ib by kacharagadla

Productivity is a hot topic these days.  For many of us, productivity is an absolute good, an obvious goal for ourselves as much as for the organizations where we work.  It feels like a badge of honor, and our sense of productivity can seem like a direct reflection of our success in life. But, for everyone talking about it, we don't all tend to share an understanding of what productivity means.  The truth is, checking off our to-do list is not what productivity is all about. While personal productivity contributes to business productivity, these two types of productivity are defined very differently. When you and your boss have different definitions of what’s productive in the workplace, things can get confusing. And unproductive.  In this article, we’ll explore what productivity is and how that definition has changed, how it works for you and your organization, and how to be more productive. What is productivity? The Bureau of labor Statistics defines productivity a...

Turning Negativity into Productivity Dealing with a pessimist on your team can be a frustrating and time-consuming experience. Attempts to ignore or counter frequent negative comments may simply incite further negativity. Good news: by being proactive you can help the pessimist change his behavior and enable your team to achieve greater productivity. What the Experts Say The first step is to figure out what is causing your team member’s negativity. Roderick Kramer, William R. Kimball Professor of Organizational Behavior at Stanford Graduate School of Business, says that it is the role of the leader to understand the underlying cause of the pessimism before acting. “Some people are dispositional pessimists whose knee-jerk reaction is to see the negative in everything, while others may be expressing a pessimistic point of view based upon informed logic,” Kramer says. Some common sources of pessimism include resentment at not having been promoted, a need for attention, or a...

A Real Solution to Distractions and Productivity These days everyone has productivity tips to help you do more in your day. They teach you how to maximize your time and effectively cram in as much as possible in as little time as possible. But what happens when nothing works and you just can’t get more done? That brings us to  The Art of Getting More Work Done by Not Working . My theory suggests that doing less work and getting other things done, leaves you with fewer remaining distractions and then eventually makes it easier to get back to work with no distractions. Let’s be clear though, we are talking mostly about distractions. The whole idea is to acknowledge the distraction in front of you and remove it, by doing it. Who would have thought? There’s more to it than that though, this article explains the full technique. Eating can be an energizing distraction if done right. If you are absolutely starving, have a headache and can’t focus, why don’t you go an...