Multitasking is is a myth. Psychiatrist Edward Hallowell defines multitasking as a “mythical activity in which people believe they can perform two or more tasks simultaneously as effectively as one.” When we try to do this – and I am certainly guilty of it – we are actually “task switching.” It makes us feel busy, but it is not efficient and results in lower quality … [Read more...] about Boost Your Productivity with Single-Tasking
Implementation
Set Outcomes, Reward Performance
Covid uncovered a number of management problems which supervisors were unaware of. Pre-Covid, many managers judged the performance of people on their team by how busy they looked in the office. It was “management by activity.” During Covid, many managers freaked out – “How do I know my people are working?” Most of them just got used to not knowing and were happy that … [Read more...] about Set Outcomes, Reward Performance
Leading Adaptive Strategy
Our collective COVID experience has turned some people off to creating a strategy. “Why plan,” they say. While I appreciate the huge challenges that COVID has given us these past two years, strategic planning is still vitally important. You need be clear on where you want to go and how to get there. Here are some important things you can do to make sure that your … [Read more...] about Leading Adaptive Strategy
Good and Great
“Good is the enemy of great” Jim Collins famously wrote in his superb book, Good to Great. Collins points out that it is so easy to settle for “good,” that many people and organizations never become “great.” Collins makes an excellent point, but the relationship between “good” and “great” is actually more complex. Consider the personalities of the Perfectionist and the … [Read more...] about Good and Great
Taming Your To Do List
“Welcome to the Land of Magical Thinking.” That’s my favorite quote from a recent article from Harvard Business Review about To Do lists. And I am definitely guilty of this! An out of control To Do list can create a lot of problems – including missed deadlines, doing low quality work, and tiring ourselves out from overwork. If you want to tame your To Do list, here … [Read more...] about Taming Your To Do List