I love coffee. Maybe too much. I used to drink up to four cups of Nespresso a morning—the darkest roast I could find. I looked forward to my first cup, and by the third, I knew I shouldn’t head to the kitchen to make the fourth, but I don’t always listen to my better judgment. … Read more
In an essay published in The Economist in 1955, British historian Cyril Northcote Parkinson noted how work often “expands so as to fill the time available for its completion.” Writing a few lines on a postcard, he observed, can take an entire day if one has the entire day to write it in. Various factors, … Read more
Recruiting great talent is tough, yet it’s critical for any leader’s success and succession. Despite tons of new digital tools, expensive and long recruitment processes frequently lead to poor hires. That shows up in the numbers that suggest an astonishing 20% of people fail probation within the first 45 days, while between 30% and 40%, … Read more
As a communications expert, I work with people to help them communicate their ideas in a way that motivates their audiences to take action. But in many of my conversations with clients, I hear about the challenges people have to motivate themselves to take action on the ideas that capture their own hearts the most. … Read more
Once upon a time, leisure and stress-free time were considered marks of success and admirable aspirations. People envied those who could afford to relax and enjoy life’s finer moments. That attitude has significantly transformed. In our current workplace culture, busyness remains a coveted status symbol, even if organizations publicly tout the importance of mental health and … Read more
For years, we complained that we couldn’t focus in open offices. Then when we started working remotely, we found it just as difficult in our home offices. Is the problem external distractions, or are our own brains holding us back from that coveted “flow state” where big ideas happen? There’s been a shift in the … Read more
It’s probably not unusual for your boss to add something to your already full plate. A study from Gallup found that 58% of employees have been asked to take on additional responsibilities in response to the current labor market. But what if you could get your boss to do the opposite? What if they removed … Read more
So, here’s how to make this time less miserable: Reduce the hours spent in meetings We asked our LinkedIn followers how many hours they spend in meetings a week and while a lucky 31% said less than five hours a week, the second highest response—at 28%—was more than 15 hours a week. For me, it … Read more
Between the constant email and Slack notifications and the onslaught of news and social media, it can feel like there are a lot of forces conspiring against us getting things done. But at the heart of many of our feelings of overwhelm is our own tendency to distract ourselves from important or difficult tasks. How … Read more
Call it what you want—sustainable productivity, intentional living, healthy productivity: all of us want to be productive without burning ourselves out. But earlier this year, I was stuck in a pendulum swing between hustle culture and vilifying productivity. On the glorifying busyness side, I “utilized” every minute, and on the other end of the spectrum, I … Read more
