Objectives are the common denominator of all planning activities. Nowadays, however, organizations of all kinds are going through a paradigm shift. It’s no longer about hierarchies of plans and SMART objectives. Now it’s about maximizing human satisfaction: consumers and employees.
Imagine yourself going in all those every-day meetings. It’s supposed to start at 1 PM and somewhere around 1:10 everyone is finally in. Someone is trying to make the projector work. The presenter is searching through her files for the presentation. Everyone else is checking their email, social media or just chatting on their phone. The meeting is finally starting with a quick intro from the presenter. Half of the audience is still typing frenetically on their phone or laptop. Sounds familiar? Probably that’s because inefficient meetings are far more popular than we’d like to think. But there’s a cure for this epidemic of bad meetings and I’m here to share some solutions with you.
Photo by rawpixel on Unsplash
Judging by the enormous amount of books and blog posts on the topic of productivity, you can easily realize just how hard it is for anyone to actually reach this goal of ultimate productivity. Managers, C-level executives, and entrepreneurs are facing an even bigger challenge because they are usually involved in many projects, have a lot of responsibilities, and the pressure to succeed is incredibly high. Being productive is even more compelling.
That’s why I decided to put up a list of what I found to be the productivity hacks that are both highly effective and easy to implement in no time.
Photo by rawpixel on Unsplash
Every work day finds us focusing on our projects, striving to meet deadlines and finish tasks before we leave the office. But that’s not all we do, is it? We also spend a lot of time helping teammates who need our advice and input. Most often, we’re eager to help. But at the end of the day, when we realize we didn’t meet that deadline or we’re not even half way through that critical task, we have mixed feelings. Helping teammates felt good, but it took too much of our time and energy, and we neglected our work.
So, what motivates us to jump in and help, and how can we do it while staying productive?
Photo by Rémi Walle on Unsplash
Have you ever wondered how to really improve your team’s productivity? If you’re past the point of trying to fix workflows and test new tools, then this article is for you. It will teach you how culture impacts productivity and what you can change in your organization to build a team of productive, results-driven professionals.
Photo by Andreas Klassen on Unsplash
Have you ever wondered how much value you would get if you simply improved your productivity by 1%? According to the British cycling team, 1% can mean a lot more than you’d ever expect.
Photo by Markus Spiske on Unsplash
More and more companies need a toolbox to help them interact in real time with partners, clients and even remote employees.
However, running remote meetings in particular comes with its own challenges. Sometimes the participants are on different time zones. Everyone needs to be updated prior to the meeting regarding the topic of the conversation. Tasks have to be shared and everyone must have a clear understanding of the entire project. Not to mention the online meeting itself has to unfold without any technical problems.
I’ve been using this simple, yet highly effective method for a long time.
Of all the anti-procrastination techniques out there, the Pomodoro technique has helped me the most to overcome difficult moments, from lack of motivation to the old writer’s block. So I decided to learn more about the science behind its success. Here’s what I found.
Image Source: pomodorotechnique.com
There’s nothing worse than having too many tools and not getting the best of them. If you’re looking to boost your productivity, here is the essential kit that will cover the most important aspects of your day to day activity – starting with communication and notes, and ending with project management. Cut the clutter and give these tools a try (hint: most of them are free!)
Image Credit: William Iven (Unsplash.com)
With so many distractions – notifications, tools, messages – most of us find it harder and harder to really concentrate on delivering our projects. It takes planning and effort to help us cope in such a noisy environment. While looking for methods to boost productivity, I stumbled upon a classic: 7 Habits of Highly Effective People.
Image Credit: Nick Karvounis | @nickkarvounis