This post was refreshed on July 26, 2022 Leaders typically underestimate the cost of distraction, but when I walk my clients through the implications of constantly interrupted work, they are often surprised by how much money their company is wasting on lost...
Transitioning to remote work is a gift to some and a nightmare to others. Some people might hope to continue with at least part-time telecommuting after the COVID-19 pandemic is over, and others can’t wait to get back to the office. Either way, remote work is where we...
This post was updated on February 27, 2020. For reliable productivity, quarter after quarter, year after year, it’s important to have strategies for managing stress in the workplace. Stress is an unavoidable part of our lives. Sometimes it’s just everyday stressors...
Do you have a company email policy? If not, a recent study out of Virginia Tech University suggests that you should create one. The study found that even the expectation that an employee will have to deal with after-hours emails creates anxiety for both the employee...
In last week's post, I shared some new research regarding the problems of after-hours email, and also offered some solutions. Today I wanted to share a short (5-minute) excerpt of a corporate training I recently delivered that offers additional solutions. To be clear,...
You probably know the big stuff you're supposed to be getting done. But what's often less clear is how to accomplish your work priorities when there are all sorts of other, urgent (or seemingly urgent) demands on your time. This comes down to a question of how to...
Your job involves an overwhelming amount of communications from others. Managing email and texts is a vexing challenge. So you take a cue from what you've observed others doing. You add a line to your email signature saying "I check my email infrequently, so if your...
Does the idea of scheduling some days off during the holiday season seems like more trouble than it's worth? You're not alone. The Wall Street Journal recently reported that even at companies that offer unlimited time off, employees often hesitate to take more...
Distraction is the No. 1 enemy of productivity. I talked about how to strengthen your battle plan against it during my recent interview on The Innovation Show. Hosted by Aidan McCullen, The Innovation Show is a podcast for forward-thinking leaders, entrepreneurs and...
If you're a leader, do you manage with the wellbeing of your knowledge workers' brains in mind? I talked about why this is essential during my recent interview with Andrea Simon for the On the Brink podcast. Andi is a principal and founder of Simon Associates...
