Reading Time: minutesThis post was refreshed on October 11, 2022 Maybe you or your team members keep two monitors connected to your computer and on at all times—one monitor to keep an eye on incoming communication so you can be timely with responses,...
corporate culture Archive
How to Build a Corporate Culture That Fosters Productivity
This post was updated September 15, 2022 Company culture is often the biggest impediment to employee progress and productivity. Researchers at Harvard who studied creative work inside organizations discovered that progress is a critical source of motivation for...
THIS Is What Distractions at Work Cost Your Company
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...
Tips for Leading Remote Teams, with Kevin Eikenberry
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...
10 Strategies for Managing Stress in the Workplace
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...
After-Hours Email Solutions
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,...
How to Prioritize
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...
This Popular Step to Manage Email and Texts Isn’t Enough
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...
How to Really Get Employees to Take More Vacation
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...
Tackling Distraction With ‘The Innovation Show’
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...