The Productivity Pro® Blog by Laura Stack - Time Management, Getting Things Done, How to Be More Productive

“Ill habits gather by unseen degrees/As brooks make rivers, rivers run to seas.” — John Dryden, English poet (Absalom and Achitophel, 1681)

Have you updated your NOT-to-do list lately?

Most of us are pretty good about compiling daily to-do lists to guide our workflow, and there’s no denying that those lists are vital for maximizing productivity. However, in many ways, a list of things you refuse to do is just as important.

A not-to-do list doesn’t have to be fancy. You simply start by writing down the time-stealing behaviors that you prefer not to take part in; then you review and revise your list periodically, to make sure you don’t accidentally slip into habits that damage your productivity and keep you at work too long.

Obviously, not-to-do lists will vary from person to person, based on what’s applicable to a particular workplace and what each individual considers impractical or illogical for them to take part in. But there are certain activities that everyone is wise to avoid, and in this article, I’ll discuss four.

Stop Gossiping
Some workplace socializing is necessary, because it helps you connect with your fellow co-workers, lets you enjoy work a little more, and can enhance your productivity in the long run. However, chatting with your buddies should stop short of discussing other people behind their backs.

Airing someone’s personal business for entertainment reasons is never going to help you accomplish anything, and spreading negativity or criticism is downright hurtful. Give it up; work isn’t a soap opera, nor should it be. If your company doesn’t have a no-gossip policy, create your own and stick to it.

Stop Complaining
We all have things in our lives we’re unhappy about, but complaining about them accomplishes very little; as with gossiping, all it does is spread negativity, and who needs more of that? In particular, you should avoid complaining about the amount of money you make, and how dissatisfied you may be with your job or co-workers.

Instead of moaning about life, readjust your attitude. If you’re disgruntled about things that you can’t change, learn to accept them and move on. If you find yourself complaining about things that you can change, then by all means, try to. In either case, do your best to remove the reasons for your complaints.

Letting yourself suffer just so you can complain about how the world has wronged you doesn’t just waste your time, it wastes everyone else’s. And besides—do other people beside your friends really need to know about your personal problems? If you’re looking for attention, there are more constructive ways to get it.

Stop Trying to Be a Machine
As much as some of us might like to think otherwise, we’re not machines. No matter how spectacular you are, you can only grind along at maximum focus for so long before you get tired and mistakes start creeping into your work…and then your productivity drops like a rock. While you shouldn’t take breaks too often, you do need to pull back occasionally so you can recharge and revitalize your creativity. You always do your best work when you’re well-rested.

Meal breaks are also important. You need to eat something every six hours or so, if only to keep your blood sugar levels high enough to avoid becoming fuzzyheaded. So don’t skip lunch, and don’t just scarf down a sandwich at your desk, either: get away for a few minutes, since by then you’ll probably need the change of pace and scenery to help you stay sharp.

Finally, don’t skip your macro-breaks, either. You need to take your weekends, holidays, and vacations as often as possible, so you can be rested and ready when work-time rolls around again.

Stop Multitasking
Multitasking is all the rage nowadays, but I happen to think that it’s the scourge of the modern office. The human brain can handle just a few things at a time, because we’ve only got so much “cognitive currency” to spend. Your mind’s trying to process all kinds of external stimuli already, so when you consciously try to do too many things at once, you literally spread yourself thin. Add in all the distractions that you have to deal with, from the sound of the rain on the windows to the photocopier chugging away across the hall to your chatty co-workers, and your efficiency begins to fall off sharply.

The worst thing about multitasking, I think, is that it fools you into thinking you’re getting a lot more done. But you’re not: you’re dividing your attention too finely. If you go too far, you’ll end up like one of those computers that assigns every single task a tiny, equal time-slice, and then takes forever to get any one task done. In computer parlance this is called “thrashing,” and I’ve seen it many times in human beings as well. If you really want to produce, focus tightly on one task at a time, and get it off your plate before moving on to the next task on your list.

Going Cold Turkey
The four items I’ve listed here are just a few of the egregious workplace habits that can rob you of productivity if you let them. These habits are sneaky: either their negative effects are easy to miss, or they fool you into thinking that they’re helping you be more productive. If you keep them up, though, you’re not going to get ahead; you’ll just end up slipping farther behind.

So for your productivity’s sake, I recommend that you sit down and seriously ask yourself if you’re guilty of any of these bad habits. If you are, then go cold turkey on each one. It may be hard, but you’ll be more productive in the long run—and that’s what really matters.

According to a recent CareerBuilder study, clutter could be costing you quite a bit! More than a quarter of employers said they are less likely to promote someone who has a messy work space. A large percentage of employers also feel that having paper piles on desks gives them a more negative impression of those workers.

Surpisingly, a third of workers admit to having hoarding tendencies with 13% saying they have files which are more than five years old. If you’re facing challenges with office clutter, we’ve got help for you! Spend an hour with me on my pre-recorded webinar “Organize Your Office and Your Life: Survive Information Overload and Clear the Clutter.” You’ll learn expert tips on keeping the clutter at bay so that you have more time to tackle that to-do list!

Laura Stack, The Productivity Pro(R) discusses the use of technology and how to keep it from controlling your time. (C) 2011 Laura Stack. All Rights Reserved. http://www.TheProductivityPro.com

“The business of the United States is business.” — Calvin Coolidge and several other American presidents

“Last year continued to show the effects of the weak economy. The amount of time spent watching T.V. and other nonproductive activities remains extraordinarily high.” — Alan Krueger, American economist, in response to the 2010 American Time Use Study.

“On an average day, 20 percent of men did housework — such as cleaning or doing laundry — compared with 49 percent of women.” — Citation from the 2010 American Time Use Study.

On June 22, 2011, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics released the results of its annual American Time Use Survey (ATUS) for 2010. A yearly tradition since 2003, ATUS offers a fascinating glimpse into the ways that Americans spend an average day. This time around, the results derived from interviews with 13,200 individuals, representing a cross-section of the American public. Among other things, the data provide an interesting perspective on workplace productivity, so let’s take a quick look.

The most interesting statistic (from a productivity perspective, at least) is the average amount of time Americans spent at work: three hours and 58 minutes per workday, down six minutes from 2009 and 30 minutes from 2007. The press has seized upon this figure, with some observers charging that we’ve become a nation of slackers. However, these commentators have misinterpreted the data, confusing an average across the board for the average for the employed.

The raw figures actually reflect the fact that ATUS covers a representative sample of all types of individuals from age 15 and up, not just employed adults. Many of the people surveyed were unemployed or employed part-time, so of course they would drag the average number of work-hours down. The decrease in the average time worked appears to represent not increased laziness but increased unemployment, which suggests that the recession worsened during 2010—no matter what any other metrics may have suggested.

A closer look at the statistical breakdown shows that employed individuals actually spent an average of 7 hours, 50 minutes working on weekdays, with work-related activities bringing that up to a solid 8.23 hours. Add to that an average of 5.45 hours per weekend day (5.64 with work-related activities) and it’s clear that working Americans aren’t the slackers we’re sometimes made out to be. About 82 percent of the employed worked on an average weekday, with 35 percent working weekends. This reflects how individual workweeks are structured, and hasn’t really changed in the past year.

Employed men worked an average of 8.2 hours on weekdays, with women averaging 7.8 hours. Overall, women tended to work 41 fewer minutes per workday than men. This is apparently due to the fact that women are more likely to work part-time, since they continue to be the primary familial caregivers and housekeepers. Only 20% of the men surveyed reported doing housework on the average day, for example, while 49% of women did. Similarly, women were half again more likely to take care of another household member on any given day than men were (30% vs. 20%).

So: where’s the lost work-time going? That’s difficult to say, though some observers are quick to assign it to the sleep and leisure categories. However, while both are currently higher than pre-recession numbers, there’s virtually no difference between the 2009 and 2010 averages for sleep-time, and Americans actually spent less time on leisure in 2010 than they did in 2009. In fact, the only basic survey category to increase significantly from 2009 was the catch-all “Other activities, not elsewhere classified”, which rose about seven minutes from .24 to .35 hours.

The average time spent sleeping remains steady at 8 hours, 40 minutes per day (8.67 hours), with women spending slightly longer asleep (8 hours, 46 minutes) than men (8 hours, 34 minutes). The sleep average for weekdays is 8.38 hours, about 90 seconds longer than 2009; for weekends, it’s 9.34 hours.

Average time devoted to leisure activities has dropped from 5.25 to 5.18 hours per day, with men again leading the pack (5.57 hours vs. 4.82 hours for women). Watching TV took up the lion’s share of this category, at 2.73 hours (2 hours, 43 minutes). People were more likely to watch TV on the weekends than on weekdays, but they still racked up 2 hours, 31 minutes daily during the workweek. While that’s an increase of 5.4 minutes over 2007 levels, it’s a decrease of 5.6 minutes since 2009.

What all these rather dry statistics boil down to is this: Americans are slightly less productive as a whole than we were last year, continuing a trend observable since 2007. It’s clear that the decline is due to increased unemployment rather than slacking, since the average numbers do include both the employed and unemployed. A closer examination of the data shows that the average employed American is as productive as ever.

And despite the assertion by some that we’re using our lost work-time to sleep and play rather than better ourselves (which would be an understandable reaction to the pressures of the recession, if true), we’re actually sleeping about as long as we did last year, and playing a bit less. The actual fate of that lost six minutes per day remains unclear.

Laura Stack, The Productivity Pro(R), talks about saying “no” so that you have more time. (C) 2011 Laura Stack. All Rights Reserved. http://www.TheProductivityPro.com

Is giving presentations a part of your job?

One of the biggest constraints you face when making any presentation is a limited amount of time to get your point across. This is true whether you’re the keynote speaker for a convention and have a solid hour to speak, or you’re pitching your proposed budget to the Board of Directors and are lucky to get ten minutes.

Get tips from my latest “SuperCompetent Speaking” article at Training Magazine online: How to Cram Lots of Information into Limited Time.

Join us on Monday, July 25 at 11:00 AM Mountain for the next webinar in our Microsoft Outlook 2010 series!

Outlook 2010: Time Savers and Efficiency Boosters

Automatic Email Notification, Creating Rules, Rules Wizard, New Item Shortcut, Send/Receive Times, Create Templates for Common Responses, Outlook Template for Letters, AutoSearches, Quickly Jump Around within Outlook, Keyboard Shortcuts, Take a Poll and Tally Results, Specify Which Address Book Opens First, Find Messages with Lightning Speed, Add Groups and Shortcuts in the Folder List, Create a New Toolbar with Favorite Buttons, Add Your Own Menu with Your Favorite Commands.

Join us for this one-hour module for $39, or purchase the entire 12-part series for only $349.

Learn more and place your order today at:
http://www.theproductivitypro.com/s_outlook-virtual-training_1210.html

Had to share these great photos a client sent after our training session. They purchased the Productivity Pro(R) Planner from Day-Timer, got rid of the sticky notes and now have organized to-do lists!

Before using the Productivity Pro(R) Planner

and now:

No more sticky notes!

We would love to see your before/after photos or pictures of your newly organized planners and spaces. What changes have made you more productive? Send your stories to editor@TheProductivityPro.com!

Join us on Monday, July 25 at 1:00 PM Mountain for the latest in our webinar series:

How Leaders Can Get More Done Through Others: How Micromanagement Can Kill Productivity and Creativity
If you want to destroy worker initiative, blast a hole in productivity, and scribble the bottom line with red ink, there’s no better way to do it than by micromanaging your employees. Not only does it waste your time, keeping your employees on a tight leash and constantly interrupting them ruins their ability to find thoughtful, profitable ways to do their jobs. If you’re so distrustful of your employees that feel you have to keep an eye on them at all times, why did you hire them in the first place? The true leader quickly learns that the only way to get things done right is not to try to do everything yourself: true organization-wide productivity requires an engaged, informed workforce willing and eager to work toward the organization’s mission and vision. In this webinar, I’ll advise you on why and how you need to:

•Settle back and trust your employees to do their jobs, while you do yours.

•Delegate when and as necessary.

•Take care of the big-picture items, while letting others handle the details.

•Encourage employee engagement at all levels.

•Provide the training necessary for your employees to do the best job possible.

If you are unable to join us at the scheduled time, don’t worry! You will be able to view the webinar recording online at your convenience.

Only $29. Order online:
http://theproductivitypro.com/webinar_series.htm#7._July_25,_2011.

Just ten more days to take advantage of special early-bird pricing! Sign up by July 15 for $100 discount.

Mark your calendars and to attend THE PRODUCTIVITY ACADEMY!

You asked for it! TWO FULL days with Laura Stack, The Productivity Pro®, LIVE! Limited to 100 people, so act quickly, as this event will sell out.

When: Saturday, October 22, and Sunday, October 23, 2011

Time: 8:30 to 5:30 both days (meals on your own—within walking distance)

Where: The Marriott Denver South at Park Meadows in Lone Tree, Colorado (35 minutes from the Denver International Airport). The hotel has a workout room, full-service restaurant, great bar, concierge room with breakfast for Gold/Platinum level members, and a Starbucks! I was able to secure an amazing $84 room rate!

Who should attend?
The Productivity Pro Boot Camp is for professionals who want to achieve exceptional performance and productivity in all areas of their personal lives. It’s applicable to any level of employee in any kind of company or organization, including:

•Staff and middle management level “office” and “staff” positions such as marketing, admins, IT, HR, PR, operations, purchasing, etc.

•Leaders and managers in small or large corporations, including team leaders, first level supervisors, mid-level managers, and key executives, who want to provide coaching to their employees.

•Entrepreneurs and business owners who need to spend a majority of their time on revenue-producing activities and reduce the administrative burden.

•Salespeople, such as financial services, professional services, insurance, real estate, pharmaceutical, business owners.

•Human Resource executives, who need assistance in the performance review process creating development plans for employees with low personal productivity and performance.

Learn more here and sign up today!