Like it or not, social media sites like LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter are here to stay – and it isn’t just kid stuff anymore. In fact, businesses and individuals worldwide keep finding interesting ways to use social networks and other interactive online media to do some pretty amazing things – from building their brands to getting to know their customers. How do you keep it from sabotaging your productivity? Powered by Podbean.com … [Read more...]
NEW Productivity Pro audio podcast! The Importance of Productivity During Down Times
Posted on 01/21/2009 by ·
Business efficiency: The Importance of Productivity During Down Times
Posted on 12/30/2008 by ·
https://theproductivitypro.com/newsletters/num115Dec2008.htm visit for full newsletter Importance of Productivity during Down Times In the summer of 1900... • The average life expectancy in the United States was 47. • A three-minute call from Denver to New York City cost $11, which was an incredible sum because the average American made .22 cents an hour, or about $400 per year. • Most women only washed their hair once a month and used borax or egg yolks for shampoo. • Only 6% of all Americans had graduated from high school. • Marijuana, heroin, and morphine were all available over the counter at corner drugstores. • There were about 230 reported murders in the US annually. Amazing what a century will change. Amazing what a few months will change. Growth ends, recession sets in, the … [Read more...]
Being Productive During the Slow Times
Posted on 12/15/2008 by ·
Unless you’re in accounting or retail, many businesses slow down dramatically between now and mid-January. Or maybe your normally-humming business has slowed down to a slow sputter due to the economy. Take the opportunity to relax a bit and enjoy your family, but also take advantage of the lull by completing some of those projects that have been sitting on the back burner. You always say, “I’ll get to that someday,” or “I’ll do it when I have more time.” Well, now’s the day you have more time. So knock some things out before things pick up again in February. What could you work on? · Purge your filing cabinets of outdated materials you never refer to. · Pull all your 2008 tax information. · Move old client files to archive boxes in your basement. · … [Read more...]
Don’t Panic, Just Unplug a Bit
Posted on 10/10/2008 by ·
Times are uncertain. The news programs and websites are all gloom and doom, full of distractions with the financial "crisis" and the upcoming elections. How do we stay productive when Chicken Little is screaming "the sky is falling"? Turn it all off, at least for a while. Stay off the news websites during the work day. Schedule yourself for some time to read up on the candidates, ballot issues and news that is important to you, but outside of that, turn it off. Keeping the TV on and constantly being on news websites is information overload that creates undue stress. What's going to happen is going to happen and you watching it unfold on CNN is not going to change anything. What we CAN do to help is to stay productive so that our businesses and households are as healthy as they can be. … [Read more...]
No Email Days?
Posted on 09/18/2008 by ·
Would you be more productive by taking a day off each week from emails? Some companies have tried to implement no-email days and have received mixed feedback. This story from ABC News tells of co-workers who discovered that they were across the hall from one another rather than across the country. It takes time to adjust, but taking a break from email can actually boost productivity and enhance your business relationships. While it may seem quicker to dash off an email, taking the time to pick up the phone to contact a client or walk down the hall to see a co-worker personalizes the contact. In this era of “crackberry” communication, it seems like a rare thing to have actual conversations with people. What would your office be like if everyone took the day off from email and just … [Read more...]
Organizing Your Blog Reading
Posted on 09/15/2008 by ·
There are many terrific blogs on the Web that I enjoy reading. However, it's easy to waste a lot of time book marking each individual blog in your “favorites,” and then visiting each one individually when you have time to do some reading. It can be even worse if you have numerous email subscriptions clogging up your inbox. When you have more than just a few blogs you like to read, make it easy on yourself and try a free, simple solution like Google Reader. Google Reader allows you to organize your favorite blogs and read them all in one place. When you subscribe to the RSS feed of a blog, instead of opting to receive emails, select Google Reader as your method of delivery. You can organize your feeds into folders much like your favorites or bookmarks in your browser. That way you can … [Read more...]
Time Keeps on Ticking: Log it!
Posted on 09/04/2008 by ·
We’ve all been there at some point—you look back on the week or the month—feeling that too much has been left undone. You say to yourself, “Where did the time go?” It’s a common lament. If this sounds like you, it might be useful to try a time log for a week to discover your patterns. Time logs can help uncover wasted time that can be turned into productive time. They can also show you when you tend to be most productive, so you can organize your days to take full advantage of those productive times. You’ll quickly so who is interrupting you the most. You’ll discover your bad habits and see where you let pleasurable activities take over high-priority tasks. There are numerous logging software tools available for download on the internet. These can be useful for those who spend their … [Read more...]
