Productivity

On this episode, we chat about how to get into a state of flow, where we’re totally immersed in what we’re doing. Topics covered include: What a “flow state” is; The characteristics of a flow state; Shortcuts to help us get into a state of flow; How flow helps us perform better with creative tasks;

Do you find delegation tricky? When it comes to delegating more, do you find yourself using excuses like these? I don’t have time to explain it or track it. I might as well do it myself. I’m just a control freak. (It’s not you, it’s me!) I’ve been around the longest, so I’ll just know

Takeaway: The digital world adds value in three ways: by saving us time, by adding features to our lives, and by connecting us with others. Estimated Reading Time: 1 minute, 50s. My latest experiment to switch from a smartphone to a flip phone for a month has made me think a lot about the time

This case study represents one of the submissions for i4cp’s 2023 Next Practice Awards, winners will be honored at the i4cp 2023 Next Practices Now Conference. You can also view other Next Practice Award case studies. Business challenge Land O’Lakes has more than 200 production facilities that are located in rural towns spread across the United States with

The Institute for Corporate Productivity (i4cp)—a leading global human capital research firm, is pleased to announce the ten finalists in its 2023 Next Practice Awards competition. Exclusive to i4cp, next practices describe innovative strategies strongly tied to excellence in market performance but not yet leveraged by most organizations. Finalists in the competition include Allstate, Dell,

Takeaway: The nicer the smartphone, the more time I want to spend on it—and this isn’t something I want. Any device we consider “great” should make us feel better, not worse, about the time we spend on it. Estimated Reading Time: 2 minutes, 45s. When I started my most recent experiment to use only a

If you’ve worked in the DE&I space for any amount of time, you know that there will always be pushback and individuals ready to derail even the most innocuous of efforts to advance diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging in the workplace. And while most organizations have moved past continually having to relitigate the well-established business

About a third of those present claimed total alignment with leaders, but the largest percentage—more than half—said they were only somewhat aligned. Or, as some pointed out, somewhat misaligned. As discussion ensued, several TR leaders confirmed that conversations about the importance of well-being were taking place in their companies, though actual alignment remained questionable, and

On this episode, we chat about Chris’s latest experiment, to switch to a flip phone from a smartphone for a period of a month (to start). Topics covered include: How great the flip phone era was; How Ardyn feels about this experiment; The 6 reasons Chris is giving up his smartphone; The downsides to large

Takeaway: A calm state of mind makes you more focused, engaged, and deliberate. Here’s why. Estimated Reading Time: 2 minutes, 10s. In my most recent book, I contend that the calmer our mind, the more productive we become. Let me explain. When it comes to knowledge work—tasks we do with our minds and not with

On this episode, we welcome Laura Vanderkam back on the podcast to chat about her new book, Tranquility by Tuesday. Topics covered include: The three categories to use to plan your days and your life; Why we should plan our weeks on Friday afternoon; Laura’s daily planner of choice; How doing something three times a

Takeaway: My latest experiment for the month: trading out my brand new iPhone for a flip phone. Follow along here (and join me, if you want!). Estimated Reading Time: 2 minutes, 46s. Today I stowed away my shiny new iPhone 14 Pro and transferred its SIM card into a flip feature phone. I’ve grown a bit

In a recent study, the Institute for Corporate Productivity (i4cp) found that 71% of respondents said that skills shortages pose the greatest potential for disruption to their organizations—ranking it ahead of inflation, recession, supply chain interruption, geopolitical instability, and other factors. In another i4cp study, 70% of those surveyed believe that their organizations’ workforce does

February 1, 2023, Seattle, WA – The latest global study by HR research powerhouse i4cp provides evidence to support a new business imperative: the health of your culture has a direct impact on how well a company performs. The study, Culture Fitness: Healthy Habits of High-Performance Organizations, showcases the financial impact a healthy culture—or a

On this episode, we chat about how we like to go “novelty hunting,” especially in the digital world. Topics covered include: What “novelty hunting” is; The connection between novelty and dopamine; The three dopamine factors; The “novelty bias”; How novelty hunting is more stressful than we give it credit for; Superstimuli; How novelty changes our

Takeaway: There are two kinds of productivity advice: advice that helps you work smarter, and that which helps build your capacity for getting things done in the first place. Both are critical. Estimated Reading Time: 3 minutes, 13s. In exploring the research about calm and productivity while writing How to Calm Your Mind, I realized