Working with Lazy People

Motivating Idle Colleagues

Do you work with a person who doesn't "pull his weight"? Perhaps he wastes a large part of the day playing games, or talking to friends on the phone. Or, maybe he takes extra-long breaks, and he's happy just to do the very minimum to get by.

If you work with a colleague like this, then you know how frustrating it can be. Working with someone who's lazy is always a personal challenge, but it can also lower the productivity and morale of everyone else in the office.

However, if you're not that person's boss, is there anything that you can do? Do you simply have to tolerate this "rogue," or should you confront the situation head on?

Your Options

If you have a lazy co-worker in your midst, you'll probably have several options.

Your first option is to ignore the situation and go about your business. If the lazy colleague isn't causing you problems in any way, this might be the best option.

Sure, it's annoying and unfair that she's getting away with only doing a fraction of the work. But eventually, her poor performance is going to catch up with her. In the meantime, let it go – focus on doing your own great work, and making sure that you get the recognition that you deserve  .

However, if your colleague's idleness is having a negative impact on your work, or that of your team mates, then you need to take action.

So another option is to pick up the work your colleague isn't doing. This will take care of neglected tasks, but it's only going to add to your stress and frustration, since you're now doing her job as well.

Letting your co-worker continue with her bad work habits could also cause a negative impact on your, or your team's, reputation.

Your last, and likely best, option is to get assertive   and take direct action to stop her being so lazy. We'll look at several approaches to doing this.

Open a Dialogue

Begin by meeting your co-worker privately.

First, explain how her actions are affecting you and your other team members. Cite specific dates or situations that will trigger her memory – be as detailed as you can here.

For instance, if she was supposed to prepare a presentation for last week's meeting and missed the deadline, then let her know that you had to stay late to complete her work. Making her see that her actions (or lack thereof) are having a personal affect on you can drive the message home.

This can be a difficult conversation to have, but be respectful and polite throughout, and try to avoid getting emotional   or angry.

If you're nervous or unsure what you're going to say, then try role playing   to prepare for this meeting. You might also want to brush up on your communication skills to make sure you can get your point across confidently and assertively.

If your co-worker regularly dumps her own responsibilities onto you, then it's time this behavior stopped. Let her know firmly that you're not going to cover for her, or take on her tasks, any longer. Stress that if her behavior doesn't change, you'll have no choice but to go to your boss.

Your co-worker might not respond positively to this conversation. So, to prepare for this, you might want to learn more about how to deal with difficult people  . If things get heated, end the conversation and walk away – nothing productive will come from arguing.

Tip:

Keep a private note of everything that you do and why you're doing it. If your co-worker makes a fuss about what you're doing, you need to be able to defend yourself!

Listen Actively

You may think your co-worker is simply lazy, or that she just doesn't care.

But there might be another reason why she's not performing. Perhaps she's not in the right role and feels overwhelmed by her tasks. She might not know a certain task is her responsibility, or she might not have the skills needed to do her job effectively.

Or, she could be dealing with stressful issues such as a personal or family illness, divorce, or troubles with her children.

Ask her to explain her side of the story, and listen actively   to what she has to say. You might be surprised to find out that there's more than meets the eye. Sometimes, just being willing to listen can make a big difference.

The Invisible Manager

Another strategy you can use is to help a lazy colleague in a subtle way. That is, you can delicately shape his behavior and motivation without him realizing what you're doing.

For example, if you think that your co-worker is unmotivated because he isn't in the right role, ask him what he'd enjoy doing. Then, try to pass along projects and tasks that would fall under his ideal role. You could also loan him books or articles that would help him develop professionally. This can get him excited about what he's doing, and improve his morale.

You can also help him to discover how to work with purpose   and find new meaning in what he's currently doing. Or, you could use a well-respected tool like Schein's Career Anchors   to help your colleague to find inspiration and direction in the work that he's currently doing.

When your co-worker does step up and do a good job, then recognize his efforts. Often, compliments and thanks from team members can be more gratifying than those from the boss.

Tip:

Our article, Leading Equals  , includes additional strategies for being an "invisible manager."

Consulting Your Boss

If, in spite of your best efforts, your colleague won't improve or change, and if her laziness is still causing problems for you or your team, then you might have to speak with your boss.

Before you do this, remind your colleague again that you'll have no choice but to go to your boss if her behavior doesn't change.

In the meantime, make a note of exactly what your co-worker is (or isn't) doing. If she spends two hours at lunch and doesn't make up the time, write this down. If she's making personal calls, or surfing the Internet, write down the times and any other relevant information.

You may want to do this over a period of a few weeks to gather enough evidence, and give your colleague a further chance to improve her behavior.

If there's still no improvement, arrange to meet with your boss. Explain the situation clearly and honestly, and detail the steps that you've taken to get your co-worker to change. Again, try to keep emotion and drama out of the conversation.

You'll also want to bring any records you have that prove that your co-worker has been shirking her duties.

Then, hand the situation over to your boss completely. After all, you've now done all you can.

Key Points

Working with a lazy colleague can be a challenging and frustrating experience. Lazy co-workers who don't work to the best of their ability can damage the morale of the entire team, and even cause negative repercussions in your own career.

Usually, your first step will be to meet with your colleague in private. Let him know how his poor performance is impacting your own work. You can also try to help him by subtly changing his motivation and behavior.

If, however, this approach doesn't work after you've given him several chances to improve, you'll need to hand the problem over to your boss. It's their responsibility to handle staff issues, once you've done all that you can.

Source

How to Deal With a Jerk at Work

BY: PETER ECONOMY

There’s always that one person in every office we just cannot stand. They’re always the one cracking crude jokes, inappropriately speaking out, or just making those around them feel really uncomfortable. And sometimes these people get particular pleasure from bullying their coworkers, and even their bosses. As Minda Zetlin points out, 40 percent of employees say working with unpleasant people lowers productivity.

We try ignoring them, staying polite–sometimes even going as far as even trying to befriend them at the cost of our own mental sanity. But just how should we really be dealing with jerks like these?

Well, sometimes all we need to do is speak up.

Much like the scenario that unfolds in elementary school with the school bully and the kid getting picked on at the playground, menacing figures can usually be stopped in their tracks simply by bringing the offensive behavior to their attention.

Thus, in this grown-up version of the same game, putting the spotlight on the jerk’s terrible personality can be more than enough to put them in their place. For example, if you’re in a group setting, and the jerk is someone a coworker has brought along–say something to your coworker. Let him know how uncomfortable his company is making you feel. Tell him his comments make you feel offended without turning it into a bigger deal than it is, of course.

By doing so, you’re not sidestepping the issue by not approaching the bully himself. Instead, you’re simply taking a more effective approach by speaking to someone the bully has a personal relationship with. In this case, the bully is more inclined to listen to the trusted coworker, since he likely does not want to disappoint that person. If someone he values brings up his behavior as a problem, he will then likely be more receptive to that information than if you brought it up yourself.

So, if you have a problem with someone at your office, speak to your supervisor privately. You aren’t “ratting them out,” as it would be perceived in the elementary school situation. If you’ve already tried addressing his problem by speaking to the jerk directly, you’re now contacting another person who will be more effective at the job.

Don’t be afraid to speak up to the jerk in the room; your playground days are behind you.

Source:  http://www.incarabia.com

5 Sure Signs That You Work in a Toxic Office

                        

 By Marcel Schwantes

 Principal and co-founder, Leadership From the Core

Harvard University published a new study by Michael Housman and Dylan Minor called "Toxic Workers." They conclude that talented and productive people who engage in harmful and negative behavior may hurt your bottom line.
Nicole Torres wrote about it in her report on the Harvard Business Review:

Avoiding a toxic employee can save a company more than twice as much as bringing on a star performer - specifically, avoiding a toxic worker was worth about $12,500 in turnover costs, but even the top 1% of superstar employees only added about $5,300 to the bottom line.

If that's not a wake-up call to your C-Suite or HR Department, I don't know what is. There are many tell-tale signs of a toxic work environment, including these patterns that send good employees out the door.

Sign #1: Watch for Negative Cliques and Gossipers.

One clear sign is a group of disgruntled employees actively acting out their unhappiness. It's easy to spot them -- they'll congregate in hush-hush circles around cubicles after meetings to put a negative spin on what just transpired.
They are quick to gossip, and even quicker to crucify leadership and company direction. They're basically corporate teenagers whose time with the company is about to expire, and now rely on each other for strength and safety.
Keep a close eye out for their whereabouts; they may go out of their way to befriend new hires to vilify someone or something and spread their cancer.

Sign #2: Watch for De-Energized and Unmotivated Workers

This usually indicates a fear-based culture lacking the practice of encouragement and respect often found in a caring environment led by strong servant leaders.
A toxic work culture does not welcome employees to offer their ideas, input, creativity, or strengths to the overall company strategy because they are merely worker bees.
Managers dismiss the value of their people and employees are seen as "cogs on a wheel" rather than worthy colleagues and business partners in producing excellence. This will suck the life, energy and motivation straight out of your employee.

Sign #3: Watch for People Who Hoard Information

This is particularly worrisome if your manager is doing it. Here's the real reason why they withhold information: it's about power and control. And control at any level, across any function, or between peers is one of the most effective ways to kill trust.
The opposite, of course, is someone - especially a leader - who acts responsibly by being transparent and sharing information to benefit the whole team.

Sign #4: Watch for Dictator Management Styles

The feeling of watching your back (for your manager's whereabouts) is never a pleasant one. It means you either fear or loathe your manager, and facing him during the day probably means bad news because the exchange is never positive.
This type of manager will create a toxic culture of distrust where it's not safe to disclose information, offer input, or work in close collaboration.
We've been preaching about this over the years as one of eight common management mistakes that lead to high turnover. 
Job survival under a dictatorship is day-to-day due to the unpredictability of the environment you're in. Everybody is on their own.
Trusting your peers is risky - they may really be your enemies; trusting your manager is just corporate suicide.  Consider updating your resume.

Sign #5: Watch for People's Health Going Down the Tubes

A toxic workplace is stressful and unhealthy, and over time, people will break down and experience health issues -- physical (think fatigue) and emotional (think depression or anxiety).
As more people become discouraged and frustrated under the grip of a toxic workplace, you'll note a rise in anger, conflict, irritability, and frequent blow-ups, not to mention more sick days and disability. 

What Can You Do To Rid Your Office of Toxicity?

It is every manager and HR's responsibility to keep the finger on the pulse of the organization to make sure people are being cared for to do their best work, and that the fear is being pumped out of the room regularly.
As a good starting point, rid the toxicity of your workplace by doing these things:

• Conduct a culture or engagement survey, such as the Gallup Q12.
• Conduct stay interviews to keep your good people from leaving.
• Include behaviors like "respect" and "encouragement" into your performance planning and measure it.
• Invest in leadership coaching for your managers.
• Share your leadership and let people make decisions.
• Share and give people access to data and other information to make decisions.
• The bravest thing you'll do: expose the problem, talk about it, campaign against it. And be ready to leave with a back-up plan in place.

Have you worked in a toxic workplace, or helped overcome one? What would you add to this list?

http://www.inc.com

7 Daily Habits to Make You More Successful and Productive

By Elle Kaplan

CEO, Lexion Capital Management

Success in business requires hard work, persistence, self-confidence, and kindness, among many other ingredients. But it can be hard to ensure your own success when you have so much to do.

Entrepreneurs know that in a given workday there's a never-ending to-do list and a million things that will require their attention.

So how do you remain at the peak of your productivity and ensure your own success? By putting the following success secrets into daily practice:

Reflection

Oprah Winfrey meditates twice a day for 20 minutes, because she finds that meditation grounds her and gives her an optimistic outlook.

"I walk[ed] away feeling fuller than when I'd come in. Full of hope, a sense of contentment, and deep joy," she said after meditating for the first time. "Knowing for sure that even in the daily craziness that bombards us from every direction, there is--still--the constancy of stillness."
Even if you don't want to meditate, you should try to incorporate Oprah's mindset. Take a few minutes during the day to reflect on the great things you're doing, and recalibrate your sense of joy. I do this by walking to work, and you can find a way to incorporate it in your schedule too.

Delegate

The best piece of advice that Katherine Power, CEO and Co-Founder of Clique Media Group, ever received was: "Only do what only you can do."

This seems mind-numbingly obvious, but she still has a great point. Wanting to take on everything is a great attitude, but we all know that there are only so many hours in a day.
Successful people make a daily habit of only working on the things they do best--their Genius Zone--and passing the torch to their team for the rest.

As an added bonus, Power points out that delegating also evokes confidence in your staff and shows you're treating them with respect. So don't be afraid to have others do your routine tasks. It lets you focus on the most important and critical needs, and uses your brain power more effectively.

Check it off

If you haven't already, start making a list and checking it twice; just like Santa.
Because every time you do make that check mark when you complete a task, you release feel-good chemicals called dopamine that increase your health and happiness. It's also a great way to boost productivity by making sure nothing gets left behind.

Get away from it all

While it's great to have laser-focus and a G.S.D. (get stuff done) attitude; it's impossible to maintain this the entire day, no matter how hard you try.
That's why several leaders said that daily distraction is an important part of their productivity and creativity. Rachel Sklar, co-founder of The Li.st and Change the Ratio, said one of her best ideas came to her while walking through her Manhattan neighborhood. She gains inspiration frequently while walking, running or showering. Similarly, Project 11 founder Katie Ray said she has to be on the move for her brain to be at its best. She takes a tape recorder to track her thoughts while running, bike riding, or driving, often doing one of these activities for hours on end.

You can do the same--run, walk, swim; whatever lets your mind run free for a few minutes a day. It will be well worth it.

Share the credit

Effective leaders look to solve problems, not just find them. They are also quick to assign credit to others and give praise, which is something a lot of people let fall to the wayside.
"A great boss gives credit to everyone else when things are going well," Facebook's Sheryl Sandberg said.

During a busy day, it's easy to only make time for criticism when an employee is doing something wrong or needs correcting. So if you haven't already, you should make a daily habit of pointing out what your employees are doing right. My employees are beyond grateful when I do this, and yours will be too.

Harness your mood 

You probably won't be a hit at a party if you show up really angry. The same goes for your work too - when you're in a lousy mood, it's tough to put your nose to the grindstone and produce innovative work.

Often, when we have difficulty solving a problem, our reaction is to get angry and try to harness that anger to tackle it. But that might not be the best solution. Remember, work isn't like an action movie where we get angry and get revenge on every project that's wronged us.
Studies show that happiness leads to increased productivity, while anger produces the opposite effect. So make a habit of taking a break, "playing", or doing whatever makes you happy, and then coming back to take on your work.

Persevere

We're all going to encounter setbacks during the day, and it's easy to get discouraged and let these harm our self-confidence.

That's why many leaders say that the best thing to do every day when you're knocked down is to get back up on your feet right away.

"Try not to be discouraged if your first attempt at wedging your foot in the door fails," said Julie Carson, founder and editor-in-chief of Remodelista. "I've been amazed at how often jobs and opportunities have come through even [when] an initial interview didn't work out... [K]eep pounding on the doors until they open."

Out of all the habits, persevering is the most important. If you keep surging forward, no matter what, you can find success in even your worst days.

 http://www.inc.com

It's Official: Micromanaging Kills Productivity

BY: Jill Krasny

 New research suggests the more you try to dictate how and when employees work, the less they will accomplish.

Ever wonder what really makes employees work harder? 

Let's start with what doesn't work. Contrary to the instinct of micromanagers everywhere, watching over your employees' shoulders and dictating where and when they should work is perhaps the worst tactic for productivity. 

New research from University of Pennsylvania professor Alexandra Michel finds highly educated employees work more when given autonomy over their schedules. In fact, they'll often work to the point of exhaustion. 

Michel saw this herself, when she began her career at Goldman Sachs years ago. There, the average investment banker burned out after nine years and typically quit by age 35. To understand this, Michel spent 12 years studying young executives at two large investment banks. 

When employees were pressured to work more, she found they were less inspired. But when allowed to set their own pace, taking fewer vacations and working on weekends, they could accept it because it was their choice, Michel explained in the summer issue of The Sociological Quarterly, where her study was published. 

Of course, employee-dictated schedules aren't without their flaws. Michel noted many autonomous bankers worked excessively hard, suffering "debilitating physical and psychological breakdowns," as well as back pain, insomnia, addictions, and eating disorders. Others often sacrificed personal needs at the expense of a healthy work-life balance. So while the work schedules were on their own terms, their judgment, creativity, and ethical sensitivity suffered, making life miserable for those around them.

What's your take on how much autonomy employees should have when it comes to their schedules?

Source: www.inc.com

 

4 Things Employees Need to Boost Productivity

BY: Will Yakowicz

 A study of 19,000 employees from a wide range of industries reveal that if your company meets just one of these core needs your employees will be more engaged, productive, and bring in more money. But if you meet all four....

Every company wants to find the secret sauce, the magic bean, or just a competitive edge that could increase engagement, productivity, employee retention, and profitability.

Well, Tony Schwartz, the president and CEO of consulting firm The Energy Project, and Christine Porath, an associate professor at Georgetown University's McDonough School of Business, conducted a 19,000-person survey and found out what employees need to be more satisfied and productive.

The survey, which was conducted through Harvard Business Review's website, reached employees from all levels and positions from many different companies in a broad range of industries to answer a series of questions aimed at uncovering "what stands in the way of you being more satisfied and productive at work?"

The duo, who wrote about their results in Harvard Business Review, found that employees "feel better and perform better and more sustainably when four basic needs are met," Schwartz and Porath write. See the four core needs explained below.

Renewal (physical).

Everyone needs rest. Working your employees seven days a week, emailing them late at night expecting a response, and telling them to put off vacation until the winter will only make them burn out, unravel mentally, and deteriorate physically. Give them a break, it'll make them be more productive when they come back. It's obvious, but does your policies reflect this common sense? "Is there any doubt that when we feel more energized, appreciated, focused and purposeful, we perform better? Think about it: The opportunity and encouragement to intermittently rest and renew our energy during the work day serves as an antidote to the increasing overload so many of us feel in a world of relentlessly rising demand," Schwartz and Porath write.

Value (emotional).

Do you let your employees know how much you value their dedication, hard work, long hours, and great ideas? You may value them, but you need to show it. "Feeling valued creates a deeper level of trust and security at work, which frees us to spend less energy seeking and defending our value, and more energy creating it," Schwartz and Porath write.

Focus (mental).

Are your employees able to sit down and focus? If your office environment is distracting, doesn't have private space to concentrate, or you are sending entirely too many emails, you should think about making some chnages. "In a world in which our attention is increasingly under siege, better focus makes it possible get more work done, in less time, at a higher level of quality," the two write.

Purpose (spiritual).

If your company doesn't have a deeper mission than work hard and go home, your employees will feel as though you're sucking out their soul. Give them purpose. "And finally, a higher purpose--the sense that what we do matters and serves something larger than our immediate self-interest--is a uniquely powerful source of motivation," Schwartz and Porath write.

The effects of meeting core needs. 

Although the core needs are a bit obvious, many companies do not meet any of them. But if you meet just one of these needs, employee productivity will increase, Schwartz and Porath discovered. "We found that meeting even one of the four core needs had a dramatic impact on every performance variable we studied," they write.

Measuring for engagement, likelihood of retention, stress reduction, focus, life satisfaction, and positive energy at work, Schwartz and Porath found that when employees at a company feel any one of their four needs has been met, they report a 30 percent higher capacity to focus, almost 50 percent higher level of engagement, and a 63 percent greater likelihood to stay with the company.

Schwartz and Porath say there is a "straight dose effect" when an employee's core needs are met, meaning "the cumulative positive impact rises with each additional need that gets satisfied." In other words, when all four needs are met, engagement rises from 50 percent for one need to 125 percent. The duo also found engagement positively correlates with profitability. "In a meta-analysis of 263 research studies across 192 companies, employers with the most engaged employees were 22 percent more profitable than those with the least engaged employees," Schwartz and Porath write.

One important thing to note is how stress levels change less drastically. When a single need is met, stress levels only dip six percent. If a company meets three needs, employee stress levels reduce by 33 percent, and meeting four needs produce a 72 percent drop.

"The message to employers is blindingly obvious. None of us can live by bread alone. We perform better when the full range of our needs are taken into account," Schwartz and Porath write. "Rather than trying to forever get more out of their people, companies are far better served by systematically investing in meeting as many of their employees' core needs as possible, so they're freed and fueled to bring the best of themselves to work."

Source: www.inc.com

9 Work Habits You Need to Stop Doing Today

BY: Jessica Stillman

 Author Tim Ferriss suggests some common bad habits you should definitely add to your not-to-do-list.

Perhaps you've heard of a "not-to-do list." CEOs and productivity experts recommend the idea highly as a huge productivity booster that will help you free up time and headspace for all the things that really matter.

Sounds great. But what should go on it? Best-selling author Tim Ferriss has some ideas. In a recent short podcast he offered nine suggestions of bad work habits that many entrepreneurs and others desperately need to eliminate (chances are you are doing at least a couple of these--I'm personally massively guilty of two and five), so there is almost certainly something here that can boost your output.

Don't overwhelm yourself, Ferriss says. Just tackle one or two at a time, eliminating counterproductive habits step by step, and eventually you'll reclaim impressive amounts of time and energy.

Do Not Answer Calls from Unrecognized Numbers

Ferriss gives a couple of rationales for this one. First, the interruption will throw your concentration, costing you far more in time and brain power than just the conversation itself, and second, if it's important, you'll find yourself in a poor negotiating position, scrambling to formulate your thoughts when the caller is already well prepared. Instead, use Google Voice to check your messages or a service like PhoneTag to have them sent to you as email.

Do Not Email First Thing in the Morning or Last Thing at Night

"The former scrambles your priorities and all your plans for the day and the latter just gives you insomnia," says Ferriss, who insists "email can wait until 10am" or after you check off at least one substantive to-do list item.

Do Not Agree to Meetings or Calls With No Clear Agenda or End Time  

"If the desired outcome is defined clearly... and there's an agenda listing topics--questions to cover--no meeting or call should last more than 30 minutes," claims Ferriss, so "request them in advance so you can 'best prepare and make good use of our time together.'"

Do Not Let People Ramble

Sounds harsh, but it's necessary, Ferriss believes. "Small talk takes up big time," he says, so when people start to tell you about their weekends, cut them off politely with something like "I'm in the middle of something, but what's up?"

But be aware, not everyone agrees with this one (and certainly not in every situation), and you may want to pay particularly close attention to norms around chit chat when traveling internationally.

Do Not Check Email Constantly

Batch it and check it only periodically at set times (Ferriss goes for twice a day). Your inbox is analogous to a cocaine pellet dispenser, says Ferriss. Don't be an addict. Tools like strategic use of the auto responder and Boomerang can help.

Do Not Over-Communicate With Low Profit, High Maintenance Customers

"Do an 80-20 analysis of your customer base in two ways," Ferriss advises. "Which 20% are producing 80% or more of my profit, and which 20% are consuming 80% or more of my time? Then put the loudest and least productive on auto-pilot, citing a change of company policy."
What should those "new policies" look like? Ferriss suggests emailing problem clients with things like guidance on the number of permissible calls and expected response times. If that sounds like it might annoy your loudmouth customers, his response is, essentially, who cares? Point them to other providers if they don't like the new rules. "Sometimes you really have to fire your customers."

Do Not Work More to Fix Being Too Busy

The cure for being overwhelmed isn't working more, it's sitting down and prioritizing your tasks, Ferriss believes. So don't make the mistake of working frantically if you're swamped. Instead, sit down and decide what actually needs doing urgently. If that means apologizing for a slightly late return call or paying a small late fee, so be it, as long as you manage to get the important things done.
"If you don't have time, the truth is you don't have priorities, so think harder, don't work harder," he says.

Do Not Carry a Digital Leash 24/7

At least one day a week leave you smartphone somewhere where you can't get easy access to it. If you're gasping, you're probably the type of person that most needs to do kick this particular habit.

Do Not Expect Work to Fill a Void That Non-Work Relationships and Activities Should

"Work is not all of life," says Ferriss. This seems obvious, but the sad truth is that while nearly everyone would agree to this in principle, it's easy to let things slide to a point where your actions and your stated values don't match up. Defend the time you have scheduled for loved ones and cool activities with the same ferocity you apply to getting to an important meeting for your business.
Are there any other bad habits you suggest for the 'not-to-do list'? 

Source: www.inc.com

10 Excuses Unproductive People Always Use

BY:John Brandon

 Want to spot the unproductive employees? Listen to the excuses they make.

They moan. They wail. They shuffle around the office looking for free candy. Unproductive employees have an excuse for everything. Here are a few of the phrases they use to explain away the problem. Listen for them, then correct the action to get things back on track.

1. I'm overworked.

I hear this one constantly. What unproductive people might not realize is that we are all overworked. We're in an overworked age. Instant access to email and a mobile browser means work is always just a click away. What separates the wheat from the chaff? The really productive people don't dwell on the problem. They just do the work.

2. That's not my job.

I've written before about staying productive by focusing on your job and not doing the work of unproductive co-workers. That's always a bad pattern to set. Curious, then, that the really unproductive people always seem to notice when they're doing extra work to help a project. They focus on their role too much and on what everyone else is not doing. Truly productive people don't even care. They just do whatever it takes to get things done and plow ahead, analyzing the exact role definitions later.

3. I'll finish that later.

Forget the Mark Twain quote about procrastination. Unproductive people waste time because they live in a constant state of incongruity. The loose ends of their tasks never meet up, and stay loose. They start one Word document, work on it for a while, drop it, then start working on a PowerPoint. In the "picking up and setting down" process they waste time because each tasks needs a jumpstart, which uses more energy.

4. I don't have all of the answers yet.

Overly detail-oriented people use this one. They wait until everything is perfectly lined up before starting a task, usually languishing in perpetuity because things rarely do line up. And, ironically, some of the employees in your company who are wasting time mindlessly browsing all day are the ones who think they have to wait for the project pieces to fall in place. The solution? Productive people just do whatever they can now on any tasks that need to be done. They don't wait for the perfect timing.

5. I'll wait for the boss to tell me what to do.

For any employee in a small business, a lack of independence is a true productivity killer. While someone is waiting to be told what to do, a project will spin out of control. We all know the "get it done" crowd just figures out the problem and starts working on a task. Besides, if the boss has to explain every little detail, that's using up valuable time anyway.

6. I don't understand all of the variables.

Really? Is there an employee who won't act until he or she has all of the answers? That is a sign of someone who will be waiting a long time because no one ever has all of the answers. The folks who started Airbnb and Uber didn't wait for all of the regulatory issues to be ironed out. And Google didn't wait to test driverless cars until every state allowed them.

7. I don't see the benefit for me.

We are living in a world of narcissists who take selfies every 30 minutes and post about their inner feelings on Twitter. The underlying problem? They're slowing down a project because they only care about their own rewards. Productive people see the greater reward of a successful company and want to play a part in building something cool. The selfies can wait until the weekend.

8. I might not get the credit.

Related to that problem is another productivity destroyer: the need to take credit for the task. The process of hyping up your work, demanding crediting, and pestering people to notice your actions all contribute to an unproductive day. The employees who are slowing things down the most are spending too much time trying to get the attention of the boss.

9. I'm worried about my quality of work.

Productive people know how to slam out good work in a constant flow of creativity and skill. They care about quality, but they also understand that being productive requires a push to finish. When the goal is to always create perfection, unproductive people create a serious slowdown. Praise quality, expect proficiency, but encourage productivity.

10. I might fail.

The hallmark of every unproductive person at work is being worried about failure. It's a time-tested truth. If employees don't ever start a project, they don't have to worry about failure, right? I've written about total failure before, but letting a few tasks fail is okay. It means you are trying new things and staying busy. Holding back because you want every task to succeed? It just means completing fewer tasks.

Source: www.inc.com

 

10 Ways to Permanently Streamline Your Workday

More success tends to create more of everything else – more meetings, more projects, more decisions, more items on your to-do list. But often doing more can mean achieving less. That's why subtraction can be the best addition, especially when you streamline your workday and, in the process, your professional life. Instead of doing a total professional makeover, the easiest way is to start small. So try a few of these. Jeff Haden

 Hand Over a Whole Group of Decisions

Instead of making serial decisions, try making just one: Decide who will decide.
Say you regularly have to decide whether to expedite shipping due to work-in-progress delays. Pick someone in the organization that will make those decisions. Provide guidance, parameters, and advice, and turn that person loose. Then check in periodically to see if they need more direction. Then you can spend time figuring out how to eliminate delays instead of dealing with the repercussions. Teach, train, guide, verify… and give your employees the authority and responsibility they’ve earned.

Eliminate One Willpower Drain

We all have a finite supply of willpower. Resisting temptation creates stress and eventually exhaustion. And then we give in. Say you keep a candy for customers at the front desk. Resisting the sugar siren calls tires you out and makes you more susceptible to the candy's charms (or to something else you’re trying to withstand.) Just get rid of the candy and you don't have to use any willpower. Pick something you have to actively resist -- food, wasting time, web browsing, checking social media accounts -- and eliminate the temptation. Discipline depletes and exhausts. Stay fresh by totally removing the need for discipline.

Eliminate One "Permission"

Your actions "train" people to treat you in certain ways. Drop what you're doing every time someone calls and people will always expect immediate attention. Return emails immediately and people will expect an immediate response.

A friend created an "emergency" email account; he responds to those messages immediately. Otherwise his employees know he only checks his "standard" email a couple times a day… and they act accordingly. Figure out how you work best and “train" the people around you to let you be as productive as you possibly can.

Eliminate One Sign-off

I worked at a manufacturing plant where supervisors had to sign off on quality before a job could be run. Seemed strange to me -- we trusted the operators to ensure jobs met standards throughout the run, so why couldn't we trust them to know if a job met quality standards before they started running? You probably have at least one sign-off in place because somewhere along the way an employee made a major error and you don't want the same mistake to happen again. But in the process you reduce the amount of responsibility your employees feel for their own work because you've inserted your authority into the process. Train, explain, trust -- and then remove yourself from processes where you don't belong.

Fire Your Worst Customer

You know the one: The high maintenance, low revenue, non-existent profits customer. Start charging more. Or start providing less. If neither is possible, fire that customer.

Heavily Prune Your To-do List

A to-do list with 20 or 30 items is not only daunting, it's depressing. So you don't start. And definitely don’t finish.

Try this instead. Create a wish list -- include all the ideas, projects, and tasks you can think of. Make it your "would like to-do" list. Then pick three or four items that make the most difference. Pick the easiest tasks to accomplish, or the ones with the biggest payoff, or the ones that will eliminate the most pain. Make that your to-do list. And then get it done.

 Eliminate One Expense

Right now you spend money on something you don't use, don't need, or don't want. But since you buy it... you feel you have to use it. I subscribed to a number of magazines… but then I have to read them since if I don't sit there and make me feel guilty. So I dropped three or four. I don't miss them. Pick one expense you can eliminate that will also free up time and effort. Often the biggest savings in cutting an expense isn't the actual cost; it's the time involved in doing or maintaining or consuming whatever the expense represents.

Drop One Personal "Commitment"

We all do things simply because we feel we should. Maybe you volunteer even though you feel no real connection to the cause. Maybe you have regular lunches with old friends but it feels more like a chore than a treat. Think about one thing you do out of habit, or because you think you're supposed to… and then stop doing it. The momentary pain -- or in some cases, confrontation -- of stepping down, dropping out, or letting go will soon be replaced by a huge sense relief. Then you can use that time to do something you truly feel has meaning.

Make Lunch a No-Brainer

You already make enough decisions. What to have for lunch shouldn't be one of them. Pack tuna and a small salad. Pick something healthy, something simple, even something you can eat at your desk. Save the decision-making for what's really important. As a bonus, you'll lose a little weight and feel a little better.

Create a Window of Reflection

Most people spend a lot more time reacting -- to employee issues, customer requests, market conditions, etc -- than they do reflecting. Schedule a little quiet time. Close your door and think. Better yet, go for a walk. Exercise does more to bolster thinking than thinking does; walking just 40 minutes three days a week builds new brain cells and improves memory functions. And don't worry that something bad will happen while you're gone -- most of the time the issues you avoid will solve themselves.

Source: www.inc.com

It's Official: Micromanaging Kills Productivity

BY Jill Krasny

New research suggests the more you try to dictate how and when employees work, the less they will accomplish.

Ever wonder what really makes employees work harder? 

Let's start with what doesn't. Contrary to the instinct of micromanagers everywhere, watching over your employees' shoulders and dictating where and when they should work is perhaps the worst tactic for productivity. 

New research from University of Pennsylvania professor Alexandra Michel finds highly educated employees work more when given autonomy over their schedules. In fact, they'll often work to the point of exhaustion.

Michel saw this herself, when she began her career at Goldman Sachs years ago. There, the average investment banker burned out after nine years and typically quit by age 35. To understand this, Michel spent 12 years studying young executives at two large investment banks. 

When employees were pressured to work more, they were less inspired, she found. But when allowed to set their own pace, taking fewer vacations and working on weekends, they could accept it because it was their choice, Michel explained in the summer issue of The Sociological Quarterly, where her study was published. 

Of course, employee-dictated schedules aren't without their flaws. Michel noted many autonomous bankers worked excessively hard, suffering "debilitating physical and psychological breakdowns" as well as back pain, insomnia, addictions, and eating disorders. Others often sacrificed personal needs at the expense of a healthy work-life balance. So while the work schedules were on their own terms, their judgment, creativity, and ethical sensitivity suffered, making life miserable for those around them.

What's your take on how much autonomy employees should have regarding their schedules?

JILL KRASNY | Staff Writer

Jill Krasny is a staff writer for Inc. magazine, where she covers the intersection of entertainment and startups. Prior to Inc., she was a writer for MTV and Esquire and an editor at TheStreet. She is a graduate of the University of Southern California with a degree in communication. She lives in New York City.

How to Be Happy at Work

BY Geoffrey James

If you're unhappy at work--or anywhere else, for that matter--it's because you've made yourself unhappy. There's an easy way to change that.

Let me start off with a little story.

I once knew a saleswoman–young, divorced–who got a diagnosis of breast cancer.  She had to work and raise two kids while fighting the cancer. Even so, she managed to be happy at work, noticeably happier than her co-workers.  In fact, she not only won her battle with cancer but subsequently became one of the top salespeople at Bristol Myers.

She was not, as it happens, naturally cheerful.  Quite the contrary.  When she started full-time work, she was frequently depressed.  But she turned it around, using the techniques I'm going to provide you in this column.

That saleswoman once told me: When you're unhappy, it's because you've decided to be unhappy.

Maybe it wasn't a conscious decision; maybe it crept up on you while you weren't looking–but it was a decision nonetheless.  And that's good news, because you can decide instead to be happy. You just need to understand how and why you make the decisions.

What Are Your Rules?

Happiness and unhappiness (in work and in life) result entirely from the rules in your head that you use to evaluate events.  Those rules determine what's worth focusing on, and how you react to what you focus on.

Many people have rules that make it very difficult for them to happy and very easy for them to be miserable.

I once worked with a sales guy who was always angry at the people he worked with. The moment anything didn't go the way he thought it should go, he'd be screaming in somebody's face.  He was making everyone around him miserable–but just as importantly, he was making himself miserable, because just about anything set him off.

For this guy, the everyday nonsense that goes on in every workplace was not just important, but crazy-making important.

I once asked him what made him happy.  His answer: "The only thing that makes this !$%$#! job worthwhile is when I win a $1 million account."  I asked him how often that happened.  His response: "About once a year."

In other words, this guy had internal rules that guaranteed he'd be miserable on a day-to-day basis, but only happy once a year.

One of the other sales guys at that firm had the exact opposite set of rules.  His philosophy was "every day above ground is a good day."  When he encountered setbacks, he shrugged them off–because, according to his internal rules, they just weren't that important.  When I asked him what made him miserable, his answer was: "Not much."  When I pressed him for a real answer, he said: "When somebody I love dies."

In other words, the second sales guy had rules that made it easy for him to be happy but difficult to be miserable.

I'd like to be able to write that Mr. Positivity regularly outsold Mr. Negativity, but in fact their sales results were similar.  Even so, I think Mr. Negativity was a loser, because he lived each day in a state of misery.  His colleague was always happy.  He was winning at life.  He was happy at work.

Make Yourself Happier: 3 Steps

The saleswoman who had breast cancer was happy, too, and this is the method she used to make herself happy:


1. Document Your Current Rules
Set aside a half-hour of alone time and, being as honest as you can, write down the answers to these two questions:

• What has to happen for me to be happy?
• What has to happen for me to be unhappy?

Now examine those rules.  Have you made it easier to miserable than to be happy?  If so, your plan is probably working.

2. Create a Better Set of Rules

Using your imagination, create and record a new set of rules that would make it easy for you to be happy and difficult to be miserable.  Examples:

• "I enjoy seeing the people I work with each day."
• "I really hate it when natural disasters destroy my home." 

Don't worry whether or not these new rules seem "realistic"–that's not the point.  All internal rules are arbitrary, anyway.  Just write rules that would make you happier if you really believed them.

3. Post the New Rules Where You'll See Them

When you've completed your set of "new" rules, print out them out and post copies in three places: your bathroom mirror, the dashboard of your car, and the side of your computer screen.  Leave them up, even after you've memorized them.
Having those new rules visible when you're doing other things gradually re-programs your mind to believe the new rules.  You will be happy at work.  It's really that simple.
Oh, and by the way ... That saleswoman? She was my mother.

GEOFFREY JAMES | Columnist

Geoffrey James was recently named a "Top 40 Social Selling Marketing Master" by Forbes, and his blog has won awards from the Society of American Business Editors and the American Society of Business Publication Editors. His writing has appeared in publications as diverse as Wired, Brandweek, and Men's Health, and he is the author of numerous books, including The Tao of Programming, Business Wisdom of the Electronic Elite, and, most recently, Business Without the Bullsh*t: 49 Secrets and Shortcuts You Need to Know.

www.inc.com

7 Surprising Ways Procrastination Can Boost Productivity

BY Larry Kim

If you put off to tomorrow what you could do now, you just might outsmart your eager-beaver peers.

Procrastination is opportunity's assassin.--Victor Kiam

That's pretty heavy, right? Procrastination is literally the murderer of your opportunities.
Putting off to tomorrow what you could get done today has a bad rap, but it's not entirely deserved.

Forget what your grandmother and first grade teacher and university professors told you--procrastination isn't all that terrible. In fact, your stall tactics and inability to function until right before the deadline just might have some surprising benefits:

1. Procrastination breeds efficiency.

Let's face it, if you have one week to complete a three-hour task, you're not going to do it within the first three hours of the week. You'll probably cut it pretty close to the last three hours of the week, in fact.

Stop beating yourself up over it. If you're the type of person who works more efficiently and can be more productive while under the pressure of the ticking clock, work with it. You'll still get your work in on time and will be happier than if you'd spent the week mulling over how weak you are.

2. Putting tasks off reduces unnecessary efforts.

Have you ever turned in a piece of work, only to be told it's no longer needed? If you're jumping on every task as soon as it's assigned, this is bound to happen. In every industry, in every type of job, thigns can change. Putting tasks off until closer to the deadline might just cut out some unnecessary efforts when these things change.

3. You can be open to more enjoyable things.

Procrastination allows you a greater degree of freedom of choice with your focus. Does it make you happy to miss out on things you really want to do? Of course not.

If procrastinating means you get to enjoy something today and can still complete whatever is required of you before it has to be done--even if it's just hours or minutes before--you've still accomplished what you set out to do. And you've had fun in the meantime.

4. Procrastination can reduce anxiety.

The degree to which putting something off can reduce anxiety is dependent on a) how anxious you are about the task itself, and b) how anxious you are about procrastination.

We often put off things we really, really don't want to do--things that make us uncomfortable, or anxious, or even afraid. If you can take the time to mentally prepare yourself and tackle it when you're ready, you can reduce your overall anxiety about the task.

5. Time can bring greater ideas or other improvements.

While you're procrastinating, your mind is still aware that the task does have to be done, eventually. You might find yourself thinking up ways to improve on whatever it is you have to do as you go about your daily life at home and at work.

University of San Diego professor Frank Partnoy wrote extensively about the benefits of having time to assess issues in his book, Wait. Procrastinating gives your ideas time to percolate; it allows you to sit down and tackle the task after your subconscious has chewed it over. The result just might be a better outcome.

6. It makes you a rebel... sort of.

Only insomuch as you can rebel against modern day norms, though. In ancient Greece and Rome, procrastination was actually respected and highly regarded. It was a sign of affluence and leadership if you had time to sit around and think things over and basically do nothing until you had fully thought out a decision.

If you need that time to sit and stew and think and mull over, don't sweat it. Maybe you're just an old soul. At any rate,

7. Finally accomplishing the task gives an adrenaline rush.

Whoo-wee! And you're done, doesn't that feel great? If you're hooked on the rush you feel when you've finally hammered something out at the very last minute, don't rob yourself of that pleasure.

Procrastination is Underrated

If you're highly skilled in the art of procrastination, don't beat yourself up. Stop listening to the people who will tell you how awful you are for putting things off--at least you're still getting them done! You might even end up turning out higher quality, better thought out work as a result of your "bad" habit.

www.inc.com

20 Awesome Productivity Tricks Anyone Can Use

Even though we all want to be more productive, it’s hard to make major changes. Small changes are easy– and can be incredibly powerful. That’s why the following 20 tips are simple enough you can immediately incorporate them into your daily routine. Some tips will help you better use your time. Others will help you harness your energy. Others will help you stay more focused. No matter what, they all work. So try a few – or try them all!--Jeff Haden

 Create Systems, Not Goals

Commit to a process, not a goal. Don’t just set a goal of creating better customer relationships; commit to calling at least two customers a day to ask how you can better serve them. Don’t just set a goal of landing new clients; commit to cold-calling at least two leads every day. Commit to a process that leads to a goal and you’re much more likely to achieve that goal. Focus on what you will do,  not on what you want to happen.

 Make Temptations Hard to Reach

Call this the “pain in the butt” technique: when something is hard to do, you’ll do it less. Store sodas in the refrigerator and keep bottles of water on your desk. Put the TV remote in an upstairs closet. Shut down your browser so it’s harder to check out TMZ. Use a “productivity” laptop that intentionally doesn’t have a browser or email, leave your phone behind, and move to a conference room to get stuff done. Convenience is the mother of distraction, so make it a pain in the butt to satisfy your temptations.

 Maximize Your Most Important Tasks

All of us have things we do that make the biggest difference. (For me it’s actually sitting down and writing.) What two or three things contribute most to your success? What two or three things generate the most revenue? Then eliminate all the extra “stuff” to the greatest extent possible so you reap the benefits of spending time on the tasks that make you you.

Purposely Allow Less Time for Key Projects

Time is like a new house. We eventually fill a bigger house with furniture, and we eventually fill a block of time with “work.”
So take the opposite approach. Limit the amount of time you allow yourself to complete an important task. You’ll be more focused, more motivated, your energy level will be higher… and you’ll actually get more done.

 Chunk Housekeeping Tasks

Even though we’d like to focus solely on our most important tasks, we all have stuff we still need to do. Instead of sprinkling those activities throughout the day– or, worse, taking care of them when they pop up– collect and take of them in preplanned blocks. Better yet, schedule that block for when you know you’ll be tired or in need of a mental break. That way you’ll still feel (and be) productive even when you’re not at your best.

 Just Say No

You’re polite. You’re courteous. You’re helpful. You want to be a team player. You’re overwhelmed. Say “no” at least as often as you say yes. You can still be polite while protecting your time. And you should protect your time – time is the one asset no one can afford to waste.

 Start Small So You Won't Mind

Say you decided you should cold-call 20 new prospects every day. Great idea – but sounds daunting. Sounds really hard. Sounds almost impossible… so you won’t. Instead, start small. You can call 2 people a day, right? That sounds easy. That you will do. Then, in time, it will feel comfortable to increase the number. Whenever you want to create a new habit, start small so you will actually start – and stick with it through that tough early time when habits are hard to form.

 Build In Frequent Breaks

Small, frequent breaks are a great way to refresh and recharge. Like the Pomodoro Technique, a time-management strategy where you work on one task for 25 minutes and then take a 5-minute break. (To time yourself you can use a kitchen timer or your phone…) The key to not burning out is to not let burnout sneak up on you. Scheduling regular short breaks ensures that won’t happen.

 Follow the 2-Minute Rule

Here’s one from Getting Things Done: when a task takes less than 2 minutes, don’t schedule it, don’t set it aside for later, don’t set a reminder… just take care of it. Now. Then it’s done. Besides, don’t you have enough on your schedule already?

Actively Schedule Free Time

Free time shouldn’t just happen by accident. Free time shouldn’t be something you get around to if you get a chance. Plan your free time. Plan activities. Plan fun things to do. Not only will you enjoy the planning – and the anticipation – you’ll also actually have more fun. And the happier you are, the more motivated and productive you will be over the long term. Which, of course, is what personal productivity is all about.

Exercise First Thing in the Morning

Exercise is energizing. Exercise will make you healthier. Exercise can make you smarter.
Plus exercise can improve your mood for up to 12 hours after you work out. So there you go. Work out for 20 minutes first thing. Feel better. Be smarter. Be less stressed. Have a more productive day. Can’t beat that.

 Eat a Healthy Lunch Every Day

We’ve all eaten a heavy lunch that seemed to kill the rest of the day. So take a different approach. See lunch as fuel for your afternoon – and as one meal you know will be healthy. Plan to eat a portion of protein that fits in your palm and a couple vegetables or fruits. Make it easy and pack your lunch and then you won’t waste time driving to and from a restaurant.

 Drink a Lot More Water

It’s extremely likely you don’t drink enough water. That’s too bad, because feeling good sparks motivation and effort.
Plus if you drink water first thing in the morning you’ll boost your metabolism. Drink more water throughout the day and you’ll be less hungry, feel more energetic, decrease your chances of contracting certain diseases… and you’ll have to get up more often to use the restroom which ensures you’re more active throughout the day.

Take a Productivity Nap

A quick nap can improve creativity, improve your memory, and improve your ability to stay focused.
Besides that, neurologists tout the learning benefits of mid-day siestas.Silicon Valley companies compete to see who can design the the coolest napping rooms. Napping is not just napping anymore; it's a skill. And it’s a skill that can super-charge your productivity. (Here are some great tips for productive napping.)

 Make More Time For Your Favorite People

Think about the people you’ve met recently. Who left you feeling more motivated, more excited, more energetic… who made your life better? Then seek to spend more time with them. Surround yourself with people who can improve your life and your life will naturally improve. Sounds obvious – but is also something we all too often forget.

 Count Your Blessings Before Bed

Take a second before you turn out the light. In that moment, quit worrying about what you don’t have. Quit worrying about what others have that you don't. Think about what you do have. You have a lot to be thankful for. Feels good, doesn't it? Count your blessings every night and you’ll start the next day in a much more positive way.

Use Your Mind For Thinking, Not Remembering

Here’s another Getting Things Done tip. Don’t clutter your thoughts with mental to-do lists or information you need to remember. Write all those things down. Then you can focus on thinking about how to do things better, how to treat people better, how to make your business better. Don’t waste mental energy trying to remember important tasks or ideas. That’s what paper is for.

 Turn Off Alerts

Your phone buzzes. Your email dings. Chat windows pop up. Every alert sucks away your attention. So turn them off. Go alert-free, and once every hour or so take a few minutes to see what you might have missed. Chances are you’ll find out you missed nothing,but in the meantime you will have been much more focused.

Be Inspired By Small Successes

Change is tough. Habits are hard to form. If you want to learn a new skill, don’t decide you’ll become world-class. The goal is too big, the road too long. Instead decide you’ll learn to do one small thing really, really well. Then build on that. Success, even minor success, is motivating and creates an awesome feedback loop that will motivate you to do another small thing really well. One step at a time you might someday become world-class… which, after all, is how that works. Start small, stick with it, and someday your big dream will be a reality.

 www.inc.com