newsletter archive.
(Previously published under the title Extreme Profits
under ISSN 1925-8941)
Meetings, it ain’t cheap
One of the most cursed (yet most required) activities in any organization is meetings. I have not met an executive who has not complained about their meeting overload. And more specifically, the complaint is about attending non-productive meetings.
Do one new thing each day, profit from attitude
There is something mystical about a new year. It's as if we're given a chance to start over. At the very least, it allows us to reflect on what went well for us during the past year and what we could do to improve our chances of success in the coming year. So this new year, why not improve both your happiness and efficiency?
Enthusiastic employees, BYO
A research study conducted by Arnold B. Bakker in the Netherlands concluded that two kinds of resources are required for employee engagement. The first is job resources such as social support, feedback and opportunities for autonomy, variety and growth. The second is the employee's personal resources such as self-esteem and optimism.
The 97 percent solution, braking waste
Edwards Deming, the father of the "quality movement," said that 97 percent of what happens to organizations is predictable and is caused by the "system," not the person. It is reasonable to presume, then, that an organization should be able to plan for and manage 97 percent of its operations.
Pushback zealots, buying time
Interruptions are the number one time waster. These come in many forms - intrusive phone calls, intrusive and unwanted e-mail, staff who drop by to ask you a quick question, socializing, handling others' perceived emergencies, and so on. I'm sure you can add to this list easily.
Critically creative, restraining the free spirit
s critical thinking important in solving problems? I'm sure you'd agree with me that it is. But did you know that creative thinking could probably be just as, if not more important for this purpose?
When you have a problem, what do you do? Chances are that you try to think of a solution. But thinking about a solution without first defining the true problem is not effective. Certainly you'll come up with many ideas all worthy as solutions, but will implementing the ideas solve the problem? Let me give you an example.
Email wizardry, savings in a cloud
Email fills a genuine business need and in many respects, email has become "the" primary method of communication within and between businesses and individuals alike. It is no wonder then that email can have a tremendous impact on individual and organizational productivity. It all comes down to how you handle your email.
Steeling focus, less printing
I have often been told that I do an extraordinary amount of work in a short period of time. Those same individuals have told me that there is no way they could accomplish as much as I do in the same amount of time. I believe the difference is in the way we work.