If I were to help you dramatically increase your productivity, how would you know it? What metrics would you expect to improve? When thinking about productivity, most people immediately think of three types of metrics: Production metrics – such as throughput, rework, and units per hour Sales metrics – such as sales, length of sales cycle, and conversion rates Financial metrics – such as return-on-assets, account receivable days, and margins Nothing wrong with these, but think about all the productivity that is not being measured by these and similar metrics. Think about all the executives, managers, and staff who aren’t selling or directly involved in moving product one step closer to the shipping dock all day long. How are you measuring their productivity?
Should we raise the minimum wage? Yes or no? Fast food workers are striking and demonstrating across the country. House Republicans were unanimous in there opposition yesterday. Many fear young people will be offered fewer “starter jobs” if those jobs payed “real” wages worthy of more experienced employees. Pundits are coming down loud and clear on both sides. Too bad this is a stupid debate. Too bad so many are wasting all this time and energy, increasing rancor, fueling divisive politics, and getting nowhere fast. As usual. Why is this a stupid debate? There are three reasons and those same reasons explain why many of the debates in your company are also stupid.
We’ve Got to Stop Meeting Like This! – 10 Surprising Reasons for Wasteful Meetings You are invited to a special complimentary teleseminar! August 6, 2013 at 12:00 noon EDT Learn about the 10 obstacles that prevent meetings from being short and powerful. Sign up today and I think you’ll be surprised; these are not the same old tips you’ve heard before. This is the first step toward saving half the hours you spend in meetings, eliminating unnecessary meetings, and accomplishing more in every meeting you attend. Feel free to pass this on to friends and colleagues whom you believe might be interested. Registrants will also receive an MP3 download of the presentation so you can listen to it at your convenience.
His Royal Highness Prince George of Cambridge acquired his name just two days after his birth. Two days is incredibly fast by royal standards. His grandfather had to wait a month and his father, a week. Thus, all are pleasantly surprised to get results so quickly! I do not know what tradition, objectives, or complexities are behind these royal delays. I do know everyone I’ve ever met has figured this out in advance and named the baby as soon as the gender is certain. But here is my question for you: What royal standards are preventing you from getting results quickly? What traditions have left you accustomed to slowness? What complexities have you learned to accept? Well, enough of that! Call your royal standards by their real name: S-L-O-W. Raise the bar and determine how to improve results.
I used to play the cello. I guess. Sort of. I say sheepishly. When I listen to something like this, all I can say is I have a cello, and I wish I could play like this: So why can’t I? I love the cello. I love the way it sounds. I’ve played it enough to believe I could play well, even if not by this standard. So why can’t I?
As my reputation for creating clarity has grown, I’ve been getting more and more phone calls and emails from people around the world asking if I would consider doing tele seminars. The number of requests has finally hit the tipping point, and thus, here it is! We’ve Got to Stop Meeting Like This! – 10 Surprising Reasons for Wasteful Meetings August 6, 2013 at 12:00 noon EDT Space is limited – register now to reserve your seat. Nothing to lose – this one’s on me! In addition to the live event, registrants will also receive an MP3 download of the presentation. Even if you are busy on the 6th, you can still benefit from these tips. My abhorrence of wasteful meetings, coupled with the frequency with which this topic has been requested, drove the selection of this first presentation. Future tele seminars will address productivity, accountability, strategic clarity, simplicity, motivation, and much, much more. Read my Clear Thoughts™ newsletter each month so you don’t miss a single one.
Welcome to the Clarity Quiz! What is the best way to motivate your employees? Reward them financially Recognize them in public Recognize them in private Remove obstacles to progress Give them jobs they love Explain the value of success Make your selection and then read more.
In just two days last week, I encountered four examples of clients repeatedly jumping through hoops to manage dysfunctional situations rather than fix the situations. Constantly changing time reports to accurately reflect vacation and sick time in a system that requires employees to record work hours before the week even begins Struggling to make an unnecessary standing meeting effective rather than canceling or redefining the purpose of the meeting Plotting to avoid power struggles and find meaningful work for someone whose responsibilities need to be shifted and redefined Focusing on perfecting a plan when the track record points to dusty plans and no execution Dissimilar as these are, they are all examples of wasting time and money unnecessarily and repeatedly by not addressing the underlying problem.
I do it myself when I’m not careful. “Wandering in” takes three forms: You start a task without a clear destination, a clear sense of what will be different when you are done You start a task without a clear route, a clear sense of specific steps that will get you to your destination You don’t really start the task. You check your email, look up something on the Internet, finish reading an article, make some notes about something else, schedule an appointment, answer the telephone, get a cup of coffee, etc. In the first two cases, you get lost in the task. In the third, you get lost in between tasks. Whether you succumb to one, two, or all three forms of wandering in, you will lose significant time. Next thing you know, half an hour or more has passed and you are still wandering around in or between tasks. Starting, on the other hand, involves an intentional decision to launch yourself down a clear path to a specific finish line. You glance at the clock, set an end time in your mind, push everything else aside, and then sprint toward that destination. The difference is enormous. Starting is tremendously effective. Wandering in is not. Starting requires discipline and the habit of being intentional and specific about your goal, next step, and expected completion time. If you save the wandering for your leisure hours, you will be amazed by how many more leisure hours you will have!