kenneth Grahame, British author of The Wind in the Willows.   Beware, it's almost here: the dreaded holiday slump, when all of us are so ready for a much-needed break that productivity threatens to slip. Many of your team members will disappear for weeks at a time to visit relatives located clear across the country, and those who don't will be so distracted by holiday planning that they might as well stay home. The result? Lagging productivity… unless of course you take up the slack. Every silver cloud has its lining, and this one is the post-holiday productivity that tends to rise significantly as everyone starts a new year rested and ready, full of … [Read more...]

Time-Saving Tips for the Holidays!

Time-Saving Tips for the Holidays

When was the last time you had a really relaxing holiday?  I don’t mean that peaceful thirty-minute aftermath that follows a successful dinner party or the kids’ gift-opening extravaganza.  I mean a holiday that is relaxing, from beginning to end.  That includes travel, dinner preparations, and shopping.  All it will take is a little organization and advance planning.  Here are some tips to get you started. Plan your travel now.  Need to be out of town to see family or friends?  If you haven’t already made arrangements, make it a priority.  Especially if you plan to fly, the best deals disappear fast.  Get online and start shopping around as soon as you know where you need to be and when.  Once the arrangements are made, start getting things squared away with work.  Whether you need to … [Read more...]