The Art of Follow Up
A formidable challenge for anyone managing workflow is finding time to do our own work while making sure everyone else is doing theirs. Managing takes time, and time is our most precious resource.
Author: Paul H. Burton
Brevity is Beautiful
Marty Nemko, a National Public Radio (NPR) host, offered the following “traffic light” strategy for maintaining a listener’s attention
One Simple Way to Manage People & Projects Better
Lawyers and legal professionals get paid to advise clients. Advising is a pro-active sport. It involves counseling, explaining and giving direction. So when it comes to managing projects and others, our natural tendency is to advise and direct. Unfortunately, it can result in lower performance and work quality.
Super Lists Maximize Productivity
Our brains love lists. Belle Beth Cooper nicely summed it up by saying, “We pack all the madness and ambiguity of life into a structured form of writing. In short, making lists is a great way to increase our overall happiness and feel less overwhelmed.”
Seven Tips to Getting Better Email Response Rates
Boomerang offers an email plug-in for managing email. It’s a terrific product available for Gmailers and Outlookers alike. Last month, the folks at Boomerang posted a fascinating statistical analysis measuring response rates to their clients’ emails during 2015. What they found will change the way you use email. […]
Three Rules to Increase Productivity
Some rules are better than others
Life is full of rules. They’re largely designed to prevent bad things from happening. However, in the world of productivity, some rules can help us get more done. The quicker and easier they are to follow, the more they help.
Consider how these simple rules can help you. […]
Food for Thought – Work Smarter, Not Harder
Walgreens Drives Productivity The Sunday paper contained an insert produced by Walgreens. It listed ways to boost brain power. Five of the suggestions focused on the food we eat. Avocados contain medium-chain fatty acids, which increase our brainpower by reducing inflammation. Fish contains omega-3 fatty acids, which boost memory by spurring structural brain changes. Wine & Peanuts both[…]
What I Learned About Email While on Vacation
The Epic Montana Adventure
Our 2015 summer vacation took four of us through the wilds of western Montana. We camped in the southern reaches of the Bitterroot Valley before traversing deep into the Ruby River outback. We enjoyed Yellowstone National Park next. Our return path took us through Bozeman before heading north back to Whitefish.
Internet connectivity was sporadic throughout the trip, with the longest disconnection occurring for 72 hours. Valuable lessons were learned about our connected lives.
Observations on Modern Connected Lifestyles
Two Flavors of Email – Open & Closed
Email use continues its upward climb. The Radicati Group recently reported that email is growing at five percent per year and will to do so through 2019. Though growth is slowing, the existing volume makes any increase problematic.
Sorting through email takes a lot of time each day, and keeping track of what needs our attention is overwhelming. What if there was a quick and easy way to decide what to do with every email? […]
Optimism: It’s Why We’re Late
The Dark Side of Optimism
Whoda thunk that something so positive could have a dark side? That’s right. Optimism, the feel-good feeling, the basis for the entire self-help industry, the underlying principle of the smiley face can be harmful.
Now, I’m not having “a case of the Mondays,” cuz it’s Thursday. I ask only that you consider the evidence.
Would Optimism Please Take the Stand
We’ll dispense with the pleasantries, Optimism. Is it not true that you
- Conspire to make people think their next meeting is “just two floors down?”
- Encourage people to do one more thing before heading out?
- Convince people that traffic is never bad this time of day?
Guilty on all counts! […]