The headline in the WSJ story caught my attention immediately: How Being More Productive Starts With Doing Nothing If it's true, given my mastery of doing nothing, my productivity should be ready to explode. The article, written by Annemarie Dooling, offers some suggestions on the best ways to "do nothing" Dooling notes that even brief … Continue reading Increase Your Productivity by Engaging in “dolce far niente”
Tag: productivity
Now This Is My Idea of Productivity – Celebrating the Mundane
Reporter Leah Fessler had a story in this week's New York Times about how important it is to recognize our small wins and routine accomplishments, rather than just wait to celebrate when we have major breakthroughs. According to Teresa Amabile, a professor of business administration at Harvard Business School and co-author of The Progress Principle: … Continue reading Now This Is My Idea of Productivity – Celebrating the Mundane
My Retirement Is Not Looking Too Productive
These past 10 days have given me a glimpse of what my retirement might be like. Since I finished teaching my class the first week of March, I really have no teaching responsibilities right now, so my days are fairly wide open. And let's just say I have not made the best use of those … Continue reading My Retirement Is Not Looking Too Productive
Thanks to Zoom, I Actually Enjoyed a Meeting
Today was the first time I've used the software program Zoom to be part of a meeting. Given the current state of affairs, my guess is that many people are also using Zoom, or a similar program, for the first time. Zoom can be used for business meetings, teacher/student interactions, or to simply stay in … Continue reading Thanks to Zoom, I Actually Enjoyed a Meeting
The Hotshot Rule
I found out about the Hotshot Rule through the latest Pinkcast. The Hotshot Rule was developed by Kat Cole, COO of Focus Brands, which owns Auntie Anne's Pretzels, Moe's Southwest Grill, and Cinnabon, to name just a few. The way the Hotshot rule works is that once a month you imagine that a superstar comes … Continue reading The Hotshot Rule
Great Advice for 2020: The 20-20-20 Rule
Thanks to the latest Pinkcast for the idea for this post. In this edition of his Pinkcast, Dan Pink introduces a technique known as the 20-20-20 rule. The origin of the rule was created by a Californian optometrist as an easy way to remember an effective approach for reducing eye strain for those who spend … Continue reading Great Advice for 2020: The 20-20-20 Rule
Is Mindless Web Surfing the Key to Increasing Productivity?
If so, then why am I not one of the most productive people I know? A story in this week's WSJ tells about the work of Prof. Jennifer Ragsdale, a University of Tulsa industrial-organizational psychologist, and her research team who are studying whether surfing the internet for cute baby-animal pictures makes you more productive at … Continue reading Is Mindless Web Surfing the Key to Increasing Productivity?
Working in a Red Light District May Boost Your Productivity
Maybe it's because I don't work in a traditional office environment, but I don't think I could put Dan Pink's latest idea into action. In this week's Pinkcast, Dan shares a low-tech way of preventing co-workers from interrupting you while you are busy. Here's the video: First, I can't imagine an office filled with all … Continue reading Working in a Red Light District May Boost Your Productivity
Could These Companies Be the Start of the 5-Hour Workday?
When Lasse Rheingans acquired a small tech consulting firm in Bielefeld, Germany in late 2017, he introduced a radical idea: Reduce the workday to five hours, from the standard eight, while leaving worker salaries and vacation time at the same levels. Rheingans, the firm's managing director, says employees can deliver the same output during a focused … Continue reading Could These Companies Be the Start of the 5-Hour Workday?
Another Meeting Hack from Dan Pink
This is not the first Pinkcast that looks at how to make meetings more effective and efficient. In a previous post, I shared the notions of separation, standing, and shrinking. This is also not the first Pinkcast that involves a squeaking toy as a way to boost productivity. In a previous post, I shared how … Continue reading Another Meeting Hack from Dan Pink
Borden's Blather 