Productivity

Everything has a natural flow. This is true for you and me, for our teams, and for our organizations. We might call it style or culture or even dysfunction. But whatever the case, there is a way that things go more smoothly. And there is a way that they don’t. Figuring that out can help you to improve your performance. You can be more effective if you understand your own strengths, weaknesses, and natural tendencies. Your team will work better according to its natural rhythms. Your organization will adopt things that fit the culture more easily than it can embrace … Read more

Life is easier when you get along with other people. Particularly when those people are your co-workers. Improving your relationship with a boss, staff member, client, vendor, or any other person that you work is usually a wise investment. The simplest way I know to improve those relationships is to be helpful. When you’re helpful, people appreciate it. When you’re helpful, you feel like you’re making a contribution. When you’re helpful, it creates a bond. It strengthens a bond. Because helping each other works in good times and in bad times. Obvious Opportunities When someone is struggling, that’s a good … Read more

We all get stuck. Getting unstuck often requires some combination of strategy, inspiration, motivation, tactical work, and good old fashioned determination. That’s where this new book by Jason Womack and Jodi Womack can help. In Get Momentum: How to Start When You’re Stuck (affiliate link), the authors offer a complete approach. They will help you to get unstuck. But more importantly, to build (and keep) momentum. What I love about this book is that it is concise but also complete. There is no fluff. But there’s nothing missing either. In just over a hundred pages, Jason and Jodi walk you … Read more

Have you ever wondered if maybe you worry about your top priorities too much? Seems counter-intuitive, right? Your instinct is probably that you don’t devote enough time, energy, and attention to your top priorities. But what if you’re doing it wrong? Maybe you should focus on your lesser priorities more. All those things that are sucking away resources from your top priorities. Go Low to Get High Low priority items take up resources. They take up room on your list. They clutter your mind. You worry about them, even though they don’t matter as much as other things. Even worse, … Read more

I’m writing to you again on a plane this week. This time, I’m headed to Cincinnati to give a talk. I’m exciting because it’s some new material along with some new ways to present some ideas, based on the audience. Which, I find, makes all the difference. Know your audience. Know what you want them to be able to do when you ride off into the sunset. Shape everything from there and you’re on the path to success. But that’s not what I’m writing about today. Today, I want to share a procrastination productivity tip that I stumbled on while … Read more

Ironically, I’m writing this on a plane. Making the most of my time. Trying to be as productive as possible. Filling all the gaps with various to-dos. Many of us try to do this a lot. We have lots to do. Not enough time. So we cram. We strategize. We yearn for productivity as a key to achievement. Which is great. Until it isn’t. It’s not so great when we feel bad about not doing enough. Doing lots is not the goal. Doing the right things and doing them well is the goal. But being happy and satisfied with our efforts … Read more

How do you move 4,685 pounds of firewood 50 feet up a hill? One log at a time. This little project seemed like it would be fun because it had a clear goal. It would be easy to measure progress. And we’d gain a real sense of accomplishment. Turns out it offered the same emotional roller coaster ride of many other types of projects. At first a project may seem easy. Because the goal is clear and worth achieving. Conceptually, you know what needs to be done. It’s a matter of getting down to work. Once you actually begin, however, … Read more