It’s been drilled into all of us since the beginning of our careers – you need a great elevator pitch – that succinct little summary of your business that can be shared in the time span of an elevator ride. First, if you’re pitching your business in an elevator you’re probably trying too hard. Get …
These are probably some of the most annoying phrases in business. You’ve seen them in email, you’ve heard them on the phone, and you’ve probably even used them yourself. I know I have. “I just wanted to check in.” “I thought I’d touch base.” “I’m following up.” I had the chance recently to watch a slightly comical, …
Having earned my bachelor of arts degree almost 25 years ago, I’ve been able to watch the degree go through many cycles of celebration and rejection. It seems that every five years or so a flurry of articles and opinions are published that either refute or validate the good old B.A. Well, it’s in favor …
Most successful leaders and managers will tell you the most difficult, yet highest pay-off task, is getting people to work together positively and productively. Our favorite expert on organizational health and teamwork, Patrick Lencioni, has spent years studying how a company’s employees, especially its managers, work together. According to Lencioni, one fundamental tenet for cultivating …
There’s no amount of skill and talent that can justify the negative emotional – and financial – impact of a toxic employee. Rude workers cost more, produce less, and the resulting ripple effect in an organization is impossible to abate. This is why weeding out toxic people is especially important and should be your number …
Brilliant Book Series Returns With Focus on ‘The Productivity Project’ Being able to match urgency with importance is half the battle in designing a productive day and week. It’s far too easy to forget about what’s important to work on when more urgent, but far less important tasks come your way. That is the problem …
We’ve all been there. You put together a nice, neat to-do list with the best intentions of completing every item, but it doesn’t happen. Things come up, minds wander, distractions occur. Chris Bailey is obsessed with productivity and he’s dedicated a large part of his professional life to it, including a solid year of study on …
Accountability can be an intimidating word that means different things to different organizations. For some, it can mean a general path to completion with starts, stops, and re-adjustments along the way. For others, it can mean deliver – or else. Leadership consultant and author, Peter Bregman, answers the question “How do I get my people …
Deadlines stir fear and agita in the bravest among us. We schedule them, we change them, and sometimes we even blow right through them. And while deadlines may not be our favorites, there are good reasons to embrace them. Deadlines turn promises into products. They make goals real, and they drive forward progress. They help …
Setting yourself up for success in 2016 means starting with the right outlook and attitude. A positive and plentiful approach is the best way to begin. A Scarcity Mentality is a common trap that keeps us from achieving goals. It’s easy, and natural, to feel like we never have enough of our essential resources – …
