How to Manage Your Epic To-Do List

Author: Allison Rimm Source: Harvard Business Review The to-do list can be an indispensable tool when used to mindfully manage your time. But used indiscriminately, you become its servant. The first step in making your list work for you is to be clear on what job you’re “hiring” it to do. Most of us fail to …

25 Questions to Ask in One-on-One Meetings

Author: Elise Keith Source: Inc.com One-on-one meetings give team leaders and team members time to connect personally and talk privately about their hopes or concerns at work. At least, that's what they're supposed to do. Unfortunately, for many teams, one-on-ones are a boring obligation neither party enjoys. Cisco studied engagement in over 15,000 teams and …

The Biggest “To Do List” Mistake Even Smart People Make

Author: David Allen Source: CNBC The biggest waste of time and source of stress in the workplace is chasing our to-do lists. How often have you found yourself chasing after 14 different tasks that keep scurrying down 25 rabbit holes? Every day, most likely. (It’s a lot like that “whack-a-mole” game we used to play …

How to Stop Procrastinating. For Real This Time.

Author: Bob Nease Source: Fast Company Think about all the stuff you’ve been putting off—really, go ahead. Chances are you’ve been putting off thinking about the stuff you’ve been putting off, right? It’s not that you don’t think those things are important, or even that you believe they’ll go away if you ignore them. So …

The Steve Jobs Trick for Improving Productivity

Author: Thomas Koulopoulos Source: Inc. So, if we are going to talk about productivity we need to get one thing straight from the outset; busy does not equate to productive. Try this experiment; go around for a day and ask colleagues, "So, what did you do today?" Most of the answers will be along the …

Want to Improve Your Productivity? Don’t Focus On Being Productive For Too Long

Author: Srini Pillay Source: Harvard Business Review Studies show that concentrating for too long on one task makes us less productive. Turns out, our brains need to wander a bit throughout the day. The ability to focus is an important driver of excellence. Focused techniques such as to-do lists, timetables, and calendar reminders all help …

How to Push Through and Get Things Done, Even If You Don’t Feel Like It

Author: Kate Matsudaira Source: Acmqueue Have you ever come into work, sat down at your computer to begin a project, opened your editor, and then just stared at the screen? This happens to me all the time, so I understand your struggle. Even if you love your job, you don't always feel like doing it …

Google Just Released the Results of a Two Year Study on Remote Work

Author: Abdullahi Muhammed Source: Forbes Recently, the folks at Google published their findings from a two-year study they conducted on remote work. The company is certainly in a good position to study this, as a full 30% of the meetings held there involve at least two time zones. The report published, "Working Together When We’re …

The Pareto Principle: What it is and How it Can Help

Author: John Rampton Source: Entrepreneur Whether you’re a seasoned vet or just launching your first business, I’m sure you’ve at least heard of the 80/20 Rule, aka the Pareto Principle. After all, it's been found; the Pareto Principle can be applied to anything that you measure in both your business life and your personal life. If …

Why “Efficiency” Doesn’t Always Translate to “Productivity” in Leadership

Author: Rebecka Zucker Source: Harvard Business Review With ever-increasing demands at work for both mid-level and senior leaders, the ability to execute and get things done is a key driver of success. But it can ultimately become a leader’s downfall, resulting in unintended costs for the individual, as well as for their teams and organizations. …